Counts

Critics say segment about airman’s rescue was made to boost public perception of Trump’s unpopular warA US airman has spoken of climbing a 7,000ft ridge with a broken back, arm and shoulder after he was shot down in Iran – and of being rescued by a team of American special forces as hostile locals closed in on him.The air force colonel, identified only by his codename Bravo, appeared on camera Sunday night on CBS’s 60 Minutes in a segment some critics have labelled Pentagon propaganda to boost public perception of Donald Trump’s unpopular war. Continue reading...

President has hyped growth of federal investment accounts to help US children – for his own political gainSince returning to the White House, Donald Trump has scrapped rules that made childcare more affordable and pushed to cut funding for the nation’s public schools. But with midterm elections fast approaching and his approval ratings very low, the US president has repeatedly trumpeted a two-month-old program designed to help the nation’s children. That program, unhumbly named “Trump accounts”, calls for the federal government to give a one-time $1,000 seed deposit to every newborn whose family applies.In campaign speeches this summer, Trump has sought to milk these accounts for maximum political advantage, making big promises about how much these accounts will help the nation’s children. In a speech in Las Vegas last month, Trump hailed the program, saying: “It’s really giving [children] a head start on the American dream… They start off with $1,000 … and they can end up with $100,000, $200,000, $300,000” and if the stock market booms, “you’d end up with $1m”. Continue reading...

Michael Diehl allegedly forged magistrates’ signatures in North Carolina to allow enough time for ICE to take custody of prisonersA former Guilford county detention officer in North Carolina faces forgery charges in connection to 20 alleged forged Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainment documents, according to a Guilford county sheriff’s office (GCSO) news release.Guilford county’s sheriff, Danny H Rogers, reported that on Friday the Guilford county magistrate’s office notified the GCSO of a potentially forged court document submitted by GCSO detention officer Michael Diehl, 40. Continue reading...

ABS’s snapshot of Australia’s accounts shows economic growth – albeit low – in the face ‘challenging international circumstances’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Australian Bureau of Statistics released its latest set of national accounts, which give us a snapshot of how the economy is performing in the quarter, and what’s happening under the hood.Here are the three things you need to know. Continue reading...

RFK Jr, the health secretary, has suggested the death were ‘fabricated’ while the CDC claimed it was reviewing themTop US health officials and government agencies are currently not including the two recent measles-associated deaths in Pennsylvania in their counts.“This is highly unusual,” said Debra Houry, former chief medical officer of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She noted that this did not happen with the three deaths reported from measles in Texas and New Mexico last year. Continue reading...

Fashion site also broke rules on labelling by using terms ‘leather’ or ‘suede’ for synthetic productsThe British online fashion seller Boohoo has been fined €2.3m (£2m) by France’s consumer watchdog ⁠for deceptive ⁠practices ​such as offering fake discounts.The Manchester-based firm, whose parent company renamed itself Debenhams Group last year, was found to have exaggerated its discounts, giving shoppers a false impression ⁠of the savings they were making, ​according to the directorate-general for competition, ‌consumer affairs and ‌fraud Control. Continue reading...

• Robinhood has announced that "Trump Accounts" will prioritize the S&P 500 as the core investment option for users. • The initiative includes a $1,000 Treasury boost specifically for eligible children born between 2025 and 2028. • This move aims to incentivize long-term investing for the next generation by leveraging a broad market index.

Gabar Choli tells of how, for months, he was shackled, pinned and forcibly fed – and the physical and emotional scars the ordeal has leftIn June 2025, a sluggish and thin Gabar Choli, with sunken temples and bones visible under his skin, braced himself for the immigration detention center guards to charge into his cell once again.Choli was in a solitary confinement medical cell inside the Port Isabel service processing center, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in south Texas where immigrants arrested in Donald Trump’s anti-immigration crackdown are detained. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Analysis shows 55% of accounts were located overseas – and seven of 12 most-read posts came from USMore than half the accounts that posted on Elon Musk’s X about the rioting in Belfast and the civil disorder in Southampton in June were based outside the UK, an analysis by the Guardian can reveal.Of the 8,672 accounts whose combined posts about the events exceeded 1,000 views, just 45.3% were shown as from the UK, according to the social media platform’s own location function. Continue reading...

Counter-disinformation group says social media channels connected to Pravda network helped amplify messageAccounts with links to the Russian military promoting far-right messages reached more than 500,000 people in the early days of the Ceuta migration crisis, according to an analysis done by 411, a counter-disinformation group.Russia-linked social media accounts frequently spread destabilising narratives in Europe, often promoting far-right talking points about immigration. Continue reading...

• The SNP has officially written off the value of a £100,000 motorhome from its financial accounts, according to documents published Thursday by the Electoral Commission. • The vehicle was originally purchased using party funds by former chief executive Peter Murrell, sparking previous scrutiny over the use of organizational resources. • This accounting move removes the asset from the party's balance sheet, effectively acknowledging the loss or disposal of the vehicle's value.

• Luxembourg has implemented a new law allowing the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) to warn banks and cryptocurrency platforms about accounts suspected of being linked to CEO fraud. • The measure is designed to prevent large-scale financial losses, specifically citing the need to avoid a repeat of the Caritas fraud case. • This legal shift enhances the ability of financial institutions to proactively freeze or monitor suspicious transactions before funds are irreversibly moved.

Exclusive: More than 60 accounts on X have been made unavailable in Saudi Arabia, after similar action on Snapchat and FacebookElon Musk’s X has become the latest major US social media company to block the accounts of Saudi Arabian dissidents so they are no longer visible inside the kingdom, following orders from Saudi authorities.Earlier this year, the Guardian reported that platforms including Snapchat and Meta’s Facebook and Instagram had blocked dissidents’ accounts over allegations by Saudi authorities that they were violating local law. Continue reading...

Disclosure from 2021 investigation marks first time a bank has formally tied money-laundering concerns to Donald TrumpCapital One Financial hit back on Friday against a lawsuit over its ⁠decision to close the Trump ⁠Organization’s bank accounts ​years ago, stating that it did so after a review by anti-money-laundering experts.The disclosure marks the first time a bank has formally tied money-laundering concerns to Donald Trump’s family business. Capital One is seeking to dismiss the case by casting doubt on claims of illegally debanking – or denying services on religious or political grounds – the Trump Organization. Continue reading...

• The European Union has determined that TikTok failed to adequately protect the privacy of children's accounts, leaving them vulnerable to access by adults. • This finding highlights a critical failure in the platform's privacy settings, which were intended to shield minors from potential risks and unwanted interactions. • The ruling adds to a growing list of legal and regulatory challenges for TikTok within Brussels as EU authorities tighten oversight of digital safety.

New laws would give Vcat power to force social and AI platforms to identify anonymous users in move premier says will protect childrenGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSocial media companies could be forced to identify anonymous accounts accused of online vilification, under new laws being proposed in Victoria.The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, announced a suite of social media reforms on Sunday, saying families needed new ways to protect their children online. Continue reading...

• Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett testified before congressional committees to request additional funding for judicial security. • Justice Barrett shared a personal account of a "swatting" incident to illustrate the escalating nature of threats facing the court. • This marks the first time in seven years that justices have appeared before Congress for this purpose, highlighting a critical need for enhanced protection.

Britain expands heat alerts while estimates suggest June’s death toll could surpass 20,000 across continentThe UK is sweltering through the peak of its third heatwave of the year as countries around Europe struggle to recover from an early onslaught of baking summer heat.Punishing temperatures pushed higher by fossil fuel pollution have broken records across the continent in recent weeks. Western Europe experienced its hottest June on record, scientists confirmed on Thursday, accompanied by high global ocean temperatures that could cause “mass-mortality events” for some species. Continue reading...

US president rings bell from White House and showcases initiative that gives children a $1,000 investment accountDonald Trump rung the bell of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) from the White House to mark the first trading day for Trump accounts, a government initiative that provides children with a $1,000 investment account.The US president hosted leaders from the NYSE and the Nasdaq stock exchange at the Oval Office for a press conference Monday morning. It is the first joint opening of the exchanges, and the first time the bell had been rung at the White House. Continue reading...

Savings plans for children born between January 2025 and December 2028 launched as president seeks electoral boostTrump accounts, a savings vehicle named after the US president and authorized by congressional Republicans, are set to go live on Saturday, offering American parents a new way to save money for their children by investing in funds managed by major Wall Street firms.All accounts established for children born between January 2025 through December 2028 – nearly the entirety of Donald Trump’s second term – will receive $1,000 from the government. Parents, friends and employers will be able to deposit as much as $5,000 a year into the accounts. Continue reading...

• Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell stated that current prices remain "too high" during a meeting with global central bank leaders. • Powell expressed a desire for the Fed to integrate "new technologies" into futures analysis to more accurately track economic inflation. • The comments come as investors prepare for the trading day, focusing on the latest jobs report and a rally in Meta's stock.

• A new POLITICO poll reveals that the "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) movement is not a monolith, consisting of individuals with diverse political ideologies and opposing views. • The grassroots effort played a significant role in supporting Donald Trump's 2024 presidential victory and provided momentum for candidates like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. • The findings highlight a broad, fragmented coalition united by health concerns but divided on how to achieve systemic change.

Nearly one in six pieces of news shared in local Facebook groups during the campaign is false, Social Market Foundation report findsGood morning. Andy Burnham seems to be on course to win the Makerfield byelection on Thursday. But, if he does win, it will be despite a huge increase in the amount of hostile, fake news about him circulating on local Facebook groups. This has been documented in a report out today by the Social Market Foundation thinktank that has important implications not just for Makerfield, but for how politics functions today in a social media environment awash with lies.In its report, the SMF says:Nearly 1 in 6 pieces of news shared in local Facebook groups during the campaign is false, with misinformation heavily targeting Labour and its candidate Andy Burnham, a new study has found.The Social Market Foundation analysed over 1,800 posts across four local Facebook groups – representing different towns and settlements within the constituency with 66,000 members across them in total – and found that the share of news posts classified as misinformation jumped from 4% before the by-election was called to 16% during the campaign, a four-fold increase. Continue reading...

• The U.S. Treasury announced on May 28, 2026, that it has launched the Trump Accounts app on nationwide app stores as the next step in rolling out Trump Accounts. • The program is designed to let users access the new accounts digitally, with Treasury describing the launch as part of the implementation process for the savings vehicle. • The rollout matters because it introduces a new federal consumer finance product that could affect families, retirement-style saving behavior, and related financial institutions.

Laura Clery says she was able to call 911 and have the fridge lifted off her by firefighters after she was pinned under it US comedian Laura Clery has described how she almost died when her 600lb fridge fell on her while she was at home with her two young children and found herself pinned under the massive appliance and struggling to breathe.In an Instagram post on Thursday, Clery said the experience was the “most terrifying night of my life as a single mom”. Continue reading...

US social media firms acting on orders from Middle East kingdom accused of being ‘instruments of repression’Major US social media companies including Meta’s Facebook and Instagram platforms have blocked the accounts of Saudi Arabian dissidents so they are no longer visible inside the kingdom, following orders by Saudi authorities.Those affected include Abdullah Alaoudh, a US-based activist and vocal critic of Saudi human rights violations, and Omar Abdulaziz, a Canada and UK-based activist who worked closely with Jamal Khashoggi before the journalist’s murder by Saudi agents in 2018. Continue reading...

Odai Shanah details being among the children forced to huddle in a classroom during attack at the Islamic CenterA nine-year-old boy has described witnessing Monday’s deadly shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, saying that he “saw bad stuff” and huddled in closet during the attack.Odai Shanah, whose mother emigrated from war-torn Gaza and settled in southern California two decades ago, told Reuters that he heard a barrage of gunshots coming from outside the walls of the mosque complex, which also houses an Islamic day school. Continue reading...

Media regulator announces commitments by Elon Musk’s platform to crack down on terrorist and hate contentElon Musk’s X platform has pledged to block UK access to accounts linked to banned terrorist groups under an agreement with the communications regulator to crack down on terrorist and hate content.X will also review suspected illegal terrorist and hate content within 48 hours and seek expert advice on how to handle user reports of such content. Continue reading...