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
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
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
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.
Continue reading...Gaza flotilla rebuffs calls to stop, as Israel readies for complex interception – The Times of Israel
- Gaza flotilla rebuffs calls to stop, as Israel readies for complex interception The Times of Israel
- Gaza Sumud flotilla: How Israel breaks international maritime law Al Jazeera
- Italy to end support for Gaza flotilla as Israeli action looms Reuters
- Gaza aid flotilla man 'undeterred by drone threat' BBC
- Israel, Gaza Aid Flotilla Brace for a Confrontation at Sea The Wall Street Journal
Taliban internet shutdown paralyzes Afghanistan – The Washington Post
- Taliban internet shutdown paralyzes Afghanistan The Washington Post
- Afghan women lose their 'last hope' as Taliban shut down internet BBC
- Afghanistan: Internet Shutdowns Imperil Rights Human Rights Watch
- Taliban kills internet across Afghanistan, citing morality concerns as UN protests Fox News
- Afghanistan imposes internet blackout: What has the effect been so far? Al Jazeera
Morocco’s youth protests turn violent on fourth day – Reuters
- Morocco's youth protests turn violent on fourth day Reuters
- Morocco squashes youth-led protesters over health, education Reuters
- Young Moroccans clash with police while protesting stadium spending and health system decline The Washington Post
- Gen Z Moroccans denounce government priorities in some of the largest protests in years CNN
- Gen Z protesters rally across Morocco demanding health, education reforms Al Jazeera
Zelenskyy sounds alarm over unprecedented power outage at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant – The Guardian
- Zelenskyy sounds alarm over unprecedented power outage at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant The Guardian
- Ukraine warns of critical situation at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant Reuters
- Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says situation ‘critical’ at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant Al Jazeera
- Update 317 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine International Atomic Energy Agency
- Ukraine and Russia Blame Each Other for Power Cut at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant The New York Times