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• A Muslim autonomous region in the southern Philippines is holding its first parliamentary elections to establish local governance. • The Philippine government deployed more than 20,000 soldiers and police forces to secure the voting process and patrol roadsides. • These elections aim to stabilize a region where approximately 150,000 combatants and civilians have died since the 1970s due to insurgency and conflict.

• The Muslim-majority Bangsamoro autonomous region in the southern Philippines will hold its first parliamentary election this Monday. • This event marks the maiden vote for the region's parliamentary system. • The outcome will determine the leadership and governance structure for the autonomous region.

• The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in the southern Philippines held its first parliamentary elections on Monday. • This vote follows a 2014 peace deal designed to establish self-rule after decades of insurgency and violence in the predominantly Muslim region. • The transition to a parliamentary system provides a formal political mechanism for local governance and stability in a historically volatile area.

• Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed its naval forces attacked a US-operated drone boat in the Strait of Hormuz. • Lawmaker Fathollah Tavassoli stated on Sunday that Tehran will not be forced into negotiations through sanctions or threats from the US and Europe. • This stance indicates that Iran intends to resist economic or political pressure used to impose excessive demands on the country.

A total fire ban is in place for greater Sydney with extreme fire danger exacerbated by hot and windy conditionsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSummer heat is due to arrive early across much of eastern Australia with potentially record early September temperatures predicted for Brisbane and Sydney, while snow was expected in southern New South Wales.Maximum temperatures in Sydney during the first days of September were on track to match the city’s midsummer average of 26.4C, warmer than any other start to spring since the city’s Observatory Hill station opened in 1858. Continue reading...

First responders, residents and environmental groups say military dropping flares to destroy forests and cropsFirefighters and residents of south Lebanon have accused the Israeli military of lighting wildfires in the region, as forested areas burned down in blazes sparked by Israeli bombing.Environmental groups said the fires in recent weeks were part of a longstanding Israeli practice of targeting Lebanon’s natural environment. Continue reading...

• Welsh Fire (WEF) scored 138/4 in 98 balls during the second match of The Hundred Men's Competition 2026 against Southern Brave (SOU). • Southern Brave responded with 135/7, led by Philip Salt who scored 47 runs off 37 balls and Asa Tribe who contributed 11 runs off 12 balls. • The match was a closely contested encounter, with Welsh Fire securing a narrow victory over Southern Brave.

Hits on two towns among deadliest bombings since start of June ceasefire An Israeli airstrike in south Lebanon killed one person and injured 11, the Lebanese ministry of health said, in one of Israel’s deadliest bombings since the start of the June ceasefire.Israel carried out an airstrike in the town of Tebnine, hitting a cemetery, the Lebanese health ministry said. It said the town of al-Mansouri, in south Lebanon, was also bombed, forcing families to flee. Continue reading...

Snow falls in Wellington for the first time in 15 years while snow blanketed Dunedin and Christchurch on the country’s south islandTemperatures have plummeted across New Zealand as an Antarctic cold snap hovers over the country, delighting the capital, Wellington, which experienced snow for the first time in 15 years, while giving a southern city’s residents a chance to ski through the streets.The front moved in on Tuesday, with much of the country waking to freezing conditions, frosts, snowfall, hail and bitingly cold wind. Continue reading...

England and Wales provisionally record driest July in nearly 200 years, Met Office saysJuly 2026 was the driest month in southern England since records began nearly 200 years ago, the Met Office has said.England and Wales also provisionally recorded their driest July since records began in 1836. Wales had its joint warmest July on record for mean temperature, and England recorded its second warmest July. Continue reading...

Temperatures forecast to reach 37C in Budapest and Vienna as Hungary switches off vital nuclear plant with falling water levels in Danube affecting cooling capabilitiesThe latest heatwave seen in western Europe last week are now moving eastwards, with large parts of central and southern Europe set to experience extreme temperatures near 40C, and putting countries at risk of an energy crunch.Hungary was forced to shut down most of its sole nuclear power plant, which generates a large part of the country’s energy supply, for the first time in 44 years as the drying out of the Danube made it impossible to cool safely. The nuclear plant ‌is expected to ​be completely powered down later ⁠this week ​as water ​levels ​on ​the ‌Danube ​river are projected ​to fall further. Continue reading...

• A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto on Japan's southern main island of Kyushu on Tuesday. • Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reported multiple injuries and significant damage to buildings, bridges, and roads. • The seismic event triggered widespread blackouts and fires across the affected region.

Residents in Ladera Ranch in Orange county voice concerns after six children diagnosed with Ewing sarcomaSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email Concerns are growing in southern California over a cluster of “exceptionally rare” cancer cases that has sickened multiple children in a suburban community.Families living in the Orange county neighborhood of Ladera Ranch, home to about 26,000 people, have reported that six children in the community were diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, Katrina Foley, the vice-chair of the county board of supervisors, said in a statement. Continue reading...

Ex-chief executive Matthew Wright among those named in criminal proceedings by Environment AgencyBritain’s ⁠Environment Agency (EA) is ⁠bringing ​a fraud case against ⁠four former Southern Water employees, including ⁠the former chief executive ​Matthew ‌Wright, over ‌allegations they manipulated wastewater ‌testing results.The regulator said the four had allegedly conspired ‌to defraud the Environment Agency and ​water regulator Ofwat between 2012 and 2017 by ⁠creating artificial “no-flow” ​events ​at wastewater treatment ​works to ​influence ‌compliance checks. Continue reading...

As the Latino population of North Carolina booms, opportunities abound – and Donal Gooch is capitalizing on changing nature of his home regionDonal Gooch is not pleased about the trash on his arena floor.“Shit, it’s pitiful,” he says. Continue reading...

Firm pleaded guilty to 13 offences over discharges at Margate and Broadstairs wastewater pumping stationsSouthern Water has been fined more than £7m after dumping sewage illegally off the Kent coast between 2019 and 2021.The company, described by the judge as having a “record of criminality” which is “an exceptionally serious aggravating factor”, pleaded guilty to 13 offences at Medway magistrates court last April over sewage discharges at Margate and Broadstairs wastewater pumping stations between 2019 and 2021. Continue reading...

• Barisan Nasional (BN) dominated the Johor polls, winning 48 of the 56 contested seats. • Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition saw a decline in influence, poised to win only eight seats compared to the 12 they secured in 2022. • BN leader Zahid Hamidi claimed the victory signals a "blue wave" return, asserting that the coalition remains a relevant and strong choice for the people.

Local media in Hengzhou report king ratsnakes and cobras among hundreds in flood waters caused by typhoon MaysakHundreds of snakes, including cobras, have escaped from flooded breeding farms in southern China as severe storms continue to batter parts of the country.State media reported that a snake farm in Hengzhou, in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, was hit by flood waters after days of heavy rainfall caused by typhoon Maysak, prompting warnings for nearby residents. Continue reading...

• A new UN report warns of an unfolding humanitarian crisis in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine, where thousands of civilians are facing severe life-threatening risks. • Affected populations are currently struggling with critical food shortages and a systemic lack of essential medical assistance. • The situation highlights the precarious nature of civilian life under occupation and the difficulty of delivering aid to these contested regions.

Tour de France spectator ban as country along with Spain, Portugal and Greece faces ‘powder keg’ after heatwaveEurope live – latest updatesWildfires raging across southern Europe have forced thousands to flee their homes and prompted officials to ban spectators from a stage of the Tour de France, amid warnings of “powder keg” conditions after a record-breaking early summer heatwave.Hundreds of firefighters are tackling blazes that have burned through almost 20,000 hectares (49,500 acres) in Portugal, Spain, France and Greece. Strong winds are forecast to fan the flames and temperatures are expected to rise again this week. Continue reading...

• President Lee Jae Myung has pledged to establish an aerospace industry belt along South Korea’s southern coast to strengthen the nation's space sector. • The initiative will specifically focus on the development and production of satellites, rockets, and next-generation aircraft. • This project is part of a larger strategic push to integrate aerospace growth with advancements in AI, semiconductors, and future manufacturing.

• IndieWire and its staff were named "Best Website, News Organization Exclusive to the Internet" at the 2026 Southern California Journalism Awards. • The honor, presented by the LA Press Club during a Sunday evening gala, marks the second consecutive year the publication has won this specific award. • The awards recognize excellence in entertainment journalism throughout the 2025 calendar year, highlighting IndieWire's dominance in the digital news space.

• Variety secured 16 wins at the Southern California Journalism Awards held this past Sunday, dominating several categories. • The publication earned top honors for its criticism of film, television, and music, highlighting its strength in entertainment reporting. • Notable individual wins include Ramin Setoodeh for an entertainment feature on the movie "After the Hunt" and Brian Steinberg for a culture news piece regarding the CBS "Evening News" overhaul.

• Israel launched strikes in southern Lebanon, resulting in at least one death according to state media. • The attacks occurred just one day after Lebanon and Israel signed a framework agreement intended to stabilize the region. • Tensions escalated on March 2 when Iran-backed Hezbollah fired missiles into Israel following an Israeli strike that killed Iran's supreme leader.

Defence minister says troops are not withdrawing even though Tehran sees end to conflict in Lebanon as part of any deal with USThe Israeli defence minister, Israel Katz, has said that Israeli troops would not withdraw from southern Lebanon, further complicating Iran peace talks as fighting in Lebanon continues to be an obstacle to permanent peace.Speaking on stage in an interview in Tel Aviv, Katz said that Israeli troops would remain in south Lebanon – echoing sentiments from the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Continue reading...

Officials say Sarita Kimble, 62, and Delores Shelton, 83, killed in Mount Vernon as several buildings destroyedAuthorities in Illinois say that two older residents were killed and at least five other people were injured in a tornado that ripped through a rural county and destroyed several buildings on Sunday evening.The fatalities occurred in Mount Vernon, sheriff Jeff Bullard of Jefferson county said on Monday. He identified the victims as Sarita Kimble, 62, and Delores Shelton, 83, who were inside separate structures leveled by the tornado. 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...

Temperatures expected to hit 30C on Friday and remain high over weekend as second heatwave in three weeks approaches Amber heat warnings have been issued for parts of southern England as a second heatwave in the space of three weeks approaches.Temperatures are expected to climb to 30C on Friday, remain high over the weekend, and reach 33C on Monday. Continue reading...