Archived edition · World
Every hourly briefing ever published, opened in a new tab as its own front page.
Latest briefing
25 stories off the wire
Lead story
Somalia's government battles Al-Shabaab militants with no decisive advantage. The Somali government’s battle with Al-Shabaab militants grinds on, with neither able to gain a decisive advantage. To improve its lot, Mogadishu needs to bolster its military and alleviate civilian suffering in areas under insurgent control, while looking for openings for dialogue with the group.
Abelardo de la Espriella won Colombia's presidential election with promises to fight armed groups. This week on Hold Your Fire!, Richard speaks with Crisis Group experts Renata Segura and Elizabeth Dickinson about Colombia’s turbulent election, president-elect Abelardo “El Tigre” de la Espriella’s hardline promises to fight armed groups and the legacy of outgoing President Gustavo Petro’s signature policy of “Total Peace”.
US President Donald Trump stated that the Iran deal is "over" at a NATO summit, as he met with leaders on the second day of the alliance's gathering, with the Iran conflict being a major topic, and later planned to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. US President Donald Trump has gone into key meetings with NATO and other leaders on Day 2 of the alliance's summit, with the Iran conflict looming large.
India supports a two-state solution for the Israel-Palestine conflict. Prime Minister Modi stated this in Jakarta. He emphasized the growing importance of dialogue and diplomacy. In a press statement in Jakarta while presiding over the signing of multiple agreements including the delivery of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system and Astra Mk-1 beyond the visual-range air-to-air missiles to Indonesia, Mr. Modi says India believes that the role of dialogue and diplomacy has become more important than ever before.
NATO leaders met in Ankara for a summit to shape the alliance's future direction, with European capitals seeking to demonstrate political unity amid profound geopolitical change, who noted adapting to the changing transatlantic order as a key challenge. As NATO leaders gather in Ankara for a summit expected to shape the alliance's future direction, European capitals are looking to what many see as the meeting's defining challenge: whether the alliance can demonstrate political unity at a moment of profound geopolitical change.
US President Donald Trump said he has ordered a cutoff of US trade with Spain at a NATO summit, citing Spain's failure to meet NATO's defence spending target and its refusal to allow US use of its airspace and bases for the Iran war. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration with Spain, which has not agreed to NATO's new defence spending target of 5 per cent of GDP and whose Socialist leadership refused to let the US use its airspace or bases on its territory for the Iran war.
The United States launched military strikes against Iran and revoked a sanctions waiver covering Iranian oil sales. This move was made after accusing Tehran of attacking commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The action puts a fragile cease-fire at risk. Iran's oil sales will be impacted by the revoked waiver. The United States launched a new round of military strikes against Iran and revoked a key sanctions waiver covering Iranian oil sales after accusing Tehran of attacking commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, putting a fragile cease-fire into peril.
Iran's clerical establishment staged a mass funeral for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, aiming to showcase the Islamic republic's popularity as a referendum, demonstrating its ability to organize large-scale events and garner public support. Iran's clerical establishment has shown time and again it has few rivals at staging a mass funeral. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's was a spectacle built to be seen as a referendum on the Islamic republic's popularity.
The Bundibugyo species of Ebola continues to spread in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The World Health Organization reported the death toll has now passed 500. The outbreak of the deadly Bundibugyo species of Ebola in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is expanding, while the push to accelerate testing and identify effective treatment options continues, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
Elon Musk has been posting about the US Agency for International Development on X. His comments come as USAID faces criticism for cutting funding to Ebola programs. Experts say these cuts have hindered the response to the Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak. The cuts have resulted in significant numbers of deaths. Experts say cuts have hindered the response to DRC’s Ebola outbreak and resulted in ‘significant numbers’ of deathsElon Musk has an Ebola problem.
A Ukrainian woman suspected of carrying out a bombing in Monaco was found dead with gunshot wounds. The bombing targeted a Ukrainian tycoon with links to Russia. The killing is claimed to have been carried out by a Ukrainian spy. The woman's body was found with multiple gunshot wounds. A Ukrainian woman believed to have set off a bomb targeting a tycoon with links to Russia has been found dead with gunshot wounds in a killing apparently carried out by a Ukrainian spy, it is claimed.
Mark Rutte said NATO allies are on track to match US defense spending. European members and Canada are increasing their spending to align with the US. The US has long criticized Europe's low military spending. Rutte also backed continued support for Ukraine. On the eve of the NATO summit in Ankara, the alliance’s Secretary-General Mark Rutte said European members and Canada are on track to bring their defense spending into line with that of the United States, which has long criticized Europe's lack of military spending and perceived "free riding.".
The United Nations reported ongoing restrictions at Gaza border crossings. These closures impede the delivery of critical supplies. The UN expressed concern for children in both Gaza and the West Bank. Reports indicate senseless infant deaths in the West Bank. Ongoing restrictions and closures of border crossings continue to hamper delivery of critical supplies into the Gaza Strip, amid mounting concern for children there and in the West Bank, the United Nations said on Monday.
At least 330 children were reported killed or injured in Sudan during the first six months of 2026. The UN Children's Fund made this announcement on Monday. Children across Sudan are bearing the brunt of the escalating war. The conflict is becoming increasingly deadly. Children across Sudan continue to bear the brunt of a war that is becoming increasingly deadly, with at least 330 children reported killed or injured during the first six months of 2026, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Monday.
A software glitch caused a mass outage affecting Telstra services, impacting mobiles, trains, and triple-zero calls in Victoria, Australia. The outage led to a train stoppage and numerous cancellations. Telstra apologized for the issue. This blog is now closedTelstra outage: Telco apologises for major time-keeping issue that hit mobiles, trains and triple-zero callsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTelstra outage reported to be cause of Victoria train stoppageThere is a long list of cancelled trains on the official V/line site, but the TL/DR is that Victoria’s regional train network has ground to a halt. D.
China is developing its own extreme ultraviolet lithography machines and using AI to boost chip performance to evade US export controls. The US suspects China may have obtained an EUV machine through other means, and is monitoring the situation closely. Beijing's efforts aim to counter US chip bans. China is using several methods to circumvent United States export controls on extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines, including developing its own machines and stacking artificial intelligence (AI) chips to boost their performance.
Severe storms in China killed 15 people and injured hundreds, prompting Xi Jinping to call for an all-out rescue effort. 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.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated China's recent ICBM test in the Pacific risks nuclear proliferation. He noted the missile could cause significant damage if weaponized. The Solomon Islands prime minister expressed concern over such tests in the region. 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 weaponis.
The UN General Assembly voted to debate US sanctions against Cuba at Havana's request. The decades-long embargo has worsened suffering on the Caribbean island. The meeting aims to discuss the ongoing impact of the sanctions. The UN General Assembly overwhelming voted to debate United States sanctions against Cuba in a meeting on Tuesday, at Havana’s request, to discuss the decades-long embargo amid warnings of increasing suffering on the Caribbean island.
The Southwest Pacific's last tropical glacier is at risk of vanishing within months. The region faces increasing climate risks, with the ocean becoming hotter and more acidic, threatening coastal communities, report. The Southwest Pacific is facing mounting climate risks as its vast ocean expanse becomes hotter, more acidic and more dangerous for coastal communities, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said in a report published on Tuesday.
Cuba experienced its third nationwide power outage this year on Monday. Impoverished island was already struggling to keep the lights on before the US imposed a blockade in JanuaryCuba on Monday suffered its third nationwide power outage since the start of the year, the state electricity company said. The impoverished island was already struggling to keep the lights on before the US president, Donald Trump, imposed an oil blockade in January, which has depleted the alr.
The United Nations is increasing assistance for people affected by the earthquakes in Venezuela. The UN is working with the Venezuelan Government to provide aid. A new estimate puts direct physical damage at $37 billion. The UN and its partners are ramping up their response effort. The UN and its partners are ramping up assistance for people affected by the earthquakes in Venezuela, working alongside the Government's response effort, as a new UN estimate puts direct physical damage at $37 billion.
A UN report states that the Sustainable Development Goals have improved billions of lives through investment and cooperation. However, governments must accelerate action to meet the 2030 deadline, as challenges persist and only five years remain to achieve the goals. With fewer than five years left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a new UN report says sustained investment and international cooperation have improved billions of lives, but warns that governments must urgently accelerate action if the goals are to be met by their 2030 deadline.
The issue of accountability for Artificial Intelligence-caused harm took center stage at the first UN summit on AI governance, with experts warning of human rights violations linked to the technology and grappling with the question of who is legally responsible when AI causes harm to people. Who is legally responsible when Artificial Intelligence causes harm? The issue took centre stage on Tuesday – day two of the first ever UN summit on AI governance, where leading experts warned of mounting evidence of human rights violations linked to the revolutionary technology.
Canada will buy 12 submarines from German consortium TKMS. The deal is one of Canada's largest defence contracts. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the decision on Monday, following a bidding war with a South Korean rival. The contract will deepen Canada's Nato ties ahead of a crucial summit. TKMS beats South Korean rival to multibillion-dollar contract that will deepen Canada’s Nato tiesCanada has selected a German consortium to build a dozen cutting-edge submarines in one of the country’s largest-ever defence contracts that will further deepen its Nato ties before a crucial summit this week. On Monday the prime minister, Mark Carney, announced the winner of a tightly contested battle.
No stories match this region right now.
