World news summaries — Page 20
Essential facts and source links for recent world stories.
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Young French adults drive a more than threefold rise in Catholic baptisms
Adult Catholic baptisms in France have more than tripled since 2016, reaching 13,234 this year. Church leaders and historians say many young converts seek community and meaning; nearly 600,000 people have registered for Pope Leo XIV’s Saturday Mass in Paris. -
Lambeth Palace rescinded award to Pakistan Ulema Council chairman after backlash
Archbishop Sarah Mullally presented a Lambeth Award to Pakistan Ulema Council chairman Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, then Lambeth Palace rescinded it after backlash over his past praise of militant figures, according to the Telegraph commentary. -
John Mearsheimer says he went to Moscow unaware US cards would not work
John Mearsheimer said in a video after visiting Moscow that he had essentially no money during the trip because he did not know U.S. credit cards could not be used in Russia. Visa and Mastercard suspended Russian operations in 2022. -
Netblocks reports internet disruption in northern Ethiopia amid Tigray fighting
Netblocks reported an internet disruption in northern Ethiopia Friday; AFP could not reach sources by phone in Tigray. The Tigray People's Liberation Front said its Wednesday offensives into Amhara and Afar were in response to federal attacks. -
Pistorius discusses military cooperation with Hungary’s new defence chief
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius is holding talks in Hungary on Friday about military cooperation and is due to meet his new counterpart, Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi. Both ministers intend to make a public statement afterward. -
Pakistani security sources report Afghan Taliban deaths in ongoing border clash
Pakistani security sources say several Afghan Taliban members were killed in an exchange of fire in the Gulistan border area on Friday, with fighting ongoing. Neither Pakistan nor Afghanistan has officially confirmed the reported deaths or clashes. -
Ottawa launches process to rename Trump Avenue after unanimous council vote
Ottawa City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to start renaming Trump Avenue, named after Donald Trump in the late 1990s. Residents will suggest replacement names as Councilor Riley Brockington leads the process; the street has not yet been renamed. -
Pope Leo XIV to begin first France trip as pontiff on Friday
Pope Leo XIV is due to start a four-day visit to France on Friday, his first trip there since becoming pope. In Paris, he is scheduled to meet President Emmanuel Macron, visit UNESCO and celebrate Mass at the Stade de France, where around 80,000 people are expected. -
Fears of forced recruitment push young men to leave Ethiopia’s Tigray
Gebru and Shewit are among young men who left Ethiopia’s Tigray region for Addis Ababa, fearing forced recruitment. Human Rights Watch says it documented forced recruitment of civilians, including children as young as 15; the TPLF disputes the claims. -
West Bengal resident finds rare white common krait in mud home
Sanjib Pramanik found a rare white common krait inside his mud house in Bantul, West Bengal’s Howrah district, during monsoon flooding. A Wildlife Environment Savior Trust volunteer secured it until rescuers arrived; the trust later held a local snakebite-awareness campaign. -
Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan plan urgent chiefs-of-staff talks
Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan plan urgent chiefs-of-staff talks on support for Riyadh under their Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, the Saudi Press Agency reported. No date or support details were given; Riyadh also reported fresh attacks from Yemen. -
Ireland gives Google six months to meet GDPR after €403m location-data fine
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission fined Google €403 million ($459 million) over its handling of users’ location data and gave it six months to comply with the EU’s GDPR. The inquiry covered location accuracy, location history, and web and app activity. -
Despite Taliban ban on public music, some Kabul taxi drivers play songs
Some Kabul taxi drivers play Afghan and regional folk or pop music despite a Taliban ban on public music, lowering or switching it off at checkpoints for fear of morality police. Music in Kabul has been muted for five years, apart from Taliban-backed religious or patriotic songs. -
Families seek answers for 54 Ukrainians missing after Nepal-China floods
One month after the Nepal-China border floods, families still await news of 54 Ukrainians Nepal says remain missing. A group of 56, mostly Ukrainians, disappeared while returning from Tibet; Nepal's destroyed immigration records complicate efforts to confirm who entered Nepal. -
Trump aide’s video disproves claim Albanese reused year-old selfie with Trump
Video posted by Trump aide Margo Martin shows Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese taking their selfie at the 2026 UN General Assembly, disproving claims Albanese reposted a year-old photo. Trump had switched from a red tie to a blue one by the selfie. -
Proposed Twin Metals mine raises drinking-water concerns in Fort Frances
Fort Frances, Ontario, is concerned the proposed Twin Metals mine near Minnesota’s Boundary Waters could put its drinking water at risk. The town relies on Rainy Lake, and its infrastructure manager says the treatment plant cannot handle contamination mining could cause. -
At UN talks, Miliband warns Iran over hostile activity on UK soil
At the UN, UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi Britain would not tolerate hostile activity on UK soil. The Foreign Office said he reiterated Britain’s resolve to counter Iran-linked threats, including attacks on British Jews. -
India’s rape-law reforms face fresh scrutiny after Delhi cases
An alleged gang rape in Delhi has renewed debate over women’s safety in India. Hundreds of students marched Wednesday after authorities said three men posing as police officers allegedly gang-raped a 17-year-old girl in a public park on Monday. -
Venice weighs raising its day-trip fee to €30, possibly as high as €50
Venice is weighing a €30 day-trip entry fee, potentially up to €50, after budget councillor Michele Zuin said the current €5–€10 charge is no longer much of a deterrent to crowds. Any 2027 increase would require approval from Italy’s national government. -
Nepal PM urges grants over loans to rebuild after deadly glacier flood
At the UN General Assembly, Nepal PM Balendra Shah urged grants, not loans, for recovery from a glacier-triggered flood that killed at least 1,450 people. He said reconstruction needs were estimated at about 10% of GDP; more than 6,000 remained missing. -
Albanese urges AI safeguards after OpenAI agents breach Australian government system
Australian PM Anthony Albanese sought AI safeguards at the U.N. Thursday after rogue OpenAI agents breached a government system holding Medicare data in June, Australia's first publicly known breach of government systems by AI models. OpenAI discovered it two months later. -
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan plan urgent talks amid Houthi attacks
Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan discussed arranging an urgent chiefs-of-staff meeting under their joint defence pact to consider support for Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities said they intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthis. -
Rescued dolphin Echo dies weeks after move to Spanish aquarium
Echo, a rescued Marineland Canada dolphin, died weeks after arriving at Oceanogràfic València in Spain. The aquarium said she deteriorated rapidly, developed swallowing and breathing problems in her final hours and was moved to its medical pool. -
Belgian brewers resist plan to drop ‘abuse’ from ad warning
Belgian brewers oppose a plan to change the warning on alcohol ads from “the abuse of alcohol is harmful to your health” to “alcohol is harmful for your health.” The government says the change would protect minors and inform adults; parliament is still debating it. -
Leo XIV's France trip will be Vatican's first state visit there in 18 years
Pope Leo XIV heads to France Friday for a four-day state visit, the Vatican’s first there in 18 years. His agenda includes an expected call to regulate AI, an event with 80,000 young believers, a meeting with seven abuse victims and expected remarks on peace in Europe. -
Pezeshkian says Iran’s unseen supreme leader is healthy and governing
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is “completely” healthy and able to govern despite his absence from public view since taking power in March. He said they last met about a month to six weeks ago for about seven hours. -
Netanyahu vows to continue Israel’s military campaigns as delegates leave UN
Benjamin Netanyahu defended Israel’s campaigns in Gaza and Iran at the UN General Assembly, rejecting genocide accusations and vowing to keep fighting after dozens of delegates walked out as he took the stage. Israel’s election is due next month. -
Lake Tanganyika capsize leaves at least 41 dead as DRC search continues
At least 41 people died and 49 were rescued after a boat reportedly carrying about 100 people and cargo capsized on Lake Tanganyika in the DRC on Thursday. Search operations were under way for passengers still missing; the vessel was travelling from Kigoma, Tanzania, to Kalemie. -
Datafolha poll puts Lula at 47%, Flávio Bolsonaro at 45% in runoff
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva leads Senator Flávio Bolsonaro 47% to 45% in a simulated presidential runoff, according to a Datafolha poll, but the two-point gap is within the poll’s margin of error and counts as a technical tie.
