Macquarie University swaps in-person psychology classes with AI chatbot for two subjects 01. September 2026 (17:00) University’s move is part of trend that critics within academia say will lead to further staff cuts and the loss of ‘everything that makes the job worth doing’An Australian university has swapped in-person classes with an AI chatbot, online quizzes and optional online tutorials in two subjects as institutions give the technology more teaching responsibilities.Macquarie University’s “Virtual Peer” is part of each week’s learning in two mandatory Psychology units, programmed to ask students questions and guide them through scenario-based exercises. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
House prices head for historic 10% drop as fourth interest rate hike looms 01. September 2026 (17:00) Cotality data reveals property prices are now falling in more than 90% of Australian suburbs, while analysts expect market downturn to continueGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe prospect of the steepest property market downturn in history will not stop the Reserve Bank from delivering a fourth interest rate hike as it battles to bring inflation back under control, economists say.New data from Cotality revealed house prices are now falling in more than 90% of Australian suburbs, amid a perfect storm of higher borrowing costs, a weak economy, and a once-in-a-generation change in the tax treatment of property investors. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Inside knowledge or ‘making stuff up’? Charles Perrottet’s advice to Jean Nassif put under microscope by Icac 01. September 2026 (17:00) Brother of former treasurer and premier faces questions about texts that appear to indicate he was aware of fast-tracking policy before it was announcedGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastDid the former premier’s brother, Charles Perrottet, have prior knowledge of a Covid-era New South Wales government policy to introduce a fast track to approve major developments?Did he take steps to ensure that developments owned by the fugitive developer, Jean Nassif, were successful through the fast track? Continue reading...(The Guardian)
New system for screening mail-in ballots risks denying entire batches, says whistleblower 01. September 2026 (16:55) US senator says that project, a key part of Trump’s voting restrictions, is ‘perilously rushed and potentially unlawful’A new system to screen millions of mail-in ballots for this November’s US midterm elections was thrown together so hastily, and tested so little, that a single scanning glitch could see entire batches of ballots turned away, a whistleblower has told Congress.The project – a key part of Donald Trump’s new restrictions on voting – is “perilously rushed and potentially unlawful”, according to the US senator Richard Blumenthal, who disclosed the warning in a letter to David Steiner, the postmaster general, on Tuesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Judge tells jury in Lindsay Clancy trial to keep deliberating after deadlock 01. September 2026 (16:54) Clancy does not deny strangling her three children but says postpartum psychosis led to her actionsThe judge has told the jury in the Lindsay Clancy trial to keep deliberating after it said it was unable to come to a unanimous decision in the controversial case of the mother who killed her three children.Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse in Massachusetts, does not deny strangling her children but says postpartum psychosis led to her actions. Prosecutors argue she knew what she was doing. Clancy, 36, has pleaded not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Norway’s new king swears oath of allegiance with daughter at his side 01. September 2026 (16:40) Haakon VIII promises to uphold 1814 constitution but his queen misses ceremony because of post-surgery ‘complications’King Haakon VIII swore an oath of allegiance before Norway’s parliament on Tuesday in the first major stage in the passing of the crown since the death of his father after 35 years on the throne.Wearing a ceremonial uniform, Haakon, who became king when Harald V died on Friday, promised to uphold Norway’s 1814 constitution with his 22-year-old daughter, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, by his side. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Dyson launches £420 toothbrush that films ‘live cleaning footage’ inside your mouth 01. September 2026 (16:39) James Dyson says ‘complete dental system’ will also include toothpaste and mouth rinse that each cost £8.50It is the live stream you never wanted to see but may find impossible to resist: rolling footage beamed live from inside your mouth while you are cleaning your teeth.Dyson, the home appliance maker that made its name inventing bagless vacuums and bladeless fans, has turned its attention to oral hygiene with a £420 all-singing, all-dancing toothbrush that can clean, floss and even spray tiny jets of mouthwash. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
High winds during El Niño could be deadly for England’s stressed trees, say experts 01. September 2026 (16:00) Head of tree collections at Kew ‘very worried about this autumn’ as hot, dry summer has caused brittlenessHigh winds associated with El Niño could cause widespread mortality among tree species already weakened by a prolonged period of extreme heat and drought, experts have warned.This summer much of Europe has been scorched by a series of record-breaking climate crisis-induced heatwaves. The impact is notable across much of England’s countryside, where once green land has turned brown, and many trees are undergoing “early autumn” – wilting and losing their leaves early – to cope with extreme heat. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
MapQuest app reaches No 1 on US Apple list after defying Trump’s Lake Ontario order 01. September 2026 (15:49) Navigating app surpasses Google and Apple Maps on top-downloaded US chart after posting ‘we’re not changing it’A pioneering online mapping app that defied Donald Trump by refusing to rename Lake Ontario has become the most in-demand navigation tool in the US.MapQuest, which was openly dismissive of the president’s 27 August executive order directing federal agencies to refer to the smallest of the Great Lakes as “Lake America” amid a trade spat with Canada, leapfrogged rivals Google Maps and Apple Maps to top the most-downloaded list, as first reported by TechCrunch. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Tropical Storm Edouard strengthens as it bears down on Texas and Louisiana 01. September 2026 (14:56) First big storm of season could reach hurricane force and is expected to bring potentially heavy rains and floodingTropical Storm Edouard headed toward the US Gulf coast early on Tuesday and was expected to strengthen significantly – possibly reaching hurricane force – before bringing potentially heavy rains and flooding into parts of Texas and Louisiana.The storm was upgraded on Monday night from a tropical depression, and forecasters with the National Hurricane Center (NHC) expect it will make landfall in Texas later on Tuesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
