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Bosnian Serb nationalist Dodik declares party victory in Bosnia election

Staunchly pro-Russia politician has dominated campaign and inflamed divisions despite not appearing on ballot Bosnian Serb nationalist politician Milorad Dodik has declared victory for his party in an election in Bosnia shaped by economic pressures, the prospect of the Balkan nation joining the European Union and ethnic tensions that have divided the country since its brutal 1992-95 war. Dodik is a staunchly pro-Russia politician who, despite not appearing on the ballot, has dominated the campaign and inflamed divisions with separatist rhetoric that has sparked fears of renewed instability in Bosnia. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/Hv4o8c9

Whales on Australia’s ‘humpback highway’ are at growing risk of injury from boat and propellor strikes

Exclusive: Images show deep cuts and damage to tails and fins, as experts warn the migrating species often aren’t able to avoid a collision Gruesome images of adult and juvenile humpback whales along Australia’s east coast with slash and gouge injuries from boat and propeller strikes highlight what experts say is a growing problem, as the population booms 60 years after the ban on whaling. Missing tail parts, deep red lacerations and shocking injuries to the spine of a whale calf can be clearly seen on the images, gathered by WWF Australia and shared with the Guardian. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/smGNThk

Peter Thiel revealed as secret buyer of Bel Air mansion that sold for $130m

The 1938 mansion, Casa Encantada, once belonged to Conrad Hilton and was sold at foreclosure auction The tech billionaire Peter Thiel has been revealed as the new owner of a storied Bel-Air estate that quietly sold in July for a staggering $130m. The 1938 mansion, Casa Encantada, was sold at an open-air foreclosure auction in Pomona, with the name of the buyer kept under wraps for months. The winning bid is now revealed to have come from a limited liability company linked to the venture capitalist and PayPal and Palantir co-founder, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the buyer’s identity . Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/4I8zmhL

Brazil attorney general says meddling ‘cannot be tolerated’ after Trump funding plans revealed

Jorge Messias calls Guardian report ‘an important alert for Brazilian sovereignty’ as nation prepares to go to polls Brazil’s attorney general has said foreign meddling in his country’s institutions and democracy “cannot be tolerated” after a Guardian report revealed how the Trump administration was pushing to direct funds to a campaign against the Brazilian supreme court. Writing on X, Jorge Messias called the report “an important alert for Brazilian sovereignty”. “The information is especially serious in light of Brazil’s electoral process and the recent episodes of external pressure on our institutions,” Messias added. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/ATNIgES

US trade regulator opens investigation into AI giants including Anthropic and OpenAI

FTC move is first official US enforcement ⁠action on rogue AI agents, following surge in incidents first reported in July The US’s main trade regulator is conducting an industry-wide investigation ⁠into Anthropic, OpenAI and other ⁠AI labs ​to uncover the potential dangers their technology poses to consumers. The investigation by the Federal Trade Commission is the first official US enforcement ⁠action that delves into rogue AI agents, following a surge in incidents first reported in July that have stoked fears among the public that uncontrolled AI could one day ⁠harm humans. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Oatcky

Spain announces plan to ease housing crisis amid outcry over eviction of 87-year-old

Measures, which need to be approved in Congress, include extending ban on evictions of vulnerable people Spain’s Socialist Workers’ party-led coalition government has approved a range of measures aimed at easing the country’s housing crisis, including extending a ban on evictions of vulnerable tenants until 2030, after a public outcry over the eviction of an 87-year-old disabled woman from her Madrid apartment last week. Two decrees have been approved by cabinet but will need to be approved in Congress, where the coalition lacks a majority. The government has requested a special parliamentary session on Friday in the hope of getting the decrees passed as soon as possible. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/0mJlKfL

Absence of violence in Drumcree does not make standoff any less significant

Row comes amid rising division and a tendency towards cynical political posturing in Northern Ireland Three decades ago, it took the deaths of three Roman Catholic children – the Quinn brothers, Jason, nine, Mark, 10, and 11-year-old Richard – in a petrol bomb attack to bring an end to the Drumcree dispute. “No road is worth a life, let alone the lives of three little boys,” the Orange Order’s County Armagh chaplain said at the time. It is perhaps extraordinary to think that this could ever have needed saying – but that was then. Northern Ireland is very different place today. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/KsxkXnE