China on Monday conducted a rare test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile in the Pacific Ocean, sparking criticism from New Zealand and Australia for actions that they said threatened peace and stability in the region. A People’s Liberation Army Navy submarine “launched a strategic missile carrying a dummy warhead toward relevant high seas of the Pacific Ocean, which landed precisely within the designated waters,” said a statement from Senior Capt. Wang Xuemeng, a spokesperson for the PLA Navy. “This test launch was a routine part of China’s annual military training schedule,” said Wang, who added that “relevant nations” were informed in advance about the test.
When the Guadalupe River surged through Texas Hill Country last summer, Elida Sierra Lutz and her three children were swept into the deadly flooding like debris in the current. The family fought for three hours last July Fourth to stay alive after more than a summer’s worth of rain fell overnight on bone-dry soil, pushing the waterway from about 3 feet to 30 feet in just 45 minutes. It wasn’t long after they were rescued that they realized everything they’d brought camping with them was gone: the black zippered hoodie Elida’s 18-year-old son was rarely seen without, plus his wallet, glasses and cell phone; her daughter’s Nintendo devices, lifejacket and a pair of white Crocs for which the 10-year-old had handpicked charms; even their travel trailer.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/06/us/texas-floods-guadalupe-river
With your back to the wall, you don’t also bang your head into it. Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely in his most precarious position yet. But as NATO meets in Ankara this week, is this the moment he chooses truly to test the alliance? His war of choice is dragging down the Russian economy – along with his poll ratings – and is also into its fifth year. As Kyiv’s long- to mid-range bombardments continue, causing gas shortages and damage so broad that Moscow’s skyline belches black smoke, questions mount as to what Putin can do to respond to Ukraine’s new-found confidence.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/06/europe/nato-meeting-putin-choice-ukraine-intl
Ukraine’s capital Kyiv came under a deadly Russian attack early Monday morning, on the eve of a critical NATO summit in Turkey that US President Donald Trump plans to attend. Massive explosions lit up the night sky as ballistic missiles and drones hammered parts of the city, killing at least 15 people in the city and six others in the surrounding region, with dozens more wounded, city officials said. Residential buildings were badly damaged in the assault, leaving people trapped in multi-storey apartment blocks. An entire family was killed and pulled from the rubble, while cars were seen burning on city streets.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/05/europe/kyiv-ballistic-missile-attack-july-6-intl-hnk