World

Global superpowers have explicitly and implicitly threatened the use of nuclear weapons, say ambassadors. South African High Commissioner to Canada Rieaz Shaik says states that possess nuclear weapons are acting with 'impunity.' The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Scientists calculated the total gross ecosystem product that the world’s oyster reefs could deliver to planetary health and human wellbeing, given adequate interventions for habitat restoration and protection. They estimated that the combined potential ecosystem services of oyster reefs, including food production, carbon sequestration, water filtration, and coastline protection, could be worth up to $12 trillion per year. For this potential to be realized, 90% of sites suitable for oyster reefs would require restoration, while 80% would need protection through conservation efforts. A new study shows that the world’s oyster reefs are a precious resource that’s vastly underestimated and underutilized. The authors set out to calculate the reefs’ potential gross ecosystem product (GEP), the ecological counterpart of the gross economic product, and arrived at trillions of dollars of ecosystem goods and services delivered each year to different aspects of planetary health, including human wellbeing. But for their full potential to be realized, oyster reefs around the world will need to be restored and protected.

World of WarcraftHere you'll find a list of hotfixes that address various issues related to World of Warcraft: Midnight, Mists of Pandaria Classic, Season of Discovery, Burning Crusade Classic, WoW Classic Era, and Hardcore. Some of the hotfixes below take effect the moment they were implemented, while others may require scheduled realm restarts to go into effect. Please keep in mind that some issues cannot be addressed without a client-side patch update. This list will be updated as additional hotfixes are applied. Developers’ notes: A recent bug fix resulted in Blightfall dealing significantly more damage than we expected. Alongside this tuning change, we’re also making sure the damage is represented accurately when an Augmentation Evoker is present in the group.

The World Heritage Young Professionals Forum 2026, held in Seoul and Busan, Republic of Korea, in July 2026 alongside the 48th Session of the World Heritage Committee, brought together 31 young professionals from 29 countries under the theme "World Heritage, Communities and Education: Empowering Youth as Agents of Change". The Forum culminated in the presentation of a  declaration collectively developed by the young professionals, which calls upon all 196 States Parties to the World Heritage Convention, institutions and communities to establish meaningful and accountable mechanisms for youth engagement, promote participatory governance with local communities and Indigenous Peoples, invest in heritage education and capacity-building, and provide sustainable support for youth-led initiatives. It also reaffirms the commitment of young professionals to advancing innovation, intergenerational cooperation, the ethical use of digital technologies, and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Throughout the Forum, the interconnection between heritage and education was particularly strong.

A map and chart showing support and opposition to FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s re-election. (AP Digital Embed) GENEVA (AP) — FIFA President Gianni Infantino already is in globe-trotting campaign mode more than five months ahead of the vote when 211 member federations decide who will lead the world soccer body until 2031. The March election comes as Infantino faces the biggest leadership crisis since he took office in 2016, triggered by backlash against his now-withdrawn plan to sell private investors a stake in the commercial rights to the World Cup and other FIFA tournaments.

A 2026 list of the best hotels in the world just dropped and it features a local spot in Toronto. On Oct. 6, Condé Nast Traveler unveiled The Best Hotels in the World: 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards, placing the city’s Shangri-La Toronto in the top 20. Now in its 39th edition, readers cast an “almighty” 798,867 votes to “tell us about the planet’s best travel experiences.” Coming in at No. 15, the Hong-Kong based Shangri-La opened its Toronto location in 2012 in the heart of the downtown core at 188 University Ave. It is also known as a One Michelin Key hotel.

The satellite was placed into Earth orbit in July.

BWX Technologies says that its BANR microreactor has been selected by Prodigy Clean Energy, Pabineau First Nation and Eel River Bar First Nation for a proposed project in Belledune in New Brunswick. The BANR - BWXT Advanced Nuclear Reactor - is a 22 MWe/75 MWt high-temperature gas-cooled reactor designed to use TRISO (TRIstructural-ISOtropic) fuel.

Home Races Races by type IRONMAN IRONMAN 70.3 Short Course Tri World Championships Pro Series Races by location North America Latin America Europe Middle East Africa Oceania Asia Elevated Experiences IRONMAN Xclusive Challenge IRONMAN Experiences powered by NIRVANA VIP Experience Training Get started Find your race Find the time Make a plan Get the gear Fuel your body Prioritize recovery New to triathlon Start with the basics Training and nutrition Stay motivated

The best ski resorts in Europe20. Avoriaz, France. Score 82.1419. Andermatt, Switzerland. Score 82.4718. Courmayeur Mont Blanc, Italy. Score 82.5217. Kitzbühel, Austria. Score 82.6716. Zell am See-Kaprun, Austria. Score 83.2215. Courchevel, France. Score 83.3314. Tignes, France. Score 84.2913. St Moritz, Switzerland. Score 85.0012. Val Thorens, France. Score 85.5611. Les Deux Alpes, France. Score 88.3310. Val d’Isère, France. Score 88.549. St Anton, Austria. Score 88.898. Les Arcs La Plagne, France. Score 89.007. Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. Score 90.006. Corvara Alta Badia, Italy. Score 91.115. Obergurgl, Austria. Score 91.674. Val Gardena, Italy. Score 91.683. Méribel, France. Score 94.172. Verbier, Switzerland. Score 95.001. Zermatt, Switzerland. Score 98.33Deer Valley, Utah, United States Getty ImagesThe best ski resorts in North America15. Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada. Score 84.6814. Alyeska Resort, Alaska, United States. Score 85.1413. Killington Resort, Vermont, United States. Score 85.3312. Palisades Tahoe, California, United States. Score 88.6711. Crested Butte, Colorado, United States. Score 90.6710. Jackson Hole, Wyoming, United States. Score 91.679.

Sound policy choices are driving faster growth in several countries; AI could improve productivity, if firms use it well. WASHINGTON, October 6, 2026—Latin America and the Caribbean is projected to grow 2.2% in 2026, broadly in line with the rate of 2.4% recorded in 2025, according to the World Bank Group's Latin America and the Caribbean Economic Update. Although average regional growth remains modest, diverging country paths show that a stronger performance is possible.

Alternative für Deutschland has become Germany’s first far-right party to secure the position of speaker of a regional parliament since the second world war. Tobias Rausch, a former estate agent, was elected in the first round of voting on Tuesday in Saxony-Anhalt. He won 48 out of the 82 votes cast. Later in the day, Hans-Thomas Tillschneider, part of the AfD’s more extreme wing, was elected as Rausch’s deputy. The AfD, which is classed as “rightwing extremist” by the eastern state’s intelligence agency, won nearly 44% of votes in elections last month, dealing a hammer blow to Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, and his centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU). Rausch’s election to the role of president of the parliament – and its speaker – took place at the inaugural gathering of members in the state capital, Magdeburg. Twenty-nine voted against Rausch and five abstained. Protesters console each other outside the state parliament in Magdeburg after the election of Tobias Rausch as speaker on Tuesday. Photograph: Maja Hitij/Getty ImagesThe AfD parliamentary group holds 39 seats, narrowly short of an absolute majority.

Where in the world have you encountered the friendliest welcome? If you voted in Condé Nast Traveller’s Readers’ Choice Awards this year, your vote will have influenced the results below. These are the cities we turn to for the warmest hospitality, where we’ve encountered locals willing to help whether we’re struggling to navigate a neighbourhood restaurant’s menu or look perplexed en route from A to B on a new metro system. From laid-back hotspots Down Under to South Korea’s neon-hued capital, these are the friendliest cities in the world for 2026. Clifton Beach, Cape Town Getty Images10. Cape Town. Score 96.00Cape Town holds onto a position in the top ten – although it’s a slight tumble from third place in 2025. The colourful port city sits on the cusp between ocean shores and mountain ranges, so drift up by gentle cable car to the flat-topped peak of Table Mountain, or marvel at the penguin colonies on Boulders Beach. A traditional South African barbecue, or “braai”, is also essential to understanding the social culture here, where loved ones gather to share stories, laughter, and plenty of flame-grilled food. Dusk in Chinatown, Bangkok