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Politics
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Fake US thinktank set up and funded by Israel sought to game AI for propaganda
In effort to prime chatbots to make pro-Israel arguments the site published 124 reports, over 560,000 words in nine days, Guardian analysis shows A pro-Israel messaging website badged with the name of a thinktank that does not exist has published more than half a million words in nine days, built on a commercial platform that promises to optimize content so that AI chatbots will cite it. The site gives Israel’s position on subjects including the torture of Palestinian prisoners , Israeli war crimes and whether Israel has deliberately starved Palestinians in Gaza, all presented as neutral research. Continue reading...
On scraps of land and under constant threat, Gaza farmers struggle to survive
Efforts to rebuild domestic food production face severe challenges and have come at deadly cost As Gaza’s population of 2.1 million has been hemmed into an ever smaller slice of the territory, farmers are using every last remaining patch of unspoiled earth, no matter how tiny, in their struggle to survive. With severe shortages of water, fertiliser and pesticide, and with more than 80% of greenhouses ruined, it has taken inventiveness and determination to clear land of debris and coax new seedlings into life. Moreover, venturing out into the open to tend to plants can be deadly. Continue reading...
This is the question Democrats should ask voters in order to win this November
They should ask the question Reagan asked at the end of his debate against Jimmy Carter: ‘Are you better off now than you were before this presidency?’ The midterm elections are already upon us, and every Democrat and Independent running against a Republican should ask voters the question Ronald Reagan asked on 28 October 1980, at the end of his televised debate against Jimmy Carter: “Are you better off now than you were before this presidency?” Unless you’re very, very rich, the answer is obviously: “No, I’m worse off.” Energy bills have increased three times faster than the rate of inflation while Trump has been president. The national average monthly utility bill reached $280 in early 2026, a 12% increase since the end of 2024, just before the second Trump administration took office. Continue reading...
‘Major casualties’ feared after flash floods along Nepal-Tibet border
Death toll of nine likely to rise as floods and mudslide sweep away houses, roads, bridges and power projects Torrential floods in the Himalayan border areas of Nepal and in Tibet in China have killed at least nine people and destroyed roads, bridges and power projects, as authorities in both countries braced for more casualties. Houses and roads were swept away in Nepal while officials in Tibet said they feared “major casualties” with some missing in the county of Gyirong after a mudslide hit a land crossing between the neighbours. Continue reading...
Bill Gates calls for ‘human reserved’ jobs in face of AI takeover
Microsoft co-founder also expresses concern governments not prepared for technology’s impact in 6,000-word essay Business live – latest updates Bill Gates has called for “human reserved” jobs in certain sectors to prevent AI replacing them, and expressed concern that governments are not prepared for the impact the technology will have. In a 6,000 word essay titled The turbulent AI era is here. The choices we make are critical , the billionaire Microsoft co-founder likened the need to spare roles from digital encroachment to how nature reserves operate to protect the environment. Continue reading...
Dominic Perrottet’s sister-in-law denies lying under oath to protect husband over allegedly illegal donations, Icac hears
Anita Perrottet tells an inquiry hearing that hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments to her were for ‘strategic and marketing advice’ Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The sister-in-law of Dominic Perrottet has rejected the suggestion she had been put in an “impossible situation” and lied under oath to cover illegal donations to her husband, an inquiry has heard. Anita Perrottet, wife of Charles Perrottet, told the New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) on Wednesday that hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments to her were for “strategic and marketing advice”. Continue reading...
How Mark Carney’s speeches have become political earthquakes | Ted Widmer
The quiet-spoken Canadian prime minister has spoken unutterable truths Is it perhaps a sign of the times that Mark Carney, the prime minister of Canada, has become a thrilling orator? A sober banker, he speaks calmly, without many vocal inflections. We expect Canadians to be somewhat flat; even a little boring, and yet Carney has already delivered two remarkable speeches in 2026, and the year is far from over. The first, at Davos, described a “rupture in the world order”, and “the end of a pleasant fiction”. By that, he meant that the world could no longer depend on the United States to lead the Pax Americana that has largely kept the peace since the end of the second world war. Continue reading...
New data shows record number of arrests and deportations of immigrants in the US
Trump administration has moved away from high-profile, militarized raids as its deportation spree has ramped up The Trump administration arrested and deported a record number of immigrants in July, according to newly released government data – apprehending an average of 1,500 people and removing 1,100 people daily. This latest data confirms what attorneys and immigrant advocates have been seeing across the US – although the administration has moved away from the high-profile, militarized raids that came to define its immigration enforcement approach last year, it is quietly ramping up its operations. Continue reading...
‘132F’: meet the man calling out NYC’s infernally hot subway stations
Jack Klein takes heat readings, gives fans to overheated passengers and lugs big jugs of water into the stations On a recent August day in the subterranean furnace of New York City’s subway, one bearded, curly haired man was studying his phone for different reasons than the other wilting passengers – to track the soaring temperatures and ponder how underground train stations can cool down in an era of climate crisis. Jack Klein, a 31-year-old construction site manager, has in the past two years taken it upon himself to become a sort of guerrilla subway heat operative, sticking teardrop-shaped thermometers to steel beams in seven of the hottest Manhattan stations and posting social media videos of the hades-like summer temperatures that commuters have to endure. Continue reading...
Angel Reese is turning trolls and talk of ‘mebounds’ into fuel for a breakthrough
The star known as Bayou Barbie is shining in Atlanta. The longer her haters dwell on her lowlights, the more they miss her transformation into an all-around force On 16 August, the Atlanta Dream faced the Indiana Fever in the WNBA’s showcase matchup, and Angel Reese had a chance to don the cape. Tied at 81, the Dream had possession with five seconds left in regulation when Rhyne Howard launched a deep three-pointer. Reese was perfectly positioned under the basket, snagging Howard’s air ball with an outstretched hand. But in the rush to win the game, Reese forced a shot off the backboard that caromed off the front rim – and Naz Hillmon’s putback fizzled as the buzzer sounded. After Indiana escaped with a 95-91 overtime victory, Reese beat herself up over the loss. “I didn’t sleep,” she told reporters days later. “The competitor in me wanted to win that game so bad. I replayed that play so many times.” Reese vowed to shrug the game off and do better. Damned if she hasn’t proved herself to be a woman of her word. Continue reading...
Wiped out: US faces surging toilet paper prices amid trade war with Canada
Paper products among hardest-hit sectors after trade negotiations broke down, with 25-50% tariffs estimated Are you a Canadian boycotting US products? We’d like to hear from you Using the bathroom or having a cry is about to become more expensive for North Americans as the US and Canada enter a full-fledged trade war that threatens to flush away decades of peaceful trading between the two nations. After trade negotiations broke down between the two countries last weekend , Mark Carney, the Canadian prime minister, vowed to match US tariffs “dollar for dollar” and unveiled a list of nearly 900 American goods that will face 25% to 50% tariffs starting on 8 September. Continue reading...
Sonya Massey’s family says death of sheriff’s deputy who killed her ‘doesn’t feel like justice’
A cousin says death of Sean Grayson in prison ‘doesn’t give Sonya back her life or return her’ to her children The death in prison of the former Illinois sheriff’s deputy convicted of murder after fatally shooting Sonya Massey in her home “doesn’t feel like justice to me”, a cousin of the woman has said in an emotional statement. “It doesn’t give Sonya back her life or return her back to her [two] children”, who were aged 15 and 17 at the time of the killing, Sontae Massey wrote in the statement on Monday. Referring to Sonya Massey’s mother, the statement continued: “It doesn’t give my aunt back her daughter. And it doesn’t give our family the accountability were still waiting for … Continue reading...
Darline Graham wins South Carolina GOP nomination to replace her late brother in US Senate – US politics live
Sister of late Lindsey Graham, who has been backed by Trump, overcomes concern about lack of experience to win place on November ballot South Carolina chooses Darline Graham as Republican nominee for US Senate Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog. Senator Darline Graham has won the Republican nomination to replace her late brother, Lindsey, on South Carolina’s general election ballot. The US supreme court lifted one of two injunctions that block the Trump administration from pressing ahead with a sweeping effort to restrict mail voting The court’s decision “needlessly injects chaos and uncertainty into the upcoming midterm elections”, justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote in a blistering dissent. The NAACP, which sued in April to block the order to restrict mail-in voting, said that Republicans are trying to make it harder to vote in November because they “know full well that they are unpopular and will lose in a free and fair election”. The Trump administration is preparing to revoke the visas of up to 200,000 foreigners who have applied for asylum status in the United States, according to US state department documents obtained by the Associated Press. Donald Trump responded to criticism of his new tariffs on Canadian imports from the premier of Ontario, Doug Ford , by comparing him unfavorably to his late brother, Rob Ford , a former mayor of Toronto best known for smoking crack. US treasury secretary Scott Bessent announced that the US has begun an “unprecedented” sanctions campaign against Iran “and its enablers”. Continue reading...
Abortion rights group endorses Democrat Troy Jackson in critical Maine Senate race
Reproductive Freedom for All – one of the country’s oldest pro-choice groups – backs Jackson in his fight against Republican Susan Collins One of the oldest abortion rights groups in the US is endorsing Troy Jackson, the Democratic nominee in Maine’s critical US Senate race, according to details first shared with the Guardian. Reproductive Freedom for All is supporting Jackson, the former state senate president, in challenging Susan Collins – the five‑term Republican incumbent who has been dogged on the campaign trail for her role in overturning abortion access in the US. Continue reading...
More than 40,000 heat-related deaths in England since 1988
ONS figures show rising toll of extreme weather, with officials warning this summer on track to set further records Over 40,000 more people died on the hottest days in England between 1988 and 2025 than would be expected, according to data published by the Office for National Statistics on Wednesday. The figures do not include this summer, when England has sweltered under a succession of heatwaves and is on track to record its highest ever number of heat-related deaths . The UK Health Security Agency announced on 30 July that an estimated 2,877 people had died in the May and June heatwaves alone. The total is almost double the figure for the whole summer in 2025. Continue reading...
Sky Sports agrees US Open contract extension after boost in female audience figures
Raducanu’s 2021 win played big role in Sky interest Sky’s tennis audience in 2025 was 60% female Sky Sports has agreed a new deal to extend its live coverage of the US Open. The three-year contract extension, which is set to be announced when the singles from Flushing Meadows begin next week, will keep the US Open live on Sky until 2030. Continue reading...
Jed York’s trailer park arrest exposed inequality in America | Lee Escobedo
The San Francisco 49ers owner’s arrest in Ohio over the weekend was quickly put behind him. Others are not so lucky The Wheat Hill Mobile Home Community sits off state Route 170, on the edge of East Palestine, Ohio, a town most Americans only learned about because a train derailed there in February 2023 and released toxic chemicals into the creek . I grew up in a trailer park like this one, and know the sights. The grid of aluminum boxes in rows. Skirting the color of old teeth, some of it buckled, some patched with a piece of lattice. The window units huff and puff in August, dripping dark condensation on to the gravel. I’m sure there were drugs on my street. I’m sure somebody was selling sex. I never saw it. What I saw were families raising kids in 800 square feet and people the country had already written off, living next to each other and mostly getting along. Continue reading...
Moringa lattes and tigernut kebabs: the young Ghanaians ‘taking back the power’ of their food
In Ghana, a grassroots movement is championing nutritious, homegrown, climate-resilient produce, rather than western imports After three years at catering school, Abiro Wisdom was certain of one thing – he did not want to go into catering. At least not the route that he might be expected to take. His course at Accra Technical University had prepared students for working in international hotels, focusing on French, Italian and Mexican cuisine. The nutritious, homegrown food that Wisdom had eaten while growing up in Bolgatanga, northern Ghana, did not feature at all. “I didn’t see myself there,” he says of the big chain hotels. “I felt I wouldn’t be myself working there – I wouldn’t be able to talk about the food from where I come from.” Continue reading...
Raheem Sterling charged with dangerous driving and nitrous oxide possession
Former England forward crashed on M3 in late May Sterling is also accused of failing to provide a specimen The former England forward Raheem Sterling has been charged with dangerous driving and possession of nitrous oxide after a crash involving a Lamborghini on the motorway, police have said. Hampshire and Isle of Wight constabulary said the charges followed a single-vehicle collision on the M3 southbound, near Minley interchange, on 28 May. The 31-year-old is accused of dangerous driving, possession of nitrous oxide for wrongful inhalation and failing to provide a specimen. Continue reading...
Now you seafood, now you don’t: $350k worth of oysters vanish without a trace in NSW
About 400,000 juvenile Sydney rock oysters were taken from an oyster farm on state’s mid-north coast earlier this year, police say Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Police are on the hunt for a seafood swindler after 400,000 oysters were allegedly stolen from a farm at a river on the New South Wales mid-north coast. About 320 bags of juvenile oysters, worth an estimated $350,000, were taken from an oyster farm in Scotts Creek, Oxley Island, earlier this year, according to NSW police. Continue reading...
Burnham to announce plan for 10,000 work experience placements for young people – UK politics live
Prime minister to speak to press this morning while on visit to Sainsbury’s supermarket Miatta Fahnbulleh , the energy sectary, said the government will explore “what more we can do” to help those struggling with high bills, via “fundamental reforms” including investment in renewable energy. Families will be understandably concerned about the cost of energy bills this winter, which is being driven up by the Iran war. Energy is an everyday essential and it needs to be affordable for everyone, which is why we have cut VAT on electricity bills from October, to give families some breathing space. If you look at energy bills, if you look at how much of a family’s finances it is taking up, it is far too expensive. So, whether that is short-term support that we’re providing to provide a bit of breathing space, which is what the government has done and will continue looking at that, or more fundamental reforms that we need to make to the energy market to drive down bills for good, we are absolutely determined to do that. Continue reading...
At least 14 newborn babies die in fire at Pakistan hospital’s maternity ward
Authorities at biggest state hospital in Islamabad say 15 babies were in the ward when fire broke out At least 14 newborn babies have died in a fire that broke out in the maternity ward at one of Pakistan’s most prominent state hospitals. The blaze began in the early hours of Wednesday and engulfed the ward at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, the biggest state hospital in Islamabad. Continue reading...
Heatwaves show UK must do more to promote cycling and walking, campaigners say
Civil society groups argue climate crisis means transport sector needs to urgently reduce its carbon emissions Dozens of civil society groups have demanded the UK government do more to promote cycling and walking, after this summer’s extreme heat exposed the desperate need to decarbonise transport. This summer’s heatwaves and wildfires were “immediate, real-world manifestations of the climate emergency”, the groups said, making reform of transport – responsible for more carbon emissions than any other sector in the UK – an urgent priority. Continue reading...
With no friends left to burn, Trump is running out of diplomatic ammunition | Rafael Behr
Everyone can see that the Iran war has been a strategic disaster for the US, while a failing president pretends he is winning Now is the twilight of Donald Trump’s supremacy. The US is still the richest and most heavily armed nation on Earth. That status is secure. The current president, contemptuous of law and indulged in lawlessness by a supine Congress, enjoys even greater power than the constitution allows. With those advantages it takes a special talent for incompetence to look as thwarted and impotent as Trump does with more than two years of his second term still to run. Rafael Behr is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...