France is abandoning the 16th-century Mercator map projection in favor of the Eckert IV model, according to Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, joining a broader international push to correct geographical distortions that visually enlarge polar regions while downplaying equatorial areas. The shift aims to provide a more accurate representation of global landmasses, though traditional maps will … Read more
Syria constructed a clandestine nuclear reactor in Deir el-Zour and maintained a stockpile of approximately 73 tonnes of natural uranium metal under the leadership of former President Bashar Assad, according to a confidential International Atomic Energy Agency report circulated to member states and reviewed by The Associated Press. Inspectors who visited the country in August … Read more
Israeli airstrikes killed five people in Gaza and three in the West Bank on Friday, according to local health officials and the Israeli military, despite an ongoing United States-brokered ceasefire that began in October. The latest fatalities arrive alongside widespread food insecurity across Gaza, thousands of stranded seafarers in the Persian Gulf, and new U.S. … Read more
Finland will not renew its multi-year funding agreement with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) when the current pact expires this year, Finnish Foreign Trade Minister Ville Tavio announced on Thursday. According to Tavio, the decision shifts humanitarian aid for Palestinian territories to other organizations, such … Read more
Democratic Republic of Congo officials report that the nation’s 17th Ebola outbreak has become the fastest-growing in recorded history, killing over 2,000 people across six…
At least 47 people were killed and more than 50 others kidnapped when armed men attacked Kenscoff, a once-peaceful community in the hills above Port-au-Prince, according to the United Nations. The Sunday assault stands as one of the largest mass kidnappings in Haiti in recent years, shattering local beliefs that security in the Caribbean nation … Read more
Two human rights organisations are warning of a potential backsliding on equality protections in Ireland as they address United Nations member states in Geneva, according to Free Legal Advice Centres and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties. The briefing precedes Ireland’s Universal Periodic Review, a UN Human Rights Council process examining member state records every … Read more
UN Senior Ebola Coordinator Julien Harneis warned that the epidemic is growing exponentially, outpacing the international response in an area larger than France. Exponential Spread Across Eastern Provinces Public health authorities reported 5,375 confirmed cases and 2,557 deaths across six provinces as of Thursday, August 18, 2026, putting the overall case fatality rate at 47.6 … Read more
According to Yemeni authorities, missiles fired by Iran-backed Houthi rebels at a vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb strait killed six people, representing the initial known fatalities resulting from Houthi assaults on shipping near Yemen during the current round of conflict in the Arab nation. At the same time, U.S. forces fired on a Panamanian-flagged ship … Read more
Yemeni Houthi missile and drone strikes on military camps in Hadramout and Marib governorates have killed at least 30 government soldiers and injured 15, according to government sources cited by Al Jazeera. The attacks, which occurred in August 2026, mark the deadliest escalation in the country’s civil war since 2022 and shatter four years of … Read more