The national executive government of Australia
The NHS has prepared for ongoing summer pressures as heatwaves drive spikes in A&E attendances and heat-related health risks. Officials warn that extreme temperatures threaten vulnerable groups, prompting campaigns to protect the elderly and very young. Authorities say cooling infrastructure and resilience measures are being expanded in response to record-breaking heat.
Airliners carrying Australian women and children with alleged ties to the Islamic State group have landed in Australia.
Australian authorities have overseen the return of seven women and 12 children linked to Islamic State fighters from the al-Roj camp in northeast Syria. Several women have been charged with slavery or terrorism offences on arrival; others are under investigation. The government maintains it has not provided assistance for these returns and is monitoring ongoing cases.
Laos authorities have announced charges related to the 2024 methanol-poisoning deaths at a Nana Backpackers Hostel in Vang Vieng. Autopsies were not conducted, but forensic tests detected excessive methanol in vodka linked to the Tiger distillery. Australia and Denmark are pressing for tougher charges and justice for the victims.