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Politics
Policy, power, and the news of the day.
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University spinout to launch water quality app for UK and US waters
Molendotech will collate data from daily tests that detect E coli and other bacteria amid reports of swimmers falling ill A UK university spinout behind a rapid bacterial water testing kit is planning to launch live water quality maps, as scores of beachgoers report falling ill after swimming. Molendotech, a spinout from the University of Plymouth, sells a portable test that detects E coli and other bacteria in water and delivers results on the spot, without waiting for days to get laboratory results. Continue reading...
King Charles and Prince William face £10m energy upgrade bill for estates
New rules could affect nine in 10 rental properties in duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster and at Sandringham King Charles and Prince William could be forced to spend up to £10m upgrading hundreds of rental properties on their private estates to meet planned energy-efficiency rules. The government has announced that landlords will need to ensure their properties have energy performance certificate (EPC) ratings of C or higher by 2030 – up from the current requirement of an E. Continue reading...
‘Our children are less cognitively capable,’ says neuroscientist who wants to cut screen use in schools
Jared Cooney Horvath argues that educational technology undermines how children learn and develop Jared Cooney Horvath is on a mission. In the wake of global campaigns for smartphone bans in schools and social media restrictions for under-16s, the neuroscientist wants to raise the alarm about educational technology in classrooms. A former teacher, Horvath believes the use of screens and digital tools in schools is undermining how children learn and develop. “This might be one of the hardest truths our generation has to face,” he writes in his book, The Digital Delusion . Continue reading...
The Fair Hill Five: horse racing’s bizarre transatlantic betting coup – explained
Four horses with little record of success suddenly won in the US. A seemingly coordinated betting operation across London did too – and now racing authorities want answers To understand why horse racing on both sides of the pond has been gripped by the Fair Hill Five over the past week, start with a basic principle of betting: when two unlikely horses win in back-to-back races, a wager correctly picking both should pay off handsomely. Last Sunday at New Jersey’s Monmouth Park, it did not. The sequence began with The Great Amira, a 17-1 longshot who went from finishing last in her previous two starts to winning wire to wire by nine and a half lengths. Her trainer then won the very next race with Tepeyac, who went off at about 4-1, and the meager Daily Double payout for picking both outsiders suggested the exact combination had been unusually well backed. Later that afternoon, two more longshots linked to the same Maryland training base were surprise winners at Saratoga. Continue reading...
Gorging on bearcam: the livestream of big beasts eating that draws millions
Ahead of Fat Bear Week, avid fans are glued to the spectacle of brown bears devouring salmon at Brooks Falls in Alaska One of this summer’s biggest onscreen hits has had big beasts, great escapes and choppy waters, but it’s not Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey – it’s a livestream of Alaskan brown bears catching salmon. The Brooks Falls bearcam at Katmai national park in the US was watched 7.3m times between 22 June and 4 August – up 70% from the same period last year and more than double the views it attracted in 2024. Continue reading...
‘We detected unusual activity’: the scam that uses AI to exploit your holiday photos
Fraudsters use pictures posted on Instagram or Facebook to create emails seeking bank account details You are on a short break in Porto and post some pictures of your family on Instagram or Facebook. With a small section of the Douro river in the background, you think it could have been taken anywhere. A few days later, you get a text saying that your card was compromised. “We detected unusual activity while you were travelling in Porto – please verify immediately,” says the message. Continue reading...
Claressa Shields eyes Britain’s Price after stopping Kaye Scott to reclaim titles
American stops Sydneysider at 1:38 of sixth round Shields claims WBA and WBC belts after 38lb cut Lauren Price identified as preferred next opponent Claressa Shields completed a remarkable descent from heavyweight to middleweight, stopping Australia’s Kaye Scott in the sixth round to capture the WBA and WBC titles in a fight that went off early Sunday morning at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The five-division world champion and double Olympic gold medalist dominated her outclassed opponent from the opening bell before dropping Scott in the sixth and overwhelming her against the ropes after the action resumed. With the 42-year-old champion unable to defend herself from another sustained barrage, Scott’s corner threw several towels into the ring and the contest was waved off after 1min 38sec. Continue reading...
New UK cost of living crisis looms with soaring energy bills forecast to lift inflation
Latest reading on Wednesday likely to frame scale of challenge for new PM to ease pressures on households amid Iran war fallout British households are facing a renewed cost of living squeeze, with official figures expected to show this week that soaring energy bills drove up inflation in July to close to 3%. As the Iran war continues to send shock waves through global energy markets, economists predict the surge in UK gas and electricity bills last month will push Britain’s headline inflation rate to 2.9%. Continue reading...
Marco Rubio has unique power to promote peace in the world. Why isn’t he doing his job? | Simon Tisdall
As chief US diplomat, Rubio could do great good – but he hasn’t yet. His pandering and neglect are a disgrace we shouldn’t ignore Viewed from the state department in Washington DC, the world is on fire – but record heatwaves are not to blame. The unresolved Iran war has badly burned Donald Trump. His military campaign conclusively failed , energy and food prices are still rising, and a Republican rout in November’s midterm elections looms. Humiliatingly, Israel this week flatly rejected his latest Gaza peace proposals, days after Trump congratulated himself on a “historic breakthrough”. In Europe, Russia’s attacks on Nato allies grow increasingly brazen, threatening a wider escalation. The Ukraine war, which Trump vowed to end, is now well into its fifth year, with civilians on both sides caught in the killing fields. And these are just the bigger firestorms. There are plenty more. Rarely has the need for effective, professional diplomacy been more pressing. So step forward Marco Rubio, US secretary of state and chief American diplomat. These are challenges that, if successfully tackled, could propel the 55-year-old son of Cuban immigrants and the former US senator for Florida into pole position in the 2028 Republican presidential nomination race. Here is a chance for Rubio to defy critics who dismiss him as a lickspittle and Trump dogsbody, and transform himself into respected global statesman. His boss mocked him as “little Marco” and a “loser” when they were election rivals in 2016. (Rubio called him a conman.) Now is Rubio’s opportunity to go big, be brave and prove he’s a winner. Continue reading...
Japan’s defence minister heads to Australia to meet Marles in wake of melon-gate controversy
Discussions to focus on Australia’s acquisition of Mogami-class frigates as Japan plays down Albanese’s podcast comments Japan’s defence minister will visit Canberra this week, the highest level engagement with Australia after controversy over Anthony Albanese’s comments about a gift of melons from prime minister Sanae Takaichi. The defence minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, will meet his counterpart and deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, on Tuesday, with discussions focused on Australia’s acquisition of Japan’s Mogami-class frigates and enhanced security cooperation. Continue reading...
Destroyed crops, riverbed cyclists and a ‘Rock of Starvation’: how drought has devastated the Danube
The Guardian travelled 100 miles along the EU’s longest river, where some residents are struggling to secure drinking water For centuries, the rock was seen as a warning. When it began to emerge from the Danube, beneath Gellért Hill in Budapest, it meant the river had fallen so low that floating mills could no longer operate, crops were probably failing, and hunger would almost certainly follow. That is why, in the Hungarian capital, where over time the boulder became little more than a legend, it was named Ínség-szikla – the Rock of Starvation. Today, amid record-low water levels on the Danube, the rock has not only emerged from the water, but surfaced almost in its entirety, along with the sandy riverbed on which it rests, astonishing geologists and government scientists sent to examine it. And, much as the rock was said to warn, Hungary is now facing an unprecedented energy crisis that has forced the country to shut down all but one of its Danube-cooled nuclear reactors for the first time in 44 years. Continue reading...
Rescue teams search for survivors in Indonesia after powerful earthquake
Searchers dig through collapsed buildings and debris after 7.7 magnitude quake killed at least 47 people Rescue crews dug through collapsed buildings and landslide debris in eastern Indonesia on Sunday as they searched for bodies and possible survivors a day after a powerful earthquake killed at least 47 people, injured more than 100 and displaced thousands. At least 24 people died in Manggarai regency and 17 in neighbouring East Manggarai, with additional fatalities reported in Sikka, Ngada and Ende regencies, the national disaster management agency said. Rescuers were still searching for people feared buried beneath landslides triggered by the quake across six regencies on Flores, a predominantly Catholic island in Muslim-majority Indonesia. Continue reading...
At least five people dead in Indiana amid worst flooding in over 30 years, officials say
National Weather Service reports that more than 11in of rain fell over a two-day period in some areas At least five people are dead after devastating floods that swept through Indiana this week, officials said, as storms continued to batter the state on Saturday and first responders used boats to rescue more people from rising waters in neighborhoods along the White River in Indianapolis. The mayor of Indianapolis, Joe Hogsett, and other state officials implored residents in areas at risk of flooding to heed any evacuation warnings at a news conference. Continue reading...
Australia news live: Pauline Hanson opposes major gun buyback agreed in wake of Bondi terror attack
Legislation for plan passed parliament earlier this year and is set to commence in NSW from November. Follow live updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Hanson wants to slash international student numbers One Nation leader Pauline Hanson says she wants dramatic cuts to the number of international students allowed to come into the country. People are using it to come to the country. Then after they get in the country, they’re only here for a few months. Then they change the courses. Then they apply for residence here in Australia. So they’re using [it] as a back door to get into the country. Continue reading...
American Kate Douglass reclaims 50m freestyle world record at Pan Pacs
American clocks 23.49sec in Pan Pacs heats Douglass reclaims record from teammate Walsh Pair to meet again in Saturday night’s final Kate Douglass shattered the women’s 50m freestyle world record on Saturday, clocking 23.49sec in the heats at the Pan Pacific Championships to set a tantalizing showdown with former record-holder Gretchen Walsh. Douglass improved on the world mark of 23.55sec that fellow-American Walsh set on 28 June at the Sette Colli Trophy in Rome. Continue reading...
Trump shows off article on lower drug prices that says Biden deserves credit, not him
US president credits himself with lowest drug prices in 60 years, when article says drop is more likely due to Biden The White House flooded social media on Saturday with an image of Donald Trump showing off the recent Washington Post headline “Prescription drug prices record sharpest drop in more than 60 years”, but failed to mention that experts cited in the article actually attributed the price drop to Joe Biden, not Trump. On its official accounts, the White House triumphantly captioned the photograph of Trump: “POV: you bring the receipts.” Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, also shared it. Continue reading...
Cardinals rookie Joshua Báez makes MLB history with three homers in first three at-bats
23-year-old hits home run on first pitch in majors Báez drives in five during 8-4 victory over Cubs Rookie was called up from Triple-A earlier in day Joshua Báez became the first player to hit three home runs in his first three at-bats in the major leagues, leading the St Louis Cardinals to an 8-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday. The 23-year-old left fielder, called up from Triple-A Memphis earlier in the day, hit the first pitch he saw into the Wrigley Field bleachers, then homered in his next two at-bats. He also drove in five runs. Continue reading...
New York City man charged with hate crimes after alleged synagogue assault
Police say Larry Montes struck a woman and a security guard after he disrupted Shabbat services A New York City man is facing hate crime charges after police say he assaulted a woman and a security team member while disrupting Shabbat services at Central Synagogue in Manhattan – all in plain view of a live stream. The New York police department identified the suspect in the case as Larry Montes, 46, who was arrested after the episode at the synagogue. Montes was charged with two counts of assault as a hate crime and one count of criminal mischief as a hate crime, along with other alleged violations, police said. Continue reading...
One Nation senator says parents who support their trans children are engaging in ‘child abuse’
‘There’s male, there’s female, and then there’s mental illness,’ Tyron Whitten says on YouTube show Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast One Nation senator Tyron Whitten has claimed parents supporting their children who identify as transgender are engaging in “child abuse”, telling a fringe YouTube show: “there’s male, there’s female, and then there’s mental illness”. Guardian Australia has unearthed several incendiary comments from Whitten and fellow One Nation senators Pauline Hanson and her longtime lieutenant Malcolm Roberts, about transgender Australians. Continue reading...
Twenty-two more bodies recovered after Zimbabwe boat accident
Death toll now stands at 68, with 18 children being among the killed after ferry capsized on Lake Kariba Twenty-two more bodies have been recovered after a boat accident in Zimbabwe, taking the death toll to 68, police said on Saturday. The ferry capsized on Tuesday on Lake Kariba , on the border with Zambia. An investigation has suggested it was overloaded when it went over during heavy winds. Continue reading...
Thousands of Bonnie Tyler fans gather to pay respects as coffin brought home
Fans line streets, singing Total Eclipse of the Heart ahead of Welsh singer’s Swansea funeral Thousands of Bonnie Tyler fans lined the streets of her home town in south Wales to pay respects to the singer as her coffin was brought back to her former home. The singer, whose real name was Gaynor Sullivan, died unexpectedly on 8 July in Portugal at the age of 75. Continue reading...
Moroccan police arrest more than 100 people as they attempt to enter Ceuta
Border security tightened after social media posts call for another mass crossing into Spain’s north African territory Moroccan police have arrested 111 people as they tried to enter Spain’s north African territory of Ceuta, amid tightened security on both sides after social media posts called for another mass crossing. The attempted crossing on Saturday came two weeks after more than 72,000 migrants surged into Ceuta , causing tensions within the EU and prompting anti-immigration rhetoric among far-right parties worldwide. At least 96 people died trying to reach European soil. Continue reading...
Body found in Romania believed to be missing British hiker George Smyth
Family paid tribute to Bristol University geology student, 18, after being notified by Avon and Somerset police A body has been found in the search for an 18-year-old British man who went missing last year while hiking in Romania, UK police said. George Smyth, a geology student at the University of Bristol, went missing in November. Continue reading...
Massive egg recall in US south and south-west due to salmonella outbreak
1.6m dozen eggs from Texas recalled amid one of the largest recorded foodborne illness outbreaks in US history A massive egg recall affecting nearly 1.6m dozen eggs has been elevated to the US Food and Drug Administration’s highest-risk warning as officials investigate a salmonella outbreak that has sickened nearly 100 people. The FDA on 12 August reclassified the recall of nearly 1.6m dozen white and brown cage-free eggs over concerns they may be contaminated with salmonella. Continue reading...