World news

Pakistani cleric honoured by Archbishop linked to blasphemy ‘blackmail’ gang

A Telegraph investigation has linked the brother of Pakistani cleric Tahir Ashrafi, recently honoured by the Archbishop of Canterbury, to a gang accused of abducting, torturing and blackmailing men over blasphemy claims.

Asia

Bangkok roads submerged as flood disaster declared

Authorities said the heavy rains have subsided but the flooding is not yet over.

The Takeaway: UN General Assembly debate Day 4

From the Caribbean to the Pacific, leaders from small island States demanded climate justice, ocean protection and greater solidarity at the UN General Assembly on Friday. They warned that rising seas are already redrawing national boundaries, while the ripple effects of faraway wars are being felt on their shores. This edition of The Takeaway summarizes key points made during the fourth day of the annual high-level debate.

Europe

World News Updates: At UN, Russia’s Lavrov says Khamenei killing ‘unacceptable manifestation of dictatorship’

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also said Western double standards were contributing to growing instability and tensions around the world.

Asia

Heavy rain and flooding in Bangkok disrupts traffic and prompts evacuations

Incessant rain has hammered several areas of Thailand’s capital, disrupting traffic and forcing hundreds to evacuate

In 2024, 75-year-old Iowa farmer Evie Haupt said three wind turbines on her 160 acres were bringing in about $35,000 a year while using under 3 acres and had helped reduce $350,000 in farm debt to $67,000

On a 160-acre farm in central Iowa, three tall wind turbines quietly rise above the fields.

Asia

14-year-old Jia Mingxuan used plastic bottles and steel tubes to build a device for young trees; it won gold at a German invention exhibition

In northern China, newly planted trees can face a difficult start, with dry conditions and strong winds making it hard for young roots to get enough

At age 6, Grace Hendrian opened a lemonade stand hoping to raise $10 for the Salvation Army; seven summers later, she and sister June closed the project after turning that tiny goal into about $55,000

What began as a simple goal for a six-year-old to raise $10 for charity has now come to an end, leaving the local community with tens of thousands of

Michigan CEO loses job after posting AI-made image of her family in ‘Lake America’ sweaters

Jane Smith reportedly used ChatGPT to edit photo to show name Trump ordered US agencies to use for Lake Ontario amid trade war with Canada

Asia

Jaishankar hits back at Pakistani journalist at UN: ‘A terrorist country is asking me’

Jaishankar responded sharply after a Pakistani journalist accused India of sponsoring terrorism, as the minister addressed mounting security risks facing ships and seafarers.

China’s First Lady Peng Liyuan’s English catches attention during Xi’s US visit. Here’s why

Peng Liyuan's apparent English exchange with Melania Trump drew attention during Xi Jinping's Washington visit, highlighting the Chinese first lady's growing role in Beijing's cultural and diplomatic outreach.

Americas

Haiti at ‘watershed moment’, Prime Minister tells UN, urging full backing for security force

Haiti is at a “watershed moment” in its struggle against gang violence and needs sustained international support alongside stronger national security institutions, Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé told the UN General Assembly on Friday.

Floating solar panels sharply reduce light reaching the seabed in French Polynesia while having no detectable effect on lagoon water temperature

Floating photovoltaic (FPV) platforms in a French Polynesian lagoon substantially reduced the amount of light reaching the seabed but produced no

‘Shame on you’: Why Netanyahu slammed Mamdani, wife Rama Duwaji in fiery UN speech. How NYC mayor reacted

Netanyahu called Mamdani "antisemitic" and referenced his wife's social media activity during his UN address, deepening a public feud ahead of elections in both New York and Israel.

Pakistan’s Sharif warns any diversion of Indus waters will be ‘treated as an act of war’

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the UN General Assembly on Friday that any attempt by India to stop, impede or divert Pakistan’s share of the Indus River waters “will be treated as an act of war”.

Xi Jinping US visit: Warm words, lavish ceremony. But what did Trump get in return? Key takeaways

Donald Trump-Xi Jinping Meeting: Trump and Xi seek stable US-China ties at the White House, but differences over Iran, Taiwan and trade remain unresolved.

Africa

UN voices grave concern as fighting spreads across northern Ethiopia

The UN said on Friday it remains gravely concerned by the continued deterioration of the security situation across northern Ethiopia, as fighting spreads across multiple fronts and increasingly disrupts humanitarian operations.

Tuvalu urges decisive global action as rising seas threaten its future

Climate change remains the greatest existential threat to Tuvalu, Prime Minister Feleti Teo told the UN General Assembly on Friday, warning that the pace and scale of international action are still falling far short of what vulnerable island nations need.

Asia

Pakistan locks down Islamabad as Imran Khan’s party vows to march on capital

Tens of thousands of police deployed and roads barricaded as PTI demands release of jailed former PM

Pomp over progress in Xi’s US summit with Trump is a win for China

While US president hailed visit as ‘great’, almost nothing of substance was achieved on resolving thorny issues

World News in Brief: West Bank demolitions accelerate, urgent support for Sudan, Haiti diplacement, AI hub to boost gender equality

The situation in the occupied West Bank continues to deteriorate, the UN human rights office has said, pointing to the “mass destruction” of Palestinian villages and forcible transfer of residents in Msafer Yatta, South Hebron Hills.

Middle East

‘No one speaks on behalf of Lebanon’: PM Salam asserts State authority at UN

Lebanon’s Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam, has stressed that decisions over war and peace, and control of weapons, must rest solely with the State and its constitutional institutions.

Middle East

‘Invest with Iraq’: PM sets out vision for new economic future

Iraq’s Prime Minister, Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi, said his country aims to exert its influence as an active economic power in the region, and as a bridge for dialogue and cooperation between its peoples.

Asia

Nepal PM urges climate justice after ‘Himalayan tsunami’ devastates country

Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah brought a stark warning from the Himalayas to the UN General Assembly on Thursday, saying catastrophic floods that killed at least 1,400 people in his country laid bare the human cost of climate change, and the failure of the international system to protect those least responsible for it.