'Cool in 90 seconds' - the fake portable air conditioners sweeping the internet

As parts of the UK brace for another hot weekend, online adverts have been appearing for portable air conditioners claiming to be "designed by former Nasa engineers" and able to "cool a room in 90 seconds".

Trump fires last members of election commission, inciting fears of midterm ‘chaos’

Donald Trump has terminated the remaining members of the independent, federal commission that assists election administration officials nationwide just a few months before the midterm elections, multiple outlets reported on Thursday.

‘A lot of red flags’: plans for New Zealand’s first datacentre spark concern as locals demand greater transparency

People living near the site of New Zealand’s first planned AI datacentre are calling for more transparency about the project, especially about how the centre’s huge electricity and water use and potential noise pollution could affect them.

‘We got it wrong’ on Gaza, says UK Labour’s Andy Burnham

UK’s likely next PM Burnham pushes for ceasefire, tougher sanctions over Gaza violence, and settlement trade bans.

The United Kingdom’s likely incoming next prime minister, Andy Burnham, has apologised for the Labour Party’s initial response to Israel’s actions in Gaza, saying “we got it wrong” while calling for further sanctions on those involved in violence in the besieged enclave.

Justin Baldoni describes painful saga as he breaks silence on Blake Lively dispute

Actor Justin Baldoni and his wife, Emily, lamented trauma and pain endured by their family in their first public remarks after a long-running legal battle with co-star Blake Lively.

In May, Lively and Baldoni settled a lawsuit after the 2024 movie It Ends With Us, ending a contentious streak of accusations. The lawsuit alleged he sexually harassed her on set and launched a retaliatory smear campaign.

Furore in Nigeria over fake federal agency set up in government HQ

A fictitious federal entity that was allocated 1.3bn naira (£700,000) in Nigeria’s 2026 budget has precipitated a political storm in Africa’s largest democracy in the run-up to a general election set for January.

VW workers protest in Germany over proposed job cuts and factory closures

Volkswagen’s proposal to slash up to 100,000 jobs and close factories faced a major test on Thursday as it was formally put to its supervisory board, with protests at the company’s plants in Germany.

Venomous snakes escape breeding farms in southern China during flooding

Hundreds of snakes, including cobras, have escaped from flooded breeding farms in southern China as severe storms continue to batter parts of the country.

State media reported that a snake farm in Hengzhou, in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, was hit by flood waters after days of heavy rainfall caused by typhoon Maysak, prompting warnings for nearby residents.

Tehran launches more strikes as Israel warns it is ready to strike Iran again ‘with even greater force’ – as it happened

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Israel says ready to attack Iran for 'third time if necessary'

Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz on Thursday said his country was prepared to resume its military campaign against Iran if needed, vowing to do so “with even greater force”.

Great Britain’s grid operator issues fresh warning over power supplies in heatwave

Great Britain’s energy system operator has warned that “extreme temperatures” could hit power supplies on Thursday night, as the UK entered its third heatwave of the year.

The National Energy System Operator (Neso) issued a notice overnight asking for extra supplies from power generators to cope with the added demand from households turning on fans and air conditioners to cope with the high temperatures.