The Guardian

Latest news, sport, business, comment, analysis and reviews from the Guardian, the world's leading liberal voice

Rupert Lowe set to be paid as much for divisive posts on Elon Musk’s X as for being MP

Restore Britain leader paid up to £1,476 an hour by platform, which critics say is financially incentivising inflammatory content

Rupert Lowe, the leader of Restore Britain, is on course to earn as much from the social media platform X as he does from his salary as an MP, after surging income from posts that include demands for mass deportations.

Lowe has earned £932 an hour for his posts on X, formerly Twitter, since the start of the year, according to his own declarations in the register of MPs’ financial interests, which detail how many hours he has spent on X for each payment he received from the platform.

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Prince Harry quits board of wildlife charity after human rights abuses

Spokesperson for Duke of Sussex says he remains an ‘active and avid supporter’ of African Parks’ mission

The Duke of Sussex has stepped down from the board of a major African wildlife charity that had been at the centre of a human rights controversy.

Prince Harry’s spokesperson confirmed he was no longer a trustee of African Parks, which admitted last year that human rights abuses were committed by its rangers in the Republic of the Congo.

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Burnham’s visit to Kyiv marks a renewal of badly needed support for Ukraine

As well as pledging military help and diplomatic backing, the prime minister could be useful in dealing with the US

Since moving into Downing Street in July, Andy Burnham – a foreign policy neophyte – has expressed strong support for Ukraine. But on Monday he saw the bitter human cost of the war up close for the first time, visiting Kyiv during his first international trip as prime minister.

The occasion was the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence. Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave awards to the families of fallen soldiers. Relatives wept, hugging Ukraine’s president. Photos of young men in their prime were shown on a giant screen.

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Wel.nl

Minder lezen, Meer weten.

Lange rijen bij Iraanse tankstations door dreigend benzinetekort

TEHERAN (ANP/BLOOMBERG) - Iran kampt met groeiende brandstoftekorten nu de Verenigde Staten het voor Teheran steeds moeilijker maken om brandstof uit het buitenland te halen. Volgens de staatskrant Hamshahri staan er in Teheran lange rijen bij tankstations uit angst voor prijsverhogingen. Veel automobilisten gaan al tanken, voordat de tank halfleeg is.

Benzineprijzen zijn een uiterst gevoelig onderwerp in het olierijke Iran. Dankzij overheidssubsidies profiteren consumenten er van een van de laagste benzineprijzen ter wereld.

Een hoge functionaris die verantwoordelijk is voor de binnenlandse energievoorziening zei dat de benzinemarkt dagelijks een tekort van 14 tot 15 miljoen liter heeft. Dat is het gevolg van een grote vraag, schade die tijdens de oorlog is ontstaan en "veranderingen in de prioriteiten van de nationale begroting".

De Amerikaanse minister van Financiën Scott Bessent noemt de maatregelen tegen Iran "het grootste financiële offensief ooit tegen een tegenstander".


Roeiers probleemloos door op eerste dag WK in Amsterdamse Bos

AMSTELVEEN (ANP) - De Nederlandse roeiers zijn probleemloos door de eerste dag van de wereldkampioenschappen in eigen land gekomen. Op de Bosbaan in het Amsterdamse Bos kwamen namens Nederland de vrouwen en de mannen in de dubbeltwee in actie in de heats. Beide boten zijn door naar de halve finales.

Benthe Boonstra en Roos de Jong, regerend wereldkampioenen in de dubbeltwee, waren de snelste in hun heat met een tijd van 7.43,33 minuten, ruim twee seconden voor Zwitserland. Ze waren de vijfde snelste boot van de dag. In één andere heat, waar meer strijd was, voeren drie boten harder. Litouwen won die heat.

Ook Simon van Dorp en Melvin Twellaar kenden geen problemen. De twee mannen wonnen medailles op de Olympische Spelen in Parijs in 2024 in verschillende boten en zijn dit jaar samengevoegd. Van Dorp en Twellaar wonnen hun heat in 6.53,69. Ook bij hen waren drie boten in één andere heat sneller. Daarin was Frankrijk het snelst.


Vijf mensen nog in het ziekenhuis na ongeluk A28 met touringcar

WEZEP (ANP) - Vijf gewonden van het ongeval met een touringcar op de A28 bij Wezep liggen nog in het ziekenhuis. Dat laat de gemeente Oldebroek weten, waar Wezep onder valt.

In totaal zijn zestien mensen naar het ziekenhuis gebracht, nadat maandagochtend vroeg een touringcar met Duitse leerlingen achterop een bestelbus was gereden. Oldebroek ving inzittenden op die niet gewond waren. Volgens de gemeente zijn die leerlingen in de middag naar huis vertrokken. Ter plaatse is aan hen slachtofferhulp verleend.

Hoe het ongeval kon gebeuren, is niet bekend. De politie doet onderzoek naar de toedracht. Niemand is aangehouden.

De inzittenden van de touringcar waren leerlingen van een Duitse middelbare school van 17 en 18 jaar oud.


The Register

Biting the hand that feeds IT — Enterprise Technology News and Analysis

Logitech hit by sueball over tariff refunds

A complaint filed in a California District Court has accused peripheral maker Logitech of withholding tariff refunds from customers, and asked for the proceeds from its activities to be returned to punters. When the US administration imposed tariffs on imports, companies quickly passed them on to US customers. While we won't go into the whys, wherefores, and the what-were-you-thinking, of tariffs imposed by the US administration, the upshot was that customers often ended up paying more for the same item. It has made for an exciting time in the IT world. Logitech was no exception, and US customers faced higher prices. According to the 102-page complaint [PDF], "in or about April 2025 … Logitech raised United States retail prices across approximately half of its product catalog, by an average of approximately 14 percent and by as much as 25 percent on individual products." The complaint goes on: "Logitech's own executives and securities filings confirm that these price increases were in response to, and calibrated against, the IEEPA tariffs." It is difficult to argue with the logic – tariffs go up, and so do prices. However, a problem with the tariffs emerged. On February 20, 2026, the US Supreme Court stated that the IEEPA (International Emergency Economic Powers Act) did not, after all, authorize the US President to impose tariffs. On July 15, 2026, an order was issued, directing the US Customs Border Protection (CBP) to refund the IEEPA duties. Those refunds go to the importers rather than the consumers who paid the higher prices. Some are returning money to customers. Some… are not. According to the complaint, the vendor was one of the latter. The filing claims that in addition to not refunding customers, Logitech also kept prices where they were. The complaint goes on to say that "as of June 30, 2026, Logitech received a full refund of $61 million for the tariffs invalidated by the Supreme Court." However, it alleges, rather than this being given back to customers, "The entire $61 million was recorded as a reduction of cost of goods sold in Q1 FY2027, according to reporting on Logitech’s Form 10-Q filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)." The complaint alleges: "Logitech has made clear it will keep both the refund and the consumer overcharge." Logitech has yet to respond to a request for comment. The company is far from the only tech firm to face complaints over the imposition of tariffs and subsequent refunds. In July, Microsoft was sued over Xbox tariff costs and refunds. Nintendo was also sued and, in July, stated it had no intention of passing a tariff refund back to customers. "Plaintiffs," wrote Nintendo in its motion to dismiss, "have no legal entitlement to the tariff refunds Nintendo stands to receive." ®

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Colossal

The best of art, craft, and visual culture since 2010.

Europe’s Carousels Eternally Whirl in Luca Battaglia’s Nostalgic Photos

Europe’s Carousels Eternally Whirl in Luca Battaglia’s Nostalgic Photos

Drawn to the juxtapositions of urban spaces and desolate regions alike, photographer Luca Battaglia illuminates the distinctive characteristics of places. “I do not claim—nor do I ever say—that I am an architectural photographer,” he says in a statement. “When asked, I say that I am a photographer of places, of voids.” From the expanses of the American Southwest to images of New York City that revel in quietude rather than its signature boisterousness, built environments are a well of inspiration.

In his ongoing series Ticket non remboursable (“non-refundable ticket”), Battaglia creates bold portraits of carousels in city squares and parks across Europe. The advent of these iconic amusement rides can be traced back to the medieval tradition of jousting, which involved horses, of course, plus a lot of pomp and fanfare. By the late 17th century, official royal jousts became of a thing of the past, but by the late 18th century, mechanical carousels hit the scene featuring bedecked equines and many of the visual elements associated with jousting tournaments. Over the next century or so, these entertainments evolved into meticulous examples of craftsmanship with painted, hand-carved elements.

Grenoble

For Battalgia, this centuries-old tradition represents a kind of timelessness that makes for powerful nostalgia. Growing up in Milan, he fondly remembers a carousel he used to encounter as a child, although it has since disappeared. “The project began with my fascination for carousels, not simply as attractions, but as objects connected to memory, childhood, movement, and the transformation of public space,” the artist tells Colossal. “I photograph them using long exposures, trying to move away from their literal appearance and reveal something more abstract and suspended.” An everyday sight in many city’s public parks and plazas is transformed into something otherworldly.

Ornamentation and specific characters blur into abstract patterns of rotating lights and an emphasis on the top, making the structures almost UFO-like. “Technically, I usually work with an ND256 or ND1000 neutral density filter, which allows me to make exposures of approximately 20 to 30 seconds,” Battaglia says. “During this time, the movement of the carousel traces lines across the photograph: the structure partly disappears, while light, colour, and movement create a new image.”

See more on the artist’s Instagram.

a long-exposure photo of a spinning carousel
Nice
a long-exposure photo of a spinning carousel at night
Marseille
a long-exposure photo of a spinning carousel
Charles Michels, Paris
a long-exposure photo of a spinning carousel
Dijon
a long-exposure photo of a spinning carousel
Tuileries, Paris
a long-exposure photo of a spinning carousel
Tikkimäki
a long-exposure photo of a spinning carousel
Deauville
a long-exposure photo of a spinning carousel
Bercy, Paris
a long-exposure photo of a spinning carousel
Honfleur

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Europe’s Carousels Eternally Whirl in Luca Battaglia’s Nostalgic Photos appeared first on Colossal.

Rijnmond - Nieuws

Het laatste nieuws van vandaag over Rotterdam, Feyenoord, het verkeer en het weer in de regio Rijnmond

Kinderombudsman uit ernstige zorgen: 'Als dit je start in het leven is, is dat dramatisch'

Wouter Struijk is sinds een half jaar kinderombudsman voor Rotterdam en omgeving. Hij zet zich in voor de rechten van de jeugd in onze regio. Hij maakt zich ernstige zorgen over kinderen van toeslagenouders en jeugd op asielschepen. "We hebben het beste voor met alle inwoners", zegt hij.