7 d. ago Craig Silvey: ‘Boys want to feel as though their experiences and inner world are validated and important’

The acclaimed Jasper Jones author on raising three young daughters, identities forged in country life, and how literature can combat toxic masculinityGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailIt’s a blustery morning at Fremantle’s Booyembara Park. Rain hammers down in sideways sheets, and the horizon is a blurred smudge of green and grey. Hardly ideal conditions to interview author Craig Silvey; we can barely hear each other over the downpour. “Lovely day for a walk!” Silvey shouts from beneath his polka-dot umbrella. He points to his sodden shoes with a grin. “I’m squelching. Should’ve worn some gumboots we’re like Shackleton out here,” he laughs.On sunnier days at “Boo Park”, as Silvey calls it, the 43-year-old and his partner, Clare Testoni, stroll the lake with their four-month-old twins, Hazel and Stella, while their three-year-old daughter, Matilda, hoons around on her push-bike. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Scores killed by RSF drone strike on mosque in besieged Sudanese city

First responders say 75 worshippers dead as paramilitaries push to capture last foothold of Sudanese army in DarfurA drone strike by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces on the besieged Sudanese city of El Fasher has killed 75 people worshipping in a mosque, first responders have said, as the group continued its push to capture the last foothold of Sudan’s army in the Darfur region.The attack, one of the deadliest this year in the city, hit the city’s al-Daraja neighbourhood, where civilians from the famine-hit Abu Shouk displacement camp had fled after it was overrun by fighters . Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Federal Reserve cuts US interest rates for first time since December

Central bank moves to set rates at range between 4 and 4.25% but decision unlikely to satisfy Donald TrumpThe US Federal Reserve cut interest rates on Wednesday, its first rate cut since December, as the central bank moved to stabilize a wobbling labor market even as Donald Trump’s tariffs continue to push up prices.Rates are now at a range of 4% to 4.25% – the lowest since November 2022. But the decision is unlikely to satisfy Trump, who has lambasted the Fed for acting “too late” and called for a far bigger cut. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago This natural rubber yoga mat lasted me a decade of daily practice

The JadeYoga Harmony helped me unlock a new form of fitness, and stuck with me for the long haulHave a buy it for life product recommendation – or disagree with our review? Email thefilter.us@theguardian.comSign up for the Filter US newsletter, your weekly guide to buying fewer, better things.The original yogis didn’t have rubber mats, or foam ones, for that matter. They had bare ground, grass mats and animal skins, if they were lucky. So when my wife suggested I spend $90 on a natural rubber yoga mat like the one she had, I balked. Is that really necessary?It turns out the answer was yes. Ten years later, I’m still using the JadeYoga Harmony mat I sprang for, and I’m no longer a skeptic, I’m an evangelist. Natural rubber provides enough cushion for comfort, enough grip to safely push my limits, and the durability of a truck tire. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago US inflation rises in August as companies push Trump tariffs cost onto consumers

New CPI update shows prices increased 2.9% over the last year, but Wall Street optimistic Fed will cut interest ratesInflation rose slightly in August as companies continued to push the cost of tariffs onto consumers.The newest update to the consumer price index (CPI), which measures a basket of goods and services, showed that prices increased 2.9% over the last year – the highest since January. Core CPI, which excludes energy and food costs, stayed stable at 3.1% after going up in July. Continue reading...

Economics

3 w. ago US inflation rises in August as firms pass Trump tariffs cost on to consumers

New CPI update shows prices increased 2.9% over the last year, but Wall Street optimistic Fed will cut interest ratesInflation rose slightly in August as companies continued to push the cost of tariffs on to consumers.The newest update to the consumer price index (CPI), which measures a basket of goods and services, showed that prices increased 2.9% over the last year – the highest since January. Core CPI, which excludes energy and food costs, stayed stable at 3.1% after going up in July. Continue reading...

Economics

4 w. ago Georgia sends troops to DC in sign that Trump's policing push will continue

Georgia is becoming the eighth state to send National Guard troops to Washington, D

Politics