Whether it’s paying for dinner, going on holiday or sharing a taxi, friendships can be fraught with financial frustrations, which are very rarely aired. Here’s how to break the taboo

Summer is the season of socialising, from alfresco drinks to weddings to group holidays. It can get expensive – and suddenly you start noticing those friends who don’t pay their way. Or the ones who splash the cash and make you feel cheap. In fact, there are a host of annoying money-related habits that can cause tension among friends. Here are 20 common sources of financial frustration – and how to resolve them.

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US president delays 50% tariffs by three days, and says contentious oil project ‘may be awoken from the grave’

Canada has temporarily avoided a bruising 50% US tariff, reaching a Tuesday-evening agreement with Trump administration officials hours before a hike that would have affected $20bn worth of goods was set to take effect.

Donald Trump posted late on Tuesday on social media that he had paused the tariffs for three days “based on the fact that Canada and the USA, subject to the finalization of documents, have a DEAL!”

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Allowing jurors to stay in same hotel as police and prosecution denied Patterson a fair trial, lawyers tell Victorian court of appeal

Lawyers for Erin Patterson have argued that allowing jurors to stay in the same hotel as police and the prosecution while they deliberated over their verdicts in the triple-murder trial represented a “catastrophic” failure of the justice system.

On Wednesday, three judges of Victoria’s highest court started hearing two appeals – by Patterson herself and the state’s director of public prosecutions (DPP) – into the conviction and sentence in the case.

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South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise would end on 21 August at the request of the US

South Korea’s military has confirmed that joint military drills with the US will be cut short, days after Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to scale back the exercises.

In a statement on Wednesday, South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said at the request of the US side, the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise – which began on Monday would end on Friday, six days earlier than originally planned.

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Vanochtend is het bewolkt en trekken van west naar oost buien over de regio. In de loop van de middag wordt het een heel stuk droger en breekt ook af en toe de zon door. De middagtemperatuur handhaaft zich op zo’n 21 of 22 graden. Er waait een matige, aan zee af en toe vrij krachtige wind uit het zuidwesten.

De chaos in de wereld dwingt de EU tot een harde keuze: blijven we polderen met 27 landen, of komt er één sterke leider die heel Europa vertegenwoordigt? Achter de schermen is een verschuiving naar dat laatste scenario volop gaande. Maar die daadkracht heeft een schaduwzijde.

De Amerikaanse president Donald Trump heeft heffingen van 50 procent op een reeks importen uit buurland Canada, die in de nacht van dinsdag op woensdag zouden ingaan, op het…

Lange tijd kon Oekraïne alleen maar verdedigen tegen Russische aanvallen. Maar de oorlog is veranderd.

Tol, blokkades, invoerheffingen, accijnzen en afpersing. De geschiedenis ligt vol met handelsbeperkingen, ziet NRC’s huishistoricus Bart Funnekotter.

The Dawn of the Electric World Order. Spurred by the Hormuz crisis, the world is doubling down on renewables. "Seventy-five percent of the world's population lives in net fossil fuel importing countries and collectively spends $1.7 trillion a year importing fuels. Many of those governments facing a loss of confidence in global oil and gas markets are expanding clean energy and electrification projects. In April, France announced $10 billion in subsidies for EVs and heat pumps. The month prior, Spain introduced measures to further speed up electrification, renewable generation, and storage. Vietnam is about to ban petrol motorbikes in downtown Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City; the country's giant conglomerate Vin is abandoning a planned LNG terminal in favor of a renewable project. Nigeria's solar imports from China in March were more than five times the level of a year earlier. "

DEN HAAG (ANP) - Sinds stichting Animal Rights vijf jaar geleden aan de bel trok over het aantal kippen dat op transport naar slachthuizen sterft, is er weinig veranderd. Dat meldt de organisatie in een persbericht.

In 2020 waren circa 575.000 dieren dood bij hun aankomst in slachthuizen. In 2025 lag dat aantal op 458.500 kippen. In 2024 waren dat er 491.136, in 2023 ruim 435.000, in 2022 458.030, in 2021 439.504 en in 2020 dus circa 575.000.

Volgens Animal Rights is er geen structurele daling zichtbaar in die aantallen en daarom trekt de organisatie aan de bel. "Het lijkt erop dat zowel de pluimveesector, als het landbouwministerie, als toezichthouder NVWA het wel prima vinden zo. Animal Rights vindt dat onacceptabel en verwacht actie van de minister en staatssecretaris."

Greg Adams Photography posted a photo:

Sweden, 2011

Australian aparthotel chain Quest has revealed it leaked customer data. A Reg reader kindly shared an email from the chain with the subject line “Important Security Update Regarding Your Quest Data.” That missive opens with unwelcome news that “I am writing to inform you of a recent data security incident involving some of your personal information.” “On Monday, 17 August 2026, we identified unauthorised access to a database system and immediately took steps to contain the incident,” the email continues. “The incident arose from a vulnerability through our third-party service provider.” Exposed data “relates to records from before June 2025” and includes guests’ full name, plus what Quest described as “Your email and/or other contact details.” The Register asked the company for comment, and it told us “A small number of data entries also involve Date of Birth.” Which means whoever accessed this info is now in a decent position to attempt identity fraud. Quest did not, however, identify the third-party that was the source of the breach, how the breach happened, or the number of customers impacted by the leak. The company also ignored our question about the extent of the lost data. Quest started operating more than 30 years ago, so we’re keen to know how far back this leak goes. Quest operates over 120 properties, most in Australia, plus some in New Zealand and Fiji. The Register has found listings for Quest properties on popular third-party travel booking sites such as Expedia, Wotif, and Booking.com – suggesting overseas visitors who stayed in the company’s properties may also be at risk. The accommodation outfit told The Register it has contacted all affected guests, contained and fixed the leaky systems, completed remediation, commenced forensic investigations, and hired external cyber security and privacy advisers. This is a developing story and The Register will update it as more information becomes available. ®