Chief-Exec.com

US ambassador to Israel slams settler siege against West Bank Palestinians as ‘terror’
The US ambassador to Israel, a staunch supporter of West Bank settlements, on Thursday denounced as "terror" a siege by settlers against Palestinians that drew an unsuccessful intervention by the army. Settlers near Nablus since Sunday have blockaded Palestinian homes, including one owned by a US citizen, with residents saying they have been cut off from food and other supplies. "Actions by those who carried out this horrific act of terror meant to intimidate and harass this family are disgusting," Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador in Jerusalem, wrote on X in response to criticism of the US response. "No excuse for such thuggish behaviour," he wrote. Huckabee said Israel had intervened at the request of the United States, its crucial ally. More than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements in the West Bank, which are illegal under international law, among some three million Palestinians in the territory. France 24, August 13

UK economy grows 0.4% in second quarter
The UK economy grew by 0.4 per cent in the second quarter, a relatively robust performance that suggests businesses are weathering threats including the Gulf-related surge in energy prices. Thursday’s figure from the Office for National Statistics was in line with analysts’ forecasts and compared with a growth rate of 0.6 per cent in the previous three-month period. In the month of June alone, GDP grew 0.3 per cent, with signs that the early weeks of the World Cup boosted activity for companies including restaurants, alcohol manufacturers and television producers. That followed zero growth in May - a downward revision from the previous increase of 0.1 per cent for that month. The figures will come as a relief to new Prime Minister Andy Burnham as he pledges to broaden growth across more of the country and tackle the cost of living crisis. Financial Times, August 13

Record number of UK students opt for degrees in engineering and tech
The number of students sitting A-level economics has jumped by more than 10 per cent, as university admissions data shows a record number of acceptances on to engineering and technology degrees at UK universities. Economics entered the top five most popular subjects for the first time, according to data published on Thursday, with a 10.5 per cent rise in the number of entries since last year. Separate figures published by Ucas on A-level results day showed more than 27,200 UK students accepted places on engineering and technology courses starting this autumn, a rise of 14.7 per cent from last year. There was also a sharp rise in students securing university places for courses in social sciences and law, with year-on-year rises of 6.9 per cent and 6.4 per cent respectively. Despite a debate about the value of a degree and the fairness of England’s student loan system, the number of school leavers accepting a university place reached a record high of 262,820. Financial Times, August 13

South Korean airport becomes busiest in world for global traffic amid Iran war
South Korea’s Incheon airport has become the world’s busiest airport for international passengers, in part due to disruption in the Middle East caused by the Iran war. The airport, South Korea’s main gateway about 30 miles (48km) west of Seoul, handled 38.39 million international passengers in the first half of 2026, according to preliminary figures compiled by the Airports Council International (ACI), the global trade body for airports. Heathrow in the UK was second with 37.79 million, followed by Changi airport in Singapore with 34.53 million. It is the first time Incheon has topped the international passenger rankings since opening in 2001. The airport was 10th in the world in 2002, rising to fifth in 2018 and third in 2024 and 2025. The Guardian, August 13

First 100% British chocolate bar made since 1932
A chocolate bar has been made using entirely British ingredients for the first time in nearly a century, with cocoa from not Brazil or Bali, but Berkshire. Created at the University of Reading, it was named the Reading 100 Chocolate Bar to mark the university's 100th anniversary. It is the first of its kind since 1932, when Rowntree's gifted a six-year-old Princess Elizabeth the only other bar of UK-grown chocolate ever made. Food security master's student Maha Khan created the chocolate bar by harvesting, fermenting and processing the Reading-grown cocoa. While the UK's chocolate market is worth £10.4bn, it is entirely reliant on imported cocoa. The cocoa was grown at the University of Reading's International Cocoa Quarantine Centre, a collection of more than 300 types of cocoa plant. BBC news, August 12

Magnetic espadrilles step up to ease backache for boules players
The gentle ritual of a game of boules has just become a little easier on the back. Instead of bending almost double to pick up the steel balls, players can minimise stooping by wearing specially designed espadrilles. A small pocket on the side of the canvas shoes holds a magnet powerful enough to pick up a boule from the ground. The player places a foot beside the ball so that the magnet catches it, then raises it until the boule is within easy reach. Olivier Gelly, the inventor of the espadrilles spéciales pétanque, admits that the idea began as a joke. “I was having a laugh with some friends over a glass of rosé one evening,” said Gelly, 41, the owner of an espadrilles shop in the southern French city of Perpignan. “We were coming out with all kinds of crazy ideas and I said, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if I made an espadrille with a magnet for pétanque?’ Since their launch last year, more than 40,000 pairs of the navy-blue espadrilles have been sold. The Times, August 11

JD Vance asked Ukraine to halt strikes on tankers using Russian port
Ukraine has halted an intense campaign of drone strikes on oil tankers using a critical Black Sea port after a request at the end of last month from US vice-president JD Vance, according to Ukrainian officials. Washington was alarmed that Ukraine was further destabilising oil markets and harming US companies by targeting tankers carrying crude piped from Kazakhstan to a Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal in the Russian port of Novorossiysk. Vance asked President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to halt the attacks during a call on July 31, the Ukrainian officials and other people familiar with the matter said. Ukraine has not struck tankers near the CPC terminal since then, according to the officials and FT analysis of open-source information. It had agreed not to target CPC infrastructure or non-Russian vessels as long as those ships were not under Ukrainian sanctions and were not carrying Russian oil or other Russian cargo, the officials said. Financial Times, August 12

Israel deliberately starting wildfires in southern Lebanon, firefighters say
Firefighters and residents of south Lebanon have accused the Israeli military of lighting wildfires in the region, as forested areas burned down in blazes sparked by Israeli bombing. Environmental groups said the fires in recent weeks were part of a longstanding Israeli practice of targeting Lebanon’s natural environment. On Tuesday, the Israeli military dropped flares in a wooded area outside Khiam, in south Lebanon, sparking blazes. When firefighters attempted to extinguish the flames, a drone struck close by, forcing them to withdraw, the head of the civil defence in the Nabatieh region, Hussein Fakih, said. “Most of our missions are now related to fires. There are enormous areas of woodland that have burned, I don’t have the exact figures, but in the areas close to the [frontline], around 30-40 per cent of the land has been affected by fires,” he said. The Guardian, August 12

Panama Canal fees hit record high as El Niño and Iran war choke shipping
Prices for the busiest shipping lanes in the Panama Canal have hit a new record, as falling water levels linked to an intensifying El Niño and strong demand driven by the Iran war constrain traffic. Daily auctions for a transit slot in August through the canal’s commonly used locks have averaged about $1.1mn so far this month, more than 16 times the average price for the same period last year. Prices have surged since the US and Israel-led bombardment of Iran began on February 28, leading to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, a strengthening El Niño, a warming of surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean which can cause severe drought and warmer winter temperatures, began developing in June and could be stronger than usual this year, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Prices are rising because lower water levels are expected to limit the amount of cargo ships can carry through the canal and potentially reduce the number of passage slots later this year. Financial Times, August 12

Jellyfish force shutdown of three reactors at France's largest nuclear plant
A nuclear plant in northern France shut down three reactors after a swarm of jellyfish clogged pumps used to cool the units, EDF said on Tuesday. Three reactors were taken offline on Monday and output at a fourth was cut by half, the energy group said in a statement, leaving just one operating at full capacity. A sixth reactor was already offline for scheduled maintenance. "This situation has no impact on the safety of the facilities, the safety of personnel, or the environment," said EDF. France has seen nuclear power production disrupted by multiple heatwaves and droughts this year, with EDF shutting down several reactors in June and July because of extreme heat. France 24, August 11

UK: PM says affluent areas must take asylum seekers too
Andy Burnham has said that more affluent areas of the UK will have to “play their part” and house asylum seekers. The prime minister’s comments came after residents of Piddington, an Oxfordshire village of fewer than 400 people, symbolically voted in favour of seceding from the UK in protest against plans to rehouse 1,250 single adult male asylum seekers in a nearby disused Ministry of Defence storage depot without consulting them. When asked about the campaign by GB News, Burnham said he would listen to what people are saying and address their concerns. “We understand people’s concerns and I will look into the issues raised by the good people of the Piddington,” he said. However, he added: “We cannot have a situation where it’s only the poorest communities in the country that receive all of the dispersal of refugees and asylum seekers. I do believe all parts of the country need to work, to play their part.” The Times, August 11

More than 10 firms pay up to $100,000 a month for fast access to Truth Social posts
More than 10 customers have signed up to Trump Media's controversial service that offers faster access to market-moving posts made on its Truth Social platform. The service, Truth API, launched at the beginning of August and gives Wall Street traders first sight of posts from the social media site's most influential accounts. Its earliest customers are mostly in high-frequency trading firms who are being charged between $60,000-$100,000 (£44,000-£74,000) a month for the service, interim chief executive officer Kevin McGurn said during an earnings call. He was speaking after Trump Media reported a loss of $238m between April and June. The quarterly loss is more than 10 times the amount reported during the same period a year earlier, according to the Trump Media and Technology Group, and comes as the group branched into ventures unrelated to media, including cryptocurrencies. The group, which is yet to make a profit, says it will refocus on its social media mission. BBC news, August 11