WORLD

Debby strengthened into a hurricane late Sunday as it bore down on Florida's Gulf Coast with potential for history-making levels of rain and major flooding, prompting evacuation orders.

North Korea has deployed 250 ballistic missile launchers to its southern border, with leader Kim Jong Un describing the weapons as a "powerful treasured sword" to defend its sovereignty, state media said Monday.

A "deepfake" video parodying Kamala Harris, a manipulated expletive-laden clip of Joe Biden, and a doctored image of Donald Trump being arrested -- a tide of AI-fueled political disinformation has prompted alarm over its potential to manipulate voters as the US presidential race heats up.

The European Union heaped further international pressure Sunday on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, joining Washington and Latin American nations in refusing to recognize the win he has claimed in the recent election marked by fraud allegations.

Kamala Harris will name her running mate as soon as Monday, as she prepares for a tour of US battleground states aimed at turning excitement over her presidential bid into durable support that can power her to victory.

Ukraine has received its first batch of US-made F-16 fighter jets, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday, quickly adding that more are needed to beat back Russian forces.

A new poll confirmed Sunday that Kamala Harris -- set to name her vice presidential pick imminently -- has drawn level with Donald Trump, transforming a White House race that the Republican had been increasingly confident he was going to win.

Gaza's civil defence agency said an Israeli strike hit two schools in Gaza City on Sunday, killing at least 30 people, while the military reported it had struck Hamas command centres.

UK leader Keir Starmer warned far-right protesters on Sunday they would "regret" participating in England's worst rioting in 13 years, as disturbances linked to the murder of three children earlier this week flared across the country.

Urgent calls grew for foreign nationals to leave Lebanon, which would be on the front line of a regional war, as Iran and its allies readied their response to high-profile killings blamed on Israel.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered condolences to North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Un over devastating floods that caused untold casualties and damaged thousands of homes, the Kremlin said on Saturday.

Cheering protesters stormed Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's palace on Monday after she fled, the culmination of more than a month of deadly anti-government protests.

Palestinian militant group Hamas prepares to choose a political leader after the killing of Ismail Haniyeh in a Wednesday attack in Tehran blamed on Israel.

Myanmar military airstrikes hit a hospital in a city controlled by an ethnic minority armed group close to the China border killing 10 people, local media reported on Friday.

Demonstrations in Bangladesh after Friday prayers demanded justice for victims of nationwide unrest and police crackdown, after the release of protest leaders failed to quell public anger.

Turkey blocked access to the Instagram social media network on Friday, without giving any official explanation, following censorship accusations against the US company from a high-ranking Turkish official.

An Israeli strike that killed seven charity workers in a Gaza aid convoy was the result of "mistaken identification" and a raft of other serious failures, the Australian government found in a report released Friday.

Hundreds of people gathered at a mosque in Qatar on Friday to farewell slain Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh after his killing in Tehran, an attack blamed on Israel that deepened fears of a regional war.

Journalist Evan Gershkovich and two other Americans touched down in Texas on Friday for medical checks, after being freed by Russia in a huge prisoner swap.

Bangladesh police freed six student leaders on Thursday whose campaign against civil service job quotas sparked deadly nationwide unrest, as the government looked to calm tensions and forestall fresh demonstrations.

A night of troubles in three British cities which saw dozens of arrests forced Prime Minister Keir Starmer to convence an emergency meeting with police leaders on Thursday.

Kamala Harris will be confirmed as the Democratic US presidential nominee in an electronic vote starting Thursday that replaces the fanfare of in-person balloting that usually kicks off the party's national convention.

Iran held a funeral ceremony on Thursday with calls for revenge after the killing in Tehran of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in a strike blamed on Israel. Thousands of mourners paid respects to Haniyeh as the Israeli military confirmed that an air strike in Gaza last month killed the Hamas military chief, Mohammed Deif.

A 17-year-old male was charged on Thursday with the murder of three girls and the attempted murder of 10 more people in a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class, UK prosecutors said.

US prosecutors have reached a deal with 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the Pentagon said Wednesday, reportedly involving a guilty plea in exchange for avoiding a death penalty trial.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whose claim to victory at the polls has been widely contested, is no friend of billionaire Elon Musk, and the feeling is clearly mutual, with their war of words escalating amid the political crisis in Caracas.

Sinaloa Cartel co-founder Ismael Zambada Garcia is to appear in court on Thursday amid ongoing mystery about the circumstances surrounding the arrest of the alleged Mexican drug trafficking kingpin.

Donald Trump questioned Wednesday whether Democrat Kamala Harris is really Black or is using race as a political convenience in an interview that sent shockwaves through the 2024 presidential contest.

The entire world, including Ukraine, wants Russia to join global leaders at a planned second peace summit to end the war in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky has told French media including AFP. With Russian forces gaining momentum on the front and aid from allies ebbing or in doubt, Zelensky has launched an ambitious diplomatic offensive to end the war grinding through its third year.