German politician resigns over surrogacy child controversy
Jens Spahn faced criticism over his use of a surrogate, a ban on which he previously backed.
German politician resigns over surrogacy child controversy
Jens Spahn faced criticism over his use of a surrogate, a ban on which he previously backed.
Germany’s CDU party chair resigns after using surrogacy to become parent
Jens Spahn had criticised ‘rented wombs’ and his party is strongly opposed to surrogacy, which is banned in Germany
A senior German politician and ally of the chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has resigned as chair of the Christian Democrat (CDU) party after he and his husband used a surrogate mother to become parents, a practice he has criticised in the past and his party is vehemently opposed to.
Surrogacy is banned in Germany, a policy Jens Spahn refused to relax when he was health minister in 2020, so he and his husband, Daniel Funke, used a surrogate mother in the US.
Continue reading...Doctors question evidence behind Pentagon plan for testosterone screening
Pete Hegseth announced that soldiers aged 30 and older in the US military will be screened for low testosterone
The US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, this week ordered annual testosterone-deficiency screening for active-duty and reserve service members aged 30 and older, which he says will help to maintain military readiness.
But many medical professionals warn it might do nothing of the sort and instead could increase service members’ risk of infertility or other consequences if testosterone is prescribed inappropriately.
Continue reading...Burnham is ‘people pleaser’ with ‘airy fairy’ plans, says Kemi Badenoch – BBC
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Many carers hit with demands to repay more than £20,000 despite reforms
Data shows 32,559 earnings-related overpayments in 2025-26 after DWP’s measures to end carer’s allowance scandal
Scores of unpaid carers were hit with demands to repay sums of more than £20,000 and hundreds more put at risk of prosecution last year as a result of official failures in what appear to be continuing problems with carer’s allowance.
New figures showed carers were asked to repay £33m in 2025-26 as a result of 32,559 earnings-related overpayments, despite the introduction of measures over a year ago designed specifically to prevent carers falling foul of the system.
Continue reading...Iraq signs 48 deals with US companies during PM’s visit to Washington
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Air quality warnings remain in place across US as wildfire smoke continues to swathe country
Rain could alleviate conditions in mid-Atlantic and north-east, with World Cup final expected to go ahead on Sunday
Warnings of dangerous conditions are expected to remain in place on Saturday across swathes of the US, amid uncertainty about where the heavy wildfire smoke swirling from the Canadian province of Ontario and the US state of Minnesota will head next.
Some parts of the US mid-Atlantic and north-east regions will continue to endure poor air quality until Saturday afternoon, where there is a high chance of thunderstorms, which could bring some reprieve from the poor air but come with other risks like flash flooding and high winds. Meanwhile, parts of the midwest and Great Lakes regions will continue to see dangerous air quality.
Continue reading...One Boulder From Landslide Was as Big as a Building – Newser
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One Boulder From Landslide Was as Big as a Building – Newser
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One Boulder From Landslide Was as Big as a Building – Newser
- One Boulder From Landslide Was as Big as a Building Newser
- Rescuers in China search the rubble for survivors of landslide that killed 8 and left 34 missing Dallas News
- At Least 8 People Dead, 34 Others Remain Missing After Devastating Landslide Buried Residential Buildings People.com
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China warns UK over British Steel nationalisation, demands fair resolution
Jingye seeks compensation after UK's move to fully nationalise loss-making British Steel, citing security risks.
Top German conservative quits after surrogacy sparks backlash within party
Jens Spahn steps down after party criticism over surrogacy, highlighting tensions in Germany's conservative coalition.
Iran and Kuwait report attacks on water and power infrastructure as strikes escalate – NBC News
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Cuba edges toward breakdown as power cuts and US meddling push society to brink
As Cuba swelters under six-month oil blockade imposed by US, tempers are fraying and unrest is growing
When Cuba’s national grid collapses, as it did for the third time in 10 days on Tuesday, a collective groan spreads across its cities and people wonder, again, whether the island’s antiquated electricity system may soon become unrecoverable.
The 777-mile Caribbean island of 9.5 million people has been sweltering under a six-month-long oil blockade imposed by the US, part of a pressure campaign to bring down its communist government. But the parlous state of Cuba’s infrastructure goes far further back.
Continue reading...Death toll from Uganda school bus crash rises to 24
Three more pupils died after Uganda’s school bus crash, raising the death toll to 23 students and one adult.
The best way to explore Dublin’s spectacular coast is by rail – BBC
Iran suggests MoU ‘suspended’ amid reports 50 killed in US strikes in July
Conflict has been escalating since US President Donald Trump declared 10 days ago that peace deal with Iran was over.
Ukrainian strikes hit Russian logistics center
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