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UK oil refinery broke toxic pollution limits dozens of times, documents reveal
Environment Agency documents indicate that Stanlow oil refinery breached its environmental permit 58 times in 2023 and 2024, after permitted chemical release levels were exceeded hundreds of times. The findings matter because pollutants entered nearby waterways and groundwater, and the affected streams flow into the protected Mersey Estuary. The reported pollutants included cyanide, benzene, sulphur…
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AI protest groups expand as activists target tech industry events
Anti-AI campaign groups are gaining members as warnings about the risks of advanced systems attract attention. Some activists are turning to direct action to challenge companies and make the public feel able to question the industry’s plans. Pull The Plug, launched in January, has about 300 members and recently disrupted a tech industry dinner featuring…
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Coalition’s migration cuts face scrutiny over its record in government
The Coalition has announced substantial immigration cuts, with Angus Taylor proposing to reduce net overseas migration by 100,000 annually initially, rising to 130,000 and 160,000 in subsequent years, and to reduce temporary visa holders by around 650,000 over four years. The policy responds to widespread concern among Australians struggling with housing costs and rental shortages,…
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Badenoch Announces £10bn Britannia Shield Air Defence System for UK
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has unveiled plans for a £10 billion air defence system called Britannia Shield, designed to protect British cities and military installations from missile and drone attacks. The proposa
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Abdul El-Sayed challenges US war strategy in Iran during Senate campaign debate
Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed clashed with Fox News host Martha MacCallum over US military action in Iran, terrorism and rising fuel prices. The exchange highlights how opposition to the war has become a major campaign issue for El-Sayed, who is competing in a closely watched Senate race. El-Sayed said terrorism was wrong but argued…
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Drone strike kills Turkish captain; Kharkiv bombed; England’s COVID crisis worsens
Russian drone strike kills Turkish captain in Black Sea; guided bombs strike Kharkiv killing three and injuring 29. England battles surging COVID-19 cases as the XFG variant spreads, with hospital admissions rising five-fold.
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Liberal leader Angus Taylor promises the biggest immigration cut in Australian history as Pauline Hanson claims he’s stealing her policy
Angus Taylor says a Coalition government would sharply reduce Australia’s migration intake, describing the proposal as the biggest immigration cut in the country’s history. The announcement comes as the Coalition loses support to Pauline Hanson’s anti-immigration One Nation, which says the Liberals are copying its policies. Net overseas migration would fall from nearly 300,000 people…
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Trump uses transgender slur against opponent of Darline Graham as he urges voters to back late South Carolina senator’s sister
Donald Trump used a slur for transgender people as a nickname for Annie Andrews, the Democratic candidate challenging Darline Graham in South Carolina’s Senate race. He urged voters to support Graham and attacked Andrews’s positions, although the article notes that Andrews is not transgender; the episode adds a personal attack to a contest that may…
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Trump order aims to ease diesel prices by expanding tax-free fuel access
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order designed to tackle soaring diesel prices, which reached approximately $6.50 per gallon last month and threaten to squeeze truckers, businesses and consumers ahead of the midterm elections. The order seeks to rapidly expand diesel supplies by temporarily loosening restrictions on so-called red-dyed diesel, which is normally reserved…
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Americans to elect Congress members and state leaders in November midterms
Americans are due to vote in the midterm elections on 3 November, choosing all 435 members of the House of Representatives and 35 of the Senate’s 100 seats. The results will determine whether Republicans retain control of Congress, which shapes federal laws and can either help or hinder President Donald Trump’s agenda; they will also…