The Los Angeles county sheriff’s department deleted and then apologized for posting a message expressing sympathy for “the victims and families impacted” by US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. The message, posted on X, Facebook and Instagram, said the sheriffs; “hearts go out” to Iranian “victims”. A swift online backlash followed, and the department then…

The man who opened fire outside a Michigan church filled with worshippers before he was struck by a vehicle and then fatally shot by security staff had attended services there a couple of times in the last year and his mother is a member, police said. The gunman, identified as Brian Anthony Browning, 31, did…

In the US, residents have to contend with bears and racoons rummaging through the trash. In the UK, we have donkeys. A decision to introduce food waste bins in the New Forest national park in Hampshire has provoked a backlash – after the tenacious equines were caught breaking into them. In the last few months…

The health secretary, Wes Streeting, has announced the launch of a national investigation into NHS maternity services. The new rapid investigation is intended to provide truth to families suffering harm, as well as driving urgent improvements to care and safety. It comes after Streeting met families who had lost babies and amid ongoing investigations at…

Police should be trained in how pets can be used in coercive control cases, according to a charity that found a “troubling gap” in awareness about the links between violence against animals and violence against humans. A report from the Naturewatch Foundation found that only 60% of police forces in England and Wales teach officers…

The 1985 Live Aid broadcast that featured legendary performances from Queen, David Bowie, the Who and Paul McCartney will be recreated on Greatest Hits Radio to celebrate the event’s 40th anniversary. The 10-hour special, hosted by Simon Mayo, will air from noon on 13 July featuring all of the original live performances from the concert,…

Copper thieves have been targeting England’s onshore windfarms, and security experts say organised gangs could be behind the crimewave. At least 12 large windfarms across Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Derbyshire, Essex, Humberside, Northamptonshire, North Yorkshire and Lincolnshire have fallen victim to cabling thieves in the past three months. Typically there may be fewer than five opportunistic incidents…

The cost of sending a letter is set to rise as the consumer watchdog waves through a price bump to reflect the decline in snail mail. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has approved the 13.3% price increase, allowing Australia Post to nudge stamps for ordinary small letters up to $1.70 from $1.50. The final…