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
Cuba suffered a nationwide blackout on Monday as it faces an ongoing energy crisis, worsened by an effective US blockade on fuel shipments. Cuba’s energy ministry said the national electrical grid had suffered a total collapse. The country’s grid operator said it is investigating the cause. Cuba has experienced several nationwide blackouts over the past few years, as the country’s aging electricity infrastructure struggles to meet demand.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/06/americas/cuba-blackout-electrical-grid-intl-latam