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OpenAI ends ChatGPT users’ option to index chats on search engines

ChatGPT developer OpenAI is ending an experiment that enabled users to index and share their private conversations with the artificial intelligence program. File Photo by Wu Hao/EPA-EFE

Aug. 2 (UPI) — OpenAI is ending the option to have Google and other search engines index user chats with ChatGPT and make the content of those chats discoverable on searches.

Google accounts for more than 89% of all online searches, which made private chats on ChatGPT potentially widely accessible when indexed on that search engine and others.

“This feature introduced too many opportunities for folks to accidentally share things they didn’t intend to, so we’re removing the option,” Dan Stuckey, OpenAI chief information security officer, told PC Mag.

Bing, DuckDuckGo and other search engines will continue to index discoverable chats, but only for a while longer.

“We’re also working to remove indexed content from the relevant search engines,” Stuckey said.

OpenAI recently enabled the index option for private ChatGPT discussions as an experiment, Stuckey added, but that experiment is ending.

A message informed users their indexed chats were searchable on Google and other search engines, but many users did not read the message or don’t understand the extent to which their conversations might be available to others.

Such conversations are accessible when affixing “site:chatgpt/share” to search queries when those conversations are indexed.

News of the indexed private conversations with ChatGPT first was reported by FastCompany on Wednesday in a story detailing Google’s indexing of ChatGPT conversations.

The indexing does not provide information on respective users, but the conversations might include personal information when mentioned by the users while conversing with ChatGPT.

Many users also were unaware that sharing a conversation with someone via social apps, such as WhatsApp, when saving the URL for future use would cause Google to make it potentially widely available to millions of people.

OpenAI officials recently announced they were appealing a court order requiring the preservation of all chats that users delete after conversing with ChatGPT, Ars Technica reported.

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Beautiful UK beach walk that ends at award winning fish and chip shop

This award-winning beach in Scotland is backed by impressive sand dunes and has become a beloved destination for kitesurfing – it also happens to be a stone’s throw away from a celebrated chip shop

A kite surfer on the Marine Lake at West Kirby this evening
A kite surfer on the Marine Lake at West Kirby during the evening(Image: Liverpool Echo)

Scotland might not be the first destination on your radar when temperatures rise, but it happens to be the home of the best beach you’ve never heard of. This dune-backed bay also happens to be a short jaunt from an award-winning fish and chip shop. St Andrews West Sands can be found on the eastern coastline of Fife.

The beach is surrounded by breath-taking sand dunes and a world-renowned golf course. Even first-time visitors may find the stunning view surprisingly familiar. West Sands is famous for featuring in the opening sequence of the 1981 film Chariots of Fire, in which a group of runners jog across the sand to a now-iconic soundtrack.

Runners, wearing white, compete in the annual Chariots of Fire race along the West Sands Beach in St Andrews, Fife
This beach in Fife is where the famous Chariots of Fire run scene was filmed – recreated in an annual race(Image: PA)

READ MORE: EU seaside town with award-winning beach could be anywhere in the Caribbean

Still today, West Sands is popular for walking and running – stretching for nearly two miles. The beach is also a great swimming spot – and particularly safe thanks to RNLI lifeguard patrol. But keep in mind that lifeguards are only on duty during the busier summer season.

According to the RNLI website, the official lifeguard patrol dates for West Sands in 2025 are: June 21 – August 24 between 10am and 6pm local time. The organisation also warns beach-goers that no flags on the beach means that there are no lifeguards on duty.

St Andrews West Sands is also particularly popular with kite surfers. As noted on online forums, there is a large and well-established “Kite Zone” at the far north-end of the beach – outside of which kitesurfing is not permitted.

In fact, there are quite a few great kitesurfing destinations in Fife. Pettycur Bay, Shell Bay, and Monifieth are also great destinations to check out during your travels. Once you’ve hit the water at West Sands though, you’re only a 15-minute walk to the town centre where there is plenty of parking and you can explore the area’s famous golf courses or grab a bite to eat.

View from St Andrews pier showing castle in the distance
There is plenty to explore in St Andrews – including golf courses, churches, and even a castle(Image: Getty Images)

The town centre is famous for its golf heritage, and again, the beach is backed by some of the world’s top courses. West Sands also puts you in close proximity to the award-winning Cromars fish and chip shop.

Here, customers can enjoy a range of classics, including battered haddock, king prawns, fish cakes and smoked sausage. The establishment has been recognised by numerous awards bodies including the Scottish Fish and Chip Awards and the National Fish and Chip Awards.

West Sands also overlooks the Eden Estuary Nature Reserve and is home to a range of seabirds and seals. A dune stabilisation programme is in place and visitors are asked to use the designated access points to access the beach.

St Andrews West Sands are winners of a Keep Scotland Beautiful 2025 Scotland’s Beach Award and are celebrating 33 years of awards. The flat sand beach is also particularly accessible, with beach wheelchairs available for hire from the Hamish Foundation.

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Children’s Hospital L.A. ends transgender program despite state law

When Children’s Hospital Los Angeles first told thousands of patients it was shuttering its pediatric gender clinic last month, Jesse Thorn was distraught but confident he could quickly find a new local care team for his kids.

But by the time the Center for Transyouth Health and Development officially closed its doors on Tuesday, the father of three was making plans to flee the country.

“They’re targeting whoever they can,” Thorn said. “[I’m afraid] the police will show up at my door because I took my child to see their doctor.”

Until this week, Children’s was among the largest and oldest pediatric gender clinics in the United States — and one of few providing puberty blockers, hormones and surgical procedures for trans youth on public insurance.

The closure of the renowned program signals a wider unraveling in the availability of care across the country, experts said. That includes in former safe havens such as California, New York and Illinois, where state laws protecting trans-specific healthcare are crumbling under mounting legal pressure and bureaucratic arm-twisting by the Trump administration.

In the last week, University of Chicago Medicine and Children’s National in D.C. announced they will end or dramatically scale back services for trans youth, following similar moves by Stanford Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of Orange County.

“There’s a rapid collapse of the provision of this care in blue states,” said Alejandra Caraballo, a civil rights attorney and legal instructor at Harvard. “By end of 2025, most care will effectively be banned.”

Some parents in L.A. say they fear the Department of Justice will use private medical data subpoenaed from California’s largest pediatric safety-net hospital to take their children away from them.

“It’s absolutely terrifying,” said Maxine, the mother of a Children’s Hospital patient, who declined to give her last name for fear of attacks on her son.

“I’m very afraid that the DOJ and this acting Attorney General are going to come after parents and use the female genital mutilation law … to prosecute parents and separate me from my child,” she said.

On July 9, Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi announced the Department of Justice was subpoenaing patient medical records from more than 20 doctors and clinics, the latest in a cavalcade of legal and technical maneuvers against providers who care for trans youth.

“Medical professionals and organizations that mutilated children in the service of a warped ideology will be held accountable by this Department of Justice,” Bondi said in a news release announcing the move.

Children’s would not say whether it had been subpoenaed or if it had turned over records responsive to the government’s demand.

The Justice Department was already investigating pediatric specialists for a litany of alleged crimes, from deceptive trade practices to billing fraud. Federal health agencies have vowed to withhold funding from institutions that continue to provide affirming care.

“These threats are no longer theoretical,” Children’s Hospital executives wrote to staff in an internal email announcing the closure June 12. “[They are] threatening our ability to serve the hundreds of thousands of patients who depend on CHLA for lifesaving care.”

Advocates say gender-affirming care is also lifesaving. They point to statistics — contested by the federal government and some experts — showing high rates of suicide among trans youth.

In June, the decision to shutter the clinic was widely condemned. Advocates said Children’s Hospital L.A. had “thrown trans kids under the bus” in disregard of state law.

Few are saying that now.

“You could see kids with leukemia being cut off their chemo therapy unless these hospitals stop provide care to trans people,” Caraballo said. “If one of the biggest children’s hospitals in the country couldn’t shoulder that burden, I don’t see many others being able to do so.”

Others agreed.

“No matter what California or any other state has done to say, ‘We want to protect these kids,’ unless they can write checks that equal the amount of money that’s being lost, [programs close],” said Dara E. Purvis, a law professor at Temple University.

So far, the Trump administration has painted parents as victims of “radical gender ideology.”

Some experts warned that as the government tightens the screws on doctors and hospitals, trans teens and their families are likely to seek hormones outside the medical system, including through gray market channels.

“We’ve seen this with abortion,” Caraballo said. “People are going to go about getting it whichever way they can.”

There are fears that families could face prosecution for continuing to seek medications, similar to charges being filed against mothers who have secured abortion pills for their teenagers.

“We’re working with Congress on existing criminal laws related to female genital mutilation to more robustly protect children,” Justice Department Chief of Staff Chad Mizelle said during a Federal Trade Commission workshop entitled “The Dangers of ‘Gender-Affirming Care’ for Minors.”

“We are using all of the tools at the Department of Justice to address this issue,” Mizelle said.

For now, dozens of hospitals across California still provide gender-affirming care, including hormone therapy and surgical procedures.

But the list changes almost day to day.

“Even programs that may have been operating a month ago are not operating now,” said Terra Russell-Slavin, chief impact officer at the Los Angeles LGBT Center. “There’s a lot of concern about even being public about offering care because those agencies become targets.”

With the medical care their children rely on under threat and few promised protections from the state, some families are unsure what the coming months will bring.

For one Orange County father, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation against his trans son, plans for future travel are suddenly in jeopardy.

He said only about half of his son’s identity documents match his gender, and they’ve been warned not to try to change others.

“He won’t be able to leave the country because he can’t get a matching passport,” the father said.

For Maxine, the L.A. mom, balancing the banal with the existential is a daily strain.

“My kid is just living their life. They want to go to concerts, they want to go shopping for back to school — they don’t know any of this is happening,” the mother said. “You have to experience this intense fear while maintaining a normal household for everybody else.”

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On This Day, July 21: Monkey Trial ends with guilty verdict in Tennessee

1 of 3 | On July 21, 1925, the so-called Monkey Trial, which pitted Clarence Darrow against William Jennings Bryan in Dayton, Tenn., in one of the great confrontations in legal history, ended with John Thomas Scopes convicted and fined $100 for teaching evolution in violation of state law. UPI File Photo

July 21 (UPI) — On this date in history:

In 1861, the first major military engagement of the Civil War occurred at Bull Run Creek, Va.

In 1918, a German U-boat fired on the town of Orleans, Mass., on Cape Cod peninsula, damaging a tug boat and sinking four barges, and severely injuring one man. It was the only place in the United States to receive an enemy attack during World War I.

In 1925, the so-called Monkey Trial, which pitted Clarence Darrow against William Jennings Bryan in Dayton, Tenn., in one of the great confrontations in legal history, ended with John Thomas Scopes convicted and fined $100 for teaching evolution in violation of state law.

In 1969, U.S. astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, lifted off from the moon in the Apollo 11 lunar module Eagle and docked with the command module Columbia piloted by Michael Collins.

In 1970, after 11 years of construction, the massive Aswan High Dam across the Nile River in Egypt was completed, ending the cycle of flood and drought in the Nile River region but triggering an environmental controversy.

In 2000, a report from special counsel John Danforth cleared U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno and the government of wrongdoing in the April 19, 1993, fire that ended the Branch Davidian siege near Waco, Texas.

File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI

In 2007, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final installment in the best-selling series, sold more than 8.3 million copies on its first day in bookstores.

In 2011, Greece continued efforts to climb out of a financial chasm with a second bailout pledge from other eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund worth $157 billion. Earlier, the nation dealt with its debt crisis with the help of a $146 billion loan package.

In 2024, President Joe Biden dropped his re-election bid in the 2024 presidential race, formally endorsing his vice president, Kamala Harris. Former President Donald Trump defeated Harris in November 2024 to win his second term in office.

File Photo by Melina Mara/UPI

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EU approves 18th Russia sanctions package after Slovakia ends protest

July 18 (UPI) — The European Union on Friday reached an agreement to impose its 18th round of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine after Slovakia ended its protest.

The package targets Russia’s so-called shadow fleet of ships as well as the energy and banking sectors. It also lowers the oil cap from $60 to $45 a barrel and prohibiting the EU from accessing Russian Nord Stream pipelines.

The EU is also, for the first time, sanctioning a flag registry and Russian oil company Rosneft’s largest refinery in India.

“We are standing firm,” the EU’s top diplomat, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, said in a statement.

“We will keep raising the costs, so stopping the aggression becomes the only path forward for Moscow.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen celebrated its adoption online, saying with the new package, “We are striking at the heart of Russia’s war machine.”

“The pressure is on,” she said. “It will stay on until Putin ends this war.”

The EU has been hitting Russia with sanctions since it illegally annexed Crimea in 2014, but they have significantly ramped up since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It has since blacklisted more than 2,400 people and entities with its 17 adopted packages, along with other punitive measures.

The 18th package was blocked for days by Slovakia, which was protesting a separate EU proposal to phase out all Russian fuel supplies by 2028. Slovakian President Robert Fico had requested an exemption to allow it to fulfill its contract with Russia’s Gazprom until it expires in 2034.

But he relinquished his request late Thursday in a video published to Facebook.

All 27 members of the bloc need to vote unanimously for the sanctions to be adopted.

“We welcome the European Union’s latest sanctions package and are grateful to all who have made it possible,” Yulia Svyrydenko, Ukraine’s new prime minister, said in a statement.

“By targeting the ships, the banks and the networks that sustain Russia’s war, this package strengthens the pressures where it counts. There is more to be done. But each measure taken with clarity and resolve helps bring Russia’ war closer to its end.”

Nearly 22,000 entities and individuals have been hit with sanctions over Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to sanctions analysis platform Castellum, making it by far the most sanctioned country in the world.

The EU has imposed the fourth-most sanctions against Russia, following the United States, Canada and Switzerland.

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NOAA still confident in weather forecasting after Pentagon program ends

July 8 (UPI) — The Department of Defense’s announcement that it would end a weather-data sharing program surprised some climate watchdogs but forecasters assure it does not heighten risks.

The department announced the termination of the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program late last month, citing cybersecurity concerns. The program is slated to end on July 31.

The Department of Defense has been monitoring meteorological data using satellites for more than 60 years, though during the first decade of the DMSP it was kept classified. It is currently operated by the U.S. Space Force.

Three DMSP satellites remain in operation, with the newest satellite having launched in 2014. These microwave satellites capture data through the clouds that is used for weather prediction, including tactical weather prediction used by the U.S. military.

“We and other countries have microwave satellites up there. There’s many of them up there,” Clifford Mass, professor of atmospheric and climate science at the University of Washington, told UPI. “It’s one of the most important sources of data for all weather prediction. It’s like a cat scan of the atmosphere.”

A network of satellite systems, including those that are part of the DMSP, take readings of large portions of Earth from low-earth orbit. DMSP satellites are in low-earth polar orbit and can scan an area of about 1,600 nautical miles, covering the entirety of the planet about every 14 hours, according to the U.S. Space Force.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is among the agencies that uses data from the DMSP. Kim Doster, communications director for NOAA, told UPI in a statement that the DMSP is a “single dataset in a robust suite of hurricane forecasting and modeling tools in the [National Weather Service] portfolio.”

Other sources of data used by NOAA and the National Weather Service include geostationary Earth-observing satellites, polar orbiting satellites, ground-based weather radar and other microwave satellite systems such as the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder.

“In particular, the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder, currently flying on NOAA’s [Joint Polar Satellite System], provides the richest, most accurate satellite weather observations available,” Doster said. “NOAA’s data sources are fully capable of providing a complete suite of cutting-edge data and models that ensure the gold-standard weather forecasting the American people deserve.”

Erin Sikorsky, director of The Center for Climate and Security, told UPI she remains concerned about ending the DMSP. It is not about ending the program alone but about ending the program in combination with staffing reductions at NOAA and peeling back climate change mitigation policies.

“For me, it’s looking at the broader pattern of risky actions we’ve seen from the administration when it comes to weather and climate data since they took office in January,” Sikorsky said. “If this was an isolated incident — I’d be less concerned. But the fact that this also comes at a time when we’ve seen the shutdown of climate.gov and the U.S. Global Change Research Program and other cuts to NOAA staffing. It all kind of adds up to a picture of blinding ourselves to critical information about climate hazards in a way that puts Americans at risk.”

Sikorsky’s concerns also stem from a lack of clarity about the decision to end the program. The Department of Defense’s reasoning being a cybersecurity threat is vague, lacking more detailed information.

U.S. Space Force did not respond to requests for comment.

“It caught everybody off guard in the weather community,” Sikorsky said.

Mass explained that there are a number of redundancies in the U.S. government’s weather data systems, with multiple agencies carrying out overlapping functions.

“They’re basically running three redundant numerical weather prediction enterprises, run by the U.S. government,” Mass said. “It’s an interesting question about whether we need so many different groups doing the same thing. NASA runs numerical weather predictions as well. The EPA does.”

Redundancy can be, and often is good for ensuring there is a reliable and consistent flow of data. It is also a source of inefficiency, according to Mass. However, the Trump administration’s goal of reducing government inefficiency does not appear to play into the decision to end the DMSP.

“It has nothing to do with the Trump administration’s attempts to reduce government waste,” Mass said. “The DOD decided they had a security issue. This is a DOD problem. They decided to shut it down very abruptly and they didn’t talk to anybody about that.”

The cybersecurity threat may be the result of an outdated operating system, Mass adds. Meanwhile satellite launches are becoming more frequent, less costly and advancements continue to be made in satellite technology.

“There’s all of these new generations of satellites that are going up. It turns out that Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites might be very useful for further weather observation,” he said. “Having a lot of satellites in low-earth orbit, seeing how those signals are bent by the earth’s atmosphere, it might be possible to get vastly more observations. Having all of the satellites up there is very useful for weather predictions.

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Trump ends deportation protections for Nicaraguan, Honduran migrants

July 7 (UPI) — The United States has ended federal protections shielding thousands of migrants from Nicaragua and Honduras from deportation, angering immigration and civil rights advocacy groups as the Trump administration continues to remove longstanding immigration protections from migrants.

The Homeland Security Department announced the end of the Temporary Protected Status designation for those from the two Central American nations in separate statements Monday, saying the move will go into effect in 60 days.

Commonly known as TPS, the designation is intended to prevent the deportation of eligible migrants to their home countries where they could be put at risk due to natural disaster or conflict. Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has already moved to end TPS designations for Afghanistan, Haiti, Venezuela and Nepal — which have attracted litigation.

The United States first designated Nicaragua and Honduras for TPS in 1999, following the devastation caused by Hurricane Mitch a year prior.

According to DHS figures published in a September report from the Congressional Research Service, nearly 3,000 Nicaraguans and more than 54,000 Hondurans have been approved to stay in the United States under TPS.

“Temporary Protected Status was designed to be just that — temporary,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said.

In both statements announcing the end of TPS for Nicaragua and Honduras, DHS cited “improved conditions” in the Central American nations, and that after speaking with interagency partners, Noem decided neither country meets the TPS statutory requirements.

Honduran and Nicaraguan nationals are being “encouraged” to report their departure from the United States with the use of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection smartphone application to leave the country with “a complementary plane ticket” as well as “a $1,000 exit bonus to help them resettle.”

The American Civil Liberties Union was quick to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday, asking the court to declare its termination of TPS for Honduras, Nepal and Nicaragua unlawful under the Administrative Procedure Act as the decision to do so was “not based on an objective review of country conditions.”

It said the termination decision by the Trump administration will affect tens of thousands of migrants, some of whom have been in the United States for 26 years.

“I am devastated at the heartless decision to terminate TPS for Honduras,” Johny Silva, a plaintiff in the case said in a statement from the ACLU.

Silva, 29, has been in the United States since he was three years old, is a father of a U.S. citizen with special needs and works as a certified nurse.

“I’ve been doing it the ‘right way’ the whole time. Now, I am facing losing my job, the ability to care for my family and the only home I’ve ever known,” he said.

Jessica Bansal, an attorney at the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, lambasted the Trump administration’s move as not only “callous,” but illegal.

“The administration cannot manufacture a predetermined outcome without regard for its statutory obligations,” Bansal said.

The lawsuit alleges that the decision by the Trump administration was motivated by racism against immigrants perceived as non-White, pointing to comments made by White House officials, including Vice President JD Vance.

Vance had amplified and repeated misinformation that Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, were eating pets. Later, when confronted with proof that the story was false, Vance said he was willing to “create stories so that the American media actually pays attention.”

Trump returned to the White House in January after using often derogatory rhetoric and misinformation about migrants in support of his plans to conduct mass deportations.

Amid his second term, Trump has tried to make good on his campaign promises, but has attracted criticism for attacking the due process rights of migrants as well as facing litigation. Several judges have issued rulings blocking his termination of TPS for Haitians as well as Venezuelans, with the latter decision being stayed by the Supreme Court in May.

The bipartisan immigration and justice reform FWD.us organization called the move by the Trump administration to terminate TPS for Nicaraguans and Hondurans “a serious mistake” that is part “of a broader campaign to target and preemptively revoke legal status from immigrants, leaving them vulnerable to detention, family separation and deportation.

“It does nothing to strengthen our immigration system, reflects an approach Americans are increasingly rejecting and, as our recent economic analysis shows, will also unnecessarily raise the costs for families in the U.S.,” FWD.us President Todd Schulte said in a statement.

“We need policies that reflect the reality that immigration is good for America and for all Americans.”

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First round of Israel and Hamas ceasefire talks ends without breakthrough

The latest round of indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas have ended without a breakthrough, a Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations told the BBC.

According to the official, the session lasted for nearly three and a half hours and took place in two separate buildings in Doha.

Messages and clarifications were exchanged between the two sides through Qatari and Egyptian mediators, but no progress was achieved.

The official added that talks are expected to resume on Monday, as mediators plan to hold separate meetings with each delegation in an effort to overcome the obstacles and narrow the gaps between the two sides.

According to Reuters news agency who spoke with two Palestinian officials, the Israeli delegation was not “sufficiently authorised” to reach an agreement with Hamas because it had “no real powers”.

The latest round of indirect negotiations come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heads to Washington to meet Donald Trump.

Netanyahu said he thinks his meeting with the US president on Monday should help progress efforts to reach a deal for the release of more hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza.

He said he had given his negotiators clear instructions to achieve a ceasefire agreement under conditions Israel has accepted.

Hamas has said it has responded to the latest ceasefire proposal in a positive spirit, but it seems clear there are still gaps between the two sides that need to be bridged if any deal is to be agreed.

For now, Hamas still seems to be holding out for essentially the same conditions it has previously insisted on – including a guarantee of an end to all hostilities at the end of any truce and the withdrawal of Israeli troops.

Netanyahu’s government has rejected this before.

The Israeli position may also not have shifted to any major degree. As he was leaving Israel for the US, Netanyahu said he was still committed to what he described as three missions: “The release and return of all the hostages, the living and the fallen; the destruction of Hamas’s capabilities – to kick it out of there, and to ensure that Gaza will no longer constitute a threat to Israel.”

Qatari and Egyptian mediators will have their work cut out during the indirect talks between Israel and Hamas in trying to overcome these sticking points, which have have derailed other initiatives since the previous ceasefire ended in March.

Israel has since resumed its offensive against Hamas with great intensity, as well as imposing an eleven-week blockade on aid entering Gaza, which was partially lifted several weeks ago.

The Israeli government says these measures have been aimed at further weakening Hamas and forcing it to negotiate and free the hostages.

Just in the past 24 hours, the Israeli military says it struck 130 Hamas targets and killed a number of militants.

But the cost in civilian lives in Gaza continues to grow as well. Hospital officials in Gaza said more than 30 people were killed on Sunday.

The question now is not only whether the talks in Qatar can achieve a compromise acceptable to both sides – but also whether Trump can persuade Netanyahu that the war must come to an end at their meeting on Monday.

Many in Israel already believe that is a price worth paying to save the remaining hostages.

Once again, they came out on to the streets on Saturday evening, calling on Netanyahu to reach a deal so the hostages can finally be freed.

But there are hardline voices in Netanyahu’s cabinet, including the national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir and the finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, who have once again expressed their fierce opposition to ending the war in Gaza before Hamas has been completely eliminated.

Once again, there is the appearance of real momentum towards a ceasefire deal, but uncertainty over whether either the Israeli government or Hamas is ready to reach an agreement that might fall short of the key conditions they have so far set.

And once again, Palestinians in Gaza and the families of Israeli hostages still held there are fervently hoping this will not be another false dawn.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attacks, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 57,338 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.

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U.N. nuclear inspectors depart Tehran after Iran ends cooperation

1 of 2 | A satellite image shows a view of craters and ash on a ridge at Iran’s Fordo underground uranium enrichment facility after U.S. airstrikes June 21. Satellite Image 2025 Maxar Technologies/EPA

July 4 (UPI) — U.N. nuclear inspectors on Friday departed from Iran two days after the Middle Eastern nation suspended cooperation with the program and weeks after the United States and Israel bombed nuclear sites.

Rafael Grossi, the inspector general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, had aimed to assess the uranium-enrichment facilities and see whether alleged nuclear bomb efforts had been set back.

IAEA hasn’t reported the inspectors findings.

They remained in the capital, Tehran, during the conflict between Israel and Iran.

“An IAEA team of inspectors today safely departed from Iran to return to the Agency headquarters in Vienna, after staying in Tehran throughout the recent military conflict,” the U.N. agency posted Friday on X.

“IAEA Director General rafaelmgrossi reiterated the crucial importance of the IAEA discussing with Iran modalities for resuming its indispensable monitoring and verification activities in Iran as soon as possible.”

On Wednesday, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian signed legislation that halts cooperation with the agency, blocking oversight of Iran’s nuclear program.

Inspectors will not be allowed to visit nuclear sites without approval from Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

Iranian lawmakers gave two conditions for resuming cooperation, according to state media. The safety of its nuclear program and scientists is secured, and an acknowledgment about its right under international law to enrich uranium.

The spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the Iranian law was “obviously concerning.”

“I think the secretary-general has been very consistent in his call for Iran to cooperate with the IAEA, and, frankly, for all countries to work closely with the IAEA on nuclear issues,” Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

Iran has been critical of a resolution on June 12 by the IAEA that accused Iran of non-compliance with its nuclear obligations.

This was one day before Israel attacked.

Iran and the United States had been engaged in talks for a nuclear deal. The U.S. used B-2 bombers to send missiles deep underground.

“We are for diplomacy,” Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, told NBC News on Thursday, adding the U.S. government needs “to convince us that they are not going to use military force while we are negotiating. That is an essential element for our leadership to be in a position to decide about the future round of talks.”

President Donald Trump, who doesn’t want Iran to be enriching uranium, said that the U.S. bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites “obliterated” the program.

Grossi earlier said that Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium remains unaccounted for, and the program may have been delayed only a few months, and not years.

“It can be, you know, described in different ways, but it’s clear that what happened in particular in Fordo, Natanz, Isfahan, where Iran used to have and still has, to some degree, capabilities in terms of treatment, conversion and enrichment of uranium have been destroyed to an important degree,” Grossi said in a CBS News interview on Saturday. “Some is still standing. So there is, of course, an important setback in terms of those of those capabilities.”

Iran has contended its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes but the agency reported in May that Iran stockpiled about 900 pounds of uranium enriched to 60% purity, enough to build nine bomb. That’s up 50% since February.

In December, the IAEA said Iran was rapidly moving closer to the 90% threshold needed for weapons-grade material.

In 2018, Trump unilaterally exited the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and reimposed harsh sanctions during his first term in office.

In 2015, Iran reached a deal with the United States, Britain, Germany, France, Russia, China and the European Union.

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Disney+ mega £1.99 monthly deal ends in days – here’s how to get it

Disney+ is offering a fantastic deal for streaming fans, with households able to get four months for £1.99 a month

 In this photo illustration, a remote control is seen in front of a television screen showing a Disney + logo on March 28, 2020 in Paris, France.
Disney+ is still offering a subscription for £1.99 but it ends really soon(Image: Chesnot/Getty Images)

Disney+ is presenting a cracking deal for streaming enthusiasts in the UK, offering four months of access for £1.99 a month instead. However, time is running out to grab it with the offer set to expire on June 30.

For less than the cost of a Starbucks brew or a meal deal, Disney+ streamers can indulge in Marvel Cinematic Universe shows, including WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, Hawkeye, Moon Knight, and Ms. Marvel for much less than the usual price – and the rate will last until the end of October.

The platform also boasts a variety of Star Wars series, such as Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Ahsoka, The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and The Clone Wars, ensuring there’s a wealth of content to keep viewers hooked for months. Classic Walt Disney animated films like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Hocus Pocus, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and The Lion King are also ready for your viewing enjoyment.

READ MORE: World-renowned dentists give teeth whitener ‘5-star seal of approval’ in tests

READ MORE: ‘I’m a TV Editor and these are the 5 Disney+ shows I’m bingeing’

There’s also new content including the new season 4 of FX’s The Bear (that premiered on June 26) and the riveting new sci-fi drama, Alien: Earth, which is set for release later this summer (August 13). These join the newly-released Snow White and Ironheart.

The Stolen Girl is another smash hit that has garnered critical praise. The Disney+ £1.99 offer lasts for four months, providing streamers plenty of time to explore the extensive library of content on offer.

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Disney+ has brought back its popular deal that lets new and returning customers join its Standard with Ads plan for £1.99 per month for four months.

This means members can stream hit shows like Andor, The Bear and Alien: Earth, plus countless titles from Star Wars and Marvel, for a fraction of the usual price.

However, it’s crucial to remember that the £1.99 offer pertains only to the Standard with Ads version, so subscribers will have to tolerate commercials while watching their beloved shows, which may cause irritation.

Disney+ has been met with praise on Trustpilot, where one happy user commented: “Very good selection, friendly support and easy to cancel if you need to. Very easy to navigate their site, and the openness and transparency they show should be a model for others.”

Nevertheless, one disgruntled customer criticised the ad frequency, remarking: “Way too many adverts. Luckily I got it free for three months, but would not pay to extend it.”

For families seeking additional streaming services, numerous offers are available. Sky has its own streaming deals, such as the £15 per month Sky Stream package.

Furthermore, DAZN is giving sports enthusiasts an opportunity to sample its service through a limited-time trial offer. The Disney+ £1.99 deal can be snagged by households here.

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Supreme Court expected to make major rulings before term ends

June 27 (UPI) — The Supreme Court is slated to hand down its final rulings of its current term Friday, some of which could be landmark decisions.

It’s expected the Court will decide on whether President Donald Trump may enforce his executive order that would limit birthright citizenship. Trump had put out the order in January that alleged the 14th Amendment, which says every person born in the United States is a U.S. citizen., doesn’t actually apply to babies born to one or more parents who aren’t legally in the country.

The Court will also resolve whether or not the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an Affordable Care Act feature that recommends preventive care services that insurers must cover at no cost to patients, infringes the Constitution’s appointments clause as its members are not nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

Another major decision likely to be made Friday would decide if parents in Montgomery County, Md., had their religious rights violated because the Board of Education there hasn’t provided an opt-out for their children to avoid reading material that includes gay and transgender characters.

A First Amendment lawsuit that concerns a Texas law that requires people to verify their age before viewing online pornography is also on the docket, as is the fate of a Federal Communications Commission program that covers the cost of telecommunications services in rural and low-income areas.

A lawsuit that accuses Louisiana of gerrymandering congressional districts, in violation of the Voting Rights Act is also expected to be settled Friday.

The Court usually breaks for the summer until the new term starts in October, but they will still have to act on any emergency cases that might arise.

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Vietnam ends death penalty for crimes against the state, bribery, drugs | Death Penalty News

The death sentence has been removed from eight criminal offences in Vietnamese law and replaced with life imprisonment for offenders.

Vietnam will end capital punishment for eight categories of serious crime – including embezzlement, attempts to overthrow the government and sabotaging state infrastructure, state media has reported.

The state-run Vietnam News Agency reported on Wednesday that the country’s National Assembly unanimously passed an amendment to the Criminal Code that abolished the death penalty for eight criminal offences.

Starting from next month, people will no longer face a death sentence for bribery, embezzlement, producing and trading counterfeit medicines, illegally transporting narcotics, espionage, “the crime of destroying peace and causing aggressive war”, as well as sabotage and trying to topple the government.

The maximum sentence for these crimes will now be life imprisonment, the news agency said.

Those who were sentenced to death for capital offences before July 1, but have not yet been executed, will have their sentences commuted to life imprisonment, the report said.

The death penalty will remain for 10 other criminal offences under Vietnamese law, including murder, treason, terrorism and the sexual abuse of children, according to the report.

During a National Assembly debate on the proposed criminal code amendment last month, the issue of dropping the death sentence for drug trafficking was the most contentious.

“Whether it’s a few grammes or a few tonnes, the harm caused by drug transport is immense,” one legislator said, while another said removing the death sentence for drugs would send the wrong signal at a time when drug cases were increasing in the country.

Capital punishment data is a state secret in Vietnam and it is not known how many people are currently on death row in the country.

Execution by firing squad in Vietnam was abolished in 2011 and replaced by the administration of a lethal injection.

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Coast Guard ends search after 6 killed in Lake Tahoe boat capsizing

June 23 (UPI) — The U.S. Coast Guard has called off a search for two people missing after six people were killed when their boat capsized over the weekend in California’s Lake Tahoe.

The search was suspended at 10:55 a.m. local time Sunday, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement.

The 27-foot Chris-Craft boat with 10 people on board was reported to authorities as having capsized in turbulent weather at about 3 p.m. Saturday in Lake Tahoe waters within the vicinity of D.L. Bliss State Park.

According to authorities, waves reached a height of 8 feet and winds were reported to be about 30 knots. A large swell had reportedly capsized the vessel.

The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that the bodies of six people who were on board the boat were recovered from the lake. Two people were rescued and taken to a local hospital, authorities said.

The search, launched in an effort to find two others missing, was called off after the Coast Guard investigated more than 390-square miles over a 12-hour period, it said.

“Suspending a search is always a difficult decision to make and weighs heavily on each Coast Guard member involved,” Coast Guard Cmdr. David Herndon said in a statement.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of those involved in the boat capsize.”

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Stephen Mulhern confirms ITV Deal or No Deal future after Butlin’s contract ends

Stephen Mulhern has confirmed the future of his ITV game show Deal or No Deal after taking over from Noel Edmonds but it comes after a huge change for the presenter

 Stephen Mulhern
Stephen Mulhern has made an exciting announcement regarding the return of his ITV game show Deal or No Deal(Image: (Image: ITV))

Stephen Mulhern has made an exciting announcement regarding the return of his ITV game show Deal or No Deal.

Eager fans have been clamouring for updates on when they might see new episodes following the conclusion of the recent series.

A fan implored on social media: “@ITV @StephenMulhern When is Deal or No Deal back?” while another expressed their anticipation: “Can’t wait for the new series. Have missed it!.”

A third fan humorously inquired: “Never mind the Banker. When’s Noel Edmonds coming back?”.

Responding to the outpouring of queries, Stephen took to Twitter with a response: “Hello mate, Deal or No Deal is back in September!

“I can hear the Banker counting his money already!”

Stephen Mulhern
Eager fans have been clamouring for updates on when they might see new episodes(Image: Getty)

He also invited viewers to become contestants, saying: “You’ve cried at the heartbreak.

“You’ve cheered at the celebrations. Now it’s your chance to hold the box..”

This news comes amidst a significant change for Mulhern, who is set to conclude his £1million deal with Butlin’s this year.

The 48-year-old Dancing on Ice star has represented the holiday chain for three years but has decided not to renew his contract.

He started his career as a beloved Redcoat entertainer at Butlin’s, later gracing the stages in Minehead, Bognor Regis, and Skegness, delighting crowds with his lucrative contract performances.

FRANCE-ENTERTAINMENT-TELEVISION-MIPCOM
Stephen Mulhern confirmed Deal or No Deal’s future(Image: Getty)

However, changes are on the horizon, as a spokesperson recently disclosed to The Mirror: “Stephen has absolutely loved being part of the Butlin’s family – performing his stage shows in front of thousands of holiday makers across the country and the relationship with Butlin’s remains hugely positive.”, reports the Express.

“This change allows Stephen to explore new opportunities in the family holiday space – something he’s incredibly passionate about.”

Butlin’s also shared their side, stating: “Stephen has been an incredible part of the Butlin’s experience and continues to be a valued member of the family.

“Stephen’s much-loved live show won’t return in 2026 after three fantastic years, but we’re thrilled to be working together on ongoing projects this autumn.”

Deal or No Deal episodes are available to watch on ITVX

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Streaming fans can pick up 4 months of Disney+ for £1.99p/m – ends SOON

Disney+ has just unveiled a shock deal for new subscribers to its streaming platform.

For a limited time this June, you can get four months of Disney+ for just £1.99 per month, down from £4.99.

Disney+ logo on a phone screen.

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Disney+ is now 60% cheaper for 4 months in the streaming giant’s limited-time promo deal

Disney+, £4.99 £1.99p/m for 4 months

This fantastic offer began today (11th June) and will run until 30th June, giving you just a few weeks to take advantage of the deal.

At its usual price of £4.99 per month, this promotion saves you a total of £12 over the four months.

That’s a massive 60% discount – a price drop you don’t often see from the House of Mouse’s streaming platform.

Deals like this are rare for Disney+.

The last time it ran a similar deal was back in September, and that was only for 3 months of streaming.

However, this promotion comes directly from Disney itself, making it a brilliant chance to save money on one of the most popular streaming services around.

It’s worth noting that this deal applies to the Disney+ Standard with Ads subscription, which is the service’s entry-level plan.

With this plan, you can stream in Full HD on two devices at the same time, and content is broken up by adverts.

Yep, it’s the no-frills version of Disney+ – but it’s still an absolute bargain at that reduced monthly cost.

For just £1.99 a month, you’ll get access to the entire Disney+ catalogue.

Parents, I imagine, will particularly appreciate this deal, with the school summer holidays fast approaching.

Naturally, the entire catalogue of Disney’s classic animated films is available to stream.

The latest addition to the platform is the live-action remake of Snow White – perfect if you missed it in cinemas (and are ready to face those CGI dwarves).

For Star Wars fans, the critically acclaimed Andor Series 2 is now available to stream in full.

Marvel lovers also have plenty to get excited about, with the latest series, Ironheart, set to premiere on 25th June.

But for my money, the biggest show on the horizon is Series 4 of The Bear.

This intense, heart-stirring and ever-so-slightly-stressful cooking drama is one of the best shows on TV, and the new season drops on 26th June.

I’ve been working up an appetite for this since that Season 3 finale last year.

Honestly, it’s worth the £1.99-per-month sign-up all by itself, in my opinion.

Kitchen dramas, superheroes, guilty-pleasure Mormon wife reality TV – it’s all there on Disney+.

Just make sure you sign up this month, before it returns to standard price.

Disney+, £4.99 £1.99p/m for 4 months

Curious? The Sun’s Tech Editor has found other ways to get free Disney+ membership, one way saving you £60.

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Palestine World Cup dream ends after late penalty heartbreak against Oman | Football News

Palestine are denied by late Oman penalty in a 1-1 draw that ends their dreams of a first FIFA World Cup appearance.

Palestine’s historic Asian Football Confederation (AFC) qualifying campaign for the 2026 FIFA World Cup was ended by a late Oman penalty in a 1-1 draw in their final group game.

Needing a win to reach the fourth round of the AFC qualifiers, Palestine led deep into five minutes of injury time through Oday Kharoub’s goal early in the second half.

The scoreline would have been enough to propel Palestine past Oman into the fourth and final qualifying spot in Group B of the third round of the AFC qualifiers – a stage they had also reached for the first time.

However, a tug of the shirt on a runner chasing a free kick from the deep was spotted by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), and Palestine’s dream of a first appearance at a football World Cup ended with Essam Al-Subhi’s spot kick in the 97th minute of the match.

World Cup - AFC Qualifiers - Group B - Palestine v Oman - King Abdullah II Stadium, Amman, Jordan - June 10, 2025 Oman's Essam Al-Subhi celebrates scoring their first goal
Oman’s Essam Al-Subhi celebrates scoring their equalising goal as Palestine players respond with disbelief [Alaa Al Sukhni/Reuters]

Kharoub’s headed goal came after a fine first half for Palestine, in which Michel Termanini struck the bar with a header.

Wessam Ali had a second for Palestine ruled out for a marginal offside, only moments after Oman’s Harib Al-Saadi saw red for a second yellow following a foul on Hamed Hamdan in the 73rd minute.

The decisive moment came, though, when Muhsen Al-Ghassani ran clear in the box in an attempt to reach a looped ball in the area. Ahmed Taha’s grab at the runner was deemed illegal and the eliminating kick was awarded against Palestine.

Palestine’s AFC Asian Cup nearly the spark for World Cup dream

The run to the third round of the AFC World Cup qualifiers for the first time followed Palestine’s remarkable feat of reaching the knockout stages of the last AFC Asian Cup for the first time.

A first appearance at football’s global showpiece was only one more round away until the late drama at the King Abdullah II Stadium in Amman, Jordan, where Palestine were forced to stage their home matches due to Israel’s war on Gaza.

The full-time whistle, and with it, anticipated scenes of wild celebration was cruelly only seconds away for Palestine.

Instead, the tension that was palpably building ahead of the referee calling an end to the match turned to scenes of despair as tears rolled down the cheeks of the Palestine players, many of whom collapsed to the floor in disbelief.

World Cup - AFC Qualifiers - Group B - Palestine v Oman - King Abdullah II Stadium, Amman, Jordan - June 10, 2025 Palestine's Wessam Ali in action
Palestine’s Wessam Ali, right, thought he had scored his side’s second goal with a slotted finish only for the goal to be disallowed for offside [Alaa Al Sukhni/Reuters]

Oman now join Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Iraq and Indonesia, who lost 6-0 to Japan earlier in the day, in the fourth round of qualifiers, from which two teams will join the already six qualified nations from the third round of qualifiers.

One final chance will be available for the third-placed team from the fourth round of qualifiers, as that nation will progress to the FIFA Intercontinental Playoffs in a last-chance saloon to line up at next year’s finals.

Australia became the final team to confirm their automatic qualification from the third round of qualifiers when they saw off Saudi Arabia’s challenge for second spot in Group C with a 2-1 win in Jeddah.

Alongside Australia – Japan, Iran, South Korea, Uzbekistan and Jordan, finished as the top two finishers in their group to book their places at the 2026 tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The latter two qualified for a World Cup for the first time.

World Cup - AFC Qualifiers - Group B - Palestine v Oman - King Abdullah II Stadium, Amman, Jordan - June 10, 2025 Palestine's Oday Kharoub celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates
Palestine’s Oday Kharoub celebrates scoring the first goal of the game, which for so long appeared to be sending his team to the next round of qualifiers for the World Cup [Alaa Al Sukhni/Reuters]

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French Open 2025 results: Aryna Sabalenka beats Iga Swiatek before Coco Gauff ends Lois Boisson’s run

World number one Aryna Sabalenka moved a step closer to a maiden French Open title by taking out four-time champion Iga Swiatek in a blockbuster semi-final.

Sabalenka will meet second seed Coco Gauff in Saturday’s showpiece after the American ruthlessly ended French wildcard Lois Boisson’s incredible run.

Belarus’ Sabalenka earned a 7-6 (7-1) 4-6 6-0 victory to end fifth seed Swiatek’s 26-match winning run at the tournament.

After a slow start on the Roland Garros clay, Poland’s Swiatek fought back to level but Sabalenka dominated a 22-minute deciding set.

Sabalenka, whose three Grand Slam titles have all come on hard courts, has never reached the Paris final before.

“It feels incredible but the job is not done yet. I’m thrilled with my performance,” the 27-year-old said.

“Iga is the toughest opponent, especially at Roland Garros, I’m proud I managed to get this win.”

Gauff, runner-up to Swiatek in 2022, won 6-1 6-2 against world number 361 Boisson, who was appearing in her first Grand Slam main draw.

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RFK Jr ends COVID vaccine recommendation: What do facts say about risks? | Health News

In a one-minute video, US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr revoked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation that healthy children and healthy pregnant women be vaccinated for COVID-19, leaving some experts concerned and others unsure about the policy’s details.

Kennedy was joined in the video, posted on May 27 on X, by Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary and National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya.

Kennedy, who was tapped by President Donald Trump after a years-long embrace of vaccine conspiracy theories, did not make it clear whether he was referring to a recommendation for children or pregnant women getting vaccinated for the first time, for getting subsequent booster shots, or both. Days after the announcement, HHS’s website provided no clarity, saying, “COVID-19 vaccines are available to everyone 6 months and older. Getting vaccinated is the best way to help protect people from COVID-19.” A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention webpage dated January 7 – before Kennedy was secretary – provided a similar broad vaccine endorsement.

Some experts say the low rates of serious COVID-19 cases among children justify tightening the federal vaccine recommendation. Others say that the move will make it harder to get vaccinated and cause preventable serious illnesses.

Kennedy broke from norms by not waiting for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to vote on vaccine guidance at a scheduled June meeting.

Recommending against vaccination for certain groups could make it harder for most children and pregnant women to get the shot, if insurers decide not to cover COVID-19 shots for those groups. Immunization rates are already low, with 13 percent of children and 14.4 percent of pregnant women up to date with the 2024-25 edition of the COVID-19 vaccine, the CDC found in late April.

We fact-checked the three federal health officials’ comments with health experts.

Kennedy said child vaccine boosters lacked clinical data

Kennedy said, “Last year, the Biden administration urged healthy children to get yet another COVID shot, despite the lack of any clinical data to support the repeat booster strategy in children.”

In recent years, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices – a group of outside experts that advises the CDC on who should be vaccinated and how often – has recommended annual boosters for healthy children who have already received COVID-19 vaccines.

The committee made this recommendation without also recommending that every annual iteration of the vaccine undergo new rounds of clinical trials before being used, said Dr William Schaffner, professor of preventive medicine at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. (The vaccine had been approved by the FDA for safety and efficacy early in the pandemic.) The panel concluded that the coronavirus vaccine operated in the same way as the annual flu vaccine, which has not required repeated clinical trials, said Schaffner, a former committee member and current adviser.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians also recommended COVID-19 vaccinations for children and did not urge new clinical trials.

Kids generally don’t need the vaccination, FDA chief said

Makary said, “There’s no evidence healthy kids need” the vaccine.

This is disputed. Most children will not face serious illness from COVID-19, but a small fraction will. Experts draw different lines when deciding how widespread the vaccination programme needs to be, given this scale of risk.

During the 2024-25 COVID-19 season, children and adolescents age 17 and younger comprised about 4 percent of COVID-19-associated hospitalisations. The relatively small number of serious cases among children has driven the belief among some scientists that the universal vaccination recommendation is too broad.

However, among all children, rates of COVID-19-associated hospitalisations were highest among infants less than six months old.

“With 4 million new children born every year with no exposure to COVID, young children have rates of disease similar to the disease rates in people older than 65,” Schaffner said, citing a September 2024 article on the CDC’s website.

COVID-19 was among the top 10 causes of death in children during the worst of the pandemic between 2020 and 2022, said Tara C Smith, a Kent State University epidemiologist. “Though we may no longer be at that stage … we vaccinate for influenza, so why not continue to do so for COVID?”

Some doctors are concerned about the lingering syndrome known as long COVID, about which less is known, especially among children.

The outside advisory committees and the medical academies found this level of serious disease to be sufficient to recommend continued annual vaccinations.

Makary said this policy is similar to those in other countries

Makary was accurate when he said that “most countries have stopped recommending” routine COVID-19 vaccination for children.

“Many countries will only offer the COVID vaccine to children if they have underlying health conditions or are immunocompromised,” said Brooke Nichols, a Boston University associate professor of global health.

Makary co-wrote a May 20 article that included a list of booster recommendations in Canada, Europe and Australia. It said in most countries, the recommendation was to vaccinate older people or those at high risk.

Most countries have taken this course, Schaffner said, because “by now, 95 percent of us have had experience with COVID, either through the vaccine or through illness or both. And second, the current variants are thought to be much milder than some of the earlier variants.”

The World Health Organization in 2024 recommended the COVID-19 vaccine for children with health risks who had never been vaccinated. For children and adolescents who had previously been vaccinated, it did not routinely recommend revaccination.

The European Medicines Agency recommended the BioNtech Pfizer vaccine for children over the age of five years and said the use of the vaccine for children is effective and safe. Euronews reported that the agency issued its recommendation in November 2021 and later recommended the Moderna vaccine for children ages 12 to 17.

In the United Kingdom, “only older people or those with specific diseases or illnesses making them susceptible to severe COVID were recommended to get boosters, and as a result, uptake in those groups was actually higher than in the US,” where outreach and advertising for the vaccinations focused on children as well as older people, said Babak Javid, an associate professor in the division of experimental medicine at the University of California-San Francisco.

The New York Times found that in Europe “many countries do not recommend the vaccines for healthy children under 5, but the shots are approved for everyone 6 months and older,” meaning that they can be safely used by anyone who’s at least six months old.

Doctors say the vaccine protects pregnant women

Experts disagreed with Kennedy’s recommendation against vaccinating pregnant women, saying the vaccine protects pregnant women and their infants.

Steven J Fleischman, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists president, said, “It is very clear that COVID-19 infection during pregnancy can be catastrophic and lead to major disability, and it can cause devastating consequences for families. In fact, growing evidence shows just how much vaccination during pregnancy protects the infant after birth, with the vast majority of hospitalised infants less than six months of age – those who are not yet eligible for vaccination – born to unvaccinated mothers.”

After a vaccination, antibodies reach the fetus. The doctors’ group said there is no evidence the vaccine creates adverse effects for either mother or the fetus, although fever or pain at the injection site are possible.

The federal government in May provided conflicting information about the vaccine and pregnancy.

In Makary’s May 20 article, he and his co-author included pregnancy on the CDC’s 2025 list of underlying medical conditions that increase the risk of severe COVID-19.

“They literally contradicted themselves over the course of a couple of days,” said Dr Peter Hotez, Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development co-director. “It appears RFK Jr reversed his own FDA’s decision.”

Following the May 27 video announcement, Makary told NBC that the decision about vaccination should be between a pregnant woman and her doctor.

A 2024 review of 67 studies found that fully vaccinated pregnant women had a 61 percent lower likelihood of a COVID-19 infection during pregnancy.

What’s next?

In its June meeting, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices might move towards less sweeping recommendations for vaccinating children, closer to those that Kennedy enacted.

“If you listened to the discussions in the most recent previous meeting, they very much seemed to be moving in a more targeted approach,” Schaffner said.

The question of pregnant women may be one where the advisory committees may recommend more flexibility with vaccine usage than what Kennedy’s video statement seems to suggest, Schaffner said.

Other areas where the panels could back greater flexibility could be for otherwise healthy people who serve as caregivers or who live with more vulnerable people who are advanced in age or are immunocompromised.

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Dodgers bullpen melts down as road trip ends with loss to Guardians

The Dodgers got five good innings out of Clayton Kershaw on Wednesday. Then they let it go to waste in a five-run eighth inning.

Despite leading most of the day at Progressive Field, seeking to end their East Coast road trip with a three-game sweep against the Cleveland Guardians, the Dodgers instead lost 7-4 after an eighth-inning meltdown.

It was three ground ball singles, one walk to load the bases and one mighty Angel Martínez swing that changed the game.

Leading 4-2 entering the eighth, Dodgers left-hander Tanner Scott took the mound for his second inning of work, manager Dave Roberts asking for an up-and-down outing out of his recently up-and-down closer.

Scott’s appearance had started well, striking out Gavirel Arias to escape a jam in the seventh inning.

But, in what was charged as already his fifth blown save of the season, he failed to limit damage as a threat began to brew.

Jhonkensy Noel led off the frame with a ground ball up the middle, after second baseman Kiké Hernández got to it in the hole but had no chance to make a throw. Will Wilson followed that with a spinning ball up the third base line, its awkward hop off the edge of the infield grass tripping up Max Muncy for another infield single.

Scott only hurt his own cause from there, walking Daniel Schneemann in a left-on-left matchup to load the bases.

And though he fanned Austin Hedges for the first out of the inning, Nolan Jones hit a one-out bouncer that found a hole through the left side of a shifted infield. Two runs came around to score. A lead the Dodgers had held since the fourth inning had suddenly evaporated.

A chart examining the strikeout leaders in MLB history and where Clayton Kershaw stands.

The final blow came in the next at-bat, when left-hander Alex Vesia entered the game and quickly fell behind 2-and-0 to Martínez. Vesia tried to get back in the count with a fastball up in the zone. Martínez instead delivered a knockout blow, belting a three-run homer to left to complete the Guardians’ five-run rally.

The ending meant that Kershaw, who gave up just one run in five innings despite generating only three strikeouts, was left with a no-decision — and that the Dodgers had to settle for only a 3-3 record on this New York-Cleveland road trip, stumbling to another frustrating loss during a stretch of the season that has recently been full of them.

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