US issues sanctions against UK-based direct action group Palestine Action

US labels group ‘global terrorist’ as Palestine Action challenge against proscription in UK nears supreme court hearing

The US ⁠has ​issued sanctions against ⁠the UK-based direct action organisation Palestine ⁠Action, describing it as a “transnational terror group”.

The US Department of the Treasury labelled Palestine Action a specially designated global terrorist on Wednesday, which allows the US to freeze the assets of foreign individuals and entities.

Continue reading...

Opinion | The Ukrainian Nord Stream pipeline attack is a lesson for the U.S. – The Washington Post

  1. Opinion | The Ukrainian Nord Stream pipeline attack is a lesson for the U.S.  The Washington Post
  2. Ukraine war briefing: Nord Stream bombings were not us, Zelenskyy insists  The Guardian
  3. Zelenskiy says Ukraine not behind Nord Stream blasts, cooperating with probe  Reuters
  4. Putin clashes with Tusk over Nord Stream  TVP World
  5. Zelenskyy repeats Ukraine not behind Nord Stream attack  dw.com
Posted in Uncategorized

Europe eyes Russia in attacks on weapons and cargo. But Germany treads lightly. – The Washington Post

  1. Europe eyes Russia in attacks on weapons and cargo. But Germany treads lightly.  The Washington Post
  2. French intelligence chief warns of more ‘violent, hostile action’ after Leipzig drone attack  politico.eu
  3. Explosive drone at German airport linked to Russian military intelligence, US intel source says  ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos
  4. Germany's Merz warns attackers will 'pay price' after drone incident  BBC
  5. Third drone and suspected military explosives found near Leipzig airport  The Guardian
Posted in Uncategorized

Police not ruling out links to A66 crash after two killed in Middlesbrough house fire

Murder inquiry launched after blaze in Grangetown area, amid investigation into collision in which seven died

A murder investigation has been launched after two people were killed in a house fire in Middlesbrough, with police not ruling out links to organised crime or the crash on the A66 on Saturday that killed seven people including two police officers.

A child was one of those killed in the blaze in the early hours of Wednesday and a woman was in a critical condition in hospital. Three other people sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Two men aged 23 and 31 have been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Continue reading...

Iran warns of military ship ban in Hormuz under potential deal with Oman, and other Middle East news – AP News

  1. Iran warns of military ship ban in Hormuz under potential deal with Oman, and other Middle East news  AP News
  2. Iran war live: Trump says US ‘not in a hurry’ over talks with Tehran  Al Jazeera
  3. U.S. crude hovers around $80 as oil prices sink on Hormuz deal hopes  CNBC
  4. Live updates: Trump claims US sanctions will win war over Iran as oil prices sink  CNN
  5. Iran and Oman still working on Strait of Hormuz accord, says senior Iranian source  Reuters
Posted in Uncategorized

FDA gives expedited approval to new groundbreaking pancreatic cancer drug

FDA officials approve first-of-a-kind pill called daraxonrasib to fight one of the deadliest types of cancer

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a groundbreaking new drug for the most common form of pancreatic cancer, offering US patients a more effective treatment against one of the deadliest types of the disease.

FDA officials gave expedited approval to the first-of-a-kind pill, called daraxonrasib, that blocks a mutated protein which fuels tumor growth in more than 90% of pancreatic cancer cases. It’s an approach that has eluded drugmakers for decades.

Continue reading...

2026 hurricane season maps tracker: Current storms, forecast – The Weather Channel

  1. 2026 hurricane season maps tracker: Current storms, forecast  The Weather Channel
  2. Tropics remain very active across the Pacific with three named storms, four waves  WPEC
  3. Tropical Storm Iselle weakening far from Hawaii in East Pacific  Honolulu Star-Advertiser
  4. Tropical Storm Iselle expected to absorb Tropical Storm Julio in the Pacific Ocean  AP News
  5. Hurricane forecasters track 9 systems across Atlantic, Pacific  USA Today
Posted in Uncategorized

‘Escape wizard’ who has broken out of four prisons is arrested in Spain

Albanian criminal has cut bars, descended sheets and even used human pyramid in escapes in Italy and Belgium

Police in Spain have arrested a dangerous Albanian criminal nicknamed the “escape wizard” who has managed to break out of four jails in Italy and Belgium by sawing through bars, clambering down knotted sheets and even using a human pyramid to breach prison walls.

The fugitive, who has not been officially named, was arrested after officers from the Policía Nacional force discovered he was living in the north-eastern Spanish city of Tarragona. He was the subject of a European arrest warrant issued by the Italian authorities.

Continue reading...

Liturgy Wars—The Latest Volley: A Papal “Thus” – Diane Montagna’s Substack

  1. Liturgy Wars—The Latest Volley: A Papal “Thus”  Diane Montagna's Substack
  2. Pope at Audience: Active participation in liturgy leads us to relationship with God  Vatican News
  3. Pope Leo says Vatican II's liturgical reform was 'necessary' for lay involvement  National Catholic Reporter
  4. To experience true relationship with God in the liturgy, faithful’s participation cannot be passive, pope says  OSV News
  5. Pope Leo XIV’s summer catechesis: Understanding the sacred liturgy  EWTN News
Posted in Uncategorized

Trump’s Top Gaza Official Says Israel Is Jeopardizing the Cease-Fire – The New York Times

  1. Trump’s Top Gaza Official Says Israel Is Jeopardizing the Cease-Fire  The New York Times
  2. Board of Peace envoy knocks Israel’s ‘unacceptable’ Gaza policy as disarmament plan stalls  The Times of Israel
  3. Mladenov says Israel, Hamas failing to uphold ceasefire, harming peace process  The Jerusalem Post
  4. Board Of Peace: Hamas Is Rebuilding Tunnels In Gaza  i24NEWS
  5. Live updates • Board of Peace envoy: Israel must honor commitments for Gaza truce to advance  Haaretz
Posted in Uncategorized

Putin Moves to Escalate War in Ukraine as Talks at Dead End – Bloomberg.com

  1. Putin Moves to Escalate War in Ukraine as Talks at Dead End  Bloomberg.com
  2. Why Even a Cornered Putin Won’t Press the Red Button  Foreign Policy
  3. Russia prepares to intensify strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian oblasts – Bloomberg  Українська правда
  4. Kremlin sources tell Bloomberg that Putin is preparing to escalate the war in Ukraine. A growing number of Russian officials believe that could eventually mean a tactical nuclear weapon.  Meduza
  5. What Vladimir Putin’s Shifting Vocabulary Reveals About Russia’s Ukraine War  Newsweek
Posted in Uncategorized

Russia’s NORSI refinery halts oil processing after drone attack, sources say – Reuters

  1. Russia's NORSI refinery halts oil processing after drone attack, sources say  Reuters
  2. Ukraine Says It Hit Major Oil Refinery in Russia’s Volga Region  Bloomberg.com
  3. Two killed, refinery on fire in Russia’s Krasnodar after drone attack  Al Jazeera
  4. Ukrainian drones target Moscow, one of Russia's largest oil refineries in Yaroslavl, sparking fire, media reports  The Kyiv Independent
  5. Deadly Ukrainian Strikes in Southern Russia Force Oil Refinery to Shut Down  The Moscow Times
Posted in Uncategorized

Ukraine’s Most Potent Weapon: The Software Orchestrating Its Drone Army – The New York Times

  1. Ukraine’s Most Potent Weapon: The Software Orchestrating Its Drone Army  The New York Times
  2. The Future of Ukraine’s Drone Democracy  Foreign Affairs
  3. Ukrainian forces have carried out over 100,000 ground drone missions so far in 2026  Українська правда
  4. Factory Rooftops Fight Back: Ukraine’s Private Air Defence  MiGFlug
  5. Drone warfare in Ukraine: Korean tech for interceptors and trends in heavy bomber drones  Ukraine's Arms Monitor
Posted in Uncategorized

Record-low River Levels Are Disrupting European Cruises—Here’s What Travelers Should Know – Travel + Leisure

  1. Record-low River Levels Are Disrupting European Cruises—Here’s What Travelers Should Know  Travel + Leisure
  2. Germany’s Rhine River Is Drying Up  Foreign Policy
  3. Cruisers Rate River Lines’ Response to Low Water  Cruise Critic
  4. Europe Dodges a Rhine Crisis for the Worst Possible Reason  Crude Oil Prices Today | OilPrice.com
  5. VDA calls for better road freight contingencies as drought hits river levels  Automotive Logistics
Posted in Uncategorized

Texas law banning drag shows where children may be present struck down again

‘This is a profoundly flawed decision that endangers our children and is an affront to Texas values,’ Ken Paxton says

A federal judge has, for a second time, struck down a Texas state law banning drag performances in settings where children may be present.

In a ruling issued on Tuesday, US district judge David Hittner said Texas cannot enforce its drag show ban. He said that the measure improperly restricts speech and violates the first amendment of the US constitution.

Continue reading...

South African police arrest two Thai men for allegedly smuggling parrot eggs

Bird eggs intercepted in homemade incubators at Johannesburg airport as officials try to halt wildlife trafficking

South African police have arrested two Thai nationals in separate incidents for allegedly attempting to smuggle endangered parrot eggs out of the country as authorities try to stem the tide of wildlife trafficking.

A 50-year-old Thai national was arrested at OR Tambo international airport in Johannesburg on 20 August, carrying 50 bird eggs in a homemade incubator in a hand-luggage bag, South Africa’s environment ministry said in a statement.

Continue reading...

If Iceland joins the EU, where does that leave Norway? – Euronews.com

  1. If Iceland joins the EU, where does that leave Norway?  Euronews.com
  2. Iceland holds knife-edge referendum on EU - and it could be decided on fish  BBC
  3. Iceland Voters Set to Weigh Next Steps to Join European Union  Bloomberg.com
  4. Donald Trump jolts Iceland’s EU debate back to life  Financial Times
  5. Narrow majority of Icelanders back EU membership talks, poll shows ahead of referendum  Reuters
Posted in Uncategorized

Ending private health rebate for Australians 65 and over is ‘good policy change’, report co-author finds

Research finds just 0.1-0.4% of the total insured population will ditch insurance, while the government will save as much as $940m a year

Removing the higher private health insurance rebate for people aged 65 and over is good policy that is unlikely to place additional pressure on public hospitals, according to health economists.

The proposed changes, set to take effect in April 2027, will mean the private health insurance rebate will depend only on how much money a person earns – matching the rules for people aged under 65.

Continue reading...