Andy Burnham has appointed his first cabinet, notable for women making up half of the team for the first time in British history. The new cabinet also shows an overrepresentation of North-West MPs and an increase in privately educated and Oxbridge alumni compared to Keir Starmer's team, while ethnic minority representation remains steady.
Southeast Asian governments face renewed energy shocks and trade disruptions due to revived US-Iran hostilities, prompting ASEAN foreign ministers to express grave concern and urge an immediate cessation of fighting.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham met Scottish First Minister John Swinney and Welsh First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth in Glasgow ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Discussions focused on devolution, with Burnham committing not to bypass Holyrood, while Swinney welcomed further power transfers and ap Iorwerth advocated for Wales to have parity of powers with Scotland. Downing Street reiterated that a second Scottish independence referendum was "off limits."
Andy Burnham's first cabinet achieves gender parity for the first time in British political history, with half of ministers being women. The team also shows increased representation from the North-West and private education, while Oxbridge dominance and ethnic minority representation remain steady.
China has unveiled "Xingshu," a new space-based AI computing network aiming for ~1,000 satellites to process data in orbit, offering on-demand services for sectors like energy and finance, and providing disaster warnings.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham met with Scottish First Minister John Swinney and Welsh First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth in Glasgow, discussing devolution and inter-governmental relations. Downing Street confirmed a second Scottish independence referendum was "off limits," while Burnham committed to not bypassing Holyrood on devolution plans.
China's commerce ministry announced that Beijing and Washington are actively soliciting industry feedback on potential bilateral tariff reductions through a newly established board of trade, with the US also collecting public input.
Australia will conduct a national test of its new AusAlert emergency system on Monday, emitting a siren from most phones. The federal government proceeds despite state concerns over landline reach and warnings from domestic violence campaigners for "safe phone" users to power off devices to avoid exposure.
EU ambassadors are making a new push to finalize the 21st Russia sanctions package, facing resistance from member states like Greece, Austria, Bulgaria, France, and Italy over energy, banking, and visa interests, despite Hungary's shift in stance.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced a cut to value-added tax on domestic electricity bills starting October 1, aiming to ease the cost-of-living crisis. The measure, expected to save households around £45 annually, will be funded by cancelling a £1.8 billion digital ID program.
Alphabet is releasing three new Gemini models, including Gemini 3.5 Flash Cyber for government cybersecurity, to address competition and delays. The new models, which also include Gemini 3.6 Flash and 3.5 Flash-Lite, focus on efficiency and lower costs ahead of Alphabet's earnings.
Nearly half of companies targeted by ransomware pay ransoms, with demands rising, according to Sophos research. While the UK government plans to ban public sector payments, cybersecurity experts debate the effectiveness and potential harm of such prohibitions, as AI tools escalate attack sophistication.
Former Australian Attorney General Mark Dreyfus has urged governments to consider banning protests near synagogues and Jewish schools, citing a High Court decision on safe access zones for abortion clinics. His testimony to the antisemitism royal commission highlighted a "substantial and ongoing threat" to the Jewish community, with security needs doubling since October 2023.
Australia's housing policy has a rich history of public investment, initiated by various governments over nearly 30 years, to address housing affordability and social needs. Despite challenges and resistance, these interventions significantly boosted home ownership and eased rental pressures, influencing current tax reforms.
The EU's return regulation is nearing adoption, allowing offshore migration processing hubs despite human rights concerns. Countries like Austria, Denmark, and Germany are poised to establish these centers, raising alarms due to past failures in Australia, Israel, and the US. Critics urge strict human rights safeguards before implementation.
Andy Burnham, the new UK Prime Minister, faces public impatience for rapid policy action, contrasting with Keir Starmer's perceived procedural caution. Experts suggest bold, noticeable changes are needed, with proposals like capital gains tax hikes and rent freezes to address the cost of living crisis.
A city in eastern China's Jiangsu province has signed an agreement with Alibaba Cloud and Wangsu Science and Technology to build a data center that will directly connect to renewable energy plants, aiming to boost token output efficiency by 62.5%.
Donald Trump reportedly amassed $2.2 billion during his first year in office, with $1.2 billion from the cryptocurrency industry. His administration then influenced deregulation, including the "Genius Act" and "Clarity Act," integrating stablecoins into the banking system, which critics warn poses significant systemic risks to the US economy.
Swedish defense group Saab exceeded Q2 earnings expectations, driven by Europe's rearmament and a record order backlog of 317.7 billion crowns. CEO Micael Johansson urged European governments to adopt long-term, coordinated defense procurement partnerships.
Blockchain technology, initially proposed by Haber and Stornetta and popularized by Nakamoto, is a distributed digital ledger that stores data in immutable, timestamped blocks. It enables secure, decentralized transactions without third parties, used in cryptocurrencies and adopted by companies like Walmart and IBM for supply chain tracking, offering benefits like increased accuracy and security despite data storage limits and regulatory changes.
Candice Odgers argues against banning social media for teens, citing limited evidence linking it to mental health issues, while Jonathan Haidt supports restrictions, highlighting perceived harms.
Gulf nations are on the front lines of the renewed US-Iran conflict, facing direct strikes and economic disruption. Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, and Oman are all impacted by their proximity to US bases and Iran's retaliatory actions.
Heavy rainfall has caused severe flooding in Shenyang, Liaoning province, leading to school closures, suspended construction, and the shutdown of tourist attractions. In Chengde, Hebei province, roads were destroyed, trapping villagers, with the city still recovering from previous severe weather.
China Life Insurance, backed by the state, is launching a 5 billion yuan ($737 million) fund to invest in semiconductor companies. This move aims to provide "patient capital" for the strategic industry amid global competition, aligning with national development goals.
