International News from Monday, May 25th, 2026

The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday that the fast-moving Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda was outpacing response efforts, giving the latest number of suspected deaths as 220.

US President Donald Trump said on Monday it should be mandatory for countries including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan and Turkey to join the Abraham Accords en masse as part of an effort to reach a deal with Iran.

Iran and the US played down hopes for an imminent breakthrough in efforts to end their three-month-old war on Monday, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying Washington will either get a good agreement or deal with the country in "another way".

Australian activists detained by Israel while on a flotilla attempting to deliver aid to Gaza have returned home, with organisers alleging abuse, assault, and beatings that left some detainees in hospital.

Philippine rescuers were racing against time on Monday in a search for possible signs of life more than 24 hours after the collapse of a building under construction in the city of Angeles, with crews carefully removing rocks and surrounding debris by hand.

A court in Bahrain has sentenced nine people to life and two others to three years in jail for collaborating with Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to carry out "hostile and terrorist acts" against Bahrain.