Five activists from the UK group Palestine Action were convicted for damaging a Barclays Bank branch while protesting the bank’s ties to an Israeli defense company. Their court is now deciding if their actions should be treated as terrorism, even though they were not charged with terrorism initially.
Key Facts
Five Palestine Action activists caused about £212,000 ($290,000) in damages during a protest in Burnley, UK.
They targeted Barclays Bank because of its investments in the Israeli defense company Elbit Systems.
The activists were convicted in August 2024 and face sentencing in September 2024.
The judge is considering applying terrorism-related laws to their case after the conviction.
These terrorism laws have only recently been applied and mostly in cases involving Palestine Action activists.
Palestine Action was not listed as a terrorist group at the time of the protest or trial.
Thousands of people have been arrested for supporting Palestine Action since the group was banned in July 2025, equated legally with groups like al-Qaeda and ISIL.
Supporters of the activists and some legal experts say using terrorism laws in this way is unusual and may target political protest groups.
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British rapper and social media star Yung Filly, whose real name is Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, will face a new trial in Australia on three rape charges from an incident after a 2024 music show. He was found guilty of assaulting the woman but the jury could not agree on some rape charges, so prosecutors plan to retry him.
Key Facts
Yung Filly is a British rapper and social media celebrity named Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos.
The alleged incident happened in Perth, Australia, in September 2024 after a concert.
He was found guilty of assaulting a 20-year-old woman, causing her bodily harm.
The jury found him not guilty of choking and certain rape charges.
The jury was deadlocked on three rape charges, meaning no majority agreement.
Prosecutors will retry him on those three rape charges.
The alleged victim is willing to testify again in the new trial.
Barrientos has been free on bail and returned to Britain for a time during the legal process.
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A rare collection of Mahatma Gandhi’s handwritten notes was sold for $1.69 million at an auction in Mumbai, setting a record price for an Indian historical document. The notes, written between 1944 and 1946, offer personal insights into Gandhi’s thoughts on truth, non-violence, and self-restraint.
Key Facts
The collection includes 688 handwritten messages by Gandhi to freedom fighter Anand T Hingorani.
The notes were written after the death of Hingorani’s wife and provided guidance and encouragement.
These messages were later published in a book called "A Thought for the Day."
The auction took place at Saffronart in Mumbai and included 86 items related to Gandhi.
Other items auctioned included Gandhi’s portable spinning wheel and letters about spiritual discipline.
The sale price of $1.69 million is the highest ever paid for an Indian historical document at auction.
The buyer’s identity was not revealed, but the notes will stay in India.
The collection covers more than two decades of Gandhi’s life and his friendship with Hingorani.
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Imran Khan, former prime minister of Pakistan, was sent back to jail after medical tests at a public hospital instead of the private hospital ordered by the court. Khan and his wife were sentenced to 17 years in prison and will have their next court hearing on September 16.
Key Facts
The Supreme Court ordered Khan to be treated at a private hospital in Islamabad within 48 hours.
Khan was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), a public hospital, due to security concerns at the private clinic.
Qualified doctors examined Khan and declared him medically fit.
Khan’s sister, who is a medical doctor, was present during the medical check.
Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were sentenced last year to 17 years in prison.
Khan was prime minister from 2018 to 2022 before being removed in a no-confidence vote.
Khan and his party say the legal cases against him are politically driven.
His arrest in 2023 triggered protests across Pakistan, some of which turned violent.
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Violent attacks by Israeli settlers in parts of the West Bank controlled by the Palestinian Authority have nearly doubled since 2025. These attacks are shifting from Area C, controlled by Israel, into Areas A and B where Palestinians have civil and security control, pushing deeper into territory planned for a future Palestinian state.
Key Facts
Israeli settlers have increased violent attacks in Areas A and B of the West Bank, which are under Palestinian Authority control.
Almost two-thirds of settler violence incidents in 2026 happened in Areas A and B.
The West Bank is divided into Areas A, B, and C based on the 1995 Oslo peace agreements, with different levels of Palestinian and Israeli control.
Area C, about 60% of the West Bank, is under Israeli control and contains all Israeli settlements considered illegal under international law.
Since 2024, settlers have been creating new farming outposts in Areas A and B to gain a foothold in strategic Palestinian areas.
Attacks in Area B rose from 25% last year to 55% in 2026, while attacks in Area C fell from 67% to 37%, showing a change in settler strategy.
The Israeli government has not taken strong action to stop the establishment of outposts that violate Israeli law, aligning with settler goals.
Some senior Israeli ministers openly support ending the Oslo agreements and expanding settlements into Palestinian areas.
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In Benin, many children under 5 have stunted growth due to malnutrition and incorrect beliefs about nutrition. Experts say stunting causes lasting health and brain development problems and is hard to reverse if it occurs in early childhood.
Key Facts
Over 30% of children under 5 in Benin suffer from stunted growth.
Stunting means children are shorter than average for their age because of poor nutrition.
Stunting mostly happens in the first 1,000 days of life and is mostly irreversible.
Some local beliefs wrongly discourage giving children nutritious foods like milk and eggs.
Families often keep animals like goats and chickens for sale rather than daily nutrition.
The Benin government aims to reduce stunting rates to under 30% by 2030.
Volunteers measure children's arm circumference to detect wasting, another sign of malnutrition.
Lack of knowledge about proper child feeding contributes to the problem.
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Japan executed a man named Sunao Takami for setting fire to a pachinko parlor in Osaka in 2009, which killed five people and injured ten others. The execution is the first under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government and highlights ongoing debates in Japan about the death penalty and calls for more transparency.
Key Facts
Sunao Takami, 58, was executed by hanging on August 21, 2026, for a 2009 arson attack.
The fire in the Osaka pachinko parlor was started by Takami spreading gasoline and lighting a match.
Five people died and ten were injured in the fire.
Takami was convicted of murder, attempted murder, and arson and sentenced to death in 2011.
His appeals were rejected in 2016 by Japan’s Supreme Court.
Japan has about 100 people on death row, including 43 seeking retrials.
Japan and the U.S. are the only G7 countries that still apply the death penalty.
Executions in Japan are done in secrecy; prisoners are told on the morning of the execution.
The Justice Minister said details of executions are limited to avoid disturbing inmates’ mental health.
The execution occurred during a parliamentary recess, which some criticized as avoiding public debate.
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Hungary is facing a severe water crisis caused by prolonged drought, heat waves, and a long history of draining wetlands and water from the land. Water levels in lakes and rivers have dropped to record lows, harming wildlife, agriculture, drinking water supplies, and even the country’s nuclear power plant.
Key Facts
Lake Velence, Hungary’s third-largest lake, has water levels fallen to about 8 inches, far below the normal 5 feet for August.
Swimming beaches on Lake Velence have been closed due to low water.
Over 99% of Hungary’s land is experiencing severe or extreme drought.
Wildfires have affected large parts of Europe, including Hungary, this summer.
Drought and heat have damaged crops and caused drinking water shortages in Hungary.
Hungary’s water management system historically drained wetlands and water from the land, losing over 80% of its wetlands.
The loss of wetlands makes Hungary more vulnerable to drought and desertification, especially on the Great Hungarian Plain.
Hungary’s nuclear power plant is threatened by water shortages caused by the drought.
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The U.S. and South Korean militaries ended their annual joint drills six days early as a goodwill gesture toward North Korea. Despite this, North Korea fired short-range missiles and said the scaled-back exercises do not change its view of the drills as threatening, making future talks between the U.S. and North Korea uncertain.
Key Facts
The U.S. and South Korea cut their Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercises short by six days.
President Donald Trump ordered a significant reduction of the drills before they started, citing his good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and disagreements with South Korea over the Iran war.
North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong said the reduced drills do not lessen their aggressive nature.
North Korea launched about 10 short-range ballistic missiles into the sea after the drills began.
The U.S. Pacific Command stated these missile launches did not pose an immediate threat to the U.S. or its allies.
Talks between President Trump and Kim Jong Un have stalled since 2019, with North Korea demanding the U.S. drop its condition of denuclearization before resuming negotiations.
North Korea’s ties with Russia influence its military and economic situation, and it may seek greater support from China.
Experts believe North Korea might try to gain economic and diplomatic benefits from the U.S. after the U.S. midterm elections.
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A reticulated python at Chester Zoo was treated for a cancerous tumor in its jaw using electrochemotherapy, a treatment usually used for humans. The snake fully recovered and is now eating and behaving normally after the combined surgery and cancer treatment.
Key Facts
The python is 4 meters (15 feet) long and named after actress Jodie Foster.
It had a fibrosarcoma, a type of cancerous tumor, in its jawbone.
After the tumor returned post-surgery, vets used electrochemotherapy to target leftover cancer cells.
This is believed to be the first time electrochemotherapy was used on a snake.
The treatment was done in partnership with cancer specialists from the University of Liverpool.
Vets had to improvise by joining two operating tables because one table wasn’t large enough.
The snake recovered quickly and returned to normal eating and activity within months.
Details of the treatment will be shared with veterinarians worldwide to help others.
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Ethel Caterham, who lives in Surrey, celebrated her 117th birthday, making her the world’s oldest living person. She became the oldest living person after the previous record holder died in April 2025 and has lived through many historic events, including both world wars and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Key Facts
Ethel Caterham is 117 years old as of her birthday in Surrey.
She became the oldest living person in April 2025 after Sister Inah Canabarro’s death.
Caterham was born before the Titanic sank and the Russian Revolution happened.
She survived Covid-19 at age 110.
Caterham worked as an au pair in India and later lived in Hong Kong, where she opened a nursery school.
She married British Army lieutenant colonel Norman and had two daughters who died before her.
King Charles visited her shortly after her 116th birthday in 2025.
The oldest person ever recorded was Jeanne Calment from France, who lived to 122 years.
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Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects people in many different ways, and its definition has changed a lot over time. Some experts, like Professor Dame Uta Frith, are questioning whether the current broad definition may include people who are not truly autistic, leading to debate among researchers, autistic individuals, and charities.
Key Facts
Autism Spectrum Disorder describes differences in communication and behavior and covers a wide range of experiences.
The number of autism diagnoses in England has risen from about 700,000 three years ago to around 1.1 million today.
Professor Dame Uta Frith, an autism researcher, suggests some people with autism diagnoses might be misdiagnosed.
Some autistic people and charities strongly disagree with Dame Uta’s views, fearing they could harm autistic identities and rights.
Autism’s definition has evolved since 1911, originally linked to childhood schizophrenia and later expanded to include a spectrum of traits.
The term Asperger’s Syndrome was used in the past but was replaced by the unified ASD diagnosis in 2013.
The increase in autism and ADHD diagnoses has led to a government review on neurodivergence and mental health.
There is ongoing debate about how broad or narrow the autism diagnosis should be to best serve those affected.
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A long-term study of 22,000 people in the UK found that men with heart disease have a higher chance of getting and dying from cancer compared to women. Smoking, being overweight, and drinking too much alcohol were key factors linked to this increased risk, especially for lung and oesophageal cancers.
Key Facts
The study followed 22,000 British adults for 25 years.
About half had or developed heart disease during this time.
Men with heart disease had a 17.3% lifetime risk of cancer; women had 12.8%.
Men without heart disease had a 10.2% risk, and women had 8.2%.
People with heart disease were more likely to get stomach, oesophageal, lung, bowel, and skin cancers.
Men with heart disease were more likely to die from stomach, oesophageal, and lung cancers.
Smoking, obesity, and alcohol use are common risk factors for both heart disease and cancer.
Experts say more research is needed to understand why heart disease raises cancer risk and to improve prevention for people with heart conditions.
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A new group of Israeli settlers has moved back to Kadim, a settlement in the West Bank, 21 years after it was evacuated by an earlier Israeli government. The return comes as part of a broader effort by Israel’s current government to expand settlements in the West Bank.
Key Facts
Thirty families arrived at Kadim, bringing furniture and building materials.
Kadim was evacuated in 2005 during Israel’s disengagement plan from Gaza and some West Bank settlements.
The evacuation was done because those settlements were seen as costly and isolated.
Israel’s current government has reversed the ban on settling in this area.
Senior Israeli politicians attended the opening ceremony, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
More than 100 new settlements have been approved by Israel’s government since late 2022.
Palestinian residents nearby express fear and concern about the settlers’ return.
Kadim is the last of the settlements evacuated in 2005 to reopen; others like Ganim and Homesh have also reopened.
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A nature project at the Holnicote estate in England has helped the land stay green during a hot and dry summer by restoring rivers and wetlands to their natural state. This work shows that natural solutions can help prevent wildfires, protect wildlife, and reduce flooding in extreme weather.
Key Facts
The Holnicote estate is managed by the National Trust in Somerset, England.
Rivers were returned to their natural paths and wetlands were restored to act like natural sponges.
These changes kept the land green during five heatwaves in the summer while nearby areas dried out.
Restoring wetlands helps store water during droughts and slows water flow during storms.
Over 90% of the UK’s wetlands have been lost in the last 100 years.
The project shows that nature-based solutions can reduce wildfire risks and protect communities.
Experts warn that climate change is causing more floods, droughts, heatwaves, and wildfires.
The National Trust urges the government to invest more in nature to build climate resilience.
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The body of Australian hiker Lily Hooper was found after an eight-day search in New South Wales. Officials mistakenly reported she was alive before confirming she had died, and they have apologized to her family for the error.
Key Facts
Lily Hooper, 18, was an experienced hiker reported missing last week in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia.
About 1,000 people took part in the search for her over eight days.
Her body was recovered from Nattai National Park and airlifted by police.
A post-mortem will be done to confirm her identity and cause of death.
NSW Premier Chris Minns and Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon apologized for wrongly saying she was found alive.
The mistake came from a miscommunication involving codes used during search operations.
Officials plan to review communication policies to prevent similar errors.
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Russia’s navy conducted missile tests near disputed islands that both Russia and Japan claim. Japan strongly criticized the tests, which followed President Donald Trump’s visit to the area by Russian President Vladimir Putin, heightening tensions between the two countries.
Key Facts
Russia’s Pacific fleet fired Bastion missiles from Etorofu island, hitting targets about 300 km away.
The drills included a nuclear-powered submarine and a guided-missile cruiser.
President Putin visited Etorofu, part of the disputed islands, which Japan calls the Northern Territories.
Japan’s foreign minister said Japan opposes military build-up on these islands.
The islands were taken by the Soviet Union from Japan after World War II.
The exercises began on August 4 and involve around 60 ships, 30 aircraft, and over 13,000 military personnel.
Japan protested the large-scale Russian military drills on August 5.
The Russian drills will continue until August 29.
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Prince Harry and Meghan plan to move back to the United Kingdom from California with their children. They will live privately and not return to royal duties, while questions remain about whether Harry can rebuild his relationship with his brother, Prince William.
Key Facts
Harry and Meghan will move to the UK soon, enrolling their children in British schools.
They plan to live in a private home outside London, not resuming royal duties.
Harry and William’s relationship was damaged by Harry’s public criticisms of the royal family.
The family’s return raises concerns about how they will fit back into the royal scene without overshadowing others.
King Charles III, Harry’s father, is undergoing cancer treatment.
Harry wants his children to grow up in Britain and close to their grandfather.
A recent meeting between Harry, Meghan, King Charles, and the children may have helped ease tensions.
The couple’s decision follows concerns about safety and division in the United States.
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British rapper and YouTuber Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, known as Yung Filly, will have a retrial in Australia on three rape charges. A jury previously found him not guilty on some charges but could not decide on others, and he faces sentencing on assault charges before the retrial.
Key Facts
Yung Filly is the stage name of Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, a British rapper and social media star.
He faces 10 charges related to alleged sexual assault and rape after an incident in Perth, Australia, in 2024.
Last month, a jury found him not guilty on three counts of sexual penetration without consent.
He was also cleared of one assault charge and a strangulation charge.
The jury found him guilty of two counts of assault causing bodily harm.
Yung Filly denies all the charges.
The alleged incident involved a 20-year-old fan and took place in a hotel room after a nightclub performance.
He will appear in court on 27 August to discuss changes to his bail, but the retrial date has not been decided.
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