Sometimes a car can turn out to be somewhat of a quandary. Take the new KGM Actyon, KGM was formerly SsangYong and the Actyon is an SUV that sits between the Torres and Rexton.
There’s much to like about the Actyon including excellent build quality, including a superb paint finish, standard equipment levels and, although subjective, a striking and stand out style. However, there’s also a couple of things that would irritate longer term.
Power comes from a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol unit mated to a 6-speed automatic. This is the first of the irritations in that the normal refined drive is rather broken under acceleration. The engine has a lot to haul and the transmission seems to take an age to catch up pushing the engine revs high. It just doesn’t seem, or drive, like a good match.
This is a shame as under more relaxed driving it’s a smooth and refined machine. That engine and transmission combination would also account for the poor fuel consumption which during my time with the Actyon averaged, in mixed driving, 27 mpg. Not great!
Thankfully there’s much more to like than dislike with the Actyon. The paint finish on my test car was superb with the flake in the metallic black finish popping. The interior is extremely well finished from the leather upholstery to the suede trim.
Standard equipment is generous to say the least with heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, auto lights and wipers, powered seats, keyless entry and start, power tailgate, intelligent cruise control, TomTom navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto along with wireless phone charging and more. Even given the €45,843/£38,649 price tag it’s a voluminous list.
To say there’s space inside the Actyon is an understatement, it is extremely spacious and with the comfortable seats it’s a rather nice place to be on any journey. The slightly curved touchscreen is much more integrated than many of the ‘bolt-on’ looking iPads we’re used to seeing on most cars and the Actyon dash looks far classier than rivals as a result.
The touchscreen is annoyingly slow to react but on the plus side it’s easy to switch off the driver annoyance…sorry assistance…features. Leave them switched on and there is more bong than Big Ben, and they’re far too sensitive often giving little idea why the car doesn’t like what you’re doing.
All told the Actyon feels nicely premium despite some reviewers thinking it variously cheap to okay, certainly I’ve seen worse on equivalent priced rivals. Add the build quality, striking style and the fact it will be a rare sight and it will appeal to those tired of lookalike cars. The downside is likely to be residuals but even more so the poor fuel consumption. I’m sure KGM will address the touchscreen issues and hopefully the engine gearbox combination and poor fuel consumption.
Model tested was UK-specification and equipment levels and prices may vary in other markets
Israel attacks three Houthi ports and a power plant in Yemen Sunday night, Monday morning, July 7th | Credit: @sabio69 on X
Israeli Defence Forces carried out their first strikes against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen since the Tel Aviv-Tehran ceasefire. The Israeli military attacked three Yemeni ports and a power plant around midnight on local time Sunday night and into Monday morning, CNN reported.
The attacks come shortly after the Israeli military issued evacuation orders for civilians in the areas, warning of imminent air strikes, the BBC said.
The Israeli Air Force said these strikes on Yemen’s three ports were in response to “repeated attacks” by the Houthis on Israel and its citizens. It added that the targeted ports were being used to “transfer weapons from the Iranian regime to carry out terror plans” against Israel and its allies.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed on social media the strikes on the Houthi-controlled sites, including a power station and a ship that was hijacked by the group two years ago.
Houthis will pay ‘a heavy price’
Katz said the strikes were part of “Operation Black Flag” and warned that the Houthis “will continue to pay a heavy price for their actions”.
“The fate of Yemen is the same as the fate of Tehran. Anyone who tries to harm Israel will be harmed, and anyone who raises a hand against Israel will have their hand cut off,” he said in a post on X.
“Houthi forces installed a radar system on the ship and have been using it to track vessels in the international maritime arena to facilitate further terrorist activities,” the IDF said in a statement following the strikes.
Following the strikes, Houthi forces said they “effectively repelled” the Israeli attacks, according to a post from a Houthi spokesperson on X, according to ABC News.
Enrique Iglesias delights 25,000 fans upon his return to Spain after a long absence | Credit: @Enriqueiglesias/Instagram
It had been six years since Enrique Iglesias last sang on Spanish soil, but on Saturday night in Gran Canaria, he didn’t just return—he reclaimed it. And nobody expected it because, as reported by Euro Weekly News in mid-2022, the son of Julio Iglesias had announced his retirement from the music business.
Under the warm island sky and in front of 25,000 roaring fans, the Madrid-born global star brought his entire world back to where it began. And what unfolded wasn’t just a concert. It was a reckoning—intimate, explosive, and unapologetically his.
The stadium was vibrant, filled with energy even before Iglesias sounded off his first note. There was a hum in the air and a roaring vibration on the ground as if something unprecedented or surreal was about to happen. And then, it did. The opening bars of “Súbeme la radio” streamed through the air and into the night, and just like that, time collapsed.
No filler, no gimmicks
Thousands of LED bracelets lit up the stands, and thousands of Iglesias’s fans danced to his rhythm, as if the crowd itself had become a living, breathing constellation.
For two hours, Enrique delivered what his fans expected. He gave them all he is and all he has, which is more than enough.
No filler, no gimmicks—just music, memory, and connection. From “Bailando” to “El perdón” to “Duele el corazón,” each track hit like a homecoming anthem. The hits weren’t dusted off for nostalgia—they were alive, pulsing with new urgency, sung not just by him but by a crowd that knew every word and had waited too damn long to shout them back.
But the night’s real magic came not with the bangers, but with the stillness. Mid-set, Enrique dimmed the lights and brought out Argentine artist Emilia. The two performed “Héroe,” a song that’s now old enough to vote, yet still holds the emotional weight of a fresh scar. Emilia, fresh off her own fiery set, met Enrique note for note—raw, exposed, and unafraid. Their duet was less a performance, more shared memory. And in that moment, every love lost and held onto in that crowd rose with them.
Later, Emilia posted simply, “Gracias de corazón, Enrique.” She didn’t need to say more. The moment had spoken for itself.
Enrique on stage with Emilia | Credit: @emiliamernes/Instagram
“Héroe” has never left the Spanish bloodstream. Even pop royalty like Dua Lipa paid tribute to it earlier this year, performing it in Spanish during her Madrid tour stop. That song, like Enrique himself, doesn’t age—it transforms.
There was a gravity to this night, and not just because it marked Enrique’s first show in Spain since 2019. He turns 50 this year. It’s also the 30th anniversary of his debut album—three decades that saw him break from Julio Iglesias’s long shadow and build his throne on the global stage.
He’s no longer just the heartthrob from the ’90s. He’s one of the best-selling Latin artists of all time, with over 180 million albums sold and more than 19 billion streams in the digital ether.
They sang like he’d never left
But here’s the truth Enrique proved on Saturday: statistics don’t sing back. People do. And the people of Spain? They sang like he never left.
The Gran Canaria performance was also one of only five shows on his 2025 tour—a list that includes cities as far-flung as Sofia, Abu Dhabi, and Mumbai. Spain got the only hometown date. And the fans knew it. They treated every note like a gift.
Earlier in the day, festival-goers were treated to vibrant sets by Rawayana, Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso, and the electric Picoco’s, but once Enrique Iglesias took the stage, time just seemed to freeze and stand still in awe. The music, the light, the voices—it became something tribal—a collective release.
When it ended, there was no encore. Just Enrique, hand on his heart, eyes full of something unsaid. Maybe gratitude. Maybe relief. Maybe both.
What’s certain is this: Spain didn’t just witness a concert. It welcomed home a son.
Enrique showing his best on-stage moves | Credit: @nabscab/Instagram
Spain health officials might have to start paying more attention to mental consequences of heat than the physical ones | Credit: Tero Vesalainen/Shutterstock
Spain was stricken by heat waves of up to 44 degrees in some parts of the country between Saturday, 28th, and July 1st, according to several weather news websites, which added, that 2025 has been the hottest year so far on record in 13 provinces and the second hottest in six other provinces.
During the heatwave from late June to early July, at least 380 people died, as reported by Euro Weekly News. Worse yet, however, since the start of this year, over 2,165 have died across Spain, while in all of 2024, 3,521 people died due to extreme weather conditions, El Confidencial reported.
New information suggests that the heat waves currently affecting Spain could have more severe consequences than initially expected, impacting not only physical health but also mental well-being, according to a separate article in El Confidencial.
Heat causes 50% more mental disorders
A recent study reveals that prolonged exposure to high temperatures increases the risk of psychological disorders, a threat that will particularly affect young people if urgent measures are not taken.
The research, published in the journal Nature Climate Change and conducted by the University of Adelaide, estimates that the burden of heat-related mental and behavioural disorders could increase by up to 50 per cent in the coming decades.
These conclusions, although focused on Australia, can be extrapolated to regions of southern Europe, where climate change is causing longer and more extreme summers.
The research team cross-referenced temperature data with health statistics to calculate the number of healthy life years lost due to heat-related mental illness, known as DALYs.
In total, they estimate more than 8,400 years of life lost annually between 2003 and 2018, in Australia alone, due to disorders such as anxiety, depression, or schizophrenia aggravated by extreme heat.
“From mild malaise to severe conditions like schizophrenia, rising temperatures are complicating the lives of millions of people,” said Peng Bi, lead author of the study.
The trend indicates these numbers could worsen if health services are not strengthened with a climate and mental health perspective.
Spain under the spotlight
Regions such as Andalusia, Extremadura, and the Valencian Community present favourable conditions for a higher incidence of these problems. High sun exposure and recurring heat waves could increase the demand for mental health care.
Furthermore, northern regions, less accustomed to extreme temperatures, could also be severely affected by the increasingly frequent heat waves.
Dr. Jingwen Liu emphasises that the impact of heat on mental health goes beyond population growth: “Our findings demonstrate that climate change will increase mental health problems beyond what would be expected from population growth alone.”
Other effects of heat overlooked
One of the most worrying aspects is the impact on youth mental health. Another study linked to the main report found that for every degree increase in average daily temperature, the number of emergency room visits for suicidal thoughts among adolescents increases by 1.3 per cent.
This data highlights the urgent need to integrate mental health into climate emergency plans. Currently, heat wave warnings primarily focus on preventing physical effects, such as dehydration or heat stroke, while overlooking the emotional and psychological impact, which can be equally debilitating and more persistent over time.
Ignoring this silent component of the climate crisis could further aggravate its consequences in the medium and long term, Peng Bi also warned.