The edition of
Saturday 16 May 2026
26 stories, section by section, the most important first.
International
The Israeli military confirms that Al-Qassam Brigades commander and Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip Izz al-Din al-Haddad, dubbed as one of the architects behind the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, was killed yesterday in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City. Hamas also confirms his killing, and that his wife and daughter were also killed in the airstrike.
Pakistani interior minister Mohsin Naqvi arrives in Tehran for a meeting with Iranian officials in a effort to continue talks between Iran and the United States to end the war.
Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Azizi says that Iran will introduce new mechanisms to regulate maritime traffic through a designated route in the Strait of Hormuz and charge fees for ships entering the waterway.
The USS Gerald R. Ford returns to the United States at the Naval Station in Norfolk, Virginia, following a 11-month deployment, the longest of the U.S. since its involvement in the Vietnam War, after taking part in the Iran war.
Mali launches investigations into several soldiers and politicians, including Oumar Mariko, suspected of involvement in the April 25, 2026 coordinated attacks on Mali by Tuareg rebels and Al Qaeda-linked Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin.
The U.S. African Command confirms that the U.S. military has eliminated several members of ISIS during a joint mission with Nigerian forces in Nigeria, including second-in-command Abu-Bilal al-Minuki.
In Colombia, Rogers Devia, the former mayor of Cubarral and ally of presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, is shot and killed alongside one of his staffers in a rural area near the city.
Israeli airstrikes kill at least five people across southern Lebanon, including a paramedic in Tayr Felsay, Tyre District.
Politics
International representatives, excluding those from the United Kingdom and the United States, meet in Mogadishu and deem the administration of Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as the de facto Somali government. Operational Policy 7.30, a framework typically applied to countries that have lost statehood or where a government assumes power outside the country’s constitutional framework, will be utilized.
Five unions representing over 3,500 workers for the Long Island Rail Road, the largest commuter rail system in North America, goes on strike to negotiate a new contract with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York City, United States.
Business
Sri Lanka imposes a 50% surtax on vehicle imports to reduce pressure on foreign exchange reserves amid currency depreciation linked to the Iran war.
Comorian energy minister Aboubacar Saïd Anli announces the suspension of fuel price hikes following deadly protests.
The Law
One person dies and five others are injured in clashes between protesters and security forces in Anjouan, Comoros, as demonstrations continue over rising fuel prices partially attributed to the Iran war.
Eight people are injured, including four seriously, in a vehicle-ramming and stabbing attack in Modena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. The perpetrator is arrested.
Science
Solomon Islands reinstates a ban on dolphin exports two days after its repeal, citing concerns over the country's fisheries standards and tuna export industry.
The Canadian public health agency reports that a Canadian on the MV Hondius has tested positive for the Andes strain of the hantavirus and was hospitalized along with their spouse.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment confirms that a person in Douglas County, Colorado, U.S., has died from hantavirus. However, officials say that the death is not related to the cruise ship outbreak.
The World Health Organization declares the Ebola virus outbreak in Uganda and Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, a public health emergency of international concern.
The carcass of a humpback whale that washed ashore on the Danish island of Anholt is confirmed to be that of Timmy, a whale that was stranded off the coast of Germany for several weeks before later being released into the North Sea. The Ocean Museum Germany concludes that Timmy likely died shortly after being released from the barge due to exhaustion.
Environment
Two people are killed and another is injured when a North American T-28 Trojan reportedly explodes mid-air and crashes into a residential area in Limburgerhof, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
A 38-year-old man is killed in a shark attack at a reef near Rottnest Island, Western Australia. The shark is reported to have been a 13-foot (4.0 m) great white shark, according to the DPIRD.
Arts
Bulgaria wins the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Bangaranga" by Dara.
Sport
In association football, Manchester City beat Chelsea 1–0 at London's Wembley Stadium, through a 72nd-minute goal from Antoine Semenyo, to win their 8th FA Cup title.
In association football, Lech Poznań win their 2nd consecutive and 10th ever Ekstraklasa title with a league game to spare.
Stories adapted from Wikipedia’s Current events portal for 16 May 2026, by Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.