7.1-magnitude earthquake jolts Japan’s Kyushu

The UK government and senior police chiefs have initiated a multi-departmental review to determine why British police forces have routinely ceded primary jurisdiction to the United States military in cases involving serious crimes committed on British soil. Under long-standing legal frameworks governing visiting forces, UK authorities hold primary jurisdiction over off-duty offences committed against local citizens. However, recent investigative revelations exposed multiple instances where forces such as Cambridgeshire and Suffolk Constabulary transferred investigations involving serious sexual assaults to US military prosecutors within days of receiving reports, often without consulting the Crown Prosecution Service. This systemic practice has drawn severe criticism from ministers, cross-party lawmakers, and legal experts due to the significant disparities between the British justice system and the US Uniform Code of Military Justice. Victims tried under US military courts martial face narrower legal definitions of sexual offences, lesser statutory charges, and fewer victim protection measures than those guaranteed in British Crown Courts. The high-profile prosecution of US fighter pilot Captain Jacob Wulfson at RAF Lakenheath, where an all-male military panel acquitted him of sexual assault, prompted Home Office and justice ministers to meet with victims and promise full accountability. Concurrently, the National Police Chiefs’ Council has issued updated guidance to all forces in England and Wales to enforce proper legal referral protocols, while individual constabularies have launched audits into their historic case transfer decisions.

Palaeontologists have identified a new species of Late Triassic dinosaur from fossils discovered on the shores of Lake Kariba in northern Zimbabwe, offering fresh insights into prehistoric ecosystems across southern Africa. Named Musango matusadonaensis, the 4.5-metre-long creature lived approximately 210 million years ago, a pivotal era when dinosaurs were beginning to spread across the supercontinent Gondwana prior to becoming the planet’s dominant land animals. The discovery represents only the fifth dinosaur species formally named from Zimbabwe, stemming from a international research collaboration between institutions in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Lead researcher Professor Paul Barrett from London’s Natural History Museum, alongside co-authors publishing in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, detailed the anatomical characteristics of the fossilised skeleton, which included bones from the spine, arms, and feet. Musango was an early sauropodomorph, an evolutionary precursor to massive four-legged herbivores like Diplodocus, though this earlier relative was lightly built and walked primarily on two legs. Microscopic analysis of its fibula revealed eight distinct growth rings, indicating the animal was around eight years old and nearly fully grown when it died, while weighing an estimated 222 kilogrammes. The discovery challenges long-held scientific assumptions that Late Triassic dinosaur populations were uniform across the southern regions of Gondwana. Based on structural features of its skeleton and comparative ecosystem data, researchers believe Musango was an opportunistic omnivore that fed on plants, small reptiles, lungfish, and crocodile-like phytosaurs. The presence of a distinct species in the Lake Kariba region demonstrates that ancient southern Africa was divided into unique, localised environments with varied wildlife compositions, showing that regional climate and geography drove dinosaur diversification much earlier than previously understood.

Syria has strongly condemned Israeli airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur Military Airbase in Idlib province, calling the attack a serious violation of its sovereignty. The Syrian Foreign Ministry said the strikes were an unjustified act of aggression. It warned that continued Israeli attacks could further destabilise the region. According to Syrian state media, Israeli aircraft carried out several strikes on the abandoned military airbase early Tuesday. The attacks targeted the runway and caused damage to the facility’s infrastructure. No casualties were reported in the strikes. The Syrian Foreign Ministry said the attacks were particularly concerning as Damascus was seeking to maintain stability and avoid further escalation in the region. It accused Israel of undermining those efforts and increasing tensions through repeated military operations inside Syrian territory. The ministry said Israeli attacks had continued since December 2024. It argued that the repeated strikes threatened Syria’s territorial integrity and regional security. The Abu al-Duhur airbase is located in the eastern countryside of Idlib in northern Syria. The facility has been largely inactive, but its strategic military infrastructure has remained a target during Israel’s operations in Syria. Israel has carried out numerous strikes in Syria in recent years. Its operations have previously targeted weapons depots, missile facilities and military positions linked to Iranian forces and Hezbollah. The latest strikes also drew concern from Washington. US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said the United States was “deeply concerned” about the Israeli operation. He described the strikes as an unnecessary escalation that would not contribute to regional stability. Barrack said Syria’s current government had not adopted what he called a predatory approach or maintained proxy forces. He added that Damascus had repeatedly indicated a preference for reducing tensions with Israel. The US envoy said Washington remained willing to support diplomatic efforts between the two sides. He stressed that dialogue should be prioritised over military escalation. The latest developments come amid continued instability in Syria following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad government. Israel has expanded its military activity in Syria since then, citing security concerns. Damascus has repeatedly condemned Israeli military operations and called for respect for Syrian sovereignty.