Nineteen people taken to hospital after West Midlands fire, as thousands evacuated in Croatia – Europe live
The Guardian

Nineteen people taken to hospital after West Midlands fire, as thousands evacuated in Croatia – Europe live

A total of 54 people were treated by paramedics after Stourbridge fire as blazes continue across Europe amid extreme heatPeople taken to hospital and homes damaged in West Midlands firesEngland 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, w...

Indonesian families of Lion Air crash victims suffer again, ‘predatory’ lawyer evades jail
SCMP

Indonesian families of Lion Air crash victims suffer again, ‘predatory’ lawyer evades jail

For Indonesian families who lost loved ones in the 2018 Lion Air crash that killed 189 people, the latest development in the US courts has deepened their pain that justice remains out of reach. Keith Griffin, a Californian lawyer who worked with disgraced Hollywood celebrity lawyer Tom Girardi in compensation suits related to the crash, was sentenced by a federal court in Chicago last week to one ...

Wrong radio frequency by Cathay crew led to Nato jet interception: report
SCMP

Wrong radio frequency by Cathay crew led to Nato jet interception: report

The flight crew of Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways selected the wrong radio frequency due to a mistaken response to instructions, leading to the London-bound flight’s loss of communication with the local air traffic control unit over Romanian airspace last month, an investigation report has revealed. The Hong Kong government said on Friday that the Civil Aviation Department had compl...

Europe swelters under fifth heatwave of summer
France 24

Europe swelters under fifth heatwave of summer

A large part of Europe is in the grip of its fifth heatwave of the summer, with temperatures in parts of France soaring to 40 degrees Celsius. And the extreme weather is also taking a toll on the world’s oceans: last month, average global sea temperatures reached a record high of 21 degrees Celsius. Chair of the National Heat Risk Commission at Grantham Research Institute, at LSE, Emma Howard Boyd...

Hong Kong garners 16,000 submissions from consultation for city’s first 5-year plan

Hong Kong garners 16,000 submissions from consultation for city’s first 5-year plan

SCMP

Hong Kong authorities received more than 16,000 public submissions for its inaugural five-year plan by the close of its consultation on Friday, with an official noting general support for more focused integration into national development and the strategic cultivation of emerging sectors. Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Janice Tse Siu-wa described the blueprint, which is set to b...

First Thing: Court files show how federal agents spied on anti-ICE protesters | Martin Belam

First Thing: Court files show how federal agents spied on anti-ICE protesters | Martin Belam

The Guardian

Undercover agents infiltrated meetings, private chats and local events. Plus Wile E Coyote returns to the big screenGood morning. The extent to which federal law enforcement targeted political opponents and peaceful organizers has been laid bare in newly disclosed court documents.Internal investigative files reveal that the Department of Homeland Security launched a sweeping surveillance operation...

West Bank: Palestinians families trapped in home

West Bank: Palestinians families trapped in home

France 24

Israeli settlers are carrying out a campaign of violence and intimidation against the Palestinian village of Qusra in the occupied West Bank, where families have had their electricity and water supplies cut off, in what residents say is an attempt to force them from their homes. France 24 Senior Reporter Catherine Norris Trent recalls reporting from Qusra in 2023, when villagers told her that Isra...

Quote of the day by Martin Luther King Jr: 'There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies'

Quote of the day by Martin Luther King Jr: 'There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies'

Times of India

Martin Luther King Jr. eloquently illustrates the dual nature of humanity and our collective imperfections. By acknowledging our flaws, we foster empathy, which diminishes hostility and paves the way for productive conflict resolution. This understanding of shared vulnerabilities encourages dialogue and reconciliation, transforming resentment into compassion and commitment to understanding one ano...

Volhynia massacres: Russia using WWII to plant discord between Ukraine and Poland?

Volhynia massacres: Russia using WWII to plant discord between Ukraine and Poland?

Times of India

The historical dispute centres on the Volhynia massacres between 1943 and 1945. Poland says Ukrainian nationalists killed around 100,000 Poles during the violence, while thousands of Ukrainians were also killed in retaliatory attacks. Tensions over the issue increased after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy named an army unit after insurgents linked to the massacres. Polish president Karol N...

Nolan Wells’ parents recount ordeal of son’s death at Atlanta convention

Nolan Wells’ parents recount ordeal of son’s death at Atlanta convention

The Guardian

Ben Crump and Rev Al Sharpton, also present at National Association of Black Journalists, demanded ‘truth’ and ‘transparency’ in Wells’ caseOn Thursday morning, the parents of Nolan Wells, Christine Wells-Wonsley and Elmore Wonsley, along with Ben Crump, the civil rights attorney, and Rev Al Sharpton, the famed civil rights activist, spoke at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) co...

US firms that kept DEI policies despite ‘go woke, go broke’ threats thrived

US firms that kept DEI policies despite ‘go woke, go broke’ threats thrived

The Guardian

Exclusive: Companies that kept policies did just as well financially, even after Trump’s executive order, as those that didn’tConservative backlash was supposed to put an end to the diversity, inclusion and equity (DEI) movement as companies were warned “go woke, go broke”.In January 2025, Donald Trump delivered a death knell, ending DEI within the federal government with executive orders and thre...

Miles ahead: China team boosts atom entanglement distance record fourfold

Miles ahead: China team boosts atom entanglement distance record fourfold

SCMP

Chinese scientists have achieved the quantum entanglement of cold atoms across a record-breaking 420km (260 miles), a breakthrough they say lays the groundwork for intercity quantum networks. According to a paper published by the peer-reviewed journal Physical Review Letters on August 11, the distance was more than four times previous demonstrations and exceeded the threshold at which direct trans...

Why has Britain's grass turned yellow? Scientists warn about the future of the island after 'driest month ever'

Why has Britain's grass turned yellow? Scientists warn about the future of the island after 'driest month ever'

Times of India

After experiencing the driest July on record, England's picturesque green fields have succumbed to a fading yellow hue. This alarming trend of increasing heatwaves significantly affects lawns and public parks. While native grasses possess resilience during droughts and can deepen their roots to conserve water, extended dry periods inevitably lead them to enter a dormant state, awaiting rain.

At least 7 killed in India after hydropower project tunnel collapses

At least 7 killed in India after hydropower project tunnel collapses

SCMP

A tunnel under construction at a hydropower project in India’s northern hill state of Uttarakhand collapsed overnight, leaving at least seven workers dead, officials said on Friday. A rescue operation was launched after a sudden rush of water and debris entered the tunnel at the Vishnugad-Pipalkoti hydroelectric project in Chamoli district later on Thursday night, said top district official Gaurav...

West Bank: Palestinians families trapped in homes

West Bank: Palestinians families trapped in homes

France 24

Israeli settlers are conducting a campaign of violence and intimidation against the Palestinian village of Qusra in the occupied West Bank. Families have had their electricity and water supplies cut off, in what residents say is an attempt to force them from their homes. According to France 24 correspondent Noga Tarnopolsky, Israel’s Defence Minister is using settler violence for political propa...