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• OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, and Anthropic, along with dozens of other tech firms, have issued a joint letter warning of an impending surge in AI-powered cyberattacks. • The companies argue that "status quo security" is insufficient to protect critical infrastructure, including hospitals and water treatment facilities, from these advanced threats. • This urgent call for action emphasizes a "limited window" to prepare, stressing that a whole-of-society response is necessary to prevent widespread disruption.

About 80 people sign open letter to Andy Burnham calling for legislation to protect voice ownershipNicola Coughlan, Hugh Bonneville and Matt Lucas are among a group of actors backing a campaign against artificial intelligence voice cloning.Save Our Voices Now, which is also being supported by Luke Evans, Jen Brister, Siobhán McSweeney and Pearl Mackie, aims to stop the practice in which AI technology is used to replicate a real person’s voice to say anything it is prompted to. Continue reading...

• Astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope to study 72 young, sun-like stars to analyze the process of planetary development. • The research reveals that planet formation is a "race against time," as gas giants must accumulate massive atmospheres before their surrounding disks dissipate. • This discovery is critical because it highlights how winds and jets can strip away raw materials, potentially preventing the formation of Jupiter-like planets.

Other governments could seek similar concessions, while separate legal action is pending in places ranging from Kenya to the NetherlandsIn October 2021, Abrham Meareg’s father, a professor of chemistry in Ethiopia’s northern town of Bahir Dar, was shot at close range and died outside his family home. This was in the middle of the country’s civil war.For weeks, Facebook’s algorithm had actively promoted posts calling for the academic to be murdered, according to Meareg and Foxglove, a nonprofit organisation supporting Meareg’s lawsuit against the company in Kenya. These posts included photos of his father and his home address. Continue reading...

President’s directive stalls for a second time about a week before the first postal ballots are due to be sent outA federal judge on Thursday halted – at least for the moment – attempts to implement Donald Trump’s executive order limiting mail voting.The president’s directive stalled for a second time about a week before the first mail ballots are due to be sent out for the rapidly approaching midterm elections. In the US district court, Judge Indira Talwani placed a 14-day hold on the government implementing the order in a case that could be headed back to the supreme court, which on Monday overturned an earlier ruling of hers that had blocked Trump’s order from taking effect. Continue reading...

The catastrophic flash flood has killed at least 389 people and left more than 1,300 missing, with hundreds of tourists unaccounted forNearly 1,400 missing, mostly tourists, and hundreds killedVisual guide: how the deadly flooding unfoldedTell us: have you been affected by the flash floods?Chinese authorities have warned that an artificial lake formed after a catastrophic flash flood hit the China-Nepal border on Wednesday faces a “high risk of breaching and sending flood waters downstream”, according to state media.“According to forecasts, inflows into the lake could reach about 3 million cubic meters over the next three days amid continued rainfall, increasing the risk of a breach that could send flood waters downstream and potentially cause further damage in areas including Gyirong Port and elsewhere downstream”, state news agency Xinhua reported late Thursday.Rescue teams and military helicopters are searching for hundreds of missing people along the mountainous Nepal-Tibet border after a huge torrent of water and mud swept through communities following a glacier collapse on Wednesday.More than 390 people were killed, authorities in Nepal and China said, and more than 1,400 were missing, including hundreds of foreign citizens and pilgrims.More than 500 foreign citizens were among 826 people missing in Nepal, police and tourism ⁠officials said. Among those unaccounted for were 177 from India, 90 from the US, 34 from Australia, 33 from Britain and 25 from Canada.Chinese state media said at least 558 were missing on the Tibet side of the border, of whom at least 260 were foreign nationals.UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said he ordered the release of $2m from the UN’s central emergency response fund to help with medical care, shelter and water.US president Donald Trump said the flooding was terrible to see, describing how “strong, well-built buildings were wiped out like they were toothpicks”.Nepalese officials said dozens of bridges were destroyed and nearly 40km of roads damaged, complicating search efforts.The Nepalese army had rescued more than 100 people by helicopter, an army spokesperson said. Army teams also evacuated people trapped inside facilities linked to the Trishuli hydropower project, he said.Dozens of injured people were transported to Kathmandu for medical care.Rescuers found bodies in Nepal’s Chitwan district, hundreds of kilometres downstream from the hardest-hit areas.The Nepal Red Cross Society said the agency has shifted its focus from rescue to large-scale relief operations in the flood-hit districts.China’s premier, Li Qiang, arrived on Thursday in Gyirong to direct rescue efforts, alongside 500 military and paramilitary personnel. Continue reading...

• Over 100 technology and financial firms, including OpenAI, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, and Anthropic, issued a joint letter on Thursday urging a global surge in cyber defenses. • The coalition warns that the AI revolution is poised to "fundamentally transform" cybersecurity, increasing the risk and scale of AI-driven cyberattacks across multiple sectors. • This call to action follows a similar June warning from the Five Eyes intelligence alliance (U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand) regarding the evolving threat landscape.

• The Euro (EUR) continued its three-day winning streak against the British Pound (GBP) on Thursday, though it retreated from session highs during the European opening. • German GfK Consumer Sentiment for September improved to -26.6, significantly beating market expectations of -29.6 and the August figure of -29.4. • The improvement was driven primarily by a surge in income expectations and a slight decrease in the willingness to save, according to the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions.

Sally-Anne Bowen, now 65, convicted of assaulting boys at Christ’s College, Finchley, where she was chemistry teacherA chemistry teacher has been found guilty of indecently assaulting two teenage pupils at an all-boys school in the late 1980s.Sally-Anne Bowen, who taught at Christ’s College in Finchley, north London, assaulted the teenage boys when they were aged around 14 to 15 and she was in her mid-20s. Continue reading...

• CIA Director John Ratcliffe reportedly warned Russia against attacking NATO member countries during a recent diplomatic visit to Moscow. • The Kremlin has dismissed these reports as "scare stories," while the Pentagon policy chief prepares for an upcoming meeting with the NATO secretary general. • Separately, House Judiciary Committee Democrats have requested records from Omeed Malik and Christopher Buskirk regarding their firm's investments and government communications.

• Ilya Shapiro, director of constitutional studies at the Manhattan Institute, argues that Democrats are pursuing dangerous "reforms" to the Supreme Court after losing key legal cases. • Shapiro asserts that losing cases does not constitute a constitutional crisis and that the proper way to change the Court's direction is by winning elections to appoint new judges. • The piece highlights a growing tension between the Left's desire for structural judicial changes and the established constitutional process of judicial nominations.

• Japanese and South Korean stock markets closed higher on August 26, with the Nikkei 225 rising 0.62% to 66,261.94 and the KOSPI Index gaining 0.97% to 6,808.21. • The rally was driven by overnight gains in US equities, cooling Treasury yields, and strong performances from tech leaders, including SoftBank and Samsung Electronics, the latter of which surged 1.75%. • This recovery occurred despite early trading volatility and investor caution as markets anticipate the upcoming earnings report from Nvidia.

Kremlin dismisses US media reports after meeting as ‘scare stories’, as Pentagon policy chief prepares to meet Nato secretary generalHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.A trip by the CIA director to Moscow this week was to warn Russia against any attack on Nato member states, US media reported, after Donald Trump attempted to downplay the visit.Two dozen mainly Democratic‑led states filed a fresh lawsuit to block Donald Trump’s executive order restricting mail voting in this year’s midterm elections.Lawyers for Lisa Cook wrote to the White House on Wednesday, rejecting a new attempt to force the Federal Reserve governor to resign for allegedly listing two properties as her primary residence on mortgage applications. The letter goes on to detail the numerous other individuals who have made the same mistake on mortgage forms, starting with Trump.The chief spokesperson for the US Secret Service and two other communications staffers are under investigation for “potential misconduct” and have been suspended, according to the agency and media reports.A geography professor alleges in a lawsuit filed this week in federal court in Manhattan that he was fired from his tenured position at the US Military Academy at West Point “because he taught that humans influenced climate change”.The US army announced on Wednesday that it has awarded to $2.2bn to five contractors “to own, construct and operate nuclear microreactors on military installations” in five states. Continue reading...

• Democratic-controlled states filed a new lawsuit on August 26, 2026, to block an executive order issued by President Donald Trump. • The legal challenge targets a presidential order designed to limit the use of mail-in voting for the upcoming 2026 midterm elections. • This action highlights an escalating legal battle over voting access and election integrity between state governments and the federal administration.

US labels group ‘global terrorist’ as its legal challenge against proscription in UK nears supreme court hearingThe US ⁠has ​issued sanctions against ⁠the UK-based direct action organisation Palestine ⁠Action, describing it as a “transnational terror group”.The US Department of the Treasury labelled Palestine Action a specially designated global terrorist on Wednesday, which allows the US to freeze the assets of foreign individuals and entities. Continue reading...

‘This is a profoundly flawed decision that endangers our children and is an affront to Texas values,’ Ken Paxton saysA federal judge has, for a second time, struck down a Texas state law banning drag performances in settings where children may be present.In a ruling issued on Tuesday, US district judge David Hittner said Texas cannot enforce its drag show ban. He said that the measure improperly restricts speech and violates the first amendment of the US constitution. Continue reading...

• On Monday, August 24, 2026, the United States announced a new series of sanctions targeting Iran amid escalating tensions. • The measures are part of a broader strategic effort involving the US and Israel to curb Iranian activities and influence in the region. • These sanctions aim to exert economic pressure on the Iranian government to prevent further military escalation and destabilization.

• Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS has announced it will boycott the Eurovision Song Contest for a second consecutive year. • The organization described the event as a "platform for division," citing ongoing tensions regarding Israel's participation in the competition. • This move follows similar boycotts from broadcasters in Iceland, Ireland, Slovenia, and Spain, highlighting growing diplomatic friction within the contest.

Then Advocate editor-in-chief and writer testified editorial was not part of agenda against Jefferson Davis Hughes IIIA jury on Monday awarded $300,000 to a Louisiana supreme court justice over a 2019 editorial by the state’s largest newspaper in a rare defamation trial involving an elected public official.Jurors in Iberville parish, Louisiana, found that the editorial whose headline included “Jeff Hughes … made a mockery of justice” and was published by the Advocate had defamed state supreme court justice Jefferson Davis Hughes III. The $300,000 in damages that the jury awarded Hughes were nonetheless significantly less than the $10m he sought for what he described as injury to his reputation and emotional distress. Continue reading...

• The Euro (EUR/USD) is showing signs of recovery but remains below the 1.1700 level as of Tuesday. • Support for the currency comes from positive economic indicators, including Germany’s IFO survey reaching a one-year high and improvements in Eurozone PMI and ZEW data. • The US Dollar continues to benefit from a cautious market sentiment driven by ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

• German politician Friedrich Merz vowed that those responsible for hybrid attacks against Germany "will pay" following the discovery of a third drone at Leipzig/Halle airport. • The airport is a critical logistics hub used by the German military and NATO allies for transporting military goods, and it serves as a base for Ukraine's Antonov Airlines. • These incidents highlight an escalation in hybrid warfare targeting strategic infrastructure, raising security concerns for NATO operations and Ukrainian support.

Bradley Townsend reportedly killed by a drone on 10 June in Donetsk region after joining up with separatistsEurope live – latest updatesA man from Yorkshire is believed to be the first British citizen to die fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine.Bradley Townsend, a 33-year-old fisher from Barnsley, left Britain in April to join up with Russian separatists in eastern Donbas to aid in their invasion of Ukraine, despite having no previous combat experience or familiar ties to eastern Europe. Alongside 49-year-old Ben Stimson and 39-year-old Aiden Minnis, Townsend was granted Russian citizenship for joining the country’s military campaign. Continue reading...

• California Governor Gavin Newsom announced the state will sue the Trump administration to block new rules intended to curb mail-in voting, which he described as "Orwellian." • The legal challenge follows a US Supreme Court ruling that allows the Trump administration to proceed with its crackdown on mail-in ballot processes. • Separately, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries is facing backlash from his own party after reports surfaced of a meeting with Jared Kushner.

• President Trump and HHS Secretary Kennedy have implemented sweeping health policy reforms over the last 555 days to combat the chronic disease epidemic and revitalize public health. • Key achievements include securing pledges from insurers, medical societies, and providers to improve national behavioral health quality and best practices. • The FDA has announced a strategic plan to phase out animal testing requirements for monoclonal antibodies and various other drugs.

Washington launches campaign to isolate Tehran but it is unclear whether it would apply sanctions to ChinaThe US has threatened to impose severe sanctions against any country or entity maintaining economic ties with Iran, hoping to achieve with economic measures what military means have so far failed to do.However, it is unclear how far the Trump administration is prepared to go in confronting China, Iran’s biggest trading partner, which has signalled its resistance to US economic pressure to cut off links with an ally. Continue reading...

• The Iranian currency has plummeted to a record low against the US dollar as President Donald Trump claims the nation is "completely collapsing." • The US administration is preparing to unveil an "economic D-Day," a plan designed to tighten financial restrictions and increase pressure on Tehran. • Analysts note that Iran has developed a "survival economy" to endure sanctions, meaning the US must target clandestine trade and banking networks to be effective.

Test of US rhetoric will rest on whether nations such as India, China and Russia view economic threats as credibleIran has vowed to retaliate against any country that cooperates with the US attempt to impose fresh sanctions against Iran in what the Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, has billed as “the single greatest financial offensive ever marshalled against an adversary”.In advance of the US announcement, the United Arab Emirates, Iran’s single biggest trading partner in the Middle East, announced it was ending all trade with Iran, a move Tehran believes was coordinated between Washington and Dubai. Continue reading...

• The EUR/USD currency pair remained strong for a fourth consecutive trading day, hovering around 1.1680 during Asian trading hours on Monday. • The Euro's stability is driven by a weakening US Dollar, which is currently under pressure following the announcement of new US fiscal strategies. • Market focus is shifting toward critical economic data from Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, which collectively represent 75% of the Eurozone's economy.