Watch: One street away from collapsed school as relatives wait for news
The BBC reports from a nearby centre as rescuers race to find 38 people believed to still be trapped.
Watch: Moment houses topple into the sea in North Carolina
Five unoccupied houses fell into the water in Buxton after being battered by dangerous surf.
Wednesday briefing: The prime minister’s big conference speech promised renewal – can he deliver?
In today’s newsletter: Subdued vibes on the floor, poor polls and teetering party politics stand in the way of Keir Starmer’s plan to take Britain to the promised land
Good morning. Are you feeling the Blitz spirit?
The defining message of Keir Starmer’s conference speech pitches Labour at war for the soul of the country, engaged in a battle every bit as momentous as rebuilding Britain after the second world war. The assembled Labour ministers, staff and paid-up members of the public alternately clapped and waved their union jacks.
Gaza | Donald Trump has given Hamas an ultimatum of “three or four days” to respond to his proposed peace and reconstruction plan in Gaza, warning the militant group would “pay in hell” if it rejects the deal, as the Israeli offensive continued, inflicting further civilian casualties.
US politics | The US government shut down on Wednesday, after congressional Democrats refused to support a Republican plan to extend funding for federal departments unless they won a series of concessions centered on healthcare.
Afghanistan | Afghans are living under a near-complete communications blackout after Taliban authorities cut internet and mobile phone services for a second day as part of an unprecedented country-wide crackdown. The administration offered no immediate explanation for the blackout, although in recent weeks it has voiced concern about pornography online.
UK news | Police have responded to online speculation after a gang-rape in Banbury by saying that there is no evidence linking the crime to migrant accommodation. The force said that “any assumptions being made are unfounded and unhelpful”.
Inequality | Scientists have linked the impact of living in an unequal society to structural changes in the brains of children – regardless of individual wealth – for the first time. The findings suggest “inequality creates a toxic social environment” that “literally shapes how young minds develop”, researchers said.
Continue reading...Albanese hopes China’s reported BHP iron ore ban ‘very much short-term’ as ASX dips
Treasurer Jim Chalmers and BHP CEO Mike Henry to discuss reports of Chinese iron ore blockade
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The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, will meet with the boss of BHP amid a shock report that the world’s largest mining company faces a Chinese blockade on its iron ore shipments.
Beijing’s state iron ore buyer has told steelmakers to pause imports of BHP ore, amid hardball negotiations over the price of the crucial resource, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.
Continue reading...Gaza doctors are starving while fighting to save lives, evacuated medic tells BBC
Dr Mohammed Abu Mughaisib, who worked in hospitals in Gaza for two years, says Israeli strikes have made conditions "indescribable" for colleagues still there.
UK accused of ‘stark injustice’ as woman from Montserrat refused free NHS care
Cherry Brown, 69, a British overseas territory citizen, was left sleeping rough after being sent to England for treatment
The UK has been accused of a “stark injustice” for failing to provide health services and humanitarian support to citizens of British overseas territories after a woman from the Caribbean island of Montserrat was refused free NHS care and left homeless.
Council officials found Cherry Brown, 69, sleeping rough in a park in Swanley, Kent, in April. Brown had been funded by the Montserratian government – whose budget is largely subsidised by the UK – to travel to England to receive treatment from the NHS that was not available at home.
Continue reading...Footprint found in South Australian outback search for four-year-old boy
August, known as Gus, disappeared from his family’s sheep station in state’s remote mid-north on Saturday afternoon
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The discovery of a footprint is providing a glimmer of hope before the search for a preschooler on an outback homestead becomes a recovery operation.
Four-year-old August, known as Gus, disappeared from his family’s sheep station in the remote South Australian mid-north on Saturday afternoon.
Continue reading...‘It’s unsustainable’: homes in Great Britain brace for winter with soaring energy debts
As typical annual dual-fuel charge rises to £1,755, charities warn over record £4.4bn owed to suppliers
Britons preparing to ration energy as Ofgem price cap rises, says charity
What is the energy price cap for Great Britain, and can I cut my bill?
Three and a half years after war plunged Europe into an energy supply crisis, millions of households in Great Britain are braced for another winter of painful gas and electricity bills.
On Wednesday, the quarterly cap on charges will increase again. Despite a fall in wholesale gas prices, the ceiling for a typical annual dual-fuel bill will rise by 2% to £1,755 to help cover the costs of energy policies and network upgrades.
Continue reading...US government shuts down after Democrats refuse to back Republican funding plan
First shutdown in nearly seven years as Republicans accused of ‘risking America’s healthcare’ in spending bill
The US government shut down on Wednesday, after congressional Democrats refused to support a Republican plan to extend funding for federal departments unless they won a series of concessions centered on healthcare.
The GOP, which controls the Senate and the House of Representatives, repudiated their demands, setting off a legislative scramble that lasted into the hours before funding lapsed at midnight, when the Senate failed to advance both parties’ bills to keep funding going.
Continue reading...Slovakia marks ‘dark day’ as LGBTQ+ rights rolled back in parliament
Amendment to constitution stipulates that male and female are the only recognised sexes and makes adoption nearly impossible for same-sex couples
Recent changes to Slovakia’s constitution mark a “dark day” for the country, LGBTQ+ campaigners have warned, describing measures such as the recognition of only two sexes as part of a wider rollback of human rights and rule of law in the central European country.
On Friday, Slovakia’s parliament passed an amendment that included measures targeting LGBTQ+ rights in the country, from stipulating that male and female are the only recognised sexes to making it nearly impossible for same-sex couples to adopt children.
Continue reading...Row erupts after Venice opera house hires conductor linked to Meloni government
Musicians and staff at the theatre say Beatrice Venezi is not experienced enough for the role and should be replaced
Venice’s prestigious La Fenice opera house is embroiled in controversy over the hiring of a conductor with close ties to Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government.
The theatre’s orchestra musicians and staff are calling for Beatrice Venezi’s appointment as music director to be revoked, claiming she does not have enough experience for the high-profile role and was picked only because of her government connections.
Continue reading...Britons preparing to ration energy as Ofgem price cap rises, says charity
National Energy Action says 58% of households expect to cut heating use as typical annual dual-fuel bill increases to £1,755
‘It’s unsustainable’: homes in Great Britain brace for winter with soaring energy debts
What is the energy price cap for Great Britain, and can I cut my bill?
The majority of British households expect to restrict their home heating this winter to try to keep rising costs in check, according to research released as the price cap that dictates most bills rose again.
The fuel poverty charity National Energy Action said 58% of households told its survey they were likely to trim their energy use, a nine-percentage-point increase from the level in January.
Continue reading...DoJ sues LA sheriff for processing concealed carry gun licenses too slowly
‘Unreasonable delays’ in giving permits violates residents’ second amendment rights, claims justice department
The US Department of Justice sued the Los Angeles county sheriff’s department on Tuesday, alleging it violated the constitution by moving too slowly to process gun licenses for people who want to carry concealed weapons.
The sheriff’s department’s “unreasonable delays” in granting licenses violates California residents’ second amendment right to bear arms outside the home, the justice department’s civil rights division said in a complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court.
Continue reading...Emily Blunt among Hollywood stars outraged over ‘AI actor’ Tilly Norwood
The AI actress is apparently in talks with Hollywood talent agencies to represent her on the big screen.
Earthquake in Philippines Kills at Least 20, Officials Say – The New York Times
- Earthquake in Philippines Kills at Least 20, Officials Say The New York Times
- Deadly 6.9 magnitude earthquake strikes central Philippines CNN
- Death toll rises to 27 after powerful quake hits central Philippines Reuters
- Philippines earthquake live updates: Cebu province declares 'state of calamity' as Magnitude 6.9 quake kills at least 26 BBC
- Philippines earthquake: dozens dead as rescuers search through wreckage The Guardian
‘Dominant on the river’: 32 Chunk crowned champion in ‘biggest Fat Bear Week yet’
Brown bear’s nearly 100,000 votes leads him to victory despite suffering for most of season with broken jaw
“The merely chubby have been winnowed away,” a naturalist intoned. “We are left with a clash of titans.”
After a record-breaking week of public voting, Katmai national park and preserve in Alaska has announced the winner of its “biggest Fat Bear Week yet”.
Continue reading...US cities should be military training grounds, Trump tells generals
The US president warned military leaders of a "war from within", and signals they will be tasked with intervening.
Taiwan now biggest importer of Russian naphtha despite being Ukraine ally
Island imported $1.3bn of crude oil product in first half of 2025 despite joining sanctions against Moscow, report finds
Taiwan has become the world’s biggest importer of Russian naphtha, a petroleum derivative used to make chemicals needed for the semiconductor industry, despite the fact that it has joined other sanctions against Russia and considers itself an ally of Ukraine.
In the first half of 2025, Taiwan imported $1.3bn worth of Russian naphtha, and average monthly imports reached a level nearly six times higher than the 2022 average, according to a report published on Wednesday. Compared to the first half of 2024, Taiwan’s naphtha imports this year increased by 44%.
Continue reading...No more scribbling: Indian court tells doctors to fix their handwriting
A legible medical prescription can make a difference between life and death, the court says.
Philippines earthquake death toll rises to at least 69 as Cebu hospitals struggle
More than 700 aftershocks recorded while rescuers search for casualties in coastal city of Bogo
Rescuers in the Philippines combed through rubble and mud after the deadliest earthquake in more than a decade killed at least 69 people, with patients overwhelming hospitals on the island of Cebu.
Outside the Cebu provincial hospital, injured children cried and adults screamed on Wednesday as they were treated on beds beneath blue tents. They had been wheeled outside as a precaution against waves of aftershocks.
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