Top World News

Jan 16, 2026 - World

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled the country for 40 years, had an early lead Friday in a tense presidential election marred by an internet shutdown, voting delays and opposition allegations of ballot stuffing and detentions by security forces.

Jan 16, 2026 - World

South Africa has launched an investigation over the participation of Iranian warships in naval drills off its coast

Jan 16, 2026 - World

As Iran returned to uneasy calm after a wave of protests that drew a harsh crackdown, a senior hard-line cleric called Friday for the death penalty for detained demonstrators and directly threatened U.S. President Donald Trump - evidence of the rage gripping authorities in the Islamic Republic.

Jan 16, 2026 - World

Under President Donald Trump, the United States’ reputation among nations of the world has dropped precipitously. Today’s America is no longer admired, respected, or looked up to by practically anyone. Fear of the US has replaced positive feelings, as America’s vast military and economic power is used by an unprincipled, adventurist president as a cudgel against sovereign nations, often in violation of international law. Under Trump, America has few friends left. Former allies are resetting relationships with the US, realigning economies for self-preservation, strengthening national defenses, and growing more united in response to a reckless, untrustworthy US. Adversaries such as Russia and China see Trump’s embracement of authoritarianism and disengagement from traditional allies as beneficial to their own strategic interests. Countries in dire need are deprived of the financial aid America has provided for more than a century. Countries rich in natural resources or strategically located are potential targets for imperialism and exploitation. America’s underlying ethos in its interaction with any country is, “What’s in it for us?” Trump’s America is selfish, greedy, shallow, bullying, cruel, and arrogant. Its own democracy in shambles, it ridicules the great democracies of Europe for being weak and insufficiently xenophobic, supporting European right-wing extremist factions that threaten those democracies. It turns a blind eye to human rights’ abuses in any country where it can make a buck.Like Trump, today’s America lacks a moral compass, bereft of any principles to inform and guide its behavior. It is no longer a defender of democracy at home or abroad, a champion of women’s rights, an advocate for the poor, a safe haven for the oppressed, a vigorous foe of racial discrimination, or needless to say, a proponent of truth in government.Instead, America follows the loathsome, morally bankrupt doctrine of “America First.” In practice, it has meant that America goes it alone, taking whatever it can get its rapacious hands on and the rest of the world be damned. Not only is “America First” a selfish, cynical worldview, it is stupid. It fails to recognize that America’s great historical success has relied to a great extent on its use of soft power in support of other countries.An America that functions not only for its own good but for the good of all nations accrues universal goodwill, has made America the leader of the free world, created steadfast universal partners, and prospered. The Trump “America First” doctrine is creating a widely despised, weakened America at odds with even its closest allies, its international influence reduced to saber-rattling adventurism. Rather than a nation to emulate, Trump’s America is seen by citizens of strong democratic countries as a troubled nation. They are puzzled that the American people would make the mistake of electing Trump a second time and have no confidence in Trump doing the right thing regarding world affairs. Unlike their own countries, they see an America so beset by gun violence that foreign tourists avoid it for their safety. They see a country with a broken, outrageously expensive health-care system, leaving over 27 million Americans uninsured. They see a country that does nothing to address catastrophic climate change like their countries are doing and exacerbates the problem by relying more heavily on fossil fuels. Unlike their own countries, they see America’s once esteemed democracy crumbling under the weight of an anti-democratic, autocratic president, a feckless Congress that bows to his will, and a Supreme Court that has ruled the president above the law. They justifiably see their own countries as superior in many ways and are increasingly dismissive of America aside from their trepidation over the existential threat that it increasingly poses.Under Trump’s presidency, America is on a road to self-destruction, the moral rot at the core of Trumpism infecting the country. Of course, Trump doesn’t care if he drags the country down with him. There are always others to lay the blame on and a deluge of monstrous lies to bury the truth.In the midterm elections, US citizens have the opportunity to send a powerful message to the world that Trump’s America isn’t our America and that we abhor what he and his spineless allies are doing to the country. We can use the power of the ballot to halt Trump’s assault on democracy and then begin the task of rebuilding America’s democracy and restoring our shattered relationships with our global partners.Tom Tyner is a freelance editorialist, satirist, political analyst, blogger, author and retired English instructor.

Jan 16, 2026 - World

Flood warning raised to highest level with roads washed away and rain forcing evacuation of Kruger national parkLarge areas of north-eastern South Africa and neighbouring Mozambique have been inundated for several days with exceptionally heavy rainfall. Some locations in South Africa recorded hundreds of millimetres of rain over the weekend, such as Graskop in Mpumalanga, where 113mm fell in 24 hours, and Phalaborwa, which recorded about 85mm of rainfall. Rain has continued to fall across the region since the weekend.The deluge has been driven by a slow-moving cut-off low pressure system that has remained anchored over the region, repeatedly drawing in moisture and triggering intense downpours. Further heavy rainfall is expected on Friday and over the weekend. Maputo, Mozambique’s capital, could expect daily rainfall totals to exceed 200mm by the end of Friday, while western parts of South Africa and north-western Eswatini may record more than 100mm. Continue reading...