Thousands more UK black men to be invited for prostate cancer screening

Health secretary announces expansion of Transform trial but does not back population-wide testing

Thousands more black men will be invited to take part in a prostate cancer screening trial as the health secretary insisted he was “following the science” in not backing population-wide testing.

James Murray accepted a recommendation from the UK national screening committee (UKNSC) that will result in only a few thousand high-risk men with a gene mutation being screened for the disease.

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El Niño expected to develop in coming months, bringing hotter and drier weather to eastern Australia

BoM and other agencies expect transition to the first El Niño since spring 2023 sometime during winter

Australia should prepare for an imminent El Niño, with the Bureau of Meteorology and other agencies forecasting that the weather phenomenon is likely to develop in the coming months.

“The models are really aligning now,” Felicity Gamble, a senior BoM climatologist, said. “We are expecting a transition to El Niño sometime during winter.”

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Thousands protest in Albania against Jared Kushner-linked resort project – The Times of Israel

  1. Thousands protest in Albania against Jared Kushner-linked resort project  The Times of Israel
  2. Protests Grow in Albania Over Kushner-Linked Project  The New York Times
  3. What to know: Protests grow over Trump family-linked resort in Albania  ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos
  4. Albanian authorities probe seaside resort project linked to Jared Kushner  politico.eu
  5. Albania Freezes Assets in Kushner Resort Probe  Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project | OCCRP
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Trump-backed candidate loses in Iowa governor’s race as Democrats look to flip Senate seat

Establishment Democrat beats Zach Wahls in primary as party eyes success in Republican-dominated state

Iowa voters cast their ballots in Tuesday’s heated primaries, setting up for months of fervent campaigning ahead of the November midterms in contests that could determine the balance of power in Congress.

A red state that the GOP has dominated for the past decade, Democrats believe they can be competitive in three of its four House races, its Senate election, and the contest to replace Kim Reynolds, the retiring Republican governor.

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Sydney academic used AI to write SMH opinion piece urging students to avoid using tech to ‘cut corners’

Sydney Morning Herald removes piece by Cath Ellis, despite Western Sydney University saying her use of AI was ‘appropriate’

A top Sydney academic used AI to write an opinion piece that urged students to “do the work” and not cut corners by using such technology, with the Sydney Morning Herald removing the “unacceptable” piece from its website.

Western Sydney University’s pro vice-chancellor for quality and integrity, Prof Cath Ellis, had an opinion piece published in the Sydney Morning Herald last month, in response to an article from the academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert.

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Supreme court approves Alabama map that erases majority-Black district

Court decision that represents win for Republicans comes after lengthy battle over state’s congressional map

Alabama can use a redrawn congressional map that eliminates one of the state’s two majority-Black districts in this year’s midterm elections, the US supreme court ruled in a 6-3 decision on Tuesday, another major blow to Black voters and a win for Republicans.

The court’s emergency ruling is the most consequential decision it had issued since its landmark ruling in late April that struck down a critical provision of the Voting Rights Act. In that case, Louisiana v Callais, the court’s majority made it nearly impossible to win Voting Rights Act claims, saying that plaintiffs had to prove intentional discrimination. But on 26 May, a three-judge panel said the map Alabama wants to use for this year’s midterm was enacted with discriminatory intent.

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US and Iran launch fresh strikes amid stalled ceasefire talks

US military says it struck tanker and sites on Iran’s Qeshm Island and defended Kuwait and Bahrain from missile attacks

The US and Iran have exchanged fresh missiles and drone strikes, further jeopardising efforts by Washington to secure a new ceasefire agreement with Tehran.

US forces fired a Hellfire missile to disable a tanker attempting to break through the American blockade of the strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, and later said they repelled Iranian reprisal attacks in the region and attacked sites on Iran’s Qeshm Island.

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What to Know About South Korea’s Elections – The New York Times

  1. What to Know About South Korea’s Elections  The New York Times
  2. South Koreans vote in local elections seen as a gauge of support after President Lee’s first year  The Hill
  3. South Korea’s Lee Faces First Election Test One Year Into Office  Bloomberg.com
  4. South Koreans Vote in Local Elections Seen as Gauge of President Lee's First Year  U.S. News & World Report
  5. Death of secrecy: a North Korean escapee's warning  upi.com
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Ötzi the Iceman and his microbiome—a 5,300-year-old relationship – Phys.org

  1. Ötzi the Iceman and his microbiome—a 5,300-year-old relationship  Phys.org
  2. Scientists find yeast in frozen mummy's guts, use it to make sourdough bread  CBS News
  3. Sourdough made from yeast inside Europe’s oldest mummy  The Telegraph
  4. 5,300 years after his death, Ötzi the murdered Iceman’s microbiome is still active  Scientific American
  5. Ötzi the Iceman’s remains yielded ‘viable’ yeasts in the lab  Science News
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Australia must engage with Solomon Islands with mutual respect. It’s about so much more than keeping Beijing at bay – The Guardian

  1. Australia must engage with Solomon Islands with mutual respect. It’s about so much more than keeping Beijing at bay  The Guardian
  2. Solomons PM says to review security pact with China  Yahoo
  3. America’s big chance to roll China out of the Solomons  Asia Times
  4. Interview with Melissa Clarke, ABC AM  Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs
  5. Australia, Solomon Islands Agree to Negotiate Comprehensive Treaty  U.S. News & World Report
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Putin remains uncompromising on Ukraine, but is public discourse on war changing in Russia? – BBC

  1. Putin remains uncompromising on Ukraine, but is public discourse on war changing in Russia?  BBC
  2. As Russia fails to achieve war aims in Ukraine, Putin needs a way out  The Washington Post
  3. Bombs Raining Down on Ukraine Can’t Hide Signs of Russia’s Faltering War  The New York Times
  4. Ukraine changed its tactics, and now Putin is slowly losing  The Hill
  5. Putin faces a series of setbacks, fueling discontent in Russia and raising doubts about his strategy  Le Monde.fr
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Palantir Contracts Have Become ‘An Unacceptable Point of Weakness,’ UK Politicians Warn – WIRED

  1. Palantir Contracts Have Become ‘An Unacceptable Point of Weakness,’ UK Politicians Warn  WIRED
  2. Palantir’s £330 Million NHS Deal Under Fire From UK Lawmakers  Bloomberg.com
  3. Palantir's role in UK public services branded 'unacceptable' by committee report  Sky News
  4. Palantir should not have ‘significant role’ in UK public data systems, MPs say  Financial Times
  5. Britain's reliance on US tech group Palantir is an 'unacceptable weakness," report says  Reuters
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Puffins, dolphins and bumblebees in running to feature on new UK banknotes

Bank of England says updated imagery will celebrate native wildlife while bolstering anti-counterfeit features

Puffins, dolphins and bumblebees are among the wildlife that could feature on new banknotes in the UK as the Bank of England announces its shortlist.

There has been controversy over the decision, with figures including Nigel Farage criticising the Bank for, he claimed, wanting to replace Winston Churchill with a beaver. The Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, said it was “a silly thing to do”, and Reform UK’s Farage called it “absolutely crackers”. In the end, no beaver appeared on the shortlist. Mammal options include bottlenose dolphins and red foxes.

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