The lesson from Canada’s collapsed trade talks with the US: negotiation may be futile 23. August 2026 (19:24) Breakdown shows Washington now prioritises its own interests over any semblance of shared economic ground‘No more!!!’: Trump lashes out after US-Canada talks devolve into trade warThe calamitous collapse of trade negotiations between Canada and the United States is a warning to nations worldwide that pursuing any kind of dialogue with the current US administration is doomed at the outset, according to observers who say this recent episode indicates seeking a fair deal is futile.Andrea Lawlor, an associate professor of political science at McMaster University in Ontario, said: “No matter the closeness of the historical relationship, the American administration has signalled that it now prioritises its interests above those of some sort of global economic coordination or harmony. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Tim Scott defends Darline Graham’s ‘national security is not my thing’ comment 23. August 2026 (19:18) Republican senator tries to assuage concerns but does not offer details of Graham’s national security experienceTim Scott defended fellow US South Carolina Republican senator Darline Graham’s knowledge of national security issues ahead of their state’s runoff election on Tuesday.Graham, who was appointed to fill the Senate seat held by her brother Lindsey Graham after his sudden death in July, is in a Republican primary runoff against South Carolina congressman Ralph Norman. During a debate between the two on Tuesday night, Graham struggled to answer a question about US national security interests in Taiwan and the South China Sea. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Iryna Zarutska’s family sues North Carolina city over her murder 23. August 2026 (19:14) Relatives of woman fatally stabbed on public transit allege death was preventable and Charlotte knew of violent crime issueThe family of Iryna Zarutska is suing Charlotte and a security company one year after the Ukrainian refugee was fatally stabbed onboard a light rail train in the North Carolina city.A lawsuit filed on Friday in Charlotte’s Mecklenburg county superior court alleges Zarutska’s death was preventable. It also claims the city and the company that provides security for the Charlotte Area Transit System failed to put adequate protections in place despite knowing about violent crime on and around the municipal light rail line. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Natalie Harp reportedly posted 150 pro-Trump tweets on day of Capitol riot 23. August 2026 (18:47) Devoted Trump aide flooded her now-disabled profile urging people to ‘never concede’ on 6 January 2021The Donald Trump aide Natalie Harp flooded a since-disabled social media account with pro-Trump posts on the day that the president’s supporters attacked the US Capitol in early 2021, years before she went to work for him and developed an extraordinary close relationship with him, a new report has revealed.CNN on Saturday reported that a deactivated account which Harp had on what is now known as X was packed with fiercely pro-Trump messages on the day of the January 6 Capitol attack in Washington DC, including posts repeating his lies that the 2020 election, which he lost to Joe Biden toward the end of his first presidency, had been stolen from by fraudsters. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Spying device detectors may give domestic abuse victims false sense of security, study finds 23. August 2026 (17:00) Many tools fail to help victims find hidden cameras, microphones and trackers, leaving them at risk of ongoing surveillanceCommercial detectors intended to help domestic abuse victims find hidden spying devices may actually give them a false sense of security, a study has found.The consumer detection tools claim to identify hidden cameras, microphones or trackers through methods such as signal-strength readings, infrared lens detection and scanning for wifi or Bluetooth devices. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Illicit deeds have just gotten a new Halloween video game banned in Australia – and it’s not because of the violence 23. August 2026 (17:00) Academics – and a former director of Australia’s Classification Board – say Halloween: The Game’s ban due to ‘incentivised drug use’ highlights an incoherent set of standardsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastHalloween’s Michael Myers is one of film’s most feared boogeymen, responsible for some of the most brutal on-screen deaths in horror cinema. US video game developer Illfonic looked to reproduce those terrors in its upcoming title Halloween: The Game, with gruesome killings a major focus of the gameplay: for instance, you can stomp another player’s head through a toilet seat, or fry their brain by throwing them through a television screen.But Australians will not be able to play Halloween: The Game, because it has been refused classification by the Classification Board, which means it is banned from sale within the country. And it’s not because of the violence or murders. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australia’s marine parks protect ‘places no one goes’ rather than fragile coastal zones, scientists say 23. August 2026 (17:00) Hundreds of experts write to environment minister calling for stronger protections for ‘unique and distinct’ marine ecosystemsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Australian government has been accused of leaving coastal waters largely unprotected by establishing the bulk of highly protected marine parks in remote areas.More than 270 leading marine scientists from 84 research institutes have written to the environment minister, Murray Watt, urging stronger protections for marine ecosystems, as a once-in-a-decade review of marine parks gets under way. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
