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The British Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Met Office have issued an amber heat-health alert for five regions of England—West Midlands, East Midlands, South East, London, and East of England—starting Tuesday, as a heatwave is expected this week. Yellow alerts remain for the North West, North East, South West, and Yorkshire and the Humber, Xinhua reported.

Temperatures are forecast to rise above 30°C, with London possibly reaching the mid-30s. The Met Office expects heatwave conditions to last several days, especially in southern and central England.

UKHSA warned the heat could impact health services and urged vulnerable groups to take precautions, according to Xinhua.

South Korea’s former first lady, Kim Keon Hee, appeared in court Tuesday as judges consider a prosecutor’s request to arrest her on graft charges. If approved, she would be the first former first lady detained, joining her husband, ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is already jailed facing trial for a failed martial law attempt, Reuters reported.

Kim is accused of stock fraud, bribery, and accepting undeclared luxury gifts. Her lawyers deny the allegations. The court’s decision is expected later Tuesday. Yoon faces charges including insurrection and denies wrongdoing.
 

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and other UN agencies have warned that over 100 children in Gaza have died from malnutrition since October 2023. More than 300,000 children remain at severe risk amid worsening food shortages, according to Xinhua.

The World Food Program says Gaza needs over 62,000 tons of food monthly, but aid and fuel deliveries are far below demand. Fuel shortages have left over half of ambulances out of service, while most farmland is damaged or inaccessible.

OCHA’s director called the situation “beyond horrific.” Recently, six journalists were killed in an Israeli strike, raising journalist deaths to over 240. The UN calls for urgent protection of civilians and uninterrupted humanitarian aid, Xinhua reported.

Taiwan is preparing for Typhoon Podul, expected to hit the southeastern city of Taitung on Wednesday with winds up to 155 kph (96 mph). Nearly 700 people in Hualien County are being evacuated due to flooding risks from a landslide-formed dam, Reuters reported.

After hitting the southeast, Podul will move toward the densely populated west coast and then China’s Fujian province. Heavy rain of up to 600 mm has been forecasted in southern mountains.

The region is still recovering from July’s storms, which caused flooding, power outages, and four deaths. Authorities urge residents to stay alert and follow safety orders.

Elon Musk’s AI startup xAI plans legal action against Apple, accusing it of favoring OpenAI’s ChatGPT in App Store rankings and blocking competitors like xAI’s Grok. ChatGPT currently leads the US iPhone App Store, with Grok in fifth place, according to Reuters.

Musk also questioned Apple’s refusal to feature xAI apps in the “Must Have” section. Apple, OpenAI, and xAI have not responded to the allegations.

The dispute comes amid growing regulatory scrutiny and recent legal actions against Apple’s App Store practices, Reuters reported.

Taylor Swift has announced her twelfth studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, following a teaser campaign and confirmation from her boyfriend, Travis Kelce. The album is available for pre-order, with the release date yet to be announced, BBC reported.

Her previous album, The Tortured Poets Department (2024), broke Spotify’s single-day streaming record. Earlier this year, Swift bought back the rights to her first six albums and continues re-recording them as “Taylor’s Versions.”

Swift recently ended her record-breaking Eras tour, which included 149 shows and generated about £1bn for the UK economy.

Trump declared a “crime emergency” in Washington, DC on Monday, authorizing the Department of Justice to take control of the city’s local law enforcement. At the same time, he announced the deployment of 800 National Guard troops to the capital, with 100 to 200 supporting law enforcement efforts.

According to Al Jazeera, protesters near the White House voiced their disapproval, with some describing the move as a significant and alarming escalation. Keya Chatterjee, executive director of advocacy group Free DC, called the action “authoritarian,” emphasizing concerns over the rights of DC residents and their long-standing calls for self-determination.

US President Donald Trump announced that his administration is reviewing the possibility of reclassifying cannabis as a less dangerous drug. Speaking at the White House, Trump said he expects to make a decision in the coming weeks, calling the issue “very complicated.” He acknowledged positive reports about medical cannabis but expressed concerns about broader use, especially its impact on children and older adults, Al Jazeera reported.

Following his remarks, stocks of cannabis companies surged, with New York-based Tilray Brands rising nearly 42 percent. Cannabis remains illegal at the federal level as a Schedule I drug, categorized alongside heroin and LSD, indicating high abuse potential and no accepted medical use. Former President Joe Biden had proposed reclassifying cannabis to Schedule III, reflecting lower risk, but the change was not implemented before he left office.