Germany's Merz visits Kyiv to pledge more support to Zelensky
France 24 •

Germany's Merz visits Kyiv to pledge more support to Zelensky

Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in Kyiv on Sunday in a ​show of support for President Volodymyr Zelensky amid escalating Russian attacks on Ukraine. The Ukrainian capital has been particularly targeted in recent weeks by waves of drones striking key infrastrucure.

Ossoff and El-Sayed: Two Senate races and what they say about the Democratic Party
France 24 •

Ossoff and El-Sayed: Two Senate races and what they say about the Democratic Party

Senator Jon Ossoff, a Democratic favourite, is running for re-election in Georgia in the 2026 US midterms while Abdul El-Sayed is a Senate candidate in the battleground state of Michigan. The two Democrats have very different profiles and platforms, underscoring divergences within the party. They could also determine the party's future ahead of the 2028 presidential election. 

Revealed: Government quietly dropped plan to prepare England for wildfires

Revealed: Government quietly dropped plan to prepare England for wildfires

The Guardian •

FOI request shows wildfire risk scheme scrapped, as survey highlights many fire services lack proper protective gearThe government quietly scrapped plans to prepare the countryside in England for wildfires, it has been revealed. This was despite new data showing fire crews do not have the proper protective gear to tackle them.This summer has been a potent reminder of the scale of the threat posed ...

‘People complain about anything popular’: the RHS boss taking on traffic jams and Chelsea critics

‘People complain about anything popular’: the RHS boss taking on traffic jams and Chelsea critics

The Guardian •

Exclusive: Clare Matterson, the head of the Royal Horticultural Society, talks about the charity’s £2.3m roadworks compensation, community gardening and her high hopes for Andy BurnhamThe government has awarded £2.3m in compensation to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) after roadworks affecting its premier garden in Wisley caused a “three-year traffic jam”.The horticulture charity estimated it...

Bosnia votes in general election with wartime divisions still dominating

Bosnia votes in general election with wartime divisions still dominating

France 24 •

Bosnia is heading to the polls on Sunday after a general election campaign dominated by parties that identify closely with the ethnic divisions of its 1990s war. Voters will elect a vast number of officials across multiple tiers of government, in a complex system that has held the partitioned country together since the 1995 peace deal. FRANCE 24's correspondent in Belgrade Laurent Rouy has more.

Flight to Okinawa diverts back to Hong Kong after suspected landing gear fault

Flight to Okinawa diverts back to Hong Kong after suspected landing gear fault

SCMP •

A flight bound for Okinawa returned to Hong Kong airport on Sunday morning after its landing gear was suspected to have failed to fully retract after take-off. Hong Kong Airlines said the crew of flight HX676, which departed at 8.57am, decided to return to ensure flight safety, in line with standard procedures. “[The flight] encountered a suspected incomplete landing gear retraction issue after ta...

Puerto Rico seventh-grader turns plantain peels into mulch, cutting weeds by up to 53%

Puerto Rico seventh-grader turns plantain peels into mulch, cutting weeds by up to 53%

Times of India •

Wileidy Feliciano-Rivera, a seventh-grader from Puerto Rico, transformed discarded plantain peels into biodegradable mulch. This innovative project addressed plastic waste and showcased potential agricultural benefits. EcoMusa, the resultant mulch, effectively reduced weed growth during testing while retaining moisture and lowering soil temperatures. Wileidy's work has garnered recognition as a fi...

Mojave Desert search finds 6 new bee population groups; why tiny poppy specialist escaped endangered listing

Mojave Desert search finds 6 new bee population groups; why tiny poppy specialist escaped endangered listing

Times of India •

Recent surveys have revealed six new population groups of the Mojave poppy bee, surprising biologists with the species’ extended range and resilience. Despite this positive news, a population group in Utah was unfortunately noted as lost. Findings suggest that the Mojave poppy bee does not currently warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act, but conservation efforts will persist to enhan...

Hong Kong’s IPO haul more than doubles to HK$388b in first 9 months: Paul Chan

Hong Kong’s IPO haul more than doubles to HK$388b in first 9 months: Paul Chan

SCMP •

Funds raised through initial public offerings in Hong Kong more than doubled year on year to over HK$388 billion (US$49.4 billion) in the first nine months of 2026, already surpassing the total amount for the whole of last year, according to Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po. Adding to the positive outlook, Clara Chan Ka-chai, CEO of the government-owned Hong Kong Investment Corporation (HKIC), ...

Russia cuts education and healthcare budget as war spending hits new high

Russia cuts education and healthcare budget as war spending hits new high

Times of India •

Russia's financial burden is not limited to military spending. The government is also spending more on servicing its debt as high interest rates increase borrowing costs. Debt-servicing costs in 2027 are expected to be 21.6% higher than originally planned. They are projected to account for 9.4% of total government spending next year and could rise further to 10.6% by 2029.

Japan’s Takaichi presses US after marine arrested over murder-robbery of woman

Japan’s Takaichi presses US after marine arrested over murder-robbery of woman

SCMP •

A 20-year-old US marine was arrested on Sunday in Japan’s Okinawa prefecture on suspicion of robbing and murdering a local woman, police said. Davin Ballard stationed at the Futenma Airbase is suspected of killing Anna Yagi, 39, and taking her wallet and backpack in the early hours of Saturday at a hotel in Naha, according to the Okinawa prefectural police. The suspect has denied the charges, they...

‘You have 10 minutes to decide’: answering the life-changing call to become a kinship carer

‘You have 10 minutes to decide’: answering the life-changing call to become a kinship carer

The Guardian •

Those who have stepped in to keep young family members from going into care in England and Wales say the decision has brought them joy and hardshipClive vividly remembers the day when, without warning or time to work out what he was really letting himself in for, he became a kinship carer.“The social worker left, the door closed and Savannah was lying there in a carry cot, wrapped up in a pink bla...

Party conference will be more upbeat than last year, Tories say – but that’s not the whole story

Party conference will be more upbeat than last year, Tories say – but that’s not the whole story

The Guardian •

The mood is better but ‘overhyped’, says one Conservative MP as party remains a distant third in pollsThe forthcoming Conservative conference will be, almost everyone in the party agrees, notably more upbeat and unified than last year. There is a similar consensus that Kemi Badenoch is doing well as party leader. That is, however, not the whole story.“The mood is better but the facts are still ver...

Bosnians vote as pro-Russian politician looms large and ethnic tensions simmer

Bosnians vote as pro-Russian politician looms large and ethnic tensions simmer

France 24 •

Bosnians are heading to the polls Sunday in elections that ​could impact the influence Russia seeks over the small Balkan nation with separatist Serb leader Milorad Dodik dominating the campaign despite his ban from public office. Bosnia and Herzegovina, a country marred by ethnic tensions, has struggled to recover since its brutal 1992-95 war.

Trump, burger, Hormuz: meet the Iranian team behind billboard war on US

Trump, burger, Hormuz: meet the Iranian team behind billboard war on US

SCMP •

Huge billboards on the walls of Tehran mocking US President Donald Trump and depicting American drones under the boot of an Iranian soldier are providing a chronicle of Iran’s war with the United States and Israel. Khaneh-ye Tarrahan, or Designers’ House, produces the billboards with anti-US messaging for prominent locations in Tehran where they are seen daily by large crowds of passers-by, includ...