World news summaries
Essential facts and source links for recent world stories.
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Pope Leo ends France visit in Metz, urging Europe to build on Christian heritage
Pope Leo XIV ended his four-day France visit in Metz on Monday, urging Europe to build on its Christian heritage and culture of dialogue. The stop honored Robert Schuman, a French Catholic statesman who became one of the architects of European integration after World War II. -
At least one killed as Russian drone hits Kyiv’s National Academy of Sciences
A Russian drone strike on Ukraine’s National Academy of Sciences in central Kyiv killed at least one person and injured six on Monday, the State Emergency Service said. Officials said the wider wave of strikes killed at least seven people and wounded dozens. -
Congo reports 8,067 confirmed Bundibugyo Ebola cases and 3,901 deaths
Congo’s health ministry reported 8,067 confirmed Bundibugyo Ebola cases and 3,901 deaths as of Sept. 26, across 63 health zones in seven provinces. A shortage of health workers and strikes over delayed or missing pay are hampering efforts to contain the outbreak. -
UK diesel price reaches 199.18p a litre, a record, RAC says
UK diesel has reached a record 199.18p per litre, the RAC says, up 59p—nearly 40%—since the US-Iran conflict began at the end of February. Filling an average family car now costs £110, £31 more, as war-related supply disruption pushes fuel prices higher. -
EU ministers weigh defence readiness and a joint response to Russian hybrid threats
EU defence ministers are meeting to discuss responses to Russian hybrid threats and Europe's defence readiness. An EU report identified gaps in air defence, drones and ammunition; efforts to close them were described as insufficient to significantly strengthen readiness by 2030. -
At Metz interfaith meeting, Pope Leo XIV calls for peace and dialogue
Pope Leo XIV urged Jewish, Muslim, Protestant and Orthodox leaders in Metz on Monday to promote peace and dialogue, warning that using God's name to justify violence or oppression profanes it. He linked the appeal to Europe's postwar unity. -
Three men arrested on suspicion after Lancashire hare-coursing reports; police seize dogs
Three men were arrested on suspicion of hare coursing after reports of the activity in Halsall, near Ormskirk, west Lancashire. Rural Taskforce officers seized dogs, a car and equipment when they responded on Saturday. -
A hospital death raises toll in Wedela tavern shooting to 18
One victim died in hospital after gunmen attacked a tavern in Wedela, west of Johannesburg, raising the death toll to 18, police said Monday. Eighteen people were wounded; at least two of the dead were Lesotho nationals. No arrests had been made, and the motive was unclear. -
A WEF water discussion was misrepresented as a plan to add vaccines to drinking water
An Indonesian Instagram video viewed over 430,000 times falsely claimed the World Economic Forum proposed putting vaccines in drinking water. A 2022 WEF clip shows professor Mariana Mazzucato discussing water as a shared global concern; no speaker suggested it. -
Renewed Tigray fighting prompts Senate Democrats to urge Rubio to intervene
Senate Democrats led by Jeanne Shaheen are urging Secretary of State Marco Rubio to intervene as fighting renews in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. They say the African Union-brokered deal that ended the 2020–22 civil war is unraveling, amid fears of a return to war. -
Three vans stopped en route to RAF Fairford; five men arrested
Five men were arrested on suspicion of explosives and terrorism offences after police stopped three vans heading for RAF Fairford, which hosts US bombers. Counter-terror police are probing a possible Iran link; the defence secretary said it was too early to speculate on motive. -
Turkish comedian Deniz Goktas faces trial over June stand-up show
Turkish comedian Deniz Goktas was due to go on trial in Istanbul on Monday, accused of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and inciting public hatred during a June stand-up show. He has been held in pretrial detention since his July 3 arrest. -
Iranian pupils begin returning as southern schools stay online for two weeks
Pupils began returning last week, but schools and universities in southern provinces, including Minab, will remain online for two weeks over fears of renewed US bombing. At Minab’s rebuilt school, students gathered for about an hour to mark the new school year. -
Five held as UK probes possible Iran-linked attack near RAF Fairford
British police are holding five men detained early Sunday after three vans were spotted near RAF Fairford. Detectives are examining suspected explosives found nearby and probing whether the arrests foiled an attempted attack with a possible Iran link; 85 homes were evacuated. -
Derry driver says about 20 masked youths hurled boulders at bus
Driver Tony McBride said about 20 masked youths hurled missiles and boulders at his Translink bus on Lecky Road, Londonderry, at about 18:25 BST on Saturday. Five windows were damaged; two children and elderly passengers were shaken but not hurt. -
Europe regains gender-gap lead, but parity is not expected for 70 years
Europe has regained the global lead in closing the gender gap, with 75.7% of its overall gap closed, according to new World Economic Forum data. The report says full parity is not expected for 70 years, and results vary sharply among European countries. -
Wüst begins Turkey visit calling for a new chapter in German-Turkish ties
Wüst, premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, called for a “new chapter” in ties with Turkey as he began a three-day visit Monday. The trip marks 65 years since the 1961 agreement allowing Turkish “guest workers” to work in West Germany. -
Thames Water locates leak amid possible disruption for homes in seven boroughs
Thames Water says homes in Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Richmond upon Thames, Sutton and Wandsworth in south London, and Elmbridge and Spelthorne in Surrey, may have no water or low pressure. Engineers have located a leak and are working to restore supply. -
Beijing reports AI dialogue and truce extension after Trump-Xi summit
Beijing says the US and China agreed to launch an AI dialogue and incident channel; the trade truce now runs to 10 January. China secured lower US tariffs on $30bn of goods, but Taiwan, rare-earth exports and advanced-chip restrictions remained unresolved. -
Surrey water outage prompts closures at some schools
Some Surrey schools, including Long Ditton Infant and Nursery School and Thames Ditton Infant School, closed amid a water outage. Thames Water said it was investigating the problem affecting Thames Ditton, Esher, Sunbury and other parts of Surrey and south-west London. -
Indonesia’s fires spread regional haze; satellite project estimates nearly 896,000 hectares burned
Nusantara Atlas estimates fires had burned nearly 896,000 hectares in Indonesia by the end of August, as haze spread to Malaysia and Singapore. Indonesia’s health ministry said last week that respiratory illness cases in haze-hit provinces topped 170,000. -
Ukrainian corps pairs night drone mine missions with daytime assaults
Ukraine’s Third Army Corps uses ground and aerial drones for night mine work before daytime assaults in northern Donetsk, commander Serhii Tischenko told Business Insider. He said darkness hides ground vehicles, while daylight helps spot Russian FPV drones. -
Bangkok floods after days of rain; disaster declared in all 50 districts
Days of heavy rain flooded Bangkok, disrupting roads, businesses and public transport. Authorities declared a disaster across all 50 districts and made Monday and Tuesday public holidays; officials said two to three rain-free days could be needed to drain the remaining water. -
Gates urges AI rules, saying it could drive events causing a billion deaths
Bill Gates urged artificial intelligence regulation, saying AI could be powerful enough to drive events that cause a billion deaths. He said self-regulation was not enough and called for politicians and law enforcement to discuss safeguards and monitoring. -
Overnight pipe repair ends water outage for West Sussex customers
Southern Water said a burst pipe was repaired overnight and water restored to all affected customers by Monday morning, after up to 9,000 customers in West Sussex lost supply. Roads near Crawley's Southgate Roundabout were also closed. -
Public and business leaders across 10 EU countries want more renewable investment
A survey in Germany and nine other EU countries found that people and business leaders want more investment in renewable energy and less reliance on energy imports. About 74% of German business leaders said renewables could help reduce energy price shocks. -
Zelenskyy’s North Korean POW-transfer disclosure prompts Seoul to demand an apology from Ukraine
South Korea demanded an apology and explanation after Zelenskyy said at the U.N. last week that Ukraine had transferred two North Korean POWs to Seoul. Seoul says the disclosure breached a nondisclosure deal; Kyiv denies the deal existed. -
Israel revokes Dutch diplomats’ status and gives them a week to return credentials
Israel revoked the diplomatic status of Dutch diplomats in Ramallah and gave them seven days to return Israeli-issued documents, in retaliation for the Netherlands’ ban on goods from Israeli settlements, which took effect Sept. 22.
