The world, briefly

US envoy Jared Kushner met Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt in an attempt to unblock the American peace plan for Gaza.

According to sources cited by media, the Hamas delegation arrived in Egypt on the evening of 15 August and first met Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, then Kushner, who had earlier seen President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi; Egyptian, Turkish and Qatari mediators were also present. The talks reportedly covered disarmament, an Israeli withdrawal and reconstruction. Some outlets report the plan has been rejected by Israel and that eight Muslim countries accuse Israel of obstructing the process, while Israeli military strikes continue.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said "30 to 40 people" should be killed every night in Gaza, speaking with a former hostage.

According to the quotes reported, Ben-Gvir spoke of targeted killings not limited to those posing an immediate threat, and also advocated mass emigration of Palestinians. Sources note that similar statements by Ben-Gvir and other Israeli officials have been submitted to the UN's world court as evidence of genocidal intent, a charge Israel denies. Israeli elections are set for 27 October.

Tehran demands the release of three pilots it says were captured alive by Qatari forces, while Doha categorically denies holding them.

According to General Mohammad Bagherzadeh, quoted by the Fars news agency, the three were captured after their Su-24 jets went down in the early days of the war between Iran on one side and the United States and Israel on the other; Iran says they have not been allowed to contact their families. An Iranian military official is asking that a team of experts be allowed into the country to determine the pilots' fate and accuses Doha of blocking the inquiry. Qatar calls the accusations "misleading", says it shot down two Su-24 bombers and that it found the remains of one pilot.

Eight Arab and Muslim-majority countries, including Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Turkey, Pakistan and Indonesia, issued a joint statement condemning Israel's refusal to continue with the US plan for Gaza.

In the statement the signatories argue that Israel is undermining efforts to fully end the war with Hamas. According to Le Monde, Hamas agreed in late July to a US road map launching the plan's second phase, which foresees the movement's disarmament and an Israeli withdrawal from the territory. The statement came as US envoys Jared Kushner and Nickolay Mladenov held talks with regional mediators in Egypt.

Pope Leo XIV called on Sunday for an end to repeated acts of violence against the Palestinian population of the occupied West Bank, with an appeal to the international community.

The appeal, made from Castel Gandolfo and reported by Vatican News, comes amid what agencies describe as a surge in settler attacks and a siege in the village of Qusra, where settlers reportedly encircled houses. The sources in this cluster share a similar orientation and the situation on the ground cannot be independently verified from the available material.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Saturday proposed talks with North Korea to formally end the Korean War, halted by the 1953 armistice without a peace treaty.

Lee proposed replacing the armistice with a peace regime and suggested talks could also address North Korea's nuclear programme. The two Koreas remain technically at war. Pyongyang, which asserts an "irreversible" nuclear status and is deepening ties with Moscow, has not so far responded to Seoul's overtures.

Brazil's campaign for the October 4 presidential election has begun: President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva seeks a fourth term against Flávio Bolsonaro, standing in for his imprisoned father.

According to France 24 the two frontrunners are close in the polls. Flávio Bolsonaro opened his campaign attacking Lula and pledging to treat the PCC, Comando Vermelho and militia groups as terrorist organisations. Sources cite crime and corruption among voters' main concerns, in a strongly polarised climate.

Iran's parliament on Sunday approved the general principles of a bill that would criminalise interviews and other communications with media deemed hostile to the Islamic Republic.

The measure, presented as a curb on foreign influence, would notably cover US or Israeli media and outlets financed by either country. The text must still be reviewed by the Guardian Council before it can become law.

US President Donald Trump said on August 14 that he would hit Iran hard economically, after new measures were announced as expected within the following week.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had said the previous day that Washington would impose measures on Tehran that have "never been seen." Press accounts list possible options including steps targeting oil, Chinese banks and a land blockade on Iran's borders, but the exact nature of the measures has not been disclosed.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed relations between the two countries on Korean Liberation Day.

Kim voiced hope for the future of ties that, in his words, carried forward a "history of common struggle for justice" and traditions of friendship. Pyongyang and Moscow have grown closer since North Korea began deploying troops and weapons to support Russia in the war in Ukraine.

An online petition calling for the removal of the US ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra, has gathered nearly 200,000 signatures in a short time.

The text asks that Hoekstra, previously US ambassador to the Netherlands, be declared persona non grata. Backers cite his repeated criticism of Ottawa, which he accuses of "anti-American rhetoric"; in June the former Republican congressman from Michigan told reporters that annexing Canada would be a "good discussion to have" between the US president and Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Republicans came out ahead in the contest over redrawing US congressional districts ahead of this year's midterm elections.

According to the two US outlets, President Donald Trump last year asked Republican-controlled states to redraw their district maps to increase the number of winnable seats and keep control of the House. The story is told through the case of one California congressman. The material does not give an overall number of seats affected.

Liechtenstein has changed its rules of succession to allow women to ascend the throne.

The announcement was made on the national day of the central European principality, which has a population of about 44,000. The available material does not specify when or how the change takes effect.

The US Democratic Party announced that its 2028 primaries will no longer start in Iowa and New Hampshire but in South Carolina and Nevada.

The decision, announced the previous day, gives priority to states with larger minority populations, according to the party. Outlets reporting it link the move to an aim of mobilising Black and more racially diverse voters in order to select a broadly popular candidate.

Ceremonies and vehicle parades were held in Kabul for the fifth anniversary of the Taliban's return to power, after the fall of the US-backed government and the withdrawal of Western forces.

Hundreds of supporters gathered outside the former US embassy while flowers were dropped from military helicopters. The anniversary was billed as a "victory day". Critics of the Taliban fear worsening human rights abuses.

Zambia's Electoral Commission has suspended the counting and announcement of results nationwide after reports of violence against election officials and stolen ballot papers.

International observers said on Saturday the vote was marred by claims of intimidation and abductions, as well as an hours-long pause in the count. The reported theft of marked ballots, cited by the commission, has not been independently verified in the available material. It is not stated when counting will resume.

Axios, citing three sources with direct knowledge, reports that the Trump administration opened a confidential channel with Iran's Revolutionary Guards last May.

According to the account, the contacts involved Vahidi and were routed through Iraqi Kurdistan president Barzani. The report is attributed to Axios and its anonymous sources and is not officially confirmed by the parties involved in the available material.

Tehran rejected US President Donald Trump's threat to declare the Strait of Hormuz US territory, denying that the waterway is under American control.

According to the material, Trump has repeatedly said the strait is under US control, an assertion the Islamic Republic disputes. Sources report that Tehran effectively closed the strait at the start of the West Asia war in late February. It is not clear what concrete steps would follow Trump's announcement.

Russian missiles and drones hit Kyiv and other Ukrainian regions causing casualties, while Russian authorities reported a Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow and its region.

Casualty figures in Ukraine differ by source: one person killed, or three dead and seven injured; Kyiv mayor Klitschko reports three injured in the city, with explosions in the central Pechersk district and fires at two industrial sites. Drone counts toward Moscow also diverge: some sources cite over 130, others more than 600 according to mayor Sergei Sobyanin, who says over 200 were intercepted.

Two Israeli airstrikes on the villages of Ansar and Deir al-Zahrani in southern Lebanon killed 11 people, including three children, and injured 19, Lebanese authorities said.

It is the heaviest toll since the June deals that brought a lull in hostilities: on 26 June Israel and the Lebanese government announced a framework agreement for an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon in exchange for Hezbollah's disarmament. The Israeli military says it struck "Hezbollah terror infrastructure" in response to action against its soldiers; Lebanon's prime minister denounced attacks on civilians in their homes. Rescuers are still searching the rubble.

Iranian army commander Amir Hatami announced a $30,000 reward for anyone who kills or captures a US soldier, doubled if carried out by a woman.

Hatami, quoted by the Irna agency at a Press Day ceremony, attributed the decision to a large number of requests to take part in "financial jihad". Some outlets report the figure as more than $38,000. No details were given on where or when such actions would take place; one source says there have been no known US ground troop deployments in Iran during the war apart from a rescue mission. Hatami also said Tehran would bar the United States from the Persian Gulf, Hormuz and the Sea of Oman.

A Spanish F-18 on NATO air-policing duty shot down a drone that entered Romanian airspace from Moldova overnight, Bucharest's Defence Ministry said.

Romania's defence minister put the interception at 4:01 (given as 5:01 local time by other sources) and said possible debris may have fallen in an uninhabited area of the Galati region, near the Ukrainian border. NATO suspects it was a Russian unmanned aircraft. Sources say it is the fourth drone downed over Romanian territory this year.

The South Korean military fired warning shots last week after several North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the Military Demarcation Line, then returned.

The crossing took place in the eastern section of the inter-Korean boundary, according to a source cited on Sunday. Yonhap reports it is the first North Korean violation of the Military Demarcation Line recorded this year.

Israel said it would keep striking Hezbollah and named another member of the group who was killed.

Defence Minister Israel Katz said "no score will be left unsettled in any arena" and that the country would defend its soldiers and civilians "with full power." The available material does not specify the role of the man killed or the circumstances of the operation.

Renewed hostilities between Houthi rebels and the Yemeni government are fuelling fears of a return to full-scale conflict after years of relative calm.

Yemen's civil conflict killed tens of thousands of people, uprooted millions and drove the country to the brink of famine before a 2022 truce restored relative calm. The current extent of the fighting is unclear.

Yemen's Mocha port has suspended commercial and maritime operations after being hit by more than 25 missiles in attacks attributed to the Houthis.

Port director Abdulmalik al-Sharaabi said on Saturday that the attacks of recent days killed seven people and caused an estimated $16 million in damage to facilities and equipment. The accounts come from the port authority; commercial activity remains halted.

The aircraft carrier USS George Washington is leaving the Pacific and is expected to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East, leaving Asia without a deployed US carrier.

The move is linked to the Trump administration's focus on Iran and the Western Hemisphere. According to the sources, concerns are growing aboard the long-deployed Abraham Lincoln over crew mental health and supply problems.

Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) claims a cyberattack on Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, with sellers also reporting disruption.

HUR says that despite the company's high level of digital protection, the attack disrupted its main remote customer-service channel, partly destabilised its payment infrastructure and strained its call centres. Since mid-July Ukraine has struck the group's warehouses almost daily: Kyiv says it is disrupting front-line shipments, while some experts say the impact falls on Russia's economy.

The General Staff of Iran's armed forces said it will continue confronting the United States and Israel until their "complete defeat" in the region.

The statement says the legacy of "resistance" has passed to a new generation of Iranians and that the confrontation will continue until the people's demands, described as legitimate, are met. These are official Iranian statements, reported by outlets close to that perspective, and contain no announcement of concrete action.

Russia has asked the United States and Turkey for clarification after reports of a possible arms transfer to Ukraine, foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

According to the reports cited, Turkey asked Washington for permission to send Kyiv tens of thousands of cluster munitions that had sat in its stockpiles for decades; some sources also mention missiles. Zakharova said Moscow has already approached both countries to learn the scope of the operation. The reports are not officially confirmed by Ankara or Washington in the available material.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said three soldiers were seriously wounded in an attack attributed to Hezbollah, which it accused of violating the truce in Lebanon.

Also according to Netanyahu's office, the Israeli military responded by striking "in retaliation" the headquarters that allegedly ordered the attack. The available information comes from the Israeli side and no independent confirmation appears in the material; Hezbollah is not quoted in the cited sources.

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella on Saturday asked Donald Trump to temporarily suspend tariffs on Colombian goods to aid recovery after the earthquake.

De la Espriella argues the suspension would give exporters relief as the country faces the economic fallout of Monday's magnitude 7.4 earthquake. US tariffs on Colombian goods were raised from 10 to 12.5 per cent in late July.

A Chinese container vessel has set sail for Europe through the Arctic as part of a new weekly service that cuts shipping times in half.

The route is passable only during the part of the year when the ice has melted enough. Environmental groups warn that heavier use could speed up the melting of polar ice.

Mexican avocado pickers have resumed exports to the United States after a security alert was lifted, though security fears remain.

Exports had been halted after a US security alert suspended the technical services required for shipments. Industry workers cited by the sources say the restart depends on decisions taken in the United States: if Washington suspends technical services for security or plant-health reasons, exporting becomes impossible. The material does not clarify what guarantees have been given for the future.

A strike by France-based easyJet cabin crew led to about 100 flight cancellations, in protest at repeated changes to their schedules.

According to the unions, about half of the company's 900 France-based cabin crew are taking part in the action. The protest is over repeated changes to work schedules.

Europe's heatwaves are exposing a gap in insurance coverage as business losses mount.

Extreme heat often falls outside traditional business interruption insurance policies. The available material does not quantify the overall scale of the losses.

Berkshire Hathaway increased its stake in Alphabet and in homebuilders during the second quarter.

The information comes from the group's periodic disclosure of its holdings. The available material does not give the precise size of the stakes or the value of the investments.

South Korean Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan left for Washington as Seoul faces mounting US tariff pressure and unresolved bilateral trade issues.

The departure, reported by sources cited on Sunday, came at what is described as a sensitive stage in trade relations between the two countries. It is another trip by the minister to the United States. The material does not specify the schedule of meetings or the files under discussion.

Chinese state-owned construction firms have been shortlisted for all four main works packages at Ethiopia's Bishoftu International Airport, a $12.5 billion project.

The project is presented as the largest airport under construction in Africa. Both available sources trace back to the same Vietnamese state outlet and give no timeline for the award or the names of the shortlisted companies.

Short selling on South Korea's stock market has risen despite a sharp rebound from the rout in chipmaker and artificial-intelligence-related shares.

The cited data come from the Korea Exchange (KRX) and cover outstanding short positions. The sources do not give the precise size of the increase or the full reference period. The figures were released on Sunday.

Indonesia's president announced the closure of 750 state-owned enterprises by the end of the year, also floating a special court to examine company boards.

According to the report, the president referred to "unproductive" boards reporting "made up" profits and considered setting up a special court to investigate. Indonesia is Southeast Asia's largest economy. The material does not specify which companies would be closed or the precise timeline.

South Korea will nearly double state-backed housing construction financing to 47.8 trillion won and ease mortgage rules for young buyers, the Financial Services Commission said.

The announcement, dated Aug. 13, foresees adding 230,000 homes, with financing equivalent to about $33.7 billion. It comes as house prices rise for the 13th consecutive month.

According to industry sources cited by Korean media, household credit in South Korea topped the 2,000 trillion won mark, about $1.41 trillion, for the first time in the second quarter.

The increase is attributed to growth in home-backed loans and stock loans. The figure comes from industry sources rather than an official release.

Twelve people died and at least ten were seriously injured when a Polish tourist bus left the road and overturned on a Hungarian motorway.

The bus carried 57 Polish tourists and two drivers and was returning to Poland from the Marian shrine at Medjugorje in Bosnia. Police said the vehicle ended up in a ditch along the M3 motorway linking Budapest with Nyíregyháza. The driver was detained and, according to police quoted by media, had fallen asleep at the wheel. The toll was confirmed by Prime Minister Peter Magyar and officials.

On the evening of 15 August, unknown thieves entered the halls of MuMe, Messina's Interdisciplinary Regional Museum, and took four works attributed to Antonello da Messina.

The pieces are three of the five surviving panels of the Polyptych of St Gregory and the double-sided Tavoletta Bifronte. According to reports the thieves bypassed alarm systems and security protections, which one outlet says were working; the theft reportedly occurred around 7.30pm while the city's Vara festivities were under way. The museum's director called the works among the artist's most important; regional president Schifani called it an affront and announced an internal inspection.

The death toll from a ferry capsizing on Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe, has risen to 68 or 72 according to police, with figures differing between sources.

The vessel overturned on Tuesday in strong waves; sources report 22 or 25 additional bodies recovered as announced by police on Saturday. Eighteen children are said to be among the dead. Authorities say the boat was licensed for 90 people but carried 114 adults, five crew and an unspecified number of children; most passengers were villagers and fish traders from around the lake. The search continues.

Sociologist Jason Arday, who in 2023 became Cambridge's youngest Black professor, was found dead on Friday Aug 14 at an address in south London after plagiarism accusations.

Sources differ on his age: NPR says he was 37 when he took the chair in 2023, while Libération describes him as 41. His family denounces a harassment campaign against him. The UK prime minister called for reflection, and the case has opened a debate over plagiarism and racism. The cause of death is not stated in the available material.

The Palio of Siena, due to run on Sunday at sunset, was postponed to Monday Aug 17 after a sudden downpour lasting about half an hour left the tuff track unusable.

The green flag, signalling the race's cancellation, was displayed at the windows of Palazzo Pubblico. Il Sole 24 Ore reports rain is also forecast for Monday. It is not the first time the Palio has been postponed because of weather.

Iran executed a man convicted of deliberately driving his car into police officers during January's anti-government protests in the city of Karaj, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

It is the latest execution linked to the nationwide protests. Iranian authorities have reported more than 3,000 deaths, attributing the violence to "terrorist acts" orchestrated by the United States and Israel; rights groups based abroad say security forces fired on protesters. The two accounts remain at odds.

Virginia police have arrested a 19-year-old in connection with Saturday's shooting on the campus of Virginia State University, in which five people were injured.

No one was killed, but one of those hit is in critical condition. Police say the suspect, who is not enrolled at the university, was found hiding in a dormitory closet on campus. No motive has been disclosed.

A soldier of Spain's Military Emergencies Unit was killed and three others injured when a fire truck overturned during efforts to put out the Las Peñas de Riglos wildfire in Huesca province.

According to the two Spanish outlets, the accident happened on the road linking Ataréz and Bernués, in an area of forest tracks used by firefighting vehicles. The three injured belong to the same unit. The available material does not clarify what caused the truck to overturn, nor the state of the fire.

Italian authorities have recovered three paintings by Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse worth more than €9 million, stolen months ago from a private museum near Parma.

Five Moldovan suspects have been detained. Police say the group planned the theft carefully. No further details are given on the investigation or on the condition of the works.

A Vietnam Airlines Boeing 787 bound for Hanoi returned to land at Munich airport after an incident during takeoff.

The flight had departed the German airport on Saturday and was forced to return because of technical problems. According to one of the sources, the rear of the aircraft may have struck the runway during takeoff. The material reports no injuries and gives no outcome of any investigation.

A woman died in the Colombian earthquake while shielding her blind dog with her body, according to her brother's account reported by the sources.

Her brother described the episode as "a love story". In the affected areas many people are still hoping to find their pets alive.

Six people died in a series of shootings in Michigan, among them the suspected gunman and a teenage boy; a girl survived.

Authorities put the toll at six dead, including the suspect. A girl survived the attack. "This situation is heartbreaking for the community and challenging for the investigators involved," Lt. Ashley Miller said in a statement. The circumstances and motive are not clarified in the available material.

At least ten people died and dozens were injured when a tour bus overturned on the BR-040 highway in Petrópolis, in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

The crash happened overnight into Sunday 16 August in the state's mountain region, according to the Federal Highway Police. The National Land Transport Agency (ANTT) says the vehicle was not authorised for interstate passenger transport and called the trip irregular, describing the bus as "clandestine".

The Coalition for Ethiopian Unity, an alliance of five opposition parties, condemned the killing of three young men in Abeshige woreda and is demanding an investigation.

The events took place in the Central Ethiopia Regional State. The coalition describes them as extrajudicial killings and calls them "comparable to the Red Terror". The available material does not include a response from the authorities.

Police arrested a man on suspicion of fraud after a security operation interrupted the European athletics championships.

The agencies reporting the story give no further details on the man's identity or on the precise nature of the security incident.

Russia's FSB accuses Margarita Reut, 32, of planting the device that killed a Black Sea Fleet officer in Sevastopol on 13 August, saying she acted on behalf of Ukrainian intelligence.

The FSB says she confessed and hid the bomb in a rubbish bin in the city, in occupied Crimea; she is quoted as saying she does not regret it. The account comes from Russian security services and has not been independently verified; Kyiv is not reported to have commented in the available material.

A 73-year-old woman died at the scene and 12 people were injured when a horse-drawn carriage crashed into a tree in the Swiss Alps.

The crash happened in the canton of Graubünden, not far from the resort town of St Moritz, with a group of tourists on board. According to the accounts, the carriage picked up speed on a downhill stretch before the impact.

Construction workers found a stash of gold at a building site in Belgium, reportedly worth 9 million euros, or $10.4 million.

Belgian police urged treasure hunters to stay away from the site, where the find was made during the week. The material does not specify the exact location or the origin of the gold.

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won has appealed a ruling ordering him to pay 944 billion won to his former wife Roh Soh-yeong, his lawyers said.

The sum is equivalent to about $668.52 million and is described as the largest divorce settlement ordered by a South Korean court. The material does not say when the appeal will be heard.

Moroccan police on Saturday detained 111 people attempting to enter the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa.

The arrests took place in and around the northern city of Fnideq, after security was tightened on both sides of the border following social media calls for another mass crossing.

A 55.6-metre statue of the Virgin Mary, believed to be Europe's tallest, was inaugurated on Saturday in the Polish village of Konotopie.

The concrete monument rises above a village in central Poland with fewer than 150 inhabitants. Hundreds attended the consecration, including anti-communist leader Lech Wałęsa; the ceremony featured a Mass, traditional music and helicopters scattering rose petals.

Hundreds of Moroccan migrants who recently entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta protested on Sunday on a city beach, demanding asylum in Spain.

According to the Straits Times, more than 72,000 migrants entered the north African territory of about 80,000 residents two weeks ago. Protesters chanted pro-Spain slogans and called for asylum. The available material does not clarify how Spanish authorities are responding to the applications.

The Australian state of New South Wales, where the Bondi Beach attack took place, will launch a gun buyback offering cash to owners who hand in firearms.

The measure follows the attack carried out during Hanukkah at Bondi Beach in Sydney. The available material does not specify amounts, the programme's duration, or how many firearms authorities aim to collect.

Jinny Lu, a rescued pug originally from South Korea, has won the 50th World's Ugliest Dog Contest in Santa Rosa, California.

The contest is held annually in Santa Rosa, California, and reached its 50th edition this year.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the firearms buyback programme will begin in November.

The announcement concerns the start date of the initiative. The available material does not specify which categories of weapons will be covered or the funding involved.

Jewish worshippers were reportedly allowed onto the Temple Mount with prayer books for the first time, as confirmed by minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and reported by worshippers and Israeli media.

Some worshippers say police let them ascend with the texts; journalist Arnon Segal posted a photo of men praying while reading from the books and described the step as an "initial experiment". The article group comes from outlets of a single editorial leaning and the report is not confirmed by other sources.

A growing number of American college students are renting apartments inside senior living communities, paying about a third of local market rent.

In exchange for the discount, students spend about eight hours a week with older residents. The material does not say how many facilities are involved or in which states.

The magnitude 7.7 quake off the northern coast of Flores island killed at least 47 people according to some sources, 51 according to others, as searches through the rubble continue.

Indonesia's national disaster agency says the toll is rising as rescue work proceeds; deputy health minister Benjamin Paulus Octavianus reported 36 seriously and 77 lightly injured in East Nusa Tenggara province alone. Sources put evacuees at between 2,000 and 5,000 and damaged homes at from over a hundred to more than 1,300. Hundreds of aftershocks pushed residents to spend the night outdoors; some areas lack power, water and basic supplies. About 500 Italians are on the island and local authorities report no tourist deaths in Labuan Bajo.

Category 1 Hurricane Lala brought torrential rain and strong winds to Hawaii's Big Island, passing without making landfall and gradually weakening.

The National Hurricane Center said maximum sustained winds reached 75 mph when it strengthened into a hurricane on Saturday; other sources report gusts up to 80 mph (130 km/h) and forecasts of up to 25 inches (63 cm) of rain on the Big Island. Flooded roads and swollen rivers were reported as it passed. A direct hit would have been the island's first in 155 years.

A fire in a hard-to-reach nature reserve, the largest on record in Belgium, is spreading towards the German border and has forced 600 residents to evacuate.

The blaze, which broke out two days earlier, doubled in size over the previous 24 hours. More than 250 firefighters and emergency personnel were mobilised, with help from Germany and Luxembourg; on Sunday military helicopters and tractors driven by local farmers hauled water to help contain the flames.

Five days after the earthquake in western Colombia, more bodies are being pulled from the rubble and hopes of finding survivors are dwindling.

Official figures cited by the sources diverge: around 290 people are reported dead and nearly 4,000 injured, with the number of missing given as roughly 140 to more than 300, according to Colombia's disaster management unit as of Aug 15. AFP reports that a woman who had been rescued alive later died. Search operations continue.

At least six people have died in Indiana after days of storms and record flooding that began on Aug 11, state emergency officials said.

The victims include a four-year-old boy, two men and three women, said Liz Woods, a spokesperson for the state Department of Homeland Security. The White River reached record levels, forcing evacuations, and thousands were left without power. Rains are easing as rescue and recovery work continues; federal assistance has been approved.

Two people died and others were injured on Sunday as fast-moving wildfires swept the Greek island of Salamina, west of Athens, authorities said.

Greek media report the bodies were found in the garden of their home in the village of Peristeria, at the island's southern tip, said to be an elderly couple. The number of injured varies between sources, given as "several" or four. Strong winds are hampering firefighting, with the blaze burning on two fronts, during the summer's busiest holiday weekend.

According to a Climate Prediction Center report, the coming El Niño could exceed the intensity of previous ones, with a growing likelihood of a "super El Niño" in 2026.

El Niño is the periodic warming of the Pacific that alters rainfall and temperatures in various parts of the world. In Brazil, local media report that experts recall the precedent of the Great Drought of 1877, which caused famine and migration in the north-east. The forecasts remain probabilistic and the concrete effects are not yet determined.

The toll from torrential rain hitting eastern Japan since Thursday has risen to nine dead, with hundreds displaced and more than a thousand homes flooded.

Some 460 people remain displaced and one person is missing, with searches continuing in Chiba prefecture. The rain, which began on Thursday the 13th, also disrupted road traffic and rail services. The figures are attributed to broadcaster NHK and Japanese authorities.

A flood and a landslide caused by torrential rain killed two elderly women and injured two babies in a rural area of northwestern Spain.

Authorities announced this on Aug 16. Seven Spanish regions were placed on yellow alert for storms and heavy rain for Sunday.

A person was fined for using a foghorn to wake a sleeping polar bear in the Arctic; sources give the amount as either over $5,000 or $6,770.

The two outlets report different figures for the fine and the available material does not clarify the discrepancy. Neither the exact location nor the date of the incident is given.

Japan is preparing a mission to the moons of Mars with the aim of collecting samples and bringing them back to Earth.

The project involves taking material from the planet's natural satellites. The available material does not specify launch dates or the instruments involved.

A research team at the Institute of Physics in Hanoi is working with more than 1,000 scientists worldwide on experiments into the nature of matter and the origin and evolution of the universe.

The sources describe participation in some of the world's largest physics experiments without naming them or reporting results so far. Both sources trace back to the same Vietnamese state outlet.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu will chair an inter-ministerial crisis unit on Monday after the intrusion into French tax administration systems, which affected hundreds of thousands of taxpayers.

Figures differ between outlets: some report about 700,000 individuals and professionals affected, while another cites 678,000 people and businesses whose tax and personal data were subsequently put up for sale online. The tax administration acknowledged the intrusion on Friday. The meeting is set for the afternoon by secure videoconference, after the prime minister's trip to Gironde; victims are due to be notified starting Monday.

Apple has sent notifications to iPhone users in 110 countries warning they may have been targeted by advanced spyware, in what the company describes as a high-confidence alert.

The company reportedly urges those who received the alert to update their devices and enable Lockdown Mode to protect their data. Outlets note the targets are said to go beyond the devices of politicians, activists and journalists. Who is behind the attacks is not specified.

South Korean director Hong Sang-soo won the best direction award on Saturday at the 79th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland for the film "Nowhere to Lay My Eyes".

Actor Kim Min-hee, who stars in the film, was also honoured at the same edition of the festival. The two have worked together for years; the available material gives no further details on the awards.

In an interview with Vogue, the Portuguese Al Nassr forward said this is probably his last year as a player.

Ronaldo, 41, said his future is fully planned and that he wants to leave what he called a "spectacular" legacy, adding that the void left by football must be filled in various ways. According to one outlet he remains under contract with Al Nassr until June 2027 and has begun planning life after football, including more time with family. His comments come days after Lionel Messi spoke about his own retirement.

French swimmer Léon Marchand won the 400m freestyle final at the European swimming championships in Saint-Denis on Sunday, his second continental title in two days.

Marchand, a four-time Olympic champion, was competing over this distance for the first time at a major meet; the same evening he also took bronze with the French relay. In the 100m backstroke, French swimmers Yohann Ndoye Brouard and Mewen Tomac missed the podium.

Real Madrid beat Schalke 3-0 away in their final pre-season friendly, marking Kylian Mbappé's return and debuts for Konaté, Cucurella and Diomande.

It was Madrid's sixth pre-season friendly, against a side just promoted to the Bundesliga. Real begin their league campaign against Espanyol.

Arsenal beat Manchester City to claim the Community Shield, their fourth win over City in the fixture.

The match traditionally opens the English football season. According to the sources, Arsenal maintain a perfect record against City in this fixture. The final score is not given in the material.

Islam Makhachev won the welterweight title at UFC 330, reaching 17 consecutive victories, a record in the organisation.

It was the fighter's 17th win in a row, the longest such streak recorded in the UFC according to the sources. The available material does not name his opponent or describe how the bout ended.

Novak Djokovic was knocked out of the Cincinnati Open by Argentina's Thiago Agustin Tirante, ranked 50th in the world, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.

The match lasted 2 hours and 44 minutes and was played in hot, humid conditions. It was the first match since Wimbledon for the 24-time Grand Slam champion; sources differ on the round, with one referring to the second round.

Italy's men's flag football team reached the World Championship final in Düsseldorf for the first time, finishing with silver, and qualified for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

The team is coached by Massimiliano Bonomo. The Olympic berth came together with the run to the final, the first in the national team's history in this competition.

Senate speaker Ignazio La Russa said the TV programme Report "must be changed, not eliminated", arguing that only 1.5% of its investigations concerned the largest left-wing party.

The remarks came at "Bar Italia", a summer event held by Fratelli d'Italia, where La Russa added he hoped no one "worse than Ranucci" would take over and said the show had lost credibility. The Five Star Movement accused the Senate speaker of seeking to push out presenter Sigfrido Ranucci.

Brothers of Italy's lower-house group leader Galeazzo Bignami announced in a social media video a party event at the port of Bari on September 4 with Giorgia Meloni.

In the video, filmed at the port of Bari, Bignami says the date will also mark "the longest-lasting opposition in history", a jab at centre-left leaders. It is a partisan statement, reported by right-leaning outlets.

A one-off "Tailor Made" Ferrari Luce sold for 40 million dollars at Monterey with RM Sotheby's, a figure never before reached by a new car.

The car, described as "Chassis 0", is an exclusive version of Maranello's first electric model and was sold during Monterey Car Week. The previous record belonged to another Ferrari, an exclusive Daytona SP3. According to the outlets, all proceeds will go to the Ferrari Foundation for educational programmes and school initiatives in the United States and elsewhere.

Ornella Forastefano, 46, was found dying outside the hospital in Trebisacce (Cosenza) and did not survive; her partner was tracked down by police at the port of Bari.

According to an initial reconstruction, medical staff noticed the woman outside the emergency room of the Guido Chidichimo hospital and brought her in, but efforts to revive her failed. Sources report severe injuries to her body, face and head. Carabinieri from Cassano are investigating; her 42-year-old partner, of Albanian origin, could not be located and was later found in Bari. The circumstances of the death are still being examined.

Nicola Maggiotto, 21, from Asolo (Treviso), is in intensive care in Barcelona in an induced coma with a guarded prognosis after being assaulted outside a venue.

According to accounts reported by the outlets, the assault took place overnight between Wednesday and Thursday and was carried out by a group of young people; the man was diagnosed with brain injuries and some accounts say he was struck on the back of the head. Maggiotto was on holiday with eight friends, one of whom was also injured. The Italian foreign ministry is following the case.

In Noicattaro, near Bari, a 6-year-old boy was attacked by a wild animal on the evening of 15 August: the third case in a few days, prompting the mayor to close city parks at night.

The attack happened around 11 p.m. in a park between via San Filippo Neri and via Rutigliano, where several families were gathered; the child is hospitalised with chest injuries. Outlets attribute the attacks to a wolf. The regional authorities have authorised the animal's capture, and a meeting at the prefecture is planned to consider extending the night-time closure of the park and green areas.

Valter Lavitola's lawyers will file a request early next week to review the precautionary measures against him and will ask for their client to be questioned again.

The defence says the aim is to clarify statements it considers vague. Lawyer Sergio Cola also claims case files show journalist Sigfrido Ranucci had asked for increased protection before the attack and may have understood who ordered it: these are defence assertions, not established findings.

In Genoa a 26-year-old man stabbed his 18-year-old sister and then died after falling from a window.

The young woman suffered minor injuries and was taken to hospital under a yellow code; her life is not in danger. The circumstances of the attack and of the fall have not been clarified.

Franco Fava, a 55-year-old construction worker, was found dead at his home in Stignano, in the Reggio Calabria area, on the evening of 15 August; his 47-year-old wife has been detained.

According to investigators the woman was at home with her husband when he died, following an argument; the detention was ordered as a precaution. The couple's twin daughters have been placed with relatives, and an autopsy is awaited to establish the cause of death.

A 19-year-old woman from Milan has reported being raped on the night between 15 and 16 August at a venue in the corso Como area of Milan.

According to her account as reported by the sources, the assault took place in a private area of the club; she was helped at around 5 a.m. after alerting a passer-by. The accusation concerns a man she met at the venue; the Carabinieri are investigating and are reviewing area CCTV. The account rests on the complaint and has not been established.

On the night of 15 August a dispute escalated into a brawl involving several people on the public beach of Fiumarella in Mondragone, in the Caserta area.

Footage circulating shows people striking each other, including with chairs. Carabinieri who intervened reported five people to prosecutors, one of them a minor. The cause of the fight has not been clarified.

A baggage container caught fire on Sunday afternoon close to the Milan Malpensa terminal, producing a thick black plume; the blaze was quickly brought under control.

Initial hypotheses point to a short circuit, possibly linked to the heat. The suitcases had just been unloaded from the container when the fire broke out. No injuries were reported.

Two roped climbing parties were rescued above Cortina during bad weather: one was struck by lightning and two people were injured.

The Suem 118 emergency service intervened and the injured were flown to Bolzano. According to Repubblica the climbers were Polish and had got into difficulty because of the weather.

A woman drowned after slipping on a steep slope and falling into Lake Speccheri, in Trentino, during a hike with relatives.

Sources differ on her age: ANSA reports a 56-year-old, Repubblica a woman in her sixties from Lonigo, in the province of Vicenza. According to the accounts she was climbing the path above the lake when she slipped.

Venice prosecutors have requested that the investigation into Donald Trump Jr's hunting trip in the lagoon be shelved, deeming the offence minor.

Andrea Zanoni, a former Europa Verde councillor, announced he will file an objection to the request, saying he is "dismayed". A judge will decide whether to shelve the case.

According to a friend's account reported by some Italian outlets, Ahoo Daryaei, the Iranian student who protested in her underwear at university in 2024, is being treated as mentally ill and given injections for schizophrenia.

The 2024 protest was a response to dress rules imposed by the Iranian authorities and led to her detention. The accounts describe an 18-day period during which she was allegedly restrained in hospital. The information comes from a single source close to her and is not independently confirmed in the available material.

The Stelvio lift company announced on 15 August the closure of its glacier slopes due to lack of snow and high temperatures, the last Alpine area to halt summer skiing.

The stated reasons include persistent heatwaves even at high altitude, the absence of night-time cooling and refreezing, and frequent storms that damaged the glacier. Cervinia and Saas Fee had already closed in recent days. Some outlets report 17 degrees at the Forni glacier above 2,000 metres and 9 degrees at Passo Marinelli around 3,000 metres. Only indoor slopes remain open in Europe.

Forecasts point to the end of Italy's heatwave next week, with locally intense storms in the north and a gradual drop in temperatures from midweek.

In recent weeks the country was affected by a subtropical air mass of Saharan origin, with above-average temperatures, humidity, drought and wildfires. Outlets flag the risk of severe phenomena during the transition, including hail, wind gusts and downbursts, while sunnier weather is expected in the south.

Etna resumed intense explosive activity from the Voragine crater, with volcanic tremor at very high levels and the aviation alert kept at orange.

According to measurements, the most advanced lava flow front stands at an altitude of 1,395 metres. The aviation colour code remains orange for now. No consequences for inhabited areas have been reported so far.

A magnitude 3.7 quake centred on Fosdinovo, in the province of Massa Carrara, struck Tuscany; the regional authorities say no damage has been reported.

The quake was recorded at a depth of about 10 kilometres and was felt in Berceto, the La Spezia area and Versilia as well. It is the latest of several tremors felt in the area in recent weeks.

A magnitude 3.9 earthquake was recorded in the area of Linguaglossa, in the province of Catania, according to Italy's INGV institute.

The information is attributed to the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, which released the data on the tremor. The available material gives no indication of damage or injuries.

Simona Quadarella won the 400m freestyle at the European swimming championships in Paris in 4:01.34, her third gold after the 800m and 1500m.

The 1998-born Roman swimmer closed the gap on her German rivals in the final lengths; one source describes the time as a new record. On the same day Italy took silvers with Thomas Ceccon in the 100m backstroke, Benedetta Pilato in the 50m breaststroke and both the men's and women's 4x100m medley relays. Italy is reported second in the medal table.

Pietro Riva won silver in the marathon at the European athletics championships, and Italy also finished second in the women's team standings of the same race.

The team placing was secured by Rebecca Lonedo, Sofia Yaremchuk and Giovanna Epis, the latter finishing 21st in the women's marathon. It is Italy's 19th medal at the championships, with Britain still contesting the top spot in the medal table.

Italy won seven medals in a single day at the European championships: Andy Diaz took triple jump gold with an Italian record, Dellavalle bronze.

According to the tally reported by the sources, the haul was three golds, two silvers and two bronzes across athletics and swimming. Fiorini is reported to have set a world record in the marathon race walk, while Crippa finished fourth in the 10,000 metres, just over six tenths from bronze.

Nicolo Martinenghi won the men's 50m breaststroke at the European swimming championships in 26.57, ahead of Simone Cerasuolo, second in 26.62.

The gap between the two Italians is five hundredths of a second. Cerasuolo shares second place with Dutch swimmer Koen, whose name the sources report only partially.

According to a study by Dutch lender Triodos Bank, extreme heatwaves cost Europe about 180 billion euros a year, equal to 1% of GDP.

The study ranks Italy second for economic impact, with a cost comparable to a national budget law. Factors counted include higher spending on cooling, drought that lowers rivers and hampers transport, wildfires and added pressure on the health system. The figures are the bank's estimates, not official data.

Italy's ACI is preparing a tender for social car leasing at about 100 euros a month, funded with 50 million euros from the automotive fund.

Reports say the body will buy the cars using a single model, with a contract allowing an eventual purchase option. Sources differ on the numbers: one cites 3,000 vehicles bought, another about 4,000 beneficiaries. The scheme is described as experimental and modelled on one already running in France; eligibility rules and the application date are still to be set in the tender.

Researchers at MIT and other institutions have identified a very bright red object in the early universe, roughly the size of the solar system, observed with the James Webb Space Telescope.

According to the authors the object resembles an enormous star but emits 100 billion times more energy than any known star can physically produce. The finding, sources say, lends support to a possible explanation for the mysterious red spots seen in the early universe.

Anthropic has released details about the watermarking system applied to text generated by its Claude model, introduced to comply with European Union rules.

According to the reports, the mark is not visible to users and the company itself says it could be removed. Sources say Anthropic clarified how the mechanism works, its limits when text is edited, and the implications for generated code. The material does not specify when the measure takes full effect.