The US House of Representatives has passed a bill allowing President Donald Trump to impose sanctions and up to 100% tariffs on countries buying Russian oil and gas. India, a major buyer of Russian crude oil, faces economic risks from this bill as it relies heavily on discounted Russian oil to meet its energy needs.
Key Facts
The US House passed a bill giving President Trump power to sanction countries buying Russian oil and gas, with tariffs up to 100%.
India buys about 37% of Russia's crude oil exports, making it one of the largest customers along with China.
Russian oil made up around 30% of India's crude imports in fiscal 2026, worth about $40.8 billion.
The bill could lead to tariffs on Indian exports to the US, impacting India's economy beyond just oil imports.
India says it is closely watching the situation and is committed to ensuring energy security.
Replacing Russian oil would increase costs due to higher crude prices, shipping, and insurance.
The bill pressures India to change its trading practices with Russia under threat of economic penalties.
The US may shorten the usual 180-day deadline for countries to reduce Russian energy imports.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
A study found that human-caused climate change contributed to the glacier collapse that caused deadly floods on the Nepal-Tibet border in August. The disaster was triggered by multiple factors including rising temperatures, melting glaciers, thawing frozen ground, and weak geology in the area.
Key Facts
Over 1,400 people died and thousands are missing due to floods and landslides on 26 August.
The glacier collapse caused a strong impact similar to a 5.2 magnitude earthquake.
July and August temperatures were about 1.5°C (2.7°F) warmer because of human influence.
Glaciers in the region are thinning by around half a meter (1.6 feet) each year.
Heavy snowfall in previous months increased meltwater contributing to the disaster.
A 2015 earthquake may have weakened the rock under the glacier, making collapse more likely.
Nepali leaders emphasize the country’s vulnerability to climate change despite low greenhouse gas emissions.
Nepal’s Prime Minister will speak at the UN General Assembly about the flood and climate justice.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Oasis Hub Bath, a community center in the city, received £272,702 from the National Lottery Community Fund to cover its main costs for three years. The hub runs two affordable food pantries serving around 600 people weekly and offers other support services such as health checks and advice sessions.
Key Facts
Oasis Hub Bath opened in 2018 in the city centre.
The hub operates two low-cost food pantries helping about 600 people each week.
The National Lottery Community Fund granted £272,702 to support the hub’s operations for three years.
Pantry members pay £5 or £7.50 per week for food and household items; some fresh food is free.
To join the pantry, households must earn less than £18,000 a year, struggle to afford food, and live in certain areas of Bath.
The hub also provides services like advice from Citizens Advice and health checks with healthcare partners.
Some pantry users say the services have helped them manage costs and health issues.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Australia will tighten immigration rules for international students, visitors with working holiday visas, and people who switch between student visas. The government wants to reduce how many people migrate each year, especially targeting those who bring families or extend their stay through lower-level courses. Some visa limits will involve a lottery system, but UK citizens will not be affected by the new rules.
Key Facts
International students cannot automatically bring family members with them anymore, except for PhD students and some students from the Pacific and Southeast Asia.
Students must now choose higher-level courses to extend their stay, stopping "visa hopping" to lower qualifications or less reliable providers.
Working holiday visa holders (age 18-30) will face new limits using a lottery system to qualify for second and third years of stay.
The cap for the second year of the working holiday visa will reduce from 57,000 to 45,000, and the third year from 31,000 to 5,000 places.
British working holidaymakers are not affected due to Australia's free trade agreement with the UK.
Australia aims to reduce net overseas migration to 225,000 people by 2028.
The country’s population grew by 1.4% to 27.9 million in the year ending March 2026, including 292,100 net overseas migrants.
The migration policy changes respond to concerns about housing prices, the cost of living, and public services strain amid political debates on population growth.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Young men wearing balaclavas are riding electric bikes and scooters illegally on public paths and roads in Scotland. These vehicles are often modified to go much faster than the law allows, causing safety risks and some fatal accidents. Police have new powers to seize these illegal vehicles and are considering more dedicated efforts to stop the riders.
Key Facts
Young men ride electric bikes and scooters while hiding their faces with balaclavas.
These vehicles are often modified to exceed legal speed limits and to run without pedalling.
Modifications are sold online, including parts that allow faster speeds and throttle controls.
Electric dirt bikes can reach speeds above 50 mph and require a licence and insurance to be used legally.
Riding some electric scooters on public roads is illegal except in special rental zones.
Police in England and Wales have new powers to seize and destroy illegal electric bikes quickly.
Scottish ministers support increasing police seizure powers but say some rules already allow seizure.
Police find it hard to catch offenders because the bikes are fast and can escape through narrow spaces.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
A British inquiry into claims that Special Air Service (SAS) soldiers killed unarmed Afghan civilians during operations has cost UK taxpayers £58 million so far. The inquiry started in 2023 and is still ongoing, with delays caused partly by slow information sharing from the Ministry of Defence.
Key Facts
The inquiry investigates alleged war crimes by SAS soldiers in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013.
It focuses on accusations that SAS soldiers killed detainees and civilians, including children, during night raids against the Taliban.
The inquiry was started by former defence secretary Ben Wallace after BBC reports in 2022 raised the allegations.
Initially, the inquiry expected to report within 12-18 months but has been running for over three and a half years with no findings published yet.
The Ministry of Defence says the total cost of the inquiry and related work is £58 million by March 2026.
About 74 MoD staff spend more than half their time on the inquiry.
The SAS Regimental Association supports the inquiry but says the long process hurts the SAS’s reputation, morale, and military effectiveness.
Public inquiries like this one can take many years and be very expensive, similar to the Bloody Sunday Inquiry which lasted 12 years and cost over £190 million.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Russia is holding a parliamentary election where the ruling party, United Russia, is expected to win again. The election is important to the Kremlin because it shows public support for President Putin and the war in Ukraine, even though critics say the election is not free or fair.
Key Facts
Russia’s political system is described as a “managed democracy,” where the Kremlin controls most decisions.
United Russia, the party supporting President Vladimir Putin, is predicted to dominate the new parliament.
The election selects 450 deputies for the lower house of parliament, called the Duma.
This is Russia’s first parliamentary election since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Nearly 200 war veterans are running to promote their political careers.
All parties currently in the Duma have voted unanimously to support the war in Ukraine.
The only registered anti-war party, Yabloko, was removed from the election ballot by Russia’s Supreme Court.
Some Yabloko candidates still run in individual areas but face detentions and legal actions.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Buckingham Palace has strongly denied claims made by Earl Spencer, the brother of Princess Diana, who said King Charles told him after Diana's death in 1997, "we'll forget her soon enough." The Palace said such claims are not accurate and that grief can affect memory. This dispute comes as King Charles is preparing to speak about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) at a technology event.
Key Facts
Earl Spencer wrote in his upcoming book that King Charles expressed anger and said people would forget Diana soon after her death.
Buckingham Palace rejected this claim, saying it is out of character for King Charles, who was grieving at the time.
The Palace noted that grief can affect how people remember events, suggesting memories may differ.
Earl Spencer’s book is titled *Swan Song: Diana, My Sister* and offers an inside view of Diana’s life and death.
The disagreement highlights ongoing sensitivity around Diana’s passing and the royal family’s response.
King Charles is also preparing to host a meeting with leaders from major AI companies to discuss the future of artificial intelligence.
The King will emphasize the need to balance the benefits of AI with safety and ethical concerns.
Major tech companies like OpenAI, Nvidia, and Google DeepMind will take part in this discussion.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
US journalist Austin Tice, who went missing in Syria in 2012, was kidnapped in a planned operation approved by then-Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, according to a BBC investigation. New evidence shows the abduction was deliberate, involving regime loyalists and a driver spying on Tice before he was taken.
Key Facts
Austin Tice, a journalist and former US Marine, disappeared in Syria in 2012 while reporting on the civil war.
Many thought his kidnapping was accidental, but the BBC found it was carefully planned for over a month.
A member of the group that captured Tice said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad ordered the abduction.
Tice’s driver was secretly working with Syrian regime forces and helped track his movements.
The operation was overseen by high-ranking regime security officials closely linked to Assad.
Despite searching multiple suspected detention sites, US authorities have found no sign of Tice.
Some say Tice was executed, but there is no proof or recovered remains.
Syrian intelligence files confirm the regime held Tice, but exact details of his fate remain unknown.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
A 13-year-old boy named Harry Sparkes is the new voice of Thomas the Tank Engine in the animated series Thomas & Friends: Railway Stories. The series, narrated by actor Henry Golding, will appear on YouTube and Netflix starting this September.
Key Facts
Harry Sparkes, from Harpenden, Hertfordshire, voices Thomas the Tank Engine.
He kept his acting role secret from friends for nine months by saying he was at physiotherapy.
The show uses 3D animation and features Henry Golding as the narrator.
Henry Golding follows famous narrators like Sir Ringo Starr and Pierce Brosnan.
The series will launch on YouTube on September 17, then stream on Netflix from September 30.
A full series is planned to debut in early 2027.
Thomas the Tank Engine is based on a classic book series by Reverend Wilbert Awdry from 1945.
Mattel, the franchise owner, says the new show refreshes the setting of Sodor while keeping the traditional railway action.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
An Argentinian judge ordered a temporary stop to a British-Israeli oil project near the Falkland Islands. The ruling follows legal actions by war veterans and environmental groups, and Argentina’s government opposes the project, citing international rules about the islands.
Key Facts
The judge’s order suspends work on the Sea Lion oilfield, about 220 km from the Falkland Islands.
The suspension stops drilling, infrastructure installation, and oil extraction until an environmental review is done.
The case was brought by 1982 war veterans and environmental lawyers.
Argentina’s government, led by President Javier Milei, also opposes the project and has taken legal steps against it.
Argentina says the project breaks a United Nations resolution asking both sides to avoid unilateral actions.
Britain controls the Falkland Islands and rejects Argentinian court decisions about the islands.
The Falkland Islands are claimed by Argentina but were involved in a war with Britain in 1982, ending with British control.
The islanders voted in 2013 to remain British, but Argentina disputes this vote’s validity.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
The United States has again refused to give visas to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and other Palestinian Authority officials. This means they cannot attend the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York for a second year in a row.
Key Facts
The U.S. denied visas to Mahmoud Abbas and other Palestinian officials.
This is the second year in a row that visas were refused.
The refusal prevents them from attending the UN General Assembly in New York.
Mahmoud Abbas is the President of the Palestinian Authority.
The UN General Assembly is a yearly global meeting where leaders discuss international issues.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Three brother African wild dogs in Zambia traveled over 2,500 miles in eight months, making the longest recorded journey by a land mammal in Africa. Their journey shows that wild animals can still move across large parts of the continent despite dangers like hunters and human development.
Key Facts
The three wild dog brothers traveled 2,500 miles (4,100 km) during their dispersal to find new territory.
Their single longest journey was 340 miles (546 km) from Kafue National Park to the Luangwa Valley.
This trip is longer than the famous Serengeti migration of wildebeests and zebras.
Researchers tracked 19 groups of wild dogs to study their movements.
Two sister wild dogs traveling separately died, likely from snares used by hunters.
Only about 6,600 adult African wild dogs remain, making them an endangered species.
Threats to the dogs include loss of habitat, fewer prey animals, hunting traps, and conflicts with people.
Their journey highlights the importance of keeping large connected natural areas so wildlife can move freely.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
English Heritage is training volunteers to cut meadows by hand using scythes at Muchelney Abbey in Somerset. This traditional method helps protect rare bumblebees and maintain flower-rich habitats while preserving an old skill.
Key Facts
English Heritage is teaching people to use scythes to maintain meadows in a traditional way.
The first volunteers have been trained and will work at Muchelney Abbey in Somerset.
This project aims to protect a rare bee called the shrill carder bee, which needs flower-filled grasslands.
Volunteers also help study bees by watching how they use flowers and move around the meadow.
The training was done with help from Exmoor National Park Authority and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.
Volunteers get small rewards like bread and cheese for their work.
The project is part of a larger plan by English Heritage to create or improve 100 meadows to mark King Charles’s 2023 coronation.
The goal is to preserve traditional scything skills and help the environment at other English Heritage sites in the future.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Turkish police carried out raids and arrests targeting LGBTQ+ activists, journalists, and supporters in several cities, using accusations of obscenity. Over 150 people were detained during protests against the raids, and authorities say the operation aims to protect family values and social order.
Key Facts
Police raided LGBTQ+ rights and HIV-advocacy offices in Istanbul, Ankara, İzmir, Aydın, and Mersin.
More than 150 people were detained, with around 62 held on remand.
Authorities seized digital devices, drugs, and a firearm during the raids.
Charges are based on accusations of “obscenity” and violating NGO laws, but formal charges are unclear.
Turkish Justice Minister said the operation, named “My Family is Safe,” targets places linked to prostitution and exposure of children to “obscene” material.
Several activists, including journalists, were arrested, such as Tuğba Tekerek, questioned for her work on LGBTQ+ issues in Georgia.
Protests against the crackdown were met with tear gas and mass detentions in Istanbul, İzmir, and Ankara.
The campaign aligns with President Erdoğan’s push for stronger family policies and increasing birth rates.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
More than 1,000 children have died in a large measles outbreak in Bangladesh, with thousands of new cases still reported daily despite a vaccination campaign. The outbreak began rising in March 2024 and has overwhelmed hospitals, with many cases among unvaccinated children and infants.
Key Facts
Over 1,000 children have died from measles in Bangladesh's recent outbreak.
About 19.8 million children have been vaccinated, but roughly 1,000 new cases appear daily.
Since March 2024, there have been over 194,000 reported measles cases in the country.
Bangladesh had made progress against measles before the outbreak surged earlier this year.
Factors like crowded population, COVID-19 disruptions, and vaccine delays contributed to the outbreak.
UNICEF says a vaccine ordering delay by the interim government increased risks of shortages.
Most measles cases (83%) are in unvaccinated children; infants under 6 months are also vulnerable.
Hospitals are overwhelmed, with some running at double capacity due to the outbreak.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
The U.S. State Department said it will keep its visa ban on Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization officials, including President Mahmoud Abbas, stopping him from traveling to the U.N. General Assembly in New York. The U.S. government said the ban is because the Palestinians did not change their actions and continued behaviors the U.S. sees as harmful to peace efforts.
Key Facts
The U.S. will extend visa restrictions on officials from the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will not be allowed to travel to the U.N. General Assembly in New York for the second year in a row.
The U.S. says the Palestinians failed to reform and acted against commitments made to the U.S.
The U.S. accuses the PA of seeking international recognition outside direct talks with Israel and of paying people labeled as attackers by the U.S. and Israel.
Palestinian officials at the U.N. mission can still work under a special waiver, but individual leaders cannot enter the U.S.
Abbas’s planned speech was expected to call for more support for a two-state solution and highlight problems in Gaza and Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Israeli officials do not face similar U.S. travel restrictions, even though the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged war crimes.
Critics say the U.S. visa bans violate rules that should allow U.N. invitees to enter the U.S. and that the bans harm peace efforts by targeting Palestinians but not Israelis.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Fighting between Yemeni government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition and Iran-backed Houthi fighters has increased. The US supports Yemen’s government but does not plan to get directly involved, while also holding talks with the Houthis to reduce tensions.
Key Facts
The US supports Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
The Saudi-led coalition has attacked Houthi positions near Mocha.
Yemeni government forces launched drone strikes on the Houthis in Marib.
Houthis claimed to shoot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet over Marib using a local missile.
Saudi Arabia is running low on missile interceptors and has asked allies like France, Pakistan, Egypt, and the UK for air-defense help.
The US held talks with Houthi representatives in Oman, where Houthis said they would not attack US ships and want to respect a 2025 ceasefire.
The Houthis attacked Saudi targets including the Khamis Mushait airbase and an oil facility in Yanbu.
Fighting is ongoing in key provinces including Taiz, Marib, and Hodeidah.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft said singer Ed Sheeran asked him to match a $2 million donation to help people in a conflict area. This came after musician Macklemore, who was removed from Sheeran’s tour for promoting "Free Palestine" messages, also urged Kraft to give money for humanitarian aid.
Key Facts
Robert Kraft owns the New England Patriots football team.
Ed Sheeran asked Kraft to match a $2 million donation to aid a region affected by conflict.
Macklemore was removed from Ed Sheeran’s tour for promoting “Free Palestine” messages.
Macklemore also asked Kraft to donate money to help humanitarian efforts.
Kraft made a public statement about these donation requests on a Wednesday.
The donations aim to provide humanitarian aid in the region involved in the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Kraft’s response to these requests highlights attention on supporting people affected by the conflict.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
The United States has refused to grant a visa to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, preventing him from attending the UN General Assembly in New York. The US government said it is denying visas to Palestinian officials because they have not met commitments and have taken actions that hurt peace efforts.
Key Facts
The US has denied a visa to Mahmoud Abbas for the UN General Assembly.
The State Department said visas are denied to members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Palestinian Authority (PA).
The US cites failures to reform and activities that undermine peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
The US accuses Palestinian groups of seeking international actions that bypass negotiations, such as going to the International Criminal Court.
The US also opposes payments to people involved in terrorism made by Palestinian authorities.
This visa denial follows a similar action by the Trump administration last year.
Many countries, including France, support recognizing a Palestinian state at the UN.
The decision occurs amid rising violence in the West Bank involving Israeli settlers and Palestinians.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
