Top World News

Jul 7, 2026 - World

Experts say cuts have hindered the response to DRC’s Ebola outbreak and resulted in ‘significant numbers’ of deathsElon Musk has an Ebola problem. SpaceX stock dropped precipitously after its initial public offering, and Tesla faces a wave of lawsuits. But instead of focusing on his companies, Musk has posted frequently on X about the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which he helped dismantle – or, in his words, feed into the woodchipper – last year.“Elon’s USAID crash-out over the past week has been a thing to behold,” said Jeremy Konyndyk, a former top USAID official who oversaw the agency’s Ebola response in 2014-2015 and the president of Refugees International. “In a way, it’s helpful that Elon is doing this, because it’s putting attention back on the issue of what he did last year.” Continue reading...

Jul 7, 2026 - World

NATO allies admitted they will tiptoe around Donald Trump at this week's summit in Ankara, and they're not even trying to hide it, according to a report from Politico.European diplomats are pulling out all the stops to prevent a Trump "blow-up," using what one called "Trump management." Speaking with Politico, diplomats were upfront about tactics to be used: lavish praise on defense spending increases, avoid divisive topics, and signal "unwavering" support on Iran policy. In other words: whatever it takes to keep Trump satisfied."There's no alternative how to approach him but to be diplomatic and not to extremely offend him and saying that we're stepping up," Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken told Politico. "That's what we need to do and that's what we're doing."One senior NATO diplomat bluntly added, "The aim is to keep one person happy and satisfied"The problem is that Trump has a reputation for being fundamentally unpredictable. Grievances over defense spending, U.S. base access, defense funding, and the volatile Iran ceasefire could all ignite an explosion at any moment. "If this conflict flares up again — which can't be ruled out — and then Trump again puts [out] statements that Europeans should step up," explained Gerlinde Niehus, a security expert and longtime NATO official, "then that topic would of course overshadow everything else."Last week, Trump again attacked European allies over their defense commitments by writing on Truth Social: "Ridiculous for the U.S.A. to continue along this one-sided path when the relationship is not reciprocal."Even worse, German officials are now bracing for Trump to potentially derail the entire summit by demanding Europe contribute to a purported €300 billion reconstruction fund for Iran. That demand alone could explode the fragile consensus NATO has been working to maintain, Politico is reporting.

Jul 7, 2026 - World

Chinese leader Xi Jinping calls for ‘all out’ rescue effort as death toll rises and 16 people ⁠remain buried after a ⁠landslide in the country’s westThe death toll from devastating storms in parts of China rose to 15 on Tuesday, with hundreds more injured and tens of thousands evacuated, state media reported, as the country’s leader, Xi Jinping, urged “all out” efforts to rescue people affected by the weather.Thunderstorms and gale-force winds killed at least 11 people and injured 331 in the central province of Hubei, where “severe convective weather” hit cities, while tornadoes were reported elsewhere late Monday, state news agency Xinhua said. Continue reading...

Jul 7, 2026 - World

Shipment discovered at airport in Monrovia and valued at £14.2m had been falsely declared as seasoning cubesAuthorities in Liberia have charged five suspects over one of the largest drug seizures in the country’s history, after police found more than 200kg of cocaine falsely declared as Maggi seasoning cubes.The shipment, with an estimated value of $19m (£14.2m), was discovered at the international airport in Monrovia on 8 June, but the suspects were not named until a press briefing at the weekend. Continue reading...

Jul 7, 2026 - World

Solomon Islands prime minister says he doesn’t want to see more countries testing ICBMs in Pacific, adding ‘be our friend but don’t threaten us’ Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese has said China’s weapons test in the Pacific risks fuelling dangerous nuclear proliferation, with the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) fired on Monday capable of causing “considerable damage” if weaponised.International condemnation has grown overnight after China’s state news agency Xinhua reported on Monday that a “strategic missile carrying a dummy warhead” had been launched from a “strategic nuclear submarine of the navy”. Continue reading...