World news summaries — Page 8
Essential facts and source links for recent world stories.
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Iran awaits US reply after Trump rejects plan to reopen Hormuz within seven days
Iran is waiting for mediators to deliver an official US response after President Donald Trump rejected its proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping within seven days. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said its terms matched a June US-Iran memorandum. -
Millions return to Khartoum as power, water and medicine remain scarce
An estimated 2.7 million people have returned to Khartoum since the army recaptured Sudan’s capital last year, but power and water can be out for days, medicine is scarce and many are unemployed; some returnees are sending their families abroad again. -
Swiss referendum puts stricter neutrality policy to a vote
Swiss voters decide Sunday whether to tighten the country’s constitutional neutrality policy. If approved, the initiative would bar Switzerland from imposing sanctions on countries that start wars, except for UN sanctions, while allowing business with them to continue as usual. -
UN roundup: Iceland counters Netanyahu, Canada seeks wider ties, Xi rumor debunked
At Saturday’s U.N. General Assembly, Iceland’s foreign minister turned Benjamin Netanyahu’s “moral cowards” label against leaders who refuse peace and block aid. Canada highlighted efforts to widen its partnerships, while a rumor that Xi Jinping would visit New York proved false. -
EU pledges over €710m in crisis aid, mostly for sub-Saharan Africa
The EU pledged more than €710m ($810m) in humanitarian aid for people affected by crises, disasters and conflicts, with most of the funding earmarked for sub-Saharan Africa. The package includes €380m for migration-related measures and €97m for humanitarian needs. -
Ping Ping and Fu Shuang leave China for Zoo Atlanta on loan
Ping Ping and Fu Shuang left Chengdu for Zoo Atlanta at 2:55 a.m. Sunday local time, China’s Xinhua news agency reported. The giant pandas are traveling on loan from the Chinese government and are scheduled to arrive in Atlanta early Sunday. -
No trace yet in search for Woodland couple missing after Nepal floods
Woodland couple Rao and Vasu Unnava have been missing about a month after catastrophic flooding in Nepal during a Mount Kailash pilgrimage. A friend says searchers are reaching the area with equipment, but have found no trace there or elsewhere, including hospitals. -
Hattusha fragment identified as part of Egypt–Hittite peace treaty
Turkey's Culture Ministry says a cuneiform fragment excavated in 2025 at Hattusha belongs to an Akkadian copy of the Egypt–Hittite peace treaty. Its surviving lines address people fleeing between Egypt and Hatti and protection of their homes from destruction. -
Shooting near Kingstown kills four and wounds four
Police said four people were killed and four wounded in a Friday-night shooting in Green Hill near Kingstown. Two wounded people remained in hospital Saturday; no arrests had been made, and police had not established a motive for the apparent gang-related attack. -
Von der Leyen unveils EU’s nearly €710 million crisis-aid package
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced an almost €710 million EU aid package for displaced people in sub-Saharan Africa and people affected by crises worldwide. Final budget approval is still pending for the €252 million humanitarian-aid allocation. -
Anthropologist Biao Xiang becomes an unlikely idol among Chinese youth
Anthropologist Biao Xiang has become an unlikely idol for young Chinese people anxious about jobs, relationships and relentless competition. He connects their personal stress to wider social changes and says describing these problems is a way to analyse and manage them. -
Australian leaders say US debate is amplifying datacentre backlash
Australia’s AI datacentre backlash has become a national issue in 2026, prompting protests, three government inquiries and calls for a moratorium. Officials and industry leaders say US debate is fueling resistance; critics cite local energy and water concerns. -
Vatican estimates 800,000 at Leo XIV’s Paris Mass before Lourdes pilgrimage
Pope Leo XIV celebrated an outdoor Mass in Paris on Saturday before travelling to Lourdes for a pilgrimage. The Vatican estimated about 800,000 attended, above the 600,000 registered in advance; Leo began in Lourdes with silent prayer at the grotto. -
One ticket wins Saturday’s £5.8m Lotto jackpot
A single ticket won Saturday’s £5.8 million Lotto jackpot, while three other players each received £1 million for matching five main numbers plus the Bonus Ball. It was September’s third jackpot, following wins of £7.8 million and £12 million earlier in the month. -
Hamas accuses Board of Peace of aligning with Israel over UNRWA in Gaza
Hamas condemned the Board of Peace over its position on UNRWA in Gaza, accusing the board of aligning with Israel. The Board said UNRWA’s Gaza involvement was unchanged, but also said it would work only with trusted partners and judged UNRWA to fail its tests. -
Madrid rally challenges Sanchez over migration policy and Ceuta influx
Thousands rallied in Madrid against Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s migration policy and handling of the July influx into Ceuta. The government counted 20,000 attendees; organizers claimed 180,000. Protesters demanded an early election by mid-November. -
Pope Leo begins Lourdes pilgrimage after Vatican estimates 800,000 at Paris Mass
Pope Leo XIV arrived in Lourdes Saturday evening to continue his four-day France visit, opening with prayer at the Grotto of the Apparitions. The Vatican estimated attendance at his Paris Mass at roughly 800,000, versus 600,000 advance registrations. -
AP spotlights six leaders’ remarks from the UN General Debate
The Associated Press spotlighted six leaders whose remarks might not have drawn headlines on Saturday, the fifth day of the 2026 UN General Debate. Moldova’s Prime Minister Vasile Tofan said Moldova could be a great country even if it never becomes a great power. -
Lufthansa's Toronto-bound flight lands in Manchester after cabin odour
Lufthansa said a strange cabin odour prompted its Frankfurt-to-Toronto flight, carrying 371 passengers, to turn back over Scotland and land in Manchester on Saturday. Passengers disembarked normally and are due to fly to Toronto Sunday on a replacement flight. -
The Parenthood estimates raising one child in Australia costs $17,800 a year
Figures from The Parenthood, reported by The Age, put annual child-raising costs in Australia at about $17,800 for one child and more than $36,500 for two. The group's CEO Georgie Dent says affordability is a significant factor in the country's falling birth rate. -
Wadephul urges UN members to pursue shared safeguards for powerful AI
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul urged UN members on Saturday to develop shared safety rules for powerful AI models. He said providers should be required to test models before release and report serious safety flaws, backed by effective national and regional oversight. -
Vatican estimates 800,000 at Pope Leo XIV’s Champs-Élysées event
Mediaite reported nearly a million people turned out for Pope Leo XIV’s Saturday event on Paris’s Champs-Élysées, while the Vatican put the crowd at about 800,000—roughly 200,000 more than registered. It was the largest event of his four-day France trip. -
Both girls survive sixth-floor fall; Japan father arrested on attempted-murder suspicion
Tomokazu Miura, 25, was arrested in Japan on suspicion of attempted murder after allegedly throwing his 4- and 1-year-old daughters from a sixth-floor balcony on Sept. 26. Both survived and were hospitalized with injuries believed to be non-life-threatening. -
Millions mark Meskel in Ethiopia amid renewed fighting in Tigray
Millions of Ethiopian Christians gathered for Meskel, which commemorates the discovery of the True Cross, while fighting between government troops and forces loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front continued in Tigray and spilled into Amhara and Afar. -
Madrid march demands stronger tenant protections after Abascal's eviction
Thousands marched through central Madrid on Saturday after 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal was evicted from her home earlier this week, demanding stronger tenant protections and action on rising housing costs. Authorities estimated 25,000 participants; organisers said 300,000. -
Arts Council England accredits Charlbury's volunteer-run heritage museum
Charlbury Museum & Heritage Centre has received national accreditation through Arts Council England’s UK Museum Accreditation scheme. The volunteer-run Oxfordshire charity said the recognition would put it in a stronger position to seek grants and other outside funding. -
87-year-old María del Carmen Abascal's eviction sparks Madrid protest
Thousands marched in Madrid on Saturday after 87-year-old María del Carmen Abascal was evicted from her longtime apartment on Wednesday, calling for tenant protections, anti-fraud rules and a ban on evictions unless alternative housing is available. -
Jet2 passengers reboard after alleged bomb threat on Tenerife flight
Passengers on Jet2 flight LS1536 from Tenerife to London Stansted were evacuated as a precaution on Sept. 25 after a fellow traveler allegedly made a bomb threat. They reboarded after safety checks; the flight departed at 2:01 p.m., 2 hours 41 minutes late.
