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Plan part of a wider policy to remove foreign nationals from social homes and prioritise young British-born couplesSocial housing tenants will be evicted if they fail to keep their gardens well maintained under a Reform UK government, the party has announced.Lee Anderson, the party’s chair, said that if Reform came to power it would insist that those in social rented homes would be required to keep their properties decorated and gardens looked after. Continue reading...

Five-day trial at high court in Glasgow heard Dott subjected a girl and a boy to multiple incidents of abuseThe former world snooker champion Graeme Dott has been found guilty of sexually abusing two primary school age children. The 49-year-old subjected a girl and a boy to multiple incidents of abuse, with the girl targeted between 1993-96 and the boy between 2006-10.A five-day trial at the high court in Glasgow heard Dott exposed himself in front of both children, touched them inappropriately, and kissed them. On Monday, he was found guilty of two counts of lewd, indecent and libidinous behaviour towards them. In both cases the abuse happened in the Glasgow area. Continue reading...

Sean Grayson, who was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer in 2023, was serving a 20-year sentence for second-degree murder The former Illinois sheriff’s deputy convicted of fatally shooting Sonya Massey in her home after she reported a possible prowler to 911, has died, his attorney said Sunday.Sean Grayson died on Sunday, lawyer Daniel Fultz – who represented the ex-Sangamon county deputy at his trial – told NBC News and CBS News.The Associated Press contributed Continue reading...

• Economist Saravelos warns that recent U.S. Treasury moves in bond and currency markets constitute "soft-form financial repression" designed to artificially lower debt costs. • The analysis suggests that if U.S. Treasury prices are prevented from adjusting downward, the dollar must weaken to adjust the value of bonds held by foreign investors. • This strategy effectively loosens financial conditions, which may conflict with the Federal Reserve's goal of keeping inflation at or below its 2% target.

UK-born married couples under 35 with children would get priority under proposals to be outlined by Farage’s partyBritish citizens who were born abroad would be made to wait longer for social housing under proposals to be announced by Reform UK on Monday.Nigel Farage’s party will announce the policy at a press conference in London. Under the policy, people born in the UK and young married couples with children would be given priority for social housing. Continue reading...

Michael Jeffries is ruled mentally competent to stand trial after being hospitalized for months for dementia symptomsThe former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch has been ruled mentally competent to stand trial as he faces sex-trafficking charges after being hospitalized for months for dementia and Alzheimer’s symptoms.Michael Jeffries, who is 82 and free on bond for now, is scheduled to be tried in late October, alongside two co-defendants: his partner Matthew Smith and staffer James Jacobson. A pretrial hearing was slated for Thursday. Continue reading...

• AI is rapidly transforming China's microdrama industry, disrupting traditional production methods and reducing the need for physical studio spaces like Hengdian. • The shift has sparked concerns among creatives regarding the future role of human actors and artists in an increasingly automated entertainment landscape. • To maintain quality, the streaming app Hongguo recently implemented higher production standards for AI-generated content to ensure viewer satisfaction.

Kassebaum Baker became the first woman elected to the US Senate without following a spouse into officeNancy Kassebaum Baker, a Kansas governor’s daughter who became the first woman elected to the US Senate without following a spouse into office, has died. She was 94.Kassebaum Baker died on Friday of natural causes, according to her son, Bill Kassebaum. Continue reading...

Tory leader rules out coalition with Farage’s party and says ‘drama queens’ who left will not be welcomed backKemi Badenoch has called defectors who left for Reform “some of the most dishonest people” she has ever met, as she ruled out allowing “drama queens” to return to the party.Speaking at the Edinburgh festival fringe, the Conservative party leader again ruled out any prospect of an election deal with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, insisting there would be no coalition between the parties. Continue reading...

In letter to Macron and Burnham, more than 100 senior figures accuse Israel of ethnic cleansing and call for measures including trade banMore than 100 French and British former diplomats have said Palestine is being erased in front of the world’s eyes and called for urgent action including trade and arms sales bans to press Israel to accept a Palestinian state.An unprecedented joint letter dispenses with diplomatic language by accusing Israel of ethnic cleansing and warning that the world no longer sees Israel as a genuine democracy.Uphold the decisions of the international court of justice and the international criminal court.Suspend the EU-Israel association agreement and the UK-Israel trade and partnership agreement for breach of human rights provisions.Suspend arms transfers to and from Israel and all bilateral military cooperation.Insist on unrestricted aid access to Gaza, led by the UN Relief and Works Agency, other UN agencies and international NGOs, with consequences for non-compliance, and access too for journalists, diplomats and parliamentarians.Ban all trade with settlements, including goods, investment, insurance and other financial services.Warn potential bidders for the “red line” E1 settlement or other settlement financing/construction that their interests in and with the UK and France will suffer.Make it an offence for British and French citizens to buy property on stolen Palestinian land and remove charitable status from “charities” funding settlements. Continue reading...

David Elliott and Eleni Petinos believe they were brought down by their own party. The Icac hearing has given them a chance to set the record straightGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastRevenge, they say, is a dish best served cold.It’s been almost four years since the former New South Wales MP, David Elliott, announced that he would not seek preselection for a seat in the Hills in greater Sydney after his own seat was abolished. He had realised that, thanks to branch stacking in his area, he stood no chance of securing another. Continue reading...

Jason Murphy believes he knows who killed McKee in Derry, but culture of silence and mistrust of police is denying her family justiceWhen Lyra McKee was shot and killed on the night of 18 April 2019, approximately 150 people were in her vicinity. The 29-year-old journalist had watched in a crowd as rioting broke out in Derry, Northern Ireland. Police footage captured the grainy outline of a man firing a handgun.“Someone’s fucking shot,” a bystander could be heard crying in mobile phone footage shown as evidence in court. “There’s a fucking kid shot in the head.” Continue reading...

Jenny Ware, member of inquiry that recommended wagering advertising ban, says ‘public health crisis’ demands stronger response from major partiesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe former Liberal MP Jenny Ware has condemned her one-time Coalition colleagues for backing Labor’s gambling legislation, claiming “vulnerable Australians have been let down”, as the parliament failed to back a full ban on wagering ads.Ware, a member of the Peta Murphy-led inquiry in 2023 that recommended entirely ending wagering advertising and inducements, called gambling a public health crisis that demanded a much stronger response from both sides of politics. Continue reading...

Fawning, deferential, oleaginous – this was the Untruth and Reconciliation Commission as Trump called in to 77 WABC“Our next guest is a ‘racist’, a ‘conman’ and a ‘cheat’ – someone who behaves more like a ‘mobster’ than a president. Please welcome Donald J Trump!”That is how Michael Cohen could have introduced Trump on his New York radio show on Thursday. After all, Cohen used such terms to describe the US president in his testimony to Congress in 2019. But now Trump’s former personal lawyer and self-described fixer had different words: “boss” and “sir”. Just like old times. Continue reading...

Move may signal attempt to improve relations between military-backed government and ex-leader’s partyThe jailed former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan has been ⁠transferred to a hospital in Islamabad for medical examination, fulfilling a longstanding demand by supporters who ⁠say his health has deteriorated during more than three years in prison.The move ​followed a supreme court order ‌this week and is ‌seen as a potential first step toward easing tensions between Khan’s party and ‌Pakistan’s powerful military establishment, which have been at odds since his removal from office in 2022. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Mitchell Palmer has also argued for privatising the NHS and immigration as way of cutting poverty Reform UK’s new economic adviser has previously called the pensions triple lock unsustainable, advocated privatising the NHS and welcomed migration as a poverty alleviation tool, the Guardian can reveal.Robert Jenrick, Reform’s economic spokesperson, has appointed Mitchell Palmer, a rightwing economist at the free-market Adam Smith Institute, as one of his key aides. Continue reading...

• U.S. fact-checkers have launched a first-of-its-kind joint collaboration to debunk deceptive advertisements and disinformation ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. • The initiative will utilize a newsletter to highlight common findings and track emerging election-year information trends across the United States. • This partnership was prompted by the increasing spread of false information fueled by political polarization and the rise of AI-generated content.

• US fact-checking organizations have launched a collaborative effort to combat deceptive advertisements and disinformation ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. • The partnership centers on a joint newsletter designed to analyze voting trends and debunk common false narratives across the United States. • This initiative targets media professionals, content creators, and election observers to ensure accurate information is disseminated during the election cycle.

Eleni Petinos tells inquiry her sacking as a minister in Dominic Perrottet’s government was potentially motivated by her reluctance to get rid of the building commissionerGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe former New South Wales fair trading minister Eleni Petinos has given evidence at a corruption inquiry that she may have been used by fellow Liberals to try to get rid of the building commissioner David Chandler, recounting numerous attempts in 2022 to persuade her he was “dodgy” and should be sacked.She has also told the Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) inquiry that her subsequent sacking as a minister in the Dominic Perrottet government in July 2022 – allegedly for bullying staff – was unfair and potentially motivated by her reluctance to sack the building commissioner. Continue reading...

Inflation deterring shoppers from spending, especially in the US, says sportswear fashion chain Sports fashion retailer JD has slashed its profit forecasts as cost-of-living pressures, fuelled by the US war on Iran, weighed on sales of trainers.JD Sports, which sells a range of sports brands including Nike and Adidas, said widespread inflation had hit shoppers’ wallets, resulting in falling sales across important markets such as the US, where it struggled to quickly shift trainers and other footwear. Continue reading...

• The Taipei Music Expo (TMEX) 2026 will take place from August 27 to 30 at the Taipei Music Center under the theme "Tune in to Taiwan. Sync with Asia." • The event will feature "JAM JAM ASIA," a showcase across seven stages on August 29 and 30, featuring over 80 musical acts from 14 different markets. • This edition expands its industry reach by including music export agencies from Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, and Taiwan's TAICCA on the exhibition floor.

The Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm creator says Dershowitz, who also defended Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein, ‘only has himself to blame’ for being ostracisedLarry David has opened up about the collapse of his friendship with Alan Dershowitz, saying that Dershowitz “made a deal with the devil” when he became Donald Trump’s lawyer.Dershowitz, a former Harvard University law professor, has been a member of legal teams for Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, OJ Simpson and Harvey Weinstein at various points in his career, and served on Trump’s defense team during the president’s first impeachment trial in 2020. Continue reading...

• The Taipei Music Expo (TMEX) 2026 is scheduled to take place from August 27 to 30, operating under the theme "Tune in to Taiwan." • The event combines a four-day professional industry market with the JAM JAM ASIA festival, featuring headliners such as HYUKOH, Taeko Onuki, Asian Dub Foundation, and Accusefive ft. Mayday Masa. • This platform serves as a critical hub for the Asia Pacific music industry, facilitating networking and showcasing diverse regional talent.

Mykhailo Fedorov’s blistering critique comes at a time of growing pressure for democratic renewal in UkraineFor more than a month, demonstrators have gathered in Ivan Franko Square outside Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office. The protesters have been chanting a name – not that of Ukraine’s embattled president but that of the man he recently sacked as defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov. On Sunday evening, 2,000 people marched along Khreshchatyk, Kyiv’s main boulevard, waving cardboard banners in support of their ousted hero.Zelenskyy has refused to reinstate Fedorov, who during his six months in the job was widely seen as an effective and reforming figure. On Wednesday, Ukraine’s parliament, the Rada, voted to approve a successor as defence minister, Yevhen Khmara. The move shows that Fedorov has been shut out from government permanently, and confirms his transition from trusted insider and Zelenskyy loyalist to a potent political opponent. Continue reading...

Nige’s dodgy donations, Dicky’s love of global heating and so much more – what fun it is watching the party implodeYou would need to have a heart of stone not to fall about laughing. There was a time not so long ago when Reform could give a passable impression of a vaguely functional political party. One that knew its audience and had learned how to get its message across through the media. Admittedly this was largely because the party was a one-man band with all its MPs accepting that they owed their entire existence to Nige. They were satellites to his sun. Nigel Farage was Reform, and Reform was Nige.In recent months though, things have been falling apart and Reform now resemble an anarchic end–of-the-pier clown show. And chaos has seldom been this entertaining. The fun started when Nige had an uncharacteristic fit of humility and tried to pretend he was only a first among equals with the grandiose announcement of a “shadow cabinet” of four people. Largely because that’s about as many serious politicians as he had at his disposal. Continue reading...

Regulator says verifiable safety measures are ‘critical’ to the online service’s viabilityGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastRoblox has committed to making changes to its online gaming platform after Australia’s eSafety commissioner discovered adults were still able to see child accounts and send connection requests without parental consent.The company has provided a legal agreement to the online safety regulator after testing earlier this year also revealed children and adults could view and respond to one another’s posts on forums outside game environments without parental consent. Continue reading...

The government says it’s stopping ‘the most toxic’ gambling company strategies. Former addicts say it will do ‘absolutely nothing’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastJesse Murphy wasn’t sure what to wear when his VIP gambling manager texted him: “Looking forward to having a beer with you!”His frequent betting had just earned the then 25-year-old free tickets to a gambling company’s corporate box at the footy with free food and alcohol. His handler was waiting for him. He told Murphy to wear a shirt before joining for drinks. Continue reading...

She made the statement during a debate when asked about potential threats to US national security in South China SeaUS politics live – latest updatesAsked whether Taiwan and the South China Sea threaten US national security, republican fill-in senator Darline Graham hesitated. “I’m just going to be honest here,” she told Tuesday night’s debate audience. “I’m – not that informed on national security, so – but I do support the military.”Gasps, and boos, rolled through the opera house hosting the only debate before next week’s Republican runoff – a race to succeed her brother, Lindsey Graham, who was one of the Senate’s most committed rightwing foreign policy hawks before his sudden passing in July. She did not retreat. Continue reading...