Cameroon’s 93-year-old President, Paul Biya, the world’s oldest sitting head of state, has enacted a strategic reshuffle of the country’s military leadership from abroad, issuing decrees to promote senior officers and appoint new commanders while remaining in Geneva, Switzerland. Among the key appointments, Biya promoted five colonels to the rank of brigadier general. Notably, Brigadier General Raymond Jean Charles Beko’o Abondo was reappointed to lead the elite Presidential Guard, an essential security unit responsible for the president’s personal protection that he has commanded since 2013. The administrative shifts coincide with growing domestic anxiety regarding Biya’s absence from Cameroon, which has extended to nearly two months following his departure on 7 June for what officials termed a “brief private stay”. Opponents and civil society groups have voiced concern over an institutional vacuum, noting that a newly created vice-presidential seat remains vacant and a promised cabinet overhaul has yet to materialise. Government representatives, including Communication Minister René Emmanuel Sadi, dismissed claims of administrative paralysis or health crises, maintaining that the president remains fully operational and continues to sign official decrees and financial agreements from abroad.

A 37-year-old man has been charged with first-degree arson in connection with one of three uncontained wildfires burning across Spokane County, Washington, as emergency crews continue to combat blazes that have destroyed hundreds of structures and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes. Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels confirmed that Aaron F. Farinacci was arrested on Monday in relation to the Old Trails Fire and is being held on a $1 million bond. According to law enforcement officials, a witness reported seeing Farinacci kneeling near the location where the fire originated on Saturday, shortly before smoke was observed rising from the brush. Responding officers subsequently located the suspect carrying waterproof matches and a butane lighter. Investigators utilised body-worn camera footage to obtain an official arrest warrant. The Old Trails, Autumn Lane, and Fairview fires have collectively scorched more than 10,000 acres across the region. None of the three blazes has been contained, presenting an ongoing challenge for emergency personnel navigating difficult weather conditions and dry vegetation. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson described the emergency in stark terms during a broadcast interview, characterising the destruction across urban and suburban zones as severe. He noted that entire residential neighbourhoods within the city of Spokane have been largely wiped out by the advancing flames. Local authorities estimate that more than 700 structures have been completely destroyed, with an additional 10,000 properties remaining under immediate threat. Roughly 65,000 residents across Spokane County have been ordered to evacuate as containment efforts proceed. Emergency services confirmed that no fatalities or injuries have been verified to date.

Voters across Michigan headed to the polls on Tuesday for a pivotal Democratic Senate primary that has emerged as a major battleground testing the ideological direction of the party. Former public health director Abdul El-Sayed faced four-term US Representative Haley Stevens in a fierce contest to secure the nomination to replace retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters. The election night watch party for El-Sayed in Detroit saw left-wing commentator Hasan Piker launch a sharp critique against the Democratic political establishment while speaking to media representatives. Piker praised El-Sayed’s campaign as an “issues-first” movement, asserting that grassroots engagement carried greater weight than financial backing. Piker drew specific attention to external campaign funding, taking aim at the more than $30 million (£23.5 million) poured into the race by political action committees affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in support of Stevens. Describing the influx of negative advertising against El-Sayed as a “heinous smear campaign”, Piker expressed hope that mainstream Democrats would learn from El-Sayed’s approach. He also dismissed suggestions that the candidate or his high-profile backers would prove to be a general election liability, arguing that voters are disillusioned with personality-driven politics and seeking structural policy changes. Throughout the primary, the candidates presented starkly contrasting visions for the party’s future in the battleground state. El-Sayed, who gained endorsement from Senator Bernie Sanders, focused his platform on reducing corporate influence in politics, expanding healthcare access, and providing economic support to working families. Responding to characterisations regarding his political stance, El-Sayed clarified that he advocates for regulated capitalism rather than socialism. Conversely, Stevens leaned on her tenure in the US House of Representatives and her previous role in the Obama administration, positioning herself as a pragmatic candidate with the legislative track record needed to retain the seat. While earlier polling indicated El-Sayed held a slight edge, surveys suggested Stevens might hold broader appeal amongst moderate voters in the upcoming general election. The political friction surrounding the primary also drew public commentary from US President Donald Trump, who characterised the race as a contest between a “communist and a socialist.” The winning Democratic nominee will move on to face Republican candidate Mike Rogers in the November general election, a race anticipated to play a crucial role in determining party control of the US Senate.

Joint emergency response teams from France and the United Kingdom rescued 157 migrants after their vessel caught fire during an attempted crossing of the English Channel early on Tuesday morning. The vessel, which departed from the northern coast of France near Normandy, was under monitoring by French maritime authorities when its engine caught fire in France’s search-and-rescue zone close to British territorial waters. The blaze caused the boat’s condition to deteriorate rapidly, forcing emergency crews to initiate an immediate extraction operation involving naval helicopters, lifeboats, and medical units from both nations. Prior to the engine fire, French patrol vessels had retrieved five individuals who requested medical aid overnight. Maritime officials noted that passengers making irregular crossings frequently decline preventative assistance from coastal patrols, accepting aid only when confronted with catastrophic emergencies. All rescued individuals were disembarked at the northern French port of Boulogne-sur-Mer for formal health evaluations and processing. Authorities confirmed that no fatalities were recorded during the incident.

Guatemalan disaster management authorities ordered the preventive evacuation of settlements surrounding the Fuego volcano after the geological structure entered a paroxysmal eruptive phase, sending plumes of volcanic ash and pyroclastic density currents down its flanks. The National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED) issued a nationwide institutional orange alert, while escalating departmental warnings to red across Sacatepéquez, Chimaltenango, and Escuintla. Emergency personnel coordinated the relocation of over 1,700 residents from high-risk communities, including El Porvenir and Las Lajitas in the San Juan Alotenango municipality. Monitoring reports from the National Institute of Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology (INSIVUMEH) confirmed that high-temperature pyroclastic flows, composed of volcanic gases, ash, and incandescent rock, descended across five major ravines. Officials warned that dispersed ash clouds could affect municipalities up to 130 kilometres west and northwest of the crater. In response, regional transport authorities temporarily closed National Route 14 to civilian traffic, while the Ministry of Education suspended in-person schooling across nearby districts.