World

The ping of half a million phones, a pause, and a collective gasp: in an instant, more than 500,000 people were made homeless. Shooting in the air, panicked phone calls, and honking filled the streets of Beirut as people began to flee. Thousands abandoned their cars and began a slow march to the sea, desperate to escape Israeli bombs they knew would soon fall on their homes, whether they were in them or not.

A jury at a four-week inquest in Bournemouth has concluded that 17-year-old Katie Powell and 18-year-old Jack Williams took their own lives after being arrested and having their infant child placed into foster care. Their bodies were found at a nature reserve in Dorset. After deliberating for three days, the jury determined that Katie, from Warwickshire, and Jack, from Dorset, died by suicide.

The 'regime capture' model allegedly implemented by former US President Donald Trump in Venezuela raises questions about its potential replication in a complex state like Iran, as experts critically assess the practicalities of this strategy. Trump purportedly described the ousting of Nicolás Maduro and installation of Delcy Rodríguez in Venezuela as 'the perfect scenario', but this model faces significant hurdles in a distant and resilient nation such as Iran, where historical and geopolitical factors differ markedly.

New South Wales Deputy State Coroner Harriet Grahame has released findings from an inquest into the death of Gregory Merriman, a 58-year-old Yuin man and direct descendant of revered Yuin leader Umbarra, who died at the Metropolitan Reception and Remand Centre (MRRC) in Sydney in December 2022. In her findings handed down on Friday, Grahame stated that Merriman was found unresponsive in his cell 30 minutes after being exposed to CS spray (tear gas) deployed by prison officers to contain a fight in a common area of the facility.

In the dusty lanes of Damak, Nepal, an unprecedented political showdown is unfolding that could reshape the country's political landscape. The contest pits four-time former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli against 35-year-old rapper and current Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah, known as Balen. Balen emerged as a nationally popular and unifying figure following last year's Gen-Z protests, which were met with police brutality and live fire from the government, resulting in over 70 deaths.

New South Wales Deputy State Coroner Harriet Grahame has released findings into the 2022 death in custody of Gregory Merriman, a 58-year-old Yuin man, at the Metropolitan Reception and Remand Centre (MRRC) in Sydney. Grahame stated that Merriman was found unresponsive in his cell 30 minutes after being exposed to CS spray (tear gas) deployed by prison officers to contain a fight in a common area. The coroner noted that Merriman was not involved in the altercation and appeared on CCTV footage to have made verbal attempts to calm others.

Military investigators preliminarily believe that US forces were likely responsible for a strike on a girls' school in southern Iran's Minab city on Saturday, according to two US officials speaking anonymously on sensitive matters. The investigation has not reached a final conclusion, but the assessment points toward US involvement. Iran's UN ambassador in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, claimed the attack killed 150 students, though Reuters could not independently verify the death toll.

The Icelandic government has announced that a referendum on resuming accession talks with the European Union (EU) will be held on August 29, according to the foreign ministry in Reykjavik. The vote is scheduled somewhat earlier than previously planned, with the decision passing the Cabinet on Friday. The proposal, put forth by Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir's center-left coalition government, must be approved by Iceland's parliament, the Althingi, early next week before the referendum can proceed.

Tensions between Hungary and Ukraine have intensified after Budapest impounded two Ukrainian armored bank vehicles carrying millions of euros in hard cash and gold bars. Seven Ukrainian citizens accompanying the convoy were also arrested. Hungarian officials claimed the detained individuals had intelligence links and suggested the money could be of dubious origin, while Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Budapest of "taking hostages and stealing money."

Australia’s antisemitism envoy, Jillian Segal, hand-picked Greg Craven to lead a controversial university report card process after receiving no response from five firms approached during an open tender. Documents released under freedom of information laws showed Segal’s office initially approached three independent consulting firms and two law firms to potentially conduct an assessment of Australian universities and how well they were dealing with antisemitism on campus, but all of them declined to bid on the tender.

Former US President Donald Trump issued a stark ultimatum regarding the joint US-Israeli offensive against Iran, declaring that only "unconditional surrender" by the Iranian government would end the conflict. Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: "There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER." This statement came as US strategic bombers were active over Iran and intensive Israeli strikes in Lebanon forced over a million people to flee their homes, highlighting the severe humanitarian toll of the escalating war.

Conservative peer Peter Gummer, known as Lord Chadlington, has announced his departure from the House of Lords after an investigation by standards commissioner Martin Jelley found he committed five breaches of conduct related to COVID-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) deals and failed to cooperate with prior inquiries. The findings highlight ongoing scrutiny of government procurement practices during the pandemic.