International

In a second landfall event, Tropical Storm Debby struck South Carolina near Bulls Bay early this morning, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC). The storm, which continues its journey up the U.S. East Coast, is set to bring heavy rain and potential flooding to multiple states, with areas as far north as Vermont forecasting up to six inches of rain over the weekend. Originally making landfall as a Category 1 hurricane on Florida's Gulf Coast, Debby has since weakened to a tropical storm. Current wind speeds are around 50 mph, with forecasts suggesting it will transition into a…

The U.S. Department of Justice has assigned the case against Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada to the Eastern District of New York. There, he is expected to face multiple charges, including drug trafficking, according to declassified documents verified by a knowledgeable source. Now 76, Zambada was arrested in El Paso, Texas, and has appeared twice in state court. The timing of his transfer to New York remains unclear, with estimates suggesting it could happen within the next few weeks, according to a source familiar with the details. Despite efforts by the Eastern District of Texas to keep the case, a decision…

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, United States — In 2020, amid the tumult following the tragic death of George Floyd, former President Donald Trump expressed approval for Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s handling of a critical period of civil unrest. This support came despite previous criticism from Trump and his political ally J.D. Vance of Walz’s tactics. During a strategy call with U.S. governors on June 1, 2020, Trump praised the actions taken in Minneapolis. “They took control quickly and effectively,” Trump noted in the call, highlighting the city’s swift response. This conversation, recorded and later obtained by the Associated Press, is significant because…

TAIPEI, TAIWAN — Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential candidate, has a long history with China, from his days as a schoolteacher in Guangdong to serving on a key congressional committee overseeing U.S.-China relations. His trip includes witnessing the pro-democracy protests at Tiananmen Square in 1989. As an educator at Foshan No. 1 Secondary School, Walz taught history, culture, and English during a pivotal period marked by major student demonstrations against the Chinese Communist Party. This experience profoundly shaped his understanding of and connection to the region. In a 2007 interview with The Hill, Walz said, "The year I spent…

Instead of waking up on Monday in a country governed by the far right, France found itself in a situation similar to Italy's, where only patient parliamentary negotiation could lead to the formation of a viable coalition government. France rejected Marine Le Pen’s anti-immigration Rassemblement National in its legislative elections, once again demonstrating its deep-seated resistance to nationalist initiatives. The country voted for a resurgent left that, while it has not achieved absolute power, has shifted the political heart of the nation from an all-powerful presidency to Parliament. With the Paris Olympics less than three weeks away and the August…

A significant problem is now affecting humanitarian aid convoys trying to deliver essential goods to the starving population of Gaza: attacks by organized groups looking not for flour or medicine, but for cigarettes hidden in the cargo. In the tightly controlled Gaza Strip, where Israel meticulously inspects every incoming truck, cigarettes have become extremely rare, often selling for $25 to $30 apiece. Smugglers in Egypt have hidden them in sacks of flour, diapers and even watermelons donated by the United Nations, according to aid agencies and Israeli officials who shared information with The New York Times. Aid trucks headed to…

A Russian missile attack on Ukraine's largest children's hospital on Monday underscored the escalation of attacks on medical facilities, vehicles and workers in the country. The incident is in line with World Health Organization (WHO) data indicating a potential increase in Ukrainian casualties from such attacks in 2024 compared to the previous year. Before the attack on Ohmatdyt Children's Hospital in Kyiv, WHO had reported 18 deaths and 81 injuries from more than 175 attacks on health infrastructure in Ukraine during the first half of 2024. In addition, 44 attacks on medical vehicles were recorded. In 2023, WHO documented 22…

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán visited Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday, following his recent talks with Russian President Vladimir V. Putin in Moscow. China's state-run news agency, Xinhua, announced Orban's visit, saying Xi would engage in "in-depth discussions on issues of mutual concern" with him. The two leaders last met two months ago, when Xi visited Budapest to boost Chinese influence in Europe. Chinese state television reported that the meeting took place at the Diaooyutai State Guesthouse, but gave no further details. The meeting offers Xi and Orban, who often diverges from the European Union on Ukraine…

Voters in Portsmouth, a city famous for its naval base on England’s south coast, streamed into a polling station on Thursday morning. Warmly greeted by poll workers, they arrived in a steady stream: elderly couples holding hands, parents with babies in strollers, and young professionals rushing to work. According to the latest polls, every vote cast has added weight to what could be the decisive conclusion to 14 years of Conservative government. “I just want to see change,” said Sam Argha, 36, after voting for Labour. “We need to try something different.” This sentiment reverberated across the city, where many,…

A reformist candidate critical of Iranian government policies, including the mandatory headscarf law, will face a hardline conservative in a presidential runoff next week, Iran’s Interior Ministry announced Saturday. It follows a special vote called after the previous leader, Ebrahim Raisi, died in a helicopter crash last month. The second round of voting, scheduled for July 5, will pit reformist Masoud Pezeshkian against Saeed Jalili, an ultraconservative former nuclear negotiator. The need for a runoff was prompted by low voter turnout and a field of three leading candidates, with Iranian law requiring a winner to win more than 50 percent…