0:08
Mysterious debris found on Queensland beaches could be ‘space balls’ – and may contain toxic rocket fuel
Six pieces of odd, metallic debris have washed up on north Queensland beaches, and the Australian Space Agency is now looking into what they actually are. Police have flagged the objects as potentially hazardous, saying they might contain chemicals that could be dangerous if disturbed.
One specialist in space archaeology suggests they could be the “space balls” that sometimes fall off rockets after a launch, the small, hollow spheres used to balance weight or protect payloads. Those remnants are known to survive re‑entry and end up on remote coastlines, which fits the pattern we’re seeing.
If they are indeed rocket leftovers, any toxic fuel residue would be a side effect of the original launch, not a new threat. The agency says it’s running tests to confirm composition and trace the launch they might belong to, so we’ll know soon whether it’s just space junk or something that needs a cleanup.
1:06
Can I take the day off for England’s World Cup game – and what if I’m late for work?
The 1 am kickoff between Mexico and England means a lot of people will be up late, and many are already wondering how that will mesh with the morning rush. If the match goes to penalties, it could stretch close to 4 am, leaving little room for sleep before work starts. Employers are aware of the timing, and some are already fielding requests for flexible start times or half‑day leave. A handful of companies have said they’ll let staff shift their hours or work from home that day, but it isn’t a universal policy.
For those who can’t get time off, the practical advice is simple: set multiple alarms, keep a coffee ready, and consider a quick power nap if you can. If you do need to call in sick, remember that honesty usually works better than a vague excuse. In short, plan ahead, talk to your manager early, and try to catch a few winks before the match ends.
2:00
Ofsted drops ‘clumsy’ and ‘offensive’ guidance linking autism and extremism
Training document used to teach inspectors updated after campaign by celebrities including Chris Packham
Ofsted, the body responsible for safeguarding in education in England, has dropped guidance for inspectors that linked autism and extremism after an outcry from celebrity campaigners.
An education minister has disclosed that an updated training document “no longer includes reference to children with autism” after claims that it was “offensive” and “clumsy” discrimination.
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2:33
I Love to Hate Your Work
Band members: “And how was it (the music)?”
Micah: “It was amazing.”
Band members: “You think we’re amazing?”
Micah: “Oh, no, I hated the music.”
Friend of the band members: “She’s trashing your music!”
Micah: “I’m not trashing their music. I said that I hated it. … I didn’t say it wasn’t good. I said that I hated it. And people hate every band.”
— from the movie “That Alien, Sound”
I adore drawings of exotic animals that were clearly made by someone who had never seen an elephant, giraffe or rhinoceros. The artist had drawn the animal based on someone’s description: long nose like a snake, ears like a ship’s sails, a body like an enormous grape and a tail like a piece of wee string.
To the artist, their drawing is correct. It fulfills the description. But to anyone who has seen the animal in person, the drawing doesn’t even begin to capture what an elephant looks like.
These antique animal drawings are like most modern furniture designs. The designer followed the written rules on proportion, volume, symmetry, value, color and detail/ornament. The piece should be perfect because it followed the rules faithfully. But it’s not. It sucks. Why?
Usually, the answer is that the designer hasn’t seen enough furniture. They haven’t fallen hopelessly in love with 23 cabinets, four turned bowls and a trestle table this week. They don’t have a crush (that mutates every month) on some form of ornament or door arrangement or oddball furniture form that doesn’t even exist today (armoires built like houses is my current crush).
They don’t have 30 floating furniture forms all bubbling in the back of their phone and their mind, trying to emerge through some work on the bench. Do you have a favorite moulding this week? Do you ever think about changing your entire woodworking practice after visiting an excellent museum exhibit? Is your phone filled with almost as many photos of furniture (that you didn’t build) as photos of your family or pets?
Do you have photos of colors that make your insides squirm?1
All the good designers I know are in love with the visual world and behave like a giant receptor. Almost anything can plug into their receptor, from the curve of a cat’s back to the layout of a door’s panels to a stone bridge.
When the information comes in, it usually gets sorted into three bins: “that’s beautiful and I love it” or “I am indifferent to that” to “it’s not beautiful and I hate that.” All three feelings are valid. But the two important ones are the ones that relate to beauty.
Let’s get this out of the way: I believe that beauty exists. It’s real. But I also believe that the bar for something to be beautiful is laughably low. Almost everything in the natural world is beautiful (unless – weirdly – it has been modified by people). Have you ever seen an ugly tree? A plant that wasn’t – when examined closely – perfectly proportioned? Or a color in nature that didn’t evoke the animal, vegetable or mineral world?
Everything that I design has a foot planted in the world around us. I’m sure it’s possible – somehow – to work outside of nature, but for me that’s like trying to see the fifth dimension. I just don’t have the equipment.
I look to trees to help me design chairs. Mountains and rock formations for cabinets. Clouds for tables. And gorgeous architecture for … everything.
Whether you like it or not, furniture is the stepchild of architecture. Almost everything we do with our furniture is rooted in the vast architectural record. Beautiful buildings might be our species’ greatest achievement. And we are fortunate that we have an existing (and written) record of it that goes back thousands of years.
Millions of talented builders were inspired by nature, and they distilled their thoughts into structures that can be studied by anyone today simply by walking around them.
We can take their lessons and apply our own crushes with the natural world (and the built world) to make something “else” (I can’t say that we’ll make something “new”).
And then there’s the other side of the coin. The things we “hate.” I think that hate or revulsion is as important as love. It’s a valid emotional reaction. Honestly, most furniture I see today in stores provokes zero reaction in me. I am indifferent to it. It is not worth caring about.2
When I see a thing I hate, I spend time to figure out why, because this is important information.
6:34
Trump celebrates America’s 250th anniversary in weather-delayed, sometimes partisan speech
President Trump capped off the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding with a late-night speech delayed by inclement weather that blended the championing of American achievements and resilience with deeply partisan rhetoric about the perceived ideological threats facing the country. “Tonight we come together for one of the most joyous and glorious milestones of all time,”…
7:02
Trump touts SAVE America Act during Salute to America 250 speech
President Trump highlighted the potential approval of the SAVE America Act during his Salute to America 250 speech, stating his goal to require photo identification to vote and limit the use of mail-in ballots.
7:19
Liberal frontbencher Dan Tehan says coalition with One Nation ‘not even being talked about’
Anthony Albanese mocks ructions on conservative side of politics and says three rightwing parties are caught up in ‘race to the bottom’
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Liberal frontbencher Dan Tehan says he does not want to be in a rightwing coalition with One Nation, despite senior colleagues urging closer ties with Pauline Hanson and polls suggesting her rise will make it difficult for the opposition party to ever govern in its own right again.
Prime minister, Anthony Albanese, on Sunday mocked the Liberal, National and One Nation parties as an “axis of grievance” on the conservative side of politics, but Tehan said a formal alliance was not being discussed among his colleagues.
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8:06
The immorality of world leaders is contagious. Thank heavens for the pope | Simon Tisdall
In a political wasteland dominated by billionaires, war criminals and mega-corporations, the head of the Catholic church is a rare figure of moral leadership
What do Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu have in common? Answer: a chronic inability to tell right from wrong. The three leaders currently causing the most harm in the world share a predilection for violence, a chilling lack of compassion, and extraordinary self-regard mixed with paranoia. Yet the characteristic linking them most closely is their rejection of – or failure to grasp – basic moral standards. Worse, these men typically behave, in their public lives at least, in ways that are fundamentally immoral. And that’s a problem for everyone. Their moral malaise is contagious.
Ideas about what, in absolute terms, constitutes right and wrong are always contentious, as moral philosophers from Aristotle to Kant have shown. Pope Leo, leader of the world’s Catholics, warned recently that “we are living in a time when it is becoming difficult even to recognise what is truly good for everyone”. Yet most people, most of the time, observe a personal moral code held in common with others. There is broad agreement, for example, that it’s wrong to kill, steal, cheat and lie. In an ostensibly secular age, 76% of people worldwide identified with a religion in 2020 – a potent expression of individual and collective morality.
Simon Tisdall is a Guardian foreign affairs commentator
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9:34
Trump uses America’s 250 speech to honor military heroes and also push political agendas
President Trump wrapped up the nation’s 250‑year celebration with a speech at the Salute to America event, noting the country’s founding moments and the sacrifices of its service members. He highlighted the bravery of veterans from every conflict, framing their stories as the backbone of America’s identity.
He then turned to current issues, reminding listeners that the administration is still focused on securing borders and boosting the economy. He linked those goals to the same spirit of perseverance he praised in the military, suggesting that the country’s future depends on the same resolve that won past wars.
The address also featured a nod to the upcoming election, with Trump urging voters to support candidates who share his vision for a strong, independent America. He emphasized that honoring the past means protecting the nation’s values today.
Overall, the speech blended tribute to the armed forces with a call to action, positioning his political priorities as a continuation of the country’s historic fight for freedom.
10:37
Could Farage quit? Questions swirl over Reform UK leader’s future
Farage is under pressure over £5m gift, byelection losses and rise of rival Restore but allies say exit speculation is ‘wishful thinking’
“Of course he’s tired. He’s just done two months campaigning every day on the road, it would be weird if he wasn’t. But that doesn’t mean he’s going to quit,” says one friend of Nigel Farage who has spent time with him in recent weeks.
Westminster has been ablaze with rumours that Farage is growing weary in the job of leading Reform UK after the bruising scandal around his decision to accept a £5m gift from the crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne.
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