CNN – World

By Ashley Strickland, CNN (CNN) — The moon is hundreds of thousands of miles away from Earth, but humankind has played a major role in shaping it for more than six decades. In fact, human exploration has had such a significant impact in altering the lunar surface that some scientists argue it’s time to declare

By Nadine Schmidt and Sophie Tanno, CNN Berlin (CNN) — Huge crowds of protesters have descended on cities in Germany as calls for a ban on the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) gain momentum. Tens of thousands had already braved sub-zero temperatures during the week to protest against the party after it emerged senior AfD members discussed

By Akanksha Sharma and Chris Lau, CNN (CNN) — At least 13 people have died in a fire at a school dormitory in central China, according to Chinese state media. The fire broke out around 11 p.m. Friday evening local time at Yingcai School near the city of Nanyang, Henan province, Xinhua reported. Local authorities

By Mariya Knight and Chris Lau, CNN (CNN) — Belarus on Friday adopted a new military doctrine that – if approved – would be the first step toward deploying nuclear weapons across the country. “The deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of the Republic of Belarus is considered an important measure of the

By Jeremy Diamond, Muhammad Darwish, Abeer Salman, Benjamin Brown and Gianluca Mezzofiore, CNN Tel Aviv (CNN) — The Israeli military has desecrated at least 16 cemeteries in its ground offensive in Gaza, a CNN investigation has found, leaving gravestones ruined, soil upturned, and, in some cases, bodies unearthed. In Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, where

Explainer by Rhea Mogul, CNN (CNN) — Ornate gifts have started arriving in the Indian city of Ayodhya as the country’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to inaugurate a vast Hindu temple that he hopes will firm his chances for a rare third election win in just a few months’ time. Though still not complete,

By Hilary Whiteman, CNN Brisbane, Australia (CNN) — On the edge of a dark, suburban park in Brisbane, teams of volunteer toad-catchers gather around Gary King as he shoves another squirming specimen into a cooler box. “Who’s got some more?” asks King, a local leader of this year’s Great Cane Toad Bust, a small and

By Nadeen Ebrahim and Vasco Cotovio, CNN (CNN) — Divisions within the Israeli government are deepening after war cabinet minister Gadi Eisenkot suggested the key war aim of defeating Hamas is unrealistic and called for elections within months. “Those who say that there was a major blow and demolition of the capabilities in the north of the strip

By Katie Hunt, CNN (CNN) — A cold weather phenomenon known as frost quakes, which make loud booming or popping sounds and unleash small earthquake-like tremors, was felt around Chicago during this week’s bout of below-zero temperatures. Illinois state climatologist Trent Ford said there was no formal reporting system for frost quakes, which occur after

By Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN (CNN) — Italy’s high court has ruled that fascist salutes are legal at rallies unless they threaten public order or risk reviving the country’s outlawed fascist party. Several members of Italy’s opposition parties and Jewish community leaders have criticized the ruling and plan to rally against it, according to local

By Caitlin Danaher and Rose Roobeek, CNN (CNN) — The group suspected of murdering a crime reporter in the Netherlands in 2021 also wanted to kidnap Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, according to a witness in the case. The protected witness, known to Dutch prosecutors only as “5089,” was told by a lead suspect that the group was so

By Ashley Strickland, CNN (CNN) — Japan’s “Moon Sniper” robotic explorer landed on the lunar surface, but the mission may end prematurely since the spacecraft’s solar cell is not generating electricity, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said. The agency said it is currently receiving a signal from the lander, which is communicating as expected. The

By Harmeet Kaur, CNN (CNN)  — Early on Christmas Day in the central Gazan city of Deir al-Balah, Motaz Azaiza shared a terrifying update on X. A quadcopter was flying low above the door of his house, he said, and he feared he was about to be targeted in an Israeli airstrike. As a highly

By Brad Lendon and Gawon Bae, CNN Seoul, South Korea (CNN) — North Korea on Friday claimed it had successfully tested an underwater nuclear weapons system earlier this week in response to naval drills by the United States, South Korea and Japan. According to North Korean state media, its military conducted a new test of its

By Gawon Bae and Jessie Yeung, CNN Seoul, South Korea (CNN) — The number of North Korean defectors entering South Korea nearly tripled in 2023 compared to the previous two years, authorities said Thursday – including a higher number of youth and members of the North Korean elite. South Korea’s Unification Ministry recorded 196 defectors

By Helen Regan, CNN (CNN) — A Thai appeal court on Thursday extended a man’s prison sentence to a record 50 years for insulting the monarchy, in what is believed to be the toughest penalty ever imposed under the country’s draconian lese majeste law, according to a legal rights group. Mongkol Thirakhot, 30, an online clothes

By Simone McCarthy, CNN Hong Kong (CNN) — As Ukraine scrambles to keep international support with Russia’s invasion grinding into a third year, its leader has made clear one country he would like to see join his push for peace: China. Ratcheting up pressure on Beijing – Moscow’s most powerful political ally – appeared as

By Jackie Wattles, CNN (CNN) — After soaring hundreds of thousands of miles through space and battling a propellant issue that dashed its plans, the Peregrine lunar lander has likely met its fiery end. The spacecraft was expected to conclude its truncated, 10-day journey around 4 p.m. ET Thursday as it smashed into the Earth’s

By Jenna Schnuer, CNN (CNN) — Editor’s note: Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. Early human settlements in what is now Alaska tracked closely with the movements of a female woolly mammoth that lived 14,000 years ago, according to a new

By Ivana Kottasová, Ibrahim Dahman, Benjamin Brown, Jeremy Diamond and Muhammad Darwish, CNN (CNN) — Israeli forces severely damaged a cemetery in Khan Younis in southern Gaza earlier this week, exhuming and removing bodies in what the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told CNN was part of a search for the remains of hostages seized by