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TOPSHOT - South African residents hold an ID card as they gesture to protect themselves during an anti-migrant protest in Alexandra near Johannesburg on July 16, 2026. Protest organisers and participants have vowed to continue
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A drone view shows construction personnel working on a multi-home residential project in California. US single-family home-building fell for a third straight month in June while permits for future construction dropped to the lowest level
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Sudan's Sea Ports Corporation and Turkiye's Argaz energy company signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Wednesday to build a berth at Suakin Port.This is the first project of its kind to supply Sudan with large quantities of gas sufficient to meet the country's needs at affordable prices.Sudanese Minister of Transport Eng. Saif Al Nasr Al Tijani said Sudan-Turkiye cooperation is deep-rooted and will steadily evolve, emphasizing that the signing of this MOU is a testament to this cooperation. Al Tijani added that this cooperation will further expand with the potential signing of MOUs and agreements, followed by significant achievements in the coming period. Argaz Representative Mohamed Dabbagh affirmed that the company will provide significant quantities of gas to Sudan at affordable prices.He noted that the project will begin operations within a year to a year and a half.
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At least 11 people were killed and 19 others injured in a fire at an orphanage near the Algerian capital on Thursday, the country's Civil Protection authority said. The Authority said in a statement posted on its Facebook page Thursday that 19 people were treated and transported to hospital, including 10 who sustained burns of varying severity, two people with breathing difficulties and seven others treated for psychological shock. Rescue teams also evacuated five people with disabilities to a safe location, while firefighting and search operations remain ongoing, pending the announcement of the final casualty toll and the official findings on the cause of the fire. Related Story
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Pakistan said on Thursday it would encourage the United States and Iran to stop violence and resume talks under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) it helped mediate last month."While the implementation of the MoU is facing challenges, Pakistan will continue to encourage all sides to end violence and resume technical-level talks in accordance with the MoU," Tahir Andrabi, Pakistan's foreign office spokesman, told reporters in Islamabad. "We express the hope for an early normalisation of the situation in Strait of Hormuz and underscore the importance of ensuring the continued safety, security and freedom of maritime navigation," he added.The United States has this week been striking Iran, drawing retaliatory Iranian attacks on US interest in the Gulf as they battle over the strategic Hormuz shipping route. That sent global oil prices soaring and led to concerns of spikes in inflation even in nations far from the conflict. The key oil and gas artery, which Iran insists it controls, is central to the rekindled fighting that has entered its sixth day despite a preliminary deal in June aiming to end the war."Pakistan recognises the urgent need to address the impact of the current situation on global energy supplies and other economic commodities including trade and food security," Andrabi said.
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Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pose for a photo during signing ceremony of the defence industrial partnership aimed at expanding joint drone production at a joint press conference
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The body of an Indian sailor who went missing after his ship was attacked off the coast of Oman has been recovered, a seafarers’ union official said yesterday. Heramb Karmarkar, a 30-year-old marine engineer from the western Indian city of Pune, had been missing since Sunday’s attack on the Cypriot-flagged GFS Galaxy. “I got a call Tuesday evening from the company the ship belonged to informing me that Heramb Karmarkar’s body has been found by the Omani coast guard,” Manoj Yadav, of the Forward Seamen’s Union of India, told AFP. “This was almost 60 hours after we first received news that he was missing.” The other 23 crew members — including 10 Indian nationals — were rescued Sunday. The US Central Command said the ship had been disabled by fire and damage to its engine room, accusing Tehran of attacking it.India is one of the largest contributors of sailors to merchant shipping worldwide, with more than 320,000 active seafarers in 2025, according to officials. The attack came as Tehran announced it was closing the Strait of Hormuz and launched missiles and drones at its Gulf neighbours in retaliation for US strikes.The Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route through which about a fifth of the world’s oil passed before the war broke out on February 28, is a major point of contention between the US and Iran.
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Sanae Takaichi. (AFP/File picture) Approval ratings for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's conservative government dipped below 50% for the first time since coming to power in October in a poll published Thursday.The Jiji Press survey put backing for Takaichi's cabinet at 49%, with the sharpest drop among voters in their 60s, whose support went from 63.7% last month to 39.9%.While supporters still cited the leadership and trustworthiness of Japan's first woman prime minister, top reasons for disapproval included "cannot hope for much" and "poor policies".In February, Takaichi further cemented her power base with a resounding victory in lower house snap elections, in part buoyed by her popularity among young voters charmed by her diplomatic savvy, relatability and the change she symbolised.But at the same time, her suggestion in November that Tokyo could intervene militarily in any attack on self-ruled Taiwan has hit Japan's ties with China, which sees the island as its territory.And earlier this month a group of nearly 150 Japanese academics petitioned lawmakers over her push for a bill that criminalises the desecration of Japan's national flag.Also helping Takaichi has been a slowdown in inflation in recent months, after sharp price rises contributed to the downfall of her two predecessors in quick succession. Related Story
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A doctor provides care to a patient with Ebola virus disease at the Rwampara Ebola Treatment Centre (ETC) in Bunia, Ituri, in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. AFP The World Health Organisation (WHO) warned Thursday that Ebola was spreading in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) more quickly than during any previous outbreak of the deadly virus.More than 2,000 cases including 796 deaths have been confirmed in the DR Congo since the outbreak was declared two months ago, making it "now the third-largest Ebola outbreak on record", WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters.By comparison, he pointed out that the big Ebola outbreak in the DR Congo in 2018-20 "took more than 10 months to reach 2,000 confirmed cases", warning that the virus was spreading faster than ever seen before."In the past month, it has expanded faster than any previous outbreak," he warned.The DR Congo's 17th Ebola outbreak was declared on May 15 after several deaths in Ituri, a mineral-rich northeastern province, plagued by armed groups.Cases of Ebola, which spreads through close contact and infected bodily fluids, have so far been found in five DR Congo provinces, as well as in neighbouring Uganda, though the vast majority are in Ituri.Tedros hailed the rapid ramping-up of the response to the outbreak, pointing out that treatment capacity in northeastern DR Congo now stood at 800 beds, while laboratory capacity had jumped from a single lab to 16.However, he warned that "despite the progress we have made, the outbreak in DR Congo is continuing to outpace the response".The WHO chief highlighted that over 80% of new cases were being detected "outside known contact lists, showing that transmission chains are still being missed"."About two-thirds of deaths are occurring in communities, among people who never receive care in a health facility," he acknowledged.Complicating things further, the current outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo species of Ebola, for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment.However, Tedros hailed "encouraging progress on vaccines and therapeutics".Trials for two potential treatments for Bundibugyo patients – the monoclonal antibody MBP134 and the antiviral drug remdesivir – have also been under way in Ituri since July 2.And this past Monday, the first safety trial began on Monday for the ChAdOx1 vaccine, led by the University of Oxford, Tedros said.And on Tuesday, a trial of the antiviral obeldesivir began to test its effectiveness in post-exposure prophylaxis for people who had come in contact with confirmed Bundibugyo cases but had yet to develop the disease.Even without approved vaccines and treatments, 377 people have recovered in the DR Congo, said Tedros, "showing that with early diagnosis and safe care, this disease can be survived and stopped".The WHO chief said that one of the biggest concerns remained "the complex environment in which the outbreak is happening", with the vast majority of cases found in conflict-torn Ituri."Active armed conflict is hampering access to the affected areas, and hindering the response," he said, pointing out that on Wednesday, a treatment centre "was attacked" in Ituri's capital Bunia.The main priorities, he said, included reducing transmission in Ituri by strengthening surveillance; safe and dignified burials of highly infectious bodies of deceased Ebola patients; and clinical management of the sick.To do this, he stressed the urgent need for more support from the international community, pointing to "a shortfall of more than $400mn" for a joint plan put forward by the WHO and the African Centres for Disease Control to address the outbreak. Related Story
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The US Capitol is reflected in water in Washington, DC US. (Reuters) US House Republicans unveiled a $95 bn spending framework Wednesday, launching their final major push to pass defence, farm and voting restriction measures before midterm elections that could cost them control of Congress. The plan would provide $73 bn for the military and intelligence agencies, including funding tied to the war with Iran, along with $12 bn in aid for farmers hurt by President Donald Trump’s trade war. It would also direct $10 bn toward election-related grants, as Republicans try to revive parts of Trump’s SAVE America Act, a voting restrictions bill that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and photo identification at polling places. The House has passed a different version of the SAVE Act separately, but it has stalled in the Senate, where some Republicans have warned that it lacks support and may not qualify for the fast-track budget process party leaders hope to use. That process allows certain tax and spending bills to pass the 100-member Senate by a simple majority, avoiding the higher, 60-vote threshold usually needed to overcome Democratic opposition. The budget resolution released Wednesday is only a framework. If adopted by the House and Senate, it would allow Republicans to assemble a fuller bill later this summer and try to pass it without Democratic votes. House Republican leaders want to pass the framework next week before lawmakers leave Washington for a long summer break, leaving only a narrow window to complete the package before November. But the plan faces resistance from fiscal conservatives inside the party because it does not pair the new spending with cuts elsewhere. Representative Warren Davidson, a Republican fiscal hawk, has warned that the package could not advance without savings to offset the cost. After the framework was released, Davidson posted a blunt prediction on X: “DOA,” shorthand for “dead on arrival.” The fight underscores the competing pressures on Republicans as they try to show voters action on national security, agriculture and election security while also maintaining their claim to fiscal discipline. Trump had demanded far more defense spending than the House framework provides, but Republican leaders are trying to balance White House pressure with concerns from lawmakers wary of adding to the deficit. Related Story
