- Wednesday, 3 September 2025
CNN
More than 1.4 billion people travelled internationally in 2024
Feel like airport security lines keep getting longer, or that you’re booking hotel reservations way further in advance than you used to? It’s true. The UN’s World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has just released its 2024 year-in-review data, confirming that the tourism industry has bounced back from the pandemic.
Fears that the world’s biggest iceberg could hit island in the South Atlantic
The world’s largest iceberg is still on the move and there are fears that it could be headed north from Antarctica towards the island of South Georgia.
Trump announces US withdrawal from World Health Organization
President Donald Trump announced Monday he is withdrawing the US from the World Health Organization, in a significant move that drew criticism from public health experts on his first day back in the White House.
TikTok is back online after Trump pledged to restore it
Around 12 hours after shutting itself down in the United States, TikTok is back for many users almost like it never left, attributing its return to a move by President-elect Donald Trump to save the app.
Gaza ceasefire begins after Hamas releases list of hostages to be freed
The ceasefire in Gaza is now in effect, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement. The truce began at 11:15 a.m. (4:15 a.m. ET). It was delayed by almost three hours after Hamas said there was a “technical” delay in delivering the names of three hostages due to be released to Israel on Sunday.
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World’s most powerful passports for 2025
Who’s the itty-bitty city-state with the global passport the world thinks is great? There’s new year cheer for Singapore as it reclaims its place at the top of a quarterly ranking of the world’s most powerful passports. Holders of this desirable red travel document enjoy visa-free access to 195 out of 227 destinations worldwide, according to the Henley Passport Index, more than citizens of any other place on the planet.
Danish officials fear Trump is much more serious about acquiring Greenland than in first term
When President-elect Donald Trump mused about buying Greenland from Denmark during his first administration, the Danish prime minister called the idea “absurd” and rebuffed him outright.
Alabama nursing student wins Miss America 2025
A new Miss America has been crowned: Abbie Stockard, a 22-year-old Auburn University nursing student and cheerleader who was named Miss Alabama last June ahead of her senior year. Stockard triumphed over 51 other hopefuls — one from each US state, as well as Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico — at the annual pageant in Orlando, Florida on Sunday. Annette Addo-Yobo, the first foreign-born delegate to win Miss Texas, was named runner-up, with representatives from Tennessee, Florida and Ohio completing the top five.
Sweden allows nearly 10% wolf to be killed
Sweden began its annual wolf hunt this week, allowing nearly 10% of the endangered species population to be killed, as conservationists raise concerns about the controversial policy. Since 2010, Sweden has allowed wolves to be hunted on a licensed quota basis. Conservationists say this goes against European Union law and have filed complaints with the EU Commission, which has previously said it is assessing Sweden’s compliance. Hunted to the point of extinction by the 1970s, wolves have gradually returned to the northern European country, aided by EU conservation legislation.
New Year’s celebrations around the world
Fireworks are lighting up night skies around the world as New Year’s revelers ring in 2025.
WHO urges China to share Covid origins data, five years on from pandemic’s emergence
The World Health Organization has urged China to share data to help understand the origins of Covid-19, five years on from the start of the pandemic in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
Three women die after eating Christmas cake in suspected poisoning in Brazil
Three women have died after eating a Christmas cake in a suspected poisoning case in Brazil.
Jimmy Carter, the 39th US president, dies at age 100
Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, has died at age 100. Carter
Why couples in Japan treat Christmas like a second Valentine’s Day
One of Sumire Sekino’s most memorable Christmases involved spending the day hopping around some of Tokyo’s best date spots with her boyfriend.
Baby mammoth found in Russian crater is the world’s ‘best’ preserved, says scientist
Russian scientists presented the carcass of a baby mammoth, whose incredibly well-preserved remains were found in the Siberian region of Yakutia in June after more than 50,000 years.
