Era

• Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has signaled a willingness to take action against gambling advertisement inducements to secure legislative progress. • This strategic move is designed to win the support of the Coalition for the government's proposed gambling law reforms. • The initiative matters as it addresses the controversial use of incentives in gambling ads, which has been a point of contention in federal policy.

Met Office considers amber or red warning as forecasters say Thursday is likely to be hottest day of the weekTemperatures could reach 36C (97F) or higher this week, forecaster have said, with possible disruption to railway lines and power networks as the Met Office considers issuing rare amber or red extreme heat warnings.Parts of the UK are forecast to experience their fifth heatwave of the summer as the country continues to bake in an unprecedented period of dry, hot weather. Continue reading...

If opposition wins November’s state election, leader Jess Wilson vows households will not pay more under the changeFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Victorian Liberals have vowed to restore weekly rubbish collections if they win November’s state election, with leader Jess Wilson describing the current fortnightly system in her local area as “disgusting”.Thirty-three Victorian councils have switched general rubbish collections from weekly to fortnightly, with a similar shift occurring in other states. Continue reading...

Jeremy Greenwood tells inquiry he instructed the factional group ‘not to keep going’ because ‘it became so toxic’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA Liberal figure under investigation for allegedly accepting illegal donations has told the corruption watchdog that it does not have a “shred of evidence” that he was part of a conservative factional group, saying he told members “not to keep going” after it became “toxic”.Consultant and lobbyist, Jeremy Greenwood, 37, who is named in two of the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s (Icac) allegations as part of Operation Rosny, gave evidence on Monday. Continue reading...

Average sea surface temperature outside polar regions was highest on record for July, beating previous high in 2023The world’s seas were hotter last month than in any July on record, scientists have said, as devastating heat struck western Europe.Sea surface temperatures hit record highs for July on the Atlantic coast and western Mediterranean, the EU’s Copernicus climate change service found, with severe marine heatwaves roiling Europe’s seas. Globally, the average sea surface temperature outside the cold polar regions was the highest on record for the month, beating the previous July record set in 2023. Continue reading...

• Stock market volatility in South Korea has begun to ease as investors unwind leveraged trading positions. • The stabilization follows a period of heightened fluctuations driven by high-leverage bets on market movements. • This shift is significant as it indicates a reduction in speculative pressure, potentially leading to more sustainable price action for Korean equities.

• The Republican-led Senate narrowly confirmed Todd Blanche as Attorney General in a 50-49 overnight vote. • Blanche secured the position after winning over GOP holdouts by pledging to eliminate the "anti-weaponization fund." • The appointment is significant as President Trump has openly expressed a desire to utilize the Department of Justice to investigate his political opponents.

• The FDA has approved a new engineered viral immunotherapy designed specifically for patients suffering from treatment-resistant advanced melanoma. • This approval provides a critical new therapeutic option for cancer patients who have failed to respond to existing standard-of-care treatments. • The authorization is granted under conditions where continued market availability may be contingent upon the verification of clinical benefits.

• South Korea's Kospi index experienced a significant surge in turbulence during June, pushing a key volatility gauge to a record-high of 96.9. • The spike was primarily driven by the flushing out of leveraged trades as market instability increased. • This event matters as it highlights the vulnerability of the South Korean market to high-leverage positions during periods of extreme price swings.

• Recent security incidents involving Hugging Face and Meta have highlighted the emergence of AI systems capable of autonomous hacking. • These events challenge the long-standing legal premise that a human actor is always responsible for cyber intrusions and liability. • Legal experts warn that this shift could force a reckoning for cyber insurers, who must now determine how to assign liability when AI acts independently.

• Stock market volatility in South Korea is easing as leveraged trades unwind following the implementation of regulatory curbs. • Morgan Stanley estimates that the deleveraging process is now more than half complete, though volatility remains elevated. • Investors are currently balancing historically cheap valuations and a strong earnings outlook against the risk of further sharp price swings.

Observers express concern that the division has lost its independence and commercial reality has taken overWhen Sir Demis Hassabis said AI had brought the world to a “pivotal moment in human history” last month, he knew another big change was imminent.This shift was closer to home. The Nobel prize-winning head of Google DeepMind, Google’s AI unit, announced this week he was relinquishing his day-to-day duties as chief executive and becoming chair. He is also taking on the role of chief scientist at DeepMind’s parent, Alphabet. Continue reading...

• Pakistan has introduced sweeping new regulations requiring mandatory registration and accreditation for all journalists working with international news organizations. • The government has also imposed strict restrictions on the specific geographic areas where foreign media are permitted to report. • These measures follow international coverage of ongoing protests in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) during the current election cycle, which triggered a sharp government response.

Donald Trump’s former defense lawyer confirmed by 50 votes to 49 early on Saturday morning, with senators deferring action on president’s voting bill until after recessTodd Blanche faced heavy criticism for the department’s sloppy rollout of files related to Jeffrey Epstein, which redacted information that should not have been redacted and left unredacted the names of victims that should have been kept private.During his confirmation hearing, Blanche refused to personally meet with Epstein victims, then agreed to do so. The survivors said they received few answers from Blanche during the meeting.Mr Blanche is not perfect, and he will tell you this, but the choice is not between perfection and Mr Blanche.It is between Mr Blanche and another acting attorney general who may not run the department effectively under President Trump and who indeed may not be as good as Mr Blanche. Continue reading...

Major win for president as former personal lawyer wins approval despite outcry over $1.8bn slush fundThe US senate voted to confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general in a major win for Donald Trump, who will now have his one-time personal attorney sitting atop the nation’s law enforcement apparatus.Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana cast the deciding vote in Blanche’s favor after two other Republicans – Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska – voted against him. Every Democrat rejected Blanche’s nomination. Continue reading...

• Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports Europe has expanded its athletics portfolio by securing the broadcasting rights for the European Athletics Championships Birmingham 2026. • The event will be broadcast across 45 European markets via WBD's extensive network, including Eurosport, TNT Sports, Max, and discovery+. • This acquisition strengthens WBD's position as a leading sports broadcaster in Europe, complementing its existing role as the home of the Olympic Games.

Officials describe ‘deplorable conditions’ at home run by pair linked to crematory closed due to mishandled remainsThe remains of 56 people were found improperly stored and decomposing on Thursday at a Chicago funeral home run by a couple who previously operated a crematory that was similarly shut down because of mishandled remains, authorities said.Illinois state officials, meanwhile, suspended the license of one of the funeral home’s directors, alleging bodies were being kept in an unrefrigerated area in “deplorable conditions”. Continue reading...

• European startups secured €8.6 billion in funding during July, maintaining strong capital flow despite a decline in overall deal volume compared to June. • The funding landscape was characterized by a shift toward larger financing rounds, which offset the decrease in the total number of deals. • Exit activity showed significant momentum, with an increase in both acquisitions and initial public offerings (IPOs) across the European tech ecosystem.

• Republican Senator Bill Cassidy announced his support for Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general. • This endorsement is a critical step in securing the necessary support for Blanche to lead President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice. • Cassidy's backing signals a growing consensus among key Senate Republicans, reducing potential hurdles for the nomination process.

• Senator Bill Cassidy announced his support for Todd Blanche to become the U.S. Attorney General, following the defection of other senators. • Cassidy's endorsement comes as he prepares to leave Congress after losing his Louisiana primary to a candidate backed by Donald Trump. • In a separate development, Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers of Michigan released a video appealing to Democratic voters.

Much-delayed devices to be deployed by end of month after immigration agents involved in deaths or serious injuriesOfficers for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will be equipped with much-delayed body cameras by the end of next month, it was reported on Friday. But experts have questioned the transparency of a policy that allows the ICE director to restrict the public release of footage unless “it is in the best interests of the agency”.Pressure has mounted on the Trump administration to provide body cameras after people caught up in encounters with federal immigration personnel suffered death or serious injuries. Continue reading...

Experts say the attackers’ behaviour, and the handling of their cases, have striking similaritiesAbout 40 metres off Tottenham High Street, up a slip road for deliveries to a B&M homewares store, is a stretch of concrete paving behind a 2-metre wall topped with spikes.This is the patch of ground that Simon Levy tried to turn into his personal killing field. Continue reading...

Alaska Republican is concerned that proposed fund to compensate January 6 rioters will proceed even though Blanche confirmed it was deadUS politics live – latest updatesLisa Murkowski, Alaska’s moderate Republican senator, announced early on Friday that she will not vote for Donald Trump’s nomination of Todd Blanche as US attorney general, leaving his elevation from “acting” to official confirmation in the post even narrower.Murkowski issued a statement expressing her concerns that the Trump administration could proceed with its proposed fund to compensate rioters who invaded the US Capitol on January 6 in a failed attempt to overturn Joe Biden’s defeat of Trump in the 2020 presidential election. Continue reading...

Inspections ordered by US regulator will affect about 470 aircraft, after reported problems in earlier modelsBusiness live – latest updatesThe US aviation regulator has ordered inspections of the fuselages of Boeing 737 Max planes for possible cracks in a component.The Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness directive will affect an estimated 471 aircraft and follows reports of cracks in earlier Boeing models. Continue reading...

Slovakia reaches new high of 42C as authorities in Poland forced to shut down Kozienice and Połaniec power plantsTemperature records have been broken in several countries across central and eastern Europe as the extreme weather that has caused wildfires and droughts across the continent continues.Countries including Slovakia, Austria and Hungary registered record temperatures. On Thursday, the Slovakian hydrometeorological agency said a new high of 42C (108F) had been reached in Dolné Plachtince. Continue reading...

• Thailand held a general election on May 14, 2023, resulting in the Move Forward Party winning the most seats in the House of Representatives. • Despite the victory, significant uncertainty remains regarding the selection and appointment of the next Prime Minister. • Parallel to the political transition, a new bill is being tracked to lower the voting age to 16 and implement automatic voter registration.

• Microsoft has ended the "blank-check" era of AI coding by assigning specific AI token budgets to every division and implementing GPT-5.6 Sol as the default in Copilot. • The strategic shift focuses on maximizing "impact per token" rather than simply reducing overall usage to ensure AI efficiency. • While the move justifies further investment in coding agents, Microsoft notes that merged pull requests are only a proxy for productivity.

Expansion of immigration enforcement at US airports puts employees at odds with agents seeking 2,000 daily arrests A dramatic increase in immigration enforcement at US airports has reportedly placed the airline industry at odds with the Trump administration as workers decline to help federal officials arrest their targets – many of whom have pending applications for visas, asylum or green cards.Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) – both part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – have expanded their collaboration to make as many as three dozen daily arrests at US airports last month, the Wall Street Journal reported. Continue reading...