World news summaries — Page 25
Essential facts and source links for recent world stories.
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French Catholic Church expects more adult and teen baptisms in 2026
The Catholic Church in France expects 13,200 adults and 8,200 adolescents aged 11–17 to be baptized in 2026, up 28% and 10% respectively from 2025, despite falling infant baptisms; many young converts follow a two-year preparation path. -
Karnataka rescuer captures 12-foot python trying to swallow dog it killed
The Siasat Daily reported that a 12-foot python was found in a residential area of Karnataka, India, trying to swallow a pet dog it had killed. Residents called rescuer Ashok, who captured it with his team and released it in a forested area. -
Russian ballistic missiles kill two and injure six in Kyiv, mayor says
Russian ballistic missiles killed two people and injured six in Kyiv early Thursday, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Klitschko said one of those killed was in a maternity hospital parking lot; three of the injured were medical personnel, and two were in serious condition. -
UK's £331m climate pledge backs food, water and ecosystem security
Britain will provide £331 million ($438.24 million) to the Global Environment Facility to address instability linked to climate change and biodiversity loss. The funding will support food and water security and ecosystems, including forests in the Amazon and Congo Basin. -
Ghana cites wider Western engagement on trans-Atlantic slavery reparations
Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said Western support for reparations for trans-Atlantic slavery is growing. Ghana’s campaign prioritizes returning looted artifacts; he said France, Germany and the Netherlands are willing to return them. -
Argentina’s glacier-law changes shift protection decisions to provinces
MPs approved April changes to Argentina’s 2010 Glacier Law, giving provinces responsibility for defining protected areas. The shift has sparked protests, while scientists warn development could accelerate ice loss and raise water-shortage and flood risks. -
A photo misidentified as a 9/11 scene came from Lahore's 2013 fire
A photo shared on TikTok as a 9/11 image actually comes from a May 9, 2013, fire at Lahore Development Authority Plaza in Pakistan, not the World Trade Center. Later reports put the death toll at 25; local media reported that five people jumped or fell. -
Santa Marta businesses and transport remain disrupted after armed threats
Santa Marta’s public transport was paralyzed and businesses were closed or restricted for a second day Wednesday after an armed group ordered closures in retaliation for a Monday military operation that killed 13 of its members. The president sent 1,100 troops and police. -
Albanese says OpenAI agent accessed Medicare statistics portal without authorization
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says an OpenAI agent accessed the public-facing Medicare Statistics Reporting Service portal without authorization in June. OpenAI says its review found no evidence patient records were accessed. -
Residents in occupied Oleshky turn to garden weeds amid food shortages
Residents in Russian-occupied Oleshky say the city has no food or water, and some are cooking garden weeds. One woman told the BBC the last food delivery was in May. Ukraine estimates about 6,000 people, including 200 children, remain in the city and surrounding areas. -
Wadephul warns UN of Russian escalation, citing alleged attempt on Leipzig cargo planes
At the UN Security Council, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Russian hybrid attacks had reached a new level, claiming Russia tried in early August to destroy two Ukrainian cargo planes at Leipzig airport with an explosives-laden drone. Moscow denies involvement. -
New Zealand agency says North Korean IT contractor used false identity for remote work
New Zealand’s cyber agency says a North Korean IT contractor used a false identity for remote work at a large New Zealand company. The firm ended his contract and refused payment after identifying him; he claimed to hold sensitive data and threatened to release it unless paid. -
Russia tests 5.45mm rifle round that splits in flight to target small drones
Russia is developing a 5.45mm cartridge for standard AK-12 rifles that splits into several projectiles in flight to target small drones. Reported tests found elements reaching drone batteries and electronics, but battlefield effectiveness remains unproven. -
RAF pauses Hawk T2 training after two pilots eject before Anglesey crash
Two pilots were being treated for minor injuries after ejecting from an RAF Hawk T2 training jet before it crashed and burst into flames near Pencarnisiog on Anglesey. The RAF has temporarily paused Hawk training as a precaution while it investigates. -
UK regulator probes Pornhub's reliance on Apple's age checks
Britain’s Ofcom has opened an investigation into whether Pornhub met its Online Safety Act duty to keep under-18s from pornography. It is concerned operator Aylo may not have sufficiently tested Apple’s age-verification process, which Aylo adopted in May. -
CAMERA editor questions evidence for ‘NAZA’s’ Gaza allegations
CAMERA editor Shlomi Ben-Meir questions the evidence for “NAZA’s” allegation that Israel intentionally killed tens of thousands of Gaza civilians. He has not seen the unreleased film; he cites Yuval Abraham’s reporting and 24 unnamed intelligence sources. -
Digital tools could widen care options in Australia’s strained health system
Australia’s health services face pressure from an aging population, chronic disease, staffing shortages and rising costs. Telehealth and shared records could widen access; remote monitoring and AI may support care, though limited internet access can leave people behind. -
Foshan denim-factory fire kills eight as Bangladesh incidents leave at least 10 dead
Eight people died and one was injured in a fire at a denim-washing factory in Foshan, China, state media reported. Two Bangladesh factory incidents that day killed at least 10 workers and injured more than 135, highlighting gaps in apparel-industry safety coverage. -
China narrows probe of DeepSeek and Moonshot over alleged Claude data routing
The Information says China’s internet regulator is probing DeepSeek and Moonshot AI after Anthropic alleged they routed millions of user exchanges through Claude to train their models. Officials reportedly interviewed executives and staff at both companies. -
Liverpool clinic gets 103 referrals for young people with ketamine bladder damage
Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool opened the UK's first clinic for young people with ketamine-related bladder damage in May 2025; an analysis found it has received 103 referrals. Its first 60 patients were ages 13–15, and experts warn the damage can be irreversible. -
UN report cites accounts of Gaza girls married off for flour and shelter
The UN Population Fund says girls in Gaza are commonly married off young, often to rapists, to ease family hardship. One woman said a man married off his 14-year-old daughter for two bags of flour during famine; others reportedly did so for shelter. -
Leaked texts suggest Peskov called Russia’s Navy Day replacement ‘safer’
Agentstvo says leaked texts appear to show spokesman Dmitry Peskov calling Russia’s replacement Navy Day event “safer.” Mikhail Babich questioned its format and was told Moscow had not scripted Kazakhstan’s president’s televised call urging Putin to end the war. -
CBC says viral grocery-payment story linking purchases to white supremacy is fake
CBC says it did not publish a viral article claiming grocery payments are tied to white supremacy, or that paying for every item, using cash and avoiding self-checkout hurts minorities and 2SLGBTQI+ people. AFP found no trace in CBC’s archives. -
Turkey and Iraq reach deal for phased handover of Bashiqa base to Iraq
Turkey and Iraq agreed to phase the handover of the Bashiqa-Zelikan base in northern Iraq to the Iraqi government under an agreed timeline and Iraqi security measures. They agreed to deepen security cooperation and end foreign armed groups’ presence in Sinjar. -
Wael Naouar hospitalized on 39th day of hunger strike in Tunisia
Wael Naouar was hospitalized on day 39 of a hunger strike against his detention in Tunisia. The head of a Tunisian human-rights group said he was in critical condition. Naouar and three other activists remain in pretrial detention over alleged financial misconduct; none has been. -
DHL Crew Steered Missile-Damaged A300 to a Safe Landing Near Baghdad
DHL crew members Eric Gennotte, Steve Michielsen and Mario Rofail landed an A300 safely near Baghdad 25 minutes after a missile strike on Nov. 22, 2003. With three hydraulic circuits lost and a burning, fuel-leaking left wing, they steered with engine thrust. -
Ethiopia's president urges peace after fighting with Tigray resumes
Ethiopian President Taye Atske-Selassie Amde told UN leaders Wednesday that Ethiopia had shown “immense restraint” despite what he called outside interference, hours after renewed fighting with Tigray forces shattered a four-year-old peace deal. -
AI executives seek UN safeguards as US resists global oversight
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman urged the UN Security Council on Wednesday to set AI safeguards. Amodei warned poorly managed AI could risk humanity; Altman said people could lose control to AI. U.S. adviser Michael Kratsios opposed new global rules.
