At least 2 people have been killed after a tourist resort near Bamako, the capital of Mali, was attacked. A spokesman for the country’s security ministry said 1 of the dead was a French national but the nationality of the other person killed was not known.

Malian troops & soldiers from France’s Barkhane counter-terrorism force were called to Le Campement in Dougourakoro, a resort popular with westerners east of Bamako. Residents nearby reported hearing shots fired while smoke billowed into the air. Read more HERE

Norway has issued a blunt threat to Brazil that if rising deforestation in the Amazon rainforest is not reversed, its billion-USD financial assistance will fall to zero. The leaders of the 2 nations meet in Oslo on Friday.

The oil-rich Scandinavian nation has provided $1.1bn to Brazil’s Amazon fund since 2008, tied to reductions in the rate of deforestation in the world’s greatest rainforest. The destruction of forests by timber & farming industries is a major contributor to the carbon emissions. Read more HERE.

King Salman of Saudi Arabia has ousted his nephew as crown prince and replaced him with his son, Mohammed bin Salman, confirming the 31-year-old as heir and consolidating the kingdom’s move to reassert its influence as a regional power.

The move was announced by royal decree just after midnight, stunning the Saudi establishment, which has seen Bin Salman’s profile soar over the past three years but regarded the role of the former crown prince, Mohammed bin Nayef, a veteran security tsar, as secure. Read more HERE

Temperatures in much of Britain are forecast to soar to more than 30C (86F) on Tuesday – and possibly even higher on Wednesday – as the country enjoys its longest continuous spell of high June temperatures since 1995.

However, two people have drowned in the last 48 hours of the heatwave, as crowds headed for beaches, pools and rivers. A teenager drowned on Monday evening while swimming at Greenbooth reservoir in Rochdale. Read more HERE

    British negotiators have capitulated to key European demands for a phased approach to Brexit talks, agreeing to park discussions on free trade until they have thrashed out the cost of the multibillion-euro UK divorce settlement.

Putting a brave face on a concession that may further strengthen the tactical dominance of the EU, the Brexit secretary, David Davis, insisted his initial retreat remained consistent with long-term government strategy...Read more HERE