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Baby with heart defect at center of US surrogacy dispute handed to parents

Biological parents given custody of child born in Texas amid dispute over surrogate mother’s claim of abortion requestA two-day-old baby with a rare heart defect at the center of a complex surrogacy dispute in Texas has been handed over to the parents’ custody and is receiving care, lawyers for the parents said on Friday.The baby has hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a defect that requires surgerie...

France upholds assisted dying law but strikes down social media ban for children

President Emmanuel Macron's office said he had no plans to give up on his push to bar children from apps such as TikTok and the government would work on a new draft law.

Mangione pleads guilty to federal charges in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing

This is a breaking news story.

Zambia suspends vote counting in election citing violence

Zambia's electoral commission on Friday suspended vote counting nationwide.

URA posts HK$338 million operating surplus after three years of losses

Hong Kong’s Urban Renewal Authority (URA) has recorded an operating surplus of HK$338 million (US$43.3 million) for the 2025-26 financial year, after reporting three straight years of losses. At a banquet on Friday to mark the statutory body’s 25th anniversary, chairman Chow Chung-kong announced that the URA had returned to profit in the 2025-26 financial year, recording an operating surplus to fu...

Qatar challenges AFC over open letter attacking FIFA President Infantino

Qatar FA President Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani complains about lack of consultation about AFC open letter to FIFA.

France wildfire forces 520 to evacuate

Around 520 residents in France’s southwestern Landes region have been evacuated as a raging wildfire has burned through more than 1,000 hectares since Thursday. Significant reinforcements have been mobilised, while authorities warn that the fire’s trajectory remains unpredictable. Simon Moritz has the story.

Vietnam veteran moved to Alaska in 1974, became America's last homesteader

France blocks under 15 social media ban

France’s Constitutional Council has blocked a bill that would have banned social media access for under-15s, ruling that it infringed on freedom of expression. It’s a setback for President Emmanuel Macron, who has championed the legislation and has now asked his prime minister to rewrite the bill. The Élysée says Macron remains determined to have the reform in place before next year’s presidential...

‘The party of the Cubans’: How Republicans courted a key South Florida vote

Polls suggest Cuban American voters in Florida remain largely Republican, despite frustration over immigration.

Luigi Mangione indicates he is prepared to plead guilty in federal case

Mangione also faces separate state trial over killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan, due to start on 8 SeptemberLuigi Mangione trial – latest updatesA hurriedly scheduled hearing for Luigi Mangione’s federal case in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson got under way on Friday morning, with the defendant indicating that he is prepared to plead guilty in a deal in...

One dead, dozens injured and thousands evacuated in Croatian wildfires – as it happened

Firefighters discover body and say more than 40 people hurt in the Lokva Rogoznica and Omiš areasEngland has received just 4mm of rain so far in August, or 6% of the long-term average for the month, the Environment Agency said on Friday, as reported by PA.It follows the driest July on record for the country, when only 7mm of rain was measured, or 10% of the average. Continue reading...

Luigi Mangione prepared to plead guilty on federal charges linked to healthcare CEO’s killing – live

Man accused of United Healthcare chief’s killing appears in Manhattan federal court to change plea on stalking chargesat the courthouse in ManhattanMangione’s legal team is helmed by Karen Friedman Agnifilo and Marc Agnifilo. The team has scored several major legal coups in Mangione’s federal and state cases. Continue reading...

‘Let’s see what he can do’: will Burnham bring Barnsley voters back to Labour?

With questions over Farage’s finances and a new face in No 10, could Barnsley council be a bellwether for changing Labour fortunes?Labour marked its worst performance in more than 50 years when voters went to the polls in Barnsley in May, but 100 days on from those seismic local elections, the political landscape has shifted drastically.Could the South Yorkshire town, where Reform UK reaped the be...

UK govt temporarily bans sale of disposable barbecues amid rising wildfire risk

Trump asks Supreme Court to allow ballroom work to continue

Forcing the US president to go "hat-in-hand to Congress" for permission would be "dangerous", the administration says.

Thames Water plans to restart desalination plant – after drought has ended

Utility company’s plant, which has only run five times, now has an estimated total cost of £500mThames Water is preparing the UK’s only desalination plant to restart operations later this year – but it will only be ready in the winter, long after the current drought is likely to have passed.The utility company said that it was hoping to start operating its plant in Beckton, east London, “by the en...

Croatia wildfire near Omiš injures residents and disrupts holiday travel

A major wildfire near Omiš, around 25 kilometres south-east of Split, forced about 1,200 residents and tourists to evacuate overnight on Thursday and into Friday as strong winds drove the flames towards the coastal town.

At least 10 people in intensive care and thousands flee intense wildfire in Croatia

During a visit to the area Prime Minister Andrej Plenković stressed the dangers of the fire and praised the efforts of the firefighters.

At least people in 10 in intensive care and thousands flee intense wildfire in Croatia

During a visit to the area Prime Minister Andrej Plenković stressed the dangers of the fire and praised the efforts of the firefighters.

Scientists hope to shed light on young universe by using dark side of the moon

UK team seeking to put suitcase-sized satellite in orbit around moon in search for 21cm line radio frequency signalLittle is known about what was happening shortly after the big bang, but now researchers are hoping to shed fresh light on the matter by harnessing the dark side of the moon.Scientists are hoping to put a suitcase-sized satellite into orbit around the moon, using the data it collects ...

A Queensland man enjoyed soaring profits from a crypto trading app. Then his money started disappearing

The administrative work required to run an effective investment scam has been drastically cut by using merging technologyGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastWithin days of clicking on an online ad for a cryptocurrency trading app, a 29-year-old Queensland man watched his dashboard soar with profits.Making investment gains was as simple as downloading the slick-looking app an...

How a US crackdown is upending plans for Chinese ‘birth tourists’

Li, a woman in her late twenties from southwestern China, is anxious about her coming interview for a 10-year US visa. She has big plans for her travels – a weeks-long stay next year that would be her first visit to the country – followed by a planned return trip in two years while pregnant so her child can attain American citizenship. But those plans have been thrown into doubt. Last week, US Pre...

Ahmed al-Sharaa: A New Vision for Syria

An exclusive interview with the man who became president of Syria in 2025 about his vision for his country’s future.

West Bank: Washington condemns siege of Palestinian homes

Settlers have been besieging homes in Qusra ​for almost a week, intensifying ‌pressure on Palestinians.