Canada issues air quality warnings over US wildfire smoke after Trump tariff threat 20. July 2026 (17:52) Officials say smoke from US fires has crossed border days after US president accused Canada of improper fire managementAfter days of acrid smoke from northern wildfires choking major US cities and inspiring Donald Trump to threaten Canada with tariffs, officials now say the reverse is also happening as parts of Canada issue air quality warnings caused by American fires to the south.Officials in the Canadian province of British Columbia warned in an alert on Saturday evening that smoke from US fires, spurred on by thousands of lightning strikes in the north-east, was creating smoky conditions as polluted air drifted north. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Suspect held after explosion at FBI building in New York City 20. July 2026 (17:46) Three people reported injured after incendiary device allegedly thrown at building also housing ICE field officeAuthorities in New York City are investigating an explosion on Monday morning outside an FBI building in lower Manhattan that reportedly injured three people.Investigators said a person who allegedly threw an incendiary device at the scene was taken into custody. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
GB News will not be investigated over ‘no riot in Belfast’ claim 20. July 2026 (17:45) Media regulator will not take action despite receiving 446 complaints about comments by Bev TurnerGB News will not be investigated by the media regulator after a presenter insisted there was no riot in Belfast in June, despite cars and houses being set alight, attacks on police and families fleeing their homes.Ofcom received more than 400 complaints after the comments by Bev Turner, presenter of the broadcaster’s Late Show Live, who said there “weren’t riots” and that no houses had been burned in the violent disorder. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australian ski resorts smash July climate records with temperatures 12C above average 20. July 2026 (17:00) Resorts in NSW and Victoria face a warm and dry start to the season with only sporadic falls of natural snow in many alpine areasGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAlpine ski resorts in New South Wales and Victoria saw climate records shattered at the weekend with maximum temperatures up to 12C above average.Ski areas of Mount Hotham and Falls Creek set July records for their hottest daytime and night-time temperatures and Thredbo also set a new hottest July day, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Manufacturing union says Australia’s tax system is ‘rigged’ in bold manifesto ahead of Labor conference 20. July 2026 (17:00) AMWU calls for wealth and inheritance taxes, free education and more revenue from gas companies as it outlines ‘working-class agenda’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA new tax rate for the highest income earners, introducing wealth and inheritance taxes and extracting more revenue from gas companies form part of a new leftwing manifesto circulating ahead of the Labor party’s national conference.The extra tax revenue could help raise the jobseeker rate, make education – including university – free, and nationalise aged care under what the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) calls a blueprint for a “working-class agenda”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
At-home STI test pulled from Australian shelves after failing to detect infections 20. July 2026 (17:00) Exclusive: TGA finds Touch Biotechnology test for chlamydia and gonorrhoea ‘is not reliable’ and has affected an unspecified number of peopleGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia’s only approved home test for chlamydia and gonorrhoea has been pulled from shelves after it failed to detect infections for an unspecified number of patients.Touch Biotechnology has been handed a six‑month suspension by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) after a review of the company’s self‑testing kit found “the device is not reliable … and poses a high risk for false negative results for users”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Big Bear’s missing bald eagle believed to have been found alive but injured 20. July 2026 (16:36) Bald eagle found hurt in California after fight with other birds, says group, as eagle called Jackie not seen on camerasA beloved female bald eagle missing for several days in California’s Big Bear Lake is believed to have been found alive but injured after a fight with other birds, according to the advocacy group that operates a live, viral nestcam.Friends of Bear Valley said on Facebook on Sunday that observers first spotted the eagle on the ground last Thursday, then witnessed it involved a “short ground altercation with two other subadult eagles” on Friday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump acknowledges that jet from Qatar lacks defensive systems of Air Force One 20. July 2026 (16:31) US president says $400m plane will be ‘maxed out’ with appropriate protections but doesn’t give further detailsDonald Trump acknowledged on Sunday that the Boeing jet given to him by Qatar cannot match the defensive armor of a true presidential aircraft, telling reporters it will soon be grounded so engineers can “max it out” with the protections it was never built with.The admission came as Trump touched down in Washington on the jet, fresh off a trip to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where he handed the World Cup trophy to Spain alongside Gianni Infantino, the Fifa president, after the tournament’s climactic final. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Double murder accused strangled HMP Exeter cellmate while awaiting trial 20. July 2026 (16:19) Jury at Winchester crown court told James Desborough was convicted in March of murdering Steven KempsterA fan of a TV show about a serial killer strangled a cellmate in prison while awaiting trial for allegedly murdering two men and hiding their remains in Cornish woodland, a jury has heard.James Desborough, 40, is accused of killing Claudio Aquilino and Daniel Coleman and concealing parts of their bodies in the dense undergrowth close to his cabin near St Austell. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Avengers: Doomsday trailer reveals star-packed Marvel adventure 20. July 2026 (16:17) The first full look at the big-budget December tentpole features returning heroes such as Chris Hemsworth, Patrick Stewart, Florence Pugh and Chris EvansThe first full trailer for Avengers: Doomsday has been released online offering a look at Marvel’s big-budget big hope.“Something’s coming, something we may not be able to deter,” is the first line heard in the new preview which proceeds to bring back multiple characters from various Marvel movies and universes. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
