Foreign News
Emergency declared in Little Rock after ‘devastating’ tornado
At least 24 injured people have been taken to hospital after a “devastating” tornado hit Little Rock, Arkansas, according to the city’s mayor.
The twister churned through the state’s capital city on Friday, flipping cars, smashing roofs and toppling trees. Several blocks have been heavily damaged, according to aerial footage posted by the Weather Channel.
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency and deployed the National Guard after what she described as “significant damage” in central Arkansas.
Nearly 90 million people in 15 US states are under threat from an “explosive” storm system. A state of emergency has also been declared in Missouri and two tornados were reported in Iowa.
Golf ball-sized hail fell in Illinois, damaging car windows.
(BBC)
Foreign News
Head teacher evacuated 900 children minutes before school washed away by Nepal floods
A head teacher’s quick decision to evacuate his school saved 900 pupils from deadly flash floods along the Nepal-Tibet border
Rajendra Dawadi tells the BBC he was tipped off about incoming flood waters and moved students to higher ground with just minutes to spare. One pupil says she and her friends survived by just 10 seconds and watched as a nearby bazaar was swept away
Wednesday’s disaster has killed at least 794 people and more than 2,500 people are missing in Nepal, local officials say
In Tibet, the official death toll is 16, with 546 reported to be missing, according to Chinese state media –
[BBC]
Foreign News
Ferry carrying 260 people capsizes off northern Cyprus coast
A ferry carrying around 260 people has capsized off the coast of northern Cyprus with a search underway for survivors, according to local media.
The catamaran-style boat was travelling from the port of Kyrenia, also known as Girne, and started sinking a few kilometres off the coast of the island state on Sunday.
There were no immediate reports of casualties.
[Aljazeera]
Foreign News
Ex-White House teleprompter operator ordered to pay $172,000 for Trump speech bets
A former White House teleprompter operator has been ordered to pay more than $172,000 (£127,000) for using inside information to bet on US President Donald Trump’s speeches.
Gabriel Perez was found to have made trades on what the president would say during addresses between December 2025 and February 2026 on Kalshi – a prediction markets platform where users can bet on real-world events.
Its regulator, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), said Perez would have to surrender profits of $107,539.02 (£79,452) and pay a civil penalty of $65,000 (£48,000).
The White House has not yet commented. In July then press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Perez was on unpaid leave and would not return to his post.
Announcing the settlement on Friday, the CFTC said Perez had “misappropriated” his prior knowledge of Trump’s speeches to place bets “in breach of his duty of trust and confidence”.
It said his civil penalty had been reduced due to his “exemplary co-operation” with the investigation.
Perez has also been banned from trading for three years.
Writing on X, Kalshi’s lead lawyer Bobby DeNault welcomed the decision: “It doesn’t matter who you are: violate our rules or federal law and you will face the consequences.”
(BBC)
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