Google and the UK government are collaborating on a project to test whether airplanes can avoid creating contrails. The project, called Operation Blue Skies, will conduct the trial over Shanwick airspace, which sits above the northeastern Atlantic Ocean. Contrails are the long white streaks in the sky left by jet engines. Most often created in cold, humid air, they form when water vapor condenses and freezes around aircraft exhaust. Researchers estimate that they contribute to about one-third of aviation's total climate impact.

AI to help planes avoid climate-warming'sky graffiti' We've all looked up and seen the white lines trailing behind aircraft in the sky. Known as contrails, these icy clouds contribute to climate change, and scientists have been trying to work out how to stop them. Now, a £5m UK trial will test whether AI can help, by predicting where warming contrails are likely to form and getting planes to avoid those areas. The 30-month Operation Blue Skies project brings together Google, the UK government, the Met Office, air traffic control provider National Air Traffic Services (NATS) and academic researchers. It will focus on the Shanwick Oceanic airspace in the eastern half of the North Atlantic corridor which accounts for approximately 5% of global contrail warming.

A mobile game made by a developer in Manchester has recently beaten the global phenomenon Minecraft to top Apple's paid games chart. Its success is perhaps even more surprising given its subject matter - UK politics. No 10: Full Confidence by Benjamin Brewis sees players take on the role of prime minister, making decisions through a wave of parliamentary scenarios and trying to remain in power for as long as possible. The success of Brewis's app, and the creation of others like it, suggests the dramatic recent ebb and flow of Westminster may have inspired a popular new sub-genre. To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.

'Row professor found dead' and'barbecue ban' Image caption, At the top of the Times is the news that ex-Cambridge professor Jason Arday, who has been at the centre of a row in-part focused on accusations of plagiarism, has been found dead. The police have said his death is being treated as unexpected, but is not believed to be suspicious. Also on the front page, Burnham calls up the military to tackle fires. Image caption, In the lead for the Daily Telegraph is that men lose right to prostate cancer test. The Telegraph also includes the news of Arday's death, noting that his memoir is due to be published in the UK later in August.

British diplomats in six locations around the world, including Buenos Aires and Santiago in South America, will no longer get hardship payments for working in dangerous cities. Bonuses and respite breaks are granted to those working in cities considered risky, like Beirut in Lebanon, or with high crime, such as Pretoria in South Africa, or high air pollution in cities including New Delhi and Beijing. The UK government has removed Santiago, in Chile, Panama City in Panama, Pyongyang in North Korea, Bamako in Mali, and Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in addition to the two south American cities, according to the latest list published last week, external . The 144 locations still on the list include many trouble spots but also popular holiday destinations such as Bali and Rio De Janeiro, prompting criticism from the Conservatives. Tory chairman Kevin Hollin rake said civil servants receiving extra pay for working in such areas is unfair on the taxpayer. The Foreign Office has given civil servants extra payments for working in areas where there is a high level of danger, or high risks to health, for the past 30 years.

A protest on Thursday in Larbert, about 30 miles west of Edinburgh, is said by campaigners to have been attended by more than 100 people. A protest on Thursday in Larbert, about 30 miles west of Edinburgh, is said by campaigners to have been attended by more than 100 people. Police Scotland warns'robust security' needed to stop attacks on AI datacentres'A great deal of public opposition is likely' to a proposed datacentre near Edinburgh, the force says Fri 14 Aug 2026 12.05 EDTLast modified on Fri 14 Aug 2026 14.49 EDT Police in Scotland have issued a stark warning about the need for "robust security measures" to stop proposed AI datacentres from being attacked by protesters. There has been mounting opposition to AI infrastructure globally, including in the US where such projects have become a significant political rallying point. Police Scotland said "a great deal of public opposition is likely" to a datacentre planned in Larbert, about 30 miles west of Edinburgh, in a letter submitted as a part of a planning consultation this month.

Novelty politician Count Binface has announced plans to perform a one-off show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The self-styled intergalactic space warrior - who finished second to Nigel Farage in the Clacton by-election - is the alter ego of comedian Jon Harvey. His 26.9% share of the vote is thought to be the highest ever for a novelty candidate. The show, called Face of the Establishment, is at the Pleasance on 26 August. Count Binface has previously stood in four parliamentary elections and two London mayoral elections.

Prisoners charged over attack on Sara Sharif's father Two prisoners have been charged with the attempted murder of fellow inmate Urfan Sharif who was jailed for the murder of his daughter Sara Sharif. Steven Sansom, 47, and Adam Watson, 39, have also been charged with other offences relating to the incident in Belmarsh Prison on 1 January 2025, the Crown Prosecution Service said. The men will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court for a first hearing on 26 August. Sharif, 43, and Sara's stepmother Beinash Batool were sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted at the Old Bailey of killing Sara at their home in Woking, Surrey. Sharif reportedly suffered cuts to his face during the attack, and received medical treatment at the prison.

Disabled and terminally ill campaigners have written to Prime Minister Andy Burnham urging him to reform social and palliative care before assisted dying legislation is introduced in England and Wales. The Assist Us To Live group says people are currently being failed by society and introducing assisted dying in these circumstances will put sick and disabled people's lives at risk. Burnham believes the funding of palliative and social care should be fixed before assisted dying is considered. The government is likely to remain officially neutral, but the PM's remarks suggest he personally will not back the bill proposed by Labour MP Lauren Edwards. Bill supporters argue improving care services and giving terminally ill people autonomy over their final weeks must go hand in hand.

An added boost from summer sun and sports fixtures for some businesses helped the UK economy to grow by 0.4% between April and June, according to official data. But the figure - in line with economists' expectations - is below the 0.6% expansion recorded in the first three months of this year. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said growth had remained relatively robust, with services sector propelling growth in the second quarter while manufacturing also grew. The economy is now 1.2% bigger than a year ago, but economists warn growth is likely to slow in the second half of the year. Computer programming, advertising and the pharmaceutical industry were areas of strength, the ONS said.