Africa
Pastor/bride abducted in Nigeria
Gunmen in Nigeria kidnapped at least 20 people in two separate attacks. One attack targeted a newly established church where attackers seized a pastor, his wife, and worshippers. The other attack occurred in the Sokoto state where a bride and her bridesmaids were kidnaped.
Dogs stolen from Malawi presidential palace
Police in Malawi are searching for four police dogs that went missing from a presidential palace during the country’s political transition. Officials arrested State House Deputy Chief of Staff Godfrey Arthur Jalale in connection to the theft of the dogs. Jalale denied the charge.
Asia
Hundreds dead from Indonesia floods
At least 500 people have died from flooding in Indonesia. The government estimates that 1.4 million people have been impacted by the weather, and another 500 people are still missing. The flooding was caused by a rare cyclone, and it is likely that climate change played a part in the disaster.
Court backs Japan same-sex marriage ban
A court in Japan ruled that the country’s ban on same-sex marriage is constitutional. The judge ruled that laws on same-sex marriage should first be deliberated in parliament. Japan is the only G7 country that does not fully recognize same-sex couples. Amnesty International said the ruling was a damaging step backwards on same-sex marriage.
Europe
Hundreds of thousands of Greece sheep/goats infected with disease
Farmers across Greece have been forced to cull hundreds of thousands of sheep and goats because of an outbreak of an infectious disease. The animals have been infected by sheep and goat pox. Losing the livestock has impacted Greece’s production and exports of its famous feta cheese.
Pope visits Blue Mosque
Pope Leo XIV made his first visit to a Muslim place of worship by traveling to Istanbul’s Sultan Ahmed Mosque. The Pope bowed when he entered the mosque but did not pray like his two predecessors had done. The mosque is named after Sultan Ahmed I, leader of the Ottoman Empire from 1603 to 1617. Ahmed oversaw the building’s construction.
Latin America
Former Peruvian presidents jailed
Former Preu President Pedro Castillo was sentenced to 11 years in jail for trying to disband Peru’s Congress and rule by decree in 2022. Meanwhile, Martin Vizcarra, another former Peruvian president, was also recently sentenced to 14 years in prison for bribe-taking while serving as a regional governor. Other Peruvian presidents like Ollanta Humala and Alejandro Toledo are currently serving prison sentences.
Former Honduras president set to be pardoned
President Donald Trump is planning to pardon former Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez. He was convicted of drug trafficking charges in a US court last year. Trump said in a social media post that Hernandez had been “treated very harshly and unfairly.” Hernandez served as Honduras president from 2014 to 2022.
North America
National Guard member dies
President Donald Trump announced that Sarah Beckstrom, one of the two National Guard members who was shot in DC last Wednesday, has died. Beckstrom was 20 while the second National Guard member, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, is still “fighting for his life.” The incident occurred near Farragut Square, and a 29-year-old suspect from Afghanistan was arrested.
Chauncey Billups pleads not guilty
Former NBA player and Portland Trailblazers Coach Chauncey Billups pleaded not guilty for allegations of participating in a mafia-linked, illegal poker operation. Billups is accused of acting as a “face card,” who helped to lure unsuspecting players to rigged games. The judge handling the case said the trial could start by September 2026.
