Will brutal wildfires force French leaders to take climate crisis seriously?

• Iran utilized a three-day lull in bombings and Omani mediation as a tactical respite to replenish missile launchers and prepare a surprise attack. • The situation escalated rapidly within the last 24 hours, resulting in the largest wave of U.S. strikes against the Revolutionary Guard since the conflict began.

• The provided text argues that peace diplomacy should not be measured by quantitative metrics or traditional weighing systems. • The core objective of these diplomatic efforts is to prevent the onset of conflicts and wars, reduce escalation during active hostilities, and facilitate post-war rebuilding.

• Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility on Thursday for an attack on a US military base located in Kuwait as part of "Operation Nasr-2." • In a retaliatory move, US air strikes targeting Iran's Zanjan province resulted in the deaths of at least three IRGC members.

• A coal mine explosion in Pakistan has resulted in at least 11 deaths, with dozens of miners still trapped underground. • Rescue operations are underway to locate survivors and extract those remaining in the mine following the blast.

• India has intensified its campaign for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as of July 30, 2026. • The bid is centered on the new SHANTI framework, which emphasizes Security, Humanitarian assistance, Anti-terrorism, Technology, and Infrastructure.

London-based company to sell local loan portfolio to Blackstone, but will continue private and institutional banking servicesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe London-headquartered HSBC is closing all Australian branches over the next 18 months after selling its local mortgage and personal loan portfolio to global asset giant Blackstone.The transaction will end HSBC’s decades-long retail presence in Australia, although it will continue to operate private and institutional banking services, the company said on Friday. Continue reading...

Pre-programmed flights gather data at different altitudes then return to bases to recharge and downloadWeather happens in the boundary layer, the atmosphere from ground level to a few thousand metres, but this can be difficult to study in detail: weather stations are too low, and aircraft are expensive. Instrumented weather balloons are the traditional solution, and thousands are released every day. But these are at the mercy of the wind and use irreplaceable helium.Drones offer an alternative and the US company Meteomatics has taken the idea further with Meteobase, a base station on the ground with a drone that can be launched and recovered automatically. It carries out a pre-programmed flight, gathering data at different altitudes, then returns to recharge and download data which the Meteobase sends to researchers. Continue reading...

Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos was found guilty of two counts of assault and not guilty of three of six counts of rapeA British musician and YouTube personality on trial for allegedly violently raping a fan in a Perth hotel has been acquitted of three sexual penetration charges.But the jury found rapper Yung Filly guilty of two assault offences over his September 2024 encounter with a 20-year-old woman after a show. Continue reading...

Geoffrey Watson criticises Victorian government as union administrator warns of ongoing criminality on construction sitesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIntegrity expert Geoffrey Watson SC says “nobody” from the Victorian Labor government has contacted him about his bombshell report alleging corruption in the construction union which he estimated cost taxpayers at least $15bn, as its administrator warned “criminality” still exists in the sector.Watson’s Rotting from the Top report was commissioned by a former administrator of the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) and was tendered during a Queensland inquiry into the CFMEU in February. Continue reading...

Leftwing Democrats are having their moment in the sun, with Zohran Mamdani in New York, Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and endless calls for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to run for president in 2028. Has Democratic socialism shifted from the political fringe to the mainstream? And can this group lure back the all-important swing voters?Jonathan Freedland speaks to Bhaskar Sunkara, president of the Nation magazine, founding editor of Jacobin and author of The Socialist Manifesto: The Case for Radical Politics in an Era of Extreme InequalitiesArchive: AP, ReutersWatch Jonathan Freedland on our new Politics Weekly YouTube channelSend your questions and feedback to [email protected] support the Guardian. Go to theguardian.com/politicspodus Continue reading...

Queensland police fine driver of another car that allegedly caused Yaris to swerve before it hit kerb and catapulted into air – and busA Queensland driver has been fined after being involved in a stunning crash that saw a car become airborne and then stuck in the side of a bus.The drama unfolded at Rocklea in Brisbane’s south on Wednesday evening. A blue Toyota Yaris hit a traffic island and was catapulted into the air before smashing into the side of the council bus. The back of the car was left protruding from the bus. Continue reading...