Iran WALKS AWAY from peace talks in protest after furious Trump's explosive outbursts threatening to 'blow the s*** out of them' and take over the country

• The United States and Iran have reported "progress" in diplomatic negotiations currently taking place in Switzerland. • The talks aim to establish a formal deal to resolve a conflict that has persisted for four months.

• Professor Neta Crawford of the University of St Andrews argues that the US-led military actions against Iran were unnecessary and have caused widespread global harm. • Crawford highlights a critical but often overlooked consequence of the conflict: the significant military emissions produced during warfare, which contribute to global climate degradation.

• A former head of the Army has urged Andy Burnham to adopt a "Churchill-like" approach by preparing Britain for the possibility of war. • The military leader warned that Burnham would be "foolish in the extreme" if he believes the UK's current defense spending blueprint is sufficient to ensure national safety.

• JD Vance is currently meeting with top Iranian officials in Switzerland to engage in diplomatic discussions. • Simultaneously, Donald Trump is issuing threats against Tehran from a distance, creating a dual-track approach of diplomacy and pressure.

Signal agencies in Australia, the US, the UK, New Zealand and Canada sound alarm after Trump blocks foreign nationals from Anthropic’s Fable AI modelPowerful AI models capable of taking down governments and businesses are mere months away, cyber intelligence agencies for the Five Eyes have warned in a rare joint statement, urging leaders to “act now”.The surprising public intervention by signals agencies for Australia, the US, the UK, New Zealand and Canada comes after the Trump administration earlier this month decided to block “foreign nationals” from using a much-hyped AI model built by tech company Anthropic, called Fable. Continue reading...

AI-focused Super Pacs are spending heavily in midterms, and nearly half has gone to a single Manhattan district raceThe artificial intelligence industry is spending heavily in the 2026 midterms, hoping to secure influence over the technology’s first generation of legislation – and New York City’s primary has emerged as the key battleground.AI-focused Super Pacs have raised roughly $100m this cycle, of which $44m has been spent so far, in dozens of congressional races across the country. Nearly half of all spending has converged on a single Manhattan race: Tuesday’s Democratic primary in the district of NY-12.Will Craft and Andrew Witherspoon contributed reporting Continue reading...

Pair pictured ‘laughing and singing’ at Welsh seaside town’s Saltwater Inn, for post-funeral scene in film by British film-maker Jamie AdamsQuentin Tarantino and Kylie Minogue have been spotted in Welsh seaside town Porthcawl as they film a new movie for prolific British film-maker Jamie Adams.A report in Nation.Cymru carried a picture of the pair on location at Porthcawl’s Saltwater Inn, where they reportedly “laughed and sang together” for a scene set during a wake. The pair were also reported to have filmed a funeral scene at a church in the nearby village of Newton. Continue reading...

Christie’s sale in London in September carries estimates up to £150,000, with some instruments also used by Noel Gallagher and Bernard SumnerJohnny Marr is preparing to auction off about 80 of his guitars, including the Rickenbacker heard on This Charming Man.Marr has partnered with Christie’s for the auction, which will take place on 17 September in London, with the collection – including amps and other equipment – available for the public to view in London and New York prior to the sale. Continue reading...

Arrests part of Operation Perth investigation into failures in NHS trust’s maternity servicesTwo men have been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in the running of a mortuary service at a hospital trust at the centre of the NHS’s largest inquiry into maternity services.Nottingham University hospitals (NUH) NHS trust will be the focus of a major report on Wednesday into how failings led to the deaths of babies and serious harm to families. Continue reading...

Greenspan served under the presidencies of Ronald Reagan, George HW Bush, Bill Clinton and George W BushAlan Greenspan, the influential economist who ​steered US ⁠monetary policy ⁠during ​his ‌five ‌terms as chairman ‌of the Federal Reserve ‌under four presidents, ​has died aged 100, ⁠NBC News ​reported ​on ​Monday.In a statement that she shared with the network, Greenspan’s wife, NBC News correspondent Andrea Mitchell, said he died from complications of Parkinson’s disease. Continue reading...

US president threatened Iran over strait of Hormuz in sweary outburst. Plus, Starmer to step down as UK’s PM two years after historic landslideGood morning. Iran’s foreign minister has declared “progress” after the first day of talks between high-ranking officials from Washington and Tehran ended in Switzerland, despite a tense opening marked by Donald Trump’s threats to restart attacks.Abbas Araghchi said Pakistani and Qatari mediation “has delivered major progress to end [the] Lebanon war”. Iran has been adamant that Israeli attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon must end as part of any deal. The Israelis are not directly participating in the talks.What has been agreed? A joint statement from mediators Qatar and Pakistan said the ⁠US and Iran agreed a roadmap towards⁠ a final deal within 60 days. Technical talks between lower-ranked officials ​will continue for the rest of the week. In a development that is critical to unlocking progress, the US Treasury was also preparing to issue a 60-day waiver lifting sanctions on oil, petrochemicals and derivatives.What threat did Trump issue to the Iranians? Over the weekend, Iran said it had reinstated its blockade in the strait of Hormuz in protest at the continued Israeli strikes on Lebanon. The US president responded on social media, saying: “You close it and you won’t have a country. You won’t even make it back to your fucking country.”What impact has the war had on support within Iran for the government? Saeed Shah reports that the war has triggered a rare moment of solidarity in a country that was reeling from the killing of thousands of protesters by the authorities at the start of the year.Why has Starmer stood down? After months of internal party pressure and plunging poll numbers, his downfall has been triggered by key political misjudgments including appointing the Jeffery Epstein-linked Peter Mandelson as US ambassador despite a failed security vetting. Policy reversals have led to his MPs viewing him as weak, a sentiment reinforced by devastating losses in the May elections that underscored his deep unpopularity with voters. Continue reading...