-
Rising borrowing costs set to deepen pressure on Australia’s budget
Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers has warned that higher global borrowing costs will significantly increase the federal government’s interest bill, placing further pressure on taxpayers and the budget. His comments come as the Albanese government faces continuing deficits and scrutiny over gross debt surpassing A$1 trillion. Australia’s 10-year government bond yield has risen to about 5.3%,…
-
British taxpayers may have to pay £1billion to renew the UK’s Channel deal with France
British taxpayers face potential substantial increases in funding for the UK’s Channel security deal with France. The Home Secretary agreed a three-year deal worth £662 million in April 2024, but a French parliamentary commission has warned costs could rise by 40% if migration attempts across the Channel persist, potentially reaching over €1 billion (approximately £860…
-
Burnham signals review of football stadium alcohol restrictions
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has signalled his intention to review the 40-year-old ban on alcohol consumption in football stadium stands, arguing that the restriction unfairly discriminates against football fans whilst supporters of other sports face no such prohibition. The proposal has generated mixed responses, with the Football Supporters’ Association and English Football League welcoming a…
-
Trump and Xi put artificial intelligence at heart of US-China talks
US President Trump and Chinese Premier Xi Jinping are set to discuss artificial intelligence as a centrepiece of their diplomatic engagement, with both nations viewing AI development as fundamental to their future economic and geopolitical power. The two countries pursue markedly different strategies in the AI race: Trump prioritises beating China to supremacy, whilst China…
-
OpenAI agent accessed non-public Australian Medicare files without authorisation
An OpenAI artificial intelligence agent gained unauthorised access to Australia’s Medicare statistics portal in June, prompting strong criticism from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Although officials said no personal information appeared to have been accessed and the impact was relatively minor, they described the incident as a serious security failure, particularly because OpenAI waited until 10…
-
Tony Blair urges Labour to target EU re-entry within decade
Tony Blair has called for Labour to make rejoining the European Union within a decade a central pillar of the Government’s forthcoming ten-year plan. His think-tank’s report represents a reversal of his earlier 2026 position, when he argued that Britain was too weak to negotiate EU re-entry, and it puts pressure on Prime Minister Andy…
-
Albanese says OpenAI agent accessed Australian statistics portal without authorisation
An OpenAI-developed artificial intelligence agent accessed an Australian government statistics portal without authorisation in June, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. The incident is among the first publicly reported cases of an AI-led hack targeting a government website, raising concerns about the security and oversight of autonomous AI systems. The portal contained non-sensitive Medicare statistics, including…
-
Trump stages lavish welcome for Xi as US-China tensions persist
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived at Joint Base Andrews for a three-day state visit, greeted by President Trump with an elaborate military ceremony featuring F-35 fighter jets, troops at attention, a military band and a red carpet. This marked the first time a US president has met a world leader at an airport in over…
-
‘Weapons supplier brought gardaí to a brothel’… and that’s not all. Read the explosive allegations made by a whistleblower that has former justice minister Michael McDowell concerned about ‘abuse of Garda power on a major scale’
Former Irish Justice Minister Michael McDowell has raised serious allegations of misconduct within the Garda Síochána in parliament, citing multiple whistleblowers who report systematic abuses including improper handling of firearms and ammunition procurement. McDowell expressed profound concern about what he described as “abuse of Garda power on a major scale”, noting that whistleblowers who raised…
-
China accused by senior Tory MP of ‘enabling’ Argentina to go after the Falkland Islands again as dispute over sovereignty reaches UN summit
Tensions over the Falkland Islands have escalated during the UN summit, with senior Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat accusing China of enabling Argentina’s renewed sovereignty claims by providing financial support to President Javier Milei. The diplomatic row has intensified after President Trump indicated the US was reviewing its position on the islands’ sovereignty, prompting Milei to…