Ali Safiuddin is the head of Civil Defence in Tyre, southern Lebanon, where he rescues people after bombings near the border with Israel. Despite a ceasefire, fighting and air strikes continue along the “Yellow Line,” and Safiuddin has lost colleagues and family members due to the ongoing violence.
Key Facts
Ali Safiuddin leads the Civil Defence in Tyre, southern Lebanon.
Southern Lebanon faces frequent bombings near the “Yellow Line,” a security area claimed by Israel.
Safiuddin lost his one-year-old daughter in a 2006 Israeli strike on the Civil Defence center.
He helped rescue a girl after the 2020 Beirut port explosion, which killed over 200 people.
His 18-year-old son now works with him in the Civil Defence team.
Three members of his team were killed in an Israeli air strike in April.
Israel has targeted first responders and healthcare workers in Lebanon, killing at least 135 since March, according to the UN.
First responders have changed their rescue methods for safety, using backup teams during strikes.
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A total solar eclipse crossed Europe on August 12, 2026, the first time in nearly 30 years. Millions of people, especially in Spain where the full eclipse was visible, watched as the Moon fully covered the Sun, while about one in every eight people worldwide saw a partial eclipse.
Key Facts
The eclipse was total in some parts of Europe, especially Spain.
A total eclipse means the Moon completely blocks the Sun.
This was the first total solar eclipse visible in Europe in nearly 30 years.
Millions of tourists traveled to Spain to see the eclipse.
Around 12.5% of the global population saw at least part of the eclipse.
People in other parts of the world saw only a partial eclipse, where the Moon covers part of the Sun.
The event happened on the evening of August 12, 2026.
The eclipse generated widespread interest and attracted many viewers.
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In the Maghreb region of North Africa, the number of children women have has dropped significantly. Women now usually have fewer than three children, compared to around 7 or 8 children per woman in the 1970s.
Key Facts
The Maghreb includes countries like Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.
Birth rates in the region have seen a sharp decline over recent decades.
In the 1970s, women in the Maghreb typically had 7 to 8 children.
Currently, most women have fewer than 3 children.
This change reflects social, economic, and possibly cultural shifts in the region.
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South Korea’s Incheon airport became the busiest airport in the world for international passengers in the first half of 2026. This change is partly due to disruptions in the Middle East caused by the war involving Iran, which affected other major airports.
Key Facts
Incheon airport handled 38.39 million international passengers from January to June 2026.
Heathrow Airport in the UK was second with 37.79 million international passengers.
The Iran war disrupted air travel in the Middle East, reducing traffic through Middle Eastern hubs like Dubai.
Incheon’s international passenger traffic rose 6.3% compared to the same period in 2025.
Foreign passengers made up 39.3% of Incheon’s travelers in early 2026, with many coming from China and Japan.
Incheon airport now serves 101 airlines flying to 183 cities worldwide.
The airport expanded its capacity to handle 106 million passengers yearly after completing a large upgrade in 2024.
South Korea also operates the world’s busiest air route between Gimpo airport and Jeju island, with 14.4 million seats planned in 2025.
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Voters in a local English election chose between Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK party, and his main opponent, a comedian who dressed as a trash can and called himself Count Binface. The election was seen as a way to challenge Farage’s style of populist politics.
Key Facts
Nigel Farage leads the Reform UK party.
Farage's opponent in the election was a comedian named Count Binface.
Count Binface campaigned while wearing a trash can costume.
The election took place in a local area in England.
The contest was viewed as a test of opposition to Farage’s political approach.
The event occurred on Thursday, August 13, 2026.
This election gained media attention because of the unusual candidate and the political message.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Kuril Islands, a group of islands controlled by Russia but claimed by Japan. Japan strongly protested the visit, saying the islands belong to them and the visit disrespects their claims.
Key Facts
Putin visited the Kuril Islands on Thursday, meeting local officials and visiting several public facilities.
Japan calls the islands the Northern Territories and says they legally belong to Japan.
The islands were taken by the Soviet Union from Japan at the end of World War II.
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi condemned Putin’s visit.
Putin said Russia is not threatening Japan and noted Japan’s territorial claims against Russia.
The islands have about 20,000 Russian residents and natural resources like gold, silver, and fish.
After 1945, Japan’s population was removed from the islands, which became strategically important during the Cold War.
Moscow has increased its military presence on the islands in recent years.
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A container ship registered in Singapore crashed into the riverbank of the Hooghly River in eastern India. The incident happened while the ship was heading to Kolkata port, and it reportedly lost steering control.
Key Facts
The ship is registered under Singapore’s flag.
It crashed into the bank of the Hooghly River.
The river is located in eastern India.
The ship was sailing to Kolkata port.
The crash was caused by a reported steering failure.
No further details on damage or casualties were provided.
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Yemeni government forces stopped an attack by the Houthi group on a front in Taiz province amid rising fighting in several areas. The government says it used heavy artillery and drones against Houthi positions and vows strong responses to future Houthi actions.
Key Facts
Yemeni government forces repelled a Houthi attack on the al-Mafalis front in Taiz province.
The 4th Infantry Hashd Brigade of the government army claimed to inflict heavy losses on the Houthis.
Government forces also engaged Houthi drones over the city of al-Makha (Mocha).
On Wednesday, the government launched shelling and drone attacks on Houthi positions in multiple governorates.
The head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al-Alimi, promised comprehensive responses to Houthi attacks.
Al-Alimi rejected calls for a repeat ceasefire, favoring a permanent peace based on government control of weapons and sovereignty.
Since April 2022, fighting had decreased but increased again in July, causing many casualties.
The government calls on Houthis to lay down arms and join efforts to build a unified country.
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A strong earthquake hit Colombia, destroying buildings, roads, and cars. Rescue teams and aid from nearby countries arrived to help find survivors trapped in the rubble.
Key Facts
A powerful earthquake struck Colombia.
Buildings were destroyed, and roads and cars were damaged.
The search for survivors is urgent and ongoing.
Help and supplies came from neighboring countries.
Rescue workers are working to save people trapped under debris.
The situation is critical as time passes after the earthquake.
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A judge in Miami will decide if Andrew and Tristan Tate, social media influencers, should stay in jail while they fight extradition to the United Kingdom. They face serious charges there, including rape and sex trafficking, which they deny.
Key Facts
Andrew and Tristan Tate were arrested on July 18 and are held in a federal detention center in Miami.
They face extradition to the UK on charges of rape and sex trafficking.
A federal judge, Lauren Louis, will hear arguments about whether they should remain in custody.
The Tate brothers deny the accusations.
Their lawyers say they are not a flight risk because they have followed legal rules in Romania and share their locations on social media.
Prosecutors say there is a strong legal reason to keep them detained during extradition.
The UK must send evidence to the U.S. by mid-September to support the extradition request.
No date is set yet for the extradition hearing, and the Tates are kept in a special unit for protection.
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An Australian jury found former Catholic Bishop Christopher Saunders guilty of sexually abusing two young Indigenous men between 2008 and 2019. Saunders was convicted on 13 charges, including sexual penetration without consent and indecent assault, related to incidents in his large Broome Diocese in northwest Australia.
Key Facts
Christopher Saunders, 76, is a former Catholic Bishop of Broome in Western Australia.
He was convicted of 13 sexual abuse charges out of 19 total charges.
The abuse involved two young Indigenous men and took place between 2008 and 2019.
Saunders allegedly used free alcohol and cigarettes, paid with church money, to lure victims to his church-owned house.
Guests at the house were required to remove their shirts as a house rule.
He was acquitted of six other charges, including those involving a third alleged victim.
The Diocese of Broome is very large, covering an area bigger than France but with only about 50,000 people, most of whom are Indigenous Catholics.
Saunders resigned in 2021 after police dropped an earlier investigation but was later charged again following a renewed police probe prompted by a Vatican report.
A national inquiry found that 7% of Australian Catholic priests were accused of sexually abusing children between 1950 and 2010.
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The U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, condemned Jewish settlers for surrounding and harassing a Palestinian-American family’s home in the West Bank, calling it a "horrific act of terror." Israeli soldiers intervened by removing illegal outposts and evacuating the family members, but tensions remain high in the area near the Palestinian village of Qusra.
Key Facts
Jewish settlers have surrounded a Palestinian-American family's home in Qusra, West Bank, since Sunday.
The settlers threw stones, tried to destroy a stone wall, and blocked the family from leaving.
The family inside had limited access to food and water for several days.
Israeli troops evacuated the family’s brother and nephew from the house on Thursday.
The Israeli military dismantled two illegal settler outposts nearby and detained one Israeli.
Roads to the village of Qusra were closed during the events.
The settler attacks on Palestinians in the area have increased in recent years.
U.S. Ambassador Huckabee condemned the settlers’ actions but supported the Israeli military’s efforts to restore order.
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Pro-Palestine activists put red paint on the walls and windows of a Danish defense company named Terma. The activists claim the company makes money from weapons used in the fighting in Gaza.
Key Facts
The incident happened at Terma, a defense production company in Denmark.
Activists supporting Palestine smeared red paint on the company’s building.
They accuse Terma of benefiting from weapons used by Israel in Gaza.
The activists used red paint to symbolize blood or violence.
Terma is involved in producing defense equipment.
The protest is part of ongoing tensions related to the conflict in Gaza.
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The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, criticized Israeli settlers who blockaded Palestinian homes in the West Bank village of Qusra, calling their actions "terror." The Israeli army intervened after a US request but struggled to remove the settlers, leading to a planned deployment of more troops.
Key Facts
Israeli settlers blockaded Palestinian homes in Qusra, a West Bank village near Nablus.
The blockade has cut off Palestinian residents from food and supplies.
US Ambassador Mike Huckabee condemned the settlers’ actions as a "horrific act of terror."
Huckabee previously supported Israeli settlements and opposed a Palestinian state.
The Israeli army intervened but only removed a tent, while settlers stayed at the site with blankets.
The army announced it would send a new battalion to restore order.
Violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians has increased since a Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023.
Over 500,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements, which the international community considers illegal under international law.
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Arthur Conan Doyle, who created Sherlock Holmes, was a big fan of boxing and practiced the sport himself. He wrote about boxing’s history, its challenges with illegal fights, and supported its growth in schools and the military. Doyle included boxing as a skill of Sherlock Holmes in his stories.
Key Facts
Arthur Conan Doyle enjoyed boxing and practiced it while a medical student.
Doyle described himself as an average amateur boxer, standing 6 feet tall and weighing about 200 pounds.
He wrote positively about boxing and saw it as a valuable form of exercise and sport.
Doyle claimed he was asked to referee the 1910 Johnson-Jeffries heavyweight championship fight, but this is unlikely to be true.
He criticized the rough illegal fighting days of the past but welcomed boxing’s more organized form in the early 20th century.
Doyle opposed attempts to ban boxing, believing it was a sport deeply loved by the public and impossible to stop.
Sherlock Holmes is described as an expert boxer in the stories written by Doyle.
Boxing plays a minor role in Holmes’s character but reflects Doyle’s own interests.
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Last month, President Donald Trump secretly changed planes using a catering truck after a NATO summit in Turkey. This was done because of concerns about a possible threat from Iran. Experts discuss how serious these fears were, Iran’s history with assassination attempts, and who Iran usually targets.
Key Facts
President Trump switched planes in secret after a NATO meeting in Turkey.
The switch involved using a catering truck as part of a disguise.
The action was taken due to a suspected threat from Iran.
The Washington Post first reported this secret plane swap.
Experts say Iran has a history of planning assassination attempts.
Iran’s main targets in such plots are often its own citizens rather than foreign leaders.
The interview included a BBC Persian Service reporter and a Washington Post journalist.
The event happened in July 2026 at Ankara Esenboga Airport.
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Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM), the main planner of the 9/11 attacks, used multiple fake identities and passports to travel and plan terrorist activities. Despite some intelligence connections, U.S. agencies did not fully recognize his role before 9/11, and he even obtained a U.S. visa under a false name months before the attacks.
Key Facts
KSM applied for an Australian visa using a fake Saudi passport and alias Abdulrahman al Ghamdi on August 13, 2001, but never used it.
He obtained a U.S. tourist/business visa on June 23, 2001, under the same false identity.
KSM grew up in Kuwait, studied in the U.S., and fought against the Soviets in Afghanistan.
After Afghanistan, he helped organize terrorist plots including the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and a 1995 airliner bombing plan in the Philippines.
He was indicted by U.S. authorities in 1996 but escaped capture after an attempted rendition failed.
U.S. intelligence focused on tracking his location but missed his operational role within al-Qaeda.
KSM coached the “Hamburg three” terrorists in the U.S. who carried out the 9/11 attacks.
The intelligence community had some information linking KSM to attacks but did not detect his full involvement before 9/11.
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On August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse caused darkness in Segovia, Spain, for 59 seconds during the evening. A small group of locals and visitors watched the event from the top of Segovia’s cathedral, enjoying a rare and historic view.
Key Facts
The eclipse made daytime darkness last 59 seconds in Segovia.
People watched the eclipse from the cathedral bell tower, which is usually closed during the day.
Visitors climbed 190 steps to reach the top of the 90-meter tower.
The event was one of the first total solar eclipses in mainland Europe since 1999.
Some visitors traveled from other countries, including Sweden, to see the eclipse.
The eclipse began to cover the sun late on the day of August 12, 2026.
Bells rang from the cathedral at the moment of total eclipse.
The event attracted both local residents and tourists who shared the experience together.
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Police in Philadelphia are investigating the deaths of two missing women after finding photos and videos that seem to show their bodies. The evidence came from the home of Eugene Horsch, who is already in custody for other charges.
Key Facts
Police found images and videos of two dead women at Eugene Horsch’s home in Philadelphia.
The women are Maribel Fresses, missing since 2018, and Gabriella Amarando, missing since 2012.
Eugene Horsch was arrested for having illegal guns and fake DEA and FBI badges.
Over 95 search warrants have been used to collect evidence from the house.
Investigators recovered around 600,000 images and 70,000 videos from hard drives.
The FBI is helping with the investigation.
Police said this case is unusual because they have no bodies, only images.
The investigation is ongoing and will take time.
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Rescuers in Colombia continue searching for survivors after a strong magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the western part of the country. The disaster has killed at least 265 people, injured over 3,500, and left nearly 500 people missing.
Key Facts
A powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake hit western Colombia on Monday.
At least 265 people have died, and more than 3,500 are injured.
About 500 people are still missing after the quake.
Rescue teams are working in cities like Pereira and Cali, focusing on collapsed buildings.
Search teams use vibration sensors and dogs to try to find survivors under rubble.
President Abelardo de la Espriella declared an economic emergency and three days of national mourning.
Thousands of people are staying outside in temporary shelters.
Volunteers are helping by providing food, water, and blood donations.
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