Survivors of the disaster recount harrowing experiences, including Keshav Prasad Baral, 68, whose wife was swept away by mud as he attempted to save her when a flash flood struck. The deluge destroyed entire villages, markets, and infrastructure, with reports of complete loss in some areas. Another survivor managed to cling to a mango tree, witnessing the destruction of the house he was working in.
Qantas reported a pre-tax profit of $2.06 billion, the lowest in four years, influenced by a $610 million increase in fuel costs due to the US-Iran conflict. The airline's annual earnings dropped $330 million compared to the prior year, with international flights contributing $650 million and Jetstar domestic increasing revenue by 11%. Despite the challenges, Qantas’ loyalty program saw a 12% growth in earnings to $625 million, and the company continues to target $800 million in loyalty earnings by 2030.
Busy Philipps, 47, revealed she underwent surgery in March to remove a 2.6cm grade 2 oligodendroglioma brain tumor, which was discovered after she pursued an MRI despite not presenting obvious symptoms. The diagnosis came shortly after her Dawson's Creek co-star James Van Der Beek died of bowel cancer in February at the age of 48. Following a five-hour surgery where more than 40 staples were placed in her forehead, Philipps expressed gratitude for being alive and noted she soon returned to work on her new role in Cupertino, although she later dealt with a staphylococcus infection requiring further treatment.
Arturo Béjar, a key witness and former Facebook employee, testified that a multibillion-dollar settlement reached by Meta is insufficient to protect teenagers from the harmful effects of its platforms, arguing that it fails to address underlying algorithmic issues that contribute to addiction and mental health problems. The settlement includes major changes such as strict limits on teens' screen time, default non-algorithmic feeds, and enhanced parental controls, but Béjar criticized it for lacking independent oversight and not ensuring the safety of Meta's products. Despite state attorneys general calling the settlement a victory, Béjar emphasized that the inherent dangers of the platforms remain unaddressed, stating, "This is not an all clear to say that the product is safe."
A Queensland woman gave birth to twins with different biological parents in a rare case of a natural pregnancy coinciding with a surrogacy arrangement, which had not been envisioned by state surrogacy laws. Both children were born on the same day in November 2025, with one child biologically belonging to the intended surrogate parents and the other to the surrogate’s husband, after the surrogate conceived naturally shortly after undergoing an IVF embryo transfer. The court ruled that, despite being gestational twins, the children were not considered birth siblings under the surrogacy laws, allowing for separate parentage orders for both sets of biological parents.
Tim Curry, the iconic British actor known for his role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," passed away at age 80 at his home in Los Angeles after a long battle with health issues stemming from a stroke. He received three Tony nominations during his career, which included performances in "Amadeus," "My Favorite Year," and "Monty Python's Spamalot," and won a Daytime Emmy Award in 1991 for his voice work. Curry's career spanned film, stage, and television, with memorable roles in productions like "It" and "The Three Musketeers," and he had recently re-emerged in the 2024 horror film "Stream."
Uganda has been declared free of Ebola after passing the 42-day monitoring period without new cases, having reported a total of 20 infections and 2 deaths, with the last confirmed case on June 21. The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed the country's status in a joint announcement with Uganda's Ministry of Health, which had previously declared the outbreak over on July 28. In contrast, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is experiencing a worsening Ebola outbreak, with 5,656 confirmed cases and 2,715 deaths as of August 25.
Fatima, a resident of Bia Buki village in Zamfara, recounts a brutal attack by armed gangs that left about 70 people dead, including her husband, and displaced her and her seven children to an informal camp in Gusau. The violence has uprooted approximately 800,000 Nigerians in the northwest, primarily due to attacks from motorcycle gangs that demand ransom and engage in extortion, with local vigilante groups forming in response. Despite some improvements from military patrols, the threat of banditry remains high, with conditions in the makeshift camps dire, as many women and children face food scarcity and continuous fear of abduction.
Iceland is preparing for a referendum on Saturday to decide whether to resume talks on joining the European Union, with current polls showing a tight race at 51.3% for Yes and 48.7% for No. Fishing and marine industries comprise nearly 40% of Iceland's exports, and many opponents fear that EU membership could threaten their control over lucrative fishing waters. Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir's government is under pressure to address geopolitical challenges, spurring the decision to hold this referendum sooner than initially planned, with a potential second referendum required for final membership approval.
Recent protests in India featured young women using expletives against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, prompting opposition MP Rahul Gandhi to criticize Modi’s description of their language as a "culture shock." Gandhi pointed out the double standard in reactions to swearing, noting that while both male and female protesters used foul language, only the women were singled out for criticism, reflecting entrenched patriarchy. A 15-year-old girl involved in the controversy faced severe online harassment and threats, which led her to issue an apology and remove her condemning video, while the incident sparked a broader debate on female activism and societal expectations.
Neurosurgeons in London have conducted the first successful AI-assisted operation to remove an 11mm brain tumour from a 48-year-old man, Rhys Hibbert, saving his sight. The AI system provided real-time analysis during the surgery, identifying critical anatomical structures to avoid, thus highlighting its potential to enhance surgical precision. Hibbert, who had been experiencing severe hormones imbalance and vision issues, was able to walk independently within a week of the operation and has since returned to work.
Barcelona will face Athletic Club on August 27 at Camp Nou as they aim for consecutive La Liga titles, having started the season with a 5-0 win against Elche. The club is in pursuit of striker Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid but has faced resistance, with president Joan Laporta stating they will take "Alvarez or nobody." Barcelona's recent victory featured Raphinha and Fermin Lopez scoring twice each, while Anthony Gordon assisted two goals on his debut.
A car was driven into a crowd in Caen, France, on Wednesday, resulting in at least one death and injuring about a dozen others, with reports indicating two fatalities. The incident occurred near the train station after a fight and led to the arrest of the driver, who fled and was captured 20 kilometers away. Authorities are investigating the nature of the attack to determine if it was intentional.
A U.S. judge has denied Minnesota's request to extradite ICE agent Christian Castro, who is charged with shooting Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis during an immigration raid and lying about it, as he remains detained in Texas since May. Minnesota claims Texas Governor Greg Abbott has delayed the extradition for political reasons, despite Texas law allowing detention for only 90 days without extradition action; Castro's deadline for transfer or release is August 27. The state's Attorney General Keith Ellison argues that Abbott's inaction supports Trump's mass deportation campaign and violates federal law, with concerns that Castro might flee to Mexico if released.
The Tohono O’odham Nation, a federally recognized tribe of approximately 37,000 members, has accused US federal agents of illegally trespassing on its land to construct a border wall in Arizona involving "approximately 20 masked, armed Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents" and a protective SWAT team. The tribe asserts that CBP prevented its police from issuing trespassing citations to contractors and has expressed concerns over the wall's threat to sacred sites and sensitive habitats, despite having reduced cross-border detentions by over 95 percent through its own efforts. In response to the federal actions, the Tohono O’odham legislature voted unanimously to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration to protect their sovereignty and land.
Eric Hafner, a registered Democrat serving time in a New York federal prison and set to be released in 2036, advanced from the primary for Alaska's US House seat by receiving 5,757 votes, placing him among the top four candidates. His candidacy raises legal questions as he listed an address in South Dakota with no apparent ties to Alaska. The leading contenders in the race are incumbent Republican Nick Begich and independent Bill Hill, while Hafner's advancement is potentially subject to a legal challenge based on residency requirements.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has rejoined the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) after a seven-year lapse in her membership, which originally began in 2018 with a one-year membership that lapsed in 2019. The DSA confirmed that she renewed her membership in August 2026 amid speculation about a potential presidential run in 2028, citing the significance of her status as discussions about draft campaigns for her candidacy arise. In 2018, the annual cost of DSA membership was $60, but the organization has since introduced automatic renewals and a range of monthly dues options from $5 to $50.
Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick in Real Madrid's 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad in La Liga, marking Jose Mourinho's first home match back as the club's coach. Vinicius Junior also contributed to the scoreline, while Jude Bellingham provided two assists, highlighting an effective partnership among the star players. With this win, Madrid secured two victories from their first two matches of the season, as they look to maintain early momentum.
The FDA has approved daraxonrasib, branded as Rasonque, for pancreatic cancer after clinical trials showed it nearly doubled average survival time from 6.6 months on chemotherapy to 13.2 months. The drug targets the mutated KRAS gene found in over 90% of pancreatic tumors, addressing the urgent need for effective treatments in a disease that sees roughly 67,000 new diagnoses each year in the US. While about 44% of patients experienced severe side effects from daraxonrasib, this was lower than the 57.5% reported for chemotherapy.
Plug-in balcony solar panels will go on sale in the UK for the first time, starting with Argos, and will be priced between £400 and £500, with 800-watt systems expected to save households up to £110 annually on electricity bills. These systems allow residents in flats or rented homes to generate renewable electricity from outdoor spaces, though they are only about a fifth the size of traditional rooftop setups and may require planning permission or building owner consent. Competitors like Amazon, Currys, B&Q, and Screwfix are expected to begin offering these products soon as part of a growing trend in household solar energy solutions.
The UK’s youth jobs guarantee scheme aims to tackle the youth mental health crisis and reduce the number of young people not in education, employment, or training (Neets), which recently topped 1 million and could reach 1.25 million by 2030 without intervention. Work and pensions secretary Pat McFadden emphasized that paid employment enhances confidence and wellbeing, noting that several young recruits, who had been out of work for up to four years, reported improved social lives and routines after starting their jobs. The scheme provides subsidies for employers to hire young people, with McFadden advocating for further support and reforms to the current welfare system to better assist those deemed "unfit for work."
Dozens of Australians are among at least 403 people reported missing due to devastating flash floods in the Nepal-Tibet border area, with the Australian government confirming that 34 Australians are unaccounted for. The Nepal Tourist Board reported that 341 foreign nationals are among the missing, including 47 from the US, 33 from the UK, and 24 from Canada. Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong stated that officials are urgently working to confirm the welfare of Australians in the area and provided emergency consular assistance contact information for those in need.
As of mid-August, both CVS and Walgreens have filled around 100,000 prescriptions each for Medicare's $50 obesity drug program, which began in July as part of the Bridge program. Approximately 4 million Medicare recipients are estimated to qualify for the program, indicating that around 5% to 10% of the eligible population has utilized the program in less than two months. The program will continue through the end of 2027, providing coverage for certain patients with obesity, but not for those with conditions like sleep apnea or Type 2 diabetes.
The United States disrupted a China-affiliated hacking operation targeting sensitive government bodies, including the US Department of Justice and NASA, by taking down two platforms, QScan and QTRouter, used to infiltrate internet-connected devices. These platforms have been implicated in compromising critical infrastructure and networks since at least 2018, with successful breaches in September 2024 at three Department of Energy laboratories and a US security-device manufacturer. The operation, which involved the China-based Nanjing Xinjiuwei Network Technology Company, aimed to obscure the true origin of attacks, allowing intrusions to appear local rather than foreign.
Nigeria has launched a major rescue operation to find approximately 600 worshippers kidnapped from mosques in north-central Niger State, following an abduction that took place last week. The recent rise in mass kidnappings for ransom in northern Nigeria has become a politically sensitive issue ahead of the presidential election in January, with the Nigerian president condemning the attacks and vowing to bring those responsible to justice. In the wake of the attacks, at least 2,000 people have fled into neighboring Benin, highlighting the escalating security threats posed by armed groups in the region.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), founded in 2015, has officially dissolved and merged with the Syrian army following a deal with Damascus. This decision comes after the SDF, which controlled large parts of northern Syria, lost significant territory during the army's offensive after Bashar al-Assad's regime collapsed in December 2024. The merger raises questions about the implications for Syria's military unification and stability in the wake of Assad's downfall.
Since February 24, 2022, Russia has reportedly lost 1,482,150 troops in Ukraine, including 1,400 casualties in the last day alone. In recent attacks, explosions rocked Kyiv, injuring at least 7 people, and Ukraine continues to carry out strikes on Russian targets such as a major oil refinery and the Wildberries facility. Additionally, Italy is set to provide Ukraine with a secret aid package that includes four advanced SAMP/T air defense systems and several Aster 30 missiles to strengthen its defenses against Russian missiles.
Senator Flavio Bolsonaro's economic adviser, Adolfo Sachsida, announced plans for a debt ceiling if they win the Brazilian presidency, aiming to improve the country's fiscal reputation and control spending. Current public debt stands at approximately 82% of Brazil's GDP, having increased over 10% since Lula's return to office in 2023. A recent Nexus poll indicates a near tie between Lula, leading with 46%, and Bolsonaro at 45%, with the economy being a central issue in the upcoming election.
Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza on President Trump's Board of Peace, stated that the failure of the ceasefire process would lead to a "point of no return" for the region. Since a US-brokered ceasefire began in October, at least 1,288 Palestinians have been killed and 4,290 wounded, while total casualties since the initiation of the conflict on October 7, 2023, amount to 73,422 deaths among Palestinians and 1,200 casualties in southern Israel. Mladenov highlighted that Hamas has agreed to disarm and transfer governing authority to a new transitional administration, but Prime Minister Netanyahu remains opposed to any withdrawal of Israeli forces until this commitment is fully realized.
The head of UNRWA condemned the Israeli seizure of its Qalandiya Training Centre, which has deprived 340 young Palestinians of education and violates international law. Five Palestinians were injured during the raid, which involved far-right Israeli officials asserting that there is "no place for the agency in Jerusalem." UNRWA's role and funding are under threat amid the broader conflict, with the agency serving approximately 16,000 refugees in the area, and its mandate is linked to the UN General Assembly.