World News

South Korea summoned the Cambodian envoy to express concern after a Korean college student was kidnapped and brutally tortured to death in a case that threatened to spark a diplomatic row between the two countries.

Authorities in Israel and Gaza are preparing for the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners ahead of a Monday deadline for the swap stipulated in the ceasefire deal, which could end the two-year war in Gaza.

Madagascar’s president announced that an "attempt to seize power illegally and by force" was happening, as an elite military unit that joined protesters on the streets on Saturday declared it was taking control of the army.

Estonia has taken the unusual step of temporarily closing a road vital for its citizens, which ordinarily passes through a segment of Russian territory.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has received funds directly from Chinese investors, according to previously sealed testimony, raising new questions about foreign ownership interests in one of the United States’ most significant military contractors.

A cybersecurity expert has told the media that the personal data of Qantas customers has been released on the dark web.

Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, has reassured the remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza that they will soon be reunited with their families, saying that "miracles can happen", as the country prepares for a momentous reunion.

Cameroon goes to the polls on Sunday for a presidential election with Paul Biya, already the world’s oldest head of state at the age of 92, the favourite to win an eighth term in power in the central African country.

Donald Trump and his Maga allies have leveraged the killing of rightwing influencer Charlie Kirk to intensify their attacks on liberal groups, donors, Democrats, and others, labeling many critics as the “enemy within” and the “radical left,” which legal scholars and historians describe as authoritarian and anti-democratic.

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has reappointed Sébastien Lecornu as prime minister, days after he resigned from the post.

A “massive” Russian drone and missile strike has wounded at least 20 people in Kyiv, plunging Ukraine’s capital into darkness early on Friday in what Volodomyr Zelenskyy condemned as a “cynical and calculated” attack.

Amnesty International warns that the state of exception extended by the government and reforms to the penal system have undermined the rule of law in El Salvador.

Amnesty International on Thursday urged Moroccan authorities to allow peaceful protests and stop using “excessive force” against demonstrators who continue to rally for social justice and an end to corruption, even as the government signals readiness to strengthen anti-graft measures.

Donald Trump has threatened once more to impose "massive" US tariffs on China, accusing Beijing of "very hostile" actions to limit exports of rare earths essential for American industry.

Footage of Billie Eilish being aggressively grabbed by audience members at her Miami concert has raised widespread concern online.

An African MP has died after the car he was riding in crashed into an elephant.

The ceasefire in Gaza has officially come into effect, Israel’s military has said.

Pope Leo XIV, writing in the first major document of his pontificate, has denounced the “dictatorship” of economic inequality while insisting the Catholic Church is committed to supporting “rejected” migrants.

A French court on Thursday rejected the appeal of a former construction worker found guilty last year of the aggravated rape of Gisele Pelicot, and increased his prison sentence by a year to 10 years, France Info reported.

A 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck off the southeastern coast of the Philippines Friday morning, according to the US Geological Survey, sending panicked residents running into the streets as the ground shook.

U.S. sanctions on Serbia’s state-linked energy firm Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS) took effect on Thursday, ending months of temporary delays that had allowed the company to keep operating despite its ownership ties to Russia’s Gazprom Neft.

Indian police have arrested the owner of Sresan Pharmaceutical Manufacturer, the cough syrup company linked to the deaths of at least 19 children in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, a senior police officer told Reuters on Thursday.

Israel and Hamas have agreed to the initial phase of a ceasefire plan in Gaza, pausing hostilities in the devastated territory and bringing the best hope yet of a definitive end to a bloody two-year conflict that has killed tens of thousands, destabilised much of the Middle East and prompted protests around the world.