Tuesday, August 11, 2026

World

Colombia Earthquake Kills Over 111, Triggers Emergency Response

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Colombia's Chocó province near the Pacific Coast, killing at least 111 people and flattening buildings including a military barracks in Cali. Rescue teams are searching collapsed structures across multiple cities, and Colombia's newly inaugurated president has taken personal charge of emergency efforts in Bogota. The quake's epicentre was in Chocó province but shook cities hundreds of kilometres away.

World

Turkey Passes Amnesty Law for PKK Fighters Who Disarm

Turkey's parliament has passed a law offering thousands of PKK Kurdish militants a path back to civilian life, provided the group fully disarms. The bill amounts to a conditional pardon and marks a significant shift in Ankara's decades-long approach to the Kurdish conflict. The legislation sets out identity verification and legal attestation requirements before fighters can reintegrate.

Tech

OpenAI Launches Specialist Cyber AI Model With Restricted Access

OpenAI has released GPT-5.6-Cyber, a model purpose-built for vulnerability research, exploit validation, and authorised red-team operations, sitting inside a restructured programme called Daybreak split into two tiers by access level. The move comes as AI-assisted cyberattacks multiply, and the model is gated behind identity verification, monitoring, and legal attestations for offensive use. OpenAI's head of ethics, Chloé Bakalar, departed the company the same week amid mounting safety concerns.

Health

Trump Signs Executive Order Cutting Vaccines, Promoting Nonexistent Ones

Trump has signed an executive order slashing vaccine programmes and championing vaccines that do not yet exist, falsely claiming the MMR shot is "quite lethal" and linking it to autism. The order marks one of the most direct federal interventions against established immunisation policy in modern US history. The MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella, has been in use for over 50 years with an extensive safety record.

MarketWill there be at least 4000 measles cases in the U.S. in 2026?69%

Climate

Europe Hit by Another Heatwave, Almost All of England Under Alert

Amber heat health alerts now cover almost all of England through Friday as temperatures are forecast to push into extreme ranges, with France also issuing warnings across the continent. The UK simultaneously faces a drought crisis, with reports suggesting 45 million Britons are affected, and disabled campaigners have warned that standard official heatwave advice can be actively dangerous for their communities. Warnings remain in place until Friday evening.