The Ducasse d'Ath begins Friday. It's a centuries-old festival featuring large puppets, giants and floats that parade through the streets of Ath, a village of 30,000 in the French-speaking region of Wallonia in Belgium. The exact purpose of the celebration has changed over time, but it celebrates the biblical story about David's triumph over Goliath. 

Amid growing global condemnation, Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro said on Friday he may mobilize the army to help combat a record number of fires sweeping through the Amazon rainforest.

The Trump administration said it was "deeply concerned" about the wildfires and European leaders ratcheted up criticism of Brazil's handling of the crisis, which now looks set to be discussed at a summit of G7 leaders in France this weekend.

The Trump administration on Wednesday unveiled a rule that allows officials to detain migrant families indefinitely while judges consider whether to grant them asylum in the United States, abolishing a previous 20-day limit. 

The rule, which is certain to draw a legal challenge, would replace a 1997 court settlement that limits the amount of time US immigration authorities can detain migrant children. That agreement is generally interpreted as meaning families must be released within 20 days.

Singapore takes education seriously. Its school system has been ranked as one of the best in the world. But rankings for Singaporean students — fifth and sixth graders — will soon be a thing of the past. The government plans to put a stop to its system, following reports of suicides among students and overwhelming psychological and physical stress. 

Symptoms include "depression, [a feeling of] helplessness, fear, anger, irritability, and a lack of motivation," Anoushka Beh, a child psychologist in Singapore, told The World's host, Marco Werman.