US Says 2 Dead, One Survivor in Latest Eastern Pacific Boat Strike

This screen grab from a video posted on the X account of US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) on May 8, 2026, shows a vessel after being struck at the direction of Commander General Francis L. Donovan on May 8, 2026.. (Photo by US Southern Command / AFP)
This screen grab from a video posted on the X account of US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) on May 8, 2026, shows a vessel after being struck at the direction of Commander General Francis L. Donovan on May 8, 2026.. (Photo by US Southern Command / AFP)
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US Says 2 Dead, One Survivor in Latest Eastern Pacific Boat Strike

This screen grab from a video posted on the X account of US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) on May 8, 2026, shows a vessel after being struck at the direction of Commander General Francis L. Donovan on May 8, 2026.. (Photo by US Southern Command / AFP)
This screen grab from a video posted on the X account of US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) on May 8, 2026, shows a vessel after being struck at the direction of Commander General Francis L. Donovan on May 8, 2026.. (Photo by US Southern Command / AFP)

The US military said on Friday it had struck another boat alleged to be trafficking drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people and leaving one survivor.

The latest strike -- which follows dozens of similar attacks in recent months -- bring the US campaign's death toll to at least 192, according to an AFP tally.

US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said one person survived the strike, without specifying their condition, adding that the US Coast Guard had been notified to launch a search and rescue mission.

As with many previous attacks, SOUTHCOM said on X that the boat hit was "operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations" and that "intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes."

Black-and-white video accompanying the post shows a small boat moving through the water before it is hit with a projectile, followed by a large explosion.

President Donald Trump's administration began targeting alleged smuggling boats in early September, insisting it is effectively at war with what it calls "narco-terrorists" operating out of Latin America.

But his administration has not provided definitive evidence that the vessels it has been striking are involved in drug trafficking.

Legal experts and rights groups suggest the strikes could amount to extrajudicial killings because they have apparently targeted civilians who do not pose an immediate threat to the United States.

Friday's attack is at least the tenth in a month.

The deadly strikes have marked a stark shift in the US approach to drug trafficking, which has historically focused on interdicting vessels and seizing the material.

The US military has not said how long the operation, dubbed "Southern Spear" is intended to last.



Iran Executes Two Men Convicted of Killing Police Officers during January Protests

The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, before the beginning of a board of governors meeting, in Vienna, Austria, March 1, 2021. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, before the beginning of a board of governors meeting, in Vienna, Austria, March 1, 2021. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
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Iran Executes Two Men Convicted of Killing Police Officers during January Protests

The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, before the beginning of a board of governors meeting, in Vienna, Austria, March 1, 2021. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, before the beginning of a board of governors meeting, in Vienna, Austria, March 1, 2021. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Iran has executed two men convicted of killing four police ‌officers ‌during violent ‌unrest in ⁠the central city ⁠of Isfahan in January, judiciary-linked news outlet ⁠Mizan ‌reported on ‌Sunday.

Mizan identified ‌the ‌men as Erfan Esfandiyari and Golmohammad ‌Mohammadi, adding that their ⁠death ⁠sentences were carried out on Sunday after a court process, according to Reuters.


Congo Says Number of Confirmed Ebola Cases Rises to 2,267, Including 893 Deaths

The entrance to the Ebola Treatment Center at Rwampara General Hospital stands unstaffed during a medical staff strike in Rwampara, Ituri, Democratic Republic of Congo, 13 July 2026. EPA/DIEUDONNE DIROLE
The entrance to the Ebola Treatment Center at Rwampara General Hospital stands unstaffed during a medical staff strike in Rwampara, Ituri, Democratic Republic of Congo, 13 July 2026. EPA/DIEUDONNE DIROLE
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Congo Says Number of Confirmed Ebola Cases Rises to 2,267, Including 893 Deaths

The entrance to the Ebola Treatment Center at Rwampara General Hospital stands unstaffed during a medical staff strike in Rwampara, Ituri, Democratic Republic of Congo, 13 July 2026. EPA/DIEUDONNE DIROLE
The entrance to the Ebola Treatment Center at Rwampara General Hospital stands unstaffed during a medical staff strike in Rwampara, Ituri, Democratic Republic of Congo, 13 July 2026. EPA/DIEUDONNE DIROLE

The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo ‌has ‌increased to 2,267, ‌including ⁠893 deaths, government ⁠data showed late on Saturday.

The figure represents the ⁠total number ‌of ‌confirmed cases ‌as of ‌Friday, according to a situation report ‌that documented 86 new cases and ⁠29 ⁠new deaths in the previous 24 hours, Reuters said.


Southern China Braces for More Rain, Chongqing Landslide Search Continues

Rescuers work at the scene of a landslide in Pengshui County, southwestern China's Chongqing on Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP)
Rescuers work at the scene of a landslide in Pengshui County, southwestern China's Chongqing on Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP)
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Southern China Braces for More Rain, Chongqing Landslide Search Continues

Rescuers work at the scene of a landslide in Pengshui County, southwestern China's Chongqing on Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP)
Rescuers work at the scene of a landslide in Pengshui County, southwestern China's Chongqing on Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP)

China's ‌meteorological authority on Sunday issued a heavy rain alert for parts of southern China, following a warning a day earlier of mountain flood risks in areas like Chongqing and Yunnan and potential emergency evacuations in vulnerable places.

Cutting south China diagonally, the sprawling rain ‌belt stretches from ‌the southwestern province of ‌Yunnan ⁠to the Yangtze River ⁠Delta in China's eastern coast.

Rail authorities suspended some passenger trains on the Shanghai–Kunming railway on Sunday due to heavy rain, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

In Yunnan, ⁠several scenic spots including ‌the Tiger Leaping ‌Gorge were temporarily closed following heavy ‌rain over the weekend.

Parts of ‌southwestern Guangxi region, still recovering from the impact of Typhoon Maysak earlier this month, was bracing for a new ‌round of rain through Tuesday.

Hydrological authorities in Guangxi's ⁠Baise ⁠said some rivers rose by one to three meters (three to nine feet) over the past 24 hours, CCTV reported Sunday.

A rain-triggered landslide in a county in southwest China's Chongqing on Friday has killed eight people, while rescuers are still racing to find 34 people that remain missing.