- Tornado tears through village in south-west France: More than 40 injured and 300 homes damaged Euronews.com
- A tornado tears through a village in southern France, injuring 39 and wrecking 300 homes Newsday
- Tornado devastates village in southwestern France’s Aude region France 24
- Tornado in France injures 41 people, damages hundreds of homes CBS News
- Tornado in southwestern France damages over 300 homes, injures dozens Reuters
Germany to say who’s behind attempted airport drone attack soon, says Merz – Reuters
- Germany to say who's behind attempted airport drone attack soon, says Merz Reuters
- Merz Says Drone Perpetrators ‘Will Pay a Price’ for Attack Attempt Bloomberg.com
- Germany news: Third drone found in Leipzig airport probe DW.com
- Third drone, suspected explosive substance found at German Leipzig/Halle airport The Jerusalem Post
- Third drone and suspected explosives found at German airport Euronews.com
Woolworths’ Ooshies craze causes Coles sales slump with parents shopping at rival supermarket to collect toys
Coles full-year results show that despite gaining market share over past 12 months, sales fell over four weeks of ‘competitor’s collectables campaign’
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Woolworths’ latest Disney “Ooshie” collectibles have not only captivated Australian children, they have led to a short-term slump in competitor Coles’ sales.
The latest rubber figurine promotion was scheduled to end on Tuesday, but strong customer interest meant Woolworths prematurely ran out of Ooshies a week ago.
Continue reading...Japan enlists 1,800 people to drag a 360-tonne castle keep using ropes and rollers – The Guardian
- Japan enlists 1,800 people to drag a 360-tonne castle keep using ropes and rollers The Guardian
- Emperor Naruhito’s Aunt Princess Hanako Attends the Restoration Ceremony for a Historic Japanese Castle Town & Country Magazine
- 1,000 help tow 400-ton castle keep closer to original position Japan Today
- 1,000 people play tug-of-war to help move 400-year-old castle WKRC
- 1,800 people pull 4-lakh-kg Japanese castle using ropes to move it 2 metres | Machines will cover the remaining 73 metres | Inshorts Inshorts
‘Like smoking a cigarette’: Indonesia chokes on haze as blazes intensify amid super ‘El Niño’
In Indonesia’s Kalimantan, fires have ravaged tens of thousands of acres, with suffocating smoke reaching Malaysia and putting Singapore on alert
Suwadi can barely see five metres in front of him when he steps outside his home in Indonesian Borneo.
Each breath, he says, feels “like smoking a cigarette”.
Continue reading...‘Like smoking a cigarette’: Indonesia chokes on haze as blazes intensify amid super ‘El Niño’ – The Guardian
- ‘Like smoking a cigarette’: Indonesia chokes on haze as blazes intensify amid super ‘El Niño’ The Guardian
- Indonesians brave choking smoke to pray for rain as country battles wildfires NPR
- Indonesia prioritises Kalimantan region as wildfire hotspots rise Reuters
- Indonesia intensifies aerial firefighting as wildfire haze spreads to Malaysia AP News
- As El Niño Dries Indonesia, Wildfires Intensify The New York Times
Freddie Mercury’s ‘splendid things’ to go on display at V&A
Eight costumes spanning Queen frontman’s career will feature in a free trail developed with his former fiancee
Eight famous costumes worn by Freddie Mercury, including the outfit featured on the cover of Queen’s debut album and the catsuit from the video for Bohemian Rhapsody, are to go on display at the V&A in London this autumn to mark what would have been the singer’s 80th birthday.
Freddie Mercury | Splendid Things, a free trail developed with Mercury’s former fiancee and close friend Mary Austin, will run from 24 October 2026 to 17 January 2027. Austin is lending seven of the looks, which span Mercury’s career from the 1970s to his final years.
Continue reading...NHS England to offer women ‘gamechanging’ free home testing kits for cervical cancer
NHS has target of eliminating the cancer by 2040, but up to 4 million eligible women are not up to date with screening
Millions of women in England who have missed cervical screening appointments will be offered free home testing kits on the NHS.
The move comes amid concerns that only two-thirds of women attend in-person cervical screening appointments when asked to do so, leaving as many as 4 million women not up to date.
Continue reading...Europe’s heatwaves threaten insurers’ earnings, rating agency S&P says
Rise in claims linked to heat-related deaths and illness, especially among older people, could drive up premiums
Europe’s intense heatwaves could hit insurers’ earnings as companies face a rise in claims linked to heat-related deaths and worsening health conditions, the rating agency S&P has said.
While a long summer of extreme heat will have increased drought and wildfire-related claims, the rating agency said there would also be fallout for life and health insurers, and for the reinsurers who provide financial protection to insurance companies.
Continue reading...At least 35,000 excess deaths recorded in Europe’s back-to-back heatwaves
True figure likely to be much higher as it only covers about half of continent and does not include August totals
At least 35,000 more people died during Europe’s four record-breaking, back-to-back heatwaves this summer than would normally be expected, according to incomplete figures from barely half the continent.
Excess mortality in three of the EU’s larger countries – Germany, France and Spain – alone has already exceeded 25,000, according to the provisional national figures, and experts say the toll will rise significantly once August totals are consolidated.
Continue reading...Liberals criticise ‘unimpressive and underwhelming’ rail loop plan as Victorian premier pushes ahead after hinting at pause
A day after suggesting other projects were more important to Victorians, Ben Carroll says train line will go ahead but at a slightly reduced cost
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The Victorian opposition has described Ben Carroll’s plan to scale back new train stations along the Suburban Rail Loop to shave just over 5% off its total cost as “incredibly unimpressive and underwhelming”.
The premier on Tuesday announced changes to the scope of the first stage of the state’s largest-ever infrastructure project, known as SRL East – a 26km stretch of tunnels between Cheltenham and Box Hill – estimated to save $1bn. He also ordered an “independent, technical review” to identify a further $1bn in savings.
Continue reading...Saudi Arabia, France agree on $7bn ‘Dragon Ball Z’ theme park project near Paris – Nikkei Asia
- Saudi Arabia, France agree on $7bn 'Dragon Ball Z' theme park project near Paris Nikkei Asia
- France, Saudi Arabia agree on €6 billion Dragon Ball Z theme park project near Paris Reuters
- New Saudi-backed manga-themed amusement park set to open near Paris France 24
- Saudi Arabia to invest €6B in massive French theme park site politico.eu
- Macron hosts Saudi's crown prince for contested visit Le Monde.fr
Israel’s Netanyahu claims Iran tried to kill one of his sons – Al Jazeera
- Israel’s Netanyahu claims Iran tried to kill one of his sons Al Jazeera
- Netanyahu says Iran ‘tried to murder one of my sons,’ doesn’t give further details The Times of Israel
- Iran tried to assassinate one of Netanyahu's sons, prime minister says Fox News
- 'Iran tried to assassinate one of my sons,' Netanyahu reveals The Jerusalem Post
- Israel's Netanyahu says Iran tried to kill one of his sons Reuters
Trump’s Arctic saber-rattling boosts Iceland’s pro-EU campaign – politico.eu
- Trump’s Arctic saber-rattling boosts Iceland’s pro-EU campaign politico.eu
- Iceland's reckoning moment: What the referendum means for the EU Euronews.com
- Fish, ships and sovereignty: Iceland weighs its European future Reuters
- Iceland EU Vote Bluefield Daily Telegraph
- Is Trump driving Iceland into the arms of Europe? The Times
China is the biggest buyer of Iran’s oil. Could US sanctions threaten those ties? – The Guardian
- China is the biggest buyer of Iran’s oil. Could US sanctions threaten those ties? The Guardian
- The US says it’ll crack down on countries doing business with Iran. Who’s buying Iranian oil? CNN
- Why China Thinks It Can Resist Trump’s Economic Threats on Iran The New York Times
- Iran Oil Cargoes Dry Up Even Before US Acts on Tehran Threats Bloomberg.com
- Looming US sanctions on Iran put China oil buying in spotlight Reuters
Trump administration plans to revoke 200,000 visas of asylum seekers
The state department will revoke B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026, whose holders have sought or are now seeking asylum
Donald Trump’s administration said on Monday it planned to revoke the non-immigrant visas of foreigners who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum status in the US, marking its latest step in a sweeping immigration crackdown.
A state department spokesperson said it was coordinating with the Department of Homeland Security “to identify and revoke the non-immigrant visas of foreigners who have come to the United States claiming to be short-term visitors, but then file for asylum to stay here permanently”.
Continue reading...Major Russian oil refinery reportedly struck in Ukrainian attack – The Kyiv Independent
- Major Russian oil refinery reportedly struck in Ukrainian attack The Kyiv Independent
- Drone Strike Sparks Fire at Oil Refinery in Southern Russia Bloomberg.com
- On Ukraine’s strategy of hitting Russian oil infrastructure Asia Times
- Reuters: Ukrainian drones knocked out a major Russian oil refinery in Perm for the second time this year Meduza
- Fire breaks out at Afipsky oil refinery in Russia following drone attack Ukrinform
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella announces immigration crackdown – The Guardian
- Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella announces immigration crackdown The Guardian
- New Colombian president orders immigration raids as part of crackdown Euronews.com
- Colombia’s president orders operations to identify and deport irregular migrants Anadolu Ajansı
- Colombia Migration Bluefield Daily Telegraph
- De la Espriella Orders ‘Colombia First’ Immigration Crackdown Bloomberg.com
Japan enlists 1,800 people to drag a 360-tonne castle keep using ropes and rollers
After repairs to Hirosaki Castle in Aomori prefecture, officials employed a technique known as hikiya to move the structure more than two metres
To chants of “so-re, so-re”, about 1,800 people came together in northern Japan over the weekend to pull a 360-tonne castle keep a little more than two metres closer to its original resting place as part of ongoing renovations.
The keep – a fortified tower within a castle – had to be moved to repair a wall that was damaged in a major earthquake.
Continue reading...U.S. withdraws from military exercises with South Korea set for next month – The Washington Post
- U.S. withdraws from military exercises with South Korea set for next month The Washington Post
- U.S. Cancels Marines Drills With South Korea WSJ
- Trump's Kim gambit deepens doubts over US reliability at a key moment for Asia Reuters
- U.S. Marines Cancel Drill With South Korea, Citing Iran War Demands The New York Times
- Trump’s favorite dictators can do no wrong The Seattle Times