Holly Morton-Bowles and Bianca Jones were travelling in Laos in late 2024 when they were fatally poisoned with methanol at Nana Backpackers Hostel in Vang Vieng

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Australia will send a special envoy to Laos as it investigates the methanol poisoning deaths of two teenagers.

The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, announced the appointment on Thursday after the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade apologised earlier this week for not providing more information to the victims’ families.

Public opinion polling agency says decision ‘solely based on Gallup’s research goals and priorities’

Gallup, the public opinion polling agency, will stop tracking presidential approval ratings after almost nine decades, a spokesperson confirmed.

As Donald Trump continues to closely scrutinize polling of his popularity, and publicly lambast media companies that report on unfavorable numbers, Gallup insisted its decision was “solely based on Gallup’s research goals and priorities”.

Adam Mosseri defends app on witness stand and says critics must separate ‘clinical addiction’ from ‘problematic use’

Instagram’s CEO dismissed the idea that users can be addicted to social media at a landmark California trial on Wednesday.

“I think it’s important to differentiate between clinical addiction and problematic use,” Adam Mosseri said on the witness stand. Psychologists do not classify social media addiction as an official diagnosis. Researchers have documented the harmful consequences of compulsive use among young people, and lawmakers around the world are worried about its addictive potential.

The late actor became known for his role in Kevin Williamson’s era-defining teen show but in the years after he worked hard to subvert his persona

• James Van Der Beek, star of Dawson’s Creek, dies aged 48

• James Van Der Beek: a life in pictures

When an actor like James Van Der Beek dies, the obvious thing would be to concentrate on their biggest role. In the case of Van Der Beek, that would be Dawson’s Creek, Kevin Williamson’s soapy drama that ran for six seasons across the millennium.

And that would be perfectly justified, since in its time Dawson’s Creek was a genuine sensation. It might be hard to remember, since the show became the water that all teen drama swims in, but Dawson’s Creek had a rare knack for meeting its audience where it was.

Manchester City’s week is moving along sweetly, this win closing the gap to three points to Arsenal, who travel to Brentford on Thursday. On Sunday, they defeated Liverpool at Anfield, on Wednesday they downed Fulham at home to reel off a 20th consecutive victory against them.

The rosiest moment for the title challengers was Erling Haaland’s 39th‑minute strike, a first in the competition from open play in nine games, though more concerning was his removal at the break, when City led 3-0.

Cognitive health in later life is ‘strongly influenced’ by lifelong exposure to intellectually stimulating environments, say researchers

Reading, writing and learning a language or two can lower your risk of dementia by almost 40%, according to a study that suggests millions of people could prevent or delay the condition.

Dementia is one of the world’s biggest health threats. The number of people living with the condition is forecast to triple to more than 150 million globally by 2050, and experts say it presents a big and rapidly growing threat to future health and social care systems in every community, country and continent.

Israeli leader was expected to advocate for more forceful US intervention during sixth visit to current White House

Donald Trump has said that he is still seeking a deal with Iran to prevent it from seeking a nuclear weapon following a three-hour meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu in which the Israeli leader was expected to advocate for a more forceful intervention by the US military.

Netanyahu’s sixth visit to the White House since Trump returned to office ended without any public remarks between the two leaders. The results of the hastily arranged meeting were announced by Trump in an online post.