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The night in 1970 that shaped the rest of Elton John’s life: “I didn’t come down for two days”
Elton John’s landmark 1970 US debut at the Troubadour club in Los Angeles is widely regarded as the turning point that launched him into stardom, transforming him overnight from a promising young British musician into a rising star. Playing on 25 August 1970 as a support act for headliner David Ackles, John delivered a performance…
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Price rises gather pace in UK shops amid higher energy costs
Price rises in UK shops accelerated to their fastest pace in two years in August, according to a British Retail Consortium survey, as higher energy costs and strong AI-driven demand for chips pushed up the cost of food and electronics. This adds pressure on households already grappling with rising bills and comes as a fresh…
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Dry weather sewage discharges soar as water companies face scrutiny
Suspected illegal discharges of raw sewage into England’s rivers and seas during dry weather have risen sharply in 2026, according to Environment Agency data obtained via freedom of information requests, despite regulators’ promises of tougher enforcement. Such discharges are illegal because dry-weather sewage releases are more toxic, as rivers have less flow and no rainwater…
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Apple’s Tim Cook steps down, Meta accused of dodging accountability
TalkFuse briefing: Tim Cook hands Apple’s reins to John Ternus, while the Guardian says Meta escaped too lightly after its $18bn child-safety settlement; also, D4vd’s legal team quits his murder trial, Rush extend their comeback tour, and Ed Sheeran crew injured in Detroit.
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Star Wars Zero Company studio furloughs most staff amid Steam success
The studio behind Star Wars Zero Company reportedly furloughed the majority of its staff even as the tactical strategy game ranked among Steam’s current bestsellers, highlighting how commercial success on launch offers little protection from cost-cutting in the games industry. The apparent contradiction between a chart-topping release and widespread staff cuts underscores the financial pressures…
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Chalmers is betting data centres will help save Australia’s economy. In reality, we’re dumb landlords set to get a very poor return
The Albanese government is treating Australia’s data centre boom, worth over $130 billion by the end of the decade, as a key driver that will help rescue the country’s sluggish economy. However, the article argues this optimism is misplaced, as the actual economic payoff is likely to be far smaller than promised, with Australia positioned…
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‘A huge learning curve’: apprentices on the benefits and pitfalls of vocational training
As the UK grapples with youth unemployment, with almost a million young people not in education, employment or training, the government is pushing to expand technical and vocational learning from age 14 and create thousands more apprenticeships. Work and pensions secretary Pat McFadden has announced a new bursary to stop families losing out financially when…
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Child trust fund firms face review over efforts to find who owns £1.5bn worth of pots
The Financial Conduct Authority has launched a review of child trust fund providers to check they are doing enough to reunite young people with lost savings accounts, after finding around 760,000 accounts worth over £1.5bn in total remain unclaimed. The regulator will require all 55 providers to explain what steps they are taking to trace…
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From Bill Gates to Bernie Sanders, most agree the AI arms race is disastrous. Only Europe can make it stop
This Guardian comment piece argues that the artificial intelligence industry’s rapid, largely unregulated expansion risks disastrous outcomes, from environmental damage and financial collapse to authoritarian surveillance and misuse by bad actors. Figures as varied as Bill Gates and Bernie Sanders, alongside AI firm Anthropic itself, have called for a slowdown, but the author contends that…
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‘I didn’t jump into the pool to save my drowning sister because I didn’t want my clothes to get wet’ – reveals psychopath as he shares other childhood stories
A 26-year-old man from Belgium, Loïc De Marie, has spoken publicly about being diagnosed with psychopathy, describing childhood incidents in which he felt no emotional response to danger or death, including watching his sister drown before eventually rescuing her with a golf club because he did not want to get his clothes wet. Speaking to…