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Obama announces death of Portuguese Water Dog Sunny, aged 13
Former US President Barack Obama has announced the death of the family’s Portuguese Water Dog, Sunny, at the age of 13, describing the loss as that of “a cherished member of our family”. He shared the news in an emotional Instagram post on Tuesday, paying tribute to the dog’s loyalty and lively character during her…
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Scotland imposes mandatory environmental assessments on new datacentres
The Scottish government has announced that any new datacentre project above 50MW will be required to submit an environmental impact assessment as part of the planning process, ahead of a Holyrood vote on a proposed moratorium on new hyperscale datacentres. The move comes amid a surge in planning applications driven by global investment in AI…
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British mother remains missing after armed abduction in Malawi
Nusrat Osman, a 47-year-old British mother from Leicester, was abducted by four armed men in Blantyre, Malawi five days ago and remains missing with no contact from the captors. Her family has made a public appeal, but h
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‘If you’re building Frankenstein, stop’: JD Vance dismisses calls for AI regulation
US Vice-President JD Vance has dismissed calls for global regulation of artificial intelligence safety risks, telling AI companies creating advanced models to address risks themselves rather than seek government intervention. His comments targeted Dario Amodei of Anthropic, who has called for international coordination to control AI systems, marking a key moment in an intensifying debate…
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Rate rise, Gaza collapse and Leicester mum’s Malawi abduction lead the bulletin
State pension to rise 3.9% under the triple lock; at least 20 dead after a Gaza City building collapse; a British mother from Leicester remains missing after abduction in Malawi; plus an LA helicopter crash, Meta’s camera-free glasses and Sunderland’s European return.
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US government refuses AI regulation as industry leaders warn of risks
This Guardian opinion piece by Shakeel Hashim argues that the Trump administration and Republican leadership are failing to regulate artificial intelligence despite mounting warnings from within the industry itself. Even rival AI chief executives Sam Altman, Elon Musk and Dario Amodei have called for development to slow amid growing risks, yet Trump has dismissed these…
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Madeleine King faces conflict of interest questions over Woodside tickets
Australian Resources Minister Madeleine King is facing criticism after parliamentary disclosures revealed she accepted four AFL tickets from Woodside Energy, one of the country’s largest gas exporters, for a match on 14 July. The gift has raised concerns because King’s portfolio directly oversees policy decisions affecting Woodside, including Labor’s gas reservation scheme and the Future…
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Von der Leyen proposes special EU status for Canada
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, has proposed making Canada the EU’s first “associate member”, opening the door to closer ties on trade, security and technology. The offer comes as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney seeks a “unique alliance” with Brussels amid strained relations with the United States, following the collapse of…
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Rotherham faces worst youth jobs market as regional gaps widen
Young people in Rotherham face the weakest local jobs market in Britain, according to a new report from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) that highlights stark regional divides in youth employment opportunities. The think tank’s “local youth opportunity index” tracks job vacancies across Britain and found a sixfold gap between the worst and…
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Von der Leyen extends historic associate membership offer to Canada
The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, has offered Canada an unprecedented “associate membership” of the EU in a historic deepening of relations between the bloc and Canada. This unprecedented move comes as both the EU and Canada seek to reduce their dependence on US trade and strengthen ties in response to Donald Trump’s…