#BREAKING Mitch Cairns: Archibald for portrait of artist Agatha Gothe-Snape; CLIP

#BREAKING: Sydney artist Mitch Cairns has been awarded the $100,000 Archibald Prize for his portrait of artist Agatha Gothe-Snape. #newsday http://pic.twitter.com/NZdSRNLnEJ

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) July 28, 2017

SHOCKING Google’s anti-competitive behavior. Online shoppers get higher prices because of tactics

Online shoppers see higher prices because of the company’s tactics.

After an extensive investigation, the European Union found last week that Google has, for many years, violated European antitrust law by rigging its general search results to favor its own comparison shopping service over rivals. But a recent Post editorial faults the E.U. for imposing a $2.7 billion fine on the company.

The editorial board questioned whether Google’s conduct hurt either competitors (who were just “unlucky,” according to The Post) or consumers. It claimed that users “may well prefer to see” Google’s results first and that the fine “seems to be a case of punishment without crime.”

This view ignores the facts. Google painstakingly executed a strategy to increase its search-ad revenue by making it both possible and necessary for merchants to raise prices to consumers, as a review of studies from the E.U., the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and others show. And as a result, Google’s ad revenue has soared at the expense of its users…

Source: You should be outraged at Google’s anti-competitive behavior – The Washington Post

F-35 stealth fighter may be toothless tiger

F-35 stealth fighter may be toothless tiger.

THE shooting down of a Syrian fighter jet may have exposed a fatal flaw with Australia’s next generation aircraft, the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter.

Details have begun to emerge about Sunday’s incident, which saw two US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornets engage a Syrian Su-22 fighter in the skies near the Islamic State capital of Raqqa.

It was the first time a US combat jet has shot down a manned aircraft since 1999.

But things did not go to plan.

According to the marketing and lobbying of manufacturers, modern US air-to-air missiles have a claimed ‘kill’ ratio of almost 100 per cent.

But one of the missiles fired at the Cold War veteran missed…

MORE: Shooting down Syrian Su-22 reveals F-35 design flaw | Perth Now

Andy Murray: Margaret Court’s homophobic comments are offensive, players would be offended by Court’s behaviour

Andy Murray on Tuesday entered the debate on the possible renaming of the Australian Open’s second-biggest playing arena, which has been prompted by homophobic comments from its famous namesake, Margaret Court.

While Murray stopped short of supporting the putative boycott suggested by Australian No 1 Sam Stosur, he did predict that players would be offended by Court’s behaviour – which now includes refusing to fly on Qantas Airlines because its chief executive supports gay marriage.

“I don’t see why anyone has a problem with two people who love each other getting married,” Murray said…

MORE: Andy Murray: Margaret Court’s homophobic comments are offensive

The Walking Dead season 7 finale won’t end on a cliffhanger

Last year’s finale of The Walking Dead ended on a cliffhanger so huge that fans felt the need to complain for six months straight. Thankfully for them, it seems like the same won’t be happening again.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, showrunner Scott Gimple said: “Doing it again in the same way isn’t what we do. We did a big cliffhanger at the end of season four. We tried to mix it up and not go back to that because there is a definitive conclusion to the end of the season.”

MORE: The Walking Dead season 7 finale won’t end on a cliffhanger | The Independent

2 Revamps of Obamacare’s give Republicans a political problem. Neither looks certain to work

It is far from clear that the Republican plan will work.

FOR such an important bill, it has an unusually simple name. On March 6th Republicans in the House unveiled—and President Donald Trump endorsed—the American Health Care Act (AHCA). The bill would overhaul Obamacare (full title: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act), which Republicans have decried since its passage in 2010. Obamacare had two main ingredients: an expansion of Medicaid (health insurance for the poor); and a reform of the so-called “individual” health-insurance market, which serves those who are not covered through an employer. The AHCA would revamp both. Each revamp gives Republicans a political problem. Neither looks certain to work…

The new bill would, in stages, remove federal funding for Medicaid’s expansion after 2020. At the same time, it would change how the federal government funds health care for those left in the programme. Currently, Washington helps pick up the tab for the medical expenses of those enrolled, chipping in a little more than half the total bill. The AHCA would instead give states a fixed payment for each person, and link it to medical inflation. States could choose how to spend the money.

MORE: Medicine or poison?: Amending Obamacare could break parts of America’s health-insurance market | The Economist

Russia overtakes Saudi Arabia as the world’s largest producer of crude oil

Russia overtakes Saudi Arabia as the world’s largest producer of crude oil

Source: Russia overtakes Saudi Arabia as the world’s largest producer of crude oil | The Independent

Mother who made abortion legal in US then fought to ban it has died

Norma McCorvey maintained her anonymity under the pseudonym of Jane Roe, and ushered in the landmark 1973 court decision of Roe vs Wade that legalised abortion in America.

Source: Mother who made abortion legal in US then fought to ban it | Daily Mail Online