Politics

The Guardian — World Aug 5 · 3 min read

Labor’s gambling reform friendless as Coalition withholds support amid drug and sex worker allegations

Sarah Henderson says bill ignores gambling inducements, uniting parties and independents against controversial legislation Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Labor will be forced to make major changes to its planned crackdown on online gambling advertising, as the Coalition, Greens and independents demand tougher rules to stop betting companies offering generous inducements as well as further limits on broadcast ads. After a two-day inquiry including sensational evidence that gambling companies allegedly provided illegal drugs and access to sex workers to keep problem gamblers betting, the Coalition confirmed on Wednesday afternoon it would seek “crucial amendments” before agreeing to support the government’s legislation. Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Aug 5 · 3 min read

Test for Australia’s best laundry detergent sees Aldi and Omo tied for first place

In a Choice test of 48 products, the Aldi powder also came out on top for top loaders Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Consumer advocacy group Choice has put more than 40 supermarket laundry detergent products through the wringer, naming two Omo and one Aldi product as its best performers – while some other brands perform barely better than water. In a lab test of 48 laundry powders, liquids and capsules, Aldi Trimat Advanced Laundry Powder Concentrate, Omo Active Clean Powder and Omo Ultimate Powder shared equal-first billing for front loader washing machines, with all three products scoring 82% overall. Continue reading...

The Guardian — US News Aug 5 · 6 min read

Democracy is at stake when foolish humans bet on machines being intelligent | Rafael Behr

We need an enlightened US president to make the case for global AI regulation. Donald Trump is the exact opposite of what is needed When I am woken by the sound of my dog whining, I understand that she is hungry and wants me to get up. When my alarm clock goes off, I don’t consider its needs. It is following an instruction to rouse me at a certain time but it doesn’t care if I stay in bed. It doesn’t try to get me up by other means. The dog, on the other hand, will go to plan B. She barks. This capacity for autonomous action was once a difference between animals and machines. AI has blurred the line . Advanced models devise their own strategies to reach a goal. The task might be defined by a human master, but the machine weighs its options for delivery. It can make its own choices. Given rules, it can break them. Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Aug 5 · 2 min read

Perez Hilton hospitalised after livestreaming self-harm on Tiktok

Emergency services were seen outside Hilton’s home in Miami on Tuesday night after members of the public reported seeing Hilton harm himself The celebrity blogger Perez Hilton has been hospitalised after livestreaming footage of himself self-harming on TikTok. Emergency services were seen outside Hilton’s home in Miami on Tuesday night after concerned members of the public reported seeing Hilton harm himself in a graphic video streamed live on TikTok. Hilton’s TikTok account was suspended minutes later. Continue reading...

The Guardian — Politics Aug 5 · 5 min read

Right turn on green: is the Telegraph changing its tune on the climate?

Flurry of articles has raised eyebrows and drawn response from Kemi Badenoch defending stance on net zero “Nobody can deny that the UK is getting warmer and high temperatures are becoming a clear threat to homes, nature and food security,” read the lengthy news report, which explored the devastating effect of British wildfires on families in recent years. The article’s conclusions, written after the wildfires in Suffolk last week , were no surprise given the UK’s changing climate. However, the fact that the piece appeared in the Telegraph, the rightwing title that has been a leading critic of green policies, did raise eyebrows among some readers. Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Aug 5 · 7 min read

Wednesday briefing: How misinformation and a hardened immigration policy turned Ceuta into Europe’s latest flashpoint

In today’s newsletter: The past week shows how quickly images, rumours and right-wing political opportunism can eclipse the facts on the ground Good morning. Last week, an estimated 72,000 migrants began crossing into a tiny Spanish enclave on the tip of Morocco. Within 24 hours, most of them had headed home . At least 88 people died after attempting the crossing, according to local officials. This isn’t the whole story of what happened over the last week, but the facts are worth remembering. At an emergency meeting yesterday, EU interior ministers sought to draw a line under Ceuta, insisting that the passport-free Schengen area had never been at risk from the arrival of migrants at this scale. Despite this, much of the media coverage has suggested that events in Ceuta represent a territorial threat to Europe, sparking calls for greater security across the region’s borders. Environment | Eight of the biggest oil companies amassed profits of more than $90bn (£67bn) in just three months as the Iran conflict sent energy prices soaring and the emissions-fuelled climate crisis caused deadly heatwaves. UK politics | Women should not feel pressurised into experiencing an “ideal birth”, the new health secretary, Yvette Cooper, has said, promising a root-and-branch reform of standards after several damning maternity scandals. Middle East | Jordan is convening an emergency meeting over an “imminent” threat of an Israeli takeover of the most important Muslim site in Jerusalem, with the potential to “trigger a religious conflict”. Ukraine | Russian strikes in and around Kyiv killed at least 14 people , ⁠injured 27 and ⁠damaged warehouses, emergency service officials said. Some reports put the death toll at 15. Ceuta | Hundreds of people have gathered in the northern Moroccan town of Fnideq, near the border with Spain’s Ceuta, flashing photos of their missing loved ones to passersby in the hope of tracking them down. Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Aug 5 · 5 min read

NSW Liberal leader defers decision on frontbencher Damien Tudehope after leak revelations at Icac

Kellie Sloane says ‘leaking a report is never good’ as Reformer Jean-Claude Perrottet tells inquiry group signed up members to ‘dodgy’ branches Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The younger brother of a former Liberal premier has told an anti-corruption watchdog that a group of young conservative power breakers, now under investigation for soliciting illegal donations, recruited members to “dodgy” branches controlled by rival factions. Jean-Claude Perrottet, the younger brother of ex-New South Wales premier Dominic Perrottet, appeared before the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s (Icac) on Wednesday. Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Aug 5 · 1 min read

Russian attack on Kyiv region kills at least 14 people, say Ukrainian authorities

Air raid alerts last for more than an hour as Moscow inflicts another heavy bombardment on Ukraine’s capital Russian strikes in and around Kyiv killed at least 14 people, ⁠injured 27 and ⁠damaged warehouses, emergency service officials said. Some reports put the death toll at 15. Air raid alerts lasted for more than an hour as Moscow’s forces continued a series of deadly heavy attacks on the Ukrainian capital. The military administration said seven sites were hit in an assault that began on Wednesday after midnight. Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Aug 5 · 5 min read

Women must not feel pressure to have ‘ideal birth’, says Yvette Cooper

Exclusive: New health secretary promises root-and-branch reform after damning maternity scandals Women should not feel pressurised into experiencing an “ideal birth”, the new health secretary, Yvette Cooper, has said, promising a root-and-branch reform of standards after several damning maternity scandals. Cooper, who returns to the department 27 years after she was the minister for public health under Tony Blair, said maternity and child health would be a major focus in the role, where she will also be expected to implement significant reforms to social care. Continue reading...

The Guardian — Politics Aug 5 · 6 min read

Bank battle: history suggests Burnham faces fight if he opts for windfall tax

As lenders’ profits soar, calls grow for a levy to help new PM ease cost of living pressures on households It has been a stellar week for UK banks. Fuelled by high interest rates and market turbulence rippling out from the US war on Iran, major lenders have revealed soaring half-year profits that allowed bosses to boost bonus pots and give billions of pounds to shareholders. Collectively, the UK’s four largest lenders – HSBC, NatWest, Barclays and Lloyds – reported £29.2bn in profits over the first six months of the year, with almost half, £13.7bn, pledged to investors through dividends and share buybacks. Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Aug 5 · 5 min read

Palantir paid just £2m corporation tax in UK in 2024 despite lucrative public sector contracts

Software group benefits from global systems and accounting practices ‘that enable tax to be shirked’, says union boss The software group Palantir paid just £2m in corporation tax in the UK in 2024, despite holding public sector contracts worth hundreds of millions, thanks to tax breaks that are likely to reduce its contributions to governments around the world for years to come. The US-headquartered company, which has harnessed AI to secure lucrative work for the NHS and the Ministry of Defence, is growing exponentially. Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Aug 5 · 4 min read

Calls to ban ‘toxic’ pet flea treatments that harm UK wildlife and environment

Over-the-counter treatments for cats and dogs contain chemicals that are banned in pesticides and pollute waterways Over-the-counter flea treatment for cats and dogs should be banned as millions of hazardous chemicals are unnecessarily applied to UK pets each year, a parliamentary report has concluded. Cats and dogs are widely treated with topical, or “spot on”, treatments that include insecticides to prevent fleas. Vets often recommend regular treatments as a preventive measure, even when the animals do not have fleas. It’s Invertebrate of the Year again ! Every day from 3-12 August, we will be profiling one of the thousands of amazing invertebrates that our readers have nominated, and when you have heard about all of them, we will open the voting so you can choose your favourites. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with thoughts and ideas. Email us at environment.desk@theguardian.com with Invertebrate in the subject line. Continue reading...

The Guardian — US News Aug 5 · 3 min read

El-Sayed holds narrow lead in Michigan Senate primary but race too close to call

Progressive ex-public health official in tight battle against Haley Stevens in state’s Democratic primary The marquee race for the Democratic nomination for Senate in Michigan remained too close to call on Tuesday night, with Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive former public health official, holding a narrow lead over Congresswoman Haley Stevens. The battleground state is crucial to the party’s hopes of winning back control of the Senate in November‘s midterm elections. The winner of Tuesday’s Democratic primary will face the Republican nominee, former Representative Mike Rogers, in November, to succeed retiring Democratic senator, Gary Peters. Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Aug 5 · 4 min read

Hundreds camp in Rome heatwave as Meloni government cracks down on squats

Spin Time provides homes, food banks and after-school clubs but the authorities have locked out residents Hundreds of people have spent a week sleeping in tents in the Rome heat amid a standoff between Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government and local politicians over the future of Italy’s most high-profile centre for housing and social assistance. A minor fire last week forced the evacuation of the building, occupied by grassroots groups since 2013, and it has remained closed as the Meloni government attempts to crack down on such squatted properties. Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Aug 5 · 5 min read

‘I just want to find them’: deadly cloudbursts devastate Kashmir’s mountain communities

Increasingly erratic weather patterns due to climate change mean people are losing homes, crops and livestock As rain lashed the Pir Panjal mountains before dawn on 19 July, Haji Mohammad Latief stepped outside his home in Murrah, a remote mountain village in Indian-administered Kashmir. His daughter had asked him to move the family’s car to a safer place as the rain got heavier. “I had only just parked it,” Latief recalled. “When I turned around, I saw the water coming.” Minutes later, a cloudburst sent mud, boulders and water crashing down the hillside. Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Aug 5 · 6 min read

Hundreds in Morocco gather near Ceuta border in anxious wait for missing loved ones

People hope to see friends or relatives among those still returning as death toll from mass crossing nears 100 Hundreds of people have gathered in the northern Moroccan town of Fnideq, near the border with Spain’s Ceuta, flashing photos of their missing loved ones to passersby in the hope of tracking them down. Their perch was the same small tranche of land that made headlines around the world last week as extraordinary scenes emerged of about 72,000 people making their way into Ceuta , a tiny Spanish territory in north Africa. Continue reading...