El Niño expected to develop in coming months, bringing hotter and drier weather to eastern Australia

• UN Assistant Secretary-General Mohamed Khaled Khiari warned the Security Council on Monday that recent deadly drone and missile attacks in Ukraine signal a "dangerous cycle of escalation" in the ongoing war. • Edem Wosornu, crisis response director at OCHA, emphasized that the decisions made by the Council are critical and will directly determine whether lives are saved or lost.

• Vice President JD Vance announced on Monday that high-level talks in Switzerland between the U.S. and Iran have established a "good foundation" for a deal to end the war. • As a key outcome of the marathon negotiations, Tehran has agreed to allow United Nations nuclear inspectors to return to the country.

• JD Vance stated that recent discussions with Iranian officials in Switzerland have established a "good foundation" for a potential deal to end the ongoing war. • The talks represent a diplomatic effort to stabilize regional tensions through direct engagement between the U.S. and Iran.

• U.S. officials, including JD Vance, met with representatives from Iran, Pakistan, and Qatar at a Swiss resort for a first round of talks to end the current conflict. • Iran reaffirmed its commitment to not procure or develop nuclear weapons, a primary catalyst for the attacks initiated by Donald Trump.

Review shows majority of procedures offered alongside standard IVF not backed by reliable evidence Most IVF “add-on” treatments sold to people hoping to boost their chances of having children are not backed by reliable evidence, fail to boost fertility and may be a complete waste of money, the largest study of its kind has concluded.There has been a surge in extra procedures, medicines or techniques offered to patients in addition to standard IVF with bold claims they will increase the probability of success. Take-up is widespread, with more than 70% of IVF patients in the UK, Australia and New Zealand paying for one or more add-on during IVF treatment.Acupuncture – inserting thin needles into points on the body.Corticosteroids – medication to reduce inflammation and suppress immune system activity.Endometrial receptivity testing – a biopsy of the uterine lining to assess gene expression patterns.Intralipid infusion – a liquid containing fats that is administered into the blood.Intraovarian injection of platelet-rich plasma – injecting platelet-rich plasma into the ovaries.Intrauterine infusion of platelet-rich plasma – insertion of platelet-rich plasma into the uterus.Pre-implantation genetic testing for aneuploidy – a screening test to check whether embryos have the expected number of chromosomes.EmbryoGlue – an embryo transfer medium containing hyaluronic acid. The evidence review found it may increase the probability of pregnancy and live birth; however, the effect on live birthrates was not robust.Endometrial scratching – a minor procedure undertaken to scratch or disturb the lining of the uterus. The review found this may increase the probability of pregnancy and live birth.Physiological intracytoplasmic sperm injection (PICSI) – a technique used to select sperm based on their ability to bind to hyaluronic acid. There was weak evidence this may lower the risk of miscarriage. Continue reading...

Curtin University researchers use innovative techniques to date three-billion-year-old impact crater in Pilbara regionA meteorite that struck Earth three billion years ago left behind a “smoking gun” – evidence of the world’s oldest impact crater in a remote part of Australia.Ancient rocks in Western Australia’s Pilbara region record the event, which occurred during the Archean eon, a period 4 to 2.5 billion years ago, when tectonic plates were beginning to form and early life emerging. Continue reading...

Anthony Albanese presided over ceremony in Canberra last night. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA major new gallery at the Australian War Memorial will keep the “flame of memory” burning for future generations, the prime minister told the opening ceremony in Canberra last night, Australian Associated Press reports.Anthony Albanese was among those on hand last night for the opening of the memorial’s atrium and Anzac Hall, a gallery that focuses mainly on Australia’s commitments to the Middle East, Afghanistan and peacekeeping operations.That most unadorned of sentences that dwells within us like a heartbeat – we vow to keep the flame of memory burning so brightly that its glow reaches future generations.Today we adjourned the parliament so that everyone who wished to could come mark the opening of this Atrium and Anzac Hall, an addition to the Australian War Memorial that makes that flame burns so much brighter.Look at the faces and get lost amid the smiles, the hope and camaraderie – the counterpoint to war’s relentless, inhuman arithmetic. They are its true cost.Yet, amid this loss and sacrifice, what pulses so powerfully is life, and an abiding sense of what is worth fighting for. Continue reading...

Four Republicans joined Democrats to back a measure seeking to limit the US president’s military authorityUS politics live – latest updatesThe US Senate on Tuesday approved a war powers resolution preventing Donald Trump from continuing the conflict with Iran, delivering the president a significant but symbolic rebuke over a conflict that has proven unpopular with the US public.The resolution passed by a 50-48 vote, with four Republicans – Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Rand Paul of Kentucky – breaking with their party to vote in favor. John Fetterman, of Pennsylvania, was the sole Democrat to vote against it. Continue reading...

The vehicle was using an automated driving feature at high speed and killed a 76-year-old woman standing in the homeSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailThe top US auto regulator opened an investigation on Monday after a Tesla using an automated driving feature slammed into a Texas home at high speed and killed a 76-year-old woman standing inside.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it’s opening a special investigation into the Tesla Model 3 crash on Friday near Houston, a significant investigation because the car was using technology that Elon Musk considers key to his company’s future. Continue reading...

Report says by aiming at children Israel is undermining capacity of Palestinian people to existIsrael continues to commit genocide by deliberately targeting Palestinian children in Gaza, an ⁠independent UN inquiry has found.The report by the UN independent international commission of inquiry examined violations against Palestinian children since the start of the war in Gaza, and said about 30% of those killed by Israeli forces have been children. Continue reading...

Dan Jarvis, who took role earlier this month, is said to have secured billion more for plan than predecessorDan Jarvis, the new defence secretary, promised to publish the delayed defence investment plan (Dip) before the Nato summit in a fortnight amid indications he has already secured around a billion more than his predecessor, John Healey.Haggling between the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Treasury is continuing – while a source in Andy Burnham’s team said he was happy for a final deal to be concluded while Keir Starmer serves out his last days as prime minister. Continue reading...

Temperature on Tuesday hits high of 34.6C in Surrey, England, with heatwave forecast to get more intense on Wednesday and ThursdaySearing heat has swept the UK with schools, hospitals, transport networks and water companies struggling to cope with the extreme temperatures caused by climate breakdown.Temperatures hit highs of 34.6C in Wisley in Surrey, the Met Office said on Tuesday, with the UN chief warning that London was “cooking”.Reduced rail speeds and services;Hospital patient appointments cancelled;School closures across southern England and Wales;Hosepipe bans in south-east England;Spikes in sales of fans, ice-cream makers and sun cream. Continue reading...