Fire

• Tensions have escalated in the Strait of Hormuz as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) continues to insist on designated transit routes. • This dispute persists despite ongoing ceasefire discussions between the United States and Iran aimed at stabilizing the region. • Foreign policy expert Col. Rajeev Agarwal notes that Oman has historically acted as a peacemaker, with the Omani Foreign Minister mediating right up until U.S. attacks began.

Blaze on Tintwistle Moor, Glossop, has burned more than 500 square metres, forcing road closures and smoke warningA major wildfire close to Greater Manchester has torn through large areas of moorland for more than 24 hours, forcing road closures and smoke warnings as fire crews battle to bring it under control.The blaze, on Tintwistle Moor, near Glossop, has burned an area of more than 500 square metres of moorland and woodland, with thick plumes of smoke directly affecting the villages of Tintwistle, Hollingworth and Woolley Bridge. Continue reading...

Content creation and online safety among new topics for 14- to 18-year-olds – but tweaks may be needed when social media ban comes inScouts are introducing badges in content creation, digital communication and online safety after consulting nearly 3,000 teenagers who said they wanted skills to help them navigate a world increasingly shaped by AI, social media and digital technology.The new Explorer Scout badges, part of the Scout movement’s first major overhaul in almost 25 years, will require 14- to 18-year olds to explore how digital communities shape opinion, create online campaigns, investigate digital footprints and design toolkits to help others stay safe online. Continue reading...

Mike Burgess’s annual threat assessment warns social media is ‘amplifying’ an erosion of trust in institutions, promoting discord and heightening polarisationGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn Australian citizen working as a senior intelligence officer for Iran “orchestrated” a firebombing in Bondi, the country’s top spy has revealed, while a former Australian resident in Iraq directed the attack on a Melbourne synagogue.The homegrown ties to Australia’s “summer of antisemitism” are contained in a wide-ranging speech given by Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation’s (Asio) director general, Mike Burgess, on Wednesday night, in which he said the “hatred of Jews is one thing virtually all the violent extremist cohorts have in common”. Continue reading...

Nancy Lacore will spearhead effort to flip Republican House seat in November’s midterm electionsA three-star navy rear-admiral fired by Pete Hegseth last year in the defense secretary’s purge of senior US military officials has won the Democratic primary in a closely watched congressional race.Nancy Lacore secured the party’s nomination for the US House of Representatives in South Carolina’s first congressional district on Tuesday after defeating Mac Deford, a US Coast Guard veteran, in a runoff. Continue reading...

Firings come less than a week after US president appointed Bill Pulte as acting director after Tulsi Gabbard left the postSeveral staff members have reportedly been fired from the US office of the director of national intelligence (DNI), multiple outlets have reported. These firings come less than a week after Donald Trump appointed Bill Pulte as the acting director after former director Tulsi Gabbard left the post in late May.According to CNN, who was first to report the firings on Monday, political appointees with ties to Gabbard were among those purged. ABC News reported that cuts to the National Terrorism Center were expected to be particularly large. Continue reading...

US secretary of state to reassure UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain that his country remains committed to their securityMiddle East crisis live – latest updatesMarco Rubio, the US secretary of state, is to meet Gulf allies on Tuesday and Wednesday in an attempt to reassure them that the US remains committed to their security and the 60-day ceasefire deal struck with Iran last week will not embolden Tehran.The Gulf is divided over the deal. While Qatar has played a central role in mediating the agreement, some countries – notably the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain – are fearful it hands Iran substantial sums that may be ploughed into its military. Continue reading...

Study warns AI datacenters are vulnerable to the climate hazards that their global greenhouse gas emissions bolsterAmid rising concern that the artificial intelligence boom is fueling the climate crisis, a new report has found that nearly 80% of datacenters are also exposed to extreme climate hazards, including flooding, extreme winds and wildfires.Those impacts are leaving the infrastructure vulnerable to disrupted operations, increased time offline and inflated insurance and repair costs, the research from climate risk analytics firm First Street shows. Continue reading...

• British Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigned as PM and leader of the Labour Party on Monday, two years after his party secured 412 seats. • Starmer's departure follows struggles to deliver on his "Change" campaign promises and ongoing post-Brexit economic and political instability. • In India, Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde inducted rebel MPs from the Shiv Sena (UBT) into the ruling side.

While warehouse fires are often extinguished in a day, the Boyle Heights blaze is on its sixth day. Here’s what to knowLos Angeles firefighters are on their sixth day of battling a fire at a massive warehouse near downtown that stores frozen food.Smoke has billowed from the warehouse, which was covered in solar panels and insulated like a freezer, filling the air surrounding the roughly 500,000-sq-ft (46,450-sq-meter) facility. Continue reading...

Town of Eureka evacuated due to risk from Iron fire as officials forecast more hot weather in week aheadExtreme heat and dry, windy conditions are fueling multiple wildfires across the US west, including a massive blaze in Utah that forced the evacuation of a small town, with hot weather in the forecast raising the risk of more blazes in the week ahead.The Iron fire in Utah’s Juab county was first detected on Saturday and has so far blackened more than 2,000 acres. The fire, about 70 miles (113km) south-west of Salt Lake City, forced the evacuation of Eureka, population 1,000, and people at a nearby ranch. Continue reading...

Fire at cold-storage facility that started on 17 June continues to spew smoke across the metro areaMayor Karen Bass has declared a state of emergency for the city of Los Angeles, as firefighters still struggle to contain a blaze from a cold-storage facility that continues to spew smoke across the metro area.“This emergency declaration is crucial because Boyle Heights is not just responding to a fire. Residents have lived through days of smoke, shelter-in-place orders, disruptions to daily life, and ongoing questions about what this means for their health and well-being,” Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, who represents Boyle Heights, said in a statement. Continue reading...

Blaze broke out in single-storey pavilion in New Zealand Way in White City on Saturday eveningThree people have died after a fire at a building in London, the London fire brigade (LFB) has said.The fire service said it received reports of the blaze in New Zealand Way in White City, west London, at 6.52pm on Saturday. Continue reading...

Outbreak of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel has forced mediators to cancel US-Iran peace talks in SwitzerlandIsraeli strikes on southern Lebanon have killed at least 16 people, local authorities said on Saturday, despite reports of a renewed ceasefire aiming to end persistent violence that threatens the new agreement between the US and Iran.Lebanon’s civil defence agency said its personnel transported “16 dead and 12 wounded” to hospital, adding that they had been working “since the early morning hours” in the Nabatieh district in response to “ongoing attacks targeting the area”. Continue reading...

• Iran has stated it is open to pursuing diplomatic engagement with the United States, provided Washington can guarantee that Israel adheres to the terms of a ceasefire. • This demand comes as violent clashes continue to escalate across Gaza and Lebanon, complicating efforts to stabilize the region. • The move highlights Iran's strategic use of U.S. leverage to ensure Israeli compliance, signaling that diplomacy is contingent on verifiable security guarantees.

US-Iran meeting in Switzerland over implementation of deal cancelled amid clashes in southern LebanonMiddle East crisis – live updatesIsrael and Hezbollah agreed to renew a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon on Friday after 24 hours of intense violence that posed an early challenge to the new agreement between the US and Iran to end their conflict.A meeting due to take place on Friday between the US and Iran in Switzerland to discuss implementation of the new deal was cancelled when Hezbollah killed four Israeli soldiers and Israel carried out a wave of retaliatory airstrikes in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa valley that killed at least 47 people. Continue reading...

• The European Central Bank (ECB) reports that EU banking markets remain heavily fragmented, with approximately 80% of lending restricted to households and firms within banks' home countries. • Data shows that fewer than 2% of deposits are held across borders and cross-border merger activity has declined significantly since pre-crisis levels. • This lack of integration is identified as a primary constraint preventing banks from achieving the scale and efficiency necessary to fully support the European economy.

• A 60-year-old Hollywood actor claims he was fired from a classic romantic comedy because he was "funnier than Jennifer Aniston." • The actor alleges he was "castrated comedically" on set after receiving criticism regarding his comedic timing and performance. • Following the incident, his career shifted toward direct-to-video films, faith-based dramas, and appearances on reality shows like Celebrity Big Brother and The Celebrity Apprentice.

• Singaporean man Andie Tan Kok Yong faces potential jail time for posting an edited image of Marina Bay Sands on fire to Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s Facebook page. • The post included a mention of a "bomb," leading to charges of communicating a false threat and obstructing justice after Tan performed a factory reset on his phone. • This case highlights the severity with which Singapore treats threats against national landmarks and public officials, as well as the legal consequences of tampering with evidence.

Cook is at the center of a supreme court case focused on whether Trump’s firing of her from the Fed board was legalFederal Reserve governor Lisa Cook faced more than $1.3m in legal and security fees after coming under attack from the Trump administration, according to ethics disclosures that were filed on Wednesday.The White House targeted Cook last summer as Donald Trump ramped up his unprecedented campaign to push the Fed to cut interest rates. Continue reading...

• A man is facing potential jail time after sending a doctored image of Marina Bay Sands on fire to Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong's Facebook page. • The message accompanying the edited photo mentioned a "bomb," prompting an administrator of the page to lodge a police report immediately. • The suspect claimed the incident was intended as a "prank," though the nature of the threat triggered a serious legal response.

Mayor of Russian capital claims ‌about 180 drones heading to the city were shot down as flames and smoke billow over outskirtsUkrainian drones hit Moscow’s ⁠oil refinery for the second time ⁠this week, sending out flames and plumes ⁠of smoke over the south-eastern district of Kapotnya on Thursday morning.“Air defence forces are continuing to repel a large-scale attack. Several drones managed to reach the [Moscow oil refinery],” said Sergei Sobyanin, the city’s mayor, adding that a shopping centre was also damaged. He claimed ‌about 180 drones heading for the capital had ‌been downed. Continue reading...

Jane and Alan Kelvey know what happened when their small holiday yacht met a warship in the Channel – but Moscow tells a different story“We actually had right of way,” said Jane Kelvey, a little crossly, though keeping it civil. “But we weren’t going to argue with a warship.”The dramatic stand-off in the Channel on Tuesday morning between Admiral Grigorovich, a 125-metre (409ft) battle-hardened Russian frigate, and Bright Future, a 12-metre (40ft) pleasure yacht owned and helmed by Jane, 69 and her husband Alan, 71, has rather caught the nation’s imagination. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer has called the firing of warning shots by a Russian warship at a British yacht sailing across the Channel on Tuesday ‘deeply concerning and reckless’.Russia’s defence ministry said the yacht was on a ‘dangerous course’ and several attempts were made to contact it – a claim disputed by the retired couple onboard the 40ft yacht.Nosheen Iqbal speaks to the Guardian’s defence and security editor, Dan Sabbagh – watch on YouTube Continue reading...

• A Russian frigate, the Admiral Grigorovich, reportedly fired a warning shot at a yacht in the English Channel between Normandy and the Isle of Wight. • This naval escalation follows a recent incident involving the seizure of a Russian tanker, heightening tensions in the region. • Separately, Donald Trump announced on Monday that a preliminary agreement to end the conflict between the US and Iran has been signed.

Ministry of Defence investigates after shots apparently fired within 500 metres of vessel near Isle of WightThe Ministry of Defence is investigating reports that a Russian frigate, the Admiral Grigorovich, fired warning shots within 500 metres of a British yacht sailing a little over 20 miles south of the Isle of Wight.No injuries or damage have been reported by the yacht, which is continuing its journey. A boat from HMS Tyne has visited the yacht to gather details and check the crew are safe. Continue reading...

Governor Michele Bullock delivers a strong message after the Reserve Bank holds the cash rate at 4.35%, ending a run of three risesRBA interest rates: Reserve Bank holds official cash rate at 4.35%Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIt will take more than a ceasefire in the Middle East to prevent the Reserve Bank from hiking interest rates again.That was the strong message from the RBA governor, Michele Bullock, after the central bank held its cash rate at 4.35%, putting an end to a run of three increases. Continue reading...