Why India’s economic data has sparked a furore

• Host Chris Williamson led a debate on August 31, 2026, featuring Robert Pape, Jiang Xueqin, and George Friedman regarding the decline of American global power. • The discussion focused on specific geopolitical flashpoints including the wars in Ukraine and Israel, as well as tensions involving Iran, China, and NATO.

Public school students are the equivalent of two and a half years behind their independent peers, as global report shows decline in reading and mathsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPublic school students are more than two years behind their independent counterparts and Australia’s classroom disruption remains among the worst in the world, a global report has found.The 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) results, released on Tuesday by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), tested the literacy of 15-year-olds in 91 countries, including Australia. The tests have run every three years since 2000. Continue reading...

Thieves took four artworks but dropped one as they fled, says mayor of southern town of Cagnes-sur-MerTwo thieves have broken into a museum dedicated to the French impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, stealing four artworks and dropping one as they fled, the local mayor has said.“Spotted thanks to the town’s video surveillance cameras, the two individuals fled, abandoning one of the stolen paintings as they ran,” said Bryan Masson, the mayor of the southern town of Cagnes-sur-Mer. His office estimated the value of the stolen works at €9m (£7.7m). Continue reading...

Hedge fund tycoon is latest financier to exit amid fears among super-rich over tax risesBusiness live – latest updatesThe hedge fund billionaire Chris Rokos is poised to leave the UK, the latest in a string of high-profile exits among Britain’s super-rich.The founder of Rokos Capital Management is preparing to move his residency to Greece, and will open an office in Athens as part of the move, according to Bloomberg. Continue reading...

OECD test sees results dip in almost all member nations and warns of ‘digital distractions’ eroding academic skills England’s teenagers are outperforming their peers in most countries in maths, reading and science, according to an international survey that warns of “digital distractions” eroding academic skills around the world.The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) programme for international student assessment (Pisa), which last year tested 760,000 15-year-olds in 91 countries and regions, found that results dipped in almost all of its members compared with previous years, with the exception of England and a handful of others. Continue reading...

UK foreign secretary to reassert support for Palestinian rights and a two-state solution in move drawing criticism from US and IsraelGood morning. It is hard to understand Labour/leftwing politics in the UK at the moment without reference to Israel and Gaza. Keir Starmer’s popularity with some progressive voters slumped in part because he was seen as unwilling to do enough to channel the anger they feel about how Israel is treating Palestinians – even though last year he took the historic step of formally recognising the state of Palestine. Quite a lot of what Andy Burnham has done in his early days as PM has had a “continuity Starmer”, but today the new government will take a bold step that will recast the UK/Israel relationship, acting where the Starmer administration just dragged its feet.In a statement to MPs, Ed Miliband, the new foreign secretary, will announce that Britain is banning trade with illegal Israeli settlements on the West Bank. Patrick Wintour has the story here.I don’t know if [the British government is] really aware of the implications and how it’s going to affect Brits.For example, 25% of pharmaceuticals that are used in the UK are made in Israel. Are they willing to give those up? It looks like they are. Continue reading...

Ruslan Kravchenko leaves post after his offices were searched at the weekend, as Moscow renews attacks after pause for peace talksSeparately, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has condemned the presence of senior Serbian officials at yesterday’s funeral of Bosnian Serb war criminal Ratko Mladić, saying it showed “a failure to confront a dark chapter in Europe’s recent history” and questioned Serbia’s alignment with the EU.Mladić, who died last week, was buried with military honours in after a memorial service attended by tens of thousands of people and led by Porfirije, the patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox church. Continue reading...

Package of military equipment includes Patriot missiles, supplies of which have dwindled amid Russian attacksThe UK has committed £100m to boost Ukraine’s air defences over winter with a package of military equipment including Patriot missiles.Defence interceptors, large-calibre artillery rounds and drones will be supplied to Ukraine through the contribution to Nato’s prioritised Ukraine requirements list. Continue reading...

Victorian One Nation leader tells media he has used methamphetamine, speed and marijuana Victorian One Nation leader, Warren Pickering, has admitted he “made mistakes” in his 20s, including using ecstasy, methamphetamines and marijuana, losing his license multiple times for drink driving and hurting people he loved.But he has denied claims by his ex-partner, published by The Australian, that he smoked ice in front of children and said he was considering legal action against the publication at a press conference on Tuesday. Guardian Australia and the ABC were barred from attending the press conference. Continue reading...

Even if the legislation passes, tech companies may still find ways to frustrate its intent and keep Australians hooked on their feedSocial media could become a “choose your own adventure” between the doom-scrolling status quo, or just the feed of the friends you want to see, if the government’s planned digital duty of care legislation passes, and the tech companies don’t muck around on compliance.But that’s a big if. Continue reading...

Fears expressed for immigrants and for country’s future after AfD vote hits historic high in Saxony-AnhaltMaryam and her best friend were ambling through Magdeburg toward the railway station, talking over the dramatic events of the previous evening and the surge by the far-right Alternative für Deutschland to a historically high vote in the Saxony-Anhalt elections.“Don’t laugh at me,” she said, “but I wish we could go back to the days of Angela Merkel, when things were OK in Germany”. Continue reading...