5.8-magnitude earthquake hits Japan

Police in Arizona have released the text of two ransom notes six months after the abduction of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, mother of prominent US television presenter Savannah Guthrie. The Pima County Sheriff’s Office made the decision to publish the communications in the hope that members of the public might recognise distinct linguistic patterns or writing habits attributable to the perpetrator. Nancy Guthrie was taken from her home near Tucson, Arizona, on 31 January. The first note, received by a local news station on 2 February, demanded $4 million in Bitcoin within five days, threatening that she would be killed if a total of $6 million was not paid by 9 February. The note included specific details regarding the crime scene, referencing a damaged backyard floodlight and a white smartwatch left on her bedroom floor. A second note arrived four days later, claiming that Nancy Guthrie had died from a heart-related condition shortly after her abduction and had been “buried in nature”. However, law enforcement officials stated they cannot confirm her death and continue to treat the investigation as an active missing persons and kidnapping case. Savannah Guthrie, who hosts NBC’s Today show, has released multiple public appeals urging the abductors to reveal the location of her mother’s remains so the family can bring her home.

In late July, Meghan’s lifestyle range, As Ever, launched a new blackberry spread alongside a softly lit video of her picking the fruit. A month later, she and Prince Harry announced plans to return and live in the UK, just as blackberry season winds down. Whether another such video follows remains unclear, especially since experts say the couple’s wider brand is now at a turning point. Since their departure from royal duties in 2020, most of the Sussexes’ California-based ventures, from streaming deals to fragrance lines, have struggled to draw large audiences. Experts say it’s genuinely unclear what direction they’ll take next. Their UK return has surprised many, and although they will not resume royal duties, questions remain about what comes instead. Oxford marketing professor Andrew Stephen says the couple excelled early at capturing attention and monetising it, but have struggled to turn that into a lasting brand identity. He describes their current portfolio as fragmented, spanning social impact, entertainment and lifestyle, making it hard to define exactly what their brand represents. Their $100 million Netflix deal and $25 million Spotify agreement, both signed in 2020, have delivered underwhelming results by most measures. The Netflix arrangement produced just five shows over five years before being replaced with a lower-commitment, first-look agreement last year. Spotify, meanwhile, parted ways with the couple back in 2023. Branding expert Susan Fournier warns that the couple’s repeated pivots, from royal insiders to critics to media producers to lifestyle influencers, carry real risk. She argues that once a brand shifts direction dramatically, reversing course becomes difficult, and a UK return could look like yet another turn rather than a resolution. Stephen suggests the solution lies in building a focused, coherent set of ventures and credible causes, rather than continuing to diversify. One possibility involves Meghan returning to acting, with reports suggesting talks over a role in Netflix’s “The Gentlemen.” Her lifestyle brand, As Ever, is also expected to continue regardless of the move. A potential relocation to the Cotswolds has also sparked interest, with stylist Laura Stoloff suggesting genuine synergy between Meghan’s brand and English country life. Still, Stephen cautions that a new postcode alone won’t reposition a brand, only consistent action will.

Ukraine has launched a series of long-range drone strikes targeting major oil processing facilities deep within Russian territory, hitting the Slavneft-Yanos refinery in Yaroslavl and the Bashneft-Novoil plant in Bashkortostan. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the strikes, stating that the operations targeted facilities located up to 1,300 kilometres from the Ukrainian border to disrupt fuel supplies and revenues used to fund Russia’s military campaign. Ukrainian forces also struck two Russian patrol boats and shadow fleet oil tankers in the Black Sea. Russian officials in Yaroslavl reported that emergency crews responded to multiple fires at the Slavneft-Yanos site after falling drone debris ignited fuel storage tanks, injuring four people. Russian air defence forces claimed to have intercepted hundreds of Ukrainian drones across several regions overnight. Simultaneously, Russian forces launched retaliatory strikes against Ukrainian energy and transport infrastructure. Heavy bombardment in the southern city of Kherson caused a complete blackout and severely disrupted internet connectivity, while additional Russian drone and missile strikes in Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Odesa killed at least 11 people and damaged residential areas, rail infrastructure, and cargo vessels.