Why are OpenAI and Anthropic cheering on regulation in Australia? The answer has global reach 22. July 2026 (17:00) The companies hope to follow in the footsteps of SpaceX, which raised $86bn and soared to a $2.1tn valuation after it listed on public markets in JuneGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTop US AI developers Anthropic and OpenAI cheered when Australia announced it would set new AI rules.Big tech celebrating limits on their Silicon Valley VC-funded free-for-all might seem counterintuitive but there’s a much broader play than just what happens in one relatively small market. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Great Barrier Reef microbiome mapped as researchers discover 500 bacterial species previously unknown to science 22. July 2026 (17:00) Research identifies 808,585 viral genomes belonging to what scientists estimate to be 362,802 different virusesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMore than a decade after the human microbiome was comprehensively mapped, scientists have now identified the vast communities of microbes that make up the Great Barrier Reef.Analysing DNA from seawater samples of 48 reefs, researchers have mapped the microbiome of the Great Barrier Reef, documenting more than 360,000 distinct viruses as well as more than 500 new bacterial species not previously known to science. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Andy Burnham’s domestic revolution could unobtrusively pull Britain closer to Europe 22. July 2026 (16:40) The new PM talks less about the continent than his predecessor, but his agenda is more closely aligned with the EU’s• Don’t get This Is Europe delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereEurope’s leaders queued up this week to welcome Andy Burnham as Britain’s seventh prime minister since the Brexit vote – all expressing the hope that his tenure would continue the thaw in EU-UK relations initiated by his predecessor, Keir Starmer.Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission chief, said she was looking forward to strengthening cross-Channel ties, adding that a “very good” first discussion had confirmed a common commitment to “bringing the EU and UK closer and closer”. France’s Emmanuel Macron said he hoped for a deeper relationship that gave “new momentum to the partnership” between the EU and the UK. Germany’s Friedrich Merz said he, too, was looking forward to forging an even closer bond. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Salman Rushdie attacker faces US terrorism trial 22. July 2026 (16:23) Hadi Matar, already serving 25 years for attempted murder, denies federal charges that could bring a life sentenceThe man who stabbed Salman Rushdie in the eye on stage in 2022 is standing trial for a second time – this time facing terrorism charges after being found guilty of attempted murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison last year.Hadi Matar’s federal trial begins in Buffalo, New York on Wednesday, about 70 miles from the venue where Rushdie was due to speak about writers in political exile in August 2022, when he was stabbed more than a dozen times. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Food price fears after Europe’s heatwave destroys estimated €2bn of crops 22. July 2026 (16:12) Record June temperatures expected to cut grain harvest by 9m tonnes to its lowest level since 2018 The heatwave that swept across Europe in June is estimated to have cost the continent’s grain farmers €2bn (£1.7bn) in lost revenue and destroyed 9m tonnes of crops, sparking concern about the impact on the price of food.Coceral, the European cereals and oilseeds trade association, made the estimate for the harvest of crops such as wheat, barley, maize and oats following the heatwave. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Model scout for Jeffrey Epstein found dead at his home near Paris 22. July 2026 (15:38) Daniel Siad faced allegations of rape and trafficking in France and appeared in more than 1,000 documents in Epstein filesA modelling scout who recruited women for Jeffrey Epstein has been found dead at his home near Paris, French officials have said.Daniel Siad, 69, was under investigation by the prosecutors specialising in human trafficking in France, accused of rape and other charges. His name appeared in more than 1,000 documents in the US Department of Justice Epstein files that were declassified earlier this year. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Nicaragua’s congress announces ‘work plan’ to suspend elections 22. July 2026 (15:33) US secretary of state says international community should ‘join forces’ against authoritarian Ortega regimeNicaragua’s congress, controlled by the country’s long-serving president, Daniel Ortega, has announced a “work plan” to implement the authoritarian leader’s order that the country should no longer hold elections.The UN and the US strongly condemned Sunday’s announcement by Ortega, who has been in power since 2007 and, after a controversial constitutional change last year, now governs alongside his wife, Rosario Murillo, as “co-president”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Sperm whales change ‘vowel’ sounds when boats are nearby, scientists discover 22. July 2026 (15:00) Researchers listening off the Caribbean island of Dominica found variations in the mammals’ audible clicks when marine traffic was closeSperm whales produce a specific pattern of clicking noises when they hear the noise of boats, researchers have found. The pattern is so distinct that the scientists who identified it said they can now use it to predict when ships are nearby.Researchers from Project Ceti (the Cetacean Translation Initiative), a non-profit research organisation working to decode sperm whale communication, spent four years tuning in on the calls of 15 sperm whales off the coast of Dominica. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Former Southern Water employees to face trial over alleged cover-up in wastewater testing 22. July 2026 (14:58) Ex-chief executive Matthew Wright among those named in criminal proceedings by Environment AgencyBritain’s Environment Agency (EA) is bringing a fraud case against four former Southern Water employees, including the former chief executive Matthew Wright, over allegations they manipulated wastewater testing results.The regulator said the four had allegedly conspired to defraud the Environment Agency and water regulator Ofwat between 2012 and 2017 by creating artificial “no-flow” events at wastewater treatment works to influence compliance checks. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump ally pledges to ‘work with people’ he disagrees with after Arizona primary win – US politics live 22. July 2026 (14:37) Andy Biggs – a hard-right congressman endorsed by Donald Trump – won the Republican nomination for Arizona governorSign up for the Breaking News US emailAlso today, we’ll hear from US trade representative Jamieson Greer, when he testifies in front of senators on the finance committee at 10am ET.This comes just days after Donald Trump announced 50% tariffs on most Canadian goods, leading to fresh tensions and more negotiations with Ottawa, ahead of the duties taking effect next month. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
