Friday briefing: ​What do the cuts in aid mean for the fight against Ebola in the DRC?

• The Sudanese crisis, which began in April 2023 as a power struggle between two generals, has evolved into a complex regional proxy conflict. • Qatar is playing a significant role in the geopolitics of polarization, influencing the reengineering of power within the war-torn nation.

• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian strikes destroyed 60,000 tonnes of Russian ammunition at a Baltic Fleet arsenal near St. Petersburg and targeted key defense-industrial facilities. • Zelenskyy claimed that Moscow has been forced to shift its air defenses to protect the Kerch Bridge and the capital city of St. Petersburg.

World’s sixth-most famous duck falls short of dreamTwo-year-old must watch Czechia game from distanceMerlín the duck’s bid to see his beloved Mexico live has hit a snag after he was barred from El Tri’s match with Czechia on Wednesday.Merlín has become a folk hero in Mexico after becoming a symbol of El Tri’s World Cup campaign on home soil. His fans had launched a campaign for Merlín to attend Wednesday’s match alongside his human family. But his journey was cut short by Fifa regulations. Continue reading...

Two powerful earthquakes – with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 – sent residents running into the streets as buildings shook and collapsedVenezuela earthquake: powerful back-to-back quakes collapse buildings in capital CaracasBack-to-back powerful earthquakes hammered Venezuela on Wednesday evening, collapsing buildings in the capital of Caracas.The US Geological Survey said the first earthquake had a magnitude of 7.1 and its epicentre was west of the community of Morón, located along the country’s Caribbean coast, about 168km (104 miles) west of Caracas. The quake had a depth of 13km (8 miles). Continue reading...

Homes and buildings collapse in first magnitude 7.1 earthquake, with tremors felt in neighbouring ColombiaA strong earthquake shook north-central Venezuela on Wednesday afternoon, west ⁠of Caracas, with residents in neighbouring Colombia also reporting feeling tremors.The earthquake registered at ⁠a magnitude 7.1 ⁠in ​Venezuela, about an hour west of the city Valencia at a depth of 13km (8 miles), according to the ⁠US Geological Survey. Continue reading...

Home affairs minister Tony Burke says return permit ‘has to be issued’ following advice from agencies and lawyersFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn Australian woman linked to the Islamic State group has been given authorisation to return to Australia, after the government was advised it could no longer enforce a criminal exclusion order.The home affairs minister, Tony Burke, said the woman would face an unprecedented level of security monitoring once she arrives in the country, including constant monitoring and requirements to report to authorities regularly. Continue reading...

Sadiq Khan said procurement rules had been broken but allows police another 12 months to operate pilot in LondonThe Metropolitan police has been granted a 12-month extension to a pilot project with the spy tech firm Palantir while the force carries out a procurement process.The development comes weeks after the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, blocked a £50m deal between the Met and the US company to automate intelligence analysis in criminal investigations. Continue reading...

Experts say law not enough to stop children accessing harmful content online and more ‘convincing strategy is required’More than 80% of under-16s in Australia said they were still using social media three months after legislation banning them from it came into force, research shows.Australia is the first country to ban social media for children. Since December 2025, under-16s have been prohibited from having accounts with many social media platforms including TikTok, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat. Continue reading...

Transcript of congressional testimony shows Microsoft founder spoke of ‘veiled’ threats made by late sex offenderThe Microsoft founder Bill Gates told US members of Congress that the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein had sought to “blackmail” him over his extramarital affairs, according to a transcript of the testimony.The tech pioneer testified behind closed doors before the House oversight committee on 10 June regarding his friendship with Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 as he awaited trial for sex crimes. Continue reading...

Driver told authorities he had driver-assistance technology engaged before crash that killed 76-year-old Martha AvilaThe US government has opened a second federal investigation into a recent crash of a Tesla that reportedly had driver-assistance technology engaged, struck a Texas home and killed a resident.Meanwhile, the family of Martha Avila, the 76-year-old resident who was killed, has sued over the wreck. Continue reading...

Josue Baires Alfaro, 22, identified as victim in Nevada Fall incident that nearly claimed life of woman who tried to helpA 22-year-old visitor to Yosemite national park in California died after he was swept over a 594ft-high waterfall on Saturday, officials confirmed this week.A fellow parkgoer, Freesia Gaul, was capturing a photo when she noticed the man, reportedly identified by local authorities as Josue Baires Alfaro, in the Merced River. Continue reading...

New party dubbed Community Strong Australia follows secret talks about future of community independentsTeal independents Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender have launched a new political party called Community Strong Australia, with the aim of providing a centrist alternative for voters amid the rise of One Nation and the turmoil inside the Coalition.The party will focus on issues including housing affordability, cost of living, climate change, childcare, education, healthcare and social cohesion, according to Steggall, the member for Warringah. Continue reading...