Tripling US union membership would shift $1.2tn to workers annually – report

• In an article published July 14, 2026, author Colin Todhunter explores how individuals can reclaim sovereignty from the combined influence of state and corporate power. • The piece highlights the rise of an "emerging digital control grid" as the primary mechanism used by these entities to shape and monitor modern life.

• President Trump has ordered an additional round of military strikes against Iran while reiterating the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. • In a significant policy shift, Trump has reversed his previous announcement regarding a 20-percent tariff.

• The European Union has banned the import of gold from Sudan to disrupt the financing of the ongoing conflict between the regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). • To further cripple mining operations, the EU is also restricting the export of cyanide and mercury, chemicals essential for gold extraction.

• The UN human Rights Office (OHCHR) reports that Sudan's war economy is creating a "self-perpetuating" cycle of conflict, where the exploitation of resources fuels ongoing violence. • The OHCHR is calling on warring parties and international corporations involved in the Sudanese commodity value chain to strictly comply with international law.

• The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is scaling up containment efforts to combat an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. • The disease has expanded into two additional provinces, Haut-Uele and Tshopo, with specific cases reported in Kisangani.

• The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a long-standing territorial dispute dating back to the end of the nineteenth century. • Tensions escalated into a cycle of violence between Hamas and Israel, resulting in deteriorating humanitarian conditions within the Gaza Strip.

• President Trump is struggling to secure concessions from Iran as a recently brokered cease-fire memorandum of understanding has collapsed. • Unlike other international adversaries, Iran has remained resistant to Trump's typical tactics of tariff threats and aggressive social media posts.

Challenges of regulating social media or stopping hate speech show these firms can set their own terms and prices for countries like AustraliaGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAnthony Albanese took a trip back in time during his much anticipated speech on artificial intelligence on Wednesday.Seeking to harness the momentous change bearing down on our lives, the prime minister told an audience at the University of Sydney that his government would keep pace with AI, even seeking to “get out in front” of the technological tidal wave. Continue reading...

While new study challenges assumptions about how far they travel, witnessing them in action still takes your breath away, scientists sayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThey may look like a fluffy flying carpet, but greater gliders are not as great at gliding as previously thought, Australian researchers have discovered.The first study to measure the aerial ability of Australia’s largest gliding marsupial has found they soar across an average distance of 19 metres – far shorter than the 100 metres suggested in an 85-year-old study. Continue reading...

Internal estimates show 144,600 people will be taken off the scheme by 2030, many of them under 18Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAlmost 145,000 Australians receiving support for autism on the national disability insurance scheme (NDIS) are expected to be removed by the end of the decade, internal estimates show, as the federal government moves ahead with plans to narrow the focus of the “diluted” $52bn scheme toward those with significant and complex needs.From 2028, almost two-thirds of the 241,000 participants set to lose access to the NDIS will be aged 18 or under, health department documents released to Guardian Australia under freedom of information laws show. Continue reading...

Prime minister’s plan will create energy regulations for datacentres in AustraliaGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastEnvironmental and community groups have called for a pause on datacentre development until new regulations are in place after Anthony Albanese promised “greater clarity and speed” over their approval.In his landmark speech on artificial intelligence at the University of Sydney on Wednesday, the prime minister said Australia would create a legal obligation for large-scale datacentres to underwrite new power supply, pay their full share of grid connection, and add as much energy to the grid as they take out of it. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Politician spoke to senior figures in Reform in March that year about covering lost earnings, sources tell the GuardianNigel Farage told senior figures in Reform UK he would need “a million a year” to cover lost earnings if he stood for parliament in the 2024 general election, sources have told the Guardian, raising further questions about why he was given £5m by a crypto billionaire.Sources say the discussion took place in March 2024 – shortly before the undeclared gift was made by Christopher Harborne on 5 April, according to the Thailand-based crypto billionaire’s lawyers. Continue reading...