Armed groups launched coordinated attacks across Mali on multiple fronts, including near a military base outside the capital, Bamako, according to the Mali army. Witnesses reported explosions and sustained gunfire close to the base. The army confirmed the attacks were coordinated, suggesting a level of planning and reach not typical of isolated incidents. Mali has been under military rule since a 2021 coup and has faced persistent insurgencies from jihadist and separatist groups across its territory, particularly in the north and center. The Bamako region was previously considered relatively insulated from frontline violence, making an attack near the capital significant. The ruling junta expelled French and UN peacekeeping forces in recent years and turned to Russian Wagner Group fighters for security support. Whether existing security arrangements proved effective in responding to this wave of attacks is the immediate question to watch. No casualty figures or group claims of responsibility were included in early reports.
Iran's IRGC struck US military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain on Sunday for a third straight day, while Trump threatened Iran would "no longer exist" if the US resumes full war.
Venezuela's earthquake death toll has reached 1,430 with the US Geological Survey warning fatalities could top 10,000, placing it among Latin America's deadliest in a century. US military planes are landing in Caracas, Washington is mobilising $150 million in aid, and rescue teams from 17 countries are on the ground.
Iranian armed forces attacked a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, briefly halting traffic through the waterway. The strike threatens a fragile US-Iran arrangement and could push shipping insurance costs and oil prices higher.
The US has struck Iran, with President Trump citing an Iranian attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz as justification. The action raises immediate risks for global oil flows through one of the world's most critical shipping chokepoints.
