Democrats and Republican outraged over $40tn national debt – US politics live

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is leading recovery efforts in Venezuela following a series of earthquakes and floods. • OCHA is currently coordinating support across 80 local and international organizations, working alongside government authorities to provide relief.

• Israeli airstrikes killed at least seven Palestinians in Gaza, while a Palestinian American traveled to the West Bank to protect their home from settlers. • Tensions escalated between the U.S. and Iran after Donald Trump posted a map labeling the Strait of Hormuz as "New U.S. Territory," despite Iranian claims that the U.S. is seeking talks.

Hui Ka Yan also forfeits all his personal property and the company he set up is given hefty finesBusiness live – latest updatesThe founder of Evergrande, one of China’s largest property developers, has been sentenced to life in prison and had all of his personal property confiscated.Hui Ka Yan, 67 and once named by Forbes as China’s richest man, with a net worth of $42.5bn (£31.2bn) in 2017, pleaded guilty in April to eight charges. Continue reading...

‘Emma’ the Rotherham chatbot has 17 languages says AI firm – but health watchdog says system struggling with local ‘twangs’Patients in a South Yorkshire town are frustrated by an AI GP receptionist not understanding their “broad accents”, a health watchdog has said.Healthwatch Rotherham, a local health and social care watchdog, said a number of practices in the area had introduced a new AI receptionist called Emma. Continue reading...

Launches, detected by South Korea and Japan, came after US scaled back exercises with South Korea in apparent overture to Kim Jong-unNorth Korea launched about 10 short-range ballistic missiles towards the sea on Thursday, South Korea’s military said, a day after North Korea shrugged off Trump’s order to scale back military drills with South Korea in an apparent bid to resume diplomacy.The joint chiefs of staff said the launches happened from North Korea’s capital region around 5pm (0800 GMT) on Thursday. The military said the missiles were launched towards North Korea’s eastern waters. Continue reading...

Israeli military orders criminal investigation into deaths of Hind and six family members. Plus, FCC chair Brendan Carr’s close coordination with White House revealedGood morning.The Israeli military admitted on Wednesday its troops had opened fire on a car carrying five-year-old Hind Rajab and six family members in Gaza in 2024, saying it had ordered a criminal investigation into the killing.What prompted the investigation? The Israel Defense Forces repeatedly denied its troops had been in the area, but investigations by the media and others found evidence that strongly suggested nearby Israeli tanks were responsible.How significant is it? The IDF published reviews on Wednesday into five high-profile incidents in Gaza. But criminal misconduct investigations into Israeli troops over the killing of Palestinians rarely lead to convictions. A UN report published in February described “a pervasive climate of impunity” by Israel in occupied Palestine.What is the wider context? In September last year, a UN commission found that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, citing tens of thousands of civilian deaths and massive destruction.What did Béjar say in his testimony? That his job often included him briefing Meta’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, on product issues. He estimated that he spoke to Zuckerberg at least 100 times. One email Béjar sent to Zuckerberg in 2021 showed the engineer warning of constant reports of harmful content and damage to teenage wellbeing on Facebook and Instagram. Béjar said he emailed Zuckerberg after the chief exrecutive publicly said the company did not prioritize profit over safety. Meta denies all allegations in the case. Continue reading...

The 18-year-old’s body was found in Nattai national park on Thursday – but initial police messages indicated she had been found alivePolice have blamed dense bushland and radio confusion for wrongly reporting to 18-year-old Lily Hooper’s parents, the New South Wales premier and the media that the missing bushwalker had been found alive.Hooper had last been seen on 12 August after leaving home for a hike in the rugged bushland of Nattai national park, 90km south-west of Sydney. She was reported missing that night, triggering a multi-agency search involving nearly 1,000 people, including hundreds of volunteers. Continue reading...

Prolonged detention of children, insufficient staffing and hazardous damage to buildings are among the ombudsman’s concernsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastDrugs are being openly dealt inside Villawood detention centre; makeshift weapons are being manufactured amid intimidation, standover tactics and a “culture of fear”; people are sleeping outside under CCTV cameras for their own safety; and children are being kept from going to school, a scathing report from the independent monitor has found.The commonwealth’s National Preventive Mechanism issued the report based on a three-day visit in March this year. A total of 428 people were held in Villawood at the time, including children. Some 78 beds were offline because of damage still not repaired from a fire three years ago. Continue reading...

Improvements in fire management however could mitigate increases by more than 70%, study showsWildfires are projected to burn 39% more of Europe by the end of the century even in the best-case scenario for stopping the planet from heating, a study has found, unless action is taken to manage them better.The increase in hot, dry and windy weather that leads to small fires turning into raging infernos is to engulf more of Europe as carbon pollution pushes temperatures higher. In the worst-case scenario the researchers modelled, which would see global heating reach 3.6C above preindustrial levels, the burnt area would almost triple. Continue reading...

Inflation deterring shoppers from spending, especially in the US, says sportswear fashion chain Sports fashion retailer JD has slashed its profit forecasts as cost-of-living pressures, fuelled by the US war on Iran, weighed on sales of trainers.JD Sports, which sells a range of sports brands including Nike and Adidas, said widespread inflation had hit shoppers’ wallets, resulting in falling sales across important markets such as the US, where it struggled to quickly shift trainers and other footwear. Continue reading...

In a strongly worded statement, the Australian woman’s family says IDF announcement is an ‘insult’ to her memoryGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe family of the slain Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom has described a decision by the Israel Defense Forces not to open a criminal investigation into her death as deeply disappointing, and called on the government to push for the release of evidence, including audio from the drone strike.Israel’s decision prompted outrage from Australia on Thursday. The country’s ambassador to Australia, Hillel Newman, was called in by the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, while the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, expressed “outrage” and insisted he would press for justice for Frankcom and her colleagues. Continue reading...