Maggie Gyllenhaal says film industry has a ‘systemic problem’ with sexism

• Member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) convened for a summit in Bishkek, where they condemned sanctions and attacks targeting Iran. • The group asserted their "inalienable right" to develop, produce, and utilize atomic energy for peaceful purposes, arguing that restrictive measures are contrary to international law.

• A recent disaster in Nepal has highlighted the practical advantages of maintaining strong diplomatic and strategic ties between Nepal, India, and China. • The event underscores how regional cooperation can provide critical support and resources during humanitarian crises, transcending political tensions.

• UN Secretary-General António Guterres addressed the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Bishkek, calling for global institutions to be reformed to reflect modern geopolitical realities. • Guterres urged for stronger multilateralism and specifically demanded that the ceasefire in Gaza be respected to protect civilians.

ABS’s snapshot of Australia’s accounts shows economic growth – albeit low – in the face ‘challenging international circumstances’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Australian Bureau of Statistics released its latest set of national accounts, which give us a snapshot of how the economy is performing in the quarter, and what’s happening under the hood.Here are the three things you need to know. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Eyad Shadid launches civil case in district court after charges against him dropped, alleging he was ‘battered’ near Sydney’s town hall in FebruaryGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA Palestinian Australian man who alleges he was punched in the face when trying to stop police from harassing Muslim men praying during an anti–Isaac Herzog protest is suing New South Wales over “a series of false accusations”.Eyad Shadid has launched a civil case in the NSW district court, alleging he was assaulted, battered and falsely imprisoned by police near Sydney’s town hall. Continue reading...

Energy secretary Chris Wright denies US seeking to ‘take’ country’s oil, saying deal is ‘transformation’ of relationsThe US energy secretary, Chris Wright, has denied Washington is seeking to commandeer huge quantities of Venezuelan oil, amid growing criticism of Donald Trump’s energy deal with the country’s interim leaders.“Absolutely not,” Wright replied when asked by a CNBC journalist if the US was engaged in a “heavy-handed” attempt to “take” Venezuelan oil in violation of the South American country’s constitution. Continue reading...

US defense secretary faced backlash for attempting to mock Canada’s armed forces amid trade warA social media post by Pete Hegseth, the US secretary of defense, body-shaming female members of a Canadian youth development program remained online on Wednesday despite a furious backlash on both sides of the border.On Monday night Hegseth posted on X a photograph of two people in uniform with a Canadian flag and the caption “this is real”, an apparent attempt at mocking the country’s armed forces amid the Trump administration’s trade spat with its northern neighbor. Continue reading...

Whether or not US president fits the definition of a Russian asset, his actions align closely with the Kremlin’s interests• Don’t get This Is Europe delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereCould Donald Trump be a Russian asset? The headline on a review in the Guardian of my new book Betrayal has provoked heated international debate. Written by the historian Lawrence Freedman, the piece generated thousands of comments from across Europe and beyond on social media. Many people responded with a single word: “Duh!”Trump’s relationship with Vladimir Putin is the biggest mystery in international politics. In 2017 I wrote a book called Collusion, which set out Moscow’s operation to support and cultivate Trump, going back decades. The US president, of course, denies links with Russia. But in his second term, his behaviour towards Putin has been as weird and perplexing as during his first. Continue reading...

Campaigners say pheasants and partridges reared ‘on industrial scale’ do not have same protections as chickensThe government is considering a crackdown on pheasant shooting in England as part of a consultation on strict new animal welfare laws that would affect shoot organisers.Ministers are already considering plans for the issuing of licences for those who run game bird shoots. The proposals mean anybody associated with wildlife crime, such as the poisoning or shooting of birds of prey, would be banned from hosting shooting events. Continue reading...

New law requires cosmetology classes to give instruction on all hair types from the kinkiest to the straightestAs of 1 September, a new law in New York state requires hairdressers studying cosmetology to be trained to work with all hair types.“This is about equal access to service,” assembly member Michaelle Solages, who sponsored the law, said in a statement earlier this year. “No New Yorker should ever walk into a salon and be turned away or receive substandard care because of their hair texture. Now, with the adoption of this legislation, they won’t have to.” Continue reading...

The company says it prioritizes safety, but suits allege its ChatGPT bot induced shooter to carry out attack in CanadaOpenAI faces 30 new lawsuits filed on behalf of victims of the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting.The suits, filed on Wednesday, allege the company’s ChatGPT chatbot induced the shooter to carry out the attack in rural Canada in February, in which eight people were killed and dozens more wounded – most of them children. Continue reading...