China to send two giant pandas to Washington, DC, zoo
Bao Li and Qing Bao to arrive this year under a decade-long breeding and research agreement, zoo says.
I want to be an MP for as long as possible, Diane Abbott tells supporters
Comments at rally in east London follow Keir Starmer’s denial that the Hackney MP would be barred from standing in the election
Diane Abbott has promised to stay on as an MP for “as long as it is possible”, setting up a clash with Keir Starmer after a deal for her to retire from parliament broke down.
Abbott, the UK’s first female black MP, had been expected to make a “dignified exit” from parliament, after a near 40-year career, in an arrangement in which she was given back the Labour whip after an investigation into comments she made about racism.
Continue reading...Delhi temperature may break record for highest ever in India: 126.1 degrees – CBS News
- Delhi temperature may break record for highest ever in India: 126.1 degrees CBS News
- Why Temperatures In Indian Cities Are Rising Like Never Before NDTV
- India reports first heat-related death this year Al Jazeera English
- New Delhi Sweats Through Its Hottest Recorded Day The New York Times
- Delhi heatwave: officials investigating if temperature of 52.9C due to faulty sensor The Guardian
Diane Abbott sorry saga leaves Labour colleagues with a bitter taste
Even those who are not natural allies are concerned about the cack-handed treatment of the veteran MP
The long and sorry saga of Diane Abbott leaving parliament, where she arrived as a trailblazer, has left a bitter taste in the mouths of many colleagues – even those who are far from her natural allies.
After almost 36 tortuous hours the UK’s first black female MP is in the Labour party but possibly out of parliament, and no one seemingly wants to own how these decisions came about.
Continue reading...Heatwaves increase risk of early births and poorer health in babies, study finds
Research that looked at 53 million births says Black and Hispanic mothers and those in lower socioeconomic groups most at risk
Heatwaves increase rates of preterm births, which can lead to poorer health outcomes for babies and impact their long-term health, a new study found.
Black and Hispanic mothers, as well as those in lower socioeconomic groups, are particularly at risk of delivering early following heat waves.
Continue reading...Robert F Kennedy Jr files election complaint over CNN debate rules
Independent presidential candidate alleges network is colluding with Trump and Biden to exclude him from 27 June debate
The independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr filed an election complaint on Wednesday alleging CNN is colluding with Joe Biden and the presumptive Republican nominee, Donald Trump, to exclude him from a debate the network is hosting next month.
Kennedy alleges the requirements to participate in the 27 June debate were designed to ensure only Biden and Trump would qualify and Kennedy claims he is being held to a higher standard.
Continue reading...Trump reportedly considers White House advisory role for Elon Musk
Wall Street Journal reports pair have had several phone calls recently and that Musk could assist if Trump wins another term
Donald Trump has floated a possible advisory role for the tech billionaire Elon Musk if he were to retake the White House next year, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal.
The two men, who once had a tense relationship, have had several phone calls a month since March as Trump looks to court powerful donors and Musk seeks an outlet for his policy ideas, the newspaper said, citing several anonymous sources familiar with their conversations.
Continue reading...‘Curtain of fire’: Iceland volcano forces evacuation
A popular tourist resort was evacuated after a 2.5km-long fissure opened up, which may be “growing”.
France’s cold case unit orders new DNA tests in unsolved Alps murders
Deaths of members of British al-Hilli family and French cyclist in remote layby have baffled detectives since 2012
Detectives from France’s cold case unit have ordered DNA analysis of evidence in the unsolved killing of a British family and a French cyclist in a remote Alpine village 12 years ago.
Clothes belonging to one of the victims, cigarette butts found at the scene and pieces of the gun used in the killings are to be tested in the hopes of solving the mystery of the murders, described by the local prosecutor as “an act of gross savagery”.
Continue reading...‘I just need change’: voters voice discontent as South Africa goes to polls
ANC majority in national election at risk for first time since 1990s as unemployment, corruption and power cuts erode support
In the heart of Soweto, at the president’s home voting station, support for the African National Congress (ANC) was everywhere as South Africa went to the polls, with many voters wearing the party’s bright yellow and speaking of their families’ generational loyalty to the movement that fought to end apartheid.
However, even here, there were voters who had turned against the ANC, as it risked losing its majority in national elections on Wednesday for the first time since Nelson Mandela led it to power in South Africa’s first fully democratic vote in 1994.
Continue reading...Babbling babies may be warming up for speech, say scientists
Squeals and growls tend to occur in groups, finds study of infants aged up to 13 months
It might sound like a stream of jolly nonsense, but the peculiar sounds babies produce could be an attempt to practise the vocal control necessary for speech, researchers have suggested.
A study analysing the sounds made by infants during their first year of life has found squeals and growls tend to occur in groups.
Continue reading...Person killed by jet engine at Amsterdam airport
Dutch carrier KLM says it is taking care of passengers and employees who witnessed the incident.
Israel cannot win Gaza war without ‘day-after’ plan, Blinken warns
Top US diplomat says, without strategy to govern and stablise Gaza, Hamas or something 'worse' will re-emerge after war.
Hard choices as Ukraine faces worst crisis since war began
The BBC's Jeremy Bowen explains why there could be a dangerous summer ahead in Ukraine.
Nigeria’s new-old national anthem sparks outrage after it is signed by Bola Tinubu – BBC.com
- Nigeria's new-old national anthem sparks outrage after it is signed by Bola Tinubu BBC.com
- Nigeria's new anthem, written by a Briton, sparks criticism after a contentious law is passed The Associated Press
- UPDATED: Tinubu signs bill to revert to old national anthem Premium Times
- ICYMI: Re-introducing old national anthem long overdue, says Ozhekome Punch Newspapers
- REWIND: In 2022, Tinubu said he would bring back old national anthem TheCable
Iceland volcano: Concern for town of Grindavik after new eruption – BBC.com
- Iceland volcano: Concern for town of Grindavik after new eruption BBC.com
- Iceland Volcano Eruption Closes Blue Lagoon | Weather.com The Weather Channel
- Iceland volcano erupts for fifth time shooting lava 50m into air – video The Guardian
- Lava shoots 160 feet into air after new volcanic eruption outside Grindavik in Iceland Fox Weather
- New volcanic eruption on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula Al Jazeera English
Concern for Iceland town following new eruption
Grindavik's mayor says larger lava flows than usual are heading towards the largely abandoned area.
Person dies after falling into jet engine at Schiphol airport
Aircraft operated by KLM was preparing to depart when incident occurred at busy Amsterdam hub
A person has died after falling into the spinning turbine blades of a departing passenger jet at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport.
The death occurred on the apron outside the busy hub’s terminal as a KLM flight was preparing to depart for Billund in Denmark.
Continue reading...How a single comma is allowing Israel to question ICJ Rafah ruling
Israel is among those arguing that international court of justice directive is ambivalent and far from a blanket order to halt its offensive
Israel has asserted that Sunday’s attack, which set ablaze a crowded refugee camp in Rafah and killed 45 Palestinians, is not in breach of last week’s International Court of Justice ruling – a directive widely seen to have instructed Israel to completely stop its military offensive in the southern Gaza city.
The apparent contradiction reflects a fierce and continuing debate over the ambivalent language of the ruling – and the placing of a single comma in a key sentence.
Continue reading...New York crowds gather for sunset ‘Manhattanhenge’
Each year, people gather to watch the Sun as it sets between the city's skyscrapers.