Lee

• A fleet of 17 spacecraft positioned across the solar system collaborated to track a single coronal mass ejection (CME) from multiple vantage points. • The coordinated measurements revealed that the eruption was lopsided, which caused a previously hidden cloud of charged particles to be directed toward Earth. • This discovery is significant because it demonstrates how multi-point observations can uncover the true extent and structure of solar eruptions that single-point views might miss.

The prime minister has announced a £442m plan to get rough sleepers off the streets by Christmas. It solidifies tackling homelessness as a central policy for Andy Burnham’s government, and gives voters a measure by which to judge his success – although without a concrete target for ministers to hit.Nosheen Iqbal speaks to social policy editor Patrick Butler – watch on YouTube Continue reading...

PM promises to mount ‘Covid-style campaign’ to get homeless people off streets in winter Hello and welcome to the UK politics live blog.Andy Burnham has pledged to work to “get everyone in for Christmas” as he continues to build on his policy to end rough sleeping.We see people bedded down in doorways and sat outside stations, carrying their lives in rucksacks and sleeping bags on their backs. And I think most people have the same reaction: this isn’t right.It shouldn’t be happening here. But we’ve lived with it for so long that something that used to shock us now feels like part of the scenery.We did it in the pandemic. We got people out of the cold because, as a country, we decided it had to be done. We can do it again.That’s why the first thing I announced when I became prime minister was a commitment to end rough sleeping. Not to manage it, not to reduce it – but to end it. And today, we’re taking the first step in getting it done.Burnham confirmed a new partnership between the government and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to take local control of bus services in the region. Burnham said the “absolutely massive” move would protect thousands of jobs, which were threatened after the parent company behind local operator National Express indicated it was leaving the market.Burnham said “nothing of consequence” was exchanged when he was text messaging somebody impersonating Donald Trump’s chief of staff Susie Wiles. “All politicians are receiving these pressures and these challenges, but I did everything right. There was a minimal exchange of information of zero consequence, and it was quickly reported,” he told reporters.Burnham said he will present findings on a review of the early release scheme in England and Wales when parliament returns in two weeks’ time. Justice secretary Alex Norris is drawing up plans to “maximise public safety and minimise the early release of prisoners”, the prime minister said.The green energy entrepreneur and Labour donor Dale Vince has urged the prime minister to allow more drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea, in a reversal of his previous position. Vince, who has given more than £5m to Labour over several years, said he had told Andy Burnham that the Rosebank and Jackdaw projects should be approved as long as the oil and gas produced were subject to price controls to make them cheaper than energy imported from overseas. Continue reading...

• Kim Min-seok, the newly elected chief of the ruling Democratic Party, met with presidential aides on Tuesday at the National Assembly in Seoul. • During the meeting with presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik and senior secretary Hong Ihk-pyo, Kim vowed to support the Lee Jae Myung administration. • The meeting aims to strengthen cooperation between the ruling party and the presidential office to ensure the smooth implementation of the administration's policy agenda.

Findings highlight importance of sleep health during middle age, particularly for those with lower socioeconomic statusSleep that is extremely disrupted or that goes on too long could mean a loss of nine months from working life after the age of 50, a study has found.It also found that women with no sleep disturbances had a longer working life from 50 to 68 than their male equivalents. Continue reading...

Prime minister urges local leaders to act as homelessness campaigners welcome move but say more needs to be doneI won’t abandon anyone to sleep rough on our streets. That’s my £442m promiseAndy Burnham has urged local leaders to offer all rough sleepers in England a route off the streets by Christmas, as he pledges another £100m to end street homelessness.Arguing in the Guardian that rough sleeping has become so common it now “feels like part of the scenery”, Burnham promised he would mount a Covid-style campaign to get everyone off the streets this winter. Continue reading...

Family ‘extremely grateful’ to four-month-old ‘Goosey’ who ran out of fire-billowing building and repeatedly squawkedA pet goose is being credited with helping save a Texas family’s animals after sounding a honking alarm as a fire tore through their barn.The dramatic moment unfolded on the morning of 4 August in Fort Bend county, where four-month-old Goosey repeatedly squawked outside the burning barn, alerting his owners, the Gerber family, to the danger. Continue reading...

Analysis finds nearly one in six people leaving jail last year in England and Wales were released into homelessnessAndy Burnham’s pledge to end rough sleeping is under threat from a failure to find accommodation for a growing number of newly released prisoners, a charity has warned.An analysis by the social justice charity Nacro has found that nearly one in six people leaving jail in England and Wales last year were released into homelessness, reaching the highest rate for five years. Continue reading...

• President Lee Jae Myung urged the government on Monday to expedite the implementation of AI-related investment projects to ensure national competitiveness. • He called for aggressive government action, including the use of deregulation, to remove obstacles hindering the rapid deployment of these technologies. • Lee emphasized that the coming year represents a "golden time" for South Korea, asserting that the nation's future depends on how it prepares for the AI transition.

• Singapore advanced to the ASEAN Hyundai Cup™ 2026 semi-finals following a resilient 1-1 draw against Indonesia, earning praise from coach Gavin Lee. • In other group stage action, Malaysia secured a 1-0 victory over the Philippines via a Pavithran Gunalan header, setting up a semi-final clash with defending champions Vietnam. • Thailand finished first in Group B after a 2-0 win over Myanmar, driven by penalties from Worachit Kanitsribumphen and Jehhanafee Mamah to mark their fourth consecutive victory.

• The U.S. Senate has adjourned for a five-week August recess without passing the SAVE America Act, a piece of legislation focused on voter ID and proof-of-citizenship. • The bill was heavily championed by Utah Senator Mike Lee, who had threatened to disrupt the adjournment process if the legislation was not passed by the end of the week. • Despite a marathon voting session, senators failed to make progress on the election bill, leaving the Republican-led effort stalled.

British Columbia battling 102 fires day and night across province, as breakneck speed hampers firefighters’ effortsCanada’s federal government has announced it will provide urgent assistance to British Columbia after an onslaught of unprecedented fast-moving wildfires forced about 22,000 people to flee their homes in frantic evacuations.A total of 102 wildfires were raging across the province on Sunday, of which nearly half were categorised as “out of control”, according to the BC Wildfire Service. Of those fires, 78 ignited during the past week. Continue reading...

Katie and John Meehan say responses to campaign they launched after death of daughter Genevieve must be ‘wake-up call’The parents of a nine-month-old girl who died after being placed in an unsafe sleeping position at nursery said they feared poor practice may be “rife” across England.Genevieve Meehan suffocated when she was strapped face down to a beanbag for an hour and 37 minutes at a nursery in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport, in May 2022. Continue reading...

• Leeds United is actively monitoring several transfer targets, including a potential deal for Harvey Elliott and interest in Max Aarons. • The club is reportedly tracking forward Igor Paixao, though a "twist" involving an £8 million valuation has emerged. • Competition for these players is high, with Aston Villa and Everton also sending scouts to evaluate potential targets.

• Right-leaning lawmakers have criticized President Lee Jae Myung for refusing to veto a revision to the Criminal Procedure Act. • The controversial legislation removes all investigative powers from the prosecution, a move conservatives argue will cause chaos within the judicial system. • Lawmaker Park specifically condemned the President's "extreme irresponsibility" and claimed the bill fails to provide adequate protections for crime victims.

• Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition suffered a crushing defeat in the Negeri Sembilan polls. • The loss has sparked concerns regarding Ibrahim's political strategy as the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition grows in dominance. • This development is highlighted as one of seven key stories from the South China Morning Post's recent Asia reporting.

Boris Nadezhdin, who gained prominence after standing against Putin in 2024, says he is now in FranceThe prominent Russian anti-war politician Boris Nadezhdin has fled to Paris as Moscow tightens its grip on dissent before parliamentary elections later this year.Nadezhdin, a veteran liberal politician, gained international prominence during Russia’s 2024 presidential election when his long-shot campaign against Vladimir Putin unexpectedly gathered momentum before electoral authorities barred him from running. Continue reading...

Americans are facing a deepening affordability crisis but at least Trump and co have ... 250 new Cadillac EscaladesThis was originally published in This Week in Trumpland. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every WednesdayGas prices are up almost a dollar a gallon since the day Donald Trump took office; mortgage rates just hit their highest level in nearly a year, and over the weekend a prominent economist said the Iran war is costing the average US household more than $1,200.Americans are struggling through a deepening affordability crisis caused largely by Trump’s ill-fated war against Iran. They are in need of a boost, something to lift the spirits. Perhaps the president could give a speech, letting the people know that we are all in this together. Continue reading...

Share price rally driven by strong product demand as well as decision to sit out AI spending race, amid wider tech sell-offApple has become only the second company to pass the $5tn valuation mark, as it benefited from investors fleeing AI and semiconductor stocks amid a wider tech sell-off.The iPhone maker’s shares hit a session high ⁠of $342.89 on Tuesday, giving it a market ⁠capitalisation of $5.04tn (£3.78tn), then eased back to 0.9% up at $339.91 – just above the $5tn mark. Continue reading...

Suffolk police ceded investigation into James Loubeau to the US military, leading to court martial acquittalA US airman accused of a “spree” of rapes and sexual assaults in England, drugging some women and breaking into the homes of others, was able to avoid British justice after local police handed over part of the case to the American military.Two British women went to Suffolk police in August 2019 to allege that James Loubeau and another US airman had drugged and raped them after they met in a nightclub in Bury St Edmunds, a local market town. Continue reading...

• People Power Party chairman Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok criticized President Lee Jae Myung's proposal to introduce electronic voting for overseas Koreans. • Jang described the suggestion as being "like a fox guarding the henhouse," arguing that the move could compromise the integrity of South Korea's electoral process. • The dispute highlights a significant political divide over the security and fairness of digital voting mechanisms in national elections.

Fires displace people on massive scale and trigger one of the largest peacetime civilian evacuation operations ever carried out in FranceMore than 250,000 people flee wildfires in France and SpainHello and welcome back to our rolling coverage of the wildfires spreading through parts of Spain and France.Thousands crowded into emergency shelters in France and Spain on Sunday after wildfires drove more than 300,000 people to flee their homes and holiday accommodation. Continue reading...

• South Korean President Lee unveiled the "San Francisco AI Declaration," a strategic framework outlining the nation's AI ambitions and its vision for technological cooperation with the United States. • During his visit to San Francisco, President Lee held separate high-level meetings with key industry leaders, including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, and Broadcom CEO Hock Tan. • This initiative signals South Korea's intent to strengthen global partnerships and secure a leading role in the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence landscape.

• President Lee Jae Myung held a dinner meeting on the 24th in San Francisco with global AI leaders, including NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang and heads of Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor Group, and SK Group. • During the event, President Lee announced the ‘San Francisco AI Declaration’ at the San Francisco AI Summit to strengthen South Korea's role in the global AI supply chain. • The meeting brought together industry giants with a combined market capitalization of 1.7 gyeong (approximately 17 quadrillion won), highlighting the immense economic scale of the AI sector.

• South Korean and US technology giants have agreed to pursue $950 billion in semiconductor supply and manufacturing partnerships over the next five years. • The sweeping series of deals was unveiled at the San Francisco AI Summit during a visit by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. • These collaborations aim to advance the Lee administration's flagship megaprojects focusing on semiconductors, AI data centers, and physical AI.

Hundreds of firefighters battle blazes as strong winds drive fires towards Bordeaux and smoke prompts health warnings in MadridUnrestrained wildfires in Spain and France have forced more than 250,000 people to flee, authorities from both countries have said, as they struggle to contain the blazes.About 70,000 people were evacuated from central Spain, while 197,000 people fled in France, including tens of thousands from the wine region city of Bordeaux. Continue reading...

• Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y. Lee and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung have joined a global AI advisory board alongside industry leaders Jensen Huang of NVIDIA and Satya Nadella of Microsoft. • This strategic alignment occurs as South Korea monitors the potential impact of U.S. forced-labor tariffs on its trade and industrial sectors. • In a separate corporate development, Samsung Electro-Mechanics secured a significant order valued at 300 billion won.

• Approximately 85% of S&P 500 companies have beaten profit estimates during the current US earnings season, marking the highest beat rate in five years. • Despite these strong corporate results, investment funds have seen outflows for the second consecutive week as investors flee the market. • Market instability is being driven by escalating geopolitical tensions between the US and Iran, which have pushed international oil prices higher.