Sean's Daily Digest

Colombia quake: 3-year-old rescued 100 hours on as death toll reaches 294

Ongoing · day 6

A three-year-old girl and a 75-year-old man were pulled alive from the rubble more than 100 hours after the Colombia earthquake, offering rare hope as overall rescue prospects continued to dim. The body of Valentina Vanegas, the mother of a baby who had been celebrated as a rescue miracle earlier in the week, was found in the ruins of a building in Cali. A charity concert in Medellín featuring more than 25 artists raised nearly two million dollars for earthquake victims, with an additional 31 tonnes of food and hygiene products donated.

Twelve killed in Polish bus crash on Hungarian motorway

A bus carrying Polish pilgrims from Bosnia-Herzegovina overturned on the M3 motorway near Mezokeresztes in eastern Hungary early Sunday, killing 12 and seriously injuring at least 10 of the 57 passengers and two drivers on board. Police said the driver, who was taken into custody, appeared to have fallen asleep at the wheel. Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar and Polish President Karol Nawrocki both offered condolences.

Iran says Qatar holds three of its pilots; Qatar denies it

Iran's Brigadier General Mohammad Bagherzadeh wrote to the International Committee of the Red Cross claiming Qatar has held three Iranian pilots — Javad Salehi, Abdul Majid Dashtian and Imran Behroshian — since March 2, when two Iranian fighter jets were downed after they targeted a Qatari military base at the start of the US-Iran war. Qatar categorically denied holding any Iranian pilot, saying its search and rescue teams had only recovered remains and that an Iranian investigative team was invited in April but had not responded.

Hamas chief heads to Cairo as Kushner prepares visit; Netanyahu holds Gaza plan hostage to disarmament

Hamas political leader Khalil al-Hayya travelled to Cairo to meet Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, ahead of a planned visit by US envoy Jared Kushner to Israel and Egypt next week. The visit follows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's formal rejection of a 15-point Gaza plan under which Hamas had agreed to hand its weapons to a new Palestinian governing committee, with Netanyahu insisting Israeli forces will not withdraw until Hamas is "genuinely disarmed."

Chinese container ship sails for Europe through Arctic, cutting travel time in half

A Chinese container vessel, the Dubai Tower, departed Ningbo on August 15 bound for Britain via the Northern Sea Route, part of a new weekly service that cuts the China-to-Europe journey to roughly half the time of the Suez Canal route. The route, promoted by China as its "Polar Silk Road," bypasses the Red Sea where shipping has been disrupted since the start of the US-Iran war.

Zimbabwe ferry disaster death toll rises to 72; 18 children among the dead

Rescue workers recovered more bodies from Lake Kariba after a ferry capsized on Tuesday, bringing the death toll to 72, including 18 children — with the youngest just one year old. The vessel, authorised to carry 90 people, was reportedly packed with 114 adults and an unspecified number of children when it overturned in strong waves; 77 people were rescued.

China issues ecological report on disputed South China Sea features to reinforce territorial claims

China's Ministry of Natural Resources published a marine ecological monitoring report covering nine disputed South China Sea islands and reefs, blaming the Philippines for environmental harm at Sandy Cay and Second Thomas Shoal. The reports were framed as a basis for "classified protection and management" of the features, as tensions over Beijing's establishment of a national nature reserve in the area continue to escalate.

German companies cut US investment to three-year low

German companies reduced their investment in the United States to a three-year low, according to data reported on Sunday.

Lula launches Brazil reelection campaign from stadium where he led 1979 strikes

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva formally launched his reelection campaign on Sunday from the Estádio Primeiro de Maio in São Bernardo do Campo — the same stadium where he addressed striking metalworkers in 1979 — seeking a fourth non-consecutive presidential term ahead of October's vote. A Quaest poll shows Lula at 43% and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro at 40% in a likely run-off, within the two-point margin of error.

Hurricane Lala batters Hawaii with winds and flooding, killing at least one

Hurricane Lala, a Category 1 storm packing winds up to 91 mph, skirted Hawaii's Big Island on Saturday without making landfall, leaving at least one person dead in a weather-related car accident and more than 100,000 customers without power. Officials warned of life-threatening floods and mudslides, potential rainfall up to 25 inches, and a 3-foot storm surge, while around 190 flights were cancelled across the islands.

First anti-AI protester jailed after blocking OpenAI headquarters

Wynd Kaufman, 69, a retired teacher from Berkeley, California, surrendered to authorities in San Francisco on Friday and became the first person jailed for protesting against artificial intelligence. She was convicted in June on charges including trespassing and unlawful assembly for chaining the doors of OpenAI's headquarters in 2025 with members of the group StopAI.