July 6, 2026
U.S., ISRAEL, IRAN WAR | UKRAINE | U.S. GUN VIOLENCE | U.S. HISTORY | U.S. WEATHER | TENNESSEE | CHINA | SUDAN | GLOBAL OIL | ALBANIA | SRI LANKA | EUROPEAN WILDFIRES | NORTH KOREA | WORLD CUP | MORE WORLD CUP | WEEKEND MOVIES | TODAY IN HISTORY
U.S., ISRAEL, IRAN WAR | Day 129.
- More than 1 million people are believed to have taken part in processions today in Tehran as part of a multi-day funeral for late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on February 28 at the start of the U.S.-Israel-Iran war. [more]
UKRAINE | Today is day 1,591 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:
- Hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned of a large-scale attack, at least 19 people were killed, and at least 60 others were wounded, in large-scale Russian missile and drone attacks on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early this morning. [more]
- U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the weekend. The calls took place ahead of this week's NATO leaders' summit in Ankara, Turkey, at which the war in Ukraine is expected to be a major topic of discussion. [more]
U.S. GUN VIOLENCE | Authorities say eight people, including four children ranging in age from 6 to 14, were wounded Saturday when a masked and still-at-large gunman opened fire at a cookout near New York’s Coney Island beach. Investigations into the incident are ongoing. [more]
U.S. HISTORY | In a report released Saturday, the White House Domestic Policy Council, in a follow-up to a related executive order issued by President Donald Trump in March, accused the Smithsonian Institution, and especially the National Museum of American History, of moving the museum's mission "away from straightforward historical education and scholarship toward an extreme political activism that seeks to transform our country" and of adopting an ideological framework that "no longer treats the American story as a shared national inheritance to be taught or celebrated, but as a political instrument to divide, dispirit, and discourage our citizens." [full report] [more]
U.S. WEATHER | Dozens of deaths have been blamed on record-high temperatures along the U.S. east coast over the weekend, including at least 19 deaths in New Jersey amidst what Gov. Mikie Sherrill said was the "hottest stretch we’ve seen in over 14 years." [more]
TENNESSEE | Two Tennessee National Guard members assigned to a crime-fighting patrol in Memphis, Tennessee, fatally shot a man yesterday who turned toward the soldiers with a gun during an early morning pursuit in the city's downtown. The circumstances surrounding the shooting are under investigation, according to state officials. [more]
CHINA | In its first such action in two years, China test-launched a long-range ballistic missile from one of its nuclear-powered submarines in the South Pacific today, sparking international condemnation over concerns about regional security and Chinese military assertiveness. [more]
SUDAN | U.N. children's agency UNICEF said today that at least 330 children in Sudan were killed during the first six months of 2026 amidst the country's ongoing civil war, with the highest levels of child casualties occurring in the African nation's Darfur and Kordofan states. [press release] [more]
GLOBAL OIL | Global oil production group OPEC+ announced yesterday that seven of its member nations – Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman – plan a moderate increase in output levels next month as part of "continuous efforts to support market stability" amidst a lessening of tensions in the Middle East. [more]
ALBANIA | Reports say tens of thousands of people took part in a 35th straight night of large-scale protests in the Albanian capital Tirana on Saturday to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, the temporary replacement of his government, various constitutional reforms, and an end to corruption. The protests were originally sparked by opposition to plans for a luxury coastal resort development project in a protected natural area linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. [more]
SRI LANKA | Local media reports that 25 people were killed, and more than 100 others were injured, yesterday when clashes broke out inside a prison on the outskirts of the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo. Police have confirmed that deaths took place in the incident but have not detailed the number of prisoner and guard casualties. [more]
EUROPEAN WILDFIRES | Officials at the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations agency say hundreds of firefighters from across the European Union have been, or soon will be, deployed to battle ongoing wildfires in Portugal, France, Greece, and Spain. [press release] [more]
NORTH KOREA | Tests of a nuclear-capable cruise missile and other weapons were conducted aboard North Korea's new 5,000-ton naval destroyer, the Kang Kon, on Friday. Following the tests, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered the vessel to be placed in active duty within two months. [more]
WORLD CUP | Norway beat Brazil, and England beat Mexico, yesterday to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament. Today's matches include: Portugal vs. Spain and the United States vs. Belgium. [full bracket] [more]
MORE WORLD CUP | U.S. striker Folarin Balogun will be available to play in today's World Cup matchup between the United States and Belgium after FIFA lifted his one-game suspension for a red-card penalty in last week's match with Bosnia-Herzegovina. Reports cite sources as saying U.S. President Donald Trump asked FIFA president Gianni Infantino to have the red card reviewed ahead of the world soccer governing body's decision, which was taken under a rarely used FIFA disciplinary committee rule, and which has been largely criticized by various international soccer organizations. [more]
WEEKEND MOVIES | "Minions & Monsters" topped the North American box office over the weekend with an estimated $36.4 million in receipts, followed by "Toy Story 5" and "Young Washington." [more]
TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1995, Bosnian Serb forces began an attack on Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, ultimately killing more than 7,000 Bosniak Muslim boys and men. The massacre was the worst episode of mass murder in Europe since World War II. [more history]