The Guardian

Households could save up to £173 a year by switching to fixed energy deal

Moving tariffs will cushion the blow from the October price cap rise and the increase widely predicted for JanuaryWith higher energy bills looming and warnings of worse to come in the new year, many households could save up to £173 a year by switching to a fixed deal.Millions of households in Great Britain will face the highest energy charges in three years after it was announced that the government’s price cap will rise again in October. This will be the second increase in three months. Continu

general  Aug 29, 2026

The Guardian

Sharp rise in incidents of AI escaping users’ control, research finds

Exclusive: Number of times AI lies, ignores instructions and pursues goals in harmful ways almost doubles in JulyIncidents of AIs escaping users’ control to lie, ignore instructions and pursue goals in harmful ways have hit a new high, according to research that also suggests the severity of deception and misalignment is worsening.Analysis of real-world loss of control incidents involving AI models flagged by businesses and individuals almost doubled in July compared with June, with more than 30

general  Aug 29, 2026

The Guardian

UK risks falling behind in AI race without faster telecoms upgrades, say executives

Planning delays and slow 5G upgrades could leave the UK unable to cope with a surge in AI-related traffic The UK risks becoming a laggard in the global AI race as crucial telecoms upgrades to harness the technology fall behind rival nations, according to senior industry executives.The infrastructure AI race has centred on the need to build datacentres, and to ensure they have access to the huge water and energy supplies required to cool and supply the computational power to train and run AI mode

general  Aug 29, 2026

The Guardian

Plug-in solar panels could save households up to $370 a year – if Australia made them legal as in the UK

A plug-in solar kit that costs about $1,000 ‘pays for itself in three years’, one expert saysGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMillions of Australians could be saving up to $370 a year on energy bills and doing their bit for the climate crisis if Labor followed the UK’s lead in legalising plug-in solar panels, an advocacy group has said.Plug-in solar refers to small standalone solar units that could be attached to balconies or used in back yards and plugged into power po

general  Aug 29, 2026

The Guardian

‘Winter panic’: EU gas stores at their lowest level in 13 years

As one of Europe’s biggest consumers of gas the UK may be particularly exposed to heightened price volatilityEurope is on course to enter the cooler months with gas stores at their lowest level in 13 years, which has triggered “winter panic” among energy traders, experts have warned.The EU’s gas stocks were 63% full in the last week of August, well below the 80% average for late August over recent years and among the lowest levels ever recorded for this time of year. Continue reading...

general  Aug 29, 2026

The Guardian

Hilarity, unease and relief: games show China is not over the finish line in humanoid robot race

World Humanoid Robot Games showcased leaps Beijing has made in the tech, but also highlighted limitations as US rivals prepare their own launchesWith exploding pelvises, enough comic pratfalls for a Buster Keaton show reel and the odd moment of ruthless violence, the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing gripped the world this week with an unsettling mixture of hilarity, trepidation and relief.The five-day showcase staked out China’s claim to undisputed leadership in humanoid robotics as android

general  Aug 29, 2026

The Guardian

Ireland will be united, says Gordon Brown

Former PM believes Northern Ireland will leave UK in the long term – but remains opposed to Scottish independenceThe former prime minister Gordon Brown has said it is inevitable that Ireland will become united at some point in the future, in a wide-ranging interview with the Guardian.While he added that any union would necessarily be “a long process” and based on mutual agreement, Brown’s comments are notable both because of his vehement opposition to Scottish independence, but also because of h

general  Aug 29, 2026

BBC World

Forget Starbucks coffee - Gen Z like their drinks ice cold

Young consumers are choosing cold, customisable drinks and coffee chains are racing to catch up.

general  Aug 29, 2026

NY Times World

Icelanders Are Voting on E.U. Membership Talks. Here’s What to Know.

The Nordic nation is holding a referendum on Saturday on whether to start membership talks with the European Union. Voters are divided.

general  Aug 29, 2026

NY Times World

Modi Is Hedging Against Trump, One Deal at a Time

In a year of globe-trotting, the Indian prime minister has secured deals around the world as the United States becomes less dependable.

general  Aug 29, 2026

NY Times World

Why Iceland and Others Might Want In, Not Out, of the E.U. Club

A few years ago, some feared the European Union was going out of style. Now Iceland is mulling membership alongside a long list of candidates.

general  Aug 29, 2026

The Guardian

‘The butcher may be gone, but to many he is a hero’: victims condemn glorification of Mladić

Architect of Srebrenica genocide is dead but those scarred by his atrocities say his ideology is still shockingly pervasiveTo most of the world, he was and will always be the “Butcher of Bosnia”, a grim epithet but one that still fails to fully convey the evil and horror inflicted on its people by Gen Ratko Mladić, who died in prison on Thursday.As commander of the Bosnian Serb forces, Mladić was responsible for the killing of an estimated 100,000 men, women and children during the savage breaku

general  Aug 29, 2026

The Guardian

What we know about the Australians missing in the Nepal floods

More than 40 Australians are among several thousand people unaccounted for after catastrophic flooding on the Nepal-Tibet borderHow the deadly Nepal and Tibet flash flood unfolded – a visual guideGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn 11-year-old child, an ADF member and many other pilgrims and trekkers have been named among the Australians missing after deadly flash floods and landslides tore through valleys on the Nepal-Tibet border.As of Saturday there were 41 Australia

general  Aug 29, 2026

WSJ World News

How Xi Jinping Turned Oil From a Weakness Into a Geopolitical Weapon

China’s crude reserves have given it huge power over the global oil market—and a critical new defense against the West.

general  Aug 29, 2026

The Guardian

Chinese rescuers find ‘nothing but ruins’ at border crossing as Nepal seeks help to ID and store the dead

Nepal and China continue arduous search and rescue operations in flood-hit HimalayasVisual guide: how the deadly flooding unfoldedNepal-Tibet flash flood – latest updatesA Chinese rescue team has reached the all-but-obliterated Gyirong border crossing complex for the first time and found “nothing but ruins” as Nepal and China continue their arduous rescue operations in the flood-hit Himalayas.Surveillance camera footage from the worst-hit Gyirong border crossing complex showed huge torrents of w

general  Aug 29, 2026

BBC World

Somali piracy surges as the impact of the US-Iran war ripples outwards

Two ships were seized within four days last week raising to at least 13 the number attacked since January.

general  Aug 29, 2026

WSJ World News

Drain on U.S. Munitions From Iran War Raises Fears Over Ability to Deter China, Russia

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is overseeing the shift of munitions using an “orders book” under longstanding Pentagon procedures.

general  Aug 29, 2026

NY Times World

Nepal’s Hydropower Industry Was Booming. Now 900 Workers Are Missing.

Videos show rescuers pulling people out of hydropower tunnels, as hundreds of workers remain missing after a deadly flood.

general  Aug 29, 2026

BBC World

Close race as Iceland votes on whether to restart talks on joining EU

Turbulent international affairs have brought the vote forward, but the campaign has focused more on Iceland's vital fishing industry.

general  Aug 29, 2026

BBC World

How 'Book Queen' Dolly Parton inspired millions of children with gift of reading

Families across the globe share how free books from Parton's Imagination Library helped their children.

general  Aug 29, 2026