Morning Headlines

Hours after a third round of U.S. airstrikes on Iranian targets, Iran launched missiles and drones at Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE — with explosions visible over Doha and sirens sounding near the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. Iran has declared the Strait of Hormuz closed 'until further notice,' threatening global energy supply and pushing the region toward open war.

Congo's Ebola outbreak — now the third largest on record — has killed more than 600 people, with suspected cases appearing for the first time in the provinces of Tshopo and Haut-Uele, far from the Ituri epicenter. The Bundibugyo strain driving the outbreak has no approved vaccine or treatment; a clinical trial of two therapies began July 2.

The twin earthquakes (M7.2 and M7.5) that struck Venezuela on June 24 have now killed more than 4,300 people and injured over 16,700, with the U.S. Geological Survey warning the final toll could reach into the tens of thousands. Thousands remain displaced and rescue operations are ongoing across the devastated region.

Despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that took effect in October 2025, Israeli forces have steadily expanded their footprint inside Gaza and now control nearly 70% of the territory, up from roughly half at the ceasefire's start. About 200 Palestinians have been killed near shifting Israeli lines since the truce began, and 2 million civilians are compressed into Gaza's western coast.

Jude Bellingham scored twice — including an extra-time winner — to lift England past Norway 2-1 in Miami, booking their first World Cup semifinal since 2018. England face either Argentina or Switzerland on July 15; Spain and France meet in Tuesday's other semifinal.