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Pope Francis mistakenly invoked Vladimir Putin in his criticism of the West's involvement in Afghanistan as an attempt by outsiders to impose democracy. Francis, who was being interviewed on the radio, cited the Russian president while thinking he was actually quoting German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Source: news.sky.com

Former Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng joined Ligue 1 side Lyon on Wednesday after his contract with the German giants expired. Boateng, 32, a World Cup winner with Germany in 2014, has agreed a two-year deal with the French side.

Source: france24.com

The fossilised remains of 'Big John', the largest triceratops dinosaur ever discovered by paleontologists, will be sold by a Paris auction house in late October, and could fetch up to 1.5 million euros ($1.77 million). Big John roamed the lands of modern-day South Dakota more than 66 million years ago. Paleontologists unearthed the first piece of bone in 2014 and eventually found 60% of his skeleton, including a near-complete skull.

Source: reuters.com

A study published in the scientific journal Molecules this month found that the molecule produced by the jararacussu pit viper inhibited the virus's ability to multiply in monkey cells by 75%.

Source: reuters.com

The talks, involving UK officials and senior Taliban members, are taking place in Doha, Qatar. The defence secretary is understood to have told MPs that between 150 and 250 people eligible for relocation - plus their families - remain in the country. It comes after a Taliban pledge to allow further departures.

Source: bbc.com

Pope Francis announced plans to visit Greece, Cyprus and Malta and confirmed he hopes to attend the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, in an interview broadcast Wednesday. The 84-year-old has already scheduled a visit to Slovakia September 12-15 after a brief stop in Hungary to celebrate a mass in the capital Budapest.

Source: france24.com

Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from the shores of Lake Tahoe in northern California as a major wildfire continues to spread. The Caldor Fire has already burned more than 191,000 acres, with just 16% of the fire brought under control. More than 3,500 firefighters have been deployed to combat the blaze, which began more than two weeks ago.

Source: bbc.com

Five people were missing after a U.S. Navy helicopter crashed Tuesday in the ocean off Southern California during a routine flight from an aircraft carrier, military officials said. A search and rescue operation was launched after the MH-60S helicopter crashed around 4:30 p.m. about 60 nautical miles off San Diego, the Navy’s U.S. Pacific Fleet said in an initial statement. Officials later said that one crewmember had been rescued and “search efforts continue for five additional crewmembers.”

Source: apnews.com

The landmark study, published by Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) on Wednesday, said some 17,500 tree species – or 30 percent of the total – are at risk of extinction, while 440 species have fewer than 50 specimens left in the wild.

Source: aljazeera.com

Britney Spears’ new attorney has accused her father of trying to get about $2m in payments before stepping down from the conservatorship that controls her life and money, a move likened to extortion in a court filing. The document filed by lawyer Mathew Rosengart on Tuesday argues the upcoming scheduled accounting of the conservatorship, which Jamie Spears says he wants completed before he steps down, will mean significant payments for him.

Source: theguardian.com

Authorities in the French capital of Paris are forcing drivers to slow down, setting a speed limit on almost all the city's roads, in a bid to reduce pollution and improve road safety. But will it work? There are questions over whether the rule -- which limits drivers to 30 kilometers per hour - will actually reduce pollution. Some critics say it will worsen the city's rush-hour traffic jams and could even increase greenhouse gas emissions. That will depend partly on whether drivers get so fed up with the speed limit that they choose to commute in other ways.

Source: cnn.com

A Russian space official on Tuesday raised concerns about the deteriorating state of Russia’s segment of the International Space Station (ISS) due to out-of-date hardware, warning it could lead to “irreparable failures”.

Source: aljazeera.com

Celtic treasure including extravagant jewellery, weapons and chariot parts are found at 3,000-year-old Bronze Age hillfort. The priceless trove of artefacts were unearthed near Gannat, in central France. Hundreds of objects have been uncovered, including farming tools and swords. Archaeologists believe the items were buried as part of a of ritualistic offering. The recovery is timely, as one of the deposits had already been partially looted.

Source: dailymail.co.uk

Iran plans to hold a fourth round of talks with regional rival Saudi Arabia in Iraq after the new Iranian government is set up, the Iranian ambassador in Baghdad was quoted on Tuesday as saying. Iran and Saudi Arabia, leading Shi'ite and Sunni Muslim powers in the Middle East, have been rivals for years, backing allies fighting proxy wars in Yemen, Syria and elsewhere. They cut diplomatic ties in 2016.

Source: reuters.com

Candyman director Nia DaCosta has made history by becoming the first black woman to have a film open at number one on the North American box office chart. The director's reimagining of the 1992 horror made $22m (£16m) in its first weekend in US and Canadian cinemas.

Source: bbc.com

The number of solid organ transplants fell dramatically around the world between 2019 and 2020, researchers have found, highlighting the widespread impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on health services and patients. As the pandemic surged, hospitals were forced to delay potentially life-saving organ transplant surgery, because of resources such as intensive care beds being needed for Covid patients and because of concerns including whether it was safe to treat transplant recipients in hospital.

Source: theguardian.com

Moise Kean will be the final piece of Juventus' post-Cristiano Ronaldo attack after the Italy forward completed his move from Everton on Tuesday. Kean, 21, returns to the club where he began his professional career as an academy graduate on a two-year loan which will then turn into a permanent sale for a reported fee of 20 million euros, subject to certain conditions being met.

Source: france24.com

Kazakh Defence Minister Nurlan Yermekbayev resigned on Tuesday, the office of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said, days after a fire and a series of blasts at an arms depot killed 15 soldiers and firefighters. The cause of the fire remains unclear.

Source: reuters.com