What happened
Irish novelist Sally Rooney has declared that she will use royalties from the BBC to support Palestine Action, a group banned in the UK as a terrorist organisation. The "Normal People" author (pictured above) made the pledge in The Irish Times, saying it would be unlawful to publish such remarks in a British paper. Palestine Action was proscribed by the British Government last month after activists broke into RAF Brize Norton and caused £7 million worth of damage to military aircraft. Under the new law, membership or financial support for the group carries prison terms of up to 14 years.

Who said what
Rooney argued that if her stance makes her "a supporter of terror under UK law, so be it". But "fame doesn't give you the right to fund terror", said Zoe Strimpel in The Telegraph. Rooney's "insouciant entitlement is quite something".

What next?
Rooney's declaration comes amid ongoing arrests linked to Palestine Action, with more than 700 people detained in six weeks. She warned that the ban had "profound" consequences, claiming artists and writers now faced legal jeopardy simply for expressing support. A BBC spokesperson said: "Matters relating to proscribed organisations are for the relevant authorities."

What happened
One of the largest demonstrations in Israel since the Gaza war began drew vast crowds to Tel Aviv last night, with participants demanding both an end to the fighting and the release of hostages. The rally, estimated by organisers to have involved about 500,000 people, capped a day of strikes and nationwide protests. Hostage Square in central Tel Aviv became the focal point as marchers chanted: "Bring them all home! Stop the war!" Dozens were arrested as the protests spread across the country, with roads blocked and clashes breaking out with police.

Who said what
Benjamin Netanyahu criticised the rallies, saying they "harden Hamas's position" and risk a repeat of 7 October.

This was "one of the largest coordinated demonstrations since the beginning of the Gaza war nearly two years ago", said CNN. The debate over how to bring Hamas's hostages back has "split Israeli society", said The New York Times, "pitting many of the hostage families and their allies against Mr Netanyahu and his government".

What next?
Egyptian mediators are reportedly pushing for a 60-day truce that would see the hostages freed. Israeli protest leaders have vowed to "shut down the country" until a deal is reached.

Heatwaves have hit Norway, Sweden, Finland and even the Arctic Circle this summer, with Finland recording a record run of 22 days above 30C.

The effects of this year's heatwave include toxic algal blooms in lakes and the Baltic Sea, overheated hospitals having to cancel surgeries and a spate of wildfires. "Tropical nights" are a particular threat to an ageing population; a 2018 heatwave in the Nordic region was linked to 750 deaths in Sweden alone.

Climate change has made heatwaves at least 10 times more likely and 2C hotter, according to a World Weather Attribution report.

That's a problem for Scandinavian homes, which rarely have air conditioning and are designed to retain warmth. Locals manage the summer heat in low-tech ways, such as by keeping blinds drawn all day.

They also take to the water: clean coastlines, shorter working hours and a culture that's built around community beach clubs mean that it's commonplace for Danes and Swedes to go for a quick dip on the way to and from work.

Animals are also impacted by the heat, both directly and because their altered migration patterns in search of shade and water bring them dangerously close to human settlements.

In Lapland, home to Santa's sleigh pullers, a heat-driven increase in the insect population has driven reindeer from their natural grazing grounds and towards towns and roads. With the Arctic warming four to five times faster than the rest of the Earth, reindeer herds may soon have to be housed in barns, bringing a knock-on effect to the livelihood and semi-nomadic lifestyle of the Indigenous Sámi herders.