RFK Jr and Dr Oz announce insurers’ ‘pledge’ to reform prior authorization

Health secretary and chief of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid hail voluntary agreement as a ‘good start’

The US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr and Dr Mehmet Oz announced a voluntary agreement with insurance companies to change prior authorization practices – where private health insurers require patients to ask for permission before they can receive medical treatment.

The majority of Americans receive health insurance through a private company, whether through an employer, or a privatization of public health insurance programs, such as Medicare Advantage.

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Australian passenger disruption as airlines delay or cancel flights after Iran’s attack on US base in Qatar

Foreign affairs minister Penny Wong said there had been ‘disruptions to flights with temporary airspace closures in the region’

The Albanese government and airlines are warning passengers in Australia of flight delays and disruptions after Iran’s strike on a US base in Qatar resulted in several countries closing their airspace.

In a post to X on Tuesday morning, the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, said there had been “disruptions to flights with temporary airspace closures in the region”.

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UK will commit to spending 5% of GDP on defence by 2035

Keir Starmer says investment in national security will also deepen Britain’s commitment to Nato

Britain will commit to spending 5% of its GDP on defence by 2035 after weeks of diplomatic pressure and intense negotiations with allies.

The decision came as Keir Starmer, the prime minister, prepared to join Nato leaders at a summit dominated by global conflict and expectations of European military self-reliance.

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California officials say seventh person found dead after Lake Tahoe boat capsizes

Fast-moving weekend thunderstorm caused high winds and swells as authorities say one person still missing

The El Dorado county sheriff’s office confirmed Monday that it had found a seventh person dead after a boat capsized on Lake Tahoe during a fast-moving weekend thunderstorm that caused high winds and swells of up to 8ft. One person is still missing.

A 27ft-long gold Chris-Craft vessel with 10 people aboard overturned Saturday afternoon after apparently being hit by a large swell near DL Bliss state park on the lake’s south-west edge, according to the US Coast Guard.

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Airlines pay the price as no-go airspace increases due to global conflicts

US strikes on Iran are adding to the pressure on carriers, which are having to avoid war-torn regions, lengthening routes and pushing up costs

With barely 48 hours elapsed since the US launched strikes against Iran, the swift resumption of near-normal service circumnavigating the war zone underlines that few crises, short of the global pandemic, have stopped airlines and their passengers flying for long.

British Airways had been planning to restart flights to the Middle East cities of Doha and Dubai again, after cancelling departures from Heathrow at the weekend. However, on Monday evening Qatar temporarily closed its airspace again as Iran launched a missile attack on US bases in the country.

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US War on Iran Is Not About Nuclear Threats. It’s About US Power and Domination. – Truthout

  1. US War on Iran Is Not About Nuclear Threats. It’s About US Power and Domination.  Truthout
  2. Live Updates: Trump Claims Success After U.S. Bombs Key Iran Nuclear Sites  The New York Times
  3. US bombing of Iran started with a fake-out  Reuters
  4. Why did the US bomb Iran now? | Nader Hashemi  The Guardian
  5. What Iran Knows About Trump  The Atlantic
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Canada signs defense pact with EU – politico.eu

  1. Canada signs defense pact with EU  politico.eu
  2. Canada and EU Sign Defense Agreement as Trump Promises to Reduce International Security  The New York Times
  3. Canada and EU sign defence pact amid strained US relations and global instability  The Guardian
  4. Canada announces new, strengthened partnership with the European Union  Prime Minister of Canada
  5. Two of Biggest U.S. Allies Just Made New Defense Deal—Without Trump  Yahoo News
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Canada and EU sign defence pact amid strained US relations and global instability

Amid Trump’s disrespect of old allies, EU and Canada vow more support for Ukraine and joint work on climate crisis

Canada has signed a wide-ranging defence pact with the EU, as Donald Trump and global instability prompt traditional US allies to deepen their alliances.

Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, on Monday joined European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, and head of the European Council, António Costa, in Brussels, where they signed a security and defence partnership, pledged more support for Ukraine, as well as joint work on issues from the climate crisis to artificial intelligence.

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No casualties reported after Iran missile attack on U.S. base in Qatar – Axios

  1. No casualties reported after Iran missile attack on U.S. base in Qatar  Axios
  2. Live updates: Attack on Iranian nuclear sites thrusts US into Israel-Iran conflict  CNN
  3. Stock futures rise after Trump says there is a ceasefire timeline for Iran-Israel conflict: Live updates  CNBC
  4. Iranian missiles fired at Al-Udeid US base, intercepted over Qatar  Fox News
  5. Trump claims ceasefire between Iran and Israel after Iran’s missile attack on US base in Qatar  AP News
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Ukraine and UK to jointly produce long-range drones, Zelenskyy says

Ukrainian president says two countries will deepen defence cooperation with the objective to ‘stop Russian terror’

Ukraine and the UK are to deepen their defence cooperation by jointly producing long-range drones, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday after talks with Keir Starmer in Downing Street aimed at forcing Russia to “think about peace”.

Zelenskyy said his main objective was “to save as many lives as possible” and to “stop Russian terror”. Writing on social media, he called for “maximum political and diplomatic coordination” and closer work on “joint defence projects and weapons production”.

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Networks Shift Focus To Qatar Amid Iranian Missile Strikes; Trump Claims Tehran Regime Has “Gotten It All Out Of Their System” – Update – Deadline

  1. Networks Shift Focus To Qatar Amid Iranian Missile Strikes; Trump Claims Tehran Regime Has “Gotten It All Out Of Their System” – Update  Deadline
  2. June 23, 2025 - Israel-Iran conflict  CNN
  3. Gulf expat bubble punctured by missiles  Financial Times
  4. Why Trump thanked Iran after it fired missiles at a U.S. base in Qatar  MSNBC News
  5. No casualties reported after Iran missile attack on U.S. base in Qatar  Axios
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Ex-Sky News presenter Dermot Murnaghan reveals stage 4 prostate cancer diagnosis

The 67-year-old, who also worked for ITV, BBC and Channel 4, says he is ‘responding positively to excellent treatment’

The former BBC and Sky News presenter Dermot Murnaghan has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

The 67-year-old announced his diagnosis on social media, saying it was one of stage four advanced cancer.

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