World Headlines
Putin says Russia will bolster its air defenses in response to Ukrainian drone attacks
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia will strengthen its air defenses to counter recent Ukrainian drone attacks, which have reached deep inside his country and cast a cloud over his showcase economic forum in his hometown of St. Petersburg. Speaking in response to a question from The Associated Press during a meeting with heads of international news agencies, Putin acknowledged the damage from Ukrainian drone attacks. “To our regret, some of them break through,” Putin said of the drone strikes. “Russia has an air defense system, we need to improve it, strengthen it, and we will do that.” The wide-ranging media session came on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, his ... Read More
Chinese leader Xi Jinping will travel to North Korea next week in first visit since 2019
BEIJING (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping will travel to North Korea next week, both countries announced Friday, in what will be his first visit in nearly seven years. His trip will be the latest in a series of steps by China to reinforce its close ties with its nuclear-armed neighbor. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reached out to Russia in recent years, notably by sending troops and conventional weapons to support its war against Ukraine. But in the past year, Kim has likewise been trying to improve ties with China, the North’s biggest trading partner and provider of aid. “As North Korea builds closer ties with Russia, China seeks to use Xi’s trip to reassert its influence ... Read More
US doctor infected with Ebola ‘feels good’ and is able to eat, colleague says
Ebola testing, conceptual image(DIGICOMPHOTO/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images)(GERMANY) -- The American doctor who contracted Ebola and was transferred to Germany is starting to feel better and is able to eat, according to his colleague.Dr. Peter Stafford is currently hospitalized in Berlin's Charite University Hospital after testing positive for the disease due to his work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.His colleague, Matt Allison -- the executive director of Serge, the Christian missionary group Stafford works for -- told ABC News that the doctor has been receiving monoclonal antibodies during his hospitalization.Allison said it appears Stafford's condition has improved since landing in Germany and that he has been able to text his colleagues."He needed assistance to walk. He was very weak. ... Read More
Maldives officials say they didn’t know divers in fatal expedition intended to explore cave
Water bungalows on Kanuhura island resort at Indian Ocean in Maldives - stock photo (westend61/Getty)(MALDIVES) - -Two investigations, including a culpable homicide probe, have been launched into the deep-water expedition in the Maldives that claimed the lives of five Italian scuba divers, and authorities said they didn't know the group would be exploring a cave.Both the Maldives government and prosecutors in Rome announced the investigations as the remains of two more divers were recovered from an underwater cave in the Indian Ocean.In addition to the probe by the Maldives government, prosecutors in Rome have opened a culpable homicide investigation into the tragedy, sources told the Italian news agency ANSA.It's not immediately clear if any specific person or persons are the target of ... Read More
Marine scientists discover record number of new species
Burrowing sea anemone from the San Julian Peninsula in Argentina. (The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census/Agustín Garese)(NEW YORK) -- Marine scientists have discovered a record number of new species living in the depths of the world's oceans over the past year.A total of 1,121 new marine species were discovered in a single year, marking a "significant step" in the research needed to understand and protect the oceans, according to the scientists behind The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census, the world’s largest mission to accelerate ocean species discovery.The whopping number of discoveries marks a 54% jump in identifications in a single year, the researchers said.Among the new species discovered include corals, crabs, shrimps, sea urchins and anemones -- some found living at depths ... Read More
At least 1 American has tested positive for Ebola: CDC
Healthcare workers receive training on administering the Ebola vaccine in a study carried out with the support of the World Health Organization as part of the fight against the Ebola virus in Kampala, Uganda on February 14, 2025. (Photo by Nicholas Kajoba/Anadolu via Getty Images)(NEW YORK) -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed on Monday that at least one American working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has tested positive for Ebola.Dr. Satish K. Pillai, incident manager for the CDC's Ebola response, told reporters that the individual developed symptoms over the weekend and tested positive late Sunday.Pillai added that the patient and six other high-risk contacts are being moved to Germany for care and stressed that the ... Read More
5 dead in scuba diving accident in deep underwater cave in the Maldives: Officials
Boat off the Dhigurah island coastline with its long white sand beach lined with palm trees in the Maldives (@Didier Marti/Getty Images)(MALDIVES) Five Italian nationals, including a mother and her daughter, died while scuba diving in a deep underwater cave in the Maldives, according to Italian and Maldivian officials, as a risky search effort attempts to recover the remaining missing divers.The divers went missing Thursday while exploring a cave in Vaavu Atoll, according to the Maldives National Defense Force.The body of one of the divers has since been recovered in a cave about 200 feet deep, authorities said. The remaining four divers are believed to be inside the 200-foot-long cave, according to the Maldives National Defense Force.Additional divers and special equipment ... Read More
115 people sickened in norovirus outbreak on cruise ship: CDC
Passenger cruise ship Sky Princess leaves the French Mediterranean port of Marseille. (Gerard Bottino/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)(LONDON) -- More than 100 people have been sickened in a norovirus outbreak on board a Caribbean Princess cruise, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.According to the agency, 102 passengers and 13 crew members were reported sick so far, with symptoms including diarrhea and vomiting.The outbreak was reported to the CDC on Thursday, during the cruise ship's April 28 to May 11 voyage.The ship is currently in the northwest Atlantic Ocean, headed towards Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic, according to CruiseMapper. It is scheduled to arrive at Port Canaveral, Florida, on May 11. There are 3,116 total passengers and 1,131 crew members ... Read More
Man with weapon arrested near former Prince Andrew’s home
(NEW YORK) -- A man has been arrested for possession of an offensive weapon near the U.K. home of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, police said Thursday.The suspect, who was not named, "was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence and possession of an offensive weapon," Norfolk Police said in a statement to ABC News.He remains in custody, according to police.Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, lives on his brother King Charles III's privately owned Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England.Buckingham Palace has not commented on the arrest.This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. ... Read More
Dozens of Ukrainian drones target Moscow, mayor says, amid overnight attack on Russia
A man with extinguisher extinguishes a fire on car in the city center after Russian aerial attack on May 5, 2026 in Kramatorsk, Ukraine. (Photo by Oleksandr Magula/Suspilne Ukraine/JSC "UA:PBC"/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)(LONDON) -- Russia's Defense Ministry reported a major Ukrainian drone attack overnight into Thursday morning, with Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reporting that dozens of Ukrainian craft were intercepted while flying toward the capital.Russia's Defense Ministry said on Telegram that its forces intercepted at least 427 Ukrainian drones and through Thursday morning. Moscow only publishes the number of Ukrainian drones and other projectiles it claims to have intercepted.Sobyanin said that as of Thursday afternoon, at least 48 drones were shot down while flying toward the capital. Emergency ... Read More
Russia launches deadly overnight strikes in Ukraine despite Zelenskyy’s ceasefire
Damaged cars lie on road after Russian missile attack on May 4, 2026 in Merefa, Ukraine. Russian army fired an Iskander missile with a high-explosive warhead on a road near shops. (Photo by Liubov Yemets/Gwara Media/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)(LONDON) -- At least one person was killed and two people were injured by an overnight Russian drone strike on a kindergarten building in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region, local officials there said on Wednesday, as Moscow's cross-border attacks continued despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's unilateral declaration of a temporary ceasefire beginning at midnight on Tuesday.Ukraine's air force said in a post to Telegram that Russia launched 108 drones and three missiles into the country overnight, of which 89 drones were ... Read More
Trump sends War Powers letters to Congress
S. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One on April 24, 2026 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. (Photo by Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images)(WASHINGTON) -- Despite facing the 60-day deadline under the War Powers Act, the president is not asking Congress for authorization, rather providing an update to the posture of U.S. forces in the region.Echoing Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth, the president noted that he ordered a two-week ceasefire on April 7 that has since been extended."On April 7, 2026, I ordered a 2-week ceasefire. The ceasefire has since been extended," Trump wrote. "There has been no exchange of fire between United States Forces and Iran since April 7, 2026. The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated."Trump also stressed ... Read More
Mexico City has been sinking for over a century. A new NASA satellite is now watching it happen in real time
New data from NISAR shows where Mexico City and its environs subsided by up to a few centimeters per month (shown in blue) between Oct. 25, 2025, and Jan. 17, 2026. Uneven and seemingly small elevation changes have added up over the decades, fracturing roads, buildings, and water lines. (David Bekaert/JPL-Caltech//NASA)(MEXICO CITY) -- More than 20 million people in Mexico City are living on ground that's sinking above an ancient reservoir.The city has long been recognized as one of the fastest sinking sites in the world, but researchers didn't have the ability to continuously track the movement from space until now.NASA shared a satellite image on Wednesday from the U.S.-India satellite NISAR that captures parts of Mexico's capital sinking by ... Read More
London stabbing attack allegedly targeting Jewish community a ‘terrorist incident’: Police
British police investigate the scene with the support of counterterrorism units after two people were injured in a stabbing attack in a neighborhood with a large Jewish community in Golders Green area of north London, United Kingdom on April 29, 2026. (Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu via Getty Images)(LONDON) -- A stabbing attack in London that officials said injured two Jewish men has been declared a "terrorist incident," police said.The suspect -- a 45-year-old man -- was arrested after trying to attack officers who responded to reports of people being stabbed in the Golders Green neighborhood in Northwest London, the Metropolitan Police said.The incident took place at 11:16 a.m. local time in London on Wednesday."One male was seen running along Golders Green ... Read More
UK passes bill that will eventually ban cigarette purchases
LONDON (AP) — Opponents of smoking got a breath of fresh air as Parliament passed a bill that will put cigarettes out of reach for future generations. “The end of smoking, and the devastating harm it causes, is no longer uncertain — it’s inevitable,” Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, said after a decades-long campaign in favor of legislation approved Tuesday. Children born after Dec. 31, 2008, will be banned from ever buying cigarettes under the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. The legislation that needs approval by King Charles III — a formality — before taking effect will also allow the government to regulate tobacco, vaping and nicotine products, including flavors and packaging. It is currently illegal ... Read More
Lebanon-Israel talks to resume in Washington amid shaky Hezbollah ceasefire
An Israeli artillery unit fires toward Lebanon on April 9, 2026 in northern Israel. (Amir Levy/Getty Images)(LONDON) -- Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors are expected to convene again at the State Department on Thursday for a second round of meetings amid the latest conflagration in the Middle East.The first direct negotiations between the two states since 1993 are intended as preparatory meetings to shape future talks on a deal to normalize ties between the countries.Thursday's meeting is expected to focus on extending a shaky ceasefire that has halted fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia, long considered by experts as a "state within a state" wielding enormous influence over Lebanon's political, economic and security spheres.The technocratic government in Beirut, which ... Read More
Seafarer talks being trapped on the Strait of Hormuz: ‘There is no safe place here’
A view of the vessels heading towards the Strait of Hormuz following the two-week temporary ceasefire reached between the United States and Iran on the condition that the strait be reopened, seen in Oman on April 08, 2026. (Photo by Shady Alassar/Anadolu via Getty Images)(LONDON) -- As the world awaits a resolution on the fate of the Strait of Hormuz -- one of the most vital global trade routes -- the seafarers who have been stranded for weeks aboard ships and tankers on either side of the waterway are desperate for answers.Nearly 20,000 people on some 2,000 vessels are currently trapped in the Persian Gulf, waiting for a passage that may not come anytime soon, according to the International Maritime ... Read More
Researchers propose solutions to stop Venice from sinking
A seagull stands on the 16th-century Rialto Bridge over the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy, Monday, April 13, 2026. (Photo by Danil Shamkin/NurPhoto via Getty Images)(VENICE, Italy) -- One of the world's most iconic cities could be heavily impacted by climate change and sea level rise in the coming years, leading researchers to search for solutions on how to protect it.Venice, the historic Italian city known for its canals that serve as water traffic corridors, has been said to be sinking for nearly a century. The site within the vicinity of the Venetian Lagoon has flooded increasingly over the past 150 years, according to a paper published in Scientific Reports on Thursday.Historically, there have been 28 events in which seawater ... Read More
‘Massive’ Russian attack on Ukraine kills 16, injures at least 100, Ukrainian officials say
A large fire burns near a shopping center following an overnight Russian missile strike in the Podilskyi, Obolonskyi, Shevchenkivskyi and Desnianskyi districts, on April 16, 2026 in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Photo by Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images)(LONDON) -- At least 16 people were killed and another 100 were injured in Ukraine as Russia targeted the country with a "massive" drone and missile attack on Wednesday and into Thursday morning, Ukrainian officials said.Russia launched almost 700 drones and 19 ballistic missiles, along with cruise missiles, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Ukraine shot down about 636 drones and "some" of the missiles, he added, saying, "Unfortunately, not all."At least 16 people were killed across Ukraine, officials said. Zelenskyy said at least 100 people had been reported ... Read More
Husband of woman reported missing after going overboard in Bahamas interviewed by police again: Attorney
The Hookers' boat, "Soulmate," is seen in Marsh Harbor on Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas, April 8, 2026. (ABC News)(NEW YORK) -- The husband of a woman who was reported missing in the Bahamas after going overboard on a dinghy was questioned again by police on Monday as he awaits any charging decision in connection with her disappearance, according to his attorney.Lynette Hooker, 55, of Michigan, has been missing for over a week. She and her husband, Brian Hooker, 58, had departed Hope Town on the Abaco Islands for their yacht, Soulmate, in Elbow Cay around 7:30 p.m. on April 4, when bad weather caused Lynette Hooker to fall overboard, her husband told authorities.Brian Hooker was arrested on Wednesday in connection ... Read More
‘Momentary relief’: World leaders react to US-Iran ceasefire
A teacher from Gurukul school of art paints a poster of US President Donald Trump (L) and Supreme Leader of Iran Mojtaba Khamenei (R) with a message welcoming two weeks of ceasefire between US and Iran outside their art school in Mumbai. (Ashish Vaishnav/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)(PARIS and LONDON) -- Foreign leaders expressed hope for a full peace deal to end the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran in their reactions to Tuesday's two-week ceasefire, which was first announced by President Donald Trump and later confirmed by Iranian officials.British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a post to X that the ceasefire agreement "will bring a moment of relief to the region and the world. Together with our partners we must ... Read More
As ceasefire begins, some Iranians express relief after days of living in limbo
Iranians hold national flags as they gather in Tehran's Revolution Square after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, on April 8, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)(LONDON) -- As President Donald Trump pulled back from threats to annihilate "a whole civilization" when the Iranian regime agreed to a ceasefire and open the critical Strait of Hormuz, some people in the Islamic Republic expressed relief after juggling feelings ranging from despair to doom.Trump had given the Iranian regime a deadline of 8 p.m. ET Tuesday -- which would have been Wednesday, April 8, at 3:30 a.m. in Tehran -- for the Iranian government to strike a peace deal or risk the destruction of all bridges and power plants in Iran.He ... Read More
Ukraine outshoots Russia in cross-border drone war for 1st time, March data suggests
A soldier of the Unmanned Systems Forces prepares a 'Salut' drone on March 31, 2026 in Kharkiv, Ukraine. (Nikoletta Stoyanova/Getty Images)(LONDON) -- Ukraine launched more cross-border attack drones than Russia in a one-month period for the first time since the start of the ongoing war in 2022, according to daily data published by the Ukrainian Air Force and Russian Ministry of Defense, which was analyzed by ABC News.Russia's defense ministry reported downing 7,347 Ukrainian drones during March, the highest monthly total ever reported by Moscow and an average of 237 craft each day. The defense ministry only publishes figures of Ukrainian drones it claims were shot down.Ukraine's air force, meanwhile, said its forces faced 6,462 Russian drones and 138 missiles ... Read More
Palestinian babies separated from parents at start of war, reunited after 2 years
A Palestinian mother hugs her child as eight children evacuated from Gaza to Egypt through the Rafah Border Crossing during 2023 land attacks due to health issues return to Gaza after completing treatment, coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO) at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis, Palestine, on March 30, 2026. (Photo by Hani Alshaer/Anadolu via Getty Images)(NEW YORK) -- When Sundus al Kurd and her daughter Bissan were separated at the start of the Israel-Hamas war in 2023, she wasn't sure she'd see her again. Bissan was only a few days old when her mother allowed her to be medically evacuated from the Gaza strip to Egypt.The premature baby's life was saved, along with others, by the World ... Read More
US fighter jet down in Iran: 1 crew member rescued as search continues, officials say
(WASHINGTON) -- A U.S. fighter jet appears to have been shot down by Iran over Iranian territory, American officials confirmed to ABC News, marking a new and potentially dangerous point in the conflict.One crew member aboard the downed two-seater F-15E has been rescued, according to two U.S. officials. The status of the other crew member is unknown, according to the official, and the search and rescue effort continues.Combat search and rescue missions have become relatively rare for U.S. forces after more than a generation of near-total air dominance, with American aircraft typically operating with limited threats to aircraft in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.The early indications that the U.S. fighter was brought down by enemy fire would mark the first time ... Read More
‘Leave Iraq now’: Americans in Baghdad warned of potential Iran-aligned militia terrorist attacks
Iraqi Shiite militia groups organize a military parade as part of the 'World Quds Day' events in Baghdad, Iraq, March 28, 2025. (Anadolu via Getty Images)(WASHINGTON) -- U.S. officials have issued a new warning to Americans still in Iraq, advising them to leave the country immediately as Iraqi terrorist militia groups aligned with Iran may "intend to conduct attacks" in central Baghdad."U.S. citizens should leave Iraq now," said the alert issued on Thursday by the United States Embassy and Consulate in Iraq, which has previously issued warnings for Americans to leave the country due to security risks.The new alert comes as the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has entered its second month.The security alert also came just days after an American ... Read More
Iran regime weaker, more radical after US-Israel assassination campaign: Analysts
A man sweeps up debris near a residential building that was hit in an airstrike in the early hours of March 27, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)(LONDON) -- President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu kicked off their joint military campaign against Iran in late February, urging the fall of the Islamic Republic."When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations," Trump said, addressing Iranians in announcing the start of "major combat operations."A month of unrelenting combined U.S.-Israeli strikes appears to have significantly eroded Iran's military capabilities and killed many of its most senior leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ... Read More
Iran war timeline: 1 month of escalating strikes, broadening conflict
A view of gigantic poster as daily life continues despite the ongoing conflict in Tehran, Iran on April 1, 2026. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)(LONDON) -- President Donald Trump is set to address the nation on Wednesday evening with an "important update" on the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, which was launched on Feb. 28.ABC News has collated a timeline of the key events in the conflict to date.Feb. 28: Combined U.S.-Israeli airstrikes began, with Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei killed alongside dozens of senior political and military leaders in strikes on his office in Tehran. Iran immediately began retaliatory attacks targeting Israel, U.S. facilities and allies across the Middle East.The opening salvo of strikes targeted Iranian government and ... Read More
King Charles III to address Congress on April 28, leaders say
King Charles III speaks on March 27, 2026 in Oxford, England. (Kate Green/Getty Images)(LONDON) -- King Charles III will address a joint meeting of Congress on April 28 as part of his upcoming state visit to the U.S., according to a joint statement issued by Congressional leaders on Tuesday.The address, the statement said, "celebrates the 250th anniversary of American independence and the enduring special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom."The statement was issued by House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.“This year, the United States will mark the 250th anniversary of its independence. As we celebrate this historic milestone and recommit ourselves to the principles upon which ... Read More
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