US launches airstrikes targeting Iran-backed militias

The US has conducted airstrikes targeting Iran-backed militia groups near the border between Iraq and Syria. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What The World is following US launches airstrikes targeting Iran-backed militias [President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden walk on the South Lawn of the White House after stepping off Marine One, June 27, 2021.] Credit: Patrick Semansky/AP US airstrikes in Syria and Iraq The US [has conducted airstrikes]( targeting Iran-backed militia groups near the border between Iraq and Syria in what Pentagon officials characterized as “defensive.” The airstrikes marked the second time the Biden administration has taken military action in the region. They were [in response to alleged drone strikes]( against American personnel in Iraq and targeted "[operational and weapons storage facilities](" used by the Kata'ib Hezbollah and Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada militias at two locations in Syria, and a third location in Iraq. Canada heat wave Canada recorded its [highest temperature ever on Sunday]( as the village of Lytton in British Columbia hit almost 115 F, breaking an 84-year-old record. The scorching heat wave, a "heat dome" of high pressure in the west of Canada, stretches far south into the Pacific Northwest where other temperature records are breaking. Meanwhile, US track and field trials taking place in Oregon [were halted because of the heat](. UNHCR racism The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) [called for a dismantling of systemic racism]( in a report on Monday. UNHCR head Michelle Bachelet, in a report sparked by the killing of George Floyd, urged countries to end racism against people of African descent and recommended reparations. “I am calling on all states to stop denying, and start dismantling, racism …” [Bachelet said](. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [Pedro Molina's fight for fair elections in Nicaragua through cartoons]( [Nicaraguan political cartoonist Pedro Molina, surrounded by his drawings, is living and cartooning in exile in Ithaca, New York.]( Credit: Courtesy of Pedro Molina Nicaraguan political cartoonist Pedro X. Molina wants to see fair elections. Living in exile in Ithaca, New York, Molina fled Nicaragua during a government crackdown on the press in 2018. In his fight for democracy, he routinely draws about the government of Daniel Ortega, [posting cartoons]( online in Confidencial, an independent media outlet in Nicaragua. [Colombia loosens COVID restrictions to save the economy as deaths soar]( [A mariachi band plays at the Plaza MX nightclub in Bogotá, June 11, 2021. The club was forced to close for much of last year, but was finally allowed to open fully in June as Colombia's government tries to restart the economy.]( Credit: Manuel Rueda/The World As in the US and Europe, Colombia is [lifting most restrictions]( in a bid to bring back jobs, but the move comes even as COVID-19 death rates climb. Only 10% of Colombia's population is fully vaccinated. Despite the low inoculation level, people are returning to nightclubs and other crowded public spaces. Opening the economy under these conditions is risky, but officials say they’ve run out of options. --------------------------------------------------------------- Double take The Tour de France announced [it plans to sue a woman]( who officials say caused a massive crash during the event by stepping into their path on Saturday. The still unidentified spectator was holding a giant sign that clipped off a cyclist during the first part of the race, bringing down other cyclists behind him. [Screenshot from TalkSport]( Courtesy of Twitter --------------------------------------------------------------- In case you missed it from The World --------------------------------------------------------------- - [From exile, a Nicaraguan cartoonist continues his protest against the Ortega government]( - [28th anniversary of white extremists’ attack in South Africa]( - [Palestinian writer dies in custody]( - [As emergency rooms fill with COVID cases, commerce returns to Colombia]( - [Vice President Harris visits US-Mexico border]( - [Lego debuts brick prototype made from recycled plastic bottles]( - [Variants are changing the pandemic]( - [Miami building collapse]( - [Afghan delegation’s message to Washington: Don’t leave Afghanistan to the Taliban]( Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. [The World]( is produced by [PRX]( and [GBH](.