Kolkata hotel fire kills Bangladeshi medical travellers
Asia independent.co.uk

World

World
Putin visit to Kuril Islands rekindles Japan Russia sovereignty dispute Four islands near Hokkaido sit on Pacific access route and fishing grounds, sanctions era turns old treaty language into military geography
theguardian.com
World
European drought cuts harvest forecasts France projects sharp maize drop as Italy reports widespread farmland stress, relief politics follows once rationing replaces rainfall
theguardian.com
World
Wildfires kill two on Greek island Salamis Belgian High Fens blaze forces evacuations and draws Swedish water bombers, European partners supply aircraft while peat bogs block trucks
theguardian.com
World
Nato fighter shoots down drone over Romania Air-policing mission engages after radar contact and permission to fire, attribution stays vague while border incidents become routine
independent.co.uk
World
Polish tourist bus crashes in Hungary 12 killed and at least 10 injured on M3 motorway near Mezokeresztes, driver taken into custody as police cite possible fatigue
independent.co.uk
...

United States

Arwa Mahdawi: Melania Trump makes 38 public appearances this year Amazon-backed documentary and Prime Video series fill the visibility gap, absence becomes the message while cameras roll elsewhere
theguardian.com
Unitree shares rocket in Shanghai IPO debut Humanoid robotics boom meets US import ban on new foreign-made robots, investors price factory-scale deployment before it arrives
independent.co.uk
Trump pauses planned 50% Canada tariffs White House says trade deal awaits paperwork, Keystone XL revival floats as bargaining chip
theguardian.com
Meta faces California federal trial over child harms States seek billions and structural changes to Facebook and Instagram, internal safety research enters the record as product evidence
independent.co.uk
Cory Mills loses Florida GOP primary Trump endorsement fails to rescue incumbent under ethics and Justice Department scrutiny, party reputational costs show up at the ballot box
nbcnews.com

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous
Three family members die in sea incident off Shoreham-by-Sea Fourth child remains critical after rescue near Shoreham Harbour, road closures and air ambulances follow open-water emergency
independent.co.uk
Miscellaneous
ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard dies at 77 Band says it will continue touring after recent show cancellations, a three-piece brand outlives another of its working parts
theguardian.com
Miscellaneous
Senegal funds elite boarding school for girls on Gorée Island Mariama Bâ school admits 35 students a year with 100% completion rate, state pays to solve dropout problem family budgets cannot
independent.co.uk
Miscellaneous
Philippines school shooting kills two students Attacker dies by suicide at Zamboanga campus linked to Ateneo de Zamboanga University, livestream claims spread faster than police statements
independent.co.uk theguardian.com
Miscellaneous
Hayden Panettiere dies at 36 Heroes and Nashville actor’s death confirmed by representative, no cause given as memoir chronicled addiction and postpartum depression
theguardian.com
...

Media

Media
Disney and ABC sue the FCC, lawsuit alleges license renewal pressure is retaliation over news coverage and Jimmy Kimmel Broadcast permits remain a political choke point
theguardian.com
Media
Amazon linked to destructive rare-book scanning Ars Technica cites 404 Media Airtag trail to Las Vegas facility, frontier model training turns physical books into disposable inputs
arstechnica.com
Media
Reddit tests TikTok-style audio and video feed TechCrunch says users can play select posts as narrated clips, viral threads get repackaged inside the app that produced them
techcrunch.com
Media
Cineby announces shutdown TorrentFreak says pirate streaming site logged more than 160 million monthly visits, blocking orders chase the brand while embedded hosts stay online
torrentfreak.com
Media
Zuckerberg publishes manifesto on personal AI agents Meta sells empowerment after a decade of engagement engineering, cloud capability still sits behind a paywall
techcrunch.com
...

Politics

Politics
Andy Burnham launches Christmas deadline for rough sleeping Covid-style homelessness drive backed by £442 million but no legal duty to house on request, success depends on who accepts a bed and what counts as a route off the street
independent.co.uk theguardian.com
Politics
Shasta County plans to hire Tina Peters Election office recruits consultant convicted over voting-system breach, outsider credibility replaces institutional trust
theguardian.com
Politics
Donald Trump threatens to bomb Oman Remarks tied to Hormuz negotiations with Iran, shipping diplomacy absorbs televised ultimatums
independent.co.uk independent.co.uk
Politics
Jared Kushner meets Hamas political chief in Egypt Talks precede Netanyahu meeting on US-backed Gaza road map, ceasefire plan hinges on disarmament and an undefined yellow line
theguardian.com independent.co.uk
Politics
Labour weighs Jackdaw and Rosebank drilling approvals Consultations close after Greenpeace court win voided prior permits, North Sea future turns on whether ministers treat decline as policy or accident
independent.co.uk
...

Opinion

Opinion
Arwa Mahdawi: Melania Trump makes 38 public appearances this year Amazon-backed documentary and Prime Video series fill the visibility gap, absence becomes the message while cameras roll elsewhere
theguardian.com
Opinion
European People’s Party builds working majorities with far right Guardian columnist charts post-2024 coalition shift inside European Parliament, migration return rules pass as firewall turns optional
theguardian.com
Opinion
Andy Beckett says UK weather forecasts become culture-war terrain Met Office heat language meets partisan framing and split regional summers, the old national small talk breaks on the same day’s map
theguardian.com
Opinion
Arwa Mahdawi: US State Department grants fund European conservative think tanks USAID cuts sold as America first while overseas political spending shifts channels, civilizational messaging gets the line item
theguardian.com
Opinion
Mehdi Hasan: Foreign media crowns Gadi Eisenkot as anti-Netanyahu Polls elevate ex-military chief leading Yashar ahead of October 2024 vote, Gaza and West Bank record stays in the footnotes
theguardian.com
...

Europe

Europe
EBU tightens Eurovision hosting rules Winning countries can be barred during armed conflict or sensitive geopolitics, replacement host no longer stages contest on winner’s behalf
euronews.com
Europe
Poland cuts coal power as Vistula runs low Enea throttles plants after cooling-water squeeze removes 1.3 gigawatts, summer heat turns river flow into grid capacity
euronews.com
Europe
Polish pilgrims die in Hungary bus crash M3 motorway rollover near Mezőkeresztes sends survivors to hospitals across region, enhanced checks promised after another night-drive disaster
theguardian.com
Europe
NATO scrambles jets after drone enters Latvian airspace UN reports sharp July rise in Ukraine civilian casualties from missiles and drones, air-defence attrition spreads costs across borders
independent.co.uk
Europe
UK rail derailment near Wickford triggers safety reassurances Second incident within 24 hours prompts RAIB investigation, hot dry summer becomes part of the official explanation
independent.co.uk
...

North America

North America
Meta faces California federal trial over child harms States seek billions and structural changes to Facebook and Instagram, internal safety research enters the record as product evidence
independent.co.uk
North America
Cory Mills loses Florida GOP primary Trump endorsement fails to rescue incumbent under ethics and Justice Department scrutiny, party reputational costs show up at the ballot box
nbcnews.com
North America
Nick Reiner seeks access to parents trust fund for murder defense NBC says trustee cites California slayer statute to block payments, probate court becomes a pretrial fight over legal resources
nbcnews.com
North America
US Supreme Court declines to revisit Trump appeal in E Jean Carroll case Five million dollar defamation verdict stands after rare rehearing bid, larger immunity fight still pending in separate judgment
nbcnews.com
North America
Trump orders cuts to US South Korea military drills Ulchi Freedom Shield starts with reduced scope after Iran dispute, deterrence posture shifts while North Korea trains on Ukraine lessons
theguardian.com nbcnews.com
...

Latin America

Latin America
Alejandro Betancourt returns to Caracas El País links PDVSA-era billionaire to Delcy Rodríguez oil plans and Trump-era backchanneling, advisory role remains unofficial
english.elpais.com
Latin America
Buenos Aires hosts DEA drug enforcement summit Closed-door conference pairs intelligence sharing with Trump and Milei alignment, key participants remain unnamed
english.elpais.com
Latin America
Cuba unveils 176 economic measures Díaz-Canel promises market openings without political loosening, private banks and subsidy cuts arrive during blackouts
english.elpais.com
Latin America
Mexico fields first women’s blind football team Chilangas FC heads to Brazil for Women’s Blind Football American Championship, Paralympics funding gap leaves development to local organisers
aljazeera.com
Latin America
Colombia authorizes US joint military operations Hegseth announces approval days after new president takes office, disaster response and sovereignty debate collide
english.elpais.com
...

Asia

Asia
Unitree shares rocket in Shanghai IPO debut Humanoid robotics boom meets US import ban on new foreign-made robots, investors price factory-scale deployment before it arrives
independent.co.uk
Asia
Kolkata hotel fire kills Bangladeshi medical travellers Budget inns near Indian hospitals draw cross-border patients into low-cost buildings, police hunt absconding owner after reports of missing fire escapes
independent.co.uk
Asia
AI-generated sexual images spread across Indian social media El País links Grok image tools to non-consensual deepfakes targeting women, takedown notices chase reposts faster than courts can move
english.elpais.com
Asia
Earthquake hits eastern Indonesia Tsunami warning lifted as aftershocks continue, self-evacuations and satellite offers arrive before rebuilding plans
euronews.com infobae.com
Asia
South Korea president urges talks to end Korean War Lee Jae Myung pitches peace regime and safeguards, armistice politics persists as Pyongyang fortifies the border
theguardian.com
...

Middle East

Middle East
UN warns Yemen risks full-scale conflict Houthi claims of Red Sea strikes keep maritime chokepoints in play, ceasefire language competes with missile range
euronews.com
Middle East
Israeli settlers set homes on fire in Masafer Yatta village Residents describe children trapped inside as police probe opens, investigations multiply faster than arrests
independent.co.uk
Middle East
Reports describe deteriorating conditions aboard USS Abraham Lincoln Families cite food rationing and mental health crises during Iran deployment, Pentagon denial collides with basic supply complaints
independent.co.uk
Middle East
US says it can sustain Iran naval blockade indefinitely Hegseth cites ship rotations as Hormuz crossings fall below monthly average, time becomes the weapon both sides claim to control
independent.co.uk independent.co.uk
Middle East
Israeli settlers besiege Palestinian homes in Qusra IDF chief orders reserve battalion reinforcement after commander visit fails to lift blockade, tent removed but families remain trapped
theguardian.com independent.co.uk
...

Africa

Africa
DR Congo Ebola outbreak becomes country’s deadliest Bundibugyo strain spreads without approved vaccine or treatment, case detection still arrives after community deaths
theguardian.com bnonews.com
Africa
Morocco and Spain deploy forces at Ceuta border Social media posts call for new mass crossing on August 15, pushback rules and troop numbers become the real deterrent
theguardian.com english.elpais.com
Africa
France investigates ambassador in Central African Republic Allegations of dozens of women visiting official residence trigger security breach report, disciplinary process replaces local accountability
theguardian.com
Africa
Nairobi bulldozes parts of Kibera for housing scheme Ruto affordable-housing program funded by compulsory levy falls short of targets, residents hold Makao Bora cards but lack guarantees
scroll.in
Africa
Cape Verde turtle numbers rebound as youth emigration grows Tourism absorbs jobs but diaspora outnumbers residents, social services lean on international cooperation as families fragment
english.elpais.com
...

Economy

Economy
Trump pauses planned 50% Canada tariffs White House says trade deal awaits paperwork, Keystone XL revival floats as bargaining chip
theguardian.com
Economy
Brent crude climbs above $90 a barrel Ceasefire window lapses in US-Iran war talks and Trump threatens Oman, ship traffic through Strait of Hormuz falls to single digits
theguardian.com independent.co.uk
Economy
Most US voters say they are worse off under Trump Financial Times poll shows broad personal financial decline, midterm politics turns energy and tariff costs into household arithmetic
independent.co.uk
Economy
Trump imposes new tariffs on imported drones White House cites reliance on foreign supply and security risks, allies face levy as domestic output deemed insufficient
globalnews.ca
Economy
UK growth slows as Iran war lifts energy costs ONS shows weaker quarter while price cap delays household shock, inflation pressure shifts from oil markets to domestic bills
theguardian.com
...

Technology

Technology
Perplexity user base jumps after free Airtel bundle in India Sensor Tower data shows downloads collapse once offer ends, subscription revenue rises as free users face auto-renewal choice
techcrunch.com
Technology
Apple macOS 26.7 RC includes video of camera-equipped AirPods Leaked asset hints at Siri Visual Intelligence features, always-worn audio shifts cameras from moments to ambient presence
techcrunch.com
Technology
Spotify launches Playlist Notes for playlists Users can annotate songs podcasts and audiobooks across more than 100 markets, curation returns as a feature not a mystery
techcrunch.com
Technology
Stripe closes in on OpenRouter acquisition Bloomberg reports deal above seven billion dollars for AI model gateway, payments platform buys control over metering and routing
techcrunch.com
Technology
Hyperscalers double down on natural gas for AI data centers Noreva forecast warns of regional US price spikes as LNG exports rise, climate pledges meet fuel risk that futures markets barely price
techcrunch.com
...

Science

Science
Marine heatwaves expand across European seas World Weather Attribution links summer 2026 extremes to emissions-driven warming, ocean heat turns into fisheries losses and hotter coastal nights
theguardian.com
Science
Spanish CSIC nanostructured polymer cools surfaces without electricity Rooftop tests near Madrid show up to 12.9°C temperature drop, passive cooling competes with air conditioning by sending heat to space
euronews.com
Science
Single-dose malaria drug cabamiquine shows early trial promise University of Dundee compound paired with pyronaridine targets simpler treatment, larger and paediatric studies still pending
independent.co.uk
Science
Madrid hospital implants personalised bone metamaterial prosthesis Gregorio Marañón team and Polytechnic University of Madrid use 3D-printed titanium lattice to spare a sarcoma patient’s leg, aerospace-derived design moves complexity from metal to geometry
euronews.com euronews.com
Science
Perseid meteor shower peaks as total solar eclipse crosses parts of Europe NBC News maps visibility from Spain to northern Russia, dark skies are widespread but totality is not
nbcnews.com
...