US Democrats rebuke Trump for easing sanctions on China, Hong Kong officials
SCMP •

US Democrats rebuke Trump for easing sanctions on China, Hong Kong officials

Several top US Democratic lawmakers chided US President Donald Trump on Tuesday for easing sanctions recently on Chinese and Hong Kong officials who, they said, were “complicit in Beijing’s dismantling of Hong Kong’s autonomy”. “We write to express serious concern,” the four-page letter said. “It raises serious questions about the durability of US policy towards Hong Kong that we believe warrant a...

Hollywood honours Angelique Kidjo as first Black African Walk of Fame star
France 24 •

Hollywood honours Angelique Kidjo as first Black African Walk of Fame star

Five-time Grammy winner Angelique Kidjo became the first Black African to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Tuesday, marking a milestone for African music. The Beninese-French singer was honored at a ceremony in Los Angeles attended by film stars and leading figures from the music industry.

Florida carries out its 13th execution this year in US’s busiest death chamber
The Guardian •

Florida carries out its 13th execution this year in US’s busiest death chamber

US supreme court declined to halt execution of William Frances Silvia, and state has two executions next monthA Florida man convicted of fatally shooting his estranged wife and wounding his mother-in-law was executed on Tuesday, continuing the state’s aggressive use of the death penalty in the final term of the Republican governor, Ron DeSantis.William Frances Silvia, 61, was pronounced dead at 6....

Ulez led to better lung size and function among London children, study finds

Ulez led to better lung size and function among London children, study finds

The Guardian •

Researchers find capacity stunted by pollution was restored after introduction of ultra-low emission zoneChildren’s lungs grew bigger and stronger after the most polluting vehicles were restricted from entering London, a study has found.Examinations of London schoolchildren before and after the introduction of the city’s ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) found a restoration of lung capacity that had ...

Poor sleep can cost over-50s nine months of career, study finds

Poor sleep can cost over-50s nine months of career, study finds

The Guardian •

Findings highlight importance of sleep health during middle age, particularly for those with lower socioeconomic statusSleep that is extremely disrupted or that goes on too long could mean a loss of nine months from working life after the age of 50, a study has found.It also found that women with no sleep disturbances had a longer working life from 50 to 68 than their male equivalents. Continue re...

8/18: CBS Evening News

CBS News •

New details in Hayden Panettiere's death; Recycling plant explosions kill 2 in Ohio.

Australia politics live: Hastie says fight for his seat against One Nation is already ‘dirty and nasty’; NDIS reforms to pass parliament today

Australia politics live: Hastie says fight for his seat against One Nation is already ‘dirty and nasty’; NDIS reforms to pass parliament today

The Guardian •

Bill passed Senate on Wednesday evening and is due back in lower house today. Follow today’s news liveFollow our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast‘Collapsing confidence’ in housing market, Wilson saysTim Wilson has jumped on that reporting around rent increases and says there has been a collapse in confidence since the budget which is hurting renters.We’ve had, since the budget, ...

Trump says no Iran talks planned as UAE suspends trade with Tehran

Trump says no Iran talks planned as UAE suspends trade with Tehran

France 24 •

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday no talks with Iran were planned and insisted the Strait of Hormuz remained open despite reduced shipping traffic. Oman and Iran neared a deal on the waterway as a projectile struck a vessel, while the UAE said two Iranian ballistic missiles landed in or near its waters.

US-Iran talks collapse as UAE suspends trade with Tehran

US-Iran talks collapse as UAE suspends trade with Tehran

France 24 •

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday no talks with Iran were planned and insisted the Strait of Hormuz remained open despite reduced shipping traffic. Oman and Iran neared a deal on the waterway as a projectile struck a vessel, while the UAE said two Iranian ballistic missiles landed in or near its waters.

Trump says no Iran talks planned, insists Strait of Hormuz remains open

Trump says no Iran talks planned, insists Strait of Hormuz remains open

France 24 •

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday there were no talks planned with Iran and insisted the Strait of Hormuz remained open, despite limited traffic and a reported attack on a ship. Trump also threatened Oman as it sought to broker a shipping agreement with Tehran, regional officials said.

Ukraine’s dismissed defence minister calls for wartime presidential election

Ukraine’s dismissed defence minister calls for wartime presidential election

The Guardian •

Mykhailo Fedorov’s appeal is most direct challenge to Volodymyr Zelenskyy since Russian invasion in 2022Ukraine’s recently dismissed former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called for a wartime presidential election in the most direct political challenge to Volodymyr Zelenskyy since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.The politician, whose abrupt sacking last month triggered a w...

Preservation group urges supreme court to suspend Trump White House ballroom project

Preservation group urges supreme court to suspend Trump White House ballroom project

The Guardian •

National Trust for Historic Preservation filing comes after president made emergency bid for construction to continueA historic preservation group that sued to block construction of Donald Trump’s White House ballroom urged the US supreme court on Tuesday to suspend the project while it considers whether the work can continue.The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed its request less than...

GPs’ advice service is causing cancer diagnoses to be missed, inquiry finds

GPs’ advice service is causing cancer diagnoses to be missed, inquiry finds

The Guardian •

Advice and guidance services for doctors in England found to be creating risk of missed or late detection of illnessCancer diagnoses have been missed or delayed because of a system designed for GPs to seek specialist advice before referring patients to hospital, according to an investigation.The Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) identified patient risks linked to how advice and gu...

Tupac Shakur murder trial: ‘You better treat me as a hostile witness,’ Suge Knight associate testifies – latest updates

Tupac Shakur murder trial: ‘You better treat me as a hostile witness,’ Suge Knight associate testifies – latest updates

The Guardian •

‘Me or anybody else bringing up the dead is wrong,’ James McDonald tells Las Vegas courtroomWhat we know about Tupac Shakur’s death and what to expect from murder trialDistrict Court Judge Carli Kierney relayed a few questions directly from the jury to medical examiner Dr. Lisa Gavin.“Where there any wounds to the head that you or Dr. Jordan observed or noted?” Continue reading...

How China got caught in the crossfire of a US bacon fight

How China got caught in the crossfire of a US bacon fight

SCMP •

Midwestern Americans watching television this summer may have been surprised to see China and bacon appearing together in political advertisements. “The corrupt Save Our Bacon scam in the farm bill – it’s a giveaway to Chinese corporations,” one advertisement declared over images of the Chinese flag and Chinese President Xi Jinping. “Whose side is your senator on? America or China?” Viewers might ...

Australia politics live: Labor ‘very confident’ that tax changes won’t lift rents by 30%; NDIS reforms to pass parliament today

Australia politics live: Labor ‘very confident’ that tax changes won’t lift rents by 30%; NDIS reforms to pass parliament today

The Guardian •

Bill passed Senate on Wednesday evening and is due back in lower house today. Follow today’s news liveFollow our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast‘Collapsing confidence’ in housing market, Wilson saysTim Wilson has jumped on that reporting around rent increases and says there has been a collapse in confidence since the budget which is hurting renters.We’ve had, since the budget, ...

Harvard to pay $53m over theft and sale of human remains from medical school

Harvard to pay $53m over theft and sale of human remains from medical school

The Guardian •

Cedric Lodge, 58, sentenced in December to eight years in prison for stealing and selling body parts in national schemeHarvard University has agreed to pay a $53m settlement to resolve civil lawsuits stemming from the illegal theft and sale of human remains that had been donated to its medical school for scientific research.A former Harvard medical school morgue manager, Cedric Lodge, 58, was sent...

US Navy destroyer with 300 sailors aboard broke down for 4 days in the Pacific

US Navy destroyer with 300 sailors aboard broke down for 4 days in the Pacific

SCMP •

A US Navy destroyer with about 300 sailors aboard suffered a major breakdown in the Pacific Ocean last month that left it without power for four days, the Navy confirmed in a statement. The USS Benfold “reported an engineering casualty involving its generators, causing a loss of power” on July 24, Navy spokesman Commander Matthew Comer said in the statement. The breakdown meant the crew went witho...

Second major fire at south London recycling centre in under three months

The Guardian •

Fifteen fire engines tackling blaze at Landmann Way in Deptford involving 50 tonnes of household wasteFifteen fire engines and about 100 firefighters are tackling a blaze in a south-east London recycling plant for the second time this summer.London fire brigade said the blaze on Landmann Way in Deptford involves about 50 tonnes of household waste stored at a recycling facility. Continue reading...

Burnham launches ‘national drive’ to get rough sleepers off streets by Christmas

Burnham launches ‘national drive’ to get rough sleepers off streets by Christmas

The Guardian •

Prime minister urges local leaders to act as homelessness campaigners welcome move but say more needs to be doneI won’t abandon anyone to sleep rough on our streets. That’s my £442m promiseAndy Burnham has urged local leaders to offer all rough sleepers in England a route off the streets by Christmas, as he pledges another £100m to end street homelessness.Arguing in the Guardian that rough sleepin...