US firms in China most pessimistic since 1999, survey says
Just 41 percent of US firms optimistic about the five-year business outlook in China, chamber of commerce says.
Trump appears sidelined as the US caught unawares by Israel’s unprecedented strikes on Qatar
The White House is caught between supporting Israel’s war against Hamas and patching up relations with a key US ally in the region
In the aftermath of Israeli airstrikes targeting Hamas negotiators in the heart of Qatar’s capital Doha, the White House appeared sidelined from halting a conflict that Donald Trump has claimed only he could mediate.
As details of the diplomatic flurry before Tuesday’s extraordinary strike were revealed, it was claimed that the White House had little say in how Israel opened its latest front in its war against Hamas – this one on a US ally hosting negotiations days after Trump had claimed he was close to reaching a deal.
Continue reading...Polish and NATO forces scramble to shoot down Russian drones
Prime Minister Donald Tusk says military defences deployed after 'multiple violations of Polish airspace'.
Discovery of new campsite shows fugitive Tom Phillips had ‘outside help,’ NZ police say
Phillips had spent nearly four years hiding in the wilderness with his three children before he was killed in an exchange of fire with police on Monday
Fugitive father Tom Phillips was receiving outside help during his years on the run before he was killed in a police shoot-out this week, New Zealand police said on Wednesday as they released images that show a newly discovered campsite.
Phillips had spent nearly four years hiding in the wilderness with his three children. He was killed in an exchange of fire with police after reports of a burglary in the remote town of Piopio, in the central North Island, on Monday.
Continue reading...Trump says signature on birthday note to Jeffrey Epstein is not his
US president's denial comes after White House said it would support a forensic analysis of the signature.
Hamas claims leadership survived Israeli attack in Doha, but confirms six deaths
Meanwhile, the White House says the Israeli strike "does not advance Israel or America's goals".
Israel kills over 50 in Gaza; Qatar calls Israeli attack ‘state terror’
More than 1.3 million people remain trapped in Gaza City as Israeli bombardment kills dozens.
Who is Khalil al-Hayya, who else was targeted in Israel’s attack on Qatar?
Six people were killed in Israeli attack on Doha, but Hamas senior leaders are reported to have survived.
LIVE: Israel’s deadly attack on Hamas in Qatar draws global condemnation
Israel's attack that killed 6 in Doha draws criticism from across the world as Israeli troops continue to bombard Gaza.
Israeli-Russian researcher freed in Iraq after two years in captivity
US President Trump confirms Elizabeth Tsurkov freed after being held by Iraqi group amid spy claims.
Don’t log non-crime hate incidents, says head of police watchdog
Andy Cooke says the cases take up little time for forces in England and Wales but create intense controversy
Police should no longer record or investigate non-crime hate incidents, the chief inspector of constabulary has said.
Sir Andy Cooke said handling the incidents took up a minuscule amount of time but drew vehement criticism.
Continue reading...Doctors trial £100 blood test that could transform how NHS detects Alzheimer’s
More than 1,000 patients to take part in trial to see if the approach leads to faster and more reliable diagnoses
Doctors have launched a clinical trial of a £100 blood test for Alzheimer’s disease in the hope of transforming diagnosis of the devastating condition in the NHS.
More than 1,000 patients with suspected dementia are being recruited from memory clinics across the UK to see whether the test leads to faster and more reliable diagnoses and better care for those found to have the disease.
Continue reading...Junk food leads to more children being obese than underweight for first time
Cheap ultra-processed food behind rise in overweight children, with one in 10 now obese globally, says Unicef
More children around the world are obese than underweight for the first time, according to a UN report that warns ultra-processed junk food is overwhelming childhood diets.
There are 188 million teenagers and school-age children with obesity – one in 10 – Unicef said, affecting health and development and bringing a risk of life-threatening diseases.
Continue reading...US Supreme Court to decide legality of Trump’s tariffs
The Supreme Court has scheduled to hear the case in November, lightning fast by its typical standards.
The president doth protest too much: Trump’s denial on Epstein is backfiring
Typically full of brio and swagger, the White House is scrambling because Trump is behaving so out of character
It took Trump chronicler Maggie Haberman to cut to the chase: if Trump didn’t sign the birthday card or other documents released by Jeffrey Epstein’s estate, the reporter asked in a quiet yet insistent tone, what’s the working theory as to why he’s in there?
“The president has one of the most famous signatures in the world,” Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, replied on Tuesday. “The president did not write that letter. He did not sign those documents.”
Continue reading...Critics decry White House’s Maha report on chronic illnesses in children
Report omits limiting pesticides and ultra-processed foods even as RFK Jr pledges to fight against childhood obesity
The Trump administration released its second Make America Healthy Again (Maha) report, this time on chronic illnesses in children, confirming a leaked report from last month that the administration would stop short of proposing direct restrictions on pesticides and ultra-processed foods.
On Tuesday, the Make America Healthy Again commission published a 20-page report that attempts a balance for the priorities of health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr’s supporters with the interests of influential farming corporations. It also urges an overhaul of the nation’s vaccine injury system and tighter oversight of certain prescriptions.
Continue reading...Abducted Israeli-Russian researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov freed in Iraq
A Princeton student "tortured for many months" by Iraqi militia is now in the US embassy, President Trump says.
First two Brazilian judges vote to convict Jair Bolsonaro in coup plot trial
Three more supreme court justices to cast their votes in coming days, with verdict expected by Thursday
Jair Bolsonaro led a criminal organisation that sought to plunge Brazil back into dictatorship with a murderous power grab involving special forces assassins and a vast disinformation campaign, the supreme court judge presiding over the former president’s trial has claimed as he voted for Bolsonaro’s conviction.
Alexandre de Moraes was the first supreme court justice of five to announce his decision on Tuesday, as the trial of Bolsonaro and seven alleged co-conspirators – including four senior members of the military and the former head of Brazil’s answer to MI6 – entered its final stretch.
Continue reading...Macron names close ally Sebastien Lecornu as new French PM
Sebastien Lecornu, 39, is facing an uphill battle over budget as protests loom in the coming days.
South Africa close on World Cup 2026, but Nigeria left sweating
South Africa maintain Group C lead with 1-1 draw with Nigeria in the CAF qualifiers for the FIFA 2026 World Cup.