US should judge UK on its actions, not on social media exchanges, defence secretary says

• The U.S. and Iran have held separate meetings in Qatar, agreeing to maintain ongoing discussions to address diplomatic tensions. • A separate report highlights that Donald Trump earned tens of millions of dollars from properties in countries reliant on U.S. military support or seeking tariff relief.

• Rebel fighters besieging El Obeid, Sudan, are using drone attacks that have put approximately 500,000 civilians at risk of large-scale atrocities. • The ongoing conflict has displaced over 14 million people internally and pushed millions toward famine while severely limiting humanitarian access.

• British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has significantly increased funding for the U.K. military in one of his final major acts of office. • The decision to boost weapons spending on Tuesday prioritizes military expansion over domestic welfare programs.

• Venezuela's healthcare system has reached a breaking point following two powerful earthquakes that struck the country nearly a week ago. • The government reports that the death toll has surpassed 1,900 people, while thousands of displaced citizens are currently living in unsanitary conditions.

• Professor C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU), and MP Dr. Shashi Tharoor addressed the Japanese parliament. • The event took place on the eve of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's official visit to India to strengthen bilateral relations.

• Prof Raj Kumar and Shashi Tharoor addressed Japan's National Diet to discuss strengthening the strategic partnership between India and Japan. • The discussions focused on leveraging education and parliamentary diplomacy as key pillars to deepen bilateral ties beyond traditional crisis management.

Rebels shoot pilot and set his civilian ⁠plane on fire amid long-running low-level battle for independence in regionSeparatist rebels in Indonesia’s restive easternmost region of Papua have shot dead an American pilot and set a civilian ⁠plane on fire, in what a spokesperson for a local militant group described as a “message” to the US and Indonesian governments.Sebby Sambom, ⁠a spokesperson for the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), named the pilot as Nicholas F Gosselin and said separatist fighters set his ⁠plane on fire after it landed in the Yahukimo region of Highland Papua province. Continue reading...

Pennsylvania families note promised investment has yet to deliver safer mills or cleaner air in the Mon ValleyIt was two days before Father’s Day, and Trisha Quinn was wondering how her six, 12 and 17-year-old nieces and nephews would handle the first of many without their dad.Timothy Quinn, 39, worked at the Clairton Coke Works plant south of Pittsburgh, one of US Steel’s biggest production sites and the largest of its kind in the western hemisphere, for 18 years. Last August, he and colleague, Steven Menefee, were killed there in an explosion. Continue reading...

Julie Inman Grant singles out X when giving evidence to royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesionGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMainstream platforms are fighting to distribute and monetise “gore” and “fringe” content, the eSafety watchdog has told the antisemitism royal commission.Australia’s eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, on Thursday singled out X, telling the inquiry her office has to fight its billionaire owner, Elon Musk, to try to keep footage – including some posted of the Bondi terror attack – restricted or off the platform. Continue reading...

Weather this year has encouraged smaller but earlier cropping of sweet and bountiful fruit in gardens, RHS saysIf your bowl of strawberries and cream tastes particularly sweet this year, you’re not mistaken.It is a bumper summer for strawberries, with the recent weather conditions making them more abundant and delicious than ever, according to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). Continue reading...

Retailer says sharp rise in fan sales over the latest heatwave weekend left stores scrambling to source stockBusiness live – latest updatesThe boss of Currys has said supplies of air conditioning and fans are “tight” ahead of another UK heatwave, expected next week, after a boom in sales sent retailers scrambling to source new stock.Alex Baldock, chief executive of the electrical goods retailer, said cooling kit had been “flying off the shelves” during June’s record heatin England. Sales of fans were up nearly 3,000% over the most recent heatwave weekend compared with a week earlier, while air conditioning sales increased 330%. Continue reading...

More than 100 million people could be affected in week leading to 4 July, with increased risks of droughts and wildfiresMeteorologists are anticipating a tumultuous summer that could rank as one of the US’s hottest ever.New data released on Tuesday showed the first six months of the year were the hottest ever measured for parts of eight western states. Continue reading...