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A violent attack on a police post in northwestern Pakistan killed 11 police officers and 15 attackers after a gunfight. The attack took place in the Hangu district near Afghanistan, with security forces fighting the militants for about an hour.
Key Facts
The attack happened overnight at the Khazina police post in Hangu district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
11 police officers died, including a senior officer named Diyar Khan who led backup forces.
Security forces killed 15 militants during the gunbattle.
More than 24 police officers were injured in the attack.
Militants used heavy weapons and ambushed reinforcements on the way, damaging an armored vehicle.
No group claimed the attack, but suspicion points to Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a known militant group active in the area.
The TTP is linked to the Afghan Taliban, who returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
Pakistan accuses Afghanistan’s Taliban government of sheltering TTP militants; Afghanistan denies this.
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Russian forces carried out missile attacks across Ukraine, killing at least seven people and wounding dozens more. The hardest hit areas were in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region and the western Lviv region, with damage to homes, schools, and other buildings.
Key Facts
Russian attacks happened overnight into Thursday across multiple regions of Ukraine.
At least 7 people died, including children aged 6, 11, and 17 in the Dnipropetrovsk area.
Dozens of people were injured, including at least 30 in Lviv and several in Kyiv and the Kyiv region.
Residential buildings, schools, kindergartens, markets, and vehicles were damaged or destroyed.
The attacks have been happening almost every week and have intensified over the summer.
Local officials in the affected regions reported the casualties and damage through social media.
Kyiv was hit with ballistic missiles, killing one man and injuring two others.
Rescue operations were ongoing in the hardest-hit areas as officials provided updates.
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Cooler and more humid weather, along with some rain, arrived in southwestern France, where huge wildfires have burned a large area. Firefighters are still working hard to control these fires, while similar wildfires continue in Greece, where three firefighters recently died.
Key Facts
Wildfires in southwestern France have burned an area about four times the size of Paris (approximately 42,000 hectares or 162 square miles).
Cooler temperatures around 27°C (80°F) and light rain are expected to help slow the fires.
About 2,200 firefighters and more than 20 aircraft are actively fighting the fires in France.
Humidity reached 80% overnight but is expected to fall by midday.
An “orange” heat wave alert was lifted in the affected French region.
Wildfires are also burning in southern Greece, particularly on the island of Crete.
Three firefighters have died while battling wildfires on Crete.
Up to a third of a million people have been evacuated from homes and vacation areas in France and Spain due to the fires.
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Artist Michael Zavros won the 2026 Archibald people’s choice award for his portrait of Alex Ryvchin, a Jewish community leader, painted shortly after the Bondi terror attack. The portrait features Jewish cultural symbols and reflects on faith, history, and the impact of recent events on the community.
Key Facts
Michael Zavros won the $5,000 people’s choice prize for his portrait of Alex Ryvchin.
Alex Ryvchin is co-head of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry.
The portrait was created weeks after the Bondi terror attack.
The painting includes tefillin, a Jewish religious item with verses from the Torah.
Zavros and Ryvchin met at a Sydney beach before the portrait was made.
Zavros discovered Ashkenazi Jewish heritage in his background after a DNA test.
The main Archibald prize ($100,000) was won by Richard Lewer for a different portrait.
A record number of 45,769 votes were cast for the people’s choice award this year.
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Polling stations in Greater Manchester have opened for a mayoral election after Andy Burnham resigned. Voters will choose a new mayor using a voting system that allows them to pick a first and second choice.
Key Facts
Andy Burnham resigned as mayor because he was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP), and MPs cannot be mayors.
The mayoral election is happening to find Burnham’s replacement.
Polling stations opened at 7:00 AM and will close at 10:00 PM BST.
Seven candidates are running, representing different political parties and groups.
The voting uses the supplementary vote system, where voters choose a first and second choice.
If no candidate gets more than 50% of first-choice votes, only the top two move to a second round.
Second-choice votes from the eliminated candidates are counted to decide the winner.
The election results will be announced on Friday.
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Kent County Council has proposed expanding a quarry into Oaken Wood, a 40-hectare ancient woodland site in Kent. The plan would require destroying parts of a forest that has existed for centuries and supports important wildlife and natural habitats.
Key Facts
Oaken Wood is an ancient woodland site continuously wooded since at least the year 1600.
The wood has been traditionally managed by coppicing sweet chestnut trees, helping them regrow and absorb more carbon.
The area supports wildlife such as dormice, nightjars, and owls, plus old oak trees and wildflowers.
Kent County Council wants to expand a nearby quarry to extract Kentish ragstone, a stone used in historic buildings like the Tower of London.
The council’s approval would include Oaken Wood in their mineral sites plan but still needs government permission.
Campaigners oppose the plan, arguing that protecting nature should take priority over mining stone for building restoration.
Ancient woodland soils contain fungi networks, seed banks, and act as carbon sinks, making the forest ecosystem difficult to replace.
The quarrying would mean destroying the woodland, which cannot be simply recreated once lost.
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Voting has started in the Greater Manchester mayoral byelection, which is the largest byelection in UK history with over 2 million voters. Labour candidate Bev Craig is expected to win easily, as Labour has gained support following Andy Burnham becoming prime minister and Reform UK’s focus shifting elsewhere.
Key Facts
The byelection is to replace Andy Burnham, who left the mayor role after winning a parliamentary seat.
Over 2 million people can vote in this election, making it the biggest byelection in British history.
Bev Craig, Labour’s candidate and leader of Manchester city council, leads in polls by around 20 percentage points.
Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, has shifted attention to a different election in Clacton.
The mayor controls a £3 billion yearly budget and important powers in housing, health, policing, and transport.
The election uses a supplementary voting system where second-choice votes can decide the winner if no one gets over 50%.
Labour is likely to gain more second-choice votes than Reform UK, giving them an advantage.
The Green party believes its real support is stronger than polls show, especially outside central Manchester.
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The US military carried out air strikes on Iran’s Qeshm island, killing three people including a child. The strikes were in response to Iranian attacks on US military bases in Jordan. Jordan also intercepted missiles launched from Iran, and the US imposed new sanctions related to Iran.
Key Facts
US air strikes on Qeshm island in Iran killed three people, including a two-year-old child.
The US said the strikes were retaliation for Iranian attacks on US bases in Jordan.
Jordan’s air defenses shot down five missiles fired from Iran with no reported casualties.
US and Saudi strikes in Iraq killed at least 20 members of a pro-Iran armed group called Hashed al-Shaabi.
Iraq warned it will protect its land and stop it from being used against other countries.
The US imposed new sanctions on groups linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards for attacking commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
President Donald Trump stated the US would respond strongly to attacks on US forces in the region.
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The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) conducted secret checks on the phone of journalist Brian Rowan after he reported on the murder of Denis Donaldson, who was an MI5 and police agent. This spying was part of an operation called "Operation Mally" and involved monitoring Rowan’s communications to find his sources. The PSNI chief has offered to meet Rowan to discuss the matter, and the family of Denis Donaldson are concerned that they may also have been watched.
Key Facts
Denis Donaldson was a police and MI5 agent inside Sinn Féin.
Journalist Brian Rowan’s phone was secretly monitored by PSNI after he wrote about Donaldson’s murder.
The spying searched for contacts between Rowan’s phone and police phones to identify sources.
This operation, called "Operation Mally," happened around 2006 and was not previously disclosed.
The Chief Constable of PSNI, Jon Boutcher, has offered to meet Rowan to address concerns.
The family of Denis Donaldson suspect they might have also been monitored in some way.
An independent review found PSNI’s spying on journalists was not widespread or systemic but identified several unlawful cases.
Since a law change in 2015, no further unlawful access to journalists’ phone data by PSNI has been reported.
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Jordan’s air defenses shot down five missiles fired from Iran, according to Jordan’s official news agency. The U.S. military responded with strikes on numerous Iranian Revolutionary Guard targets after Iran attacked a U.S. base in Jordan. No casualties were reported from the missile interceptions or air strikes.
Key Facts
Jordan intercepted and destroyed five missiles launched from Iran.
No one was hurt by the missile attacks in Jordan.
The U.S. carried out air strikes against many Iranian Revolutionary Guard locations.
President Donald Trump promised a strong response after Iran targeted the U.S. base in Jordan.
Iranian media reported injuries from attacks on the island of Qeshm and explosions in Khuzestan province.
The U.S. and Saudi Arabia attacked Iran-backed militias in Iraq, killing at least 26 people including Iranian advisers.
Drone strikes caused fires on two natural gas vessels at the Egyptian port of Damietta; the responsible party is unclear.
The ongoing conflict risks escalating into a wider war and impacts the global economy.
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The Danube River in Central Europe is at record low water levels due to a long drought and extreme heat. This low water level is causing problems for tourism, industry, and local residents in the ten countries the river passes through.
Key Facts
The Danube River runs through 10 countries from Germany to the Black Sea.
Water levels in the river are at their lowest ever recorded in many places.
In Budapest, the water level measured 23 centimeters (9 inches), beating the previous record low of 33 centimeters (13 inches) from 2018.
Low water revealed rocks, sandbars, and old shipwrecks that are usually underwater.
The drought and heat are linked to climate change and have lasted for most of the year.
Temperatures in the region are expected to reach over 38°C (100°F) soon.
The low water disrupts boat traffic, tourism, and industries that rely on the river.
No significant rain is forecasted to improve the situation immediately.
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Hospitals in Gaza are struggling to care for patients needing dialysis due to ongoing war and shortages of medical supplies. Many dialysis machines have stopped working, and the number of hospitals treating kidney failure patients has dropped, leading to many deaths.
Key Facts
Gaza’s medical system is under severe pressure from war and limited resources.
About half of the dialysis machines in Gaza are not working because of a shortage of necessary medicine.
The number of hospitals that can treat kidney failure has decreased from seven to four.
Over 470 kidney failure patients have died due to missed treatments and lack of medications.
Al-Aqsa Hospital has 51 dialysis machines but 25 are out of service, affecting 240 patients.
Reduced dialysis sessions cause patients to suffer from weakness, breathing problems, and dangerous health issues.
A 14-year-old patient named Ruwaa depends on dialysis but receives fewer treatments than before.
Israel is preventing Ruwaa from traveling abroad for a kidney transplant, despite having a willing donor.
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James Desborough was found guilty of killing two homeless men, Claudio Aquilino and Daniel Coleman, whose bodies were found in woodland near Desborough's property in Cornwall. Desborough was sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole after a seven-week trial.
Key Facts
Claudio Aquilino and Daniel Coleman were vulnerable homeless men who disappeared after last being seen with James Desborough.
Aquilino was last seen alive on April 18, 2025, and his burned remains were found months later near Desborough’s woodland.
Coleman was last seen alive on June 3, 2025, after drinking with Desborough; his remains were also found near the woodland.
Desborough denied the murders, claiming the deaths were "unfortunate circumstances," but was convicted by a court.
Both victims had troubled backgrounds, including addiction, mental health issues, and past trauma.
Police are investigating four other unexplained deaths linked to the homeless shelter where Desborough had stayed.
Desborough owns the woodland where the victims’ remains were found, having inherited it from his grandfather.
Both men were close to their families and regularly communicated with relatives until they disappeared.
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A London court has ordered Mitch Winehouse, father of late singer Amy Winehouse, to pay nearly £1 million to two of her friends. Mitch Winehouse had sued them for auctioning Amy Winehouse's personal items, but the court ruled in favor of the friends.
Key Facts
Mitch Winehouse lost a legal case against two friends of Amy Winehouse.
The friends auctioned 155 personal items belonging to Amy Winehouse between 2021 and 2023.
The auctioned items included clothes, ballet slippers, handbags, earrings, makeup, and a dress from her last tour.
The friends said the items were gifts or loans from Amy Winehouse.
The court found Mitch Winehouse knew about the sales but sued the friends for money after the auctions.
The judge criticized Mitch Winehouse for making serious accusations that harmed the friends’ reputations and well-being.
Amy Winehouse died in 2011 at age 27 from alcohol poisoning.
The judge noted Amy Winehouse was very generous to her friends and others.
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Israel has built new land barriers inside the Gaza Strip, moving concrete blocks that mark the boundary known as the Yellow Line further into Gaza. This caused the displacement of Palestinian families who live in those areas, and the military said the changes were for security reasons following a ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
Key Facts
Israel originally agreed to control up to the Yellow Line, about 53% of Gaza, under a US-brokered ceasefire from last October.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has said the military now controls more than 60% of Gaza and aims for 70%.
Concrete blocks marking the Yellow Line have been moved westward into Gaza, overlapping areas where Palestinians live.
Israel has built a network of earth barriers over 42 km long along the line, with some barrier sections extending more than 1.5 km inside Gaza.
Hamas accuses Israel of breaking the ceasefire by changing the boundary; Israel rejects these claims, saying the moves protect Israeli citizens and stop Hamas rebuilding its forces.
The Israeli military calls the Yellow Line marking a way to reduce conflicts but denies moving the line or entering Gaza beyond it.
Palestinian families have been forced to leave homes multiple times as Israeli forces push boundaries and issue evacuation orders.
Displaced Gazans report ongoing military attacks and feel unsafe despite the ceasefire agreement.
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The UK government is reviewing why British police have allowed US military personnel accused of serious crimes in the UK to be investigated and tried by the US military instead of British courts. This review began after reports showed several cases where US service members were prosecuted under US military law, which offers different protections and definitions of crimes compared to UK law.
Key Facts
UK police often let US military investigators handle cases involving US personnel accused of crimes on UK soil.
Cases tried by the US military use the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), which defines some crimes like rape more narrowly than UK law.
This leads to some US service members being charged with lesser offences in military courts rather than serious charges in UK courts.
An example case involved US pilot Capt Jacob Wulfson, who was convicted of strangulation but acquitted of sexual assault in a US court martial held on a UK base.
Victims have fewer protections and may receive less justice under US military trials than in British courts.
UK ministers and police chiefs are now reviewing the process to ensure victims are treated properly and cases are referred to UK prosecutors when appropriate.
The UK government is pressing the US to provide full details on these cases and improve cooperation.
Multiple cases of alleged sexual offences by US military personnel on UK soil have come to light, raising concerns over jurisdiction and justice.
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Ukraine removed a statue of Soviet leader Lenin in Kyiv during the 2014 Maidan revolution. President Zelenskyy proposed replacing it with a statue of Ivan Mazepa, a historic Cossack leader who fought for Ukrainian independence, as part of Ukraine’s ongoing effort to reclaim its national identity away from Russian influence.
Key Facts
The Lenin statue in Kyiv was toppled and damaged during the 2014 Maidan revolution.
President Zelenskyy announced plans to put a statue of Ivan Mazepa in its place.
Mazepa was a Cossack leader who broke with Russia and sought Ukrainian independence in the early 1700s.
Ukraine has been removing Soviet-era monuments as part of a “decommunisation” process since gaining independence in 1991, accelerating after Russian aggression since 2014.
Ukrainian experts say this is part of a broader effort to reclaim national identity and resist Russian claims that Ukrainians and Russians are one people.
Mazepa is seen as a complex but important figure in Ukrainian history, once allied with Russia but later opposing it.
Statues of Russian cultural figures seen as symbols of imperialism, like poet Pushkin, have also been taken down in Ukraine.
The change reflects Ukraine’s desire to tell its own history without outside influence or distortion.
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A new survey found that about 25% of young Africans think cutting U.S. foreign aid might help their countries by encouraging local leaders to solve problems themselves. However, almost half of the youth worry these cuts will harm healthcare and other vital services in their countries.
Key Facts
The survey interviewed nearly 5,000 young people aged 18 to 24 across 16 African countries.
In Ghana and Nigeria, around 40% of young people saw aid cuts as potentially positive.
The U.S. government under President Trump cut over 90% of USAID foreign contracts, reducing $60 billion in aid worldwide.
Other countries like the UK, France, and Germany have also reduced their foreign aid budgets.
Africa has the youngest population globally, with a median age of about 19.5 years, and will have over 40% of the world’s youth by 2030.
About 46% of African youth think the aid cuts will damage their countries, especially healthcare services.
Some young Africans feel foreign aid can be demeaning and believe their governments should take more responsibility.
Youth activists are increasingly holding their leaders accountable and looking to African leaders as role models.
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South Korean pop group BTS announced they will not submit their music for the next Grammy Awards. They made this decision because the Grammys introduced a new category called Best Asian Pop Music Performance, which BTS feels limits artists by region or language.
Key Facts
BTS is a famous South Korean pop group known worldwide.
The Grammys added a new award called Best Asian Pop Music Performance.
BTS said they will not enter the Grammy contest next year because of this new category.
BTS’s latest album, ARIRANG, is mostly in English but explores Korean themes.
The new Grammy category requires songs to use at least one Asian language.
Grammy CEO Harvey Mason Jr said the category highlights Asian artists but does not prevent them from winning other awards.
Critics say the new category separates Asian artists from broader global recognition.
BTS has supported social causes like UNICEF and spoken out on issues like anti-Asian hate.
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Bolivia has issued a new arrest warrant for former President Evo Morales, accusing him of leading an armed uprising and causing transport blockades during recent protests. Morales denies the charges and says the government is trying to hide the country's deep economic and social problems.
Key Facts
A court in Bolivia issued an arrest warrant for Evo Morales, charging him with armed uprising, terrorism, and attacks on transport safety.
The charges relate to Morales's support for protests by farmers and truckers opposing economic problems and austerity policies.
Morales called the charges an attempt to cover up Bolivia’s economic and social crisis.
Morales served as Bolivia’s first Indigenous president from 2006 to 2019, when he resigned amid election fraud allegations.
He faced earlier accusations in 2024 related to trafficking a minor and statutory rape; these charges sparked nationwide protests.
Morales has refused to attend court hearings and was found in contempt of court in May 2026.
Supporters have blocked roads, causing shortages of food, fuel, and medicine in Bolivia for over 50 days.
The government declared a state of emergency in June to address the protests and unrest.
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