This section details US regulators approving the Paramount-Skydance merger, Trump's order pushing local officials to clear unhoused people, and his tussles with Jerome Powell over interest rates and Fed renovations. The administration also faces scrutiny regarding a DoJ 'strike force' investigation into Obama and cuts to the National Science Foundation, while Columbia University reaches a deal with the Trump administration over funding.

• US regulators approve $8.4bn Paramount-Skydance merger — The Guardian -
• Convicted Murderer Freed by Trump in Venezuelan Prisoner Swap Is Free in U.S. — New York Times World -
• Trump order pushes local officials to clear unhoused people from streets — The Guardian -

• Trump takes time out to open Scottish golf course — BBC World -
• Trump tussles with Jerome Powell on rare visit to Federal Reserve — The Guardian -
• Outcry as US agriculture department to cut salaries and relocate staff — The Guardian -
• Watch: Trump jokes he wants Powell to lower interest rates in awkward exchange — BBC World -
• Colorado clerks voice alarm at murky ‘official’ push to access voting machines — The Guardian -
• Under-fire DoJ forms ‘strike force’ to investigate Obama amid Epstein scandal — The Guardian -
• Artist Amy Sherald cancels Smithsonian show over censorship — The Guardian -
• American Convicted of Murder Among Those Trump Rescued From Venezuela Prison — New York Times World -
• South Park targets Paramount after signing $1.5bn deal and skewers Trump: ‘He can do anything to anyone’ — The Guardian -
• Justice department official to meet Epstein accomplice Maxwell — BBC World -
• National Science Foundation staff decry Trump’s ‘politically motivated’ cuts — The Guardian -
• ‘Extortion’: Columbia University’s deal with White House met with mixed reactions — The Guardian -
• CEO pay climbs ahead of Trump tax windfall for wealthy — The Guardian -
• As Trump Quits UNESCO, China Expands Influence — New York Times World -
• Trump effort to ditch greenhouse gas finding ignores ‘clearcut’ science, expert says — The Guardian -
• What to Know About the U.S. Move to Withdraw From UNESCO — New York Times World -
• Newsman or businessman? Murdoch walks tightrope in battle with Trump — The Guardian -
• White House rescinds $20m for clean water in pesticide-contaminated rural California — The Guardian -
• Trump’s war on windmills started in Scotland. Now he’s taking it global — The Guardian -
• Trump administration claims credit for Australia lifting ban on US beef imports — The Guardian -
• White House pushes back after reports Trump is named in Epstein files — BBC World -
• Donald Trump visit to Scotland expected to be met with wave of protest — The Guardian -
• Trump signs executive orders targeting ‘woke’ AI models and regulation — The Guardian -
• Columbia announces deal to pay Trump administration more than $220m — The Guardian -

This topic highlights France's intent to recognize a Palestinian state and the release of a pro-Palestinian convict by France, amidst dire reports of starvation spreading in Gaza affecting aid workers and local journalists. US and Israel have ditched ceasefire talks, while Israeli politicians discuss a 'Gaza riviera' plan, and a UK pro-Palestine protester was held for nearly 27 hours.

• France to recognise Palestinian state at UN general assembly, Macron says — The Guardian -
• John Swinney says he will raise Gaza’s ‘unimaginable suffering’ with Trump — The Guardian -
• Pro-Palestinian convict to be freed by France after 41 years — BBC World -

• The story behind the photograph of a starving Gaza baby — BBC World -
• As Starvation Rises, Israeli Minister Says Israel Is ‘Driving Out’ Gazans — New York Times World -
• ‘Hungry aid staff fainting’ as starvation spreads in Gaza and truce hopes fade — The Guardian -
• Friday Briefing: France to Recognize Palestinian Statehood — New York Times World -
• US and Israel ditch ceasefire talks as Trump envoy points finger at Hamas — The Guardian -
• Gazans Are Dying of Starvation — New York Times World -
• Kneecap lambast Viktor Orbán over ‘outrageous’ ban from Hungary — The Guardian -
• Far-right Israeli politicians and settlers discuss luxury ‘Gaza riviera’ plan — The Guardian -
• 'I can barely do one story. I just feel dizzy' - BBC's Gaza freelance journalists tell of struggle for food — BBC World -
• He went to get aid and didn't come back - stories of people killed in Gaza — BBC World -
• UK police hold pro-Palestine protester, 80, for almost 27 hours and search house — The Guardian -
• We might get killed, but we have to get food, injured Gazan tells BBC — BBC World -
• BBC, AFP and other news outlets warn journalists in Gaza at risk of starvation — The Guardian -
• BBC and news agencies warn journalists in Gaza at risk of starvation — BBC World -

This section covers resident doctors' strikes undermining the union movement, a minister's apology for children's exposure to toxic online content, and the launch of a new leftwing party by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana. Other headlines include violent protests in Epping fueled by disinformation, the murder conviction of a man for killing his infant son, and an outage affecting EE and BT mobile networks.

• Resident doctors’ strike undermines union movement, says Wes Streeting — The Guardian -
• Minister apologises to generation of UK children exposed to toxic online content — The Guardian -
• How violent protests in Epping are being fuelled by disinformation — The Guardian -

• No fear or favours: how Corbyn and Sultana’s party could blow up British politics — The Guardian -
• Police arrest shoplifter with help from the old Bill actor — The Guardian -
• Thousands of EE and BT customers across UK hit by mobile network outage — The Guardian -
• Man guilty of murdering two-week-old son in Somerset baby unit — The Guardian -
• Jeremy Corbyn confirms he is setting up new political party with Zarah Sultana – as it happened — The Guardian -
• Jay Slater had taken drugs and alcohol and was 14-hour walk from resort, inquest told — The Guardian -
• Police name mother and teenage children killed in Northern Ireland shooting — The Guardian -
• Fears UK gas stockpile to drop for winter as British Gas owner plans sell-off — The Guardian -
• What are the new UK online safety rules and how will age checks on adult content be enforced? — The Guardian -
• Canterbury student jailed for selling phishing kits to fraudsters — The Guardian -
• Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana agree to launch leftwing party — The Guardian -
• UK should act to stop children getting hooked on social media ‘dopamine loops’ — The Guardian -
• Starmer and Modi hail ‘historic day’ as UK-India trade deal is signed — The Guardian -
• River Island at risk of collapse if landlords fail to back restructuring plan — The Guardian -
• Lloyds boss warns Reeves against hiking taxes on banks as profits rise 17% — The Guardian -
• ‘Mad fer it’: Greater Manchester Aldi to keep Aldeh name in tribute to Oasis — The Guardian -
• Epping asylum hotel protesters ‘upset for legitimate reasons’, minister says — The Guardian -
• ITV announces new cost-cutting drive as half-year profits fall 44% — The Guardian -
• Kemi Badenoch: Argentinian president Javier Milei would be ‘template’ for my government — The Guardian -
• ‘Horrendous blisters’: Retired UK banker, 65, attempts to run 200 marathons in 200 days — The Guardian -
• Thursday briefing: Everything you need to know about​ the new internet safety rules — The Guardian -
• UK car manufacturing slumps to lowest level since 1953 barring Covid — The Guardian -

This topic features a Coldplay concert clip leading to an executive's resignation, San Francisco's Grateful Dead celebration, and the deaths of wrestling legend Hulk Hogan and jazz musician Chuck Mangione. Also covered are a rapper's arrest on drug charges, the acquittal of five Canadian hockey players in a sexual assault trial, and the Macrons suing Candace Owens for defamation.

• Woman in viral Coldplay concert clip resigns from executive role — BBC World -
• A fifth of California homes are investor-owned as state’s affordability crisis deepens – report — The Guardian -
• Wear flowers in your hair … and take the bus: San Francisco fetes Grateful Dead concerts with tie-dye — The Guardian -

• US wrestling legend Hulk Hogan dies aged 71 — BBC World -
• Chuck Mangione, Grammy-winning jazz musician and composer, dies aged 84 — The Guardian -
• Hulk Hogan, wrestling star and actor, dies aged 71 — The Guardian -
• Blood, sweat and tears: Look back at the highs and lows of Hulk Hogan — BBC World -
• Rapper GloRilla arrested on drug charges after police respond to burglary call — The Guardian -
• Menstrual cycle data ‘underused’ and should be on health records, experts say — The Guardian -
• Benin names Spike Lee and wife ambassadors for African-Americans in the US — BBC World -
• Five Canadian hockey players found not guilty in blockbuster sexual assault trial — The Guardian -
• Two-year-old sexually abused at family daycare by man living at the premises, mother claims — The Guardian -
• Hints of Life on Exoplanet K2-18b Recede Even Further — New York Times World -
• Rescue under way for three workers trapped by Canada mine collapse — BBC World -
• First Thing: Late Jesuit global leader allegedly let known child molester become a priest — The Guardian -
• The Latest Casualty of Social Media Hype Is Your Matcha Supply — New York Times World -
• AI summaries cause ‘devastating’ drop in audiences, online news media told — The Guardian -
• Late Jesuit global leader didn’t stop known child molester from becoming priest – court documents — The Guardian -
• Why One of the Causes of Falling Birthrates May Be Prosperity — New York Times World -
• Fiddle-laden fake trailer reignites debate about Hollywood’s Irish stereotypes — The Guardian -
• Macrons Sue Candace Owens, Accusing Her of Defamation — New York Times World -

This section details the fractured friendship and escalating clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, leading to multiple fatalities and civilian evacuations along the disputed border. The conflict, rooted in ancient temple claims, now sees potential Chinese involvement as a political crisis rocks Thailand, with officials closing Cambodian border checkpoints.

• The fractured friendship behind the fight at the Thailand-Cambodia border — BBC World -
• Thailand reports 14 people killed in clashes at border with Cambodia — The Guardian -
• Thailand and Cambodia Clash in Deadly Border Dispute — New York Times World -

• Thailand Says 12 Killed in Border Clashes With Cambodia — New York Times World -
• Ancient Temples Have Long Been a Flashpoint Between Cambodia and Thailand — New York Times World -
• Many Thai civilians fled after gunfire and explosions rocked the region. — New York Times World -
• China could be a player in efforts to calm Cambodia-Thailand tensions. — New York Times World -
• The border clashes come as a political crisis rocks Thailand. — New York Times World -
• Here’s a look at Surin, the Thai province at the center of the conflict. — New York Times World -
• Thai military closes all Cambodian border checkpoints as death toll from fighting rises – as it happened — The Guardian -
• Thai and Cambodian Troops Fire at Each Other as Relations Implode — New York Times World -
• Why are Thailand and Cambodia fighting at the border? — BBC World -
• Why are Thailand and Cambodia fighting at the border? — BBC World -
• Twelve killed in Thailand-Cambodia military clashes on disputed border — BBC World -
• A Timeline of the Latest Conflict Between Cambodia and Thailand — New York Times World -
• Thai and Cambodian Troops Fire at Each Other as Relations Implode — New York Times World -

This topic highlights a record heatwave in Lapland and deadly wildfires across Cyprus and Turkey, prompting evacuations and concerns about forests becoming carbon emitters. Other reports include air pollution's link to dementia, a landmark UN court ruling on climate change obligations, and the rediscovery of the world's smallest snake.

• Too hot for Santa as Lapland buckles under record heatwave — BBC World -
• Air pollution raises risk of dementia, say Cambridge scientists — The Guardian -
• Two more killed amid raging wildfires in Cyprus and Turkey — The Guardian -

• Sprawling Wildfires Kill 2 and Force Evacuations in Cyprus Amid Stifling Heat — New York Times World -
• LA’s main utility to pay wildfire victims although cause of blaze undetermined — The Guardian -
• Grizzlies Were Raiding Montana Farms. Then Came Some Formidable Dogs. — New York Times World -
• Top U.N. Court Says Countries Must Act on Climate Change — New York Times World -
• World’s smallest snake rediscovered in Barbados 20 years after last sighting — The Guardian -
• Two die in car during Cyprus wildfire as 44C heat expected — BBC World -
• For 1st Time, Fires Are Biggest Threat to Forests’ Climate-Fighting Superpower — New York Times World -
• Australia warned it could face legal action over ‘wrongful’ fossil fuel actions after landmark climate ruling from world’s top court — The Guardian -
• ‘Significant legal breakthrough’ as NSW court blocks state’s largest coal expansion over emissions — The Guardian -
• Can you un-bleach coral? BBC visits remote reef to find out — BBC World -

This topic explores Taiwan's political split over 'pro-China' lawmakers, mysterious explosions unsettling Syrians, and **Saudi Arabia's pledge of over $6 billion in Syria. It also covers EU-China ties reaching an 'inflection point', Spain's reluctance to increase NATO security spending, and the jailing of a former Central African football body head for war crimes**.

• How a vote targeting 'pro-China' lawmakers has split Taiwan — BBC World -
• Why Anticorruption Watchdogs Are at the Heart of Ukraine’s Unrest — New York Times World -
• A Series of Mysterious Explosions Unnerves Syrians — New York Times World -

• Zelensky backtracks on law over anti-corruption bodies after protests — BBC World -
• Saudi Arabia Pledges to Invest More Than $6 Billion in Syria — New York Times World -
• EU chief says ties with China at 'inflection point' — BBC World -
• Spain Is Reluctant to Spend More on Security Despite NATO Pressure — New York Times World -
• China and E.U. Reach Narrow Agreements on Climate and Rare Earths — New York Times World -
• Former head of Central African football body jailed for war crimes — BBC World -
• Russia and Ukraine trade drone attacks after latest ceasefire talks — BBC World -
• Zelensky Faces Criticism in Ukraine Over Effort to Rein In Corruption Agencies — New York Times World -
• Saudi Arabia accused of banning women’s rights activists from leaving the country — The Guardian -
• Thursday Briefing: Your Russia Questions Answered — New York Times World -

This section addresses warnings that Trump's tariff wars could make Australia suffer, the EU's failure to reduce steel tariffs in a trade deal with the US, and the European Central Bank keeping interest rates on hold. Also featured are Tesla's European sales slump, River Island's risk of collapse, and a backlash against Macquarie's executive pay packages.

• Trade minister to warn Trump’s tariff wars could make Australia ‘suffer’ for generations — The Guardian -
• EU fails to reduce 50% steel tariff in outline trade deal with US — The Guardian -
• Tesla’s European sales slump as Musk warns of ‘rough quarters’ ahead — The Guardian -

• European Central Bank keeps interest rates on hold despite sluggish growth — The Guardian -
• River Island at risk of collapse if landlords fail to back restructuring plan — The Guardian -
• Lloyds boss warns Reeves against hiking taxes on banks as profits rise 17% — The Guardian -
• ITV announces new cost-cutting drive as half-year profits fall 44% — The Guardian -
• Macquarie’s famed pay packages under attack from disgruntled shareholders at AGM — The Guardian -
• How a Chinese Border Town Keeps Russia’s Economy Afloat — New York Times World -

This topic covers calls to **raise jobseeker payments to 90% of the age pension, warnings that Howard-era Asio questioning powers were 'never intended to be permanent', and the death of an Australian tourist in a Thai hotel room. Other headlines include Labor and Greens condemning One Nation senators for disrespect, the RBA's cautious approach to cutting rates, and an Australian court granting leave for women to sue Qatar Airways**.

• Raise jobseeker to 90% of age pension and pay for it by curbing super tax concessions, Vinnies says — The Guardian -
• Howard-era Asio questioning powers ‘never intended to be permanent’, Australia’s human rights chief warns — The Guardian -
• Australian tourist found dead in Thai hotel room was on phone when he died, police say — The Guardian -

• Labor and Greens unite to condemn One Nation senators for snubbing acknowledgment of country — The Guardian -
• Senator calls out ‘incredibly childish stunts’ – as it happened — The Guardian -
• Australia’s largest private hospital operator to close majority of psychology clinics to be ‘flexible, sustainable’ — The Guardian -
• RBA wary of cutting rates until it has more evidence on inflation, Bullock says — The Guardian -
• Court grants leave for Australian women to sue Qatar Airways over alleged invasive physical examinations — The Guardian -
• Albanese government plotted to maintain native forest logging in NSW if court battle was lost, documents show — The Guardian -

This section reports on the tragic deaths of children burned by a plane crash in Bangladesh, and two separate plane crashes in Russia's far east that killed all onboard.

• Children Burned by Plane Crash in Bangladesh Die Days Later — New York Times World -
• 48 dead after Soviet-era passenger plane crashes in Russia’s far east — The Guardian -
• Plane Crashes in Russia’s Far East, Killing All 49 Onboard — New York Times World -

• No survivors after plane carrying 48 people goes down in Russian far east — BBC World -