Sinkhole on Sunset Boulevard: broken water pipe floods LA-area hotspot

• The text discusses a conceptual shift in international relations, referencing Otto von Bismarck's principle that "the flag follows trade" (Die Flagge folgt dem Handel). • This perspective suggests that geoeconomics now drives geopolitics, meaning that national security strategies and military conflicts are increasingly dictated by economic interests.

• Experts discussed the impact of tariffs, geopolitical tensions, and economic pressures on virgin and recycled plastic and metal markets during a virtual Supply Chain Outlook event on July 15, 2026. • The session focused on how these external forces are disrupting commodity markets and altering the flow of raw materials.

• The ongoing conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran has highlighted a significant disconnect between global financial markets and actual economic activity. • Oil markets have experienced extreme volatility, though these fluctuations are driven primarily by shifting perceptions and expectations rather than fundamental economic shifts.

• Economic disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz are expected to have a delayed impact, with the full effects potentially not manifesting until the second half of 2026. • The situation involves critical intersections of energy, trade, and food security within the Middle East and North Africa region.

• Global tensions are escalating across the Middle East, prompting governments to intensify diplomatic efforts to prevent a wider regional war. • The conflict is creating significant risks for international shipping, global oil markets, and geopolitical stability.

• The U.S. State Department is hosting a meeting with international officials to discuss the threat of left-wing terrorism. • Counterterrorism experts argue that the Trump administration's specific focus on the far left fails to provide necessary context regarding the broader spectrum of political extremism.

Primetime address seemed aimed at laying groundwork for further destabilization before midterm electionsDonald Trump used the imprimatur of the presidency and United States intelligence agencies to try to undermine confidence in American elections in a presidential address on Thursday that seemed bluntly aimed at laying the groundwork for further destabilizing the electoral system before November’s midterm elections.In his address from the East Room at the White House, Trump attempted to give the impression that his administration had uncovered new bombshell findings about vulnerabilities in the US’s election system. China, he claimed, had illicitly acquired voter information on 220 million Americans (many states allow anyone to buy voter roll information; Trump did not say the means by which the nation acquired the data). He claimed that China interfered in other ways to undermine his 2020 campaign and that the information had been suppressed by intelligence officials. Continue reading...

NBC and CNN stayed away from White House speech, while Fox News, MS Now, CBS and some ABC affiliates aired itThe US’s largest television stations split on whether to air Donald Trump’s White House address live on Thursday night, which was heavy on unproven accusations about the integrity of the 2020 election won by Joe Biden.While CNN, ABC and NBC chose not to air the speech live, CBS, Fox News and MS Now (formerly MSNBC) aired at least large portions of the speech live. ABC did not air the speech as a must-run broadcast, but some station affiliates – including the Washington DC station owned by right-leaning broadcaster Sinclair – chose to air the speech. Continue reading...

Appearing on a podcast with the far-right UK activist who goes by the name Tommy Robinson, Hanson makes evidence-free claims about migrantsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPauline Hanson has used an interview with the far-right British activist Tommy Robinson to blame the end of the White Australia policy for creating what she sees as problems with migration and said her daughter, Lee Hanson, was the future of One Nation.The One Nation leader, who is visiting the UK for a series of conference appearances and a holiday with her billionaire benefactor Gina Rinehart, appeared on an episode of Robinson’s podcast on Friday, repeating unsubstantiated claims about the spread of sharia law and accusing Muslim communities, without evidence, of rorting the national disability insurance scheme. Continue reading...

Telco outlines reasons for network failure that hit mobiles, trains and retailers ahead of appearance at Senate inquiryFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTelstra has blamed the lack of a software update for a key time-keeping system for outage that caused nation-wide chaos last week, with its maintenance teams also unaware of a design change that affected how it would reset.Ahead of an appearance by its chief executive, Vicki Brady, at a Senate inquiry over the mobile outage on Friday, Telstra provided a written submission that revealed the cause. In it, the company stated it didn’t lack redundancy in its network – but the redundancy also did not prevent the outage. Continue reading...

Australian government says it is ‘deeply frustrated’ and will continue to press for ‘real charges with teeth’ over deaths of Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-BowlesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Australian government says it wants “real charges with teeth” over the fatal methanol poisoning of two teenage travellers in Laos, as authorities prepare to lay lesser charges that have been called “bitterly” disappointing.Melbourne travellers Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles, both 19, were backpacking through the south-east Asian nation in late 2024 when they were fatally poisoned with methanol while drinking at Nana backpackers hostel in Vang Vieng. Continue reading...