US promises $1bn in security aid to Colombia as new rightwing president pledges drugs crackdown

• The conflict involving Iran is expanding across the Middle East, with recent attacks targeting Oman's ports and other regional locations. • Analysts suggest this widening of the war is a deliberate design intended to highlight and exploit various regional vulnerabilities.

• During a recent summit in Ankara, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte labeled China a "threat," warning that the West cannot be naive regarding Beijing's massive nuclear buildup. • The report highlights growing tensions as NATO discusses the expansion of "nuclear sharing" policies in response to China's military advancements.

• Iran-backed Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for deadly strikes targeting government military camps across two eastern provinces in Yemen. • The attacks signal an escalation in hostilities following a tenuous 2022 truce between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition.

Scientists race to untangle complex links between exposure and mortality as fire weather grows more prevalentA thousand kilometres from the infernos gorging on northern Ontario’s boreal forests, Erin O’Connor watched the sky above Canada’s biggest city turn an “almost post-apocalyptic” orange as it filled with light-scattering particles of soot and ash. Stepping outside the halls of Toronto General hospital, where air filters were keeping patients safe from the worst of the fumes, she was struck by a smell so strong it felt like standing by a campfire.“It really hit you in the face as soon as you walked outside,” said O’Connor, who runs University Health Network’s emergency department and saw a rise in patients presenting with allergies and shortness of breath. “As the days progressed, it was like that everywhere. It seemed even inside you could smell that burning.” Continue reading...

British and Germans themselves share stereotype but other nationalities are likelier to put out towels – or umbrellasGermans are sunlounger hoggers, or so the longstanding stereotype goes. But not only is that cultural trope mostly confined to British – and, even more so, German – perceptions, surprising new data reveals that in fact Italian and French holidaymakers are the ones most likely to use their towel to stake their claim to a sunlounger.A poll by YouGov of Europeans holidaymakers found that while many Germans (51%) and Britons (46%) associate Germans with the ritual of waking up at the crack of dawn to mark their spot, the perception barely exists elsewhere in Europe, with just 5-17% of those surveyed in other countries sharing the stereotype. Continue reading...

Officials describe ‘deplorable conditions’ at home run by pair linked to crematory closed due to mishandled remainsThe remains of 56 people were found improperly stored and decomposing on Thursday at a Chicago funeral home run by a couple who previously operated a crematory that was similarly shut down because of mishandled remains, authorities said.Illinois state officials, meanwhile, suspended the license of one of the funeral home’s directors, alleging bodies were being kept in an unrefrigerated area in “deplorable conditions”. Continue reading...

Rescuers not yet able to reach scene of crash near Richfield in central Utah, prompting fears for two missing peopleA firefighting Sikorsky S64 helicopter with two individuals onboard crashed on Friday morning in central Utah, according to federal aviation authorities.The US Forest Service initially declined to comment on the condition of the helicopter’s passengers, asking the public for “patience while we focus on response efforts” in a statement. Continue reading...

Former Republican state congressman, who once argued Christianity and capitalism should merge, confirmed by US Senate to fill long-vacant roleGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFormer Virginia congressman David Brat has been confirmed by the US Senate to be the next US ambassador to Australia, after the role had been left vacant for 18 months.Brat’s confirmation was among more than 70 votes pushed through the Senate by Republicans on Friday, Washington time, before the summer recess. Continue reading...

Konstantin Kontis and Vicky Kos were compelled to testify at a coronial inquest resuming on the sixth anniversary of the tragedyGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastQuiet sobs could be heard in Melbourne’s coroner’s court, as several families attended to finally hear from the pair who were the most senior managers when, throughout July and August 2020, almost a quarter of the 188 residents at St Basil’s aged care home died from Covid-19 or neglect.Following multiple failed legal bids to avoid giving evidence after 50 residents died in the Victorian aged care home they managed, Konstantin Kontis and Vicky Kos were compelled to testify at a coronial inquest resuming on the sixth anniversary of the tragedy. Continue reading...

Industry body calls for more regular reviews of repeat prescriptions to tackle ‘growing problem’The amount of wasted medicines thrown away in England in one year could fill 75 swimming pools, according to a pharmacy group.The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) estimated that 3,400 tonnes of partly used medicines were disposed of in England in 2024-25. Continue reading...

Failure to pursue line of inquiry ‘which may have been relevant’ now being investigated by police watchdog Counter-terrorism police investigating the death of Ann Widdecombe say they have re-opened an old investigation into an attempted burglary last year.The incident at an address in Greater London was reported in April 2025. Continue reading...