Martha Lillard, last known US polio survivor using iron lung, dies aged 78

• Renewed hostilities between the US and Iran, alongside Israel's ongoing military campaigns, are increasing the risk of a wider Middle East conflict. • These geopolitical tensions are triggering global energy and food security crises, which threaten to cause drastic economic growth deceleration in the Philippines.

• US-Iran tensions have escalated following a ship attack in the Strait of Hormuz, marking the most significant military surge since the last ceasefire. • The conflict erupted shortly after Oman proposed a diplomatic solution to allow vessels to use both Omani and Iranian shipping lanes without additional approvals.

• Iran's state news agency, IRNA, reported that 10 to 11 enemy projectiles struck Qeshm Island on Sunday. • The attack targeted a strategic location within the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global artery for oil and shipping.

• Gulf nations are currently navigating a "grey zone" between war and peace, where traditional crisis management is no longer sufficient to ensure stability. • National security is now inextricably linked to development, with financial centers, energy projects, and global ports serving as critical pillars of power.

Fire in Walthamstow producing a ‘significant amount of smoke’, says London fire brigadeMore than 100 firefighters are tackling a fire at a railway embankment in east London.Twenty-five fire engines and about 125 firefighters were called to the incident near Vallentin Road in Walthamstow. Continue reading...

Israeli ambassador to US accuses Ro Khanna of political stunt to distract from support for Graham PlatnerRo Khanna accused the Israeli government and military of “lying” on Sunday about the US congressman’s detention by armed settlers and Israeli soldiers during a recent visit to the Israeli-occupied West Bank.Khanna – a California Democrat – had posted video evidence on social media of Israeli settlers and soldiers blocking the path of his convoy on Wednesday in the South Hebron hills, near the village of Zanuta, where Israelis have driven Palestinians from their homes in what Amnesty International calls a government-backed “ethnic cleansing campaign”. Continue reading...

Politicians should not comment before facts are established, says former chief constable, after Farage describes killing as ‘premeditated murder’Senior police figures and politicians have warned against speculation during the murder investigation into Ann Widdecombe’s death, after detectives said there was “nothing to suggest” political motivation after an intervention from Nigel Farage.Devon and Cornwall police said on Sunday the killing investigation was not being treated as terrorism nor as politically motivated. Officers said they remained open-minded about the motive and urged the public not to speculate, warning it was both unhelpful to the investigation and distressing for Widdecombe’s family. Continue reading...

Youngsters confirmed safe but men pronounced dead after being brought out of water at Seaton Carew, HartlepoolTwo men have died after going into the water at a beach in County Durham to try to help two children who had gotten into difficulty, police said.Officers were called at about 3.45pm on Sunday after concerns were raised about two youngsters in the water at Seaton Carew beach in Hartlepool. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Party’s average registered donation was £137, 496 last year, almost six times that of Labour or ToriesReform UK would have held just 15% of the donations it received last year if a proposed £100,000 cap on political donations had been in force, according to analysis shared with the Guardian.The analysis by Friends of the Earth using Electoral Commission data highlights the party’s reliance on a handful of wealthy backers in advance of a showdown over political funding. Continue reading...

Political leaders in both countries rebuke Mariano Rajoy after he writes team ‘does not have any French players’The former Spanish conservative prime minister Mariano Rajoy is facing growing accusations of racism after writing in a World Cup newspaper column that the French national team “does not have any French players”.Rajoy, who was in office from 2011 to 2018, pondered Spain’s looming semi-final showdown with France in an article for the online newspaper El Debate on Friday. Continue reading...

Man reportedly seriously injured by the bison, described as ‘agitated’ and ‘charging anything’ by photographerAn enraged, 2,000lb (900kg) bull bison hooked a tourist and tossed him 8ft into the air at a campsite in Wyoming’s Yellowstone national park on Friday – an encounter captured by a professional photographer who said the animal was “agitated, pissed off and charging anything and everything”.The tourist was reported to be seriously injured by the male bison while walking with his grandson through the Bridge Bay campground, south of Fishing Bridge. Continue reading...