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Nepali and Chinese authorities confirmed an updated death toll of at least 810 on Sunday. Follow the day’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe government will send $3 million in additional aid to Nepal, the foreign affairs minister Penny Wong has announced, bringing the total package to $8 million.Of this additional aid, the Australian defence force will coordinate $2m worth of hygiene kits, solar lighting and other emergency supplies following a request from Nepal’s government.The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) will transport the first of these supplies from Queensland in the coming days. Continue reading...

• Big tech companies have invested over $1 trillion into AI infrastructure, with an additional $745 billion in spending projected for 2026 alone. • Critics argue that these massive investments are focused on "Second Wave" Large Language Models (LLMs), which they claim are fundamentally and systemically flawed. • The current spending trend highlights a growing tension between corporate profit motives and the need for a "Third Wave" of Contextual Adaptation.

Defense secretary and chair of the joint chiefs face Senate appropriations committee to continue Iran war effortUS defense secretary Pete Hegseth walked into the Senate on Tuesday to defend the Trump administration’s $87.6bn supplemental funding request, facing lawmakers furious that the US-Israel war on Iran is costing far more than the White House has admitted.Hegseth and the chair of the joint chiefs, Gen Dan Caine, faced the Senate appropriations committee, chaired by Susan Collins of Maine, as the Pentagon said it is running low on cash to keep the fight going. Of the total request, $67.1bn of the request is earmarked specifically to keep the war effort funded. Continue reading...

• President Trump has ordered an additional round of military strikes against Iran while reiterating the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. • In a significant policy shift, Trump has reversed his previous announcement regarding a 20-percent tariff. • These escalations signal a heightened military and economic confrontation between the U.S. and Iran, further destabilizing regional tensions.

• Singapore's IMDA and MDDI have approved 50 additional screenings of the film *Dear You* in the Teochew dialect to celebrate the language as a valued part of the nation's cultural heritage. • The screenings will run from July 3 to 26 at Golden Village outlets in Vivocity, Yishun, Bishan, Tampines, and Jurong Point, with tickets available starting June 29. • Directed by Lan Hongchun, the film explores two timelines: a grandson's search for his grandfather in present-day Thailand and a man's migration from China to Southeast Asia in the 1940s.

• Amazon has announced an additional $13 billion investment in India's cloud and AI infrastructure, raising its total committed spending in the country to $48 billion. • The funding is slated for deployment through 2030, focusing on expanding the nation's digital capabilities and AI ecosystem. • This move underscores Amazon's strategic effort to compete in the rapidly growing Indian market and support the country's digital transformation.

• Amazon will invest an additional $13 billion in India over the next four years, bringing its total planned spending on AI and cloud infrastructure to $21 billion by 2030. • The announcement followed a June 25 meeting in New Delhi between Amazon CEO Andy Jassy and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. • Funds will expand AWS data center capacity in Mumbai and Hyderabad, providing Indian startups and government agencies access to custom Trainium chips and AI services.

Review comes after Combs was sentenced last year in New York to 50 months in prison on charges related to transporting women for prostitutionAuthorities in Los Angeles are reviewing additional sexual assault allegations against Sean “Diddy” Combs, who is serving a federal prison sentence.In a statement to multiple outlets on Tuesday, a spokesperson for Nathan Hochman, the Los Angeles county district attorney, confirmed that the office is reviewing the allegations, saying: “In the fall of 2025, LAPD and LASD each presented a separate sexual assault investigation for one victim to the LA county district attorney’s office.”Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organizations. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html Continue reading...

• XBOW, a leader in autonomous offensive security, raised $35 million in additional Series C financing with Samsung Ventures participating, announced on May 8, 2026. • Foley & Lardner LLP represented Samsung Ventures in the deal, bolstering XBOW's capabilities in AI-driven cybersecurity operations. • The funding arrives amid rising demand for advanced security tools, emphasizing the growing importance of autonomous systems in threat detection and response.

• North Korea has deployed an additional 10,000 troops to support Russian forces in Ukraine, escalating foreign involvement in the conflict as fighting intensifies along multiple fronts. • South Korean intelligence reports indicate the troops are equipped with advanced weaponry and are positioned in the Kursk region; this represents a significant expansion of Pyongyang's military commitment to Moscow. • The deployment raises concerns among US and allied officials about the global implications of expanding proxy conflicts and potential technology transfers between Russia and North Korea.

• NATO announced Friday the deployment of 5,000 additional personnel to Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, citing concerns over Russian military buildups near the Ukraine border and increased reconnaissance flights in NATO airspace. • The alliance activated contingency protocols allowing individual member states to request reinforcements without full consensus; Poland alone will receive 2,500 troops, primarily from the United States and Germany. • Russia's Foreign Ministry condemned the deployment as "provocative" and pledged countermeasures, while NATO Secretary-General stated the move was "defensive and proportional" to regional security threats.

• The CDC reported six more US children died from influenza last week, bringing the season's pediatric flu deaths to 149 as respiratory virus activity slows nationwide. • About 85% of deceased children with known vaccination status were unvaccinated, with flu positivity in labs dropping to 4.7% and hospitalizations falling to 1.3 per 100,000 people. • Influenza B now predominates after surpassing A viruses, with high wastewater levels of RSV, influenza B, rotavirus, and norovirus signaling ongoing risks.

• The US Navy sent two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers through the Taiwan Strait on April 8, 2026, in a freedom of navigation operation challenging Chinese claims. • Beijing scrambled 20 fighter jets in response, with state media labeling it 'provocation'; no collisions reported. • This escalation underscores US commitment to Taiwan's defense, critical for semiconductor supply chains worth $500 billion annually.

• A UN report released April 5, 2026, warns of famine in Sudan affecting 25 million people, prompting the US to announce $500 million in emergency food aid amid ongoing civil war. • USAID Administrator Samantha Power highlighted clashes between RSF and SAF displacing 4.5 million since last year, with child malnutrition rates at 30% in Darfur. • The crisis underscores US humanitarian leadership but strains budgets amid domestic priorities, potentially influencing congressional funding debates.

• The United Nations reported on April 4, 2026, that 25 million Sudanese face famine risk due to ongoing civil war blocking aid routes in Darfur and Khartoum. • US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield announced $300 million in emergency food assistance during a Security Council session, bringing total US aid to $1.2 billion since 2023. • Conflict between Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces has displaced 8.5 million, making it the world's largest humanitarian crisis, per UN estimates.

• President Trump is weighing further personnel changes in his administration after removing Attorney General Pam Bondi from her position on Thursday. • Reports indicate Bondi fell from favor for failing to be effective enough at defending Trump and prosecuting his political enemies, despite her demonstrated loyalty to the president. • The potential additional removals signal ongoing instability within the Trump Cabinet as the president reassesses key positions.

• The European Union announced a new sanctions package targeting 18 Russian oligarchs and 42 entities on Wednesday, citing evidence of sophisticated sanctions evasion schemes involving cryptocurrency and shell companies across multiple jurisdictions. • The targeted individuals reportedly transferred approximately $2.3 billion through complex financial networks designed to circumvent existing sanctions imposed following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. • EU officials coordinated closely with US Treasury Department and UK authorities, with the announcement emphasizing enhanced coordination mechanisms to close loopholes in enforcement and detection capabilities.

• The Pentagon is considering deploying up to 10,000 additional troops to the Middle East beyond the 1,500 already mobilized from the 82nd Airborne Division, according to a senior U.S. defense official. • U.S. Central Command reported striking more than 8,000 targets, including over 130 Iranian naval vessels, while Israel confirmed dropping more than 15,000 munitions as part of coordinated Operation Epic Fury and Operation Roaring Lion campaigns launched on February 28. • U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on March 27 that Washington expects the operation against Iran to conclude "within weeks, not months" and that the U.S. can meet all objectives without using ground troops.

• The U.S. is deploying three more amphibious assault ships with 2,500 additional Marines from the Pacific to the Middle East as military operations in Iran continue into their fourth week. • The deployment follows earlier troop movements and comes amid escalating tensions over control of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran continues to restrict, driving global oil prices higher. • Despite President Trump's claims of military victory and consideration of winding down operations, the continued force buildup suggests sustained commitment to regional objectives and potential ground operations.

• The US is deploying 2,200 Marines and thousands of sailors aboard three Navy warships, including the USS Boxer, from San Diego to the Middle East to support operations in the Iran conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. • President Trump announced the US is 'getting very close' to meeting objectives in Iran and considering 'winding down' military efforts, while claiming to have decimated Iran's navy, air force, and anti-aircraft capabilities. • Despite Trump's signals, Iran continues firing missiles at Israel and tightening control over the Strait of Hormuz, driving global oil prices higher and causing US stock market declines; death toll exceeds 1,300 in Iran and 1,000 in Lebanon.

• On March 20, 2026, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the Pentagon's request for $200 billion in extra funding, stating 'it takes money to kill bad guys'. • The request supports ongoing U.S. offensives, including jet patrols and helicopter strikes against Iranian forces in key waterways. • Funding comes amid surging oil prices from Iranian attacks on facilities, prompting Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to propose lifting sanctions on Iranian oil.

• The Pentagon is requesting more than $200 billion in additional funding from Congress to sustain the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, which has been ongoing for approximately three weeks with thousands of strikes. • The funding request aims to urgently increase production of weapons that have been heavily expended during the intensive air campaign, according to the Washington Post. • Lawmakers from both parties are demanding detailed justification before approving the massive expenditure, with some questioning why the administration is requesting such funds if the conflict is expected to end soon.