International from Friday, August 14th, 2026

Rescuers raced in Colombia on Friday to free four people from a collapsed hotel, a rare sign of hope nearly four days after one of the strongest earthquakes to hit the Andean nation in decades left hundreds dead or missing.

Wildfires in England and Wales have hit a record level, fire chiefs said on Friday, warning that rescue services were battling to keep up with rising risks a day after fires raced from tinder-dry fields to engulf houses on the hottest day of the year.

Luigi Mangione admitted in court on Friday that he fatally shot health insurance executive Brian Thompson and pleaded guilty to two federal charges of stalking the CEO with the intent to kill him.

France's top court on Friday blocked a bill banning social media access for under-15s, saying it infringed upon freedom of expression and delivering a setback for President Emmanuel Macron, who asked his government to rewrite the legislation.

A tunnel under construction at a hydropower project in India's northern hill state of Uttarakhand collapsed overnight, leaving at least seven workers dead, officials said on Friday.

A wildfire in Croatia driven by strong winds descended on the tourist town of Omis overnight, engulfing houses, forcing about 1,000 people to evacuate and injuring dozens, fire brigade and health officials said on Friday.

Flights at Catania airport in Sicily will remain suspended until early Saturday because of ash from Mount Etna's ongoing volcanic activity, which has forced hundreds of flights to be cancelled or rerouted over the past week.

Authorities in Germany ordered about 1,800 people to evacuate their homes in the early hours of Friday, after a wildfire in the western region spread towards a village close to the border with Belgium.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr confirmed on Friday that he would endorse a candidate for the 2028 presidential election, but said he had yet to decide who he would back.

An Air India Airbus dropped about 300 feet this month, injuring 24 people on board, after the aircraft registered a loss of hydraulic pressure that briefly left key flight controls unresponsive, according to a preliminary Airbus analysis reviewed by Reuters.

Three people have been killed and 17 others injured on Thursday following a fire that broke out from a helium cylinder explosion at Arabella Plaza Mall in Egypt's New Cairo.

Record rainfall in Japan stranded thousands of travellers at Tokyo's Narita airport on Friday, bringing floods to the surrounding area that disrupted transport, knocked out power to 20,000 homes and killed eight.