Top World News

May 18, 2026 - World

Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, says any US strike would be catastrophic after reports of 300+ dronesCuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, has warned that any US military action against his country would lead to a “bloodbath” with incalculable consequences for regional peace and stability.“Cuba does not represent a threat,” Díaz-Canel said in a post on X. Continue reading...

May 18, 2026 - World

Pandemic report warns of growing global threat as health teams in Africa move to contain Ebola outbreak The world is becoming less resilient to outbreaks of infectious diseases, experts have warned, as health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda scramble to contain an outbreak of Ebola.The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB) said in a report published on Monday that “as infectious disease outbreaks become more frequent they are also becoming more damaging”, warning that pandemic risk is outpacing investments in preparedness and “the world is not yet meaningfully safer”. Continue reading...

May 18, 2026 - World

Chinese state media say Beijing emerging as ‘focal point of global diplomacy’ with Russian leader arriving on TuesdayXi Jinping and Vladimir Putin exchanged “congratulatory letters” on Sunday ahead of the Russian president’s visit to Beijing this week, four days after Donald Trump left China after a high-stakes summit.Xi said bilateral cooperation between Russia and China had “continuously deepened and solidified”, Chinese state media reported, with this year marking the 30th anniversary of the two countries’ strategic partnership. Continue reading...

May 18, 2026 - World

Mayor’s attempt to beautify the city with murals of mascot and plum paint jobs criticised as waste of resourcesThe giant purple axolotl peered up at Manuel Martínez from the black bitumen of the street. It was the second such painting of the rare amphibian he had walked past that morning. In recent weeks he had seen axolotl murals pop up in neighbourhoods across Mexico City.“It’s a waste of money,” he said. “You could use that budget for fixing potholes, traffic lights, security cameras. They’re spending on something that doesn’t benefit us at all – it’s just for tourists.” Continue reading...

May 18, 2026 - World

Iranian health officials on Monday countered reports that Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was critically injured by U.S. and Israeli airstrikes in the opening hours of the war, saying he suffered only minor injuries.