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Vast quantities of plastic and fishing gear are washing up along the shores of the Seychelles, destroying fragile ecosystems and causing significant economic problems. Aldabra Atoll, a Unesco world heritage site in this archipelago nation of 115 islands, is estimated to have accumulated more than 500 tonnes of plastic on its shores alone. Most of […]
In a speech to the European Parliament, Canadian prime minister Mark Carney declared that “Europe and Canada are stronger together”. He also backed an offer made by the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, one day earlier for Canada to become the first “associate member” of the bloc. “Canada welcomes this ambition,” […]
In this extraordinary and deeply worrying year for international security, some weeks nevertheless stand out as particularly momentous. Events in Yemen now threaten to escalate the war between the US, Israel and Iran into a regional conflagration. Houthi rebels have captured strategically important positions on the Red Sea coast that will give them the potential […]
For the past decade, global diplomacy has been dictated by one man’s social media musings. Since Donald Trump first glided into the Trump Tower atrium on his golden escalator, he – and what he has to say – has been the story, throwing red meat to the media and shaping the affairs of the US […]
One evening in August 2025, a Pakistani shepherd, Abuzar Hussain, was tending sheep and goats in the mountainous slopes of Shijar. At about 6pm, a thunderous roar shattered the silence of the valley. Abuzar could see a glacial flood headed towards his village, and had minutes to react. He desperately climbed up to a higher […]
Donald Trump’s fight with the media has escalated with the news that five major broadcast networks, ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC, have suspended their pool coverage of the White House. Their decision comes after the Trump administration banned CNN, along with MS Now and Politico, from the White House for alleged “fake news” […]
In one of the least surprising pieces of election news this year, preliminary results indicate that the ruling party, United Russia, is on track to retain its overwhelming majority in the national parliament, or Duma. There is a striking degree of continuity in the results of this election with the previous one. United Russia, the […]
Friedrich Merz’s demeanour was grim as he stepped before the cameras on Sunday evening to address his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party after two more disappointing state election results. Following what the German chancellor had called the CDU’s “worst defeat in many years” in Saxony-Anhalt two weeks ago, Merz described the result of Sunday’s Mecklenburg-Western […]
In the early days of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian armoured columns pushed east along the Zhytomyr highway towards Kyiv. Makariv, a small settlement of about 10,000 people 36 miles west of Kyiv, sat on their route. The town was wrecked in the month of fighting that ensued. Roughly 40% of the settlement’s infrastructure […]
From the beginning of his brutal reign in Iraq, Saddam Hussein could claim an unusual credit: film producer. After Saddam became president in 1979, his cousin played him in The Long Days. The film dramatised his role in a failed 1959 attempt to assassinate Iraq’s then-prime minister, Abdul-Karim Qasim. The film presented the new dictator […]
In the wake of the Alternative für Deutschland’s (AfD) electoral success in the Saxony-Anhalt state election, commentators both in Germany and internationally have expressed concern with the party’s extreme right-wing policies. Among these concerns are recent calls from party elites to adopt “remigration” policies. The AfD has a lot in common with the far right […]
Donald Trump and Xi Jinping’s Washington summit has been billed as a discussion of major issues surrounding the development and possible regulation of artificial intelligence (AI), as well as trying to find common ground over Taiwan and trade. What everyone wants to know is whether – and how – the leaders of the two biggest […]
UN secretary-general, António Guterres, used his final address to the general assembly to recast the world’s crises as a single problem. War, inequality, the climate emergency and artificial intelligence, he argued, are not separate crises but chapters of the same story. That story, as he told it, is the story of power: who has it, […]
In December, the UK will take over the G20 presidency from the United States. The world is a remarkably different place since the UK last hosted the G20 in 2009. Back then, it led a collective response to the 2008 financial crash, mobilising more than US$1 trillion (£740 billion) to rebuild economies across the world. […]
The onging summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping has been billed as a “high-stakes” meeting which the US president says will have a major focus on artificial intelligence (AI). Trump told a gathering of world leaders at the US general assembly on Tuesday that, “whoever wins superintelligence wins … and we’re leading now over […]
The air war between Russia and Ukraine has evolved constantly since the start of the conflict. The latest example is Russia’s deployment of a new type of long-range, jet-powered drone, which is having a significant effect on Ukraine’s ability to defend its cities against aerial attack. In an interview on September 14, Ukrainian Air Force […]
Aleksandar Vučić resigned as Serbia’s president on September 27, announcing that he intends to head his party’s list in upcoming parliamentary elections instead. If his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) succeeds in these elections, which are scheduled for October 25, Vučić would become Serbia’s next prime minister. Vučić has been the most dominant political figure in […]
EU defence ministers assembled in Brussels on September 28 to try to formulate a response to increasing Russian aggression in Europe. The talks focused on Russia’s strategy of hybrid warfare – that is, hostile acts that fall below the threshold of actual war. These tend to include sabotage, disinformation, airspace violations, political interference and cyberwarfare. […]
The advance of the Iran-aligned Houthi rebel group in Yemen has driven more than 130,000 people from their homes since the beginning of September, deepening the humanitarian crisis in an already poor country with a long history of domestic conflict. The Houthis have swept down Yemen’s western coast, seizing the strategic port city of Mocha […]
Resilience is a word frequently used to describe the way Ukrainian society has responded to the war with Russia. It’s a term that can inspire sympathy and mobilise support. But it also risks overshadowing effects of war that require both domestic and international attention to enable Ukraine to withstand Russia’s invasion and manage long-term recovery. […]
Authoritarian regimes have a history of keeping information about escalating disasters secret, even when it could harm their own citizens. With more weather-related disasters caused by climate change predicted, the issue of whether governments are willing to act faster to share information with neighbouring nations is an increasing concern. The signs are not positive. After […]
EU leaders gathered in northern Finland recently for a summit focused on reaffirming the importance of the Arctic region to European security. The meeting, which took place in the city of Rovaniemi, came a month before the EU is expected to release its updated Arctic policy. This will be the first update since 2021, during […]
In a recent phone call, Donald Trump urged Volodymyr Zelensky to stop Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries. Whether a request or a demand, this appears, certainly at first glance, fundamentally different from the Biden administration’s policy of restricting the use of US long-range missiles to hit targets inside Russia. The US president has justified […]
The last of the US-led coalition forces are leaving Iraq. It’s a significant bonus for Iran. The withdrawal date, September 30, was also the date by which Baghdad had pledged to bring numerous powerful Iran-backed militias under state control. But this deadline looks certain to be missed. This effectively means that, at a moment when […]
Two men deported from the United States to Equatorial Guinea were arrested by local police forces and transferred to a prison earlier this month, in apparent retaliation for speaking out about conditions they faced in the Central African country. Samson Birhane, who is from Eritrea, and Ahmed Soliman, a gay asylum seeker from Egypt, were […]
2026 is already the deadliest year for measles in the United States since the virus was declared eliminated in 2000. Four people died over the last month in Pennsylvania amid an ongoing outbreak in the state, which had not seen a measles-related death in at least 35 years. All four victims, including two infants, were […]
Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses has announced that members can now decide whether to accept or donate the four main components of blood based on their personal conscience. The organisation made this known in a statement issued by its World Headquarters in Warwick, New York, and made available on its […]
Jehovah’s Witnesses have announced an adjustment to their policy on blood transfusions, allowing members to decide based on personal conscience whether to accept or donate the four main components of blood. The Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses disclosed the change in a statement issued by its World Headquarters in Warwick, New York, and published on […]
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan changed their children’s school for security reasons, just days after the start of the school year in England where the pair recently resettled, British media outlets reported Monday. The couple left Britain and quit royal duties in 2020 during a royal family feud and Harry subsequently waged a years-long, […]
The UK government has launched a £1.5 million-a-year scheme to help train up to 100 new criminal barristers every year. The scheme, launched on Tuesday, September 1, will provide young people with the practical training they need to become qualified criminal barristers in England and Wales. The government said the programme would give more talented […]
Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk has retained his position as the world’s richest person, with his estimated fortune rising sharply to $892 billion in August 2026, according to Forbes. Musk’s wealth jumped by $202 billion during the month, recovering from a $363 billion decline recorded in July. The increase was largely driven by a […]
A couple travelling to Las Vegas for a private elopement unexpectedly found themselves getting married mid-flight after Southwest Airlines crew members turned their journey into a surprise wedding ceremony. Sara Arroyo Montalvo and her partner had planned to exchange vows privately after arriving in Las Vegas. However, after flight attendants learnt about their plans, they […]
Alicia Daniella has issued an official statement through her legal representatives as the public fallout with her estranged husband, photographer David Martins, continues. In the statement, Alicia’s lawyers firmly denied allegations that she was involved in an affair or maintained an inappropriate relationship with any third party, insisting that she has conducted herself with dignity […]
The US Department of State has warned families seeking to immigrate to the country that children could lose their eligibility to join their parents if they turn 21 before entering the US. Under the immigration requirements outlined by the department, a child seeking to immigrate alongside a parent must be unmarried, qualify under the parent’s […]
A 23-year-old man from Omaha, Nebraska, who used ChatGPT to plan a bank robbery has been sentenced to 121 months in federal prison for robbing a bank and brandishing a firearm during the crime. Deron Lewis-Payne was sentenced on August 13, 2026, in federal court in Omaha after pleading guilty to bank robbery and brandishing […]
A UK court ordered Prince Harry and six others Friday to pay an initial £9.5 million ($13 million) after they lost their privacy case against the publisher of British tabloid the Daily Mail. The court said the prince and six other high-profile figures, who lost their unlawful information gathering and privacy invasions claim against Associated […]
The UK has outlined six things eligible asylum seekers can access if they have friends or family members living in Britain and are considering staying with them. According to the guidance, asylum seekers do not necessarily have to remain in Home Office accommodation if they have a suitable alternative with friends or relatives. The change […]
The United Nations Human Rights Office has denounced the United States decision to impose fresh sanctions on officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC). High Commissioner Volker Turk said the “unacceptable” new sanctions — affecting ICC President, Judge Tomoko Akane, and Senior Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye — must be lifted. Turk urged countries to stand […]
By Enitan Abdultawab The United States has outlined eight important steps and opportunities available to immigrants after they become naturalised American citizens. The guidance, published by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, highlights practical actions new citizens can take, including applying for a US passport, sponsoring eligible family members and registering to vote. Here […]
By Enitan Abdultawab A 17-year-old Massachusetts boy has been accused of killing his mother and younger brother after prosecutors said he used ChatGPT to explore “theoretical ideas or fantasies” about killing his family. Arjun Aravind, from Acton, was arraigned on Thursday in Concord District Court on two counts of murder, alongside charges of assault and […]
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has called for “reflection” following the death of former Cambridge University professor Jason Arday, as his family accused him of enduring years of harassment amid plagiarism allegations. Arday, 41, was found unresponsive at an address in south London on Friday, nine days after resigning from his position as a professor […]
Former University of Cambridge professor, Jason Arday has been found dead in south London, just days after resigning from the institution amid allegations of plagiarism, data fabrication and inaccuracies in his academic record. According to the BBC, Arday, 41, was found unresponsive at an address in Battersea on Friday afternoon. The Metropolitan Police said officers were called […]
US President Donald Trump has sought to burnish his legacy by getting his name and image placed on everything, from limited edition passports to a Florida airport. His efforts to put his stamp on the Kennedy Center arts complex in Washington — blocked earlier this year by a federal judge — moved ahead once again […]
By Nkiruka Nnorom The United States government has established a new inter-agency task force to clamp down on birth tourism, a practice where foreign nationals travel to the US primarily to give birth and secure American citizenship for their children. The Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force, announced today by the Department of State under President […]
The UK government has announced the closure of 13 more hotels being used to accommodate asylum seekers, as part of its wider plan to end the use of hotels for asylum accommodation. The latest closures mean hotels in several parts of England can return to normal commercial use or be repurposed to serve local communities. […]
The United States Department of State has revoked more than 175,000 visas from foreign nationals, the Trump administration announced on Monday. The action affects those who violated visa terms, committed crimes, defrauded Americans, urged violence against U.S. citizens, abused the immigration system, or endangered national security. Most of the visas were revoked because of law […]
A community radio station breached the rules after accidentally announcing the death of King Charles III in a May broadcast, a UK watchdog said on Monday. Radio Caroline, a former pirate radio that now mostly plays rock music, apologised in May after airing messages falsely announcing the monarch’s death. One of the messages had said […]
Peter Uzoho Hunter Biden has spoken about his father, the former United States President, Mr Joe Biden’s ongoing cancer treatment, saying the former US president’s condition has become increasingly difficult for the family to watch. Hunter said Joe Biden’s cancer had spread to his bones and described the illness as painful and debilitating.He made the […]
Former US President Joe Biden’s prostate cancer has spread to other parts of his body and is causing him pain, his son Hunter Biden revealed. Hunter Biden grew emotional as he discussed his father’s deteriorating condition, describing it to BBC as very sad to watch. “The cancer has spread, metastasized into his bones and further,” he said. “It’s very painful and it’s […]
Hunter Biden, son of former United States President Joe Biden, has disclosed that his father’s prostate cancer has spread to his bones, describing the condition as “very painful” and “debilitating”. Hunter made the disclosure in an emotional interview with the BBC published on Saturday, providing a fresh update on the former president’s health. “I wish he […]