AI slopper in chief: Trump turns to social media amid tough questions 27. August 2026 (12:00) As the US president struggles to end his Iran war, and approval ratings hit new lows, he leans on a familiar gambitDonald Trump knows the power of an image – of himself, with everyone from Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un to Kim Kardashian. How about George Washington?As the US president struggles to end his war with Iran, and with his approval ratings hitting the lowest levels of his second term, he has in recent weeks posted a series of AI-generated images of himself alongside key historical American figures. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Black Box: The Chatbots: a new series from The Guardian Investigates – trailer 27. August 2026 (12:00) People are becoming convinced AI chatbots have helped them make scientific breakthroughs, cure diseases or invent new technologies. What does this reveal about a technology used by more than a billion people? A new series from The Guardian Investigates, coming soon Continue reading...(The Guardian)
In a Pennsylvania congressional swing district, a Republican incumbent faces allegations over embellishing résumé 27. August 2026 (12:00) Ryan Mackenzie, running for re-election, is accused of ‘fabricating’ a career in the real estate industryThe Republican congressman Ryan Mackenzie has been accused of embellishing his résumé with private sector experience in real estate sales amid an acrimonious showdown over his Pennsylvania seat.Mackenzie, who has previously been accused of lying about his age on Tinder, “was a real estate salesperson licensed in PA”, according to his LinkedIn profile, and biographies have consistently listed it has his former profession. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
CIA chief reportedly warns Russia against attacking Nato countries on visit to Moscow – US politics live 27. August 2026 (11:54) Kremlin dismisses US media reports after meeting as ‘scare stories’, as Pentagon policy chief prepares to meet Nato secretary generalThe Kremlin dismissed US media reports that Russia could attack a Nato member state and that the purpose of CIA director John Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow this week had been to warn Moscow against such a move.Asked to comment on the reports, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said:A lot of this kind of scare-story material is being published right now. Of course, it has nothing to do with reality and nothing to do with the intentions of the Russian Federation. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Woman killed with niece in Middlesbrough house fire was ‘a beautiful soul’, says mother 27. August 2026 (11:45) Natalie McDonald, 34, and Valentina Foster, 7, died in fire a mile from earlier A66 crash, with police not ruling out linksA woman who died in a house fire along with her seven-year-old niece has been described as “a beautiful soul”.Natalie McDonald, 34, died along with her niece Valentina Foster, seven, in the blaze in Grangetown, near Middlesbrough, in the early hours of Wednesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Firm fined for hounding elderly people with nuisance calls claiming to stop … nuisance calls 27. August 2026 (11:34) Elderly Aids Ltd, which sells call-blocking devices, made 758,053 cold calls between May 2024 and February 2025A company that made its money promising to protect elderly people from nuisance calls has been fined £190,000 for “hounding” them with hundreds of thousands of nuisance calls of its own.The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said Elderly Aids Ltd, a company selling call-blocking devices, made 758,053 cold calls between May 2024 and February 2025 to try to sell its products. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Queensland concedes law imposing mandatory jail on some offenders as young as 10 breaches human rights 27. August 2026 (11:00) State government says ‘breach bail, go to jail’ laws raise risk of overcrowding in jails, while one expert warns they may lead to ‘cruel outcomes’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Queensland government’s latest law and order crackdown – subjecting some children as young as 10 to a mandatory sentence of a year behind bars – could lead to “cruel outcomes”, according to human rights lawyers.In documents tabled with the legislation on Thursday, the government conceded its laws, dubbed “breach bail, go to jail”, would breach human rights and risk further straining the state’s overcrowded jails, youth detention centres and police watch houses. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK’s small power plants face higher cyber risk into 2030s despite Iran hack 27. August 2026 (11:00) Decision not to improve resilience sooner described as ‘unacceptable gamble with our national security’Hundreds of Britain’s smallest power plants could remain at a higher risk to state-sponsored cyber-attacks until the 2030s despite a successful Iran-linked hack last month, it has emerged.Officials this week briefed energy bosses on the breach, which is understood to have shut an unnamed small gas power plant for four days last month, and put the industry on alert over the growing cyber threat facing energy infrastructure. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Vulnerable children deliberately self-harming to stay in care, research finds 27. August 2026 (11:00) Report shines light on ‘catastrophic situation’ where young people make themselves more ill to avoid losing supportSome of the most vulnerable children and young people in care are deliberately self-harming to avoid being abandoned when they get better or turn 18 and face a “cliff edge” of no further support, according to research.Abi Booth, a psychotherapist who works with children and young people, said some were in a “catastrophic situation” in which they were hurting themselves to keep their place in therapeutic facilities.In the UK, the youth suicide charity Papyrus can be contacted on 0800 068 4141 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org, and in the UK and Ireland Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123. In the US, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is at 988 or chat for support. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Albanese vows refugee intake won’t be slashed after earlier reports of Coalition-level cut 27. August 2026 (10:06) Prime minister intervenes amid anger at news Tony Burke was planning to cut intake of 20,000 arrivals by a thirdFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAnthony Albanese has guaranteed Australia’s annual refugee intake will not be cut next financial year, shutting down plans for the arrivals quota to drop by one-third to Coalition-era levels.Labor MPs and refugee advocates reacted angrily to news on Thursday morning that the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, was planning to cut intake of 20,000 arrivals to 13,750 in 2027-28. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
