World News Hub

South Portland used 200+ Christmas trees to rebuild a storm-eroded Maine beach

In 2022, he built a solar device to extract water from Death Valley air; in 2025, he won a Nobel Prize

Omar Yaghi’s innovative team has created a groundbreaking device that pulls water from the atmosphere under adverse conditions. Employing a specialized metal-organic framework, their technology functions independently of electric power. Yaghi’s personal journey significantly shaped his commitment to tackling water scarcity. Their remarkable achievements earned them the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, an...

Forced landing of Israel-bound flight: What we know so far

The Israeli government believes an incident on a flight from the United Arab Emirates to Israel, which diverted to Saudi Arabia after transmitting emergency signals on Wednesday, may have been an attempted "terror attack" by one of the pilots. France 24’s Shirli Sitbon takes a look at what we know about the incident so far, with many of the details still emerging.

Mixed reactions in Iraq on final day of US-led coalition withdrawal

The US military announced on Wednesday that it has completed the withdrawal of all American troops from Iraq, ending a 12-year mission to fight the Islamic State group. The last US troops left an air base in northern Iraq under a deal between Baghdad and Washington. 

Brazil’s candidates court women with promises to combat violence

Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro has vowed to impose chemical castration on rapists and child abusers in Brazil

Iran says it is considering U.S. counterproposal to 7-day cease-fire plan

Iranian state media says the regime has received a full U.S. response to its proposal for a cease-fire and the phased reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Africa's richest man launches Kenya oil refinery despite land protests

The Kenya refinery is part of Dangote's ambitious bid to expand and help industralise Africa by 2030.

Exclusive: Ukraine's partners could access new tech to counter jet-powered drones, Budanov tells Euronews

Countries with existing drone cooperation agreements with Kyiv could negotiate access to Ukraine’s latest technology for countering Russia’s new jet-powered drones, Kyrylo Budanov told Euronews.

Thousands of firefighters march in Paris demanding more resources

Nearly 8,000 French firefighters marched through Paris, calling for more staff and funding and protesting what unions describe as a lack of government action.

Fugitive lived under dead classmate's name for 40 years, collected $138K in Social Security

N Korea and S Korea exchange threats over DMZ blast

A landmine explosion which injured three South Korean soldiers in the Korean Demilitarized Zone last week.

‘Who wants McDonald’s?’: mainland tourist shares HK$10,000 prize in Hong Kong

A mainland Chinese tourist who won a HK$10,000 (US$1,275) McDonald’s voucher in Hong Kong has turned her last 24 hours in the city into a whirlwind giveaway to the elderly, cleaners and the homeless. The woman, who shared her spree on Chinese social media platform RedNote, said she won the “Hong Kong McDonald’s HK$10,000 subsidy” through Alipay on Saturday. According to a screenshot of her post, t...

Why is the US withdrawing its troops from Iraq?

A US-led coalition deployed in Iraq more than a decade ago to fight jihadists concluded its mission on Wednesday, a move celebrated by the country's leaders, but which some fear will embolden pro-Iran armed factions. France 24's Angela Diffley takes a look at the security challenges facing the country and why the US has chosen this moment to take its troops out.

‘Third country’ deportation can resume, US supreme court rules | First Thing

Trump administration can deport immigrants to countries other than their homeland. Plus, 550lb bear returns to LA neighborhoodGood morning. The supreme court has ruled the Trump administration can resume deporting immigrants to “third countries”, or countries other than their homeland, without giving them any opportunity to contest their removals.The six-justice conservative majority of the high c...

Eiffel Tower chief to step down after female staff scandal

The head of the company that runs the Eiffel Tower will step down at the end of the year after female staff at the landmark building in Paris were excluded during a visit by a Hindu religious group. The incident sparked outrage in France and prompted a staff walkout that saw the Eiffel Tower forced to close for a day.

UK growth revised up to 0.5%: What drove the stronger figures?

Stronger services growth drove the upward revision to second-quarter GDP growth, as the UK battles high borrowing costs, inflationary pressures and a cooling labour market.

Scientists develop eDNA markers to detect Burmese pythons in southern Florida waters

Scientists created novel eDNA markers to identify Burmese pythons from water samples across southern Florida. The study focused on various wetlands, waterways, and their connections to assess python distribution. Water samples were filtered and processed to concentrate pythons' eDNA for accurate detection. Challenges included the low density of pythons and possible environmental inhibitors in the ...

Voters back Burnham’s plan to cut back triple lock to fund social care reform by 48% to 28%, poll suggests – UK politics live

The data suggest Burnham may be able to win the argument with the public amid lobbying effortsAndy Burnham has suggested that it would not be legitimate for a party to form a majority government with less than 30% of the vote.In his Today interview, asked why he wanted electoral reform and a move towards proportional representation, Burnham replied:I found it better being elected under a different...

AI tool that copied actor’s ‘lustrous’ voice violated his rights, Tokyo court rules

Kenjiro Tsuda wins case against TikTok account in landmark Japanese verdict to protect publicity rightsA court in Japan has ruled that the human voice has legal protection after a landmark case involving a well-known actor and a TikTok account that he claimed had cloned his “lustrous” baritone voice in its AI-generated videos.Tokyo district court said on Wednesday that voices should enjoy the same...

AI tool that copied actor’s ‘lustrous’ voice violated his rights, says Tokyo court

Kenjiro Tsuda wins case against TikTok account in landmark verdict to protect publicity rightsA court in Japan has ruled that the human voice has legal protection after a landmark case involving a well known actor and a TikTok account whose AI-generated videos, he claimed, had cloned his “lustrous” baritone voice.Tokyo district court said on Wednesday that voices enjoy the same protection as publi...

Iranian singer’s 74 lashes for performing without a hijab ‘a form of torture’, say rights groups

Iranian court upholds sentence against 29-year-old star Parastoo Ahmadi and other musicians in crackdown on women flouting hijab lawAn Iranian court’s decision to uphold a sentence of 74 lashes against the popular singer Parastoo Ahmadi for performing without a hijab has sparked outrage among rights groups, who described it as “a form of torture”.In June, Ahmadi, 29, and eight members of her produ...

UK's Burnham floats going ‘all the way’ and rejoining the EU

The British Prime Minister has said he will weigh a “range of options” for the future relationship with the European Union, including the prospect of rejoining the bloc.

Norwegian ministers grilled in parliament over ties to convicted sex offender Epstein

Parliament has also set up an independent inquiry tasked with a much broader examination of the case, which is due to submit its final report by 31 January 2028.

'Cornell won't, we will': Student journalists 'relentlessly' reporting on university rape

PRESS REVIEW – Wednesday, September 30: The Cornell University gang rape investigation reopens. But first: university students and prisoners protest in Iran "in a rare show of dissent". Journalist Evan Gershkovich speaks about his 16 months in Russian prison. Bonus: what can we do to be less lonely? Finally, Fat Bear Week has chosen its winner.

The October 7 warnings threatening Netanyahu’s Israeli election campaign

Netanyahu faces continued pressure over alleged warnings before the 2023 Hamas attack as October 27 elections draw near.