Hurricane Hilary weakens to Category 1 but still poses a threat to Baja California
Hurricane Hilary, the first of its kind in southern California in 84 years, was downgraded to a Category 1 storm on Sunday, but is still expected to bring significant damage to the Baja California peninsula as it nears landfall. The storm, which originated from the Pacific Ocean, will bring heavy rains and the potential for flash flooding to numerous cities in the region, as residents of Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Diego and other major metropolitan areas have been urged to prepare for the torrential downpour. The National Weather Service (NWS) has said residents of southern California and parts of Nevada should expect “dangerous and locally catastrophic impacts,” as some regions are likely to see up to 10 inches of rain in just a few days. Hurricane Hilary is one of the most powerful storms to hit the US west coast in recent history, and has already caused widespread power outages, road closures, and evacuations.
Russia’s Luna-25 spacecraft crashes into the moon after losing contact
Russia’s Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the surface of the moon on Sunday, officials said, as the country’s first lunar mission in nearly 50 years ended in failure in a major blow to its space aspirations. The spacecraft, which consisted of an unmanned lunar lander, entered the moon’s orbit last Wednesday and was supposed to land this coming week. However, an undescribed “emergency situation” occurred on Saturday, according to Roscosmos, Russia’s national space agency, and Luna-25 was not placed on its proper orbital adjustment for landing. The agency was unable to re-establish contact with the spacecraft, and determined that it had “ceased its existence as a result of a collision with the lunar surface.” The Luna-25 mission was intended to study the moon’s south pole and pave the way for future exploration, but instead became a costly and embarrassing setback for Russia’s space program.
Mark Meadows reportedly testified that Trump did not declassify Mar-a-Lago documents
Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told special counsel Jack Smith that he couldn’t recall Donald Trump declassifying any documents found at Mar-a-Lago, ABC News reported Sunday. This appears to be a contradiction of the former president’s claims that he declassified these materials prior to leaving the White House, something that Trump has consistently claimed in public. The former president is facing a federal indictment related to his handling of these documents, and has received more than 40 separate charges in connection with the alleged crimes. Sources told ABC that Meadows had also offered to retrieve any classified documents from Mar-a-Lago after they were requested by the National Archives, but that Trump declined his offer. The documents in question are believed to contain sensitive information about national security and foreign affairs, and their mishandling could pose a serious risk to US interests.
Spain beats England 1-0 to win its first Women’s World Cup
Spain reached the soccer mountaintop on Sunday, as the Spanish national team beat England 1-0 to win its first FIFA Women’s World Cup title. The match, which was held at the Wembley Stadium in London, was decided by a late goal from Spain’s star striker Jennifer Hermoso, who scored in the 87th minute after a brilliant pass from Alexia Putellas. England had dominated most of the game, but failed to convert their chances and were left heartbroken by Spain’s late winner. Spain’s victory capped off an impressive tournament run, as they defeated Brazil, Germany, and France en route to the final. Spain’s coach Jorge Vilda praised his team for their historic achievement, saying: “We have made history today. We have shown that we can compete with anyone and that we have a great future ahead of us.”
Other news headlines you need to know today
- China and the US have held an historic meeting between Joe Biden, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol. The US president hosted the first ever stand-alone meeting among the three countries at the Camp David presidential retreat, in a “diplomatic – but still tenuous – coup for the American leader”, said the BBC.
- A new Covid variant detected in London is causing concern due to its large number of mutations. The variant, named BA.2.86, was reported in Israel and has since been detected in Denmark and the US. The UK Health Security Agency said there was not enough data to assess the relative severity or degree of immune escape of BA.2.86 compared with other variants in circulation.
- NHS bosses failed to investigate allegations against Lucy Letby and tried to silence doctors who raised concerns. Letby has been found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six others in a neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
- Charities say that hungry children have resorted to stealing food as more than 120,000 young people are now living in extreme poverty in the UK. A survey found the situation is deteriorating, with soaring poverty keeping children out of school as they worried they would be bullied for not being able to afford well-fitting clothes.
- Moscow has banned dozens of British journalists, media representatives and senior UK politicians from entering Russia, the foreign ministry said on Friday. The Russian government said the bans were a response to UK sanctions and the “spreading of false information about Russia”, as well as “London’s unrelenting military support for the Kyiv neo-Nazi regime”.
