Twitch has announced that users can now opt out of a default setting allowing Amazon to use their content—such as streams, clips, and chats—for training generative AI models. This move comes after backlash from users regarding Amazon's use of Twitch content, with Twitch's chief product officer stating that data collection is common across content services, and acknowledging that if opt-in was required, "nobody would opt-in." During a stream, Twitch's community head highlighted that data collection for AI training is an industry standard, and users were critical, suggesting that Twitch had a chance to influence industry practices against content exploitation.
Two Victorian police officers have been charged with assault for allegedly using a Taser and knee to strike an Indigenous man in the head during his arrest last August in Melbourne. A Senior Constable faces charges of aggravated assault with a weapon for unlawfully striking the man multiple times with a Taser, while a Sergeant is charged with unlawful assault for kneeing him. Both officers are scheduled to appear in the Ringwood magistrates court on September 11.
Conflicting witness accounts have emerged regarding the fatal police shooting of Christian Strassburg at Mercy Health, with one witness claiming he had a knife while his fiancée stated he was holding an ink pen. Additionally, Toledo police officer Caleb Hensley, 30, faces new domestic violence charges, with reports indicating both he and the victim were "covered in blood." Meanwhile, Wood County Sheriff's Office has announced increased DUI patrols as part of the national 'Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over' campaign, running from August 31 through the weekend with a zero-tolerance policy on violations.
David McBride, a whistleblower jailed for leaking military secrets about Australia's involvement in Afghanistan, has been released on parole after serving 27 months of a five-year and eight-month sentence. His disclosures led to a landmark inquiry that found evidence of Australian forces unlawfully killing 39 Afghans, prompting the establishment of the Office of the Special Investigator, which has finalized 39 out of 53 cases related to the investigations. McBride is currently undergoing treatment for lung cancer and expressed gratitude to his family and supporters after his parole was granted.
McKenna West, a surrogate mother who fled to Texas, gave birth to a baby boy diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, which requires multiple surgeries and long-term care. Initially, West agreed to an abortion after the diagnosis but later withdrew and broke contact with the biological parents, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, who maintain they did not pressure her to terminate the pregnancy. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton intervened in the case, asserting that the couple intended to deny the child necessary care, a claim they deny, while underscoring that abortion is banned in Texas under most circumstances, except when the mother’s health is at risk.
Dallas McInerney, the chief executive of Catholic Schools NSW, testified at the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) inquiry that a Christian faction within the NSW Liberals, known as the Reformers, was "spectacularly unsuccessful" in their attempt to take control of the party, despite a goal to recruit 5,000 conservative Christians. The inquiry is examining potential illegal political donations linked to Catholic Schools NSW, which manages around $3.8 billion in funding for nearly 600 schools, and has raised concerns about payments made to lobbying firms associated with Reformers amounting to $130,900 and $135,000 over two periods. McInerney's connections to the right faction of the Liberal party, along with his admission of supporting the Reformers' goals, were scrutinized during the proceedings.
Zimbabwe's government is set to return 67 farms to foreign investors and 840 farms to Black Zimbabwean owners, while allowing 409 white farmers to buy the land they currently occupy, in a bid to resolve ongoing land disputes without reversing the land redistribution program initiated in 2000. This move comes two decades after the government seized predominantly white-owned commercial farms, transforming the agricultural landscape amid significant political and economic turmoil. The initiative aims to clarify ownership issues while addressing obligations related to bilateral investment agreements, with Agriculture Minister Anxious Masuka emphasizing it should not be seen as a return to previous land control.
Telstra CEO Vicki Brady received a $700,000 pay rise to a total of $6.8 million for the year ending in June, despite a nationwide outage that led to a 20% bonus cut amounting to $607,000. The outage affected nearly half of all calls and data sessions, prompting over 30,000 compensation claims from customers, with nearly $1 million already paid out. The company's profits rose to $2.4 billion from $2.3 billion the previous year, as it increased mobile plan prices while also cutting employee numbers by 1,219 to a total of 29,334.
The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, declared on May 15, 2026, has resulted in at least 4,300 cases and over 2,000 deaths, and is projected to surpass the deadliest outbreak from 2014-2016, which killed at least 11,000 people. This outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo species of Ebola, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments, and health workers are only able to reach about 30% of cases due to regional instability. The World Health Organization hopes to control the spread of the disease within three months, but acknowledges that it is currently lagging behind the virus's transmission.
Travis Kelce described his wedding to Taylor Swift on 3 July at Madison Square Garden as "the best night of my life," marking a childhood dream fulfilled by getting married in a prominent sports venue. The private ceremony featured A-list attendees like Hugh Grant and Gigi Hadid, but details remain scarce, with no official photos released and significant secrecy surrounding the event. Kelce, who turns 37 in October and has won three Super Bowl championships, expressed excitement for the upcoming NFL season while reflecting on enjoying a "fun off-season" after their wedding.
David McBride, a former army lawyer jailed for leaking classified documents about the Afghanistan war, was released on parole after serving 27 months of his sentence, which had a maximum of five years and eight months. He leaked a total of 235 documents, 207 of which were classified as secret, during an 18-month period from 2014 to 2015, resulting in an investigative series on war crimes known as The Afghan Files. Following his release, McBride expressed gratitude towards the Attorney General and acknowledged his diagnosis of early-stage treatable lung cancer, with surgery expected soon.
Travis Kelce described his wedding to Taylor Swift at Madison Square Garden as "the best night of my life," which took place over two days on July 2 and 3, with around a thousand attendees, including many celebrities. The event, officiated by Adam Sandler, was confirmed only through a statement from Swift’s spokeswoman and involved a hefty $160,000 payment to the city for the related costs. Despite the lack of images and official details, Kelce emphasized the intimate and personal nature of the ceremony, contrasting it with the venue's grand size.
Samson Childs reflected on the painful execution of his father, Byron Black, who was put to death via lethal injection in Tennessee on August 5, 2025, after spending over three decades on death row for a crime he maintained he did not commit. Black's execution was marked by significant suffering, as prison staff struggled to insert an IV, leading to a botched process where Black reportedly moaned in pain, highlighting concerns over the state’s new lethal injection protocol using pentobarbital. Just nine months later, a similar execution attempt of another inmate, Tony Carruthers, failed when staff were unable to complete the procedure after 40 minutes of complications, prompting further scrutiny of the state's capital punishment practices.
In Kingsport, Tennessee, a town of 58,000 known for its strong Christian influence, economic support comes from the Holston Army Ammunition Plant, which employs around 1,000 people and produces explosives for the ongoing war in Iran. Despite President Trump's approval rating dropping to a historic low of 32%, residents largely support his policies regarding the conflict, with many justifying military action as necessary for national security. Veterans make up about 10% of the local population, and while residents express concerns over rising gas prices, they typically do not hold Trump accountable for these economic challenges.
Heidi Beirich, 59, a former director at the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), has been charged with wire fraud and conspiracy for allegedly directing over $4 million in donor funds to pay individuals associated with violent extremist groups between 2007 and 2023. The Trump administration's Justice Department claims that Beirich and the SPLC misled donors about how their contributions were being used, with FBI Director Kash Patel stating that the donations were not being used for their stated mission of dismantling hate groups. Beirich's lawyer has labeled the charges politically motivated, asserting her innocence and the integrity of her work against hate groups.
The Intercept and Freedom of the Press Foundation have filed a federal lawsuit against President Donald Trump to prevent his social media service from selling advance access to his posts, arguing it could limit public access to essential government information. The subscription service, Truth API, charges between $60,000 to $100,000 a month for real-time access and had over 10 subscribers by August 10, raising concerns about Trump's financial gain from this scheme. The lawsuit cites First and Fifth Amendment violations and is scheduled to be heard in the Southern District of New York.
A luxury estate in Hillsborough, San Francisco Bay Area, was sold for a record $70 million to a buyer involved in the AI industry, marking it as the most expensive sale in northern California this year and doubling the previous local record. The 12-acre property, initially listed at $88 million, features a 12,400 sq ft home with extravagant amenities and was on the market for just under five months. With over 140 homes in San Francisco selling at least $1 million over asking price in the first half of the year, the real estate market is increasingly influenced by AI-driven wealth, as evidenced by significant price increases in San Mateo and San Francisco counties.
Vultures in West Africa are facing significant decline due to hunting linked to traditional beliefs, habitat loss, and poisoning, with an estimated 60% of their deaths attributed to poisoning. In a unique case in Awka-Etiti, Nigeria, locals honor vultures as part of their spiritual practices, offering sacrifices at a shrine dedicated to a deity, thereby ensuring the birds' presence and protection within their community. The value of dead adult vultures has surged from around 25,000 to 30,000 naira ($18 to $22) to as high as 200,000 naira ($145), highlighting the severe threats they face from illegal trade.
Nurses are experiencing severe health issues, including fainting, due to extreme heat in hospitals and care homes, with the Royal College of Nursing reporting unsafe conditions resulting from temperatures exceeding 30C. The UK has set a new record of 35 days with temperatures above 30C, and currently, three-quarters of England is officially in drought. Calls for urgent improvements such as installing air conditioning and better ventilation in healthcare facilities are increasing as officials warn of heightened fire risks and the need for more resources to tackle climate adaptation.
Japan's adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace lags significantly behind that of the US and UK, with only 8.4% of Japanese workers using AI compared to 50% in the US and 32% in the UK. The slow uptake is attributed to a conservative and risk-averse corporate culture that prioritizes error minimization and consensus, which stifles innovation and AI integration into core operations. The Japanese government is attempting to address these issues through the newly passed AI Promotion Act, aiming to make Japan "the world's most-friendly country for developing and utilizing AI" to improve its productivity, which currently ranks the lowest among G7 nations.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, 28, will resign at the end of August to spend more time with her young children, marking her departure after being the youngest person to hold the role. Leavitt, who has two children, including a newborn girl, stated that she felt unable to be the mother her children deserve while fulfilling the demanding responsibilities of the press secretary position. During her tenure, she was known for her combative relationship with the media and is recognized as the second longest-serving press secretary in Trump's administrations, following Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
More than 70,000 Canadians have signed a petition calling for the expulsion of US Ambassador Pete Hoekstra, citing his interference in Canadian political matters and references to Canada as the "51st state." The petition will be presented in Canada's House of Commons, having surpassed the required threshold of 500 valid signatures to warrant a government response, and comes as Canada negotiates urgently to prevent a planned 50% tariff on $20 billion to $28 billion worth of goods from Canada set by the Trump administration. Green Party leader Elizabeth May plans to sponsor the petition, reflecting significant public discomfort with Hoekstra's alignment with Trump and his comments about Canadian sovereignty.
A 32-year-old woman named Daniela Largo was rescued alive after being trapped under rubble for 36 hours following a 7.4-magnitude earthquake in western Colombia, which has led to at least 265 deaths and 496 people reported missing. The rescue operation in Pereira involved firefighters digging two tunnels, with Largo being provided oxygen through one, and a total of 92 buildings collapsed in the area. In addition, more than 200 individuals remain trapped in the nearby city of Cali, where a night-time curfew has been implemented to ensure the safety of ongoing rescue efforts.
A man in Minnesota fatally stabbed his wife and child at their in-home daycare center before dying by suicide, with police confirming no ongoing threat to the public. The incident occurred at approximately 9 a.m. on the 200 block of Tyler Avenue North, and all six other children present were evacuated unharmed. The daycare, licensed since 2019 and compliant in 2023, has a capacity for 10 children in a community of around 19,000, and the local police find such killings to be "a rarity."
Verifone is introducing biometric payment technology in Australia, allowing customers to make payments using face and palm scans, potentially streamlining transactions significantly, although the rollout may be slow as retailers need to upgrade equipment. The company has started deploying Verifone Victa devices and anticipates gradual adoption as older terminals are phased out, while ensuring that biometric data is securely tokenized and managed by merchants or banks. Despite expected initial resistance similar to that faced by contactless payments, which now account for over 90% of transactions, the innovation seeks to alleviate transaction delays, especially with current trends showing a decline in physical card usage from nearly 80% to under 60%.
An AH-64 Apache helicopter crashed in central Texas near Fort Hood during a routine training flight on Wednesday, resulting in the death of both occupants and igniting a wildfire that prompted evacuations of nearby homes. The 214,968-acre Fort Hood base has a history of aviation accidents, including the deaths of four soldiers in a 2015 Black Hawk crash and nine soldiers in a 2016 vehicle incident. No cause for the crash has been determined yet, and the investigation is being led by Fort Hood's criminal investigation division.
Despite a decline in property investor loan applications, investment in Australian property is stabilizing, with the Commonwealth Bank reporting an $11 billion full-year cash profit and strong demand for mortgages. Investor loans totaled $45 billion in the last six months of 2025 and $37 billion in the first half of this year, though applications fell by 28% since government tax changes were announced, and overall investor borrowing has dropped about 25%. However, CBA's chief executive indicated that the worst may have passed, with expectations for improvement in 2027 and the potential for 14,000 new landlord loans monthly, despite ongoing challenges from rising interest rates and inflation.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security plans to spend between $10 million and $20 million to acquire gloves capable of delivering electric shocks, intended for federal immigration agents by March 2027. Known as the CT-G5 G.L.O.V.E., these gloves can deliver a maximum of 380 volts and are meant for "distraction and de-escalation," although their purchase has drawn significant criticism from rights advocates who fear potential misuse against vulnerable communities. This decision follows earlier actions by ICE, which has faced scrutiny for its tactics, including accusations of excessive force, resulting in the deaths of at least four people during encounters with agents this year.
A suspicious package disposed of in a trash bin near the Tenleytown fire station in Washington DC led to a bomb squad response during rush hour, halting traffic for nearly two hours. The device, identified as a "blue-and-black electronic sex portable pump device" later recognized online as the "Zolo Blowbot," features adjustable suction levels and is priced over $300. No injuries were reported, and this incident follows a similar occurrence in September 2022 when sex toys spilled onto an Oklahoma interstate after a truck accident.
Japan is experiencing severe summer heat, with over 53,000 heatstroke cases treated in the past two months and 79 reported deaths. In response, the Do Hiemon, or "The Cooling Box," is being introduced in public spaces and sold to businesses at a cost of 1.5 million yen each (approximately $9,407 or £6,973). The design of this cooling device, inspired by freezer vending machines, aims to help mitigate the effects of rising temperatures.