Hurricane Melissa tore through the Caribbean on Wednesday, leaving at least 25 dead in Haiti and causing devastation across Jamaica, Cuba, and the Bahamas. The Category 5 storm made history as the strongest hurricane to directly hit Jamaica, with sustained winds of 185 mph (298 kph).
In Haiti, heavy rains triggered floods in Petit-Goave, a coastal town 64 km west of Port-au-Prince, killing at least 25 people, including 10 children, and leaving 12 missing. Over 1,000 homes were flooded, particularly affecting displaced families already struggling with gang violence and food shortages. Residents described the flooding as life-threatening, saying aid arrived too slowly.
Melissa first hit Jamaica on Tuesday, causing severe damage in areas still recovering from last year’s Hurricane Beryl. Preliminary estimates by AccuWeather suggest the storm caused $22 billion in damages and could take a decade to rebuild. About 77% of the island was without electricity, and hundreds of communities were left isolated.
In Cuba, authorities evacuated around 735,000 people as the storm approached, particularly in Santiago province. No deaths were reported, but President Miguel Díaz-Canel warned of ongoing rains and widespread crop damage. Melissa’s interaction with Cuba’s mountainous terrain caused heavy rainfall, compounding existing shortages of food, fuel, and medicine.
Meteorologists at AccuWeather ranked Melissa as the third-most intense Caribbean hurricane, after Wilma in 2005 and Gilbert in 1988. Scientists attribute the rapid intensification to warming ocean waters fueled by greenhouse gas emissions, prompting calls from Caribbean leaders for aid and reparations.
The Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) urged wealthier nations to increase contributions to the U.N.’s “loss and damage” fund, established in 2023 to help developing nations recover from climate-related disasters.
Residents across affected areas described the storm’s destruction in personal terms.
Counting is underway in Armenia's elections. The results of the vote are set to determine the political direction of the country of three million peop...
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Counting is underway in Armenia’s parliamentary elections, with the results of the vote set to determine the makeup of the National Assembly and shape the country's political direction for the foreseeable future. But in Armenia, the final result is not decided by vote percentages alone.
The Iranian national football team is set to arrive in North America for the World Cup after finally securing travel documents, but a dispute over U.S. visa approvals continues to cast a shadow over the country's tournament preparations.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry has confirmed the number of casualties its citizens suffered as a result of the 5 June drone attacks on the cargo ships Natra and Zircon in the Sea of Azov. In a statement, it said four Azerbaijani citizens were killed and four others were injured.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has warned ahead of World Environment Day that Afghanistan's worsening water crisis is disproportionately affecting women and girls, who bear much of the responsibility for securing water for their families.
Counting is underway in Armenia's elections. The results of the vote are set to determine the political direction of the country of three million people for the next few years. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is hoping to fend off challenges from several pro-Russia candidates to secure a third term.
Armenian authorities arrested six candidates from the pro-Russian Strong Armenia bloc on Saturday, one day before voters were due to take part in parliamentary elections.
More than 6,000 people gathered outside a vote-counting centre in Seoul on Friday night, demanding this week’s local elections be repeated after ballot shortages left some voters unable to cast their ballots.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry has confirmed the number of casualties its citizens suffered as a result of the 5 June drone attacks on the cargo ships Natra and Zircon in the Sea of Azov. In a statement, it said four Azerbaijani citizens were killed and four others were injured.
The U.S. said it struck Iranian radar sites on Qeshm Island and in Goruk after intercepting four drones, while Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they launches retaliatory strikes on four tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and targeted U.S. bases in the Gulf.
The Iranian national football team is set to arrive in North America for the World Cup after finally securing travel documents, but a dispute over U.S. visa approvals continues to cast a shadow over the country's tournament preparations.
At least a dozen people were wounded, two critically, on Saturday (6 June) in Toledo, Ohio, as two shooters traded gunfire, police said.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 7 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih al‑Zaidi will pay an official visit to the United States, bringing with him a delegation of business leaders, private‑sector representatives and banking officials, in an effort to boost investment and deepen economic ties with Washington.
People across Gaza are facing a worsening humanitarian crisis, with millions struggling to access food, clean water, shelter and medical care as the conflict continues.
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