Geopolitical ghosts and the United Nations

• The United Nations concluded its 81st General Assembly amid rising geopolitical tensions that threaten global cooperation and peace. • The organization is currently facing a rupture of multilateralism, which is the process of multiple countries working together to solve shared problems.

• Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger appointed Douglas Mercado, a visiting lecturer in public and international affairs, to the advisory board of the state’s Office of New Americans in September 2026. • Mercado cited his decades of professional experience supporting refugees, internally displaced persons, and disaster-impacted communities as the basis for his appointment.

Donald Trump and six tech executives voluntarily signed the document, which included a misspelling, committing to safely developing AIThe White House misspelled “United States” under the signature of Donald Trump on an accord he signed with AI executives on Tuesday.At the bottom of the accord on “Super Intelligence,” the term Trump has used to rebrand artificial intelligence, the president’s signature appeared as “President of the Unites States”. Continue reading...

Independent commission accuses country of failing Indigenous people, amid rising tensions over land rights An independent commission set up by the Swedish state has called on the country’s government to apologise for the “harm and injustice inflicted upon the Sami people” and to start a national process for “redress and reconciliation”.The Truth Commission for the Sami People also called for a special apology to be issued urgently to elderly Sami people who were forced as children to attend segregated so-called “nomad school” and other boarding schools where they were “subjected to violations or abuse”. Continue reading...

Seven others found guilty of lesser charges in connection to incident in 2021 when inflatable dinghy sank killing at least 27 people with four more missing, presumed deadA Paris court has jailed six ⁠men for manslaughter over the deaths of at least 27 people in the worst mass drowning from a small-boat crossing in the Channel on record.Seven other men were ⁠found guilty of lesser smuggling charges with varying degrees of seriousness, including facilitating illegal immigration as part of ⁠an organised gang and criminal conspiracy. Continue reading...

PM also defends decision to release suspects on bail and expresses ‘complete confidence’ in security servicesThere are “strong indications” that Iran played a role in events in which five men were arrested near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire as part of a terror investigation, Andy Burnham has said.Speaking to the media at the end of the Labour party conference in Liverpool, Burnham said he could not give any more details amid an ongoing police investigation, but that Iran was believed to be involved. Continue reading...

Late-night hosts weighed in on Trump’s relationship with tech leaders and the White House’s new AI-powered siteOn Tuesday night, late-night hosts discussed a Maha summit in Washington DC, the White House’s new AI-powered website and Donald Trump once again falling asleep on live TV. Continue reading...

Traders see an about 35% chance of an October rate hike, down from ​about 45% following White House pressureGood economic news boosted Wall Street’s main indexes on Wednesday, as a softer-than-anticipated inflation reading buoyed hopes that the Federal Reserve might not hike rates as soon ⁠as next month.A commerce department report ⁠showed the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) ​price index stood at 3.4% on an annual basis in August against estimates of 3.7%, per economists polled by Reuters. Continue reading...

Prime minister’s pure political argument marks new era for party as he sets out his plans and prioritiesThe hottest ticket at Labour conference – after Andy Burnham’s speech – was an afterparty in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle, headlined with a set by the noughties girlband Sugababes.As Labour activists and ministers belted out the lyrics under pink spotlights, it was hard not to draw some parallels with the party’s recent history. There have been painful lineup changes and a lot of internal division, but this week onstage in Liverpool, the originals are back together and they only played the hits. The fans can’t get enough. Continue reading...

Cotality data shows median house prices fell in September as interest rates hit borrowing capacityGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastHousing prices are falling in almost every suburb in Australia’s biggest cities, with values dropping faster in Brisbane than Sydney as the slowdown intensifies.Prices nationally have fallen 5.2% from their peak in March to where they were a year ago, Cotality data released on Thursday shows. Continue reading...

Two supermarket home brands claim equal first while the worst-ranked condiment has double the sugar content of almost all the other productsA condiment worthy of compliments, or one that gets a dressing down? Consumer advocacy group Choice has taste tested 29 store-bought mayonnaises, and found the cheapest product is also the best.Aldi’s Colway Real Mayonnaise placed equal first with a score of 80%. A jar costs $2.79, or 61c per 100g – the lowest price per unit of the product spread. Judges relished its “mild” and “pleasant” aroma and “traditional mayonnaise appearance”, while noting its “creamy, smooth texture with balanced citrus acidity, subtle sweetness, mustard and whole-egg flavour”.Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads Continue reading...