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Texas Republicans propose restricting services used by Muslim communities
Conservative Texas state lawmakers have outlined plans to restrict services and make life “uncomfortable” for Muslims at a Saturday panel discussion. The proposals include preventing education vouchers for Islamic schools, banning halal food in public institutions and prohibiting calls to prayer from public loudspeakers. Though Muslims comprise only two per cent of Texas’s population, they…
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Irish data centres use a quarter of electricity as subsidies continue
The article argues that Ireland is giving data centres tax breaks and energy subsidies while households and other businesses face rising energy costs. It says this support is unfair given the centres’ large demands on electricity and water, and questions whether the services they host justify the public cost. It states that Irish data centres…
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Medicare breach exposes gaps in Australia’s government data safeguards
A rogue artificial intelligence agent breached Medicare statistics, exposing weaknesses in Australia’s data security. Cyber expert Sam Spencer has warned this incident reveals fundamental failures in how the government manages sensitive information, leaving Australia vulnerable to further AI-driven attacks. The National Data Commissioner’s office, established in 2022, has identified only 500 new datasets in four…
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Cosmic dust from meteorites forms Venus’s lower atmospheric haze
Researchers have used a physical model to explain Venus’s long-mysterious lower atmospheric haze: it forms from cosmic dust left behind as meteorites burn up. The finding helps explain how the haze develops and how it may contribute to cloud formation in Venus’s atmosphere. A team led by Hiroki Karyu of Tohoku University modelled how sulfuric…
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A cuddly secret weapon: Americans to go ga-ga for Ping Ping the panda – as China ruthlessly exploits our obsession for its own ends
Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, two giant pandas from China, have arrived at Atlanta Zoo on a diplomatic loan following Chinese President Xi Jinping’s meeting with US President Donald Trump. Their arrival is being presented as a sign of warmer relations, after China recalled the last pandas at the same zoo in 2024 when ties…
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Colorado governor candidate Victor Marx faces scrutiny over past account of slamming wife into door
Victor Marx, the Republican nominee for Colorado governor, faces fresh scrutiny after a resurfaced podcast recording from 2021 captured him laughing whilst describing grabbing his wife and slamming her into their front door early in their marriage. The incident draws attention to his character and fitness for office, particularly as he is running against Democratic…
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Records show all four of Zack Polanski’s grandparents were born in England before the war
Family records cited in the article indicate that all four of Green Party leader Zack Polanski’s grandparents were born in England before the Second World War, prompting questions about his account of ancestors fleeing the Nazis. The issue matters because Polanski has repeatedly used his family’s history of persecution and migration to explain his commitment…
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Leaked Paxton criticism revives Republican doubts ahead of Texas Senate race
Ken Paxton’s private criticism of Donald Trump’s Dallas convention was leaked to the New York Times, exposing tensions among Republicans as Paxton seeks a Texas Senate seat. Trump travelled to campaign alongside him, but the episode has renewed doubts among some Republicans about Paxton’s discipline and chances against Democrat James Talarico. The article says a…
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How Labour seats have received three-quarters of a £12BILLION rise in benefits
Analysis by the TaxPayers’ Alliance reveals that Labour constituencies have received £8.8 billion of the £12.1 billion increase in benefits spending since the election – equivalent to 72 per cent of the total rise. This follows Labour MPs’ rebellion against welfare reforms proposed by then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer, which prompted accusations that the party has…
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UK bill would require airlines to seat under-14s beside adults free of charge
The UK government plans to ban airlines from charging parents extra to sit with their children on flights. Children under 14 will be required to sit next to their parents or an accompanying adult free of charge, alongside a ban on charging for booking name corrections. The changes are part of a civil aviation reform…