Venezuela quake toll hits 589; UK heat records
Venezuela’s earthquake death toll has risen significantly as record-breaking heat continues to affect the UK and Europe. Closer to home, former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson is forfeiting his royal titles following a criminal conviction, and a fatal crash in County Fermanagh has led to an arrest.
Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson has moved to renounce his knighthood and his membership of an advisory board for King Charles. The move follows his recent conviction for sex offences, which has led to the forfeiture of these honors.
In international news affecting the migrant community, the death toll from two major earthquakes in Venezuela has reached 589 people. The 7.2 and 7.5-magnitude tremors, which struck on Wednesday evening, are among the strongest recorded in the country in over a century, causing widespread destruction.
Regarding road safety, a 21-year-old man has died following a single-vehicle crash on the Belfast Road in County Fermanagh. Police have arrested another man in connection with the incident as investigations continue.
In weather developments, temperatures in the UK have passed 37°C, breaking the record for the hottest June day for the third day in a row. Forecasters attribute the heat to an "Omega Block"—a weather pattern where a bulge of warm high pressure is held stationary between two cooler low-pressure systems. Readers are also advised that some viral maps comparing current temperatures to 1976 use mislabelled data to exaggerate changes in weather reporting.
Elsewhere, aid cuts at the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya are prompting more young people to attempt dangerous migration routes to Europe. Meanwhile, the evacuation of 11,000 mariners in the Strait of Hormuz has been suspended following an attack on a vessel in the Gulf of Oman.
For more on the Belfast community funeral appeal and the investigation into the Fermanagh crash, see the News section.