au
The Taiwan crisis nobody is watching
Taipei sits at the physical centre of the global AI economy but remains shut out of the diplomatic rooms where its sovereign rights are negotiated, often by others. Source link
Shipping was a murky world, now it's gone 'dark' to cross the Strait of Hormuz
Amid new strikes, the future of the Strait of Hormuz has again been plunged into uncertainty, but ships are finding a way through. Source link
Six of the most contentious parts of the NDIS bill
Politicians are presiding over three days of public hearings into a bill paving the way for the biggest ever cuts to the NDIS. Source link
Why a property downturn would be a blessing for the RBA
With two Australian banks cutting fixed home loan rates, there is a ray of hope that the cycle of interest rate hikes has peaked and borrowing costs may be lower down the track — another sign the pace of economic change has moved into overdrive. Source link
We were happier during the COVID-19 pandemic. The reason is money
Australians felt a greater sense of satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic than they do today, according to government data, when households are grappling with the impact of inflation, rising interest rates and a reduction in real wages. Source link
A straight woman steals a young gay man's story in Josh Silver's debut novel
Described as one of the books of the year, Fruit Fly asks who has the right to tell which stories in an age of cancellation for cultural appropriation. Source link
You don't need to worry about recursive-self-improving AI – yet
Anthropic has warned that recursive-self-improving AI could be on the horizon, but the truth is the company is more immediately concerned with marketing itself for a blockbuster initial public offering on the stock market, says Matthew Sparkes Source link
Iran and Israel stop trading blows but fighting continues in Lebanon
Israel and Iran have agreed to hold off attacks but Iran says it will not “retreat from any threat” and Israel warns it too it will “respond with full force” if attacks resume. Source link
Can Apple and Google stop children from sharing explicit images?
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has warned tech firms, including Apple and Google, that they must voluntarily implement tools to stop children sharing explicit images, but experts warn this is easier said than done Source link
Xi and Kim pledge deeper cooperation between China and North Korea
China and North Korea should strengthen exchanges “in diplomacy, law enforcement, and the military”, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has suggested during a rare two-day visit to Pyongyang. Source link