⢠The United States national debt has reached $38,967,833,861,543 as of May 1, 2026, driven by continued spending by the White House and Congress.
⢠The debt is on track to double over the next three decades amid fiscal pressures and ongoing government expenditures.
⢠This trajectory reflects a critical macroeconomic challenge as American taxpayers face increasing obligations tied to the nation's long-term fiscal sustainability.
Sir Simon McDonald says Olly Robbins was âthrown under a busâ by the prime minister and the decision feels âwrongâThe Peter Mandelson security vetting scandal is the biggest crisis for the diplomatic service in decades, a former Foreign Office chief has said.Sir Simon McDonald, who was the permanent under-secretary of the government department until 2020, has spoken out in defence of Sir Oliver Robbins, saying the civil servant was âthrown under a busâ by the prime minister, Keir Starmer, when he was dismissed from his role on Thursday. Continue reading...
Plans for such a transport system have been discussed for many years and not all locals believe that service will comeIt is 1993 and a young James Lewis is going to do work experience in Leeds city councilâs highways department. His team, Leeds United FC, have only just relinquished the title of defending English champions. And the council is marching on with big ideas: putting the abandoned 1980s Metroline tram plan behind them, and forgetting the unloved 1991 concept of a Leeds Advanced Transit skytrain. The Supertram is the coming thing.âI remember these drawers and drawers, full of big paper plans,â says Lewis, 33 years on. Lewis is now leader of the city council, and it is all done online. Much of the city centre has been transformed, rebuilt and pedestrianised. Leeds United have never threatened to be champions again. But as Lewis stands outside Elland Road stadium, explaining how to cross the adjacent motorway, one thing has not changed. What Leeds really wants is to build a tram. Continue reading...
Woman tells court âI lost my teenage selfâ from abuse by teacher William âRobâ Gilfillan, already in prison for offences against daughter Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA woman who was repeatedly sexually assaulted in the 1980s by her high school PE teacher has told a court how the manâs actions resulted in her life being changed ânegatively for decadesâ.In December, William âRobâ Gilfillan was found guilty of indecent assault of a person under 16 and sexual penetration of a child under 16. The five counts against two victims took place at Traralgon high school in Gippsland. Continue reading...
Scientists tracked bird population in Canberraâs botanic gardens and found climate impacts starting to affect themFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA common and well-loved bird of bush and garden could go extinct within 30-40 years due to the weather impacts of climate change, researchers say.Data derived from nearly 30 years of weekly observations tracked the lives of superb fairy wrens in Canberraâs botanic gardens, noting the changing weatherâs impacts on them. Continue reading...
⢠A Trump-backed refinery project in Texas is advancing as a potential first new U.S. refinery in years, with the initiative receiving attention amid elevated crude oil prices and energy supply concerns tied to Middle East conflicts.
⢠The project reflects broader energy policy shifts and interest in domestic refining capacity expansion, particularly relevant given current geopolitical supply disruptions affecting global oil markets.
⢠Fox Business reported that if Trump's administration had not acted on the refinery initiative, his successor would face significant energy infrastructure challenges, underscoring the long-term strategic importance of domestic refining capacity.
Since 2014, the planet has been warming by about 0.36°C per decade, according to an analysis of five temperature datasets, raising fears that climate tipping points could be crossed earlier than expected
White House contends with reality of shoddy preparations for war and unclear conditions for victoryMiddle East crisis â live updatesSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailAs US and Israeli jets descended to deliver the opening salvos of the war in Iran, Donald Trumpâs back-of-the-envelope plan for regime change in Tehran was about to run into the reality of the largest US intervention in the Middle East since the start of the Iraq war in 2003.That reality came quickly. Continue reading...
