Announces

The 20-year-old’s third calf is being monitored by officials as survival rates for the species are challenging, the zoo saidThe Toronto Zoo has announced the birth of a female pygmy hippo calf.Kindia, the zoo’s 20-year-old pygmy hippo, started showing signs of labor at around 8.15am last Sunday, it said. Around four hours later, the calf’s feet emerged and after 1.5 hours of active labor, Kindia successfully gave birth to the baby pygmy hippo. Continue reading...

University says it has ‘new information’ about academic career of Jason Arday, the youngest black professor in its historyJason Arday, the Cambridge professor accused of plagiarism and embellishment, is to face investigation by the university after what it called “new information” regarding his qualifications and career.Cambridge initially defended Arday – the youngest black professor appointed in the university’s history, with a compelling life story of educational disadvantage – as “the victim of a vile campaign”. But as questions mounted over Arday’s own claims, the university’s leaders felt that Cambridge’s reputation was in danger. Continue reading...

Gavin Newsom says new pay floor of $17.40, set to become highest of any US state, will go into effect on 1 JanuaryCalifornia governor Gavin Newsom announced that the state’s minimum wage will rise to $17.40 next year, a ay floor set to become the highest of any US state.The pay bump will go into effect starting 1 January, Newsom announced on Friday. The state’s current minimum rate is $16.90. In a news release, Newsom touted the move as a salve for working families amid high living costs and took a jab at the Trump administration. Continue reading...

• The National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for STEM Education has announced the first set of awards for the CyberAICorps Scholarship for Service (CyberAI SFS) program. • The initiative focuses on training students to use AI for enhancing cybersecurity operations, specifically in areas such as digital forensics, incident response, and threat detection. • This program is critical for developing AI systems that are secure and resilient against evolving cyber threats while building a specialized workforce for national security.

• Multiverse Computing has announced a Series C fundraising round targeting up to $570 million (€500 million) to advance efficient AI across edge and cloud environments. • The funding round is led by a consortium including Forgepoint Capital International, BNPP Solar Impulse Venture Fund, and Bullhound Capital. • The capital will support the company's goal of powering "Frontier AI" and Large Language Models (LLMs) through its CompactifAI technology, which optimizes model efficiency.

• Flank announced the launch of Flank Record on Thursday, an AI agent designed to organize contract records and extract data from signed agreements. • The tool allows users to query contract information under human supervision to ensure accuracy and oversight. • This release highlights the growing trend of "agentic AI" in the legaltech sector, focusing on automating complex document management and data extraction.

• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a new outbreak of cyclosporiasis that has sickened at least 72 people. • The agency posted the update to its official website late Wednesday, though it has not yet identified the specific location of the outbreak. • Health officials have not yet determined the source or the specific food product causing the infections.

• The Trump Administration, via the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, has announced over $5 billion in funding for the "Genesis Mission," a national initiative focused on AI for science. • NASA and the Department of Energy (DOE) will utilize physics-informed and agentic AI to analyze more than 150 petabytes of existing data from satellites, telescopes, and orbiters. • This effort aims to accelerate discoveries across multiple disciplines, including astrophysics, Earth science, space weather, and biological sciences, by integrating simulations with real-world observations.

US secretary of state says international community should ‘join forces’ against authoritarian Ortega regimeNicaragua’s congress, controlled by the country’s long-serving president, Daniel Ortega, has announced a “work plan” to implement the authoritarian leader’s order that the country should no longer hold elections.The UN and the US strongly condemned Sunday’s announcement by Ortega, who has been in power since 2007 and, after a controversial constitutional change last year, now governs alongside his wife, Rosario Murillo, as “co-president”. Continue reading...

Anthony Albanese will cast ‘practical’ policies as the key to countering the anxiety and frustration in AustraliaGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastStudents in 10 fields including physiotherapy, speech pathology and clinical psychology will receive financial assistance to complete mandatory placements under a major expansion of the federal government’s paid work experience program.The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, will make the announcement in a speech to open the Labor national conference on Thursday, which will cast “practical” policies as the key to combating the anxiety and frustration gripping the electorate. Continue reading...

PM says he wants to be sure everything concerning controversial policy has been looked at before it goes aheadUK politics live – latest updatesAndy Burnham has said he will review the government’s controversial prisoner early release scheme with the justice secretary.The scheme, under which thousands of prisoners are to serve shorter sentences after new laws were passed to address a prison overcrowding crisis, is due to begin in September. Continue reading...

Measure backed by £454m of funding, with £400m coming from switching investment in international climate finance to loansSingle bus fares across England will be capped at £2 from January, the prime minister, Andy Burnham, has announced.The nationwide cap is currently set at £3 until the end of March 2027 although some areas – including London and Greater Manchester, where Burnham set a £2 limit as mayor – have lower top rates for single tickets. Continue reading...

• CENTCOM has confirmed the deaths of three U.S. service members resulting from Iranian-linked attacks in Jordan and Iraq. • President Donald Trump described the losses as "a very sad thing" and reaffirmed his commitment to confronting Iran's nuclear ambitions. • Separately, a power generation and water desalination plant in Kuwait suffered a second attack in two days, causing a fire and the precautionary shutdown of several units.

New laws would give Vcat power to force social and AI platforms to identify anonymous users in move premier says will protect childrenGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSocial media companies could be forced to identify anonymous accounts accused of online vilification, under new laws being proposed in Victoria.The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, announced a suite of social media reforms on Sunday, saying families needed new ways to protect their children online. Continue reading...

Lipfendra can be taken in conjunction with or an alternative to statins, the most prescribed medication in the USSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email The drug giant Merck on Thursday announced it had received FDA approval for a daily pill that can be an alternative to statins for treating high LDL levels, or so-called bad cholesterol. The new pill, Lipfendra, is a version of a drug called a PCSK9 inhibitor.For decades the go-to therapy to treat high cholesterol levels has been statins, the most prescribed medication in the US. But statins come occasionally with side effects like muscle aches and they sometimes don’t drop cholesterol levels enough to meet recommended levels. Continue reading...

The legendary composer warned theaters could soon meet the same fate as Hollywood’s ‘empty soundstages’Andrew Lloyd Webber has spoken out about the precarious state of Broadway in the wake of the early closing of his revival Cats: The Jellicle Ball.“Broadway is more than a street or a collection of buildings. It is an idea—and one of the greatest cultural ideas America has given us,” the composer wrote in a lengthy X thread on Tuesday morning. Continue reading...

American president says ships will be charged for safe passage through strait in apparent policy reversalMiddle East crisis live – latest updatesThe US has launched its third consecutive night of strikes on Iran hours after president Donald Trump said Washington would reinstate a maritime blockade on the country and, in an apparently policy reversal, charge ships for safe passage.“These strikes will continue imposing a heavy cost on Iranian forces and degrade their ability to attack innocent civilians and commercial shipping in the strait of Hormuz,” the US military’s Central Command said. Continue reading...

More than 90 residents have expressed interest in contamination claim against AGC Chemicals EuropeA Pfas factory in Lancashire has announced plans to close down, just days after the Guardian revealed that more than 90 residents have signed up to be involved in a potential legal claim over contamination of the local area.AGC Chemicals Europe Ltd is consulting with employees and their union representatives about plans to cease operations at its manufacturing plant in Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire. The consultation is expected to last for at least 45 days. Continue reading...

US defense secretary says taskforce will ‘combat dangers’ of leaks in latest escalation of White House press crackdownThe US defense secretary, ⁠Pete Hegseth, ​announced on Monday that the Pentagon and the US Department of Justice have created a “joint taskforce ​to identify and ​prosecute” what he called the “unauthorized disclosure ​of sensitive” information to the press, marking the latest escalation in the Trump administration’s effort to crackdown on leaks.In a ⁠video ​posted on X, Hegseth said that “to combat the dangers that leaks pose, effectively immediately, I have ​delegated tasking authority ​to the war department’s ‌office ⁠of general counsel, empowering OGC to request and receive ​all ​information, ⁠records and support across the ​department concerning ​media ⁠leak investigations”. Continue reading...

• AIA Group Limited announced the winners of the fourth annual AIA Healthiest Schools Competition on July 13, 2026, in Hong Kong. • This flagship initiative aims to promote healthy lifestyles and wellness habits among students and educational institutions. • The competition matters as it encourages schools to implement sustainable health programs, fostering a culture of wellbeing for the next generation.

• AIA Group Limited announced the winners of the fourth annual AIA Healthiest Schools Competition on July 13, 2026, in Hong Kong. • The competition is a key part of the AIA Healthiest Schools (AHS) programme, designed to empower students aged five to 16 to adopt healthy habits. • This initiative matters as it encourages young students to translate health education into tangible, everyday actions to improve long-term wellness.

• The Hollywood Reporter has announced the launch of its first-ever A-List Aesthetics event and accompanying digital issue. • The initiative aims to create a premier gathering for top doctors, practitioners, and innovators specializing in beauty, aesthetics, and longevity. • This expansion highlights the growing intersection of celebrity culture and medical advancements in the wellness and anti-aging sectors.

• The Locarno Film Festival has unveiled an "adventurous" official lineup featuring a diverse selection of new films and high-profile talent. • The program includes works by acclaimed directors such as Hong Sang-soo and Nelson Yeo, with starring roles for actors Monica Bellucci, Isabelle Huppert, and Caleb Landry Jones. • Artistic Director Giona A. Nazzaro stated that the selection aims to address contemporary challenges while maintaining a strong focus on storytelling and entertainment.

• Donald Trump announced plans to petition the Supreme Court to rehear a case regarding his executive order aimed at restricting birthright citizenship. • The Supreme Court previously ruled on June 30 that individuals born in the U.S. are automatically citizens under the Fourteenth Amendment's Citizenship Clause. • This legal move follows Trump's other recent attempts to have the high court reconsider a verdict holding him liable for the sexual abuse and defamation of E. Jean Carroll.

• AIA Group Limited announced the winners of the fourth annual AIA Healthiest Schools Competition on July 9, 2026, in Bangkok, Thailand. • The competition is a key part of the AIA Healthiest Schools (AHS) programme, which targets students aged five to 16. • The initiative aims to empower young students to integrate healthy living habits into their daily routines through active participation.

• Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen announced on Monday that he will soon retire from his full-time role with the Canadian Space Agency. • The decision follows his participation in the historic Artemis II mission, which aimed to return humans to the vicinity of the moon. • Hansen's retirement marks a transition for Canada's space program after his high-profile contribution to this international lunar exploration effort.

Desks offering gift wrapping and bureau de change stations will be closed at dozens of stores nationwideJohn Lewis has put 200 jobs at risk as it plans to shut down desks operating gift wrapping and foreign exchange services.The 36-strong department store chain said it had begun a consultation on redundancies for the workers as it plans to close the desks which operate bureau de change services in 30 stores, and specialist gift wrapping in 25 stores. The closures will take place this autumn. Continue reading...

• Certain stockholders of Sun Life Financial (SLF) filed a notice on July 6, 2026, regarding the potential sale of approximately 3.28 million common shares. • The filing indicates a significant divestment by specific shareholders, though the exact identities of the sellers were not detailed in the announcement. • This move matters as a large-scale sale of shares can influence the company's stock price and signal a shift in investor confidence or portfolio rebalancing.