Trump threatens $5bn lawsuit over liberal National Guard policy report

• The Democratic Republic of the Congo is expanding its response to an Ebola outbreak that has caused nearly 2,500 deaths as of August 18. • The government and aid partners have established five operational priorities to scale up the emergency response.

• A new column from Xinhua argues for returning development to the center of global cooperation to address systemic failures in current international progress. • The piece highlights that while science and technology are advancing rapidly, millions are being left behind due to persistent poverty, climate risks, and widening inequality.

Saja El-Khawas had been in critical condition after incident that also killed her sister and parents off coast of ShorehamA six-year-old girl has died in hospital three days after being pulled from the sea off Shoreham in West Sussex, in an incident that also killed her mother, father and sister.Saja El-Khawas died on Friday after the deaths of her sister Sara El-Khawas, 14, and her parents Hassan El-Khawas, 55, and Zeina Alayn, 37, on Tuesday. Continue reading...

The dark lord – or someone dressed like him – said the technology would aid the empire in tracking ‘rebel scum’A man dressed as Darth Vader appeared to poke fun at San Diego officials for using Flock Safety automated license plate readers at a city council meeting this week, a stunt that comes as the company faces growing backlash linked to spying concerns.The man, whose real identity remains unknown, masqueraded on Thursday as the Star Wars villain at a San Diego public safety committee meeting. Continue reading...

The DoJ sued TikTok and its former parent company in August 2024 for allegedly failing to protect children’s privacy and collecting their information⁠TikTok and its Chinese former parent company ByteDance on Friday agreed to a $400m settlement to resolve the US Department of Justice’s allegations that the short-form video app ⁠violated children’s online ⁠privacy.The justice ​department sued TikTok and ByteDance in 2024 for allegedly failing to protect children’s privacy and illegally collecting their information. The defendants were accused ⁠of violating a law requiring online services aimed at children to obtain parental consent to collect personal information from users under age 13. Continue reading...

European regulators have imposed billions in penalties on US technology companies due to privacy, competition and digital market rulesThe Dutch data protection authority has fined ⁠Uber €825m ($966m) for deactivating driver ⁠accounts through automated systems without ​adequately informing them, according to a 17 August decision.The penalty would be the second-largest issued yet under Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Continue reading...

Closing arguments could come on Monday as prosecutors seek murder conviction over deaths of three young childrenLindsay Clancy’s defense in her murder trial rested on Friday after calling witnesses to testify about the ailing mother’s mental state and attempts to seek help before she killed her young children.The defense wrapped more quickly than some expected given that the prosecution rested their case on Monday. Continue reading...

Asking people to weigh in on adoption of different categories in move that will sow confusion and create access challenges, say expertsThe Trump administration is asking for public feedback on changes to the ways it recommends vaccines – likely opening the door to greater access challenges and confusion, experts say.In a notice published by the health and human services (HHS) to the Federal Register on Friday, officials say they are now seeking comments from the public about the current categories for vaccine recommendations, which so far fall into routine, risk-based and shared clinical decision-making. Continue reading...

UN secretary general has said UN faces ‘imminent financial collapse’ due to unpaid contributions from member statesThe Trump administration has started the process to transfer $725m to the United Nations, a congressional notification seen by Reuters ⁠showed – a move aid experts said ⁠was a welcome step towards paying ​billions in dues owed.There was no immediate response from Washington DC to questions about the reasons for the payment from an administration that has slashed funding to many UN agencies and blasted the global body for not living up to ⁠its potential. Continue reading...

David Campanale seeks damages after what he says was organised campaign against his faith in Sutton and Cheam How much is a career in politics worth? The Liberal Democrats, despite admitting claims of religious discrimination, say about £22,800. A former Lib Dem candidate claims £790,000.It is a question before the Central London county court after David Campanale argued that discrimination against his Christianity cost him his political career in a civil case against the party. Continue reading...

Premier Ben Carroll says $230m would be earmarked for 10 public dental clinics to operate on a walk-in basisGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastVictorians would be able to walk into a dental clinic and receive free checkups and treatment under an Australian-first proposal the Labor government will take to the November state election.The premier, Ben Carroll, will announce the plan – Labor’s first major election commitment – at a rally on Saturday to mark fewer than 100 days until Victorians go to the polls. Continue reading...