Think

Frank Furedi announces resignation with immediate effect after organisation’s staff ‘not paid in July or August’The head of Viktor Orbán’s favourite Brussels thinktank has quit, citing unpaid wages following the change of government in Hungary.Sociology professor Frank Furedi said he was resigning as executive director of MCC Brussels with “immediate effect” on Monday over “persistent failure to provide the contractually agreed funds”. Continue reading...

• The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has warned that the dominance of Big Tech companies threatens the UK's ability to remain competitive in the global AI race. • The think tank criticized the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) for failing to create an environment where smaller competitors can thrive against tech giants. • To address these gaps, the IPPR recommends that the UK government provide the CMA with an updated strategic steer to ensure more proactive and bold enforcement.

• The Boston Globe is documenting a systemic political crisis, reporting that the U.S. Congress has reached historic levels of dysfunction and non-productivity. • Key drivers of this decline include a sharp drop in measurable legislative output, intensified partisan fighting, and a president who has frequently dismantled established political precedents. • This instability is further exacerbated by an electorate that is increasingly infuriated with its representatives, signaling a deep rift between the public and the government.

In effort to prime chatbots to make pro-Israel arguments the site published 124 reports, over 560,000 words in nine days, Guardian analysis shows A pro-Israel messaging website badged with the name of a thinktank that does not exist has published more than half a million words in nine days, built on a commercial platform that promises to optimize content so that AI chatbots will cite it.The site gives Israel’s position on subjects including the torture of Palestinian prisoners, Israeli war crimes and whether Israel has deliberately starved Palestinians in Gaza, all presented as neutral research. Continue reading...

Resolution Foundation suggests economy may finally be emerging from shadow of 2008 financial crisisProductivity in the UK – a vital measure of economic health – is growing more strongly than official figures suggest, according to analysis from the Resolution Foundation.The thinktank suggests the chancellor, John Healey, may have inherited an economy finally starting to emerge from the long shadow of the 2008 global financial crisis. Continue reading...

Despite leading in the polls, Hanson is allowed to offer thought bubbles instead of actual policyFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAll sides of politics are feeling the heat from Pauline Hanson.On Tuesday, the One Nation leader pulled the rug out from under the Coalition by announcing a policy to slash tobacco excise by 75%, to deal with surging illegal sales. The policy was remarkably similar to one Liberals and Nationals have been discussing for months. Continue reading...

• Tech Innovators has secured $50 million in funding from Venture Capitalist Alpha to accelerate advancements in artificial intelligence. • The investment highlights a broader trend where Southeast Asian founders are encouraged to seek "smart capital" that balances funding terms with geopolitical risk management. • This strategic approach is critical for startups in the region to preserve operational flexibility and long-term options amidst global political volatility.

Research from King’s College London finds that Reform voters’ perceptions were furthest from the truthThe public overestimate how many minority ethnic people are killers, as well as how many foreign national offenders there are, a new study has found.The research from King’s College London tested knowledge and perceptions of crime at a time when radical right parties are trying to link offending to ethnicity and nationality to gain votes. Continue reading...

• The Luxembourg Government has announced a series of new measures designed to support the property market and increase accessibility to home ownership. • Key initiatives include reduced acquisition costs, an increased Bëllegen Akt tax credit, and the introduction of new tax incentives for investors. • These policy changes are specifically intended to strengthen the financial appeal and demand for new-build properties within the country.

• Pharmaceutical journalist Maryanne Demasi has uncovered significant anomalies in the trial data for mRNA vaccines. • The findings, sourced from the FDA's depository and the New England Journal of Medicine, suggest the trials relied on questionable assumptions and imprecisions. • This investigation challenges the FDA's approval process, raising concerns about the safety and efficacy of the deployed mRNA technology.

• QVC host Toni Brattin, owner of the Toni Brattin Wigs & Hair Fabulous line, recently went viral after making an accidental NSFW slip-up during a live broadcast. • Brattin has since spoken out to admit her internal thoughts and reactions during the "X-rated" moment that captured public attention. • The incident highlights the unpredictable nature of live shopping television and the rapid spread of viral "fail" moments on social media.

• Nutanix is introducing a unified operational model that integrates virtual machines, Kubernetes, and bare metal to reduce infrastructure duplication and support edge AI. • The transition toward consolidating platform teams varies by organization, as timelines are heavily influenced by internal politics, licensing, and existing skill sets. • The shift is driven by the rise of AI inference at the edge, which is repositioning bare metal as a primary deployment target rather than a niche requirement.

Survey finds party members see health, the economy, cost of living and climate crisis among biggest challengesAndy Burnham has inherited a Labour membership that is sceptical about increased welfare spending, supportive of higher defence spending, and ranks the climate crisis as one of the country’s biggest challenges, according to new polling.The survey of 788 members between the end of June and the end of July shows them ranking health (43%), the economy (42%), cost of living (39%) and climate change (29%) as Britain’s most important issues, ahead of welfare benefits (7%) and immigration (6%). Continue reading...

• A new poll released on August 3 reveals that 62% of Israelis believe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s promised "total victory" in the current conflict will never be achieved. • Separately, the state comptroller's office warned that the current lack of a functioning comptroller prevents potential whistleblowers from receiving necessary legal protections. • In a shift of political dynamics, Katz has reportedly reversed his stance on Bluth, stating that Bluth is performing "well" despite previous tensions with the Prime Minister.

• The U.S. Department of Justice has subpoenaed a freelance journalist for The New York Times regarding a 2025 report on a failed U.S. military operation in North Korea. • In a separate development, the United States will implement new tariffs ranging from 10% to 12.5% on over 60 trading partners. • These tariffs are scheduled to take effect on July 24, signaling a significant shift in international trade policy.

• On August 1, 2026, over 1,000 employees from top AI labs, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, Meta, and Mistral, signed a joint statement titled "Pacing the Frontier." • The signatories are calling on the U.S. government to lead an international effort to develop technical and governance tools to deliberately slow down automated AI development. • This move highlights growing internal concerns among AI researchers regarding the risks of uncontrolled, rapid acceleration in frontier AI capabilities.

• The article explores whether a potential breakthrough in Gaza could serve as a catalyst for a historic diplomatic agreement between the United States and Iran. • It argues that the interconnected nature of Middle Eastern conflicts means that a durable reduction in violence in Gaza would shift strategic calculations for key regional players, including Tehran, Riyadh, and Cairo. • This shift is significant because stabilizing Gaza could fundamentally alter the geopolitical balance of power and break the cycle of instability that has plagued previous U.S. administrations.

• France will become the first European nation to implement a social media ban for users under 15 starting September 1. • Similar restrictions are being drafted by 10 other EU countries, including Spain, Sweden, Greece, and Portugal, as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pushes for EU-wide regulations. • These bans force brands to urgently rethink their marketing strategies and find new ways to reach the youngest generation of consumers.

Trump’s overall approval rating slumps to 34%, according to new CNN poll, as midterms testing Republican power loomThree-quarters of Americans believe Donald Trump is not paying enough attention to the country’s most important problems, and two-thirds think he places himself above the needs of the US, according to a new poll.The CNN survey, conducted by market research company SSRS, comes less than 100 days before November’s midterm elections in which the president’s Republican party is widely expected to lose control of one or both chambers of Congress. Continue reading...

• Major tech companies, including Meta and Amazon, are spending over $1 trillion annually on AI infrastructure, significantly reducing their free cash flow. • To fund this expansion, hyperscalers may issue approximately $175 billion in debt this year, a massive increase from the five-year average of $30 billion. • Oracle serves as a primary example of this financial strain, with its credit-default swap spread exceeding 125 basis points—a level not seen since the 2009 financial crisis.

• Microsoft has introduced "Project Perception," a new initiative aimed at redesigning the "Cyber Stack" to address the evolving challenges of AI-driven security. • The project responds to a shifting landscape where autonomous systems can now reason and adapt, while the cost for attackers to launch offenses is decreasing. • This shift is critical because the volume, velocity, and complexity of digital assets requiring protection are growing faster than traditional security methods can handle.

• EQT and the EQT Foundation have selected five finalists from over 200 entries for the EQT Impact Challenge 2026, a pitch competition for deep-tech start-ups. • The competition focuses on early-stage founders developing breakthrough solutions within two primary categories: "climate and nature" and "health and well-being." • This initiative utilizes an active ownership model to help start-ups scale their innovations globally, following previous successful programs in Japan, South Korea, and Singapore.

• Recent Eurostat data reveals a surprising north-south divide in European household debt, showing that southern nations are more conservative borrowers than those in the north. • Italy, Greece, and Spain report household debt levels of 35.9%, 38.0%, and 42.9% of GDP respectively, all of which fall well below the European Union average. • In contrast, Germany's household debt stands at 49.0%, placing Europe's largest economy closer to the EU average despite its overall wealth.

• The European Union's top financial services official has indicated that the EU is unlikely to completely abolish a contentious bank capital rule currently under review. • Instead of a full repeal, the official suggested implementing temporary adjustments to the regulations to better support the immediate needs of the European economy. • This strategic shift follows a retreat by the United States regarding similar capital rules, prompting Europe to rethink its own financial stability framework.

Health Foundation paper argues health is an economic asset and improving it could generate £72bn for public financesRestoring the deteriorating health of the UK’s population to the level of 2014 would boost GDP by 2% and generate a £72bn dividend for the public finances, research suggests.A paper by the Health Foundation thinktank, published on Sunday, argues the nation’s health should be valued by policymakers as an economic asset. Continue reading...

• Donald Trump delivered a White House broadcast warning that U.S. elections are vulnerable to hacking, exploitation, and foreign interference. • He specifically accused the People's Republic of China of executing the largest compromise of election data in history by acquiring information that is often commercially available. • World affairs editor Sam Kiley suggests these attacks on the "deep state" and China indicate Trump is preparing for a potentially unfavorable outcome in the November midterms.

Many hoarders are scared to seek help but one UK housing association is taking a more empathetic approachAt one end of the table sits Tony*, who showers at his local leisure centre in Birkenhead every day. His landlord won’t fix his bathroom because of his hoarding. Then there’s Sarah*, who ended up homeless with her three teenagers after their landlord evicted them because of hoarding. In her new home the problem has started again, but she says she’s petrified to ask for help in case she loses her property.Sian Cowley, 35, who has struggled with hoarding for decades, says: “I’ve lived without central heating for two years. A lot of us live without the basics like hot water, heating and cooking because we are too scared to get people in to do repairs because of the threat of eviction.” Continue reading...

• Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh testified at his first congressional hearing on Tuesday, advocating for a "sea change" in the central bank's economic strategy. • Warsh detailed plans to overhaul the Federal Reserve's current approach to managing inflation and broader economic stability. • This shift signals a potential departure from previous monetary policies, aiming to modernize how the Fed responds to evolving financial pressures.