Top World News
Roblox commits to privacy overhaul after eSafety discovers adults can contact children via gaming platform
Regulator says verifiable safety measures are ‘critical’ to the online service’s viabilityGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastRoblox has committed to making changes to its online gaming platform after Australia’s eSafety commissioner discovered adults were still able to see child accounts and send connection requests without parental consent.The company has provided a legal agreement to the online safety regulator after testing earlier this year also revealed children and adults could view and respond to one another’s posts on forums outside game environments without parental consent. Continue reading...
A ‘shiny, dangling carrot’ lured Jesse into gambling. He says Labor’s reform won’t stop others being sucked in
The government says it’s stopping ‘the most toxic’ gambling company strategies. Former addicts say it will do ‘absolutely nothing’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastJesse Murphy wasn’t sure what to wear when his VIP gambling manager texted him: “Looking forward to having a beer with you!”His frequent betting had just earned the then 25-year-old free tickets to a gambling company’s corporate box at the footy with free food and alcohol. His handler was waiting for him. He told Murphy to wear a shirt before joining for drinks. Continue reading...
A fifth of older Australians who contested AI-determined home support funding got more after human review
Exclusive: Greens say department of health’s integrated assessment tool is ‘under-assessing’ far more people who may not know how to contestGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAlmost one-fifth of older Australians who contested their Support at Home funding allocation determined by an algorithm had a higher level of support or higher priority allocated once a human reviewed the decision.The department of health and ageing would not provide the most current data on how many people have contested their funding allocation under the integrated assessment tool (IAT), introduced in November, which is used across aged care to determine eligibility and classification for services, including Support at Home. Continue reading...
US treasury doubles debt buyback to steady bond market amid inflation fears
Yields, at recent highs this week, dropped after treasury’s vow to ‘provide greater liquidity support’ to bond marketThe US treasury is doubling its buyback of government debt in an effort to balance out the bond market and counterbalance investor concern over high inflation.The yield rate on 10-year, 20-year and 30-year treasury notes all hit 20-year highs this week, with the 30-year treasury yield rising to its highest rate since 2007. The rapid rise was concerning news for borrowers as major loans, including mortgages, are backed by treasuries. Continue reading...
Democrat Mary Peltola and Republican Dan Sullivan lead in Alaska primary for US Senate – US politics live
Incumbent Sullivan is running for third term while Peltola is fighting to flip seat and aid Democrats retake control of CongressDemocratic socialist Angie Nixon clinches surprise win in FloridaPeltola and incumbent Sullivan advance in Alaska Senate primarySign up for the US Breaking News emailThose unfamiliar with Alaska politics are likely raising an eyebrow at some repeated names.No, we’re not talking about Dan S Sullivan and Dan J Sullivan, two Republicans with the same name running for US Senate – an issue that went to the state supreme court earlier this summer. We’re talking about the Begiches. Nick Begich III, a Republican, is currently leading the race to represent Alaska in the US House of Representatives for a second term while Tom Begich, a Democrat, is advancing to the general election for governor in November. Continue reading...
Zelenskyy sacks deputy head of his office amid reported corruption investigation – Europe live
Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies said they uncovered group responsible for money laundering $3.35m but did not name individuals involved The rise in Germany’s borrowing costs to a 15-year high reflects the increased security challenges facing the country following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the need to spend much more defence, the Finance Ministry said on Wednesday.German 10- and 30-year borrowing costs hit a fresh 15-year high in Wednesday’s session. Bond yields of other major Western economies including the US and Japan have also climbed to multi-decade highs this week due to ballooning government debt and geopolitics, increasing borrowing costs for companies and households and complicating policy.“I am grateful to the MPs for supporting Andrii Sybiha for the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and Yevhenii Khmara for the position of Minister of Defence of Ukraine. The tasks for both ministers are absolutely clear: Ukraine needs more strength. And it will have it. Glory to Ukraine!” Continue reading...
Germany’s firewall was meant to hold the far right at bay. It may have done the reverse
An AfD win in next month’s state election in Saxony-Anhalt would shatter a decades-long political consensus and reverberate throughout the EU• Don’t get This Is Europe delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereIn just over two weeks’ time, Saxony-Anhalt – home to historic timber-framed houses, the dramatic Harz mountains and the birthplace of Martin Luther – will hold what could prove one of the most significant state elections in Germany’s postwar history.The vote, on 6 September, could see a far-right party whose local branch is officially classified by the country’s domestic intelligence service as “confirmed rightwing extremist” appoint a state premier and govern a state alone, for the first time. Continue reading...
British energy bills forecast to hit three-year high this winter
Expected quarterly price cap rise of 4% likely to wipe out benefits of Andy Burnham’s VAT cut on electricity billsHousehold energy bills across Great Britain are expected to climb to a three-year high this winter as the impact of the Middle East war wipes out Andy Burnham’s tax cut on electricity bills.The government’s cap on energy prices is on track to rise by 4% from this October to the equivalent of £1,729 a year through the last three months of 2026, which could hit struggling households especially hard this winter, according to analysis by the energy consultancy Cornwall Insight. Continue reading...
US justice department defends prosecution of James Comey over ‘8647’ seashell post
Justice department claims there’s ‘no dispute’ over whether ex-FBI head’s post could be read as a threat against TrumpThe US Department of Justice has defended its prosecution of former FBI director James Comey, claiming in new court documents there is “no serious dispute” that his social media post last year featuring a photo of seashells arranged to read “8647” could be interpreted as a threat against Donald Trump.“There is no serious dispute that an objective viewer of Comey’s post could read it to mean ‘Kill President Trump’” prosecutors wrote in a document filed on Tuesday in response to efforts by Comey’s efforts to have the case dismissed. Continue reading...
Ukrainian diver arrested in Croatia over Nord Stream pipeline bombings
Berlin to seek suspect’s extradition for 2022 explosions that damaged gas pipelines to RussiaEurope live – latest updatesA Ukrainian man has been arrested in Croatia as part of an investigation into the 2022 bombing of the Nord Stream gas pipelines between Germany and Russia.Undersea explosions in September 2022, just months after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, damaged three of the four pipelines built to carry Russian fossil gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea. Continue reading...
Man who died with woman and girl off Sussex coast was Palestinian refugee
Palestinian embassy has named man as Hossam al-Khawas but unable to confirm names of other family membersA father who died alongside a woman and a teenage girl off the Sussex coast on Tuesday was a Palestinian refugee, the Palestinian embassy has said.The embassy in London named him as Hossam al-Khawas from the Rashidieh camp in Lebanon. The embassy said it was unable to confirm the names of the other family members. Continue reading...
Firefighters sound alarm as US faces critical staffing shortage: ‘We don’t have enough people’
Firefighters describe being pushed to limit by a brutal wildfire season, with key leadership roles going unfilledThe US has faced a critical shortage of firefighters at the US Forest Service (USFS) this summer as thousands of fires erupted across the country.Despite officials’ claims that the firefighting workforce was stronger than ever, the agency has failed to keep pace with escalating conditions and the catastrophic fires fueled by them, according to nine firefighters who spoke to the Guardian anonymously, because they are barred from disclosing the information to the public. Continue reading...
