Kylian Mbappé scored twice as France produced a dominant 4-1 victory over Iraq in their World Cup 2026 opener in Kansas City — a match delayed nearly 90 minutes by a severe thunderstorm. It was the kind of performance that sends a warning to every other team in the tournament.
Iran’s foreign ministry directly contradicted US Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday, saying no IAEA inspections are scheduled at nuclear sites struck by American airstrikes. The dispute raises serious questions about what, if anything, was actually agreed during recent talks in Switzerland.
Wars fill front pages, but preventing them is a different — and far quieter — business. The UN Peacebuilding Fund has committed over $1.6 billion across 60 countries to stop conflicts before they start.
Belgium were held to a goalless draw with Iran at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles after Nathan Ngoy’s red card left them clinging on with ten men. Mehdi Taremi had a first-half goal ruled out for offside in a tense World Cup Group G opener.
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan has firmly denied any rift with Mohamed Salah ahead of a high-stakes World Cup playoff against New Zealand. The 57-year-old dismissed the speculation as a distraction and insists the squad is fully focused.
NGOs in Lebanon are condemning what they call systematic Israeli attacks on medical workers, as the death toll surpasses 3,900 and ceasefire talks remain deadlocked. Doctors Without Borders says seven of its local staff have been killed and two ambulances struck since the conflict began in March.
DR Congo’s Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo strain is spreading faster than health teams can contain it, the WHO warned Friday. With no vaccine or targeted treatment available, officials are scrambling to get ahead of a rapidly evolving crisis.
UNICEF has warned that children in Gaza are being killed at a rate of roughly two per day since a ceasefire was declared in October 2025. The agency’s blunt alert — that a child can be shot for the smallest movement — has shocked aid workers already reeling from a deadly night in Lebanon.
Residents in Tehran and Tel Aviv are greeting the US-Iran deal with a volatile mix of cautious hope and outright skepticism. From spice traders to former soldiers, ordinary people are asking the same question: will it actually hold?
Cuba’s President Díaz-Canel has admitted ‘urgent changes’ are needed as Trump’s oil blockade pushes the island toward economic collapse. Power cuts now last more than 30 hours in some provinces, and the government is running out of road.
