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Search teams and civilians sift though debris after at least 1,500 buildings damaged and dozens collapse in country's most powerful quake this century

Elaborate ruse was used to transport president to military flight from Air Force One to return from Nato meetPrompted by an Iranian assassination threat, Donald Trump departed on a secret military flight from Turkey last month when the White House said he was flying aboard Air Force One, in an extraordinary ruse that involved hiding the president in an airport catering cart, according to reporting from the Washington Post and the New York Times.The operation took place when Trump was in Ankara for a Nato summit with world leaders, according to the Post. The president reportedly boarded the old Air Force One jumbo jet in view of television cameras, and then was secretly shuttled minutes later to a smaller plane via an airport catering truck typically used to load meals and other supplies preflight, a US official told the Post. Continue reading...

Quake of 7.4 magnitude collapses and severely damages buildings in several major cities, including Cali and Pereira

Federal government also hopes to vaccinate some wild birds but admits catching them once, let alone twice for both doses, is difficult'

Jennifer Balkcom to face Democrat Jamie Ager in race to represent North Carolina's 11th congressional districtNorth Carolina Republicans on Monday chose state lawmaker Jennifer Balkcom to replace Chuck Edwards, the incumbent congressman who earlier this month dropped his re-election bid after a US House investigation determined his conduct towards to young female staffers likely amounted to sexual harassment.Balkcom will face off against the Democratic nominee, Jamie Ager, in the November midterm elections to represent the 11th congressional district in western North Carolina. Though Donald Trump won the district by 10 percentage points two years ago, Democrats believe Ager may have a shot at winning amid the president's low approval ratings and frustration over the pace of recovery from Hurricane Helene, which devastated the region in 2024. Continue reading...

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Premier Ben Carroll promises if re-elected to close every loophole' used by high-profile accused and convicted criminals to hide their identities in the courts

President and RFK Jr, the health secretary, repeatedly referred to autism during signing, though studies show no link between it and vaccinesDonald Trump has signed an executive order with plans for sweeping changes to the childhood vaccination schedule that attempts to override the authority of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).It is an attempt to undergird the changes made earlier this year to CDC vaccination recommendations, which were halted by a federal judge. The CDC is the federal agency tasked with recommending vaccines, not the White House. Continue reading...

Vape shops in England and Wales to need planning permission while betting shop law change will also apply in ScotlandCouncils are to be given powers to stop betting and vape shops taking over their high streets under new plans announced by Andy Burnham.Local authorities will be able to reject new betting shops and adult gaming centres, while vape shops will be subject to planning permission under plans Downing Street said could be in place from the start of next year. Continue reading...

Sara Sanchez, 27, and her daughter died after a speedboat capsized in the New York Harbor over the weekendThe driver of a speedboat that capsized in New York Harbor over the weekend, killing a 27-year-old woman and her infant daughter, was charged on Monday with causing their deaths through misconduct or neglect.Manuel Hernandez, 46, wiped his eyes with his hand as he arrived for his initial appearance in Manhattan federal court. He was not required to enter a plea and was released on bail. Continue reading...

US president's statement is latest sign that negotations to end war and reopen strait of Hormuz have stalledDonald Trump has said he will demand that Iran pay compensation for the deaths of thousands of US soldiers and Iran's own civilians killed in recent decades in the latest sign his negotiations to end the war and reopen the strait of Hormuz have reached an impasse.The US president is trying to end conflicts in Iran, Gaza and Lebanon, and his additional demands of Iran are likely to provoke anger in Tehran at the same time as Israel has rejected Trump's terms for a 15-point roadmap to end the war in Gaza. Continue reading...

Exclusive: FBU calls for more funding as unprecedented summer' puts rising demands on already stretched crewsFirefighters in the UK are under increased pressure as a result of an unprecedented summer of dangerous and volatile wildfires", the Fire Brigades Union has said, as many parts of the country brace for a fifth heatwave of the year.As authorities declared almost three-quarters of England was now in drought, Steve Wright, the FBU general secretary, said the unpredictable environmental challenges the UK was now confronted with meant it was a national priority" to have enough properly equipped firefighters to face these threats". Continue reading...

Police looking into whether Joshua Kerry linked to alleged attempted burglary last year at Reform leader's then homePolice are investigating whether Joshua Kerry, the man charged with the murder of the former Reform UK and Conservative politician Ann Widdecombe, had any role in an attempted burglary last year at the then London home of Nigel Farage.Kerry, 28, from Rotherham, was charged with the murder of Widdecombe, 78, who was killed at her Devon home in July, after an investigation by counter-terrorism police. Continue reading...

Prosecutors allege Duane Keffe D' Davis ordered killing and provided gun in Las Vegas drive-by shooting 30 years agoJury selection began on Monday in Las Vegas as the murder trial of a former gang leader finally got under way decades after the shooting of the rapper Tupac Shakur, one of the most high-profile unsolved killings in the US.It was thought likely to take at least the rest of the week to seat a jury for the trial of Duane Keffe D" Davis, in which prosecutors aim to show that Davis, 63, the one-time leader of the South Side Compton Crips gang in California, ordered the killing and provided the gun for the fatal attack on Shakur. Continue reading...

The upgraded alerts will be in place from 9am on Tuesday until 9pm on FridayAn 18-year-old died after getting into difficulty in the sea at Camber Sands beach, East Sussex, yesterday, bringing the number of deaths in open-water incidents over the hot, dry summer to over 40, according to estimates compiled by the Press Association.The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has updated heat-health alerts for nine regions in England, warning that rising temperatures this week may increase health risks, particularly for vulnerable groups.It's important that everyone is aware of the simple steps they can take to stay safe during periods of hot weather. Drinking plenty of water, avoiding the sun during the hottest part of the day and keeping indoor spaces cool are all things you can do to keep yourself and others safe.For vulnerable groups including older adults and those with existing health conditions, warmer weather than result in serious health outcomes. Continue reading...

Luciana Berger, who was subject to abuse from Joshua Bonehill-Paine, said Tory leader should listen to victims'The Labour peer Luciana Berger has urged Kemi Badenoch to listen to victims" and reverse her decision to give a national advisory role to a former neo-Nazi.Joshua Bonehill-Paine was jailed in 2015 for more than three years after posting antisemitic material online before a planned neo-Nazi rally. In 2016, he was found guilty of racially aggravated harassment for abuse directed at Berger, an MP at the time. He was also the founder and leader of the National British Resistance, a far-right group. Continue reading...

Progressive US senator urges Meta, OpenAI and Anthropic to stop building machines that humans cannot control'Senator Bernie Sanders has called on Meta, OpenAI and Anthropic executives to halt their development of artificial intelligence, warning that the US Senate will implement regulation if the companies continue deploying AI at their current pace.In a new letter addressed to the CEOs of three of the country's leading AI companies, Sanders said the capabilities of these AI models have reached a critical risk threshold and that the companies are losing control over the technology. Continue reading...

Israeli prime minister's unexpected comments blindsided IDF commanders and could alienate Trump, his main allyBenjamin Netanyahu's public rejection of a US-backed deal for Gaza drew scepticism in Israel, amid reports he was personally hammering out details of a pilot military withdrawal days earlier.The Israeli prime minister is struggling to balance incompatible demands on Gaza policy from his key domestic and international allies. Continue reading...

The former US president will host six episodes of A Great Book for Audible, discussing work from Toni Morrison and John le Carre to James BaldwinBarack Obama is set to host a podcast about books that have profoundly shaped his worldview and our society", from Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison to Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John le Carre.The podcast, called A Great Book with Barack Obama, will launch on Audible on 24 September. Continue reading...

Four more regions given drought status, with 27 million people now living with restrictions on water useAlmost three-quarters of England is now in drought, as much of Europe braces for its fifth climate crisis-driven heatwave this summer.Four more regions of England have officially been declared to be in drought: the east Midlands, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, Kent and East Sussex, and Solent and the South Downs. Continue reading...

Industry body says use of private investigators against reporters is attack on our democracy' after Banks apparently admitted doing soThe businessman and Reform UK donor Arron Banks is facing calls to lay out the extent of his surveillance of journalists, described by an industry body as an attack on our democracy".The News Media Association (NMA), which represents regional and national media, raised concerns after Banks appeared to admit over the weekend to hiring private investigators to spy on a Sunday Times journalist. Continue reading...

Attack hundreds of miles from border would be among deadliest of war as Kyiv aims to strangle Russian economyA Ukrainian drone strike on an industrial city deep inside Russia has killed at least 13 people, according to the local mayor, as Kyiv steps up its campaign of long-range strikes on targets far from the frontline.Kyiv said it hit the Taneco refinery in the city of Nizhnekamsk, about 750 miles (1,200km) from the Ukrainian border. Footage circulating online appeared to show smoke rising from the refinery. Continue reading...

A spokesperson for the human rights group likened the proposal to financial brutality with British taxpayers' money'Farage and Yusuf are now taking questions.Q: [From Jack Fenwick from the BBC] Are there other countries where you might send foreign offenders? And how much would this cost?We have to admit that there might not be too many colour TVs.It's not going to be a summer camp. It's not going to be particularly fun. But it won't be cruel and it won't be unreasonable.We will rapidly build capacity. We will take advantage of new prefabricated modular technology and build 12,000 prison places in the form of Nightingale prisons on Ministry of Defence land. And the army will be called in to assist.Together, these measures will create an additional 22,000 prison places compared to Andy Burnham's plans. Continue reading...

The RBA's governor, Michele Bullock, has made it clear that the easing' property market is on her mind

Researchers analysed activity in regions of brain when dogs were shown images of different facial expressionsWhile dogs are known to turn the puppy eyes on their owners, it seems our pets are keeping a close eye on us too: research has revealed dog brains can distinguish different types of unhappy human faces.Dr Laura Cuaya, a co-author of the study from the University of Vienna, said previous behavioural studies had shown dogs could tell apart some human facial expressions, but such studies tended to only test two at a time, one positive and one negative. As a result, it was not clear if dogs could distinguish different types of happy or unhappy faces. Continue reading...

Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that strikes on such facilities were directly linked with putting more pressure on MoscowA fire broke out at an industrial facility in Russia's Tyumen region in Siberia after several drones fell on it, Tyumen region governor Alexander Moor said on his Telegram channel.This is reported by Reuters. Continue reading...

Northern Spain will be one of the best places in world to view phenomenon with 460,000 extra visitors expectedAuthorities in Spain have warned of an increased risk of fires when hundreds of thousands of people head to the hills and beaches to get a better view of Wednesday's total solar eclipse.The vegetation is extraordinarily dry and the smallest spark or carelessness could lead to devastating forest fires," the environment minister, Sara Aagesen, said on a visit to Niebla in the south of the country, the site of Spain's latest fire. Continue reading...

Manslaughter exemption would mean more releases would be needed within 18 months, Prison Service officials say

Surprise departure comes after department store chain's chair warned of really tough trading conditions'

Exclusive: Grid operator Neso can now respond with rolling blackouts as last resort without need for government powers

Campaign group says firm is taking the mickey' by paying fee, and Andy Burnham should nationalise it

Ninety vehicles confiscated in weekend operation including rare Ferrari Monza SP2, driven by someone without insurance or full licenceA police officer got the opportunity to drive an open-top limited edition Ferrari in Mayfair, London, after the car was seized as part of a record-breaking crackdown on uninsured vehicles and dangerous driving.The Dubai-registered supercar, worth 3.7m, had been in the UK for just a day when it was confiscated by the police because it was being driven by someone with a provisional licence and no insurance. Continue reading...

Crossing in larger vessel highlights changing tactics despite increased enforcement on French coast

Melissa Donnelly, the national secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union, will replace the outgoing ACTU head

Exclusive: Film-maker Gabar Choli describes how he endured coercive treatment over eight months in detention in TexasA Kurdish man who was force fed over the course of eight months while on hunger strike in US immigration detention has spoken out about it for the first time, describing how much the process harmed him physically and psychologically.Gabar Choli, a film-maker and activist now living in Canada after being deported, described how he endured the coercive treatment - a practice widely considered torture by international human rights groups - often twice a day after being detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when his asylum application was denied. Continue reading...

Mike Ashley's Frasers Group is frontrunner to buy Knightsbridge-headquartered department store chain

Power cable linking UK and Ireland now passes near Bronze Age human burial remains instead of fictional grave on Welsh beachHarry Potter fans have forced a new multimillion-pound power cable between the UK and Ireland to be relocated after complaining it would desecrate the grave" of Dobby, a fictional elf.The character was laid to rest on Freshwater West beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales, in the film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Fans of the wizard series come to leave stones reading Here Lies Dobby" despite being asked not to by the land owner, the National Trust, because the beach is an ecologically sensitive site. Continue reading...

If opposition wins November's state election, leader Jess Wilson vows households will not pay more under the change

Transport minister says improved staff rostering will be in place from next month after unacceptable' delays and incident involving Qatar Airways and Jetstar planes

Jeremy Greenwood tells inquiry he instructed the conservative Liberal group not to keep going' because it became so toxic'

Prime minister and opposition leader meet in Canberra to advance agreement on gambling advertising

In today's newsletter: Jerusalem's most volatile site has again become a flashpoint, with Arab states and former Israeli officials sounding the alarm over Benjamin Netanyahu's complicityGood morning. In late July, Itamar Ben-Gvir, West Bank settler and far-right extremist minister of security in Benjamin Netanyahu's government, joined a group of more than 2,000 Jewish extremists to storm al-Aqsa mosque compound, Jerusalem's most sensitive holy site. The far-right group has been doing this for years. Ben-Gvir has made series of visits to the site over the last three years, eroding norms and inflaming tensions. Jordanian officials have recently warned that it could be at risk of an imminent" Israeli takeover.With national elections scheduled in October, and many eyes still firmly on Gaza (this weekend, Netanyahu rejected a US-backed 15 point plan for peace), the Israeli government appears to be racing to expand Israeli settlements and accelerate ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem before its mandate expires.UK politics | Sadiq Khan has called on the government to commit to revamped climate action and to reduce the UK's reliance on oil and gas, as the UK endures a summer of drought, wildfires and heatwaves.US politics | The US Senate voted to confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general in a win for Donald Trump, who will now have his one-time personal attorney sitting atop the nation's law enforcement apparatus.US-Israel war on Iran | Iran has issued tough new demands for reopening the strait of Hormuz, as a deal to open the strategic waterway remained out of reach on Saturday.Russia-Ukraine | Up to 50,000 North Korean soldiers will be deployed in Russia, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. On Saturday, Turkey called for a moratorium" on attacks by Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea after a series of strikes on civilian ships thereWorld news | The alleged leader of the Kinahan organised crime group was extradited from Dubai on Sunday and met by a huge security operation in Dublin, marking the end of a global game of cat and mouse with European, US and Gulf authorities.Wednesday | A partial solar eclipse will be visible across the whole of the UK, with the south-west of England getting the best of British views. Parts of Greenland, Iceland and Spain will experience a total eclipse.Thursday | Clacton-on-sea residents will vote in the byelection Nigel Farage triggered last month, with the Reform leader taking on 33 mostly novelty candidates. Results are expected early Friday.Thursday | The Office for National Statistics will publish UK GDP figures for the second quarter of 2026. Continue reading...

What was originally reported as a body found in Oallen on Sunday was very realistic in the terms of looking like human remains', NSW police say

Mohammad Akhtar, 50, from Peterborough killed during clashes between authorities and protestersA British national was shot dead in Pakistan-administered Kashmir during clashes between security forces and protesters, the Guardian can reveal.Another Briton has been held in a regional prison for more than two months despite his family's efforts to secure his release through the Foreign Office. Continue reading...

Authorities warn that days of intense rain could trigger widespread flooding and landslides as storm moves north and further inlandMore than a million people were moved to safety across eastern China by Sunday evening as powerful Typhoon Dolphin made landfall amid fears torrential rain would cause flooding and landslides.Wenzhou, a coastal city in Zhejiang province, said it relocated more than 900,000 people and opened more than 1,500 emergency shelters. In neighbouring Fujian, 98,900 people were moved from high-risk areas. Continue reading...

Average sea surface temperature outside polar regions was highest on record for July, beating previous high in 2023The world's seas were hotter last month than in any July on record, scientists have said, as devastating heat struck western Europe.Sea surface temperatures hit record highs for July on the Atlantic coast and western Mediterranean, the EU's Copernicus climate change service found, with severe marine heatwaves roiling Europe's seas. Globally, the average sea surface temperature outside the cold polar regions was the highest on record for the month, beating the previous July record set in 2023. Continue reading...

Observatory says 36.9C posted on Sunday is city's highest official temperature since its records began 142 years ago, with storm driving intense heat in regionHong Kong has officially recorded its highest ever temperature as Typhoon Dolphin swept warm air over the city, the meteorological service said.The city's weather observatory posted a temperature of 36.9C on Sunday, the highest recorded since records began in 1884, the Hong Kong Observatory said in the afternoon. Continue reading...

First of PM's everyday fixes' to be banning fake discounts and making it easier to cancel unwanted subscriptions

Israeli PM says IDF will not withdraw until Hamas is disarmed and rebukes US pressure to end wars without his country's buy-inIsrael's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has rejected a US-backed 15-point peace plan for Gaza in a rare public break with Donald Trump.In a statement on Sunday, Netanyahu said that he was confronting a wave of rumours about Israeli weakness and Israeli withdrawals on all fronts" and rebuked US pressure to end wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran without Israel's buy-in. Continue reading...