World News Hub

Mud baths and red water: inside Bulgaria's Lake Atanasovsko

Tourists slather mud and float in red brine at Lake Atanasovsko, while Pomorie’s salt museum preserves Bulgaria’s fading salt-making heritage.

African families’ heartbreak as young men trapped on Russian battlefields

Instead of celebrating her son’s birthday this month, Zimbabwean mother Rodwin Chitewere spent the day praying for his body to be brought home from Russia, where he was reportedly killed fighting Moscow’s war against Ukraine. In Botswana and South Africa, too, women are desperate for sons and husbands to return from a conflict many say they were duped into joining, as authorities warn recruiters a...

'One of the most naturally innovative drummers': ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard dies aged 77

Beard was the rock band’s drummer for 56 years. He kept the tempo for the band’s biggest hits like 'Sharp Dressed Man' and 'Gimme All Your Lovin''.

Can the EU stop smoking and vaping? Not quite, but it can raise taxes.

Can the EU ban smoking? Not really, but it can make it so expensive smokers think twice before lighting that cigarette.

In 1993, an art historian found a forgotten painting; 33 years later, its female creator was rediscovered

A remarkable find by an art historian in 1993 ignited a relentless pursuit to recover the lost masterpieces of Michaelina Wautier. This accomplished 17th-century painter's works had long been misattributed to men throughout history. The pivotal recovery of her 'The Five Senses' series in 2020 heralded a new era, culminating in a landmark exhibition at London's Royal Academy in 2026, finally restor...

US criticises Israel over 'unnecessary escalation' after strikes on Syrian airbase

Israel said it had attacked the base because Syria had been close to breaching an agreed-upon “status quo in security matters” by allowing Turkish troops to deploy there.

Attempts to curb Ebola cases in DR Congo fail with more than 5,000 confirmed

The Democratic Republic of Congo is facing the biggest Ebola epidemic in its history. Government data showed on Tuesday that cases now exceed 5,000. Efforts to contain the deadly illness are being hampered by weak health infrastructure, community resistance and instability. 

A rotating 'garbage island' spreads over 1.6 million sq km in the Pacific with 50 kilograms of plastic per square kilometre

Between the shores of Hawaii and California floats a staggering 1.6 million square kilometers of plastic debris. This island of waste includes not just nets and ropes but also countless microplastics that pose serious threats to marine wildlife. Animals often mistake plastics for food, while others become trapped in ghost fishing gear.

Chinese robotaxi firms see eased regulatory bottleneck in Europe as deployment picks up

The business environment for Chinese robotaxi operators in Europe has become more open and friendly over the past year, which would help facilitate Chinese firms to commercialise their self-driving technology worldwide, according to Pony AI founder and CEO James Peng. “Compared to last year, there is a clear increase in the openness towards autonomous driving and the willingness to gradually open ...

Erin Patterson appeals 3 murder convictions in Australia over death cap mushroom lunch

Triple-murderer Erin Patterson is appealing her convictions for poisoning four of her estranged husband’s relatives with death cap mushrooms

Hotel blaze in India's West Bengal kills 9 and injures 6

A fire in a hotel has killed at least nine people and injured six others in Kolkata, the capital of India’s West Bengal state

Erin Patterson challenges convictions over mushroom lunch – as it happened

This blog is now closedErin Patterson argues mushroom murder convictions should be quashed due to ‘catastrophic’ failure of justiceGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLimited accomodation during sequestering ‘issues of convenience’, Patterson’s barrister saysKidd says Patterson’s case must be considered in the context of other cases where jurors had unsupervised access to “o...

Businesses reopen after eastern Indonesia earthquake displaced thousands

Grocery stores, gas stations and other businesses have reopened across Indonesia’s Flores island

Mongolia apologises after China raises security concerns about protesters at oil camp

A senior Mongolian official has apologised after the Chinese embassy raised concern that Mongolians were “harassing the camp” of a Chinese-invested oil exploration company on Friday. According to Mongolian media, protesters went to the Kherlen Tohoi XXVIII oil exploration area on August 14, attempted to halt exploration work by Mongolia Foison Energy and conducted a social media live stream. Socia...

Where are Portugal's priciest homes? Cascais leads with prices of €4.35mn

From Cascais to the Algarve, Portugal's priciest addresses cluster along the coast, while the capital is conspicuously absent.

Where are Portugal's priciest homes? Cascais leads with prices of €4.35 million

An Idealista study pinpoints Portugal’s priciest streets: the costliest is 14 times higher than Viseu’s top street. Lisbon misses the top 10 but holds most homes worth over one million euros.

In Singapore’s battle of casinos, Marina Bay Sands holds winning hand against Sentosa

At Singapore casino Resorts World Sentosa’s Lunar New Year lucky draw for high rollers earlier this year, the biggest prize was a bottle of Martell Cognac. Across the harbour at rival Marina Bay Sands, the top sweepstakes winner walked away with a new Mercedes-Benz CLA 200 worth much more. It is one of the incidents that has made the casino duopoly in one of the world’s top gambling venues more lo...

Thinking outside the box about wellbeing: inside UK’s Medicine Festival

More than 10,000 people have traveled to Medicine Festival to take part in ancestral ceremonies, dance, practice yoga and explore different approaches to mind-body health. Many have travelled from across Europe to participate.

South Africa to Australia: Why coal profits are surging during Iran war

Coal companies are reporting a huge rise in profits, but analysts say global clean energy transition is still on track.

Australia news live: defence force personnel join search for missing 18-year-old bushwalker Lily Hooper

Follow today’s news liveFollow our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast‘Collapsing confidence’ in housing market, Wilson saysTim Wilson has jumped on that reporting around rent increases and says there has been a collapse in confidence since the budget which is hurting renters.We’ve had, since the budget, collapsing confidence, a lack of will to invest in housing that is going to be...

Meet Tina Jin, 15-year-old who turned animal bones into a water-cleaning material

Scaling back US-South Korea drills may fail to woo Kim away from China

Trump is scaling back US-South Korea military exercises as he signals interest in renewed talks with Kim Jong Un.

Belgium wildfire 'encircled' overnight but situation still 'complicated,' officials say

Firefighters launched the decisive push to encircle the wildfire on Tuesday, despite wind and rain hampering air support operations over the area.

Ukraine's fired defense minister calls for elections despite war with Russia

The former defense minister, whose firing sparked weeks of protests, said Ukraine needed to find a way to hold elections despite the prolonged war with Russia.

Ukraine's sacked defence minister Fedorov calls for wartime presidential elections

Ukraine's popular ex-defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov called for wartime elections on Tuesday evening, stating that the nation was facing a crisis of governance. Fedorov was dismissed last month, sparking days of protests across Ukraine. It is the first time since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022 that a Ukrainian political figure demands presidential elections.