Trump threatens to demolish Kennedy Center if $250m renovation not done

US president’s lawyers in court filing say Washington arts complex must undergo repairs or risk demolition

The John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts could be demolished if repairs are not carried out, Donald Trump’s administration warned in a court filing on Monday.

Lawyers for the US president said the national arts complex in Washington DC must undergo a $250m renovation or risk facing the wrecking ball.

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source https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/25/trump-kennedy-center-demolish

Target apologizes for ‘offensive’ Halloween costume after backlash

Retailer removes kid’s clown costume after people said it resembled a racist caricature used in minstrel shows

Target, the US retail corporation, said it pulled a controversial Halloween costume off its shelves after criticism across social media that it resembled a racist caricature.

The ad image for the costume, sold as the “Kids’ Glows Under Blacklight Circus Clown Halloween Costume,” depicted a Black child in a bright orange and black top with solid black gloves and a mask with a wide, toothy smile. Both the child’s pose and the costume’s gloves and mask were likened to caricatures of Black people used in minstrel shows.

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source https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/24/target-apology-halloween-costume-backlash

Landslide at waste mound in Guinea capital kills 30, government says

Dump site in Conakry, which minister had just promised to move, collapsed after heavy rain in west African state

A ⁠landslide at a huge waste dump in Guinea’s capital has killed 30 people, the government said on Sunday, after heavy rains overnight prompted it to ⁠collapse, engulfing nearby tents and shacks.

The incident occurred less than a week after the government announced plans to close the ⁠site and relocate the waste because of the threat it posed, especially during the rainy season, which causes landslides and fatal flash ⁠floods each year in crowded, underdeveloped cities across parts of West Africa.

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source https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/23/landslide-waste-mound-conakry-guinea-kills-dozens

Eight-year-old dies after contracting rare brain-eating amoeba in Louisiana

Lillian Smart of Ruston infected with fatal Naegleria fowleri, likely after swimming in Lake Claiborne, health officials say

An eight-year-old Louisiana girl has died after contracting a rare, typically fatal brain-eating amoeba after a swim in Lake Claiborne.

Lillian Smart, of Ruston, died on Saturday, one day after celebrating her birthday, her family announced in a public Facebook post on the “Love for Lillian” page.

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source https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/23/child-dies-brain-eating-amoeba-infection-louisiana

Reform says it would put foreign-born UK citizens lower on social housing list

UK-born married couples under 35 with children would get priority under proposals to be outlined by Farage’s party

British citizens who were born abroad would be made to wait longer for social housing under proposals to be announced by Reform UK on Monday.

Nigel Farage’s party will announce the policy at a press conference in London. Under the policy, people born in the UK and young married couples with children would be given priority for social housing.

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source https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/aug/23/reform-social-housing-uk-citizens

Tropical Storm Moke poised to slam into Hawaii just days after Hurricane Lala

Weather service warns of flooding and mudslides, particularly in areas strongly affected by previous storm

Tropical Storm Moke is poised to slam into the south of Hawaii’s islands with forecasters predicting heavy rains and strong winds on Saturday evening, just days after the region was devastated by Hurricane Lala.

The tropical storm is gathering strength as it advances west, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

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source https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/22/hawaii-tropical-storm-moke

Iranians Feel the Toll of U.S. Economic Sanctions #wanitaxigo