CNN – World

By Nectar Gan and Mengchen Zhang, CNN Hong Kong (CNN) — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with China’s foreign minister by phone on Wednesday, a call that comes ahead of a highly anticipated visit by Washington’s top diplomat to Beijing as the two superpowers try to improve the dismal state of their ties.

By Brad Lendon, CNN (CNN) — As the early stages of Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russian invaders is unfolding on the battlefield, hundreds of warplanes from some of Kyiv’s biggest supporters are in the skies over Germany as NATO holds its largest aerial war games ever. “Air Defender 2023” is bringing together 250 warplanes – including

By Sophia Saifi, Manveena Suri and Rhea Mogul, CNN Islamabad and New Delhi (CNN) — Tens of thousands of people are being evacuated as India and Pakistan brace for the impact of Cyclone Biparjoy, which is expected to make landfall in densely populated areas across the subcontinent Thursday, putting millions of lives at risk. Biparjoy

By Junko Ogura, CNN Tokyo (CNN) — Two people were killed Wednesday after a cadet allegedly opened fire on members of his own unit at a military training center in central Japan, the country’s Ground Self-Defense Force (SDF) has told CNN. The shooting took place during a live-fire training exercise and several other people were

By Tara John and Taylor Ward, CNN (CNN) — An “unprecedented drought” is affecting the Panama Canal’s water supply and leading authorities to impose surcharges and weight limits on ships traversing the key global trade route, according to the Panama Canal Authority. Ships move through the Panama Canal through a lock system, which uses water

By Mick Krever, Alex Marquardt, Sarah Dean and Sugam Pokharel, CNN (CNN) — Dutch military intelligence warned the American intelligence service, CIA, last year about an alleged Ukrainian plan to blow up the Nord Stream pipelines three months before they were hit, Dutch public broadcaster NOS reported on Tuesday without specifying a source. The report

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here is a look at the life of Ringo Starr, musician and member of the Beatles. Personal Birth date: July 7, 1940 Birth place: Liverpool, England Birth name: Richard Starkey Jr. Father: Richard Starkey Sr., bakery worker Mother: Elsie (Gleave) Starkey, bakery worker Marriages: Barbara Bach (April 27, 1981-present); Maureen

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here’s a look at the French Open tennis tournament. May 22-June 11, 2023 – The French Open takes place at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. May 16-June 5, 2022 – The French Open takes place. Facts The French Open is one of four Grand Slam tennis tournaments. The others are

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here’s a look at the life of billionaire and former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Personal Birth date: September 29, 1936 Death date: June 12, 2023 Birth place: Milan, Italy Father: Luigi Berlusconi, bank clerk Mother: Rosella (Bossi) Berlusconi, homemaker Marriages: Veronica Lario, (1990-2012, divorced); Carla Dall’Oglio, (1965-1985, divorced) Children:

By Nimi Princewill, CNN Abuja, Nigeria (CNN) — Hundreds of people, including wedding guests, are feared dead in north-central Nigeria after a boat they were traveling in capsized in the river Niger early Monday, a local chief told CNN on Tuesday. Abdul Gana Lukpada, a traditional chief in Kpada, in Patigi district of north-central Kwara

By Duarte Mendonca, CNN (CNN) — A 76-year-old woman who was declared dead at a hospital in Ecuador was found to be alive and knocking on her coffin during her own wake in the city of Babahoyo. “I lifted up the coffin, and her heart was pounding, and her left hand was hitting the coffin…

By Helen Regan and Angus Watson, CNN (CNN) — Myanmar’s ruling junta has suspended humanitarian access to western Rakhine state, where more than a million vulnerable people are in urgent need of aid a month after a powerful cyclone devastated the region, the United Nations said. The UN’s humanitarian office (OCHA) said the decision to

By Tim Lister, Josh Pennington and Maria Kostenko, Helen Regan, CNN (CNN) — Russian and Ukrainian forces are reporting intense fighting along the border of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk and southern Zaporizhzhia regions as Kyiv’s military attempts to break through the front lines and recapture territory in an ongoing counteroffensive. The new reports came as Russian

By Stefano Pozzebon, Ruba Alhenawi, Maria Plaza and Heather Chen, CNN (CNN) — The oldest of four children who survived a plane crash in the Amazon jungle has been praised for her “heroic role” in keeping her siblings alive throughout the ordeal, their grandfather said, as search efforts turn to locating Wilson, a missing search

By Sana Noor Haq, CNN (CNN) — A British woman who used medication to induce an abortion after the United Kingdom’s legally allowed limit has been sentenced to prison for 28 months, the PA Media news agency reported. In a case that sparked calls for an overhaul of reproductive justice laws in the country, the

By Mostafa Salem and Mohammed Tawfeeq, CNN (CNN) — Three British tourists died after a boat in Egypt’s Red Sea caught fire on Sunday, British holiday company Scuba Travel said on Monday. “It is with great regret that we, as Tour Operator, with heavy hearts, must accept that three of our much-valued dive guests, who

By Brad Lendon, Andrew Carey, Kostan Nechyporenko, Uliana Pavlova and Maria Kostenko, CNN (CNN) — Ukraine has lost 16 US-supplied armored vehicles in the past several days, according to open-source intelligence analysis, as the country’s military announced its forces had captured three villages from Russia in an offensive in the eastern Donetsk region. The 16

By Kathleen Magramo, Jake Kwon and Helen Regan, CNN (CNN) — The Philippines’ most active volcano began spewing lava and sulfuric gas Sunday, prompting the evacuation of nearly 13,000 residents in the southeast of the country’s main island, authorities said. Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recommended everyone within a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) radius or

By Angus Watson, Paul Devitt, Larry Register, Hilary Whiteman and Susannah Cullinane, CNN (CNN) — At least 10 wedding guests have been killed in a bus crash after the vehicle they had hired to transport them from the ceremony overturned in the Hunter Valley, a popular wine-growing region of Australia, as police charged the driver

By Celine Alkhaldi, Radina Gigova and Niamh Kennedy, CNN (CNN) — Rescuers are searching for three British tourists who are missing after a fire erupted Sunday on the boat they were traveling on in the Egyptian Red Sea, according to state news outlet Al-Ahram. The tourist boat was carrying 27 people, including 15 English tourists,

By Max Foster, Radina Gigova and Rob Picheta, CNN (CNN) — Scotland’s former first minister Nicola Sturgeon has been released without a charge after she was arrested by police earlier Sunday, as part of an investigation into financial irregularities by the Scottish National Party (SNP), according to UK’s PA Media. “A 52-year-old woman who was

By Sophie Tanno, CNN (CNN) — With a few words, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky gave his strongest signal yet that his forces have begun their much-anticipated campaign to regain swathes of territory taken by Russian forces. The president said “relevant counteroffensive defensive actions are taking place in Ukraine” but remained tight-lipped about the details. There

By Pierre Meilhan, CNN (CNN) — The suspect in the knife attack in the French alpine town of Annecy that left four children and two men injured is facing attempted murder charges, prosecutors say. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Investigators are still trying to determine why the suspect – who

By Yulia Kesaieva and Ivana Kottasová, CNN Kyiv (CNN) — Editor’s note: The southern Ukrainian city of Melitopol has long been known for its sweet delights. The name “Melitopol” means “the Honey City” in Ukrainian and the city’s official logo features a cherry, a nod to the deep red fruit the region is famous for.

By Mariya Knight (CNN) — Floodwaters are receding following the collapse of the Kakhovka dam, but debris washed along the Dnipro river is turning Odesa’s Black Sea coastline into “a garbage dump and animal cemetery,” according to Ukrainian authorities. “A lot of mines, ammunition and other explosive objects are being carried into the sea and

By Chris Lau, CNN Hong Kong (CNN) — A comedian in New York who joked about the safety of Malaysian planes in an apparent reference to the disappearance of flight MH370 has sparked a heated backlash in Malaysia and Singapore. Controversy over the joke by lawyer-turned comedian Jocelyn Chia at Manhattan’s Comedy Cellar erupted soon

By Stefano Pozzebon, Sahar Akbarzai and Heather Chen, CNN (CNN) — Eating cassava flour helped save the lives of four children found alive in the Amazon jungle more than a month after their plane crashed, according to a Colombian military special forces official. The children ate “three kilograms (six pounds) of farina,” a coarse cassava

By Josh Pennington, Raja Razek, Philip Wang, Sandi Sidhu, Heather Chen, Sophie Jeong, Jennifer Hansler and Camila Bernal, CNN (CNN) — The US State Department has confirmed the arrest of American citizen Travis Leake in Russia and said US embassy officials attended his arraignment Saturday. Moscow’s courts of general jurisdiction earlier released a statement on

By Larry Madowo and Heather Chen, CNN (CNN) — Romania is recalling its ambassador to Kenya back to Bucharest and has apologized after its envoy in Nairobi compared a monkey to African diplomats during a meeting he was chairing. “The African Group has joined us,” Ambassador Dragos Tigau said when a monkey appeared at a

By Wayne Chang and Nectar Gan, CNN Taipei, Taiwan (CNN) — Five years after #MeToo took the world by storm, Taiwan, a liberal democracy that has prided itself on gender equality, is facing its own reckoning over sexual harassment – brought about by a hit Netflix series. The series, “Wave Makers,” follows the fictitious lives

By Vasco Cotovio, Frederik Pleitgen, William Bonnett and Darya Tarasova, CNN Southern Ukraine (CNN) — Deep inside a makeshift bunker, residents of Orikhiv await an aid delivery while artillery shakes the ground above. “It’s comfortable here,” 72-year-old Olga Shumska says, unfazed by the commotion outside. The town in the Zaporizhzhia region sits just five kilometers

By Sophie Tanno, CNN (CNN) — One of two giant rubber ducks on display in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor was deflated on Saturday to protect it from sweltering temperatures. Organizers said they made the decision to deflate the duck just one day after the pair arrived in the harbor, after an inspection found that its

By Luke McGee, CNN (CNN) — When Boris Johnson became British prime minister in the summer of 2019, he entered Downing Street as the highest-profile individual to do so since his hero, wartime leader Sir Winston Churchill, began his second stint as PM in 1951. Johnson was nothing short of a colossus. A popular columnist,

By Ivana Kottasová, CNN (CNN) — When US President Joe Biden visited Poland in February, his second visit in less than a year, it was something of a vindication for the Polish government. A clear sign that Poland was still a key ally – despite accusations that its government is undermining democracy and the rule

By Barbie Latza Nadeau, Chris Lau and Sharon Braithwaite, CNN Rome and Pisa (CNN) — Silvio Berlusconi, the former Italian prime minister, has been admitted to a hospital in Milan, his spokesman has told CNN. Berlusconi’s latest stay at the San Raffaele hospital comes ahead of a big meeting of his party planned for Saturday.

By Chris Lau (CNN) — Two airplanes have “highly likely collided” with each other at the Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japanese public broadcaster NHK is reporting, citing the country’s transport ministry. The two passenger aircraft involved belonged to EVA Air and Thai Airways and are thought to have come into contact with each other near

By Amy Cassidy, John Allen and Antonia Mortensen, CNN (CNN) — Pope Francis has issued a message for the first time since undergoing abdominal surgery, asking the faithful to “keep me in your prayers.” “I sincerely appreciate the prayers and numerous expressions of closeness and affection received in the past few days,” the Pontiff said

By Radina Gigova, CNN London (CNN) — At least 27 people, most of them children, were killed when remnants of an old bomb exploded in Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region on Friday, according to the state-run Somali National News Agency. At least 53 people have also been injured in the blast, SONA reported. The explosion took

By Kathleen Magramo and Junko Ogura, CNN (CNN) — A sushi chain is suing a high school student for 67 million yen ($480,000) after social media footage showed him licking his finger then touching a plate of sushi as it passed him on the conveyor belt, Japan’s public broadcaster has reported. Akindo Sushiro Co., which

By Stefano Pozzebon, Caitlin Hu, Hira Humayun, Karol Suarez and Chris Lau, CNN (CNN) — Four young children have been found alive after more than a month wandering the Amazon where they survived like “children of the jungle,” according to Colombian President Gustavo Petro. “Their learning from indigenous families and their learning of living in

By Heather Chen, CNN (CNN) — When the temperature soared to 99 degrees Fahrenheit last month, Singapore resident Chee Kuan Chew saw just one option: cancel all plans and stay indoors in air-conditioned comfort. “You can’t survive without air con in Singapore,” Chee said. “It’s impossible with the heat.” The 20-year-old university student lives with

By Stefano Pozzebon, CNN Bogota, Colombia (CNN) — The Colombian government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) – one of the oldest and largest guerrilla groups still operating in the country – have agreed to implement a bilateral, six-month ceasefire starting on August 3. The agreement comes after months of private negotiations in Cuba, Mexico,

By Jackie Wattles, CNN (CNN) — Scientists say they have documented the first virgin birth in a crocodile. And while the concept may sound bizarre to humans, this type of reproduction is not unheard of across the animal kingdom, according to researchers. The crocodile in question, named Coquita, had been living alone in a Costa

By Richard Roth and Caitlin Hu, CNN (CNN) — The United Nations will send home a unit of 60 Tanzanian peacekeepers over allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse in the Central African Republic, the UN announced on Friday. A preliminary investigation found “credible evidence” that eleven members of the unit were involved in sexual exploitation

By Oliver Briscoe, Xiaofei Xu and Sana Noor Haq, CNN (CNN) — A 24-year-old man has been hailed as a hero for chasing a man suspected of launching a knife rampage in Annecy, which left six people injured including four toddlers. Two young children are still in intensive care following Thursday’s knife attack in southeast

By Claudia Rebaza and Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN London (CNN) — A High Court judge in London has denied Julian Assange permission to appeal an order to extradite him to the United States, where he faces criminal charges under the Espionage Act. The decision was dated Tuesday and is the latest in a years-long legal saga.

By Rochelle Beighton, CNN (CNN) — In a literary landscape where narratives of Africa have long been overlooked or distorted, award-winning British author Bernardine Evaristo is supporting emerging voices from the continent. With a career spanning four decades, Evaristo garnered international acclaim in 2019 as the first Black woman to win the Booker Prize, for

By Andrew Carey and Yulia Kesaieva, CNN Kyiv (CNN) — When Viktor Shevchenko was called forward to receive his medal from President Volodymyr Zelensky at a special ceremony in Kyiv earlier this year, his appearance seemed to come as a surprise to the Ukrainian leader. It was not the neck gaiter Shevchenko was wearing, pulled

By Mohammed Tawfeeq, CNN (CNN) — Egyptian authorities have banned swimming near a beach at an Egyptian Red Sea resort following a deadly shark attack that killed a Russian citizen on Thursday, according to Egyptian and Russian officials. The incident took place in the popular tourist city of Hurghada on Egypt’s eastern coast. Russian Consul-General

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here is a look at the life of Pope Francis, the current pope and first non-European pontiff of the modern era. Personal Birth date: December 17, 1936 Birth place: Buenos Aires, Argentina Birth name: Jorge Mario Bergoglio Father: Mario Bergoglio Mother: Regina (Sivori) Bergoglio Religion: Roman Catholic Other Facts The

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here’s a look at the life of Iraq’s former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. Personal Birth date: July 1, 1950 Birth place: Hindiya, Iraq (some sources say Hilla) Birth name: Nuri Kamil al-Maliki Marriage: Married Children: Four daughters and a son Education: Usul al-Din College, B.A., Islamic Studies, 1973; Salahaddin University,

By Laura Paddison, CNN (CNN) — Dozens of heat records have fallen in Siberia, as temperatures climbed above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.7 Celsius). Despite only being early June, records are tumbling across parts of Siberia as extreme heat pushes into unusually high latitudes. Last Saturday, temperatures reached 37.9 degrees Celsius (100.2 Fahrenheit) in Jalturovosk, its

By Ashley Strickland, CNN (CNN) — Spaceflights lasting six months or longer take a toll on the brains of astronauts, and crew members may need to wait at least three years before returning to space, according to new research. Scientists compared the brain scans of 30 astronauts taken before spaceflights lasting two weeks, six months

By John Allen, Valentina Di Donato and Antonia Mortensen, CNN Rome (CNN) — Pope Francis was recovering well in a Rome hospital on Thursday, the day after the 86-year-old had abdominal surgery that renewed health fears. “The night went well,” said Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni, in a statement on the Vatican’s press office Telegram account.

By Radina Gigova, Xiaofei Xu and Oliver Briscoe, CNN (CNN) — Four toddlers were hospitalized after a brutal stabbing attack on Thursday in Annecy, France, that triggered a wave of panic in the Alpine town. Two adults were also injured in the attack, at least one of them requiring surgery, Annecy mayor François Astorg said.

By Jessie Yeung, CNN Hong Kong (CNN) — For days, images of New York choking in smoke have stunned the United States, as residents struggle to deal with the unfamiliar challenge of severe air pollution. The smoke, originating from wildfires in Canada, has prompted authorities to issue air quality alerts down the East Coast and

By Olga Voitovych, Yulia Kesaieva, Fred Pleitgen, Radina Gigova, Sarah Dean and Helen Regan, CNN (CNN) — Russian forces have been shooting at Ukrainian rescuers trying to reach flooded areas in the Kherson region that are under Russian control, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday. Rescuers are trying to evacuate thousands of people in the

By Alfredo Meza, Florencia Trucco, Fidel Gutierrez, Hira Humayun and Sahar Akbarzai, CNN (CNN) — An investigation has been launched into what Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has described as an “execution,” after a video circulating on local media appeared to show Mexican army personnel dragging men in civilian clothing out of a car,

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here is a look at the life of Mohamed ElBaradei, former director general of the IAEA and Nobel Peace Prize winner. Personal Birth date: June 17, 1942 Birth place: Cairo, Egypt Birth name: Mohamed Mostafa ElBaradei Father: Mostafa ElBaradei, an attorney Mother: Aida (Hegazi) ElBaradei Marriage: Aida (Elkachef) ElBaradei Children:

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here’s a look at the Korean War. Although hostilities ceased in 1953, there has been no formal end to the war. Causes of the Korean War Korea was under Japanese rule before and during World War II, and was divided into two parts after the Japanese surrender. The Soviet Union