Good morning. Here is what actually happened in the world, in plain language, ranked by what matters.

The Briefing

 

1.  Russia agrees in principle to resume three-way peace talks over Ukraine

After meeting US envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg, President Vladimir Putin said Russia agrees in principle to restart negotiations with Ukraine and the United States, possibly next month. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine supports talks at the level of negotiators as soon as possible. During the meeting, Russia released Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old American teacher held for more than four years on charges the US State Department called fabricated.

Why it matters: These would be the first direct three-way talks in some time aimed at ending a war that has lasted more than four years. Zelensky has said he is open to freezing current front lines, which signals that the terms of any deal are now under active discussion.

Across the spectrum: Outlets agree on the facts of the talks and the release, while left-leaning outlets give more attention to criticism of Witkoff calling Putin a 'humanitarian' and right-leaning outlets give more attention to Trump's role in securing Hubbard's freedom.

2.  Ebola outbreak reaches Nigeria as case numbers climb across Africa

Nigeria confirmed its first Ebola case of the current outbreak in the capital, Abuja, in a woman who had travelled from Uganda. The World Health Organization is supporting Nigeria's response. Kenya has confirmed nine cases, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the outbreak began, has reported 9,415 confirmed cases and 4,536 deaths in five months.

Why it matters: Nigeria is Africa's most populous country, and spread into West Africa widens the area where tracing and containment are needed. Health officials praised Nigeria for reporting the case quickly, which supports early containment.

3.  Drone strike on Abyei market kills at least 153 people

A drone hit a fuel depot at a market in Abyei, a region disputed by Sudan and South Sudan, causing a large fire and killing at least 153 people. Local officials said the toll is likely higher, and South Sudanese officials blamed Sudan's military. In Geneva, nearly two dozen countries continued talks on a pathway to a ceasefire in Sudan's civil war.

Why it matters: Long-range drone strikes have become a main feature of Sudan's war and are causing heavy civilian losses. The Geneva talks are the current diplomatic effort to stop the fighting and ease one of the world's largest humanitarian crises.

4.  UN report says world will exceed 1.5C warming limit

The UN Environment Programme's annual Emissions Gap Report found that global temperatures are set to pass 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Current national commitments put the world on course for about 2.6C of warming this century. The report says deep and rapid emission cuts could keep the overshoot brief and bring temperatures back toward 1.5C by 2100.

Why it matters: The 1.5C threshold is the central goal of the Paris Agreement, and each fraction of a degree raises risks from heat, drought and flooding. The report sets the baseline for negotiations at the next UN climate summit.

5.  AI-discovered PHP flaws push websites worldwide offline pending urgent patch

Artificial intelligence identified critical security vulnerabilities in PHP, a programming language used by a large share of the web. Government and business websites in Europe and elsewhere were taken offline as a precaution, and a fix has been released. The US National Security Agency told organisations to patch immediately or take affected systems offline.

Why it matters: PHP runs many everyday websites, so unpatched systems could expose large amounts of data. The episode shows AI is now finding major software weaknesses faster than before, which can help defenders or attackers.

6.  France extends curfews as Macron rejects foreign claims about riots

French authorities extended curfews and increased police deployments after weekend riots in which thousands of businesses were looted, and more protests are expected this weekend. President Emmanuel Macron called claims by foreign leaders, including President Trump, that Muslim migrants caused the unrest 'stupid'. Fact checks found no evidence linking immigration to the riots.

Why it matters: The unrest is among the most serious in modern French history and is already shifting politics, with far-right leader Marine Le Pen gaining in polls. Youth-led protests have also spread to Greece, Italy and Portugal.

Across the spectrum: Fact checks from outlets across the spectrum agree the migrant claims lack evidence, while commentary diverges on whether the unrest stems mainly from economic hardship or from failures of French government policy.

7.  Meta ordered to pay $25 billion for misleading users on privacy

A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $25 billion in penalties after a jury found in September that the company misled users about their data privacy. The case stems from the Cambridge Analytica scandal nearly a decade ago. It is the largest penalty yet against Facebook's parent company.

Why it matters: The size of the penalty raises the financial stakes for tech companies over how they describe their data practices to users. Other states may pursue similar consumer protection cases.

The Quick Mosaic

 

Iran says two oil tankers struck sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz, and the International Maritime Organization warns the shipping lane remains unsafe to transit.  Fox News World (Right)

Alberta voted by a wide margin to remain part of Canada in Monday's independence referendum.  The New York Times (Center-Left)

Australian MP Helen Haines had both legs amputated after an alleged deliberate car attack, and the accused, Brendan Nugent, appeared in court on Wednesday.  BBC News (Center)

Israeli forces detained about 80 volunteers helping Palestinian olive harvesters near Bethlehem, including New York congressional candidate Brad Lander, who was released hours later.  The Washington Times (Right)

The US Supreme Court ruled that federal prisons must keep providing gender-affirming care to transgender inmates while litigation continues.  NPR (Center-Left)

Two UN agencies appealed for immediate aid to protect communities hit by the strongest El Niño on record.  UN News (Center)

Poland's lower house voted to loosen the country's near-total abortion ban, though the president is expected to veto the bills.  The Guardian (Left)

Burkina Faso's parliament unanimously voted to reinstate the death penalty for crimes including terrorism, espionage and treason.  ABC News (Center)

Bright Tiles

 

Most reported penicillin allergies are not real, Australian doctors find

Australia's peak immunology body changed its guidelines after evidence showed up to 90% of people who report a penicillin allergy are not truly allergic. Removing false labels lets more patients receive effective, first-line antibiotics.

US violent crime fell to historic lows in 2025

An analysis by the group FWD.us found violent crime rates dropped to historic lows last year. The same analysis found arrests for minor offenses such as vagrancy rose.

Gambia to compensate victims of Jammeh rule from seized mansion

The Gambia confirmed it received $2.5 million from the sale of former ruler Yahya Jammeh's seized house in Maryland. The money will go to victims of abuses under his rule.

 

Every story above links to the original reporting. Outlet labels describe each publication's overall lean, so the source and where it generally sits are visible together.