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Politics
Policy, power, and the news of the day.
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Leading economies’ borrowing costs hit highest since 2008 crisis
Concern over impact of Iran war pushes up government bond yields in US, UK, France, Germany and Japan Government borrowing costs in several advanced economies hit their highest level since the 2008 financial crisis, or even earlier, on Monday, as investors feared the Middle East crisis would keep inflation persistently high. Concerns over rising prices, and government spending, pushed up the cost of debt issued by Paris, Berlin, Washington DC, Tokyo and London, as investors fretted that rising prices would push up interest rates. Continue reading...
3M knew for more than 50 years that its products could harm humans, Australian government alleges in court documents
Exclusive: federal government court filings claim internal company documents included warnings about products being toxic Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Manufacturing company 3M knew more than 50 years ago that its firefighting products – including components in Pfas “forever chemicals” – could be hazardous to the health of humans and animals and damage the environment, the federal government has claimed in court documents. In filings as part of its $2bn lawsuit against the multinational company, commonwealth lawyers said products sold to Australia were known to stay present in water and soil, were persistent in the human body and in animals, and contributed to conditions including reduced kidney function, alterations in immune function, effects on fertility and puberty and lower birth weight in babies. Continue reading...
British Muslim student with valid visa refused entry to US after 23-hour detention
Laith Alani, who had booked week-long trip to visit theme parks and family, believes US border force profiled him on arrival in Orlando A British student who was detained and deported after flying to the US claims he was profiled for being Muslim. Laith Alani said he felt as if he had been kidnapped when he was interrogated for nine hours and detained in a holding cell for another 14 hours by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at Orlando international airport. Continue reading...
Top album releases linked to rise in fatal crashes as ‘distracted’ drivers access music
Harvard study finds traffic fatalities increase by 15% on release dates compared with similar days either side The release of a new album by Taylor Swift might be a cause for celebration among her fans, but such events have also been linked to a more sombre phenomenon: an increase in fatal car crashes. The team behind a new study say it sheds light on the impact of distracted driving. “You can’t randomise people into using their phones, and drivers rarely volunteer what they were doing in the seconds before a crash,” said Dr Vishal Patel, first author of the study based at Harvard Medical School. Continue reading...
Why rightwing critics are wrong to say the Australian super system is broken
Spending on aged pension will be stable for decades to come, experts argue, despite claims by Bragg and Hanson Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Is Australia’s superannuation system “one of the biggest policy failures since federation”? Is “the whole system broken”? Australia’s $4.4tn compulsory super regime is generally considered among the best in the world, yet conservative politicians such as Andrew Bragg, the Coalition’s putative shadow housing minister, and Pauline Hanson, One Nation’s leader, seem to hate it. Continue reading...
Alarm raised over ‘privacy dilemma’ of facial recognition technology at Coles and Woolworths
Supermarkets say they are exploring ways to keep people safe, but experts claim the tech is ‘normalising surveillance’ Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Consumer privacy advocates have responded with alarm after Coles and Woolworths confirmed they were testing facial recognition technology that they could use in their Australian supermarkets to record shoppers’ personal biometric data. The supermarket giants on Monday confirmed they had tested the technology and said they were considering installing it in their Australian stores to crack down on retail crime including aggression towards staff. Continue reading...
Reform’s Tice says people should stop tackling climate crisis and ‘enjoy’ heat
Deputy leader says it is ‘arrogant’ to try to stop global heating, despite UK being left reeling by summer firewave Reform’s deputy leader has dismissed efforts to tackle climate breakdown as futile, as he urged British people to “enjoy” the warmth of the recent heatwaves. Richard Tice told a press conference on Monday he believed it was “arrogant” to try to stop the climate emergency and added that politicians should focus instead on adaptation efforts, while encouraging people to focus on upsides such as better English wine. Continue reading...
Finland halts deportation of Russian family who ‘risked everything’ to oppose Ukraine invasion
Mother and son Olga and Nikita Belov say they were facing jail and potential torture after asylum case was rejected A Russian family who were on the brink of being deported from Finland after repeatedly being denied asylum – despite the threat of arrest, imprisonment and torture for their pro-Ukrainian activism – have won a court appeal and will have their case reconsidered. Nikita Belov and his mother, Olga Belov, fled their homeland for Finland in 2022 after attracting the attention of Russian authorities – including a military summons, threatening messages and attempts to locate them – for expressing opposition to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading...
Storm Lala damages more than 100 homes and several bridges on Hawaii’s Big Island
Lala was downgraded from hurricane to tropical storm Sunday, but could become a hurricane again by Wednesday Clean-up efforts started on Hawaii after Hurricane Lala rolled past the Big Island and dumped heavy rain across the US Pacific state. Lala was downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it grazed the islands, but it brought heavy rains and winds strong enough to sweep about 100 homes off their foundations on the Big Island. Continue reading...
UK government ‘irresponsible’ for not publishing emergency drought plans
Campaigners demand greater transparency into water companies’ plans not made public due to ‘security reasons’ The UK government has been accused of a lack of transparency and of acting irresponsibly for refusing to publish the emergency drought plans that are produced by water companies. Water firms are required to publish statutory drought plans every five years to detail the actions needed to ensure public water supply is maintained and the environment is protected during drought. Continue reading...
US tourist dies after being struck by lightning on Italy’s Mount Etna
Italian firefighters say a man, 29, was killed by a lightning strike on the Sicily volcano while hiking in a restricted area A tourist from the US was killed by a lightning strike on Sicily’s Mount Etna while hiking in an area that was closed to visitors due to recent volcanic activity, Italian firefighters said Monday. The 29-year-old man from Kansas was rescued by helicopter after being struck Sunday evening in an exposed area above the tree line. He was later declared dead by medical personnel. His name was not released. Continue reading...
Beatles film recreates iconic Abbey Road album cover
Social media footage this weekend revealed the cast of Sam Mendes’ four-film band biopic on the zebra crossing near the studio, posing for the famous image The production team behind the forthcoming four-film Beatles biopic, directed by Sam Mendes, has been spotted filming outside Abbey Road studios in London. Inevitably, this includes a recreation of the celebrated Abbey Road album cover, for which the band was photographed on the nearby pedestrian crossing – now a popular tourist landmark. Footage posted on social media on Sunday shows the actors playing the Beatles lining up on the kerb and walking across the road. Harris Dickinson, as John Lennon, is leading the walk, with Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison following in sequence. Continue reading...
Teenager charged with murder after mass shooting at Kentucky park
Sixteen-year-old dead and four others wounded including two children at community celebration in Lexington Authorities in Kentucky charged an 18-year-old man with murder and several counts of assault after a shooting in Lexington park left a teenager dead and four others injured – one of multiple similar cases around the US over the weekend. Jametrius Griffin was arrested less than 24 hours after Saturday night’s mass shooting at Charles Young Park in the city’s downtown. According to the Lexington police department, officers responded to reports of gunfire in the park at about 7pm and found five people shot, including two adults, a 14-year-old and a four-year-old. Continue reading...
Donald Trump threatens to bomb Oman if it ‘gets in the way’ of ending Iran war
President issues threat to ‘bomb the shit out of them’ after previously threatening Gulf ally in May Donald Trump has again threatened to bomb Oman if it “gets in the way” of his effort to end the US-Israel war on Iran. The US president delivered the threat of Monday as he struggles to draw the conflict to a conclusion , almost six months after it was launched. Continue reading...
Support for Jason Arday’s family shows ‘Britain still cares’, says Windrush campaigner
Crowdfund passes £150,000, while Cambridge chancellor criticises ‘racist feeding frenzy’ around academic’s death A Windrush campaigner who launched a fundraiser for Jason Arday’s family has said the outpouring of support shows “Britain still cares”. Arday, who was found dead on Friday , had resigned the previous week from his post as professor of sociology of education at the University of Cambridge after allegations of plagiarism were made against him. Continue reading...
Alzheimer’s research is latest casualty in Trump administration war against ‘DEI’
Grant cancellations at leading research institutions appear to target the study of the impacts of racism on brain health A new round of scientific grant cancellations has hit brain health and Alzheimer’s disease research at two leading research institutions, Emory University and the University of Pittsburgh. The latest cancellations are the Trump administration ’s most recent effort to remove disfavored topics from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) $47bn scientific portfolio – and appear to target the study of the impacts of racism. Continue reading...
Is dating draining your bank account? Here’s a cheap solution | Dave Schilling
I understand gen Z’s concerns about the cost of romance. But anything can be a date if you want it to be A couple of months ago, I wrote a column imploring young people to keep trying to find love, to not become cynical about romance and avoid the temptation of the accursed “loneliness influencers” peddling antisocial behavior as some sort of newfangled experiment that no one had thought of before. I stand here today saying, hey, I can’t be right all the time . Maybe it is better to be alone, since it costs a hell of a lot less. Apparently, young people across the country are forgoing dating because it’s too damn expensive. Or at least, I think they are, based on the multiple newspaper articles saying so that came out in the last two weeks. As the New York Times put it, the “prospect of a tab of $150 or more for two entrées, two drinks, an appetizer and tip” is too pricey for many gen Z singles. I say, only $150? Where are you going, Chili’s? I went on a date with (shameful brag incoming) a very famous political figure from the late 90s and spent twice that amount, sending my bank account into cardiac arrest. I practically begged her to get dessert, even though it was clear our decade of age difference and general lack of chemistry meant I was better off going home and journaling about it. I paid for the whole thing, and in return, I got an amazing story to tell at parties. Continue reading...
AI eyes in the sky: new satellites and artificial intelligence are transforming wildfire detection
Hi-tech cameras orbiting Earth and on the ground, along with AI, help firefighters extinguish blazes before they spread The fires in Spokane, Washington , this summer are the latest reminder that when a wildfire is detected can be just as important as where it starts. A blaze found within minutes can often be contained before it spreads. Wait too long, and a small spark can become a major disaster. A new effort to shorten that timeline began in July when a SpaceX rocket carried the first three FireSat satellites into orbit. The trio is the first part of a planned network of 50 satellites built solely to spot wildfires while they are still small enough to stop. Continue reading...
Trump cuts US-South Korea military drills citing ‘good relationship with Kim Jong-un’ | First Thing
President said he was ‘not happy’ with plans for large-scale joint exercises he described as ‘inappropriate and hostile’. Plus, how five obscure horses have ended up at the center of a transatlantic betting mystery Good morning. Donald Trump has said he is scaling back joint US military drills with South Korea aimed at deterring North Korea, despite military officials from both countries warning that Kim Jong-un’s regime is learning new battlefield tactics from the Ukraine war. The president said he was “not happy” with US participation “based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong-un”. He added that the drills were costly and “send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile, to a country that, as long as Donald J Trump has been president, has been unthreatening and respectful”. Trump added that it was too late to cancel the drills so he had ordered the defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, to “substantially reduce” them. Why are there continuing concerns about USS Abraham Lincoln? Democrats have intensified their demands for answers from the Trump administration over conditions onboard the USS Abraham Lincoln amid concern over crew morale, mental health and living conditions. Ruben Gallego, a Democratic senator from Arizona, said he blamed the carrier’s prolonged deployment on the unresolved war that Donald Trump started in February with Iran as well as lackluster leadership in general from the Republican president’s administration. Continue reading...
Share your memories of someone you lost in 9/11
Did you lose someone in 9/11? What do you want people to remember about them 25 years later? To mark 25 years since 9/11, we would like to hear from people who lost loved ones in the attacks. What do you want people to remember about them 25 years later? If you’re having trouble using the form, click here . Read the terms of service here and the privacy policy here . Continue reading...
New Mexico’s attorney general pushes new social media safety laws after $900m court victory over Meta
Exclusive: Raúl Torrez is drafting two bills with state lawmakers to bolster consumer protections and child safety online, building on state’s landmark case against Meta New Mexico ’s attorney general is mounting a full-court press against technology companies to improve their child safety measures, capitalizing on a landmark win in court against Meta earlier this year. Raúl Torrez is working with state lawmakers to draft two new bills he says will strengthen consumer protections and child safety online. The legislation, expected to be announced in the coming weeks, will build on the state’s case against the parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram. A jury found in March that the company misled its users about the safety of its platforms and enabled harm, including child sexual exploitation. The social media giant was fined nearly $1bn as a result of the case. Continue reading...
How ‘forensic fandom’ in Lindsay Clancy trial threaten postpartum psychosis awareness
Clancy’s live-streamed trial has become fodder for amateur sleuths to push viral conspiracy theories that threaten to undermine efforts to de-stigmatize illness, experts say Meghan Cliffel was riding the subway in New York City in December 2015 when she became convinced the entire city belonged to a cult that was plotting to kill her and her two daughters. When she got back to her Manhattan apartment she believed the talking heads on the television were speaking to her directly, threatening her, and that the refrigerator was emitting poisonous gas. Her husband, she feared, was part of the cult too. “I punch him in the face trying to get to the kids,” Cliffel recalled, “Then I’m ultimately trying to get to the roof of our building because I believe if I get up there and show I’m willing to jump, that that’ll show my loyalty to the cult and hopefully stop this whole thing.” Continue reading...
Senior Russian banker fired after warning over wartime economy
Andrei Klepach of VEB said Russia’s economy was falling behind China, US and ‘in some respects Ukraine’ The chief economist at Russia’s second largest bank has been fired after a series of critical comments about the state of the economy, including warnings that Moscow would not win a prolonged economic war with Ukraine. Andrei Klepach, who had served in the role at the state-controlled development bank VEB since 2014, was fired days after Russian media reported on a scathing speech he had delivered to fellow economists in May. Continue reading...
Angus Taylor links support for NDIS reform to removal of ‘widow tax’ loophole
Coalition leader tells Antony Albanese that delaying repeal of ‘cruel’ measure is ‘unconscionable’ Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Angus Taylor says the Coalition will only support the Albanese government’s proposed overhaul of the NDIS if it first removes the “widow tax” loophole from its changes to taxing investment properties. The warning comes as the Albanese government hopes to land a deal with the opposition this week in order to pass the bill in the Senate after the Greens ruled out supporting changes to the scheme that are expected to boost the federal budget’s bottom line by $37.8bn over four years. Continue reading...