World
Astrophysicist Wanted a Science Lesson From the Eclipse. The Crowd Wanted a Party.
Astrophysicist Mar Carretero-Castrillo returned to her remote home village in Spain to watch the total solar eclipse from the path of totality, but hundreds of partygoers turned the occasion into a festival instead of the science event she envisioned.
The New York Times · 12 Aug, 19:01
London scrambles for solar eclipse glasses amid price surges and secret WhatsApp 'drops'
Ahead of a near-total solar eclipse over western Europe, Londoners queued for hours and paid double or more for protective glasses, coordinated via a secretive WhatsApp group tracking shop restocks. Eye specialists warn that viewing the eclipse without certified glasses can cause permanent retinal damage.
The Guardian World · 12 Aug, 18:59
Ukraine says Russia can't replace its losses, plans mass draft after elections — and again in 2027
Ukraine claims Russia is preparing a new wave of mass mobilization after upcoming elections, with another planned for 2027, as battlefield losses increasingly outpace contract recruitment.
Euromaidan Press · 12 Aug, 18:59
Total solar eclipse visible in Iceland and Spain, partial one seen from Latvia
On the evening of Wednesday, August 12, a partial solar eclipse is visible across Europe, while a narrow band running through Iceland and Spain experiences a total eclipse. Several dozen astronomy enthusiasts from Latvia have travelled to Spain to witness the full event.
LSM · 12 Aug, 18:58
Lebanon passes long-awaited amnesty law, a day after abolishing death penalty
Lebanon's parliament has approved an amnesty law reducing certain prison sentences, one day after voting to abolish the death penalty.
Al Jazeera · 12 Aug, 18:03
WestJet agrees to C$4.5m settlement in flight attendants' sexual harassment lawsuit
Canadian airline WestJet has settled a decade-long class action brought by female flight attendants who accused the company of failing to keep the workplace safe, agreeing to pay C$4.5m. The woman who launched the suit says she is disappointed by the low payout and lack of accountability.
The Guardian World · 12 Aug, 18:02
Son of Former Senior Russian Official Arrested in Moscow Murder Case
The son of a former Russian minister has been arrested in Moscow on suspicion of stabbing an acquaintance to death in an apartment. The victim managed to crawl into the hallway for help but died in hospital hours later.
The Moscow Times · 12 Aug, 17:59
Russia's oil revenue is drying up — and ordinary citizens are footing the war bill
New figures show that a temporary boost to Russia's oil revenue linked to the Iran oil situation has faded, leaving Moscow's war budget in worse shape than before. As a result, the Kremlin is increasingly turning to household taxation to keep funding the war against Ukraine.
Euromaidan Press · 12 Aug, 17:59
Solar Eclipse: Striking Views Extend Well Beyond the Path of Totality
During the Aug. 12, 2026 solar eclipse, clear skies over London, Paris, Lisbon and Milan let millions of Europeans outside the path of totality watch a crescent-shaped evening sun.
The New York Times · 12 Aug, 17:58
Ukrainian Drone Pilots Turn Captured AK Rifle Into Airborne Machine Gun Using Hard-Drive Magnet
Ukrainian drone operators have built an unconventional weapon by mounting a captured Kalashnikov rifle onto a drone with the help of a hard-drive magnet, creating an airborne gun that has sent Russian soldiers fleeing.
Euromaidan Press · 12 Aug, 17:05
Spain braces for rare total solar eclipse
Parts of northern Spain are set to experience a rare total solar eclipse within hours, as the Moon briefly blocks out the Sun and turns day into night. Millions across Europe, Canada, the northern US and northwest Africa will witness a partial eclipse.
France 24 · 12 Aug, 17:01
Iceland's "eclipse czar" left heartbroken by the weather
A man who spent years getting Iceland ready for a solar eclipse now watches the forecast with dread, as clouds threaten to block the view.
The New York Times · 12 Aug, 17:00
Kansas father shoots dead his four children and their mother, then himself
A man in Winfield, Kansas killed his four young children and their mother before taking his own life, the second such family mass killing in the US Midwest in two weeks.
The Guardian World · 12 Aug, 16:59
Germany expands intelligence agencies' powers to counter hybrid threats
The German government has approved a legislative package of more than 700 pages that grants broader powers to both the domestic and foreign intelligence services. Officials say the goal is to help the agencies respond more effectively to hybrid threats.
LSM · 12 Aug, 16:58
Putin threatens response to EU plans to seize Russian vessels
Putin has branded EU plans to confiscate Russia-linked ships as piracy and pledged that Russia will retaliate in kind, wherever it sees fit. Since late 2024, Western states have stepped up inspections of tankers tied to Russia's so-called shadow fleet.
Delfi · 12 Aug, 16:03
Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, architect of 1990s economic reforms, dies at 97
Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, who led major economic reforms in the 1990s, has died at the age of 97. He is remembered for steering China toward a more market-oriented system while preserving Communist Party control.
NPR World · 12 Aug, 16:03
Phillipson condemns Tice's legal move to silence Guardian journalism
Reform UK's Richard Tice has sent legal threats to the Guardian over its reporting on his financial affairs, prompting Labour to accuse him of trying to silence a free press. Liberal Democrats and anti-corruption campaigners also criticised the move.
The Guardian World · 12 Aug, 16:02
Putin threat pushes Germany to hand spy agency BND sweeping new powers
Chancellor Friedrich Merz's cabinet approved a reform granting Germany's foreign intelligence agency BND powers to conduct sabotage and offensive cyber operations, moving beyond its traditional information-gathering role. The move responds to growing hybrid threats from Russia and a desire to reduce reliance on U.S. intelligence sharing.
Politico Europe · 12 Aug, 16:00
Europe Faces Fifth Heat Wave of 2026 as Patience Wears Thin
Europe is bracing for its fifth heat wave of 2026 this week, with temperatures forecast to reach as high as 43 degrees Celsius (109 Fahrenheit). Residents and tourists say the appeal of a European summer has diminished.
The New York Times · 12 Aug, 16:00
Facing an ageing population, Vietnam moves to reverse falling birthrate
Vietnam, home to more than 100 million people, is grappling with a sharply declining birthrate and is now trying to encourage citizens to have more children, reversing a policy stance held for decades.
France 24 · 12 Aug, 15:59
Trump secretly swapped planes in Turkey amid security threat; US primaries held
US President Donald Trump secretly switched planes in Turkey last month in response to a foreign threat, while Tuesday primaries in several US states offered new insight into voters' priorities in both parties.
NPR World · 12 Aug, 15:06
Ukraine's strikes on Russian refineries reshape the country's fuel trade
Ukraine's ongoing campaign against Russian oil refineries has turned one of the world's largest fuel exporters into an importer, while pushing Russian crude onto an Arctic route it barely used a year ago.
Euromaidan Press · 12 Aug, 15:05
Ceuta migrant crisis becomes tool for disinformation and political polarization across Europe
The late-July mass arrival of migrants in Spain's enclave of Ceuta triggered waves of debate and disinformation across several NATO eastern flank countries, including Latvia, where the prime minister reprimanded the interior minister over a letter sent to Spain.
Delfi · 12 Aug, 15:03
Democrats demand briefing after Trump secretly switched planes amid alleged Iran assassination plot
US Democrats are demanding a congressional briefing after reports that Donald Trump was secretly moved to a different aircraft last month following an alleged Iranian plot to kill him, while more than a hundred staff and journalists stayed aboard unaware of the threat.
The Guardian World · 12 Aug, 15:02
Total Solar Eclipse Sweeps Across Europe Today, Drawing Crowds From Iceland to Spain
A total solar eclipse is crossing Europe today, briefly blocking the sun completely for viewers along its path. People from Iceland to Spain have gathered at prime viewing locations ahead of the event.
The New York Times · 12 Aug, 15:00
Iran Rejects Trump's Claim of Controlling the Strait of Hormuz
Iran has dismissed US President Donald Trump's claim that Washington controls the Strait of Hormuz, saying the strait will remain closed until the US meets Tehran's demands, as global energy prices rise.
Al Jazeera · 12 Aug, 14:08
Study: Loss of European forest biomass accelerating, natural disturbances play growing role
A new study finds European forests have lost 6.5 billion metric tons of biomass since 1985, with losses from natural disturbances such as drought, bark beetles and storms up nearly 50 percent since 2018.
ERR News · 12 Aug, 14:07
Ukrainska Pravda: Zelenskyy's remarks in Serbia expose parallels with Kosovo
An analysis by Ukrainska Pravda argues that modern Ukraine and Kosovo both emerged from collapsing multinational socialist federations whose successor states still refuse to recognize them — context, the outlet says, for why remarks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Serbia angered Kosovars.
Ukrainska Pravda (EN) · 12 Aug, 14:05
Zhu Rongji, Former Chinese Premier Who Steered Country to Market Economy, Dies at 97
Zhu Rongji, China's former premier, has died at 97. As vice premier and later premier, he guided China's shift to a market economy and its entry into the World Trade Organization.
The New York Times · 12 Aug, 14:04
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Catania airport remains closed due to Mount Etna eruption
Italian authorities confirmed on Wednesday that Catania airport in Sicily remains closed because of the ongoing eruption of Mount Etna.
TVNET · 12 Aug, 14:04
Germany approves draft law expanding spy agencies' powers
Germany's government has approved a draft law easing postwar-era restrictions on its intelligence services, following two security incidents within a month. The reform still requires parliamentary approval.
The Guardian World · 12 Aug, 14:03
Andrew Tate's extradition fight tests his influence with Trump's America
Andrew Tate, who declared after President Trump took office that his family would be free of legal troubles, is now held in federal prison following his arrest on a U.K. extradition request.
NPR World · 12 Aug, 14:02
Ukraine hits Russian port with three weapon types in single night
Ukraine carried out a coordinated operation combining sea drones, jet drones and Neptune anti-ship missiles against the Black Sea Fleet's last big base in a single night, which the president called unique.
Euromaidan Press · 12 Aug, 13:59
From Kharkiv region to Latvia: Emmanuil becomes a restaurant manager, dreams of helping the homeless
Ukrainian Emmanuil Britvenko from Tsyrkuny in the Kharkiv region rose to become a warehouse manager at a major phone and electronics retailer in Latvia within just over a year, then took charge of a loss-making restaurant and turned it profitable.
LSM (rus) · 12 Aug, 13:58
Colombia earthquake: woman pulled alive from rubble after 36 hours
Rescuers in Pereira freed a 32-year-old woman alive after she spent 36 hours trapped under a collapsed building following Colombia's magnitude 7.4 earthquake. Search efforts continue as another person remains trapped in the same structure.
Euronews · 12 Aug, 13:03
Thailand suspends new gun permits following mass shooting at school
Thailand's government has stopped issuing new firearm permits after a mass shooting occurred at a school. It remains unclear how far officials will go in tightening the country's gun laws.
The New York Times · 12 Aug, 13:03