Top World News

Jul 16, 2026 - World

This blog is now closed – our latest full report is hereFor a second day in a row, US strikes targeted Iran’s southern port city of Bushehr, home to the country’s only civilian nuclear plant, according to the state news agency IRNA quoting a local official.“In continuation of the brutality of the American enemy, three points in the city of Bushehr were attacked today,” Mohammad Mozaffari, the governor of Bushehr, was quoted as saying.In the recent attacks on the southern part of the country, more than 30 civilians lost their lives. While expressing our condolences and sympathy to the bereaved families, we honour the memory of the fallen. The government will stand by the people with all its might. The south of Iran is the beating heart of this land. The south of Iran, the soul of Iran.” Continue reading...

Jul 16, 2026 - World

Minister urges public to report cases of three or more sick or dead birds in a group after brown skua seabird tests positive for H5N1 on Wellington beachThe deadly H5N1 bird flu has been confirmed in New Zealand for the first time, sparking alarm that some of the country’s most beloved and vulnerable native birds could be wiped out if it spreads.A single ocean-going seabird, a brown skua, returned a confirmed positive test on Wednesday, after it was found on Petone beach in Wellington on 10 July, said Andrew Hoggard, the biosecurity minister. Continue reading...

Jul 16, 2026 - World

A conservative Haitian pastor who helped marshal support for President Donald Trump spoke out on Wednesday, saying many people in the community are feeling betrayed by an administration that is trying to strip some of their right to live in the U.S., according to a new report. Rev. Daniel Ulysse, who leads the Haitian American Republican Caucus, spoke with Mother Jones about what life has been like for members of his group during the second Trump administration. Last year, the administration abruptly ended Temporary Protected Status for more than 300,000 Haitians, a move that the Supreme Court ruled was legal last week, even though it would force the people to return to a war-torn country.Ulysse told the outlet that it is a "very difficult moment" for his community, which has been compounded by the sense of betrayal they feel. “Nobody’s speaking for Haiti, so I have to devote most of my time, my energy, for Haiti,” Ulysse told Mother Jones."Many of them feel betrayed because they were expecting a better outcome from the Trump administration than Biden," he added. "Many of them voted for Trump. We supported him, and he pledged to help Haiti, to be Haiti’s greatest champion, and that never materialized."Ulysse added that many people in his community would return home if Haiti were stable. "They’re afraid. They are sad. They’re very angry. They wouldn’t mind going back to Haiti, but the place is a mess," Ulysse said. "It’s got worse. It gets worse because of the mercenaries. All they do is create problems, kill people, [and] make money. So it’s a total mess with the American administration right now, where big money makes the decision."

Jul 16, 2026 - World

UN agencies fear over 500 people died, including Rohingya refugees, after reports of boats capsizing in recent weeks

Jul 16, 2026 - World

Third round of arrests linked to independent bookshops widely regarded as clampdown on dissent in territoryHong Kong authorities have raided two bookstores and arrested five people on suspicion of selling allegedly seditious publications, in the latest step targeting independent booksellers.Videos and photos from multiple media outlets on Wednesday showed officers wearing vests marked with “police” seizing boxes from the building that houses Have A Nice Stay, a bookshop founded by former journalists. AFP reporters saw officers also lead away a woman in handcuffs to a van. Continue reading...