‘It felt like being in a disaster movie’: uncertainty after evacuation from France’s Gironde wildfire

• Asian nations, including Japan, South Korea, and Australia, are increasing their own defense spending and military capabilities to shoulder more of their own security burdens. • Key developments include Japan deploying longer-range missiles, Australia investing in nuclear-powered submarines, and South Korea debating the development of its own nuclear weapons.

• President Donald Trump has signaled a readiness to take "strong military action" against Iran if upcoming diplomatic negotiations fail to produce results. • Trump emphasized a strict timeline for these talks, stating that he will not grant "much time" and that the process must either "go fast or not at all."

• Express.co.uk is providing breaking international news coverage across the US, Europe, China, and Africa. • Recent reports highlight the geopolitical strategies of Donald Trump and the Iranian government's crackdown on political opponents.

Robert Bush, owner of Legacy Independent Funeral Directors, left bodies ‘rotting away’, family members sayA fraudulent funeral director broke the trust of families on an “almost industrial scale” as their loved ones’ bodies were left “rotting away”, a court has heard.Robert Bush, owner of Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull, appeared at Hull crown court on Monday for a five-day sentencing hearing. He previously pleaded guilty to 67 offences, including 30 counts of preventing lawful and decent burial. Continue reading...

Canadian-born British operator, president of the British Puppet Guild, died after a ‘short illness’Ronnie Le Drew, best known for operating the puppet Zippy on the classic children’s television programme Rainbow has died aged 78, after a “short illness”. The news was confirmed by the British Puppet Guild, of which Le Drew was president.The Canadian-born British puppeteer was also known for working on 1986’s Labyrinth alongside David Bowie as well as 1986’s Little Shop of Horrors and various Muppet movies including in 1992’s The Muppet Christmas Carol. He worked on various iterations of Sooty, alongside both Harry Corbett and Matthew Corbett, usually as Sweep, Sooty’s sidekick. Continue reading...

PM promises lasting solution for England but Tories rule out backing changes funded by tax rises or borrowingAndy Burnham has pledged to work collaboratively with other parties to find a lasting solution on social care, though the Conservatives ruled out backing changes funded by tax rises or borrowing.Senior Labour and Liberal Democrat figures have privately cast doubt on Burnham’s ability to find a cross-party consensus on social care reform in England, given the terms of the Tories’ participation. Continue reading...

Julie Masino faced criticism as restaurant chain was called ‘woke’ and ‘soulless’ after unveiling modernized logoCracker Barrel’s CEO, Julie Masino, is stepping down, the restaurant announced Monday, nearly a year after the company was swept into a political maelstrom over proposed modernizations to its branding.Critics on social media denounced the Tennessee-based rustic restaurant chain as “woke” as well as “sterile and soulless” after it unveiled an updated logo that removed Uncle Herschel, the overall-clad man leaning against a barrel in the restaurant’s original logo, last August. Donald Trump weighed in on the updates soon after, posting: “WTF is wrong with Cracker Barrel?!” and demanding on social media that the company “admit a mistake.” Continue reading...

Judge quashes Enfield council’s decision to grant planning permission for new women and girls’ football academyA council’s decision to allow Tottenham Hotspur to build a new training facility in a park in north London has been quashed by a judge at the high court.The campaign group Guardians of Whitewebbs told a hearing in June that Enfield council’s decision to grant planning permission for a new women and girls’ football academy on 6.5 hectares (16 acres) of land in Whitewebbs Park was unlawful. Continue reading...

Appointment of three ministerial aides is first time members of Labour’s most leftwing faction have held government positionsAndy Burnham has appointed three new ministerial aides from Labour’s most leftwing faction, the first time members of the Socialist Campaign Group have been part of the government.The new chief whip, Anneliese Midgley, has also promised MPs that the government will beef up the role of ministerial aides – known as parliamentary private secretaries (PPSs) – who traditionally go under the radar, allowing them to do more media appearances, take on parliamentary roles and contribute more directly to policy direction. Continue reading...

Washington and Tehran issue conflicting messages over the status of talks to end Middle East crisisDonald Trump once again warned the US will return to “strong military action” against Iran if diplomatic efforts do not bring a rapid resolution to the crisis in the Middle East.“We are in very deep talks with Iran. If they don’t work out, we will go back to very strong military action,” the US president told Axios on Monday. Asked how long he would allow the talks to proceed, he answered: “Not much time. Either it goes fast or not at all.” Continue reading...

Salamanca City Central says it is pausing project with Realbotix as it addresses concerns including data privacyA New York school district has walked back plans to introduce a humanoid robot at its high school after the proposal sparked backlash from educators and community members.The Salamanca City Central school district announced on 24 July in a social media post that its pilot project with Toronto-based tech company Realbotix had been put on hold “while we work through enhanced student data privacy agreements with the New York State Education Department and continue engaging with our community and stakeholders”. Continue reading...

Officials talk of ‘absolutely critical’ days for firefighters before rise again from middle of the weekEurope wildfires live – latest updatesFirefighters in France and Spain are racing to bring huge wildfires under control before another heatwave later this week that will complicate efforts to tame the flames.Spain’s interior minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, said Monday and Tuesday were “absolutely crucial days” before temperatures rise again from Wednesday onwards. Continue reading...