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The United States has recorded its hottest summer ever, as intense heat and drought affected broad areas of the country. Between June and August, the average temperature across the contiguous United States reached 23.6 degrees Celsius (74.4 degrees Fahrenheit), according to figures released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Wednesday. The seasonal average was 1.7C (3F) above the 20th-century norm and 0.2C (0.4F) warmer than the former record, which had been shared by

US special representatives Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss possible ways to end Russia’s war on Ukraine, in their first trip to Kyiv since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. The discussions on Sunday followed a meeting the two envoys held with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow a day earlier. Recommended Stories • list 1 of 3How important are the Yemeni government’s recent military advances against the

Russian forces have struck the city of Kamianske in Ukraine’s southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, killing five people and wounding another five, regional Governor Oleksandr Hanzha said. The attack on Saturday took place as US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow for discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two are expected to travel to Kyiv on Sunday carrying a proposal intended to help bring the war to an end. Recommended Stories • list 1 of 4Russian

Malaysia has announced a state of emergency in a district of Sarawak after haze from wildfires in nearby Indonesia pushed air pollution to levels considered hazardous. King Sultan Ibrahim “has given his consent for an emergency to be declared across Serian Division, Sarawak, following haze conditions that have reached levels dangerous to public health and safety,” the office of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Thursday. Recommended Stories • list 1 of 3Malaysia’s former leader Ismail Sabri

A fire erupted at the Afipsky oil refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar region after a drone attack, according to local officials. In a separate incident, two workers at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant were injured in another Ukrainian drone strike. At least two people were killed and two more wounded by falling drone wreckage near Afipsky railway station, regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said on Tuesday. Management at the nuclear facility said the drone struck close to

Overnight Russian strikes killed six people in southeastern Ukraine and damaged a children’s hospital in the capital, Kyiv, local authorities said. Officials said the early Tuesday assault involved long-range missiles and formed part of a broader Russian effort to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defences while Kyiv struggles with a shortage of Patriot interceptors. Ivan Fedorov, head of the military administration in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, described the attack as “massive”, saying Russia

NATO fighter jets were dispatched after a Russian missile briefly entered Polish airspace before crashing. The projectile crossed into Poland early on Thursday during a large-scale overnight assault by Russia on Ukraine involving ballistic missiles and drones. The attack killed at least eight civilians, including children, and left more than 50 others injured. Fears are growing that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine could increasingly draw in neighbouring NATO members. Poland is among

Sixty Palestinian detainees released by Israel arrived in Gaza in a visibly weakened state, reaching a hospital in Khan Younis exhausted, wounded and, in some instances, unable to stand on their own. On Monday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) transported the men to Nasser Medical Complex for medical checks, where families and healthcare workers gathered to welcome them back. Recommended Stories • list 1 of 3‘Back from the dead’: The continuing anguish over Gaza’s 9,500

Rampur, India – In the sweltering heat of July, more than 100 people sit cross-legged on woven mats, chanting slogans and waving the Indian flag in a small town in northern India. About 200km (132 miles) from New Delhi — where student-led protests over education reforms recently compelled a federal minister to resign — students, alumni and local residents have launched an indefinite sit-in. They are protesting a proposed plan to demolish 38 of the 40 buildings that make up Mohammad Ali Jauhar

A Romanian fighter jet has downed a drone believed to be of Russian origin after it entered the country’s airspace. The episode on Friday was the first time Romania has intercepted an unauthorized aircraft since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, President Nicusor Dan said. The development has heightened concerns that the war in neighboring Ukraine could further spill into NATO territory. Romania is among several alliance members that have faced repeated drone intrusions in

More than 20,000 local residents and vacationers have been evacuated from southwest France as fast-moving wildfires continue to spread across the region. Roughly 800 firefighters were working to contain the blaze about 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Bordeaux on Thursday. They were supported by hundreds of gendarmes and members of the armed forces assisting with emergency operations. Recommended Stories • list 1 of 3Spain and France confront intense wildfires amid heightened risk • list 2 of

Tensions in the Middle East intensified after two oil tankers transporting Saudi crude to Asia reversed course in the Red Sea on Tuesday. The move followed an announcement by Yemen’s Houthi group declaring a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia. The shutdown of the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a vital passage linking the Red Sea with the Indian Ocean, has added new strain to global shipping lanes. This comes as traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains unstable amid the continuing US-Israel conflict

Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest has dropped to its lowest level in ten years during the first half of 2026, according to newly released government data. The figures, published on Friday, represent a significant achievement for President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has made reducing destruction in the world’s largest rainforest a central goal of his administration. Between January and June, approximately 1,295 square kilometres (500 square miles) of forest were cleared in the

Last month became the warmest June ever observed in Western Europe, with temperatures exceeding the 1991–2020 average by more than three degrees Celsius (5.4 degrees Fahrenheit), according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. In a statement released Thursday, the climate monitoring agency reported that the region’s average temperature climbed to 20.74C (69.33F). The surge was largely driven by a powerful heatwave in the latter half of the month that shattered records in

The FIFA World Cup quarterfinal lineup has been finalized following an intense round of 16 filled with dramatic comebacks, penalty shootouts, and surprising results. France, Morocco, Norway, England, Spain, Belgium, Argentina, and Switzerland have advanced to the final eight, setting up four high-profile quarterfinal clashes to be staged across the United States. Beyond the action on the field, the competition continues to face controversy. Egypt has accused officials of bias after its narrow

Officials in Monaco have stated that, at this point, they do not believe “terrorism” was the motive behind an explosion that injured three people. The powerful detonation occurred Monday evening at the entrance of a residential building, shortly after a man reportedly left a package at the scene. Prosecutor Stephane Thibault told journalists on Tuesday that the suspect, who escaped on foot, appears to have acted alone and has not yet been apprehended. Footage from security cameras shows the

Kyiv, Ukraine – On May 22, Ukraine’s president, prime minister, parliament speaker, senior ministers and top military commanders stood in silence at a military cemetery outside Kyiv as soldiers carried the coffins of Andriy Melnyk and his wife, Sofiya, past the assembled officials. The ceremony, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, was intended to honour “Ukrainian heroes.” Melnyk had been a leading figure in the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), a movement that sought an independent Ukrainian

United States Vice President JD Vance has arrived in Switzerland to meet Iranian officials for discussions on putting into practice the interim agreement aimed at ending the US conflict with Iran. Earlier this week, Washington and Tehran agreed to extend their negotiations under a 60-day ceasefire. However, tensions escalated on Saturday when Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in response to Israeli strikes in Lebanon. Despite the

A Ukrainian drone strike on a maritime terminal in southern Russia has left one person dead, Russian officials have said, marking another incident in a series of attacks targeting key infrastructure. According to Veniamin Kondratyev, governor of Russia’s Krasnodar region, falling drone fragments ignited a fire at part of the facility in the Temryuk district on Saturday. While the governor did not provide extensive details, Russian media outlets reported that damage occurred at a Black Sea

A record-setting and deadly heatwave sweeping across South Asia has driven temperatures to perilous levels, disrupting everyday life for hundreds of millions of people and intensifying concerns about the fragility of one of the world’s most densely populated regions. India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are among the countries experiencing temperatures far above seasonal norms, with some areas nearing or surpassing 45-50 degrees Celsius (113-122 degrees Fahrenheit). Recommended Stories • list 1 of