US stock market hits record highs as AI profits pile and oil prices ease

• Air strikes, shelling, and shooting continued in Gaza over the weekend, resulting in dozens of casualties, including civilians, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. • Gaza’s Ministry of Health reported over 150 fatalities during July, marking the highest monthly death toll recorded so far this year.

Dogs Trust points to hundreds of incidents over recent years, some involving deaths of pets or peopleWith its gentle rippling water, tall purple flowers and rustling trees, Earlswood Lakes near Solihull in the West Midlands seems the perfect spot for dogs to paddle. But their owners have been warned that the otherwise idyllic open water could prove perilous to pets.“We’ve had all this hot weather and millions of families are now spending time around open bodies of water, and it’s easy to not realise the dangers,” said Emma-Jane Thomas, rehoming manager at Dogs Trust Kenilworth during a walk around Earlswood. Continue reading...

Official action by regulator for England and Wales comes after formal complaint made by Labour MP about the fundsAn official investigation has been launched into charities in England and Wales donating funds to illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine.The Charity Commission will aim to establish the amount of charitable funds going to illegal settlements, whether the spending was in furtherance of their purposes and any regulatory action that may be necessary. Continue reading...

UK’s Secret Intelligence Service praised for playing long game and having ‘a taste for dirty tricks’MI6 has been ranked as the most powerful foreign intelligence service in Europe ahead of France and the Netherlands, according to a peer review.The British intelligence agency scored 251 points in the research and was commended for its expertise in recruiting high-level informants and penetrating the ruling elites in Russia, China, Iran and Turkey, according to the review by 60 professionals from 25 countries. Continue reading...

Airline says struggling to find room in overhead lockers on planes a ‘stressful part of the airport experience’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastJetstar will charge its passengers up to $52 to put carry-on baggage in the overhead locker, in a major change to the budget airline’s carry-on rules.In a press release on Wednesday morning, the airline announced it would remove the 7kg weight limit for carry-on bags, beginning in February 2027. There will still be size restrictions. Continue reading...

Louise Haigh says taxpayer money must benefit local communities amid backlash from environmental groupsMinisters will scrap the requirement for companies to prove their green and progressive values before they are awarded government contracts, and instead ask firms to prove they will help young people back into work.As part of a government push to reduce the number of people not in education, employment or training (Neets) in the UK and boost regional growth, public sector buyers will double the consideration they give to whether companies will get more people into jobs, rather than if they can show they are improving social and environmental wellbeing. Government procurement contracts account for about £90bn of taxpayers’ money spent each year. Continue reading...

Airline removes carry-on weight limit but will charge for bags that don’t fit under seat. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGood morning, and happy Wednesday. Nick Visser here bright and early. Here’s what’s on deck.Jetstar will make it more difficult for travellers to bring carry-on baggage onboard an aircraft. The company will remove its 7kg carry-on weight limits, but impose a size-based model that will allow customers to bring just one underseat bag. An overhead bag will now cost. Continue reading...

Ruling vacates convictions of founder Stewart Rhodes and other militia members who took part in 2021 Capitol attackA US judge on Tuesday granted the justice department’s bid to dismiss cases against ‌members of the rightwing Oath Keepers militia who took part in the January 6 2021 attack ​on the US Capitol, according to a ​court filing.The ruling from Washington-based US district judge Amit Mehta tosses out convictions ​of Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and other ​members of the group who were convicted of seditious conspiracy for plotting to stop the transfer of ​power after Donald Trump lost the ​2020 election. Continue reading...

After a bumpy confirmation hearing, Clayton replaces acting director Bill Pulte to head US intelligence agenciesUS politics live – latest updatesJay Clayton has been sworn in as the US’s top spy after a contentious Senate confirmation hearing during which ⁠he refused to directly ⁠acknowledge ​that Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election.The oath of office was administered to Clayton on Tuesday by the treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, in the Oval Office as the president looked on and applauded. He becomes the ninth director of national intelligence, replacing Tulsi Gabbard, who stepped down in June. Continue reading...

The company will release its second quarter earnings on Tuesday, giving investors a look at its potential profitFor the first time since SpaceX went public, the world will get a first-hand look into the trillion-dollar corporation’s financials. The Elon Musk-run business will report its second quarter earnings on Tuesday, while nervous investors look to gain more insight into the rocket ship company’s potential for profit.SpaceX had a blockbuster initial public offering in June with the largest-ever stock market debut in history. The IPO transformed SpaceX into a $2tn company and briefly crowned Musk the world’s first trillionaire. But since then, the company’s stock has plummeted by 24%, erasing nearly $500bn in market cap. Continue reading...

Mount Vernon official is accused of driving getaway car after son allegedly opened fire outside Bronx courtA New York state police department fired its deputy commissioner on Tuesday after she allegedly acted as a getaway driver for her son in what is being investigated as an attempted murder.The city of Mount Vernon said in an Instagram post that it had terminated Jennifer Lackard, deputy police commissioner for safety, for conduct “unrelated to her duties”. Continue reading...