Easter

National Weather Service warns heat index could reach 115F as extreme heat grips midwest, Ohio valley and east coastSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailA “prolonged, dangerous heatwave” is expected to intensify across parts of the central and eastern United States over the next few days and into the holiday weekend, bringing record-breaking temperatures, humidity, and dangerous conditions to millions of Americans.The National Weather Service (NWS) warned on Thursday that temperatures between 95F (35C) and 105F (40.5C), combined with high humidity, will push heat index values across parts of the region to between 100F (37.7C) and 115F (46.1C). Continue reading...

Red warnings issued as record-breaking heatwave pushes east, with authorities urging people to stay indoorsParts of central, eastern and southern Europe sweltered on Monday as the “heat dome” behind last week’s record-breaking temperatures shifted east, bringing dangerous conditions to a new swathe of the continent.Budapest is forecast to exceed 40C on Tuesday, according to models from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. Belgrade and Bucharest reached 38C and 37C respectively on Monday as the heatwave, which has been linked to hundreds of deaths in western Europe, moved east. Continue reading...

Western states experience unseasonally low temperatures but New York and Washington DC could reach 40C by the end of the weekUnseasonal snow has fallen in some parts of the US, while other parts of the country brace for a heatwave this week.A strong cold front spread into the western US from the northern Pacific over the weekend, bringing an abrupt change in conditions to a region that had been experiencing high summer temperatures amid drought. Temperatures from the Canadian border to California have widely been 5-10C below the norm since Friday, and more than 10C below in some parts farther north. The pattern is expected to remain for much of the coming week. Continue reading...

Germany, Czechia, Poland and Hungary reached record temperatures of more than 40C on Sunday Good morning, or dzień dobry, from Warsaw, Poland as the heatwave that affected much of the continent last week continues to impact central and eastern Europe.It’s 9am local time and already 32C. I have seen two people cycling home with large fans, trying to get back before the heat hits the fan again. None of this is normal. Continue reading...

Two Belarusians ⁠detained over attack on Robert ⁠Kuzovkov, who is also known as Semyon SkrepetskyA Russian artist critical of Vladimir Putin was shot and killed in ⁠the eastern Polish town of Biała Podlaska, a Polish prosecutor has said.Five shots were fired at the ⁠victim, including one ⁠to the head, in the attack on Monday, ​said Marcin Kozak, a spokesperson for the district prosecutor in Lublin. Continue reading...

• A new report from June 2026 highlights evolving funding standards for early-stage startups across Eastern Europe, including Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, and the Baltic states. • Investors are shifting focus away from low costs, instead prioritizing founders who demonstrate high technical capability, proven customer evidence, and a global market strategy. • This shift matters as the CEE region seeks to compete internationally by leveraging technical discipline and cross-border scalability rather than just regional affordability.

Islamic State-linked militia blamed for raids in North Kivu as governor says three patients with disease fled clinicsRebel attacks around a town that is one of the centres of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have left more than 30 people dead over the past few days, complicating the response to the disease.At least 10 people were massacred in raids on three villages around the city of Beni, in North Kivu, in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Continue reading...

• NASA confirmed that a massive sonic boom heard over the northeastern US on May 30 was caused by a meteor explosion. • Satellite footage revealed the event released energy equivalent to 300 tons of TNT, creating a powerful shockwave. • The explosion is significant as it provides data on atmospheric entries, though the space rock likely disintegrated during the blast.

BoM and other agencies expect transition to the first El Niño since spring 2023 sometime during winterFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesSign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter hereAustralia should prepare for an imminent El Niño, with the Bureau of Meteorology and other agencies forecasting that the weather phenomenon is likely to develop in the coming months.“The models are really aligning now,” Felicity Gamble, a senior BoM climatologist, said. “We are expecting a transition to El Niño sometime during winter.” Continue reading...

Attack comes after Friday’s strike that killed three men as well, pushing death toll to more than 200 since last yearThe US military said on Saturday it had carried out a strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific killing three men, the second strike in as many days.Officials with the US Southern Command said in a post on X that intelligence had confirmed that the vessel was transiting along “narco-trafficking” routes in the eastern Pacific and engaged in “narco-trafficking” operations. Continue reading...

• WHO chief visited Bunia in eastern Congo on May 30, 2026, to address a current Ebola outbreak at its epicentre. • During the visit, the WHO leader urged international communities to reconsider imposing travel bans against the affected region. • This intervention is critical to ensure that essential medical supplies and personnel can reach the outbreak zone without disruption.

Kingfisher, owner of the DIY chain, is top FTSE 100 riser after it says it will stick to full-year profit outlookBusiness live – latest updatesA wet and cold Easter hit sales of barbecues and garden products at the home improvement chain B&Q, but it hopes to make up lost ground during the current heatwave.B&Q owner Kingfisher, which also owns Screwfix in the UK, as well as Castorama and Brico Dépôt across six European countries, said like-for-like sales (at outlets open at least a year) in the UK and Ireland dipped 0.9% between February and April, its first quarter. Within that, B&Q sales fell 4.1% while Screwfix revenue climbed 4.1%. Continue reading...

Residents of Ituri province fear spread of disease and economic impact of outbreak six years after the last“On public transport, in bars and at mass gatherings, everyone is talking about Ebola,” said Gloire Mumbesa, 38, a resident of Mongbwalu, a mining town in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He said cases of the disease had been reported locally and panic was engulfing the area because of the lack of a vaccine for the Bundibudyo strain. “The fear is that this disease may spread to many other areas.”Residents of Ituri province in eastern DRC, where the World Health Organization announced an outbreak of Ebola last week, are living in growing fear of the possible continued spread of the disease and its deadly impacts, nearly six years after the last outbreak in the region ended. Continue reading...

Concerns raised that cases were caused by a new strain of the virus as African health officials race to coordinate and contain the infectionAn outbreak of Ebola has killed 65 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to African health officials.There have been 246 suspected cases of the deadly haemorrhagic fever reported so far in Ituri province, which shares borders with Uganda and South Sudan. Continue reading...

More than 190 people have been killed in such strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean and PacificThe US military on Friday said it struck a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two people and leaving one survivor in the latest attack on boats suspected of transporting narcotics. This brings the death toll from strikes on such vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific to more than 190 people since September.A video posted by the US Southern Command shows the vessel traveling through the water being hit by what appears to be a missile. The screen momentarily goes black and then shows the boat engulfed in flames. Continue reading...

Without offering details or evidence, US Southern Command described the people killed as ‘narco-terrorists’The US military said on Tuesday it struck a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing three people, in the latest such attack that rights groups label as “extrajudicial killings” and Washington describes as targeting “narco-terrorists”.US Southern Command posted about the strike on social media Tuesday evening, alleging that the vessel struck on Tuesday was operated by “Designated Terrorist Organizations” that it did not identify. Continue reading...

• Turkey and Greece opened negotiations on Monday in Athens to address longstanding maritime boundary disputes and resource rights in the Eastern Mediterranean, marking the first high-level talks in eighteen months. • Both countries appointed senior diplomats to address competing claims over exclusive economic zones and the status of disputed islands, with the EU facilitating discussions. • U.S. State Department officials welcomed the resumption of dialogue, calling it essential for regional stability and noting that resolution could improve NATO cohesion in Southeast Europe.

Footage posted online shows police telling people they were being removed due to suspicion they would interrupt ceremonyWestern Australian police say they proactively blocked 15 members of “issue motivated groups” from attending Anzac Day commemorations, following disruptions that marred earlier ceremonies in the eastern states.One man was arrested at the Sydney dawn service at Martin Place, where there was a small but noisy interjection of booing during the Indigenous acknowledgment of country. Booing also marred ceremonies in Melbourne and Perth. Continue reading...

• NATO announced Friday the deployment of 5,000 additional personnel to Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, citing concerns over Russian military buildups near the Ukraine border and increased reconnaissance flights in NATO airspace. • The alliance activated contingency protocols allowing individual member states to request reinforcements without full consensus; Poland alone will receive 2,500 troops, primarily from the United States and Germany. • Russia's Foreign Ministry condemned the deployment as "provocative" and pledged countermeasures, while NATO Secretary-General stated the move was "defensive and proportional" to regional security threats.

• Nashville SC rose in ESPN's MLS Power Rankings after a strong week, solidifying their position as East leaders. • The team continues its impressive form, positioning them as one of the league's strongest sides. • This ascent signals Nashville's title contention potential amid ongoing MLS action.

• Russian forces launched coordinated attacks across multiple fronts in Donetsk and Luhansk regions on April 17-18, capturing several villages and pushing Ukrainian defenses back by up to 3 kilometers in key sectors. • Ukraine's military command reports increased use of glide bombs and artillery strikes, with casualty figures on both sides rising significantly; Ukrainian officials estimate Russian forces have committed 50,000 additional troops to the spring campaign. • Military analysts warn the offensive marks Russia's most sustained push since winter 2023, potentially threatening critical Ukrainian supply lines and regional logistics hubs.

Intense heat in cities like New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC is unusual for April, weather experts sayA long-lasting weather pattern is poised to blast hot air like a furnace across the eastern United States, with the unusual heatwave threatening to shatter record high temperatures on Wednesday in big cities including New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC.The heat is unusual for April, not only because it’s scorching much of the nation so early in the year but also for its duration. The near-record temperatures are expected to last into this weekend, forecasters say. Continue reading...

Strike marks third deadly attack on vessels in region in four days, and the killing of 174 people since SeptemberSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe US military said it killed four more people in a boat strike in the eastern Pacific ocean on Tuesday, marking the third deadly attack on vessels in the region in four days.The US Southern Command, which oversees military operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, announced the killings in a social media post, claiming, without providing evidence, that the men killed were “narco-terrorists”. Continue reading...

Dispatch of vessel strike, like most of military’s statements on strikes conducted in area, did not provide evidenceThe US military said it killed two people in a strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Monday, claiming the targets were involved in “narco-trafficking operations”.The announcement, like most of the military’s statements on the dozens of strikes it has conducted in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean Sea, did not provide evidence to support its claims that the targets were engaged in narco-trafficking. Continue reading...

Attacks on Saturday bring number of people killed in boat strikes by US military to at least 168The US military said that it blew up two boats accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing a total of five people and leaving one survivor, as the Trump administration pursues its campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America while preparing a naval blockade of Iranian ports.The attacks on Saturday bring the number of people who have been killed in boat strikes by the US military to at least 168 since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls “narcoterrorists” in early September. Continue reading...

• Beach Music Hall of Fame singer Doug died in a car crash on Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Eastern North Carolina. • Doug was celebrated for entertaining generations of Beach Music fans with his unique brand that always brought smiles. • The incident occurred amid local entertainment scene activities in the region.

Ukraine reports 469 violations of Putin’s 32-hour ceasefire, hours after deadly drone attacks on Odesa and KhersonRussia continued to strike Ukrainian positions with drones after a Kremlin-declared Easter ceasefire took effect on Saturday, a Ukrainian military officer said.“The ceasefire is not being observed by the Russian side,” said Serhii Kolesnychenko, a communications officer for the 148th Separate Artillery Brigade. Continue reading...

Kremlin proposes 32-hour ceasefire starting on Saturday afternoon – with Ukraine expected to agree to planVladimir Putin has declared a 32-hour ceasefire in Ukraine over the Orthodox Easter weekend, after an earlier call from Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a pause.The president’s decree, released by the Kremlin on Thursday, orders Russian forces to observe a ceasefire starting on 4pm Saturday and lasting until the end of Sunday. Continue reading...