BIG Wrap

(BBC News) The brain goes through five distinct phases in life, with key turning points at ages nine, 32, 66 and 83, scientists have revealed. Around 4,000 people up to the age of 90 had scans to reveal the connections between their brain cells. Researchers at the University of Cambridge showed that the brain stays in the adolescent phase until our early thirties when we "peak". They say the results could help us understand why the risk...

(BBC News) Israel's military has killed a senior member of the militant group Hezbollah in an air strike on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, despite a ceasefire. It described Haitham Ali al-Tabtabai, Hezbollah's chief of staff, as a veteran of the group who had held a series of senior positions. Lebanon's health ministry said at least five people were killed and 28 others wounded in the strike, which hit an apartment building in the...

(Al Jazeera Media Network) The United States and Ukraine have announced a revised framework for ending the Russia-Ukraine war after an earlier proposal by Washington drew criticism for being too favourable to Moscow. US and Ukrainian officials said on Sunday that they agreed that any deal to end Russia’s war should “fully uphold” Ukraine’s sovereignty as they unveiled an “updated and refined peace framework” that was scant on details. “Both sides agreed the consultations were highly productive,” the...

(Al Jazeera Media Network) Brazil’s Supreme Court has ordered the preemptive arrest of former President Jair Bolsonaro, with a judge claiming he was intent on escaping just days before he was set to begin his prison sentence for leading a coup attempt. The 70-year-old politician was taken to the headquarters of the country’s federal police in the capital, Brasilia, from his house arrest on Saturday. Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw the case, said...

(BBC News) President Donald Trump has said a US plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war is not his "final offer" for Kyiv, after Ukrainian allies voiced concerns over proposals. Earlier on Saturday, leaders from Europe, Canada and Japan said the plan had elements "essential for a just and lasting peace," but would "require additional work," citing concerns over border changes and caps on Ukraine's army. On Sunday, security officials from Britain, France, Germany, the US and...

(Al Jazeera Media Network) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country risks losing its dignity and freedom — or Washington’s backing — as it mulls a United States plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war that observers say endorses many of Moscow’s demands. In a speech delivered on Friday in the street outside his office, Zelenskyy appealed to Ukrainians for unity and said he would never betray Ukraine. “Now is one of the most difficult moments of our history...

(BBC News) A grizzly bear is on the loose after attacking a school group in Canada, leaving 11 people injured, two critically. The incident happened on Thursday afternoon on a walking trail in the town of Bella Coola, in the province of British Columbia (BC). Residents have been warned to remain indoors while armed officers try to track down the animal. Four of the injured remain in hospital as of Friday afternoon, BC's Health Services Authority...

(BBC News) Volodymyr Zelensky will speak to Donald Trump after the US presented Ukraine with a draft peace plan to end the war with Russia. The plan was reportedly drafted by US special envoy Steve Witkoff and his Russian counterpart Kirill Dmitriev, without Ukraine's involvement. In a statement, Zelensky's office said the US believed the draft plan could "help reinvigorate diplomacy" and added that Ukraine had "agreed to work on the plan's provisions in a way...

(Al Jazeera Media Network) United States President Donald Trump has floated the possibility of the death penalty for a group of Democratic Congress members who called upon the military and intelligence community to refuse illegal orders. He also suggested he would be in favour of imprisoning the Democrats for their statement. “This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???” Trump wrote on...

(Al Jazeera Media Network) Eight underage rebel recruits were killed last week after the Colombian government launched a fresh military offensive against a prominent armed group, according to President Gustavo Petro. The news comes amid soaring child recruitment by Colombia’s armed groups in recent years and has ignited a debate over whether forced recruits can be protected on the battlefield. In a Monday post on social media platform X, Petro confirmed that seven adolescents were killed in a government...