European monitor says France has record wildfire burn area
A European forest monitor said France has seen a record area burned by wildfires. The source item did not provide figures, locations, a time period, or detail…
July 2026
Indian court gives 44 Somalis life sentences in piracy cases
An Indian court sentenced 44 Somali nationals to life imprisonment for crimes linked to the hijacking of vessels off Somalia. The cases involved two separate…
Ukraine commander Syrsky faces scrutiny amid reports he could be removed
Ukraine's commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky is facing renewed scrutiny amid reports that President Volodymyr Zelensky is considering removing him. Ukrainian…
Kremlin says it has no hope for better UK ties under Burnham
The Kremlin said it had no hope that relations with the United Kingdom would improve under Britain's new prime minister, Andy Burnham, who took office a day ea…
Bahrain sounds sirens after reported Iranian attacks
Bahrain sounded sirens on Tuesday after the country's military said it had intercepted Iranian attacks. The interior ministry told citizens and residents to s…
Petition supports Turkish governor dismissed after cycling tights row
A Turkish governor removed from office after controversy over images of him cycling in sports tights has received support from thousands of people calling for…
Knife attacker injures two tourists at Acropolis entrance
A man with a knife attacked a Greek-American couple at the base of the Acropolis shortly after the site opened on Tuesday, 21 July, Athens police said. Police…
UN gives figures for rise in Ukraine-Russia civilian casualties
The United Nations said civilian casualties in the war between Russia and Ukraine rose by 37% in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period a year ea…
Colombia Congress rejects president-elect's Senate candidate
Colombia's new Congress dealt an early setback to hard-right president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella on Monday by voting against his candidate for president o…
Swatch first-half profit falls short of expectations
Swiss watch group Swatch said on Tuesday that its net profit fell in the first half of the year, while sales rose and the company expected performance to impro…
Jordan says it intercepted Iranian drones and missiles
Jordan's military said Tuesday that it had intercepted two Iranian attacks, including five drones and three missiles. The army said its air defence systems int…
Lebanese army begins deployment in southern pilot zone under Israel deal
The Lebanese army said on Tuesday that it had begun deploying to Zawtar al-Garhbiya in the Nabatieh region of southern Lebanon. The area is one of three pilot…
Strike on gas tanker in Black Sea wounds three seafarers
A strike hit an LPG tanker in the Black Sea while it was carrying propane to the Ukrainian port of Reni, wounding three seafarers and forcing the crew to evacu…
Australian lawmaker shouts at dog during live TV interview
Australian politician Barnaby Joyce attracted attention after shouting at a dog during a live television interview on Monday night. Joyce, a former deputy pri…
Singapore jails tourist over diamond theft attempt
A Singapore court sentenced an Indian tourist to more than two years in jail over a failed attempt to steal a diamond from a jewellery store by hiding it in an…
South Korea plans free domestic AI chatbot service this year
South Korea plans to launch a free artificial intelligence chatbot service using domestic technology by the end of this year, government officials said, as Seo…
Novartis reports higher second-quarter sales and lower profit
Swiss pharmaceuticals group Novartis said its sales exceeded expectations in the second quarter of 2026, helped by a range of new products. The Basel-based co…
Nine dead and 15 trapped after tunnel collapse at India hydropower project
At least nine people have died and 15 others remained trapped after a tunnel collapsed at an under-construction hydroelectric project in India's remote northea…
Panama and China move to renew maritime shipping agreement
Panama announced an agreement with China to renew a maritime shipping treaty that gives advantages to Panamanian ships in Chinese ports. The Panamanian Foreig…
Scientists warn Great Barrier Reef faces high bleaching risk
Scientists warned that Australia's Great Barrier Reef is at very high risk of extreme and widespread bleaching and possible ecosystem collapse linked to this y…
India approves Takeda dengue vaccine for first time
India has approved its first dengue vaccine, authorising the use of Japanese drugmaker Takeda's Qdenga jab, the health ministry said on Tuesday. India's Centr…
Indonesia sentences baby trafficking ring leader to seven years in prison
An Indonesian court sentenced Lie Siu Luan, described by the source as the leader of a baby trafficking ring, to seven years in prison on Tuesday. Presiding ju…
UK government says it will remove VAT from household electricity bills in October
Britain's new Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced on Tuesday that the government will remove value added tax from UK domestic electricity bills from October.…
ADNOC says it will invest $6.2 billion in Abu Dhabi gas project
The United Arab Emirates' state oil company ADNOC said it will invest $6.2 billion in an Abu Dhabi natural gas development project. ADNOC said it had taken th…
De Gaulle biopic draws large cinema audience in France
A two-part film biography of French leader Charles de Gaulle has become a summer cinema success in France, drawing audiences with a patriotic account of one of…
International seabed body extends The Metals Company exploration contract
The international body that oversees ocean-floor mining granted a five-year extension to an exploration contract held by Canadian firm The Metals Company. The…
South Korea president urges action on leveraged stock funds
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung urged financial regulators to take quick action over leveraged single-stock exchange-traded funds tied to Samsung Electron…
Indonesia passes bill to create international financial centre
Indonesia's parliament unanimously passed a bill on Tuesday to create an international financial centre known as PFII. Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa to…
India's Cockroach movement vows to keep protesting over education minister
India's "Cockroach" party movement said Tuesday that it would continue pressing for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, a day after at le…
Ukrainian drone names mix humour and wartime messaging
Ukrainian drone makers are using jokes, wordplay and anger in the names of their weapons, turning branding into part of the psychological side of the war with…
Australia foreign minister criticises Beijing over South China Sea conduct
Australia's foreign minister criticised Beijing's conduct in the South China Sea, calling it "destabilising and dangerous". The statement adds another criticis…
HRW says US likely had role in attacks on fishing boats off Ecuador
Human Rights Watch said the United States likely played a role in attacks on three fishing vessels off Ecuador's coast earlier this year that left at least eig…
IMF approves about $690 million for Ukraine after loan review
The International Monetary Fund said Monday that Ukraine can immediately access about $690 million after a review of its loan program. The IMF said the move w…
Rights groups warn of anti-Rohingya disinformation in Malaysia
Rights groups and analysts have warned that a new wave of political disinformation targeting Rohingya refugees in Malaysia is fuelling xenophobia and intimidat…
MapBiomas says Brazil Amazon fires fell to record low in 2025
On 21 July 2026, environmental monitoring network MapBiomas reported that fires in the Brazilian Amazon fell to their lowest level in 2025 since its records be…
UN report estimates online scam losses in Asian regions at up to $114 billion
On 21 July 2026, a UN report said victims of transnational online scams in East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand lost up to $114.1 billion last…
US warns citizens worldwide to use more caution over Middle East tensions
The US State Department issued a worldwide alert on Monday urging American citizens to exercise increased caution because of the war with Iran. The alert said…
Rohingya refugees face deadly sea crossings as trafficking grows
Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are continuing to risk dangerous sea journeys as human trafficking networks expand and conditions in the camps around Cox's Baz…
Taiwan charges former TSMC employee over alleged attempted tech leak to China
Taiwanese prosecutors have charged a former TSMC employee with stealing what they described as the chipmaker's core technology and trying to leak it to China.…
French lawmakers expected to approve under-15 social media ban
French lawmakers were expected on 21 July to approve a bill banning children under 15 from using social media, a step that would put France among the leading E…
France vote comes as more countries weigh child social media limits
French lawmakers were scheduled to vote on Tuesday on a proposal to ban social media access for children under 15, as governments in several regions consider o…
Chickenpox cases rise in overcrowded Gaza camps
Doctors and displaced families in Gaza say chickenpox has surged in recent months as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been forced by war into crowded…
Lebanon's Aoun to meet Trump as army deploys under Hezbollah disarmament deal
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun was due to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday as Lebanon's army began deploying in part of southern Lebanon…
Solomon Islands says it will sign US Coast Guard patrol deal
The Solomon Islands will sign an agreement allowing the US Coast Guard to patrol its waters with local police aboard, Prime Minister Matthew Wale said during a…
Chile official says storms have killed at least 10 people
At least 10 people have died in Chile after storms brought heavy rainfall since last week to the country's typically arid north, an official said Monday. Alic…
Iran Guards say two oil tankers stopped after fires in Hormuz
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Tuesday that they stopped two oil tankers trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, state news agency IRNA reported. In a s…
Report describes hereditary bondage on Indonesia's Sumba island
On Indonesia's island of Sumba, people are still born into a hereditary status of bondage even though slavery has been illegal in the country for more than 160…
Japan says China and Russia held live-fire drill in its economic waters
Chinese and Russian naval forces conducted a joint live-fire exercise with machine guns inside Japan's exclusive economic zone, Tokyo said Tuesday. China rejec…
Myanmar and Middle East fighting loom over ASEAN foreign ministers’ talks
Southeast Asian foreign ministers are gathering in the Philippines for meetings shaped by renewed fighting in the Middle East and divisions over Myanmar’s place in regional diplomacy. Ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are meeting in Ma…
UK maritime agency reports tanker hit by projectile off Oman
A tanker was reported hit by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz off Oman, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said. The agency said it had received multiple reports that a tanker had been struck. It said the incident happened eight…
Iran says it hit US Gulf targets as regional conflict widens
Iran targeted US radar and air defence installations in the Gulf on Tuesday and warned Washington of more attacks, while the conflict also threatened to widen…
North Korea reaffirms support for Russia over Ukraine
North Korea reaffirmed its support for Moscow's war on Ukraine as the North Korean and Russian foreign ministers held talks in Moscow, Pyongyang's state media reported Tuesday. North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lav…
Colombia president-elect's team alleges guerrilla plot to kill him
The team of Colombia's hard-right president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella alleged Monday that guerrilla groups were plotting to assassinate him before he takes office next month. De la Espriella won last month's presidential runoff by less than a percentage…
Wes Streeting appointed UK defence secretary
Britain's new Prime Minister Andy Burnham named former health minister Wes Streeting as defence secretary late Monday, the government said, as ministerial appo…
Trump orders 50 percent tariffs on many Canadian goods
US President Donald Trump signed orders Monday to impose new 50 percent tariffs on many Canadian goods, citing what he called discriminatory treatment by Ottawa against American alcohol, automobile and dairy products. The White House said the tariffs will tak…
SpaceX says first public earnings report is set for August 4
SpaceX said on Monday that it will release its first quarterly earnings report as a publicly traded company on August 4. The Elon Musk-led rocket and AI company said on its investor relations website that it is scheduled to report results after markets close…
Trump order offers lower aluminum tariffs for firms investing in US smelters
President Donald Trump signed an order on Monday allowing US officials to offer lower aluminum tariff rates to companies that commit to support the creation or expansion of smelters in the United States. The general US tariff on aluminum imports is 50 percent…
US moves to tighten defense supply-chain rules for critical materials
The United States is moving to make it harder for defense contractors to receive waivers allowing them to use critical minerals and other sensitive materials from China and certain other foreign suppliers, under an order President Donald Trump signed Monday.…
Louvre gallery hit by crown jewel theft to reopen without jewels
The Apollo Gallery at Paris's Louvre Museum, where French crown jewels worth 88 million euros were stolen in 2025, will reopen to the public on Wednesday, an informed source told AFP. The source said no jewels will be on display. The gallery will instead retu…
MSF calls on Israel to release detained Palestinian health workers
Doctors Without Borders, also known as MSF, called on Monday for Israel to immediately release all Palestinian healthcare workers it said were arbitrarily detained. The Geneva-based medical charity said it was outraged by the treatment of healthcare workers,…
Israeli flag and checkpoint mark access limits in south Lebanon security zone
An Israeli flag and a checkpoint marked the start of an Israeli-announced security zone on the road to the south Lebanese coastal town of Naqura, where an Israeli soldier ordered a convoy of journalists to turn around. The journalists were travelling with L'O…
Israel's HaDemokratim party starts campaign for October election
Israel's largest leftist party launched its campaign on Monday for the legislative election due in October, after choosing its list of candidates in primaries. HaDemokratim, or the Democrats, is led by former deputy military chief of staff Yair Golan. The par…
Canada faces severe wildfire season with nearly 1,000 active fires
Canada is facing one of the most intense wildfire seasons in its history, Prime Minister Mark Carney said, with nearly 1,000 active fires and about three million hectares, or 7.4 million acres, already burned. The report said virtually all Canadian provinces…
Jordan says it downed three Iranian missiles
Jordan's army said on Monday that its air defence system intercepted and downed three missiles that came from Iranian territory, entered Jordanian airspace and targeted the kingdom. The army said the incident happened at night and caused no injuries or materi…
Air France suspends flights to Dubai and Riyadh
Air France has suspended flights to Dubai and Riyadh as war continues in the Gulf. The source did not give further details on the length of the suspension or the number of flights affected.
Sirens sound in Jordanian capital Amman
Sirens sounded in the Jordanian capital Amman on Monday evening, according to an AFP correspondent. Jordan's state-run Al-Mamlaka channel also said sirens had sounded in the kingdom. The report came as the United States and Iran exchanged attacks in the regio…
US says latest Iran strikes targeted maritime and missile capabilities
The US military said Monday night that it had completed its latest round of strikes against Iran, targeting several types of sites that it said were linked to…
At least 20 killed and more than 100 missing in Afghanistan flooding
At least 20 people were killed and more than 100 remained missing after flooding hit Afghanistan's Nuristan province on Monday, officials said. Afghanistan's disaster agency, ANDMA, said 20 bodies had been recovered and more than 80 people were injured. The c…
Senegal backs former president Macky Sall for UN chief
Senegal announced on Monday that it is supporting former president Macky Sall's bid to become the next United Nations secretary-general, reversing its earlier position. The decision came three days after Sall visited President Bassirou Diomaye Faye in Dakar.…
Ed Miliband named UK foreign secretary after long political comeback
Ed Miliband, a former leader of Britain's centre-left Labour Party, was appointed foreign secretary on Monday, marking a high point in his return to senior politics after resigning as Labour leader following the party's 2015 general election defeat. Miliband…
Shabana Mahmood reappointed as UK interior minister
20 July 2026: The UK government said Shabana Mahmood had been reappointed as interior minister.
Houthis announce maritime embargo of Saudi Arabia
Yemen's Houthi rebels announced a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia on Monday, a move that raised concern about a wider regional conflict and possible disruption to shipping and energy markets. The Iran-backed group did not say how it would enforce the em…
John Healey returns to UK government in Treasury role
British political veteran John Healey has returned to government to run the finance ministry, weeks after resigning as defence secretary over a defence funding dispute. Healey, 66, is a long-serving member of the ruling centre-left Labour Party and has been a…
California judge pauses Paramount-Warner Brothers merger for 14 days
A federal judge in California has ordered Paramount Skydance and Warner Brothers Discovery to temporarily pause their planned merger while a lawsuit brought by multiple states moves forward. The companies are barred from closing the $110 billion deal for 14 d…
UK agency says vessel hit by unknown projectile off UAE coast
A British maritime agency said a vessel was struck off the coast of the United Arab Emirates after reporting that it had been hit by an unknown projectile. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said the impact damaged the vessel's steering gear.…
France says Iceland has nothing to lose by reopening EU talks
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Iceland had nothing to lose by negotiating with the European Union over membership, as the country prepares for a referendum on restarting stalled accession talks. Icelanders are due to vote on August 29 on whethe…
Nigerian media report Ansaru leaders plead guilty in terrorism case
Two leaders of the Nigerian jihadist group Ansaru pleaded guilty on Monday in a 32-count terrorism case, local media reported. The government-owned News Agency of Nigeria reported that Mahmud Muhammad Usman and fellow commander Mahmud al-Nigeri changed their…
Six Ivory Coast opposition officials released after months in custody
Six local officials from Ivory Coast's main opposition party were released on Monday after several months in custody, their lawyer said. Lawyer Ange Rodrigue Dadje wrote on Facebook that the PDCI activists were freed after a hearing at the anti-terrorism cham…
West Bank family says Israeli order blocks access to bathroom
A Palestinian family in the occupied West Bank said Monday that an Israeli military order had blocked them from reaching their bathroom for three weeks, after tensions with nearby settlers led the army to intervene. Ikhlas al-Hathalin, 42, lives with her fami…
Afghanistan floods kill at least 20, disaster agency says
At least 20 people have been killed and more than 80 injured in flooding in Afghanistan's Nuristan province, the country's disaster management agency said Monday. The agency, ANDMA, said more than 100 people were missing. It said casualties were reported in P…
French judge approved overnight Tour de France doping tests
A French judge approved overnight anti-doping tests on Tour de France riders Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, the Paris public prosecutor's office confirmed. The International Testing Agency asked a Paris judge responsible for liberty and detention matters…
Spanish prime minister visits Algeria as ties recover after Western Sahara dispute
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in Algiers on Monday that he wanted to deepen ties with Algeria as the two countries work to repair relations after a dispute over Western Sahara. Sanchez said the visit, his first to Algeria in four years, had partic…
Afghan rescuers search for missing after Nuristan flood toll rises
Rescuers were trying to reach people trapped under mud and boulders in eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday after a major flood hit Nuristan province, killing at lea…
Zelensky faces sustained protests over Ukraine defence minister's dismissal
President Volodymyr Zelensky is trying to manage a deepening political crisis in Ukraine as protests continue over the dismissal of reformist defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov. The demonstrations have entered a fifth day, making them the longest sustained pro…
Chile reports at least 10 dead after northern rainfall emergency
Chile declared a state of emergency on Monday after heavy rainfall killed at least 10 people and destroyed or severely damaged more than 1,100 homes, officials…
US Army veteran arrested over fire outside New York immigration offices
A US Army veteran was arrested on Monday after a fire was started outside a federal building in New York that houses immigration courts and an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office, officials said. Andrew Arrabaca, 43, allegedly poured gasoline outside t…
Airbus says SMBC ordered 100 more A320neo aircraft
Airbus said SMBC Aviation Capital placed a firm order for another 100 A320neo family aircraft after reaching an agreement on the first day of the Farnborough Air Show. In a statement released by Airbus, SMBC Aviation Capital chief executive Peter Barrett said…
France says two diplomats were detained and intimidated in Iran
France’s foreign minister said two French diplomats in Iran were subjected to what he called an extremely serious act of intimidation by Iranian security services, and said one of them was physically abused. Jean-Noel Barrot said in a statement that Iranian o…
UK government plans electricity VAT cut as first cost-of-living move
Britain's new Prime Minister Andy Burnham began his cost-of-living programme on Tuesday by planning to remove value added tax from household electricity bills.…
Ghana court jails opposition politician for 20 years over illegal mining
A Ghanaian court jailed opposition politician Bernard Antwi-Boasiako for 20 years on Monday after finding him guilty of illegal mining offences. The High Court in Accra found Antwi-Boasiako guilty on all six charges against him. The charges included the unlaw…
Russia orders Italian military attache and aide to leave Moscow
Russia ordered the expulsion of an Italian military attache and one of his aides from Moscow on Monday, saying the move was retaliation for Italy expelling two Russian military attaches earlier this month. Russia's foreign ministry said the officials and thei…
US gasoline prices return to $4 a gallon amid renewed Mideast fighting
US gasoline prices rose back to an average of $4 per gallon on Monday, according to the AAA motor club, as fighting between the United States and Iran intensified. The report said the increase adds political pressure on US President Donald Trump before midter…
Afghan police search for 14 missing migrants after five die in heat
Authorities in southwestern Afghanistan were searching on Monday for 14 people missing in the desert after five other migrants trying to reach Iran died in severe heat, police said. The group had left more than a week earlier in Nimroz, one of Afghanistan's d…
Ugandan bishop who supported LGBTQ rights dies at 94
Bishop Christopher Senyonjo, a rare public supporter of LGBTQ rights in Uganda, has died at the age of 94. Rights groups in Uganda paid tribute to him on Monday after his death on Sunday. Senyonjo was one of the few public figures in Uganda to speak in suppor…
EU urges three-year pause on methane reporting fines for oil and gas firms
The European Union told member states on Monday to hold off imposing fines on oil and gas firms over methane emissions reporting failures for three years, after pressure to pause new rules. Importers of oil and gas are required from January to monitor and rep…
US stocks rise at start of busy earnings week
Wall Street stocks rose early Monday as investors started a busy week of company earnings and watched the latest fighting in the US-Iran conflict. This week's earnings calendar includes reports from Google parent Alphabet, Tesla and General Motors. Companies…
Finland withdraws provisional funding support for contested Helsinki venue
Finland's Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said on Monday that the government had withdrawn its provisional 35-million-euro support for Garden Helsinki, a planned 19,000-seat sports and culture venue in the Finnish capital. Orpo spoke after meeting parties in the…
Lebanese troops enter southern pilot zones, military source says
A military source said the Lebanese army deployed on Tuesday to “pilot zones” in a part of southern Lebanon that had been under Israeli control. The source sa…
Greece plans scooter ban for riders under 17 after accidents
Greece plans to tighten rules on electric stand-up scooters after repeated accidents, especially involving young people, Deputy Transport Minister Giorgos Kotsiras said. Kotsiras told Skai TV that a bill due to be voted on the next day would ban scooter use b…
War damage remains at Syria’s Saint Simeon monastery
A French archaeological delegation has inspected Saint Simeon monastery in northern Syria to assess damage from war, looting, illegal excavations and neglect, and to consider what restoration work can begin. The fifth-century monastery and its church are part…
Philippine Airlines plans order for up to 20 Boeing 787-10 jets
Philippine Airlines said it plans to acquire up to 20 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner jets, in what it described as its first order from the US manufacturer in nearly 20 years. The airline said it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Boeing for 15 of the ai…
EU accuses cement additive makers of price-fixing
The European Commission accused several manufacturers of additives for cement and concrete of colluding to charge customers higher prices. The products are chemical additives commonly used in construction to improve the properties of concrete, cement and othe…
Zelensky welcomes Burnham pledge of continued UK support
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated Andy Burnham on becoming Britain's new prime minister on Monday and said he was encouraged by Burnham's pledge of continued support. Zelensky said in a post on X that he appreciated that support for Ukraine…
Officials report civilian deaths in Ukrainian and Russian strikes
Officials on both sides said Ukrainian and Russian strikes killed civilians on Monday, with six deaths reported in Russia's Belgorod border region and eight deaths reported in Ukraine. Alexander Shuvaev, the acting governor of Russia's Belgorod region, said o…
US report accuses Cuba of spy and influence campaign
A US State Department report released Monday accused Cuban spies of reaching senior levels of government in Washington and supporting what it called left-wing terrorism in the United States. The report, titled "Cuba: The Capital of 21st Century Communism," wa…
Pandemic treaty talks continue after seventh round ends without final deal
Countries ended a seventh round of talks without finalising a key part of a pandemic treaty, the World Health Organization said. The talks concern the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing system, known as PABS. The mechanism is meant to set rules on sharing ac…
French prosecutors investigate suicide after family alleges racist harassment
French prosecutors said they had opened an investigation after a 21-year-old man died by suicide following what his family described as years of racist harassment. The man's body was found Monday last week in Chatonnay, a village of about 2,000 people in sout…
UN spokesman says Houthi threats risk wider regional escalation
The spokesman for the UN secretary-general warned Monday that renewed threats by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen against Saudi Arabia and freedom of navigation could lead to wider regional escalation. Stephane Dujarric said the United Nations had seen r…
Swiss researchers copy NASA climate data to supercomputer
Researchers have copied large amounts of publicly available climate and environmental data from NASA onto a Swiss supercomputer to train artificial intelligence models and to keep a safeguard copy amid concern over US funding cuts. Switzerland's Federal Insti…
Thai prime minister sings for Chinese premier during Beijing visit
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul sang for Chinese Premier Li Qiang during a formal lunch in Beijing on Monday, in another example of his use of music during diplomatic meetings. Footage released by Anutin's office showed him seated beside Li at a long…
Macron congratulates Burnham and calls for EU partnership momentum
France’s Macron congratulated new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and urged new momentum in the European Union partnership. The message adds to European reaction already reported from European Council President Antonio Costa, who congratulated Burnham on…
Larry the cat marks another Downing Street leadership change
Larry the cat, officially the Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office, was set to share 10 Downing Street with a seventh prime minister as Andy Burnham prepared to replace Keir Starmer. Larry's X account, @Number10cat, posted: “Politicians come and go; cats are pe…
China protests to Philippine ambassador after disputed shoal clash
China's foreign ministry said Tuesday it had urgently summoned the Philippine ambassador to protest what it called a deliberate provocation and attack by the P…
Hamas names Gaza negotiator Khalil al-Hayya as new chief
Hamas named veteran leader Khalil al-Hayya as its new chief on Monday, choosing the figure who had led the group's indirect ceasefire negotiations with Israel during the war in Gaza. A senior Hamas official said Hayya was elected by an overwhelming majority a…
Italian prosecutors probe Moroccan man's death under police restraint
Italian prosecutors have opened an investigation after Abderrahim Fakir, a 42-year-old Moroccan man who had lived in Italy since childhood, died in Bologna while being restrained by police. Human rights campaigners and Italian opposition parties demanded answ…
Iran interior minister set to visit Islamabad, Pakistan source says
Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni is set to travel to Islamabad on Monday, a Pakistani interior ministry source said. The source said Momeni would hold talks with Pakistani officials. The source did not say whether the visit was connected to Pakistan'…
More than 1,200 people flee wildfire north of Madrid
More than 1,200 people have fled a major wildfire north of Madrid, firefighters said on Monday. The fire has been burning through a mountainous area with small villages. The fire started on Thursday in a forest-covered mountainous area near La Mierla, in the…
Survivors found after deadly Nigeria boat sinking as search continues
Rescue operations were under way on Monday after a boat capsized while crossing a river in Jigawa state in northwestern Nigeria. Authorities said at least five people had drowned and around a dozen people were still missing. Police had initially said up to 40…
SMBC orders 200 aircraft from Boeing and Airbus
Leasing company SMBC Aviation Capital ordered 200 medium-sized aircraft from Boeing and Airbus at the start of the Farnborough Air Show on Monday, the companies said. Boeing said SMBC ordered 100 737 MAX jets. Airbus said the Dublin-based leasing firm also or…
Starmer says Britain is stronger and fairer as he leaves office
Keir Starmer left Downing Street on Monday, saying Britain was stronger and fairer as he stepped down as prime minister to make way for Andy Burnham. In a farewell speech outside No. 10 in central London, Starmer told reporters that he was confident Britain w…
EU fines AliExpress 550 million euros over illegal products
The European Union fined AliExpress 550 million euros, about $630 million, after saying the online retailer allowed illegal products to be sold on its platform, including unsafe toys and cosmetics. The EU said AliExpress also failed to do enough to prevent co…
Trump says US will help new British prime minister after call
US President Donald Trump said Monday that he had a “very good” conversation with Britain's new Prime Minister Andy Burnham and said the United States would su…
Bahrain military says it destroyed Iranian air attacks
Bahrain's military said Tuesday that its air defences had intercepted and destroyed a number of Iranian aerial attacks. The Bahrain Defence Force made the stat…
Palestinian officials say Israeli forces killed two men during West Bank settler attack
The Palestinian health ministry said Monday that Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinian men when Israeli settlers attacked the town of Deir Jarir in the occupied West Bank overnight. The Ramallah-based ministry identified the men as Odeh Abdul Rahim Odeh Fa…
US criticises China after reported clash with Philippine navy personnel
Washington condemned what it called dangerous and aggressive action by China after Chinese personnel were accused of injuring a Filipino sailor at Second Thomas Shoal in the disputed South China Sea. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the United Sta…
US imposes sanctions on Sudan over chemical weapons allegation
The US State Department imposed a new round of sanctions on Sudan's government on Monday, accusing it of using chemical weapons during its war against the rival Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group. Washington has not given details on where or when the all…
Huawei announces Pura 90s, FreeClip 2 S and MatePad Air
On 16 July 2026, Huawei announced the global launch of the Pura 90s Series smartphone lineup, the FreeClip 2 S open-ear earbuds and the MatePad Air tablet. The company said the launch event took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and described the devices as fo…
Iran says it will act to protect security in Strait of Hormuz
Iran said on Monday that it would not allow the Strait of Hormuz to be used by its opponents to threaten the country's security. Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told a press conference in Tehran that the waterway must not be misused again to threat…
Iran says mediator contacts with US are continuing
Iran said on 20 July that diplomatic exchanges with the United States were continuing through mediators despite US military strikes on Iran. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told a press conference in Tehran that Iran had been informed by me…
Judit Polgar declines proposal to become Hungary's president
Hungarian chess figure Judit Polgar said on Monday that she would not accept Prime Minister Peter Magyar's proposal to become Hungary's president. Magyar, described in the report as a pro-European conservative, had put forward Polgar as a non-political figure…
Ismael Zambada sentenced to life in US prison in Sinaloa cartel case
Mexican drug lord Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada was sentenced to life in a US prison on Monday for co-leading the Sinaloa cartel. A New York court also ordered the 76-year-old to pay a $15 billion forfeiture. Zambada, a former top associate of Sinaloa cartel found…
Middle East fighting complicates ECB rate decision
Fresh fighting in the Middle East and renewed energy price rises have complicated the European Central Bank's decision on whether to raise interest rates again this week. The ECB raised borrowing costs in June for the first time since 2023 after eurozone pric…
Taiwan reports rise in Chinese maritime activity near island
Taiwan detected a sharp increase in Chinese government ships entering waters around Taiwan and its outer islands in June, a Taiwanese coast guard official said. The official said the activity showed a significant rise in what Taiwan describes as Chinese grey-…
Explosions heard in Manama after air raid sirens
Explosions were heard in Bahrain's capital, Manama, on Monday morning after air raid sirens were triggered. Bahrain's interior ministry wrote on X that the siren had been sounded and urged citizens and residents to remain calm and go to the nearest safe place…
East African dissidents seek fragile refuge in Kenya
Dozens of Ugandans and Tanzanians are believed to be hiding in Kenya after recent elections in their countries were followed by arrests, kidnappings and killings. Five refugees agreed to speak, and each said they knew between 20 and 40 other people who had fl…
Indian police fire tear gas at students marching over exam problems
Indian police fired tear gas on Monday, 20 July 2026, to stop thousands of protesters from marching on parliament in New Delhi. The protesters, most of them young students, were demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and wider refo…
Ortega says Nicaragua will not hold elections that let opponents take power
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega said on Sunday that opponents should not expect elections that could allow them to take office, as he spoke at an event in Managua marking the 47th anniversary of the Sandinista revolution. Ortega, 80, has been in power sinc…
Ryanair says quarterly profit fell as fuel costs and weaker fares hit results
Ryanair said net profit fell 34% in its first quarter after the Middle East conflict pushed up jet-fuel costs and weighed on ticket sales. The Irish no-frills airline said profit after tax was 538 million euros, or $616 million, in the three months to the end…
Iran Guards give details of claimed strikes on US targets in Kuwait
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they hit US military targets in Kuwait, in a statement reported by Iran's state news agency IRNA. The Guards said Iranian forces destroyed a US early-warning radar system in a drone strike. They also said separate attacks hit…
Hong Kong survivors say sexual offence reforms leave legal gaps
Hong Kong is seeking to overhaul decades-old sexual offence laws, but survivors and activists say proposed reforms still leave gaps in how the legal system handles consent, trauma and long-term child abuse. Jessie, an NGO worker in her 30s, said she froze in…
Wall Street ends lower as Middle East fighting lifts oil prices
Wall Street stocks fell on Monday after early gains faded, as escalating fighting between the United States and Iran pushed oil prices higher and investors waited for major technology earnings. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian described Iran as being engag…
Trump says new Qatari-gifted Air Force One will be sent for upgrades
US President Donald Trump said Sunday that his new Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet would be sent away for about a month to be “maxed out,” after reports raised security concerns about the aircraft following a trip to Turkey. Trump took his first flight on the…
Russian authorities say Moscow region drone strikes wounded at least 10
Russian authorities said Ukraine launched scores of drones at the Moscow region on Monday night, causing fires and wounding at least 10 people. Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyov said the wounded included a child and three Chinese citizens. He said severa…
Farnborough Airshow to focus on drones, fighter jets and European defence autonomy
20 July 2026: The Farnborough Airshow opens Monday in England with the future European fighter jet, drone development and European autonomy in defence expected to be central issues. The event is held every two years and alternates with Le Bourget near Paris.…
Ivory Coast backs local firms in 2030 growth plan
Ivory Coast is promoting selected local companies as “national champions” to help drive its economic development plan through 2030. The companies include Kaera, a shea butter-based cosmetics maker that began in a small apartment in the late 2000s and now has…
Iran Guards say US aircraft at Aqaba airport were hit by missiles
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Monday that they had targeted US military aircraft at Aqaba Airport in Jordan, according to state media. In a statement carried by Iran's state broadcaster, the Guards said American heavy transport aircraft and command and con…
Iran Guards say two oil tankers halted in Strait of Hormuz
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Monday that two oil tankers trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz had exploded and been brought to a halt. In a statement reported by the Tasnim news agency, the Guards said the incident happened late Sunday night. Th…
Crew leaves burning vessel after reported attack near Hormuz
The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said Monday that the crew of a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz safely abandoned ship after it was hit by an unknown projectile and caught fire. UKMTO said the crew had been recovered by a tugboat. It said the fire had no…
Trump warns Iran over US troop deaths after new fatalities announced
President Donald Trump warned Iran on Monday that it would pay "many times over" for every US soldier it killed, after Washington announced three new military fatalities and one service member missing in action over the weekend. Trump posted the warning on Tr…
US Vice President JD Vance announces birth of fourth child
US Vice President JD Vance announced Sunday that his wife had given birth to their fourth child, a son. Vance, 41, said in a post on X that Usha Vance and the baby were happy and healthy, and that their other children were overjoyed to meet their little broth…
West African leaders approve Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project
West African leaders signed an agreement approving construction of a gas pipeline linking Nigeria and Morocco at an ECOWAS summit in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The planned Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline would run for about 6,000 kilometres, or 3,700 miles, through…
At least eight die in stampede after Burundi evangelical gathering
At least eight people were killed in a stampede after an evangelical gathering in Bujumbura, Burundi's largest city, police said. Police said eight worshippers died and nine others were injured. Thousands of people had attended a sermon by Burundian preacher…
Wildfire in southern France burns homes and forces evacuations
A fast-moving wildfire in southern France forced evacuations on Sunday as more than 600 firefighters and water-bombing aircraft worked to contain it, authorities said. The fire broke out near Draguignan in the Mediterranean Var region after days of extreme he…
Three arrested after mass poisoning linked to North Macedonia water supply
Three people were arrested on Monday over a mass poisoning in North Macedonia that officials said was allegedly caused by contaminated river water entering a town's drinking supply during high temperatures. Health authorities said more than 3,100 people had b…
US says service member died detonating unexploded drone ordnance in northern Iraq
A US service member died Saturday during a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian drone in northern Iraq, the US military said Sunday. The death brought the confirmed number of American military fatalities to 17 since the United St…
Israelis march near Gaza border calling for settlements to return
Thousands of Israelis, including settlers and right-wing activists, marched towards the Gaza border on Sunday to call for the government to re-establish Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territory. The demonstrators gathered near the border and then walk…
India summons Russian envoy after deadly ship attack near Odesa
India summoned Russia’s top envoy in New Delhi on Tuesday to protest against an attack on a cargo ship leaving Ukraine’s port of Odesa that killed four Indian…
Iraqi prime minister plans Iran visit after US trip
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is due to visit Iran at the end of this week after returning from a one-week visit to the United States, Iraqi state media reported Sunday. Iraq's national news agency INA quoted the foreign ministry as saying Zaidi is expect…
Remains in France identified as missing woman Delphine Jubillar
Human remains found in southern France last week have been identified as those of Delphine Jubillar, a woman missing since 2020, Toulouse prosecutor Nicolas Jacquet said on Sunday. The remains were found during searches on agricultural land in Mailhoc, in the…
Putin thanks North Korea for support in Ukraine war
Russian President Vladimir Putin met North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui on Sunday and thanked North Korea for supporting Moscow's war in Ukraine. In a video released by the Kremlin, Putin said he was grateful for the support given to what Russia calls…
Iran Guards say they attacked command centre in Syria
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Monday that they had launched what they called a surprise attack on an enemy command centre in Syria, state media reported. The IRNA state news agency said the Guards announced the attack in a statement posted on Telegram. The…
Floating polar research station leaves France for Arctic mission
A floating research station shaped like a large aluminium igloo has left the western French port of Lorient for a long-term Arctic mission designed to drift with sea ice while studying biodiversity and climate change. The Tara Polar Station was built in Franc…
Russian anti-war politician Nadezhdin says he will not run in election
Russian anti-war politician Boris Nadezhdin said Sunday that he will not run in September's legislative elections, saying he has been silenced and pushed out of politics. Nadezhdin is one of the few politicians in Russia who has openly criticised President Vl…
Norway unveils memorial to 77 victims of 2011 attacks
Norway unveiled a memorial in Oslo on Sunday to the 77 people killed in the July 22, 2011 attacks, the deadliest peacetime massacre in the country's history. Anders Behring Breivik set off a bomb in a van near government headquarters in Oslo, killing eight pe…
Burned body found in southern Italy identified as sports journalist
A charred body found by firefighters in farmland in the southern Italian province of Salerno has been identified as local sports journalist Luigi Esposito, prosecutors said. Firefighters discovered the body while extinguishing a fire in a farm plot in Eboli,…
Israeli leaders warn Iran after missile launched toward Aqaba
Israel's defence minister said Sunday that Israel would respond powerfully to any attack by Iran, after Israeli and Jordanian forces intercepted an Iranian missile launched toward the Jordanian city of Aqaba. Israel Katz made the comments during a visit to a…
Turkey condemns Greece over closure of Turkish-language schools
Turkey's foreign ministry condemned a Greek decision to close eight schools serving the country's Turkish-speaking minority, accusing Greece of discrimination. In a communique on Sunday, the ministry said Greece was following systematic practices that weakene…
Niger state media says 16 soldiers killed in western attack
Sixteen soldiers were killed in an attack in western Niger, the country's ANP state news agency reported Sunday. ANP said a terrorist attack targeted a military deployment in the Tera area of Tillaberi region on Friday July 17. It said 23 soldiers were wounde…
Peru quake kills five and leaves 300 homeless, officials say
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake in Peru's Andes region killed five people and injured 21 others, officials said Sunday. The Geophysics Institute of Peru said the tremor struck on Saturday night and shook Chongos Bajo, about 300 kilometers, or 180 miles, east of Li…
India floods and landslides kill at least 19 people
Flash floods and landslides caused by monsoon rains killed at least 19 people in India on Sunday, officials and local media said, as rescue operations continued in affected areas. Eight people were killed in Nagaland, a northeastern state next to Myanmar. Wen…
South African officials say Koeberg contamination was minor
South African officials said on Sunday that recent radioactive contamination incidents at the Koeberg nuclear power plant were minor and posed no danger to the public. Officials said airborne radioactive contamination was detected during scheduled maintenance…
Sirens sound in Amman during US-Iran exchanges
Sirens sounded in Jordan's capital, Amman, on Sunday as the United States and Iran exchanged drone and missile attacks, an AFP correspondent reported. Jordan's state-run Al-Mamlaka channel also reported that sirens had been activated in different parts of the…
Iran says it hanged two men over protest-related charges
Iran's judiciary said two men were hanged on Sunday over charges linked to anti-government protests that began over economic grievances and peaked in January. The judiciary named the men as Erfan Esfandiari and Gol-Mohammad Mohammadi. It said they were found…
Greece prepares for first heatwave of the year
Greece is preparing for its first heatwave of the year after avoiding the record heat that affected much of Europe in June. Meteorologist Theodoros Kolydas said Sunday on Facebook that maximum temperatures in Thessaly, parts of the Peloponnese and the greater…
Starbucks Korea workers form first union after promotion controversy
Workers at Starbucks Korea have formed a labor union, the company confirmed Sunday, after a marketing controversy linked to memories of a 1980 crackdown on pro-democracy activists. Starbucks Korea, described in the report as the coffee chain's third-largest m…
Jordan and Israel report intercepting Iranian missiles near Aqaba
Israeli and Jordanian forces intercepted an Iranian missile aimed at the Jordanian city of Aqaba on Sunday, the Israeli military said, after Jordan denied repo…
Palestinian official says settlers torched West Bank mosque and factory
A Palestinian official said Israeli settlers set fire overnight to a mosque in the occupied West Bank village of Al-Tuwani. An AFP journalist saw the entrance of the mosque scorched and Hebrew graffiti on its walls. Mohammed Rabie, head of the village council…
Sources say more than 50 Malian soldiers killed near Anefis
Local and military sources said at least 50 Malian soldiers were killed in an attack by Tuareg separatists and jihadists while leaving the northern strategic town of Anefis. A local elected official close to Mali's ruling junta said the toll was provisional a…
Iranian Kurdish group says drone strike wounded eight members in Iraq
An exiled Iranian Kurdish opposition group said a drone strike in Iraq's Kurdistan region wounded eight of its members on Sunday, and blamed Iran for the attack. Adib Khaldian from the exiled Kurdistan Freedom Party, known as PAK, said Iranian forces attacked…
Firefighters say wildfire north of Madrid has burned 26,000 hectares
Firefighters said a wildfire north of Madrid has burned 26,000 hectares, or 65,000 acres. An earlier account from Spanish authorities had put the burned area at about 13,000 hectares, or 32,000 acres, and said around 700 residents had been evacuated. That ear…
Guyana ferry disaster leaves at least 27 dead and 83 missing, prime minister says
At least 27 people have died after the MV Barima ferry capsized off the coast of Guyana, Prime Minister Mark Phillips said Monday. Phillips said 69 people had been rescued since the vessel overturned on Saturday night, while 83 people remained missing. He sai…
Wife says Indian hunger striker is being held illegally in hospital
The wife of Indian hunger strike activist Sonam Wangchuk accused the government of using medical care as a cover for illegal detention after police took him to…
AI-agent smartphones feature at Shanghai technology conference
Technology companies are pushing smartphones with artificial intelligence agents that can carry out tasks such as ordering food, comparing prices, booking services and composing messages from voice commands. At least three companies showed or announced such p…
Sao Tome and Principe president wins re-election
Sao Tome and Principe’s incumbent president, Carlos Vila Nova, won re-election in the first round of the country’s presidential vote, the national electoral commission announced. The commission said Vila Nova received 56 percent in Sunday’s ballot, while Nito…
Two more survivors found after Indonesia boat sinking
Two more survivors from a passenger boat that sank off eastern Indonesia were found on an uninhabited island on Sunday, a rescue official said, a day after five others were rescued while floating in the sea. The boat sank on Wednesday as it sailed near Selaya…
Jingye demands compensation after UK takes control of British Steel
China's Jingye Steel demanded compensation and threatened the UK government with legal action on Sunday after London took control of British Steel from the Chinese firm. Jingye said in a statement on its official WeChat account that it reserved its legal righ…
Bahrain says Iran targeted air navigation systems with drones
Bahrain's civil aviation body said Iran targeted its air navigation systems with drones on Monday, but said air traffic was not affected. In a statement, the…
Kyiv missile attack kills one as Ukraine reports wider Russian strikes
Russia fired ballistic missiles at Kyiv overnight on Sunday, killing one person and wounding 16, Ukrainian officials said, as attacks also hit other Ukrainian cities and domestic political tensions grew over changes in Ukraine's defence leadership. Ukrainian…
Burnham expected to keep much of UK foreign policy steady
Andy Burnham is expected to broadly maintain Keir Starmer's position on major UK foreign policy issues if he becomes the UK's next prime minister, including close ties with Kyiv and efforts to improve relations with the European Union after Brexit. The sharpe…
Beirut exhibition uses house keys to remember destroyed homes in south Lebanon
A Beirut museum exhibition is using house keys, photos, videos and recreated rooms to preserve memories of south Lebanon after recent conflicts between Israel and Hezbollah destroyed many homes. At Beit Beirut museum, the exhibition "Hkeeli ya Jnoub", or "Tel…
Tate brothers to oppose UK extradition on sex crime charges, lawyer says
Influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan Tate will fight extradition to Britain on sex crime charges, their lawyer said Monday after a hearing in Miami. US authorities detained the brothers on Saturday as UK prosecutors announced new charges including r…
Kyiv reports building hits after blasts heard in capital
Several blasts were heard in Kyiv overnight from Saturday to Sunday after Ukraine's air force warned that ballistic missiles were heading toward the capital. One explosion was strong enough to set off alarms in cars parked in the city centre. Moments earlier,…
Rubio urges Cuba to release more than 700 political prisoners
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Cuba on Saturday to immediately release more than 700 people he described as unjustly detained political prisoners. Rubio made the call as Cuban dissident artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara arrived in Miami after five y…
Man arrested after small fire in Paris park
A 23-year-old man was arrested in Paris after allegedly saying he intended to set fire to the Bois de Boulogne, one of the French capital's largest parks, a police source said. Police were called late Friday to a fire in the western Paris park. The source sai…
Incoming UK prime minister to drop planned digital ID scheme
Incoming UK prime minister Andy Burnham will shelve a planned nationwide digital ID scheme, a spokesperson said. Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is due to step down on Monday, announced the plan in September as part of efforts to curb illegal migratio…
UN experts call for probe into alleged interference with Mexico missing-person protests
United Nations experts called on Saturday for impartial investigations into allegations that protests about Mexico’s disappearance crisis faced undue interference during the football World Cup. The six independent experts said security operations around tourn…
Zelensky signals possible army changes as Ukraine protests continue
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hinted on Saturday at possible changes in the army after protests over the removal of defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov continued for a third day. Fedorov, 35, was dismissed earlier in the week in a reshuffle by Zelensky…
Kenya presidency website restricted after reported cyberattack
Kenya temporarily restricted access to the presidency's website on Saturday after local media reported a cyberattack that included a ransom demand. The reports said hackers changed the site's homepage with messages critical of President William Ruto. They als…
Gaza officials say Israeli attacks killed 11, including children
Gaza's civil defence agency and hospitals said Israeli attacks on Saturday killed 11 people across the territory, including three children and their parents. A family of five was killed when an Israeli strike hit a residential apartment in northwest Gaza City…
US says it struck Iranian Guards linked to deadly Jordan attack
The US military said Saturday that it carried out an eighth consecutive night of strikes against Iran, including strikes on Iranian military facilities. US Cen…
Wildfires force evacuation of West Bank settlement
Multiple fires broke out on Saturday in the north of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, forcing the evacuation of one settlement and injuring at least two firefighters, according to police and rescue officials. The first blaze was reported in the early afternoon…
Pentagon says two US service members killed after Iranian strikes on Jordan
The Pentagon said on Saturday that two US service members were killed and one was missing in action in Jordan after a barrage of missile and drone strikes from Iran. US Central Command said the service members were killed Friday when US and partner forces def…
Trump says Netanyahu will not be arrested in New York
US President Donald Trump said Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would not be arrested while in the United States, after New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he was looking into whether city police could detain him at a United Nations summit…
Iran judiciary says man executed over security force death in 2022 protests
Iran's judiciary media outlet reported on Saturday that Iran executed another suspect who had been sentenced to death for killing a member of the security forces during the wave of protests that began in 2022. The Mizan agency said the sentence against Aref K…
Hungary’s president says he will sign amendment ending his term
Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok said on Saturday, July 18, that he will sign a newly passed constitutional amendment that would end his term as head of state. Sulyok, described as an ally of nationalist former leader Viktor Orban, criticised the amendment in…
Palestinian youth footballer dies after West Bank shooting, officials and relatives say
A 17-year-old Palestinian footballer died on Saturday, a week after he was shot during an attack by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, according to officials and relatives. Fadi Hamdallah al-Nassan played for Al-Mughayyir Club and was a member of the…
Ethiopians rally in Addis Ababa over alleged Tigray recruitment drive
Thousands of people gathered in Ethiopia's capital on Saturday for a pro-government rally against an alleged forced recruitment campaign by authorities in the northern Tigray region. The allegation follows accounts from youths who said in June that they had e…
The Hague residents evacuated after illegal drug lab found
Authorities in The Hague evacuated residents from dozens of homes on Saturday after an illegal drug lab was found in their neighbourhood, Dutch officials said. It was the second time in 24 hours that residents were asked to leave because of the lab. Barrels c…
Spain forecast to face third summer heatwave
Spain is expected to enter its third heatwave of the summer on Tuesday, with temperatures forecast to rise above 40C across large parts of the country, the national weather office said. AEMET said a persistent area of high pressure would trap hot, dry air fro…
TIM board backs Poste Italiane’s €10.8 billion offer
Telecom Italia said its board unanimously approved Poste Italiane’s voluntary public tender and exchange offer worth €10.8 billion, or $12.4 billion, and judged the offer to be fair. Poste Italiane, Italy’s state-controlled postal service and TIM’s largest sh…
Algeria and Mali reopen diplomatic ties after Sahel dispute
Algeria and Mali have announced the return of their ambassadors and the reopening of airspace to one another, after more than a year of strained relations that followed Algeria's shooting down of a Malian drone. Relations worsened sharply in April 2025 after…
Botswana says more citizens are being lured into Russia’s war in Ukraine
On 18 July 2026, Botswana's international relations ministry said an alarming number of Botswana nationals are being forced into combat in Russia's war against Ukraine after being misled by deceptive recruitment schemes. The ministry said recent reports show…
Brazil court blocks Milei visit to Bolsonaro under wider visit ban
Brazil's top court denied a request by Argentine President Javier Milei to visit former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, who is under house arrest. Milei is expected to attend the Liberal Party convention in Sao Paulo on July 25. Bolsonaro's son Flavio, a…
Greek minister says police will solve 2010 Athens bank arson case
Greece's police minister, Michalis Chrysochoidis, said authorities will solve a 2010 bank arson case in Athens that killed three people, including a pregnant woman, during an anti-austerity protest. Chrysochoidis told Ta Nea daily that the case was watertight…
Hezbollah holds mass funeral in southern Lebanon village
Hezbollah held a mass funeral on Saturday in Majdal Selm, a heavily damaged village in southern Lebanon, for dozens of people, most of them fighters killed in the latest fighting with Israel. The group buried 44 people in the village. The report said 39 were…
Jens Spahn quits CDU leadership role over US surrogacy controversy
Jens Spahn, a prominent figure in German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's centre-right CDU, resigned as chairman of the party's faction in parliament on Saturday amid controversy over his use of a surrogate mother in the United States, despite Germany's ban on the…
Ghana and Nigeria condemn anti-immigrant violence in South Africa
Nigeria and Ghana condemned ongoing anti-immigrant violence in South Africa and want the issue of “Afrophobia” discussed at the next African Union summit, Nigeria's government said on Saturday. South Africa has faced weeks of protests and unrest targeting und…
Niger journalist freed after more than a year in detention
A journalist from Radio Sahara FM in northern Niger was freed on Friday after more than a year in detention, local media and a private media association said. The association said Hamid Mahmoud, who worked for the Agadez-based station, had been released. Mahm…
Jens Spahn resigns CDU parliamentary leadership post over surrogacy controversy
Jens Spahn, chairman of the CDU faction in Germany's parliament, resigned his leadership post Saturday, party sources said, amid controversy over his use of a surrogate mother in the United States despite Germany's ban on the practice. Spahn wrote in a letter…
Panama to buy remaining private stake in Petroterminal pipeline company
The Panamanian government said Friday it would buy the remaining 41 percent private stake in Petroterminal from a US company, a move that would give Panama full control of a strategic oil pipeline. The government said that once the transaction is completed, P…
Turkey reports arrests in Islamic State-linked operation
Turkey's interior ministry said Saturday that authorities had arrested people across the country accused of links to the Islamic State group. The ministry said the police operation was carried out in 30 provinces, including Istanbul and Ankara. The report giv…
Malian army convoy attacked near Anefis, officials say
A Malian army convoy leaving the northern town of Anefis was attacked on Saturday morning by Tuareg separatists, military and security officials said. A military source based in Gao said the convoy was travelling from Anefis to Gao when it was attacked near T…
Kuwait accuses Iran of targeting civilian sites and vital infrastructure
Kuwait accused Iran on Saturday of targeting civilian sites and vital infrastructure in the country. The accusation came after Kuwait reported attacks on an oil facility and on a power and water plant. Kuwait's foreign ministry said the repeated targeting of…
Floods and landslides kill at least four in Vietnam
Severe flooding and landslides caused by heavy rains killed at least four people in Vietnam, state media reported Saturday. Vietnam's disaster and dyke management authority said more than 238 hectares of rice and other crops across four northern mountainous p…
North Korean foreign minister travels to Russia for Lavrov talks
North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui has flown to Moscow for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, North Korean state media reported. The Korean Central News Agency said Choe and her party left Pyongyang for Russia on July 18 aboard what it…
Skyroot says India’s first private orbital rocket completed test flight
India’s first privately built orbital rocket took its maiden flight on Saturday, according to its builder Skyroot Aerospace, in a step linked by officials to India’s efforts to expand its role in the global space economy. The Vikram-1 rocket took off from the…
Rubio praises Lebanon peace efforts during talks with Aoun
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Washington on Sunday and praised Lebanon's efforts after the latest round of Lebanon-Is…
Laos says evidence is lacking in tourist deaths linked to tainted alcohol
Laos authorities said on Saturday that they could not determine blame or the cause of the 2024 deaths of six tourists previously linked to methanol-tainted alc…
Iraq says it signed 48 agreements during prime minister's US visit
Iraq signed 48 agreements and partnerships with American companies, many of them in the oil sector, during Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's visit to the United States, his office said Saturday. The Iraqi leader's media office said the agreements included memoran…
Jordan summons Iranian diplomat to protest attacks
Jordan's foreign ministry said on Sunday that it summoned Iran's charge d'affaires in Amman to demand an immediate end to Iranian attacks. In a statement, the…
Aung San statues removed in Myanmar amid dispute over his legacy
Statues of Myanmar independence figure Aung San are being removed in parts of the country, amid a dispute over his place in public life and his connection to his detained daughter, Aung San Suu Kyi. Aung San fought both with and against British and Japanese c…
UNESCO members to consider new endangered heritage listings
UNESCO member states are due to vote in Busan, South Korea, on new additions to the World Heritage list and the World Heritage in Danger list, with several sites facing threats linked to conflict, climate change, pollution or other pressures. The United Natio…
Data centre growth faces political and local resistance worldwide
Governments around the world are trying to attract computing infrastructure for artificial intelligence, while facing local and political resistance over the resources that data centres require. The facilities, which contain specialised chips used for AI and…
Magnitude 5.0 earthquake felt across southeastern Turkey
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck southeastern Turkey on Saturday morning, the country's disaster management agency said. AFAD said the quake occurred at 6:20 am local time, or 0320 GMT, in the Battalgazi district of Malatya province. It said the tremor was f…
Betting firms report stronger activity at expanded World Cup
Betting industry figures said the expanded 48-team World Cup drew more betting activity than expected, with Darren Small, senior vice president of Managed Trad…
Gulf council head calls Iran attacks on civilian facilities war crimes
The head of a Gulf council said Iran's attacks on civilian facilities were “war crimes”. The statement came amid continuing Iran-related fighting affecting Gulf infrastructure, as described in the existing coverage.
Cairo recyclers gain from plastic supply squeeze linked to Iran war
Plastic recyclers in Cairo's Manshiyet Nasser district are receiving more orders from factories looking for alternatives to imported raw materials during supply disruptions linked to the Iran war and restrictions affecting the Strait of Hormuz. The eastern Ca…
Delhi police take fasting activist Sonam Wangchuk to hospital
New Delhi police forcibly moved activist Sonam Wangchuk to a hospital on Saturday because of health concerns after a 20-day hunger strike against India’s examination system. Wangchuk, 59, began fasting on 28 June. He is demanding the resignation of Education…
Moscow mayor says more than 370 drones flew toward region overnight
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Saturday that more than 370 drones were launched toward the Moscow region overnight. In a post on the state-backed MAX platform, he said the drones had been flying toward the region since 8:30 pm (1730 GMT). Sobyanin said…
Ukraine drone strikes on Russian warehouses kill eight, officials say
Ukrainian explosive-laden drones struck e-commerce warehouses in Russia's Moscow and Tambov regions on Saturday, killing eight people and causing large fires t…
Jordan says its forces intercepted 10 Iranian missiles
Jordan's army said on Saturday that its air defence systems intercepted and shot down 10 Iranian missiles that had entered Jordanian airspace. The army said the missiles were targeting the kingdom's territory. It said there were no casualties and no material…
Fuel shortages disrupt drivers across much of Russia
Fuel shortages are affecting drivers across much of Russia as Ukrainian strikes on Russian depots put pressure on fuel supplies. In Vologda, about 480 kilometres north of Moscow, residents Yelena and Dmitry passed four petrol stations before finding one with…
Mexico's Sheinbaum says she will attend World Cup final after Trump invitation
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Friday that she will travel to the United States to attend the World Cup final this weekend just outside New York after an invitation from US President Donald Trump. Sheinbaum announced the trip after not attending mat…
Remote Venezuelan village faces shortages after quake cuts off income and supplies
A remote Venezuelan coastal village that avoided the worst physical damage from the June 24 earthquakes is facing shortages and lost income after the disaster disrupted travel, tourism and trade. World Food Programme trucks travelled along a winding coastal r…
Trump questions England tactics after World Cup semi-final defeat
US President Donald Trump on Friday questioned England's tactics in their World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina. Speaking at a reception in New York alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino, Trump referred to England captain Harry Kane, saying he had play…
Venezuela to use $346 million from IMF for earthquake rebuilding, Rodriguez says
Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodriguez said Friday that the country would use $346 million from the International Monetary Fund for earthquake reconstruction. Rodriguez said in a statement on Telegram that the money would help support affected families…
Boeing forecasts 50,000 commercial planes worldwide by 2045
Boeing projected Friday that the global commercial aircraft fleet will reach 50,000 planes in 2045, with more than 90 percent made up of more fuel-efficient new-generation aircraft. The company said the current global fleet is about 28,000 airplanes. It linke…
Rubio says Iran is using Hormuz as leverage and urges others to help
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said late Sunday that Iran was using the Strait of Hormuz as leverage in the ongoing Middle East conflict. Speaking to reporters before traveling to the Philippines for a meeting of foreign ministers with the Association of S…
One dies in New York Legionnaires' disease outbreak
One person has died after contracting Legionnaires' disease in New York's Upper East Side, New York City health officials said on 17 July. The New York City Health Department said 67 cases had been confirmed in the neighborhood and that 12 people were hospita…
Jensen Huang leather jacket sells for $960,000 at New York auction
A black leather jacket worn by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang sold for $960,000 at a New York auction on Friday, Sotheby's said. The auction price was 16 times the estimated value of $60,000. Sotheby's said 45 collectors bid on the Tom Ford jacket. Brahm Wachter, So…
US denies Iran Guards claim that tankers hit mines near Hormuz
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Saturday that two oil tankers exploded and caught fire after hitting mines while transiting near the Strait of Hormuz, a claim the US military denied. In a statement carried by Iran's state news agency IRNA, the Guards said th…
Brazil human rights council urges UN and FIFA action on World Cup racism
Brazil's top human rights body urged the United Nations and FIFA on Friday to act against racism linked to the 2026 World Cup, citing racist slurs and hate speech aimed at players including French footballer Kylian Mbappe. Brazil's National Human Rights Counc…
Iranian agencies report blasts in Yazd and southern provinces
Iranian state news agency IRNA reported that five explosions were heard in the early hours of Saturday in Yazd, in central Iran. Another Iranian news agency, Mehr, reported that explosions were heard in several provinces in southern Iran. The reports came aft…
Trump administration further limits US endangered species protections
President Donald Trump's administration finalized two rules on Friday that narrow protections under the US Endangered Species Act. One rule rescinds the “blanket rule” that had automatically applied endangered species protections to species listed as “threate…
Cuban dissident artist Otero Alcantara reaches US after prison term
Cuban dissident artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara flew to exile in the United States on Saturday after serving a five-year sentence in Cuba. He landed in Miami after a short flight from Havana, according to a video shared by his friend, activist Anamely Ramo…
Venice protesters clash with police over US ambassador's yacht
Police and demonstrators briefly clashed in Venice on Friday during a protest against the arrival of a mega-yacht owned by the US ambassador to Italy, Texan businessman Tilman Fertitta. Several hundred protesters shouted slogans hostile to US policies in the…
US welcomes plan to restore Iraq-Syria oil pipeline
The US State Department said Friday that Iraq and Syria intend to restore a crude oil pipeline between the two countries that has been closed for decades. The department said the United States welcomed the Iraqi and Syrian governments' plan to advance the reh…
Nigel Farage to face 33 opponents in Clacton by-election
Nigel Farage will face 33 other candidates in a snap by-election in Clacton, eastern England, after nominations closed for the August 13 vote. Tendring District Council, which will run the contest, said Farage and 33 opponents will be on the ballot. The counc…
Chinese AI model Kimi K3 draws US industry concern
Kimi K3, a new artificial intelligence program from the Chinese startup Moonshot AI, drew strong attention in the US technology industry after its release on Thursday. The program reached the top spot within hours on Arena, a closely watched ranking of AI cod…
IRNA says US attacks killed three and wounded eight in Hormozgan
Iranian state news agency IRNA reported on Saturday that US attacks killed three people and wounded eight in Hormozgan province in southern Iran. IRNA said on Telegram that the deputy political, security and social affairs governor of Hormozgan announced the…
Ex-spy gets 30 years in French masonic lodge-linked trial
A Paris court jailed an ex-spy and a former journalist on Friday after a trial over violence and criminal activity linked to a former French masonic lodge just outside Paris. The court heard more than three months of evidence about murder attempts, industrial…
Wind threatens to spread large wildfire in northeastern Spain
Firefighters in northeastern Spain prepared for another difficult night on Friday as shifting winds threatened to spread a large wildfire in the Aragon region. The fire began on Wednesday in a rural area and has burned almost 14,000 hectares, or 34,600 acres.…
Lawyers say Chad opposition figures held in poor prison conditions
French lawyers for eight jailed Chadian opposition figures said Friday that the men are being held in deplorable prison conditions and that their health is rapidly worsening. The eight men, who are critics of President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, were sentenced…
Monaco bombing target says he did not expect threat to his life
Ukrainian-born millionaire Vadym Yermolaiev, who was wounded in a bombing attack in Monaco last month, said he did not know who might want him dead and had not believed his life was in danger before the attack. Yermolaiev, 58, remains in hospital. In his firs…
Manganese and military base to lead France-Gabon talks
Manganese processing and the future of a French military camp in Gabon will be the main issues when Gabon's President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema visits France, officials from both countries said on Friday. Oligui Nguema is due to travel from Monday for a th…
UN expert and rights groups urge Thailand not to deport journalist to China
A United Nations expert and dozens of press freedom and rights groups urged Thailand not to forcibly return detained Chinese investigative journalist Bai Zhaodong to China. Andrea Bolanos Vargas, the UN special rapporteur on rights defenders, said Bai fled Ch…
Brazil requires gambling ads to warn about addiction and losses
Brazil made it mandatory on Friday for gambling advertisements to carry warnings about addiction and money loss, tightening rules on a betting sector that has grown quickly in recent years. Brazil's betting market has expanded since a regulatory framework was…
Seven US aid workers isolate at Kenya Ebola facility despite court order
Seven US aid workers are isolating at an Ebola quarantine facility in Kenya that a court had ordered halted, Samaritan's Purse confirmed Friday. Kenya's health minister, Aden Duale, said he was not aware of their presence. The facility is at Laikipia Air Base…
Officials say strikes kill at least 10 across Ukraine, Russia and occupied areas
Russian and Ukrainian strikes killed at least 10 people in total on Friday across both sides of the border, local officials in the respective territories said. In Ukraine, deputy mayor Oleksandr Filatov said two people were killed and eight wounded when a mis…
UN says humanitarian conditions are worsening in Sudan's El-Obeid
The United Nations said Friday that the humanitarian situation in El-Obeid in Sudan is worsening rapidly as displacement camps receive more people. The UN has warned for weeks that atrocities similar to those committed during the paramilitary assault on El-Fa…
Gaza officials say Israeli strike near market killed eight and wounded 22
Gaza's civil defence agency and Al-Awda hospital said an Israeli airstrike killed eight people on Friday near Al-Balata market in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. The hospital said it received the eight dead and 22 wounded people after the strike. M…
European speedcubers compete in Netherlands championship
Competitive Rubik's Cube solvers from 53 countries are taking part in the 11th European speedcubing championships in Arnhem, in the eastern Netherlands. The event has 1,200 competitors and includes disciplines such as blindfold solving and solving cubes while…
Cricket figures pay tribute after Garry Sobers dies at 89
Tributes from across cricket followed the death of West Indies all-rounder Garry Sobers on Friday at the age of 89. Sobers was widely regarded as one of the greatest players in cricket history. Former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott said anyone who saw Sober…
One killed and police officer wounded in Denmark shooting
One person was killed and a police officer was wounded in northern Denmark on Friday after a gunman opened fire on officers responding to a report of a building fire, police said. The shooting happened in an industrial area of Norresundby. Police said a civil…
Slovak defence ministry headquarters renovation draws criticism over cost
Slovakia's defence minister, Robert Kalinak, is facing criticism after unveiling a renovated 27-storey headquarters for his ministry in Bratislava. The renovation of the former communist-era barracks cost 53 million euros, or $61 million. The tower is popular…
US lets Hong Kong emergency expire but keeps wider order in place
The United States has allowed a national emergency declaration linked to Hong Kong's security situation to expire, US officials confirmed Friday, but Washington has not clearly said whether it will restore preferential trade treatment for the city. The emerge…
Irish Oscar-winning actress Brenda Fricker dies aged 81
Irish actress Brenda Fricker, who won an Oscar in 1990 for her supporting role in "My Left Foot", has died at the age of 81, her agent announced on Friday. Agent Phil Belfield said Fricker died peacefully on Thursday in Dublin, after a period of ill health. F…
Fed official says broad inflation is bigger concern for US central bank
Cleveland Federal Reserve President Beth Hammack said on Friday that inflation is too high and broad-based, signaling that she could support higher interest rates at future US central bank meetings. Hammack, a voting member of the Fed's rate-setting committee…
France and Germany plan China trade roadmap by September
France and Germany want to produce a joint roadmap by September to address what they describe as unfair Chinese trade practices, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The European Union is debating how to…
ConocoPhillips to take 42 percent stake in BP Iraq oil venture
ConocoPhillips announced that it had reached a deal with BP to join the British company’s oil production venture in northern Iraq as a minority partner. The US company said it will acquire a 42 percent interest in BP Energy Company of Kirkuk Limited. The sign…
Tsunami threat passes after 7.3 quake off southern Mexico
A 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck off southern Mexico on Friday and was felt in parts of Central America, while a tsunami warning for Pacific coastal areas of Mexico and Guatemala was later lifted after the US government said the threat had passed. Authoritie…
Reliance profit beats estimate despite year-on-year decline
Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries reported quarterly profit above analyst expectations, helped by steady performance in its oil-to-chemicals business and consumer-facing divisions. The company said net profit attributable to owners was 209.46 billion ru…
Mother of UK student killer jailed for hiding knife used in attack
The mother of a British Sikh man jailed for killing a white student was sentenced to three years in prison on Friday for taking away the ceremonial knife used in the fatal stabbing. Henry Nowak was handcuffed by police in December as he lay dying after his at…
France to block access to Polymarket prediction market
France said on Friday that it is blocking access to the online prediction market Polymarket, saying people continued to bet through the site despite an existing ban on financial transactions from French accounts. The national gaming authority, ANJ, said Polym…
South African police arrest 69 after anti-immigrant protest turns violent
South African police said they arrested 69 people after an anti-immigrant protest in Jeffreys Bay, in Eastern Cape province, turned violent, led to looting and left at least one person in hospital. Police said the protest was organised by the anti-migrant gro…
The Gambia and Senegal trade statements over contested border incident
The Gambia said Friday it was deeply concerned after what it called a profoundly provocative border incursion by the Senegalese Armed Forces at a military post in a contested border zone. In a statement from its government spokesman, The Gambia alleged that a…
Switzerland joins NATO ammunition procurement partnership
Switzerland has joined a NATO-linked partnership for joint ammunition procurement, saying the move could reduce costs and shorten delivery times. The Swiss Federal Office for Defence Procurement, Armasuisse, said on Friday that Switzerland was now taking part…
House Democratic split over Israel aid widens before US midterms
More than 100 Democrats in the US House of Representatives voted this week to cut military aid to Israel, showing a widening split inside the party before November's midterm elections. The measure was introduced by conservative Kentucky congressman Thomas Mas…
Ukrainian outlets publish banned corruption investigation into official's brother
Eight Ukrainian news outlets defied a court ban on Friday and published a corruption investigation into the brother of a senior law enforcement official. The investigation by Slidstvo.Info and the Anti-Corruption Action Center, known as AntAC, claimed to have…
Two South African soldiers die in mine shaft during illegal mining operation
Two South African soldiers died after falling down a mine shaft during an operation against illicit mining, a police spokeswoman said. Police spokeswoman Athlenda Mathe said the incident happened at an abandoned mine west of Johannesburg while soldiers were p…
US consumer sentiment rises in July after oil price dip
US consumer sentiment rose in July to its highest level since February after a temporary drop in oil prices, preliminary University of Michigan data showed. The survey's consumer sentiment index reached 54.4 points, nearly 10 percent above June's reading. The…
UN rights expert urges justice over Honduras palm farm massacre
A United Nations rights expert demanded justice for workers killed at a palm plantation in Honduras and urged reparations for the families of those killed. Morris Tidball-Binz, the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said…
Southwest China landslide kills at least eight and leaves 34 missing
A landslide in southwest China killed at least eight people and left 34 missing on Friday, local authorities said, as rescue work continued in Chongqing's Pengshui County. The landslide happened at about 9:10 am local time, or 0110 GMT, according to state bro…
Police investigate North Macedonia water supply after more than 1,000 treated for poisoning symptoms
More than 1,000 people have been treated for poisoning symptoms in North Macedonia after contaminated river water was allegedly pumped directly into a town's drinking supply, a hospital said Friday. The hospital in Gostivar, about 50 kilometres southwest of S…
Macron urges caution over polls predicting Le Pen win
French President Emmanuel Macron urged caution over surveys predicting that far-right candidate Marine Le Pen could win next year's election to choose his successor. Speaking on Friday at a press conference alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Macron s…
France and Germany seek closer defence cooperation after fighter jet project collapse
France and Germany sought to show unity on defence after the collapse of a joint fighter jet project, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz saying German troops would join a French military nuclear exercise this year. Merz spoke alongside French President Emm…
EU says bigger banks are needed to compete with US lenders
The European Union said on Friday that it needs larger banks if the 27-nation bloc wants to catch up with competitors in the United States. The EU published a report on the banking sector as part of efforts to strengthen the European economy by unlocking more…
Nvidia and Apple trade places as top-valued company during chip selloff
Nvidia briefly lost its position as the world's most valuable publicly traded company to Apple early Friday during a selloff in semiconductor shares and amid doubts about whether the artificial intelligence boom can keep its pace. Nvidia shares fell as much a…
Merz says Germany will work with whoever France elects in 2027
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday that he would extend a hand to whoever becomes France's next president in 2027. Merz spoke alongside French President Emmanuel Macron after a joint French-German government meeting near Cologne. The source said…
Kenyan aviation workers plan strike notice over labour disputes
Kenyan aviation unions will hand over a strike notice next week, a representative said on 17 July, raising the possibility of disruption at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, which the source describes as one of Africa's busiest hubs. The Kenya Aviation Wor…
Nigerian court dismisses challenge to Shell onshore asset sale
A Nigerian court on 17 July dismissed a lawsuit by Bubaraiye Dakolo, the monarch of Ekpetiama kingdom in southern Bayelsa state, that sought to halt Shell's plan to offload its onshore assets over accusations of decades of environmental pollution. Dakolo had…
Italian regulator fines six companies over Olympic ambush marketing
Italy's Competition Authority said it had fined six Italian companies a total of 2.5 million euros, or $2.86 million, for ambush marketing during the Milan-Cortina Olympics. The regulator, known as AGCM, said the companies ran advertising campaigns and promot…
Romania announces €1 billion radar and helicopter purchases
Romania's defence ministry announced on Friday deals worth one billion euros, or about $1.1 billion, to buy helicopters from Airbus and air surveillance radars from Thales. The ministry said the purchases include 12 multi-mission helicopters from Airbus for 7…
Germany to join French military nuclear exercise, Merz says
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany will take part in a French nuclear exercise later this year, after representatives from the German and French governments met near Cologne. Speaking at a press conference alongside French President Emmanuel Macron…
France health agency reports sharp rise in Paris-region deaths during June heatwave
France's public health agency said deaths in the Paris region were more than double normal levels during a record-breaking heatwave in June. Sante Publique Fr…
Jens Spahn resigns CDU leadership post after surrogacy controversy
Jens Spahn, a senior figure in German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's centre-right CDU, resigned his leadership post after criticism over his use of a surrogate mo…
Weekly offbeat roundup covers football diplomacy, AI companions and election jokes
On 17 July 2026, a weekly offbeat news roundup highlighted several unusual stories from different countries. Ahead of an England-Argentina World Cup semi-final in Buenos Aires, the British embassy posted a mock internal memo on Instagram telling staff how to…
Tanker boarded in Gulf of Aden as Yemen coast guard cites Somali pirates
Unidentified people illegally boarded a tanker in the Gulf of Aden, maritime security agencies reported, while Yemen's coast guard said the ship had been captu…
Defence focus expected at Farnborough airshow
Global aviation companies are set to gather at Britain's Farnborough airshow from July 20 to 24, with defence expected to have a stronger role as wars in Ukraine and the Middle East affect security priorities and military spending. The biennial event, held at…
US condemns China actions as Rubio arrives in Manila
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Manila on Tuesday for a meeting of Southeast Asian foreign ministers, as Washington condemned what it called China…
Chinese airlines order 95 Airbus jets in deals worth more than $17 billion
Chinese airlines have ordered 95 Airbus jets in deals worth more than $17 billion, according to company announcements on Friday. Air China said in a filing to the Shanghai Stock Exchange that it had agreed to buy 55 Airbus planes for itself and a subsidiary i…
Rowling criticises Amnesty label as UK charity regulator assesses concerns
Britain's charities regulator is assessing concerns about an Amnesty International UK report that described Beira's Place, a women's centre for sexual violence…
Burnham promises hope as Labour leader before becoming UK prime minister
Andy Burnham vowed on Friday to restore hope to people in Britain as he formally became leader of the ruling Labour Party and prepared to become the next UK pr…
UK aid cuts draw criticism from charities
The UK government faced growing criticism from non-governmental organisations after details showed deep cuts to overseas aid budgets for countries in Africa and Asia, in some cases by up to 90 percent. Analyses of the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Offi…
Mexico arrests former governor in alleged fuel smuggling network case
Mexican authorities arrested former Baja California governor Ernesto Ruffo on Thursday in an investigation into alleged large-scale fuel smuggling. The Attorney General's Office said Ruffo was identified as one of the leaders of the operation. Attorney Genera…
Nigeria says it has completed evacuation of nearly 1,500 citizens from South Africa
Nigeria said it has completed the evacuation of its citizens from South Africa, airlifting 1,490 people between June 10 and July 15 as anti-immigrant groups increased pressure on undocumented foreigners to leave. Foreign ministry spokesman Kimiebi Ebienfa sai…
Iraqi Kurdistan's prime minister urges Iran to halt attacks
The office of Masrour Barzani, prime minister of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, on Friday condemned attacks it blamed on Iran and urged Tehran to stop the escalation. The office said it condemned what it called unjustified attacks by the Islamic Republic…
Moldovan man held in Germany over alleged drone spying at Munich defence site
German prosecutors said a 37-year-old Moldovan man has been arrested on suspicion of espionage after allegedly flying a drone over a defence contractor's facility in Munich. The Munich public prosecutor's office said Friday that the man allegedly flew the dro…
Iran urges IAEA to condemn alleged US strike on Darkhovin nuclear site
Iran urged the United Nations nuclear watchdog on Monday to condemn US strikes that it said targeted the Darkhovin nuclear power plant, which is under construction in southwest Iran. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told a press conference i…
Russian court fines Boris Nadezhdin after medical episode in court
A Russian court fined anti-war politician Boris Nadezhdin 1,000 rubles, about $13, for displaying "extremist symbols" after a hearing in which paramedics carried out a cardiogram on him in court because of very high blood pressure. Nadezhdin, 63, is one of th…
Russian activist who turned against Putin remanded in custody
Russian activist Ilya Remeslo, who for years targeted opponents of the Kremlin before later denouncing President Vladimir Putin and Russia's offensive in Ukraine, was arrested Friday, his lawyer said. Lawyer Sergei Badamshin said Remeslo, 42, is accused of sp…
Israel's parliament votes to dissolve ahead of October elections
Israel's parliament voted to dissolve itself early Friday, clearing the way for elections on October 27 in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will seek another term. The vote was supported by 62 of the Knesset's 120 members. It followed a final legislati…
UN chief condemns attacks on civilian infrastructure in Iran-US escalation
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said attacks on civilian infrastructure are unacceptable after Iran accused the United States of targeting bridges and transport hubs. His spokesman, Farhan Haq, said Guterres remained deeply concerned by the continuing m…
Former leaders warn of threat to future Palestinian state
Two former heads of government from the Elders group of international figures founded by Nelson Mandela warned on Friday that the Palestinian territories could disappear and called for an end to what they described as Israeli impunity. Former Ireland presiden…
US tech investor pauses Malaysia projects after immigration raid
US tech investor Balaji Srinivasan said he was putting planned projects in Malaysia on hold after authorities raided Network School, his start-up campus in southern Johor state, over claims that it was hosting foreigners illegally, including Israelis. Sriniva…
Saab says orders more than doubled after Polish submarine deal
Swedish defence group Saab said its order bookings more than doubled in the second quarter, helped by a Polish order for three new submarines, and said it was working to increase capacity. Chief executive Micael Johansson said demand for defence and deterrenc…
Pakistan increases pressure on Afghans in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to leave
Afghan residents in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa border province packed belongings this week or hid at home as police carried out what a senior officer called a large-scale crackdown on undocumented residents. Authorities in the northern province demolished…
Polish president vetoes bill to create civil partnership rights
Poland's conservative President Karol Nawrocki vetoed a bill on Friday that would have legalised civil partnerships, including for same-sex couples, according to a statement he announced. The bill was proposed by Prime Minister Donald Tusk's centrist governme…
Iran's Guards say they attacked US aircraft in Jordan with missiles and drones
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Friday that they had struck US military aircraft stationed in Jordan with ballistic missiles and drones. The Guards said the attack was in retaliation for overnight US strikes. In a statement, they claimed to have destroyed se…
Hong Kong fire survivors seek apology as inquiry ends
Survivors of Hong Kong's deadliest fire in decades called for an apology and accountability from officials as a months-long inquiry into the Wang Fuk Court disaster ended on Friday. The November fire killed 169 people and displaced thousands after flames spre…
Qatar says child injured after missile attack intercepted
Qatar said on Friday that its armed forces intercepted a missile attack targeting the country, and that a child was injured by falling debris after the interception. Qatar's Ministry of Defense announced on X that the armed forces had intercepted a missile at…
Volvo Cars reports lower second-quarter sales but expects recovery
Swedish carmaker Volvo Cars reported lower sales in the second quarter and described the business environment as very challenging, but said it expected sales to improve in the second half of the year. Chief executive Hakan Samuelsson said the second quarter e…
Japan changes imperial succession rules but keeps male-only throne
Japan's parliament changed the imperial succession law on Friday but kept rules that prevent women from becoming emperor, despite polls cited in the report showing broad public support for female succession. The future of the imperial family currently depends…
Sri Lanka court orders LPL team co-owner held in match-fixing case
A Sri Lankan court ordered Manjot Kalra, the Indian co-owner of a Lanka Premier League team, to be held in prison until the end of the month after he was charged with attempting to bribe five players for match-fixing. Inspector Supun Vidanage of the Sports In…
Iran leader says US attacks show Trump deal signature is 'worthless'
Iran's supreme leader said US attacks proved that President Donald Trump's signature on a deal was "worthless," adding to his warnings during the continuing es…
Philippines protests China Daily video it calls racist
The Philippines lodged a diplomatic protest with Beijing on Friday over a China Daily video that Manila described as racist for portraying the Philippines as a cartoon monkey. The foreign department said Foreign Undersecretary Leo Herrera-Lim first raised the…
Kurdish group says strikes killed nine members in Iraq as drones downed over Erbil
Drone and rocket strikes killed nine members of the Iranian Kurdish armed opposition group Komala in Iraq's Kurdistan region on Friday, the exiled party said, blaming Iran for the attack. Idriss Kohlwazi, from the exiled Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, sai…
India launches first hydrogen-powered train
India launched its first hydrogen-powered train on Friday as part of efforts to reduce emissions from rail transport and cut reliance on fossil fuels. The 10-coach train operates on an 89-kilometre route between Jind and Sonipat in Haryana state. It is powere…
UK agency says tanker hit off Oman, crew safe
A tanker reported being hit by an unknown projectile off the coast of Oman, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said on Friday. The agency said the strike caused minor structural damage to the vessel's port side. It said the incident took place overnight…
Xi calls for international cooperation on AI at Shanghai conference
China's President Xi Jinping said artificial intelligence should not be dominated by one country and called for international cooperation on AI development at the opening of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on Friday. Xi said AI develo…
Iran health ministry says 38 killed in US strikes since June 22
Iran's health ministry said Friday that at least 38 people had been killed and more than 400 injured in the country since fighting resumed with the United States. Health ministry spokesman Hossein Kermanpour posted on X that the number of injured from US atta…
Petula Clark says she hopes human singers survive AI music
British singer Petula Clark said she hopes artificial intelligence will not replace the warmth, emotion and audience connection of human performers. Clark, 93, told AFP in an interview that the rise of AI in music was worrying and puzzling. Asked whether the…
EU proposes softer carbon market rules for companies
The European Union proposed easing its carbon trading scheme for companies as it set out reforms to one of its main climate policies under pressure to support industry. The proposed overhaul of the Emissions Trading System, or ETS, follows disputes among EU c…
Ugandan prosecutors drop case against two women arrested for kissing
Ugandan prosecutors said Friday that they had withdrawn a case against two women who were arrested for kissing in public under the country's anti-gay law. The two women, both in their 20s, were arrested in February after a complaint by neighbours in the north…
Kurdish forces say US-led coalition downed eight drones over Erbil
Kurdish counterterrorism forces said the US-led coalition shot down eight explosive-laden drones over Erbil, the capital of Iraq's northern Kurdistan region, on Friday. The forces said the drones were downed between 04:19 and 05:25 local time, or 01:19 and 02…
Iran's Guards say they struck US radar sites in Oman
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Friday that their forces struck two radar sites belonging to the United States in Oman. In a statement, the Guards said they had targeted and destroyed a maritime surveillance radar at the Salamah Rocks and a US air surveillan…
China and Pakistan urge US and Iran to return to talks
China's foreign ministry said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar called for the United States and Iran to stop fighting and resume negotiations after a meeting in Shanghai on Friday. According to the ministry statement,…
Japan passes law criminalising public damage to national flag
Japan enacted a law on Friday making it a crime to publicly damage, remove or deface the national flag in a way that causes significant discomfort or revulsion to others. The offence can be punished by up to two years in prison or a fine of up to 200,000 yen,…
Polish miners train for wind power jobs as coal employment falls
Some Polish coal miners are training for work in the wind power industry as Poland slowly shifts away from coal and toward cleaner energy sources. Grzegorz Witek, a miner from Silesia, travelled with seven other miners to Gorzyca in western Poland for a train…
Residents in urban Japan push back against data centre plans
Residents in parts of urban Japan are opposing planned data centres as demand grows for facilities that support artificial intelligence and cloud storage. In Hino, on the outskirts of Tokyo, 94-year-old Yoriko Kitagawa said she was worried about a large data…
Startups use AI coding tools to keep teams smaller
Technology startups are increasingly using AI coding tools to build products with smaller teams, while some executives say the shift is reducing demand for entry-level programmers. Eric Lauer, who runs the online gift-giving platform Giftory, said he now look…
Profile details Burnham's rise as he becomes UK prime minister
Andy Burnham, 56, replaced Keir Starmer as UK prime minister on Monday, three days after becoming leader of the ruling Labour Party at his third attempt. Spea…
Uganda school bus crash death toll rises to 24, police say
Ugandan police said Friday night that the death toll from a school bus crash had risen to 23 children and one adult, and that all school field trips had been cancelled. The bus was returning to Kampala from a school trip to Sipi Falls in eastern Uganda on Thu…
Syrian military source denies Iranian strike on Al-Tanf area
A Syrian military source on Friday denied that Iran had bombed the Al-Tanf base near Syria's southeastern borders with Jordan and Iraq. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there had been no Iranian bombardment targeting the Al-Tanf area. The…
China objects to UK nationalisation of British Steel
China said on Friday that it strongly opposed the UK government's decision to take British Steel into full public ownership. China's Commerce Ministry expressed strong dissatisfaction after the legislation took effect on Wednesday. It accused the British gove…
Pakistan lobbying contract seeks closer US defence and minerals ties
Pakistan hired a US lobbying firm to press Washington for stronger security cooperation and investment in minerals, according to a two-year contract filed in a public official database. The $1.2 million agreement with Ervin Graves Strategy Group began in May.…
Japan keeps male-only throne rule in succession law changes
Japan's parliament changed the imperial succession law on Friday but kept the rule that prevents women from becoming emperor, despite polls cited in the report showing broad public support for female succession. The future of the imperial household currently…
Taiwan changes telecom rules that could let Starlink operate
Taiwanese lawmakers approved changes to telecoms rules on Tuesday that could allow Starlink to offer satellite internet service on the island, as Taiwan looks…
Tech shares slide as oil jumps on US-Iran fighting
Wall Street stocks fell on Friday, joining most global markets in retreating as weakness in artificial intelligence-linked shares continued and oil prices rebounded. Technology shares have been under pressure in recent days as investors question high valuatio…
Skyroot says Vikram-1 test flight completed its mission
Skyroot Aerospace said on Saturday, 18 July, that India's first privately built orbital rocket completed its maiden flight. The company said in a post on X that Vikram-1's Test Flight-1 had completed its mission and that the first Indian private sector launch…
Xi calls for global cooperation and controls on AI
China’s leader Xi Jinping said artificial intelligence should not be dominated by a single country and called for international cooperation on its development. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on Fri…
At least 14 dead and five injured in northern Peru road accident
Local authorities said at least 14 people died and five others were injured on Thursday when a van or minibus went off a road and fell into a ravine in northern Peru. Ricardo Chilon, head of institutional communications for the San Juan municipality, said aut…
Xi urges international cooperation on AI at Shanghai conference
China's President Xi Jinping called for broader international cooperation on artificial intelligence at the opening of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, saying the sector should not be controlled by one country. Xi said AI development…
Nikkei falls more than 6% as technology shares extend losses
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 fell more than 6% on Friday as technology companies extended recent heavy losses and investor concern grew about how long the artificial intelligence boom will last. In afternoon trade, the index was down 6.02%, or 4,026.47 points…
Several blasts heard in Doha as safety alert urges shelter
Several blasts were heard early Friday in Qatar's capital, Doha, as Iran attacked US allies in the renewed Middle East war. A public safety alert warned that the security threat level was "elevated" and urged residents to take shelter. The brief report did no…
Nine Cuban canoeists defect during Canada competition, source says
Nine members of a 12-person Cuban canoeing team defected during a visit to Canada for a competition, a source close to the matter said Thursday. The athletes were taking part in the third Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Cup in Montreal. The competition ran f…
Mexican journalist covering security issues killed in Puebla
A Mexican journalist who focused on security issues was killed Thursday in a drive-by shooting in the central state of Puebla, the local government announced. Josue Martinez was director of Noticias San Martin Texmelucan, where he covered security and major e…
North Korea says Kim met senior Chinese official as treaty anniversary marked
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met senior Chinese official Wang Huning and pledged to deepen ties with Beijing, North Korean state media KCNA reported. The meeting took place as North Korea and China marked the 65th anniversary of their 1961 mutual defense t…
Iranian state media says overnight US strikes killed eight in Iran
Iranian state media reported Friday that overnight US strikes on infrastructure in southern and western Iran killed eight people and wounded 20 others. The IRNA news agency said some infrastructure in several provinces came under US military attack. It report…
Netflix shares fall after results raise growth concerns
Netflix shares fell as much as 8 percent on Thursday after results disappointed investors already concerned about slowing engagement at the streaming company. The Los Gatos, California-based company is facing strong competition from YouTube, TikTok and other…
Chinese AI companies push to compete with US rivals
Chinese artificial intelligence companies are expanding models, chatbots and AI tools as they try to compete with leading US firms such as OpenAI and Anthropic, despite US export restrictions on advanced computing hardware. China's older technology companies…
US science report says climate event attribution has improved
A new report from the United States' top science advisory body says scientists can now link some specific extreme weather events to human-caused climate change with greater confidence, a finding that could affect lawsuits seeking damages from fossil fuel comp…
Trump says he spoke with Canada PM and raises wildfire damages
US President Donald Trump said he spoke Sunday at the World Cup final with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and raised the issue of wildfire smoke that has…
Macky Sall returns to Senegal for talks with successor on UN bid
Former Senegalese president Macky Sall met President Bassirou Diomaye Faye in Dakar on Friday during his first return to Senegal since leaving office in April 2024. Sall, who led Senegal from 2012 to 2024, is campaigning to become the next United Nations secr…
Nicaragua says it is cutting diplomatic ties with Italy
Nicaragua said Thursday it is severing diplomatic relations with Italy after Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani criticized Managua for sheltering Alessio Casimirri, who was convicted in Italy over the 1978 kidnapping and killing of former Italian prime m…
White House says Trump remains open to Iran diplomacy
The White House said President Donald Trump remains open to diplomacy with Iran and that Washington is still talking to Tehran despite renewed hostilities. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump would hold Iran accountable if i…
Study projects more Amazon deforestation after soy moratorium ends
A paper published in Science projects that the end of the Amazon Soy Moratorium will lead to at least 1.4 million hectares of additional deforestation in Brazil over the next decade. The paper examined the Amazon Soy Moratorium, a voluntary agreement under wh…
Rights groups say Cuban dissident remains in custody after prison term
Human rights groups said Thursday that Cuban dissident artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara remains in custody even though he finished serving a five-year prison term a week earlier. Otero Alcantara, who Amnesty International has designated a prisoner of consci…
SpaceX delays Starship test after engine abort
SpaceX scrubbed a planned Starship test flight on Thursday, calling it off just as the booster began to ignite. Company head Elon Musk wrote on X that some engines did not start, triggering an automatic launch abort, and that the company was offloading propel…
US adds Juarez Cartel and Los Viagras to terrorist organization list
The United States has designated Mexico's Juarez Cartel and Los Viagras group as foreign terrorist organizations, the State Department announced Thursday. The move adds to six other designations Washington issued last year against cartels and organized crime…
Kyiv protesters oppose Zelensky's dismissal of defence minister
Thousands of people gathered in Kyiv on Friday for a second day of protests against President Volodymyr Zelensky's dismissal of defence minister Mykhailo Fedor…
AFP analysis links Europe's June heatwave to at least 12,000 excess deaths
An AFP analysis of national statistics indicated that at least 12,000 excess deaths were recorded across nine European countries during June's heatwave, and the toll could still rise as more data is released. All-time temperature records were broken in severa…
UN experts criticise US immigration judge dismissals
Two United Nations special rapporteurs condemned what they called the mass arbitrary removal of immigration judges in the United States and said the politicisation of immigration courts must stop. Margaret Satterthwaite, the special rapporteur on the independ…
Zelensky names Yevgeniy Khmara as acting defence minister
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday that he had appointed Yevgeniy Khmara, a career intelligence official, as acting defence minister. Zelensky announced the decision in a Facebook post. He said Khmara had gained extensive and, in many respec…
Chile Senate approves Kast-backed economic reform package
Chile's Senate approved a package of economic reforms backed by right-wing President Jose Antonio Kast, sending the bill to the lower chamber of Congress for further approval. The reforms include several tax cuts, including a gradual reduction in company levi…
XPeng CEO says carmaker is studying European production sites
Chinese electric carmaker XPeng is considering production options in Europe, including underused factories in Germany, as it plans a wider European expansion, chief executive He Xiaopeng said in Munich. He told reporters that many European countries could pot…
UN experts cite abuse reports involving migrants at Tunisia-Libya border
UN experts voiced alarm on 16 July over reports that thousands of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa may have been subjected to arbitrary detention, collective expulsion and human trafficking on the Tunisia-Libya border and in Libya. The experts said they were…
EU summons Burkina Faso ambassador over expulsions of two diplomats
The European Union summoned Burkina Faso's ambassador after the West African country decided to expel two diplomats from the EU delegation. EU spokeswoman Anitta Hipper said online that the bloc strongly protested what it called Burkina Faso's unjustified dec…
UK court denies bail to captain of alleged Russian shadow fleet tanker
A UK court denied bail to Ajay Pant, the Indian captain of an alleged Russian shadow fleet tanker seized by British forces in the Channel last month. Pant, 38, appeared by video link in a London court and is charged with directly or indirectly supplying or de…
French prime minister pledges closer ties with Morocco during Rabat visit
France and Morocco moved to strengthen their renewed partnership during a visit by French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu to Rabat, while new reports about alleged Moroccan use of Pegasus spyware against French officials threatened to overshadow the trip. Le…
Aragon wildfire has burned more than 12,000 hectares, authorities say
Regional authorities said on 17 July that a major wildfire in northeast Spain had burned more than 12,000 hectares of land after raging for two days, and warned that there was a very high risk it could spread further. Roberto Bermúdez de Castro, who is respon…
Dutch court upholds block on US firm's cloud company purchase
A Dutch court upheld a government decision to block the acquisition of cloud services company Solvinity by US IT infrastructure firm Kyndryl over concerns that sensitive data could be accessed by the US government. The Dutch government announced at the end of…
ICC confirms charges against former Libyan prison official
A former Libyan prison official will stand trial at the International Criminal Court after judges confirmed 17 charges including murder, rape and torture. ICC prosecutors accuse Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri, 48, of war crimes and crimes against humanity alleg…
China warns of response to US limits on journalist stays
China warned Friday that it could take countermeasures after Washington finalized rules shortening how long journalists can stay in the United States, with Chinese nationals facing the strictest limits. Under the change, which could take effect as soon as Sep…
Rights groups urge EU to suspend Tunisia migration support
Dozens of human rights organisations urged the European Union to suspend migration support to Tunisia under a deal they said was fuelling abuses. The EU signed the agreement with Tunisia in 2023 to provide financing intended to help curb small-boat crossings…
Sweden approves two offshore wind farms and rejects 11 projects
Sweden's government said it has approved two offshore wind power farms, while rejecting 11 other wind projects because of their impact on the country's defence capabilities. The approved projects are Fyrskeppet Offshore in the Bothnian Sea between Sweden and…
Emerald ash borer found in EU for first time in Hungary and Slovakia
An Asia-origin beetle that has severely damaged ash forests in North America has been detected in the European Union for the first time, with findings in Hungary and Slovakia, authorities said. Slovakia's Agricultural Central Control and Testing Institute, kn…
Bangladesh police arrest suspect in 1981 killing of former president
Bangladesh police said they arrested on 16 July a retired military officer accused of involvement in the assassination of former president Ziaur Rahman more than four decades ago. Ziaur Rahman was killed in 1981 during a military coup. After his assassination…
Wall Street mostly falls as investors weigh AI valuations
Wall Street stocks were mostly lower early on 16 July as investors weighed slower US retail sales growth and concerns about high valuations for artificial intelligence-related shares. About 15 minutes after trading began, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was…
UN warns Ebola could spread in DR Congo displacement camps
The United Nations warned on Monday that Ebola could spread in displacement camps in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo because of overcrowding and limited access to basic services. The UN aid agency OCHA said confirmed Ebola cases had been reported in at l…
Spanish nuclear regulator backs longer life for Almaraz plant
Spain's nuclear safety regulator has backed extending the operating life of Almaraz, the country's largest nuclear power plant, to 2030, beyond the government's planned 2028 shutdown. Almaraz provides about seven percent of Spain's electricity. It is due to c…
Athens subway works halted for safety checks after apartment damage reports
Athens Mayor Haris Doukas said on Thursday that construction of a new line for the city's subway network had been halted for safety tests after dozens of residents reported damage to their flats. Doukas told reporters that the tunnel boring machine had stoppe…
US retail sales growth slows in June as gasoline spending falls
US retail sales slowed in June as consumers spent less at gasoline stations, Commerce Department data showed. Sales rose 0.2 percent from May to $768.6 billion, matching analysts' expectations, after a 1.0 percent increase in May. Excluding motor vehicles and…
Taiwan rejects Papua New Guinea move to close Taipei office
Taiwan said Thursday it rejects Papua New Guinea's decision to shut down Taiwan's representative office in Port Moresby, while China welcomed the move. Taiwan's foreign ministry said it strongly protested the decision, saying it was made without prior consult…
Ukraine gives Keir Starmer Order of Freedom during Kyiv visit
Ukraine awarded Britain's Keir Starmer its Order of Freedom honour on Thursday during what the report described as his final visit to Kyiv as outgoing prime minister. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Starmer at a press conference in Kyiv and sai…
Ukraine says Russia returned 501 bodies
Ukraine has received 501 bodies from Russia that are believed to be those of fallen soldiers, Ukrainian authorities said Thursday. Kyiv's prisoners of war centre said 501 bodies of deceased people had been returned to Ukraine through repatriation efforts. It…
UK sanctions Sudan-linked gold and finance networks
Britain announced sanctions on Thursday against what it described as illicit gold and finance networks supporting rival sides in Sudan's civil war. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said Sudan's gold trade, worth billions of dollars, was helpin…
Boeing heads to Farnborough with certification and supply questions
Boeing plans to show new commercial and defense offerings at the upcoming Farnborough International Airshow after launching new production capacity in Washington state the previous week. The airshow comes as industry expectations for Boeing begin to shift aft…
EU orders Google to share search data and open Android to AI rivals
The European Union demanded that Google share search data with other search engines and open its Android system to rival AI services. Google said the measures would create privacy and security risks. The order was made under the EU's Digital Markets Act, whic…
Italian court finds 32 defendants guilty over Genoa bridge collapse
An Italian court sentenced 32 defendants over the 2018 collapse of the Morandi Bridge in Genoa, which killed 43 people and was one of Italy's worst infrastructure disasters. Giovanni Castellucci, the former chief executive of motorway operator Autostrade, was…
Israeli families move into new West Bank settlement near Nablus
Israeli families moved into a new settlement on Mount Ebal, above the city of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, on Thursday, according to the settler regional council for the area. The Samaria Regional Council said families from what it called the Ebal foundi…
One dead and 24 missing after boat sinks near Indonesian island
A passenger boat sank off an Indonesian island, killing at least one person and leaving 24 others missing, the local search and rescue agency said Thursday. Muhammad Arif Anwar, the head of the local search and rescue agency, said an engine failure caused the…
Uber agrees 12.7-billion-euro deal for Delivery Hero
Uber and Delivery Hero said Thursday that Uber had agreed a 12.7-billion-euro, or $14.6-billion, deal to take over the German food delivery group, in the latest consolidation move in the food delivery industry. Delivery Hero operates in more than 60 markets a…
South African rooibos seeds to be sent to space for study
Seeds from South Africa's rooibos plant are due to travel to the International Space Station for an experiment on how they respond to space conditions, organisers announced Thursday. The mission, facilitated by MaxIQ Space, is planned for October. The South A…
US remains largest air passenger market as growth slows, IATA says
The United States remained the world's largest air passenger market in 2025, but had the slowest growth among the world's 10 biggest markets, industry data showed. Industry body IATA said 890.1 million passengers took off or landed in the United States last y…
ABB agrees $5.5 billion deal to buy UK group Rotork
Swiss engineering group ABB said Thursday it had agreed to buy UK rival Rotork in a deal worth about $5.5 billion as it seeks to strengthen its automation division. Zurich-based ABB also reported higher second-quarter earnings, citing record-high orders acros…
UK court jails two British hackers over London transport cyberattack
A UK court has jailed two British hackers over a cyberattack involving London transport. The available source text did not give the hackers' names, the court, the sentence lengths, when the attack happened, or further details of the case.
Asian tech shares rebound while oil prices edge lower
Asian stock markets mostly rose on Tuesday as technology shares recovered from recent losses, while oil prices eased slightly despite renewed tension in the Gu…
Cameroon targets under-reported gold output in mining crackdown
Cameroon's government announced on Wednesday that it was cracking down on the gold mining sector over gaps between the volumes produced and the amounts declared by companies. Authorities estimate that illegal gold exports to the United Arab Emirates have depr…
Uganda says it has discharged its last Ebola patient
Uganda's health ministry said the country discharged its last Ebola patient on 16 July, marking containment of an outbreak that had spread from neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. Under World Health Organization guidelines, Uganda must now go 42 days w…
New Zealand issues tsunami warning after 5.9-magnitude quake
New Zealand authorities issued a tsunami warning after a 5.9-magnitude earthquake on the western coast of the South Island. The National Emergency Management Agency warned people in affected areas to move immediately to high ground, leave tsunami evacuation z…
Four Greek MPs indicted in EU farm subsidy fraud case
The European Public Prosecutor's Office said Thursday that four Greek members of parliament were among 22 people indicted in an alleged multi-million-euro fraud scheme involving European Union farm subsidies. The office said the defendants also included sever…
UK-backed mission heads to Greenland to study melting ice
An international team of scientists set sail from Britain on Thursday for Greenland to study rapidly melting ice with drones, mini-submarines and autonomous swimming robots. The RRS Sir David Attenborough polar research ship was leaving Harwich in southeast E…
German neo-Nazi to serve sentence in men's prison despite legal gender change
A German neo-Nazi figure who had been expected to be sent to a women's prison after a legal gender change will instead serve a sentence in a men's correctional facility, local authorities said on Thursday. Marla-Svenja Liebich, who previously used the name Sv…
Peru president-elect Fujimori calls for reconciliation after narrow win
Peru's conservative president-elect Keiko Fujimori called on Wednesday for political reconciliation after receiving her presidential credentials from the electoral body in Lima. Fujimori, 51, won the June 7 presidential runoff by a very narrow margin over lef…
Ukraine parliament approves Sergiy Koretsky as prime minister
Ukraine's parliament has approved the appointment of Naftogaz boss Sergiy Koretsky as the country's new prime minister. The appointment is part of a government reshuffle ordered by President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian leader has not fully explained the…
Thailand weighs suspending nearly 6,000 officials over exam scandal
Thousands of Thai civil servants face possible suspension over an exam cheating scandal, authorities said, as investigators widened a probe that has already led to three arrests. The scandal began in June, when investigators said they had concluded that offic…
EU court backs Spain’s Catalan separatist amnesty law
The European Union's top court upheld Spain's contested 2024 amnesty law for Catalan separatists involved in a failed secession bid, giving a symbolic boost to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. The Court of Justice of the European Union agreed with Spain'…
Russian and Ukrainian strikes kill five, officials say
Russian and Ukrainian strikes killed five people on both sides of the war border, officials said Thursday. The attacks came as Ukraine has increased drone barrages against Russia, which Kyiv describes as retribution for Moscow's invasion, now in its fifth yea…
Takaichi cabinet approval falls below 50 percent in Japan poll
Approval for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's conservative government fell below 50 percent for the first time since she came to power in October, according to a Jiji Press poll published Thursday. The survey put support for Takaichi's cabinet at 49 p…
Police say air conditioner spark caused deadly Algiers orphanage fire
Algerian police said on Friday that an electrical spark from an air conditioning unit caused a fire that killed 11 people at an orphanage in the capital. The blaze broke out before dawn on Thursday at a childcare facility in the Mohammadia suburb of Algiers.…
Delivery Hero says it agreed to €12.7 billion Uber takeover
German food delivery group Delivery Hero said it had agreed to be taken over by US ride-hailing company Uber in a deal worth 12.7 billion euros, or $14.6 billion. Uber is offering 41.50 euros per Delivery Hero share. After the announcement, Delivery Hero shar…
Brazil condemns new US tariff on some imports
The United States has announced a 25 percent tariff on various imports from Brazil, drawing a sharp response from Brasilia after Washington accused Brazil of unfair trade practices and policies. The tariff was announced on Wednesday and is due to take effect…
UK brings British Steel into full public ownership
The British government said on Thursday it had taken British Steel into full public ownership to protect steel production in the UK, after taking control from Chinese firm Jingye. The company's plant in Scunthorpe, northern England, was described as the count…
TSMC says it will add $100 billion to Arizona chip investment
Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC said it will invest an additional $100 billion in Arizona as it reported record quarterly net profit driven by demand for artificial intelligence hardware. TSMC is the largest contract maker of microchips used in products including Ap…
UK economy grows 0.1 percent in May as services expand
Britain's economy grew by 0.1 percent in May, a slight rebound after gross domestic product contracted by 0.1 percent in April, official data showed Thursday. The Office for National Statistics said the May growth came from a 0.3 percent rise in services outp…
TSMC posts record quarterly profit as AI demand grows
Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC reported a record net profit for the second quarter, saying demand for artificial intelligence hardware helped drive the result. Net profit for April to June rose 77.4 percent from a year earlier to NT$706.6 billion, or US$22 billion.…
IEA says critical minerals investment fell in 2025
On 16 July 2026, the International Energy Agency said investment in critical minerals fell in 2025, even after Western countries promised to increase domestic production for national security reasons. In its annual Global Critical Minerals Outlook report, the…
Nvidia chief says AI demand is still at its beginning
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang said in Tokyo that demand for artificial intelligence remains in an early stage, even as technology shares fell in Asia and Europe on concerns that the AI-driven market rally may be fading. Huang told reporters that most te…
UN says more than 500 feared dead after reported shipwrecks off Myanmar
The United Nations warned Thursday that more than 500 people were feared dead after reports of two large shipwrecks off Myanmar since late June. The International Organization for Migration and UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, said in a joint statement that two…
Iranian state media report new explosions in southern Iran
US forces launched strikes against Iran for a sixth night in a row on Thursday, the US military said, as Iranian state media reported new explosions and US strikes in southern Iran. Iranian state TV reported two explosions in Bushehr, the city that hosts Iran…
US backs estimated $1.96 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia
The US State Department said it had approved an estimated $1.96 billion weapons sale to Saudi Arabia to support the kingdom's air defenses amid escalating conflict in the Middle East. The department said the proposed sale would support US foreign policy and n…
Fuel shortages push Cuban farm back to oxen
A severe energy crisis in Cuba is changing how some farms work, with farmer Alexander Quesada now using oxen to plow at Finca Burgambilia, an organic farm west of Havana, while a tractor he received from the government sits unused. Quesada, 52, built the eigh…
US says it will not block Maria Corina Machado's return to Venezuela
The United States will not block Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado from returning to Venezuela, Deputy Assistant Secretary for South America Luis Mendez told Congress on Wednesday. Mendez said State Department policy was not to obstruct Machad…
Bank of Korea raises rates and signals further tightening
South Korea's central bank raised interest rates on Thursday for the first time in more than three years and signalled that more increases may follow, citing strong growth linked to the artificial intelligence chip boom, persistent inflation and risks to fina…
Asian stocks mostly fall as AI valuation worries hit technology shares
Most Asian stock markets fell on Thursday as technology shares came under renewed pressure from concern that the rally linked to artificial intelligence had pushed valuations too high. Seoul was again the hardest hit major market in the region, with the Kospi…
Scientists say climate change made west Africa heavy rainfall five times more likely
Scientists from the World Weather Attribution group said climate change has made extreme rainfall in west Africa about five times more likely than it was in the late 19th century, after floods in the region killed nearly 100 people last month. The group said…
United Airlines profit falls as fuel costs rise
United Airlines reported lower second-quarter profit after higher jet fuel prices lifted its costs. The airline said profit fell 17.3 percent to $805 million, while revenue rose 16 percent to $17.7 billion. The carrier said operating expenses grew faster than…
US may block some Americans leaving DRC from return flights over Ebola risk
The United States said on Wednesday that American citizens who have traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo could be stopped from boarding return flights as part of efforts to reduce the risk of Ebola reaching the United States. The US Centers for Diseas…
IAEA chief condemns reported killing at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
The head of the United Nations atomic agency condemned the reported killing of Aleksandr Yakovlev, described by Russia as the chief engineer of Ukraine's Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, in a drone strike that no one has claimed. Russia blam…
Iran summons UK ambassador over Revolutionary Guards ban plan
Iran's foreign ministry summoned Britain's ambassador to Tehran to protest the UK government's plan to ban the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iranian state media reported. State news agency IRNA said Hugo Shorter, Britain's ambassador to Tehran, was summo…
Fed says higher fuel costs are weighing on some US consumer spending
The US Federal Reserve said Wednesday that consumer spending edged up, but higher prices, especially for fuel, dampened sales in other categories and led some consumers to cut back on non-essential purchases or choose cheaper alternatives. In its Beige Book s…
EU accepts X plan to address digital content violations
The European Union announced Wednesday that it had accepted a plan by Elon Musk’s X social media platform to correct digital content violations linked to a 120-million-euro, or $138-million, fine. The European Commission imposed the penalty in December 2025 o…
French justice minister says 970 child sex-abuse allegations are priority cases
France's Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said Wednesday that prosecutors had identified 970 allegations of child sex abuse as priority cases, as he faced pressure over the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl. The girl, Lyhanna, went missing in southwester…
Liberia repatriates 17 nationals from South Africa
Liberia repatriated its first group of nationals from South Africa on Wednesday, bringing home 17 people as anti-immigrant tensions remained high in South Africa, Liberia's foreign ministry said. The Liberians landed at Roberts International Airport near Monr…
Netherlands records more than 900 excess deaths during heatwave
The Netherlands registered more than 900 excess deaths in late June and early July as a heatwave affected western Europe, health authorities said Wednesday. The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, known as RIVM, said the cause of the dea…
Amazon plans South Africa satellite internet service through Herotel
Amazon said it will launch satellite internet services in South Africa through a partnership with local internet provider Herotel, entering a market where SpaceX's Starlink has not secured regulatory approval. Amazon Leo, the company's low-Earth orbit satelli…
US intelligence nominee questioned over election and journalist subpoenas
US senators questioned Donald Trump's nominee for director of national intelligence on Wednesday about subpoenas he issued to journalists and about the 2020 election during a tense confirmation hearing. Jay Clayton had been due to testify before the Senate In…
French lawmakers approve assisted dying law for some adults
French lawmakers on Wednesday adopted a bill to establish a right to assisted dying for some adults suffering from an incurable condition. The lower chamber approved the law by 291 votes to 241. France's highest constitutional authority still has to examine t…
OpenAI loses EU appeal over trademarking its name
OpenAI, the US company that owns ChatGPT, lost its appeal against the European Union's refusal to register the name OpenAI as a trademark. The company had challenged a decision by the European Union Intellectual Property Office. The office had accepted protec…
Fed governor says she is ready to act if inflation does not ease
Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook said she is ready to act against inflation if price increases do not show signs of easing soon, while also saying the US central bank can wait a little longer to study the data. Cook told an event in Washington that she was…
Rights lawyer says Egypt arrested about 60 people over opposition Discord server
A lawyer with a rights group handling some of the cases said Egyptian authorities have arrested about 60 people for joining a political opposition group on Discord. Shorouk Sallam, head of the legal unit at the Egyptian Front for Human Rights, said the detain…
SpaceX shares drop below debut price
Shares of SpaceX fell below $135 on Wednesday, moving below the price of the company's Wall Street debut for the first time as investor demand weakened. Near 1615 GMT, shares in Elon Musk's rocket company were down 2.0 percent at $133.35. The price was far be…
Music groups announce voluntary labels for AI-made recordings
Several major music industry organisations announced a voluntary labeling system for recordings made with generative artificial intelligence, saying they want the labels to be adopted widely, including by streaming services. The International Federation of th…
Greenland research institute halts new US partnerships to protect data and scientists
Greenland's leading environmental and natural-resource research centre is stopping new collaboration with US partners to protect its data and scientists, its head said on Wednesday. Josephine Nymand, director of the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, s…
EU extends Russian oil cap for one week during sanctions talks
EU countries agreed on Wednesday to keep a price cap on Russian oil for one week while they seek a broader deal on new sanctions against Moscow, diplomats said. The compromise came shortly before a deadline that would have raised the cap from its current leve…
Elon Musk says Marine Le Pen is France's last hope after she resumes campaign
Elon Musk expressed support on Wednesday for France's far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen after she decided to run despite a fraud conviction. Musk reposted a picture of Le Pen on his social media platform X and wrote that she was "France's last ho…
London police arrest man over alleged threat as reports name Farage as target
London police said on Wednesday that they had arrested a man in his 20s on suspicion of sending threatening communications, while media reports named Reform UK leader Nigel Farage as the target. The Metropolitan Police said the arrest in London on Tuesday was…
Vietnam arrests publishing executives over book on Ho Chi Minh
Vietnamese police said on Wednesday that they had arrested three executives of a publishing house that released a book about Ho Chi Minh, the founder of the country's Communist Party. The book, "Stories with Thanh -- A New Account of Light", was written by fo…
Several European countries allow assisted dying under different rules
As France looked set to adopt a bill allowing assisted dying on Wednesday, several European countries already permit some terminally ill people to end their lives, under different legal systems and conditions. The source distinguishes euthanasia, in which a c…
Croatian parliament calls for greater Croat representation in Bosnia
On 15 July 2026, Croatia's parliament passed a symbolic resolution calling for greater Croat representation in Bosnia, adding pressure on the neighbouring country before national elections due later in the year. The resolution targets Bosnia's power-sharing s…
WHO says many dementia risks could be delayed or prevented
On 15 July 2026, the World Health Organization said up to 45 percent of dementia risk could be prevented or delayed, citing factors that can be changed, including tobacco use, alcohol use, social isolation, physical inactivity, air pollution and noncommunicab…
US House Republicans set out $95 billion pre-election spending framework
US House Republicans unveiled a $95 billion spending framework on Wednesday as they try to pass measures on defense, farming aid and voting rules before midterm elections that could cost them control of Congress. The plan would provide $73 billion for the mil…
Bank of Canada holds rate at 2.25 percent as it sees signs of improvement
Canada's central bank kept its key lending rate at 2.25 percent on Wednesday, saying the economy is showing signs of improvement while warning that uncertainty over US trade policy and the Middle East conflict remain risks. The Bank of Canada said businesses…
Merz says Chinese takeovers of German car plants could be emergency option
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he was not opposed in principle to Chinese carmakers taking over struggling German car plants, but he said such moves would not solve the industry's deeper problems. Speaking at a press conference in Berlin, Merz said ind…
Hong Kong police raid independent bookstore and arrest five people
Hong Kong police raided an independent bookstore run by former journalists on Wednesday, in the latest action targeting independent bookshops in the city. Officers led a handcuffed woman to a van and removed several boxes of materials from Have A Nice Stay bo…
US producer inflation eased in June as energy costs fell
Wholesale inflation in the United States eased in June as energy costs fell, government data showed Wednesday, although fighting in the Middle East has since resumed. The Labor Department said the producer price index fell 0.3 percent from May. It was the fir…
Thai police arrest boxing camp manager in child trafficking case
Thai police said Wednesday they had arrested the manager of a boxing camp on charges of trafficking underage boys for sex, and were searching for a Norwegian national also believed to have been involved. Police raided the day camp in Rayong province, southeas…
EU asks US to exempt more exports from tariffs
The European Union has asked the United States to exempt more EU exports from tariffs, including wine, spirits, beer, cheese, olive oil, olives and medical devices, an EU spokesman said. EU trade spokesman Olof Gill said Brussels had shared a broad list of ex…
BASF raises profit forecast but warns of uncertainty
German chemical group BASF raised its earnings forecast for 2026 on Wednesday after increasing prices for some products following the outbreak of the Iran war, but warned that uncertainty remained high. BASF said it now expects EBITDA before special items, a…
Ten Ethiopians presumed drowned in Zambezi crossing
Ten Ethiopians are believed to have drowned after a canoe carrying migrants capsized while trying to cross the Zambezi River from Zambia into Botswana, Zambian officials said Wednesday. Police and immigration officials said in a joint statement that 15 Ethiop…
India approves more than $13 billion semiconductor plan
India approved a new semiconductor programme on Wednesday, offering more than $13 billion in financial assistance to speed up domestic chip production. The Union Cabinet approved the Semicon 2.0 initiative, expanding a drive launched five years ago to cut rel…
EU and Ukraine announce drone production deal
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen announced a drone deal with Ukraine on Wednesday aimed at increasing joint production of battlefield drone technology. Speaking in Kyiv after receiving an award from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, von der Leyen said the…
Meta employees sue over alleged AI-driven layoff decisions
Twenty-six Meta employees have filed a lawsuit accusing the company of using artificial intelligence systems to choose workers for mass layoffs. Meta strongly denied the claim. The employees are among about 8,000 workers, or roughly 10 percent of Meta's workf…
OECD says UK growth depends on narrowing regional productivity gaps
On 15 July 2026, the OECD said reducing productivity gaps between UK regions was central to raising the country's economic growth and living standards. The message was included in the OECD's 2026 report on the UK economy. The organisation said progress would…
Authorities say Russian strikes kill 13 people across Ukraine
Russian strikes killed 13 people and wounded about 50 across Ukraine on Wednesday, regional authorities said. The daytime attacks targeted industrial and medical facilities in the Black Sea port city of Odesa and in Sumy, a northeastern city near the border w…
Iran executes man convicted over January protests
Iran hanged Mohammad Amini Dehaghani on Wednesday after he was convicted over his role in anti-government protests, the judiciary announced. The judiciary's press agency reported that Amini Dehaghani was executed after the supreme court confirmed the verdict.…
UN seeks investigations into reported Kashmir unrest deaths
The United Nations called for prompt, thorough and impartial investigations into dozens of reported deaths in Pakistan-administered Kashmir during unrest ahead of regional elections. Jeremy Laurence, spokesman for UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker…
Body of Indian sailor found after ship attack off Oman
The body of an Indian sailor who went missing after an attack on a ship off Oman has been recovered, a seafarers' union official said Wednesday. Heramb Karmarkar, a 30-year-old marine engineer from Pune in western India, had been missing since Sunday's attack…
Researchers examine whether generative AI may weaken some thinking skills
Generative AI chatbots can now write emails and computer code, translate, plan trips and suggest gifts from simple natural-language prompts. Their spread through schools, universities, workplaces and personal life has led researchers to ask whether relying on…
China’s CXMT seeks up to $9.8 billion in Shanghai IPO
China’s ChangXin Memory Technologies is seeking to raise up to $9.8 billion in an initial public offering as China tries to strengthen its domestic chip industry for artificial intelligence. The Anhui-based memory chipmaker said it would raise at least 57.9 b…
China opposes US sanctions bill on buyers of Russian energy
China said Wednesday that it firmly opposes a sanctions bill proposed by US senators and backed by President Donald Trump that targets countries buying Russian energy. The bipartisan legislation could allow the United States to increase pressure on Russia ove…
UN warns of gaps in global infant vaccination despite slight improvement
On 15 July 2026, the United Nations said global infant vaccination levels improved slightly in 2025, but warned that funding cuts, conflicts and misinformation were widening dangerous gaps in coverage and allowing outbreaks to grow. Data published by the Worl…
China property slump leaves Tianjin skyscraper unfinished as growth slows
The Goldin Finance 117 tower in Tianjin was planned to include a rooftop pool and a luxury hotel, but the 595.5-metre skyscraper has remained unfinished and unoccupied years after construction began in 2008. The building has become a visible example of China'…
Iran army says US missile strike killed seven military personnel near Iranshahr
Iran's army said US strikes killed seven Iranian military personnel in the country's southeast on Wednesday, as the United States and Iran increased their fighting. The army said in a statement that the personnel were killed in a missile attack on a barracks…
UN says Sudan resource trade is helping sustain war
The United Nations human rights office said Wednesday that Sudan's rival factions are profiting from control over the country's resources and that a war economy is helping sustain the civil war. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said the…
Chinese AI companion users say goodbye as new rules take effect
Chinese users of AI-powered companion bots posted farewell messages to their virtual companions as national regulations took effect Wednesday to reduce the risk of emotional dependency. The rules cover AI tools in text, audio, video or other formats that have…
Vietnam investigates alleged diamond smuggling ring linked to jeweller
Vietnamese police are investigating an alleged international diamond smuggling ring accused of moving 28,000 gems worth nearly $11 million, with Vietnam's largest jeweller drawn into the probe. The former head of Phu Nhuan Jewelry's gem certification subsidia…
New Zealand reports first H5 bird flu case in wild seabird
New Zealand officials said on 15 July that the country had detected its first case of H5 bird flu after a migratory brown skua was found on Petone beach in Wellington and tested positive. Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard said New Zealanders were being aske…
French parliament adopts assisted dying law, with constitutional review ahead
France's parliament has adopted legislation creating a right to assisted dying for some adults with incurable conditions, moving the country closer to legalising the practice if the Constitutional Council approves the law. President Emmanuel Macron had promis…
Nepal court sentences former ministers over refugee resettlement scam
A Nepal court has sentenced two former ministers and more than a dozen other people over a scam that promised Nepali citizens resettlement abroad by falsely presenting them as refugees, a court official said. Kathmandu district court information officer Shiva…
ASML lifts sales forecast as AI demand supports orders and profit
Dutch technology company ASML raised its sales forecast after reporting stronger second-quarter results, saying demand linked to artificial intelligence was supporting orders for its chipmaking equipment. ASML makes machines used to produce semiconductors. Ch…
Australia to legislate on AI data centres and copyright
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on 15 July 2026 that his government would introduce laws to regulate artificial intelligence data centres and protect creative copyright. In a speech at the University of Sydney, Albanese said AI could be adopte…
Idaho mother who blamed vaccines accused of killing twins
An American mother was kept in pretrial detention on Tuesday on charges that she suffocated her 18-month-old twins and then tried to blame their deaths on vaccines, US media reported. Andrea Shaw, 23, claimed that her children suffocated eight days after rece…
One dead and three missing after boat sinks near Alcatraz
One person died and three others were missing after a privately owned boat carrying 20 people sank near Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay, US officials said. Local fire and police teams, the US Coast Guard, helicopters, planes and rescue boats were involve…
AI demand lifts outlook for Japan memory chipmaker Kioxia
Kioxia, the Japanese memory chipmaker, is trying to expand production as artificial intelligence data centres drive demand for memory components. At a new factory in northern Japan, robotic transporters carry silicon wafers on overhead rails, part of a facili…
Wall Street closes higher after US inflation report
Wall Street stocks closed higher on Wednesday after another reassuring US inflation report, while oil prices edged up after the latest escalation in fighting between the United States and Iran. Major US indexes recovered from a midday move into negative terri…
China's second-quarter growth slows to 4.3 percent
China's economy grew 4.3 percent year on year in April-June, official data showed Wednesday, its weakest pace in more than three years and below the 4.5 percent forecast in an AFP survey of economists. The National Bureau of Statistics reported the second-qua…
China retail sales rise in June as industrial output beats forecast
China's retail sales rose 1.0 percent year on year in June, official data released Wednesday showed. The figure marked the first rise since December 2022 and improved from a 0.6 percent fall in May. The National Bureau of Statistics also said industrial produ…
China industrial output rises 5.3 percent in June
China's industrial output grew 5.3 percent year on year in June, above forecasts.
Philippine communities build bamboo barriers to protect mangroves
Communities in the Philippines are trying to protect damaged mangrove forests by building bamboo barriers that slow waves and keep sediment from blocking tidal channels. In Batuan town in Masbate province, environmentalist Andrea Pimentel of WWF-Philippines i…
Nigerian women describe deception, debt and fear in sex trafficking networks
Nigerian women and girls are being tricked or forced into prostitution along West African migration routes, with traffickers using false job offers, imposed debts and fear of traditional curses to keep victims under control, according to an AFP report. Blessi…
Cuba's health system struggles with shortages, broken equipment and staff losses
Cuba's once-prized public health system is under severe strain from power cuts, medicine shortages, ageing equipment and the loss of medical workers, according to patients and medical staff interviewed by AFP. Rosa Valentina Perez, 64, has spent nearly three…
Canada seeks Mercosur trade deal by end of 2026
Canada wants to complete a trade agreement with Mercosur before the end of 2026 as it seeks to diversify trade away from the United States, Foreign Minister Anita Anand said during a visit to Brazil. Anand spoke after meeting Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro…
Kuwait says air defences are confronting Iranian missiles and drones
Kuwait's military said on Monday that its air defences were confronting hostile missile and drone attacks, which it blamed on Iran. The army statement came as Tehran pressed attacks against Gulf countries and the United States expanded its strikes across Iran…
US widens Iran sanctions to oil network and digital wallets
The United States expanded sanctions targeting Iran's oil sector on Tuesday, with the Treasury Department saying it was taking further aim at a network linked to petroleum shipping magnate Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also said…
Publishers sue Google over alleged use of books to train Gemini AI
Multiple book publishers sued Google on Tuesday, accusing the company of copying copyrighted content to train artificial intelligence models and then using the technology to create work that competes with the original authors. The lawsuit asks for class actio…
Ukraine official says three killed in strikes on merchant ships
A senior Ukrainian official said Russian attacks on a merchant ship in southern Ukraine and two other merchant ships in the Black Sea killed three people on Tuesday, including one ship's captain. Oleh Kiper, the head of the Odesa region's military administrat…
Family seeks release of US seismologist detained in China
The family of American seismologist Youlin Chen says he has been detained in China on espionage charges since 2024 and is seeking his release. Global Reach, an NGO working with Chen's family, said Chen was detained on November 5, 2024. Chen has researched how…
Official toll from Venezuela earthquakes reaches 5,278
The official death toll from Venezuela's June 24 earthquakes has risen to at least 5,278, according to figures updated Monday. The two earthquakes had magnitu…
US officials trace Taco Bell parasite outbreak to shredded lettuce
US officials on Friday linked a foodborne parasite outbreak tied to Taco Bell locations in five states to shredded iceberg lettuce used by the fast food chain. A federal investigation by the Food and Drug Administration traced the contamination to a single su…
WHO says trial of potential Ebola prevention drug has begun
The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that the first clinical trial is under way of an antiviral drug for people exposed to the Bundibugyo Ebola strain spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The trial, called EBO-PEP, is assessing whether the…
Kuwait says Iranian barrage hit naval vessel and wounded four crew
Kuwait's military said Tuesday that one of its naval vessels was hit during an Iranian missile and drone barrage, wounding four crew members. Defence ministry spokesman Colonel Saud Abdulaziz Al-Atwan said the Iranian attack targeted vital and civilian facili…
Trump tells ICE to resume traffic stops after fatal shootings
US President Donald Trump criticized a Department of Homeland Security decision to pause Immigration and Customs Enforcement traffic stops after two fatal shootings in less than a week. DHS halted the practice after a Colombian man was shot dead in Biddeford,…
New York pauses permits for large data centers for up to a year
New York became the first US state to halt construction of new large-scale data centers on Tuesday, after Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order pausing permits for up to one year. The moratorium takes effect immediately and applies to facilities wit…
Conservation groups sue over Trump species habitat rule
Conservation groups sued US President Donald Trump's administration on Tuesday, accusing it of weakening a core Endangered Species Act protection by removing habitat destruction from the legal definition of "harm" to vulnerable plants and animals. The Interio…
Trump says national address will cover election integrity
US President Donald Trump said he would discuss "free and fair" voting in a national address scheduled for Thursday, while also saying he would raise other subjects. Asked in the Oval Office on Tuesday whether the address would involve election machines and i…
Iran attacks test Oman's neutral stance, analysts say
Analysts said increased Iranian attacks around Oman are testing Muscat's long-held policy of neutrality and pushing the sultanate toward a firmer tone. Oman has historically acted as a mediator between Tehran and its opponents and shares control of the Strait…
Dutch court upholds block on Kyndryl purchase of cloud firm Solvinity
A Dutch court on Tuesday upheld a government decision to block US IT infrastructure firm Kyndryl from buying Dutch secure cloud services provider Solvinity because of concerns that sensitive data could be accessed by the US government. The Dutch government an…
Macron gives Starmer France's highest honour before UK leadership change
Britain's outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer has received France's highest honour in recognition of his work on European security and Ukraine. President Emmanuel Macron's office said Macron presented Starmer with the Legion d'honneur on Monday in Paris, whe…
ICC prosecutors ask judges to drop Darfur rebel leader case
International Criminal Court prosecutors on Tuesday recommended that judges drop war crimes charges against Abdallah Banda, a rebel leader from Sudan's Darfur region, over a deadly 2007 attack on African Union peacekeepers. Banda had faced three counts of war…
EU condemns Serbian minister's comments on Kosovo
The European Union condemned comments by Serbian Public Administration Minister Snezana Paunovic after she said she would have carried out ethnic cleansing in Kosovo if she had been in power during the 1998-1999 war. Paunovic, who was born in Kosovo, made the…
Big US banks report higher profits as markets and AI investment lift results
Large US banks reported sharply higher second-quarter profits on Tuesday, helped by strong financial markets, AI-related stock gains and a solid US job market despite continuing consumer concern about inflation. JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, Wel…
Sierra Leone drops treason case against former president Koroma
Sierra Leone has discontinued treason proceedings against former president Ernest Bai Koroma over his alleged role in what authorities described as an attempted coup in 2023, officials said on Tuesday. Koroma, who led Sierra Leone from 2007 to 2018, was charg…
Six killed in Brussels tower renovation fire, authorities say
Six people died Tuesday in a fire at a residential tower under renovation in central Brussels, local authorities said. Workers became trapped in a lift as the fire spread through the lift shaft and reached several floors of the Oxy Tower, the site in the Belg…
Norway offshore maintenance strike ends as wage dispute goes to arbitration
A Norwegian union representing offshore oil workers and an employers' group agreed Tuesday to send their wage dispute to an arbitration board, ending a month-long strike. The Norwegian Union of Energy Workers, known as SAFE, began the strike in mid-June after…
Former Croatia footballer Dario Simic arrested in corruption case
Former Croatian international footballer Dario Simic was arrested on Tuesday in an anti-corruption operation linked to a coastal campsite development, local media and prosecutors said. Anti-corruption prosecutors said an investigation had been opened into thr…
UK man admits 32 sexual offences against girlfriend
A UK man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to 32 sexual offences against his girlfriend while she was allegedly drugged or asleep over more than a decade. The man, who is in his 40s, cannot be named because his girlfriend has lifelong anonymity as a victim of sexual…
North American heat wave spreads east as alerts affect more than 100 million
A record-breaking heat wave was spreading Tuesday from the Mountain West toward the eastern United States and Canada, with more than 100 million people under heat alerts. Hot and dry conditions also contributed to intense wildfires in southwestern Ontario and…
Botswana same-sex marriage case faces church and cultural opposition
Botswana church and cultural groups told a court on Tuesday that they opposed a bid by a gay couple to overturn laws that bar same-sex marriage. Bonolo Selelo, 41, and Tsholofelo Kumile, 39, have taken Botswana's government to court. They argue that the Marri…
Houthis say they downed Saudi-operated drone in central Yemen
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis said they shot down a Saudi-operated reconnaissance drone on Tuesday, a day after the first exchange of hostilities between the two sides in years. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the fighters downed what he called an en…
Palestinian groups launch campaign on alleged sexual abuse in Israeli prisons
Palestinian rights organisations launched an international campaign on Tuesday to document and combat alleged sexual violence against Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons. Campaign coordinator Youssef al-Amayreh, who was released in January after two year…
Trump pays $5.6 million to E. Jean Carroll after civil jury verdict
US President Donald Trump has paid $5.6 million to writer E. Jean Carroll after a civil jury found he sexually assaulted and defamed her, a court filing showed Tuesday. Carroll's attorney, Roberta Kaplan, said a unanimous nine-person jury had found Trump liab…
Venezuela interim government and some opposition figures plan democracy talks
Venezuela's interim government will launch formal talks with some opposition members next month, assembly speaker Jorge Rodriguez announced Tuesday, more than six months after the US toppling of longtime leader Nicolas Maduro. Rodriguez said on Telegram that…
Colombian military frees 39 people kidnapped by ELN
The Colombian military liberated 39 people on Tuesday after they were kidnapped by the National Liberation Army, or ELN, an official said. The ELN had captured the group, which included a minor, on a highway in the remote Choco region, where the armed group h…
Tokyo officials try shorts at work during hot summer weather
Some Tokyo metropolitan government officials are wearing shorts at work under a loosened summer dress code aimed at helping offices reduce reliance on air conditioning. On Tuesday, with temperatures in Tokyo around 34C, at least five men in one metropolitan g…
UK man charged with murder of former MP Ann Widdecombe
British prosecutors said Monday that they had charged 28-year-old Joshua Kerry with the murder of Ann Widdecombe, a veteran right-wing former member of parliament. Frank Ferguson from the Crown Prosecution Service said prosecutors had decided to prosecute Ker…
Russian anti-war politician says Kremlin wants to crush his campaign
Russian politician Boris Nadezhdin said on 14 July 2026 that the Kremlin wants to crush his campaign for September parliamentary elections after he was detained the day before. Police have summoned Nadezhdin to court on Friday on administrative charges of dis…
Google DeepMind head calls for US-led testing body for powerful AI models
Demis Hassabis, the head of Google's artificial intelligence lab, called Tuesday for the United States to create an organization to test the most powerful AI systems before they are released to the public. Hassabis, who runs Google DeepMind and won a Nobel Pr…
EU population projected to peak in 2029 before long decline
The European Union's population is projected to reach a high point in 2029 and then fall over the rest of the century, according to a report from the EU executive's Joint Research Centre. The report says the 27-nation bloc has 450.6 million people now and is…
Spain tourism revenue rises as visitor spending increases
Tourism revenue rose in Spain in the second quarter of 2026, helped by higher visitor spending and the country’s reputation as a safe destination, tourism industry group Exceltur said on Tuesday. Exceltur said tourism-related gross domestic product rose 3.4 p…
Nasdaq leads Wall Street gains as US inflation cools
Wall Street stocks rose Tuesday after large US banks reported stronger profits and US inflation slowed more than expected, weighing on the dollar. JPMorgan Chase led a series of major US lenders reporting higher profits, supported by financial markets and inv…
Doubts surround Mexico's reported fall in homicides
Mexico's government says President Claudia Sheinbaum's security strategy has cut homicides sharply, but allegations about crime records have raised questions about the scale of the reported decline. Sheinbaum said Tuesday that homicides had fallen 48 percent…
Wall Street mostly rises after US inflation data and bank earnings
Wall Street stocks mostly rose early Tuesday after improved US inflation data and strong earnings from large banks. The US consumer price index rose 3.5 percent in June from a year earlier, down from 4.2 percent in May. The slowdown was sharper than expected.…
Greenpeace Africa urges halt to Dangote refinery plan in Kenya
Greenpeace Africa called on 14 July 2026 for a halt to a proposed oil refinery project by Aliko Dangote in Kenya's coastal region, warning that it could damage the environment and local livelihoods. The refinery is planned for Lamu port and would have a capac…
IBM shares drop after company says AI infrastructure spending shifted customer demand
IBM shares plunged 25 percent on Tuesday after the US technology company released preliminary second-quarter results that disappointed investors. IBM said customers changed their spending plans because they expected higher prices for memory chips and other ar…
Netanyahu warns Iran of stronger Israeli response if it attacks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Iran on Tuesday that Israel would respond with stronger force if Iran carried out a new attack on his country. Speaking at a conference in Dimona, Netanyahu addressed Iran's leaders and told them not to expect…
Swiss authority probes Google removal of Android search choice screen
Switzerland's competition authority said Tuesday it had opened a preliminary investigation into Google's removal of the Android "choice screen" feature in Switzerland. The feature allowed people setting up a new Android device to choose their default search e…
Australia plans Office of AI to shape national rules
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to announce the creation of an Office of AI to design national rules for artificial intelligence, a technology the government says is affecting jobs, defence and energy while also offering economic opport…
US June inflation slowed as energy prices fell, but Fed caution remains
US consumer inflation slowed more than expected in June, government data released Tuesday showed, as lower energy costs outweighed increases in housing and food prices. The Labor Department said the consumer price index rose 3.5 percent from a year earlier, d…
Fed chair Warsh to tell Congress he aims to end US inflation surge
Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh is due to tell Congress on Tuesday that the central bank will seek to end a years-long US inflation surge, according to prepared remarks. Warsh is scheduled to appear before the House Financial Services Committee at 10:00…
DR Congo Ebola health workers threaten strike over unpaid wages
Health workers responding to an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo threatened to strike over unpaid wages, while the World Health Organization warned that the epidemic could be much larger than official figures show. The official toll publishe…
Goldman Sachs profit rises sharply on trading and deal activity
Goldman Sachs reported stronger second-quarter results, helped by active trading businesses and higher revenue linked to mergers and underwriting. The New York investment bank said profit for the quarter was $6.4 billion, up 84 percent from a year earlier. Re…
Bahrain says three sentenced to life over Iran spying charges
On 14 July 2026, Bahraini authorities said three people had been sentenced to life in prison on charges of spying for Iran's Revolutionary Guards. The prosecution said the three defendants were charged with colluding with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps…
EU prosecutors say VAT fraud network dismantled in Greece
On 14 July 2026, the European Public Prosecutor's Office said it had dismantled a tax fraud network that caused budget losses of at least 46.9 million euros, or $53 million, in Greece and other countries. The EU prosecutors' office said searches and seizures…
Former FARC leader warns against threats to Colombia peace process
Former FARC commander Rodrigo Londono warned that hostile rhetoric against former guerrillas could help fuel new violence in Colombia after president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella vowed to jail him and roll back part of the country's 2016 peace deal. Londono…
JPMorgan profit rises as investment banking and trading revenue increase
JPMorgan Chase reported higher second-quarter profit on Tuesday, helped by stronger investment banking fees, trading revenue and exceptional items including higher equity investments. The bank reported profit of $21.2 billion, up 41 percent from a year earlie…
EU seeks Russia sanctions deal before oil price-cap deadline
European Union countries were trying on Tuesday to agree on a new sanctions package against Russia before a deadline that could weaken a measure aimed at limiting Moscow’s oil export revenues. Ambassadors from the 27 EU member states were due to hold talks in…
Russia rejects EU and UK cyber-attack accusations and sanctions
Russia rejected accusations by the European Union and Britain that its intelligence agencies were behind a campaign of cyber attacks on Europe. London and Brussels announced coordinated sanctions on Monday against Russia over what they called the Russian stat…
US immigration officer fatally shoots man in Maine
A US immigration officer fatally shot a man in Biddeford, Maine, on Monday, in the second such fatal shooting by federal immigration agents in less than a week. Rights groups identified the man as a 26-year-old Colombian. US media identified him as Joan Sebas…
Berlin man charged over alleged rapes of 14 women
German prosecutors said Tuesday that a 68-year-old Berlin man has been charged over allegations that he sedated and raped women he met on dating apps and filmed the assaults. The Berlin prosecutors' office said the charges brought so far cover 22 alleged rape…
Bahrain says it intercepted Iranian attacks
Bahrain said its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed several Iranian aerial attacks on Tuesday morning, as fighting between Washington and Tehran escalated over the Strait of Hormuz. Bahrain's military said in a statement that air defences had stopp…
Colombia president-elect seeks military-base swearing-in
Colombia's right-wing president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella said on Monday that he wants to be sworn in at a military facility in the south of the country, despite opposition from outgoing President Gustavo Petro. Petro ordered on Sunday that no military e…
Iran hangs two people convicted of Islamic State membership
Iranian authorities hanged two people convicted of being part of the Islamic State group, the judiciary's news website Mizan Online reported on Tuesday. Mizan said Mohiyodin Abdollahi and Hossein Palani were hanged in the morning after a final Supreme Court v…
EU opens second area of membership talks with Ukraine
The European Union opened a second area of membership negotiations with Ukraine on Tuesday, as Kyiv seeks faster progress in its bid to join the bloc. EU Europe ministers meeting in Brussels with their Ukrainian counterpart opened talks on security, defence a…
China calls for safe passage through Strait of Hormuz
China called on the United States and Iran on Tuesday to restore safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, after fighting between the two sides reignited over how the strategic waterway should be managed. Foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a news br…
Company says Norwegian tanker was hit by explosion off Oman
A crisis response company said a Norwegian tanker was hit by an explosion caused by an unidentified device off the coast of Oman early Tuesday. MTI Network said shipping company Stolt Tankers reported that the tanker Stolt Magnesium suffered an explosion from…
Ericsson says quarterly profit fell as sales and costs weighed
Swedish telecoms group Ericsson reported a 12 percent fall in second-quarter net profit to 4.1 billion kronor, or 370 million euros, as sales declined and component costs rose. The company said turnover fell 6 percent to 52.7 billion kronor, or 4.8 billion eu…
Kyiv says Russian forces executed hundreds of Ukrainian prisoners of war
Ukraine says Russian forces have executed hundreds of Ukrainian prisoners of war since Moscow's 2022 invasion, while Russia rejects accusations of war crimes. The exact number is unclear and varies between Ukrainian and international sources. Ukrainian offici…
Analysts say Turkey's failed 2016 coup reshaped the state
The failed coup of July 15, 2016 and the state response that followed have become a turning point for Turkey, analysts said. The coup attempt lasted less than 24 hours, but its effects are still visible ten years later. On the night of the coup, a rogue milit…
Singapore second-quarter growth slows to 5.7 percent
Singapore's economic growth slowed in the second quarter, with advance government estimates showing a 5.7 percent expansion in April-June, compared with 6.3 percent in the previous three months. The trade ministry said manufacturing was the main source of gro…
Japan sets new election rules for AI content on social media
Japan will require AI-generated images and videos used on social media during elections to be labelled under new rules, Internal Affairs Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said Tuesday. The rules were approved by parliament on Monday and are due to take effect in Mar…
South Korea raises 2026 growth forecast to 3% on chip strength
South Korea raised its 2026 growth forecast by one percentage point to 3%, citing strong results from memory chipmakers as demand linked to artificial intelligence grows. Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol told a cabinet meeting that the government had initially…
China reports stronger-than-expected June trade growth
China reported stronger-than-expected trade growth in June, with official customs data showing exports rose 27.0 percent from a year earlier. That was above the 19.0 percent forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists. Imports rose 36.0 percent, also above t…
Peru's jailed ex-president Toledo seeks humanitarian pardon
Former Peruvian president Alejandro Toledo, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence on corruption charges, asked the Peruvian government on Monday for a humanitarian pardon because of his health, his lawyer told AFP. Toledo, 81, said in a written statement t…
Armenian farmers seek new markets after Russian import limits
Russian bans and restrictions on Armenian goods have put pressure on farmers in Armenia's Ararat valley, including apricot growers whose exports have long depended heavily on Russia. Russia imposed limits on a wide range of Armenian products, including fruits…
Saudi Arabia shows signs of reassuring LGBTQ visitors before 2034 World Cup
Saudi Arabia is showing tentative signs of trying to reassure LGBTQ visitors before it hosts the 2034 World Cup, including a planned LGBTQ-focused cruise from Jeddah next year, while homosexuality remains criminalised in the kingdom. The US travel company VAC…
People cross freely as Gibraltar-Spain border controls end
Pedestrians and vehicles crossed freely between Spain and Gibraltar on Wednesday after an agreement ending regular border controls came into force. Shortly before midnight, Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and three former chief ministers removed the f…
Lula criticizes Trump plan for Hormuz shipping fee
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva criticized President Donald Trump's plan to charge fees on ships moving through the Strait of Hormuz, saying it would make the United States act like a pirate state. Trump has said he would reinstate a blockade of…
Peter Nygard found guilty in additional sexual assault case
Peter Nygard, founder of one of Canada's largest clothing brands, was found guilty on Monday in Montreal of sexual assault in an additional criminal case. He was also found guilty of forcible confinement after his lawyers did not contest the allegations. Pros…
US has paid $81 billion in tariff refunds after Supreme Court ruling
The US government has paid $81 billion in tariff refunds so far this fiscal year after the Supreme Court ruled a large share of President Donald Trump's extra tariffs illegal, according to budget figures released Monday. Tariffs are taxes on imported goods. T…
Trump signs orders cutting two Utah national monuments by about 90 percent
President Donald Trump signed executive orders reducing two national monuments in Utah to roughly one-tenth of their current size, opening millions of acres of protected land to fossil fuel extraction and mining. Trump signed the proclamations at a White Hous…
Nigerian school kidnap survivor describes beatings and chains
A Nigerian school principal said on Monday that some of the more than 40 schoolchildren kidnapped in May were blindfolded and beaten while in captivity, and that male staff were blindfolded, handcuffed and chained. Rachael Alamu, head of one of the affected s…
Iran says renewed US blockade has wrecked truce deal
Iran warned on Tuesday that the announced resumption of a United States naval blockade of its ports had wrecked a deal with Washington to pause the conflict so peace talks could take place. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said US President Donald Tr…
Aditya Birla Group to buy Shell renewable energy unit in $1.8 billion deal
Indian conglomerate Aditya Birla Group announced that it is buying Sprng Energy, a renewable energy business that is part of British oil company Shell, in a deal worth $1.8 billion. The group said the transaction is among the largest acquisitions in India’s r…
Democratic pastors seek to challenge Republican hold on white Christian voters
Several white Democratic pastors and ministers-in-training are running for congressional seats ahead of November's US midterm elections, saying Republicans have used Christianity for political gain and that President Donald Trump's policies, especially on imm…
US judge voids Trump tax settlement with IRS
A US judge on Monday voided a settlement between Donald Trump and the Internal Revenue Service that had given the president and his allies broad protections from audits. The judge ruled that Trump's lawsuit over leaked tax returns had been filed for an improp…
Intel says it will invest five billion euros in Ireland
Intel said it will invest five billion euros, or $5.8 billion, in Ireland to expand production of advanced processors as demand linked to artificial intelligence grows. The US semiconductor company said the investment would increase manufacturing capacity at…
Spain says foreigners made up 12 of 13 Andalusia wildfire victims
Spanish authorities said 12 of the 13 people killed by a wildfire in Andalusia in southern Spain were foreign nationals. After post-mortem examinations were completed, officials said seven victims were from the United Kingdom, three from Belgium, one from Fra…
US announces new sanctions on Cuban entities and Tourism Ministry
The United States announced a new round of sanctions on Monday against Cuban state-owned enterprises, militia groups and Cuba’s Tourism Ministry. The State Department said the measures target what it called the “interlocking pillars” of Cuba’s economic and po…
Bus crash in Ivory Coast kills 24 people, ministry says
A bus went off a bridge in western Ivory Coast on Monday and fell into the Bafing river, killing 24 people, the transport ministry said. The bus was travelling from the northern town of Odienne to Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast’s political capital. The AFP report…
Fed official says rate rise should be considered if inflation stays high
US Federal Reserve governor Christopher Waller said the central bank should be ready to raise interest rates soon if inflation continues to run above its target. Speaking in Rome, Waller said that when inflation is far above target and the labor market is nea…
UN experts criticise Nicaragua over lawyers' licences
UN human rights experts on Monday criticised what they described as an ongoing purge of Nicaragua's legal profession after the government revoked work credentials for numerous lawyers without explanation. The independent UN Group of Human Rights Experts on Ni…
Anti-monarchy activists protest inside Buckingham Palace over Andrew and Epstein
Anti-monarchy activists in Britain staged a protest inside Buckingham Palace to draw attention to what they called unanswered questions about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. Demonstrators from the group Republic unfurled a large…
Britain joins EU support loan for Ukraine
Britain signed up on Monday to take part in the European Union’s 90-billion-euro, or $103 billion, support loan for Ukraine, allowing UK firms to provide more weapons paid for by the funds. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement that the agre…
Mexico files complaints over deaths involving US immigration authorities
Mexico said it was filing legal complaints in US federal and local courts over the killing of several Mexican citizens by US immigration authorities, while saying it does not seek conflict with the United States. President Claudia Sheinbaum said her governmen…
EU countries seek proposal to ban trade with Israeli settlements
A majority of European Union countries called Monday for the bloc to prepare a proposal to ban imports of products from Israeli settlements, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said after a meeting of EU foreign ministers. Kallas said the option with the most…
Uganda treason trial of opposition leader opens without main lawyers
The treason trial of Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye opened without his main defence lawyers after they were arrested or barred from the country. Besigye, who ran multiple times for the presidency against President Yoweri Museveni, was taken from Keny…
Serbian court restores charges against ex-minister over station collapse
A Serbian appeals court said it had restored charges against former construction minister Goran Vesic over the collapse of a canopy at a newly renovated railway station in Novi Sad that killed 16 people. The November 2024 tragedy sparked nationwide protests a…
Some ships cross Hormuz despite security risks, data firm says
A small number of ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday despite heightened security threats linked to the confrontation between Tehran and Washington, according to maritime tracker Kpler. Kpler data showed that 14 vessels crossed the strait on Sunday,…
US military says sea drones struck Iranian port
The United States used one-way attack sea drones in combat for the first time to strike the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, the US military said. US Central Command said on X that three US Corsair drones targeted a submarine and ship maintenance facility at the…
EU criticises US threats against International Criminal Court
The European Union criticised threats against the International Criminal Court on Tuesday after the United States vowed a broad campaign against the tribunal. EU spokesman Anouar El Anouni said the EU was strongly committed to international criminal justice a…
Russia summons German ambassador over support for Ukraine
Russia summoned Germany’s ambassador in Moscow, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, on Monday to protest Berlin’s support for Ukraine, the Russian foreign ministry said. The ministry said Lambsdorff was told that Germany’s growing support for Kyiv, including military…
Nine European countries and Ukraine form anti-ballistic missile coalition, statement says
Nine European countries and Ukraine have formed an anti-ballistic missile coalition. The source item did not identify the nine European countries or provide further details about the coalition, its members' roles, timing or planned activities.
Pig's head found in Muslim cemetery in Bosnia's Mostar
A pig’s head found in a Muslim cemetery in the Bosnian city of Mostar forced organisers to cancel a memorial service on Monday. A group of Bosnian Muslims had arrived at the cemetery in a Croat-majority neighbourhood to mark the anniversary of the 1992 format…
Russian police arrest Kremlin critic Boris Nadezhdin before September vote
Russian police arrested Boris Nadezhdin, an anti-war Kremlin critic who planned to run in lower-house elections in September. Nadezhdin, 63, became widely known in Russia in 2024 when he gathered support to run against President Vladimir Putin in that year’s…
Austria says alleged Russian arms smuggler arrested in Vienna
Austria's interior ministry said special forces arrested an alleged Russian weapons smuggler during an attempted arms deal in Vienna. The 35-year-old suspect is accused of trafficking weapon parts that customers could assemble into working firearms, in some c…
Italy takes hundreds of speed cameras out of service
The Italian government has temporarily taken hundreds of speed cameras out of service after finding they do not comply with new rules that came into force on Sunday. Italy's transport ministry has ruled that speed cameras must blur the faces of drivers and pa…
Two Romanian climbers found dead in Italian Alps
The bodies of two Romanian climbers who had been missing since last week were found on Monday in the Gran Paradiso massif in the Italian Alps, authorities told AFP. Authorities in the Aosta Valley, a northern Italian region bordering Switzerland and France, s…
Switzerland and Britain conclude talks on upgraded trade deal
On 13 July 2026, Switzerland said it and Britain had concluded negotiations on an upgraded free trade agreement. The Swiss economic affairs ministry said the agreement would increase legal certainty for businesses in both countries. The talks concluded during…
UK police arrest 12 in probe into alleged threat to Islamic event
UK police arrested 12 people as part of an extreme right-wing terrorism-related investigation into an alleged threat against an Islamic event in eastern England, counter-terrorism police said. The UK Ijtima, a large Islamic gathering held in Suffolk over the…
EU sanctions Russian companies behind state-backed Max app
The European Union announced sanctions against the company behind Russia's state-backed messaging app Max, saying the app had been used to help suppress dissent. The EU targeted Russian media giant VK and its daughter company Communication Platform. The EU sa…
Volkswagen CEO says 50,000 more jobs could be at risk
Volkswagen chief executive Oliver Blume has told employees that a further 50,000 jobs could be at risk, according to an internal memo seen by AFP, confirming reports that the group is targeting 100,000 cuts worldwide. Blume told workers that Volkswagen must “…
Ukraine brigade commander held in custody in murder case
A Ukrainian court has ordered Stanislav Luchanov, commander of the French-trained Anne of Kyiv brigade, to be held in pre-trial detention for at least 60 days while he faces murder charges. Luchanov told reporters on Tuesday that he denies the allegations. Uk…
EU announces air defence support for Moldova
The European Union announced on Monday support worth 120 million euros, with the source giving a dollar equivalent of $137 billion, to strengthen Moldova's air defences against drone threats linked to Russia's war on Ukraine. The EU said the measure would fin…
Taliban minister defends women's dress crackdown in Herat
Afghanistan's minister in charge of vice and virtue defended a crackdown on women's dress in the western city of Herat, saying it protected dignity and rejecting criticism as propaganda. Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, the Taliban government's minister for the Propag…
German court jails Iraqi couple over enslavement of Yazidi girls
A German court on Monday jailed an Iraqi couple who were members of the Islamic State group for keeping two Yazidi minority girls as slaves. The court in Munich sentenced the man, previously partially named by prosecutors as Twana H. S., to life in prison. Hi…
Spain urges stronger prevention after Almeria wildfire kills 13
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called for stronger wildfire prevention after a blaze in Almeria province killed 13 people and burned a large rural area near the Mediterranean coast. Sanchez visited the southern municipality of Turre on Monday to meet em…
Moroccan journalist Ali Lmrabet detained after return from Spain
Prominent Moroccan journalist Ali Lmrabet was set to appear before a prosecutor on Monday after being detained on his return to Morocco from Spain, his wife told AFP. Laura Feliu said Lmrabet, 66, called her at 7:00 pm on Sunday and told her he had been detai…
Nigeria says oil output reached six-year high in June
Nigeria's crude oil production reached a 74-month high in June, authorities said, averaging 1.56 million barrels per day. The Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission said the figure was 104 percent of the country's OPEC quota. The commission said lat…
UK counter-terror police lead Ann Widdecombe murder inquiry
Counter-terrorism police have taken over the investigation into the killing of veteran British right-wing politician Ann Widdecombe after new evidence emerged, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said Monday. Police said a suspect detained at the weekend over the…
Aeolian Islands debate desalination as water supplies strain under tourism
Residents of Italy’s Aeolian Islands are debating whether to build more desalination plants or continue bringing drinking water by ship, as the islands face limited natural water resources and large numbers of tourists. Vulcano, one of the archipelago’s eight…
EU says donors are offering about $1 billion for early Gaza recovery
The European Union said European donors are offering almost 900 million euros, or about $1 billion, to support initial recovery work in Gaza. Dubravka Suica, the EU commissioner for the Mediterranean, announced the package before a donor meeting in Brussels.…
American Ebola patient transferred to Germany for treatment
An American Ebola patient has arrived in Germany for treatment, Berlin's health ministry said. The ministry said the patient landed in Frankfurt overnight and was transferred to the city's university hospital. World Health Organization Director-General Tedros…
Sri Lanka Tamil and Muslim parties form alliance seeking more autonomy
Sri Lanka’s Tamil-speaking minority parties launched a united front to seek a new constitution granting greater autonomy, reviving long-standing grievances two decades after the end of the country’s ethnic war. The alliance brings together six parties represe…
Macron calls for more European defence industry projects
French President Emmanuel Macron urged more European defence industry partnerships on Monday after France and Germany abandoned a joint fighter jet programme last month because of disagreements between the companies involved. In a speech to the military, Macr…
Turkey orders arrests of 968 suspects before coup anniversary
Turkish prosecutors ordered the arrest of 968 suspects linked to an organisation Ankara blames for the failed 2016 coup attempt, the justice minister said Monday. The order came ahead of the July 15 anniversary of the coup attempt. On July 15, 2016, a rogue m…
MSF accuses Russia of systematic attacks on Ukraine healthcare
Doctors Without Borders, known as MSF, said Monday that Russia's attacks in Ukraine appeared to form a deliberate strategy to damage the country's healthcare system and punish civilians, rather than being only an incidental result of the war. MSF said it had…
Germany summons Russian ambassador over alleged cyberattacks
Germany's foreign ministry said it summoned Russia's ambassador on Monday to protest what it described as hostile cyberattacks targeting the European Union. A ministry spokeswoman told reporters that the ambassador was summoned in connection with the cyberatt…
Report details hired political violence in Kenya before 2027 vote
A report on political violence in Kenya says politicians are hiring armed groups, known locally as “goons,” for low daily payments as competition rises before elections due in August 2027. The report says the groups are hired in dozens or hundreds to disrupt…
Main parties line up for Israel's October election
Israel will hold a general election on October 27, the Knesset announced, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud facing challenges from new and existing parties across the political spectrum. Likud, led by Netanyahu, currently has 32 of the Knesset's…
EU lawmakers call for child youth mode on social media
EU lawmakers demanded on Tuesday that social media platforms create a youth mode for children in which addictive features and targeted advertising are turned off. The call comes as pressure grows in the European Union for digital platforms to be designed safe…
Maritime group says Hormuz vessel strike death toll rises to two
A maritime group said the death toll from the latest strikes on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz had risen to two. An earlier report said the attacks killed one Indian seafarer and wounded several other people, and that India summoned Iran's senior…
Oil rises again after new US strikes on Iran
Oil prices rose again on Tuesday after fresh United States strikes against Iran increased concern about a fragile truce, possible disruption to the Strait of Hormuz and renewed inflation pressure. The latest attacks followed an Iranian strike on a commercial…
Bangkok bar fire death toll rises to 34 after woman dies in hospital
A 20-year-old woman died on Sunday from injuries sustained in a large Bangkok bar fire one week earlier, raising the death toll to 34, health authorities said. The fire swept through the Rong Beer Na Lad Phrao bar and restaurant on the night of July 12 and qu…
Media report record 128 migrants reached England in one Channel boat
British media said a boat carrying 128 people reached the coast of England on Friday, the highest reported number for a single Channel crossing. The Home Office said 225 migrants arrived in England on Friday across three boats. The PA news agency and the BBC…
France shuts three nuclear reactors as heatwave affects cooling water
France's main energy provider, EDF, said three nuclear reactors had been temporarily shut down and eight others were running at reduced power because of a heatwave in France. EDF told AFP that reactors at the Golfech, Bugey and Chooz plants had been shut down…
Zimbabweans return from South Africa after anti-migrant violence
Tens of thousands of Zimbabweans have left South Africa in recent weeks after violent anti-migrant protests. South Africa has long attracted migrants, but the source said protests and deadly violence against foreigners have swept the country for weeks. Fringe…
Sudan court sentences RSF leader to death in absentia, state media says
A Sudanese court on July 12 sentenced paramilitary leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo and 15 others to death in absentia over the killing of a regional governor and alleged war crimes in Darfur, state media reported. The ruling is the first against the leadership of…
Bangladesh monsoon floods and landslides kill at least 50, officials say
Flash floods and landslides caused by monsoon rains have killed at least 50 people in Bangladesh over the past week, officials said on Sunday, and tens of thousands of people have been displaced from their homes. Bangladesh is a low-lying delta country crosse…
Turkish musician Haluk Levent arrested in NGO graft probe, media report
Turkish police arrested rock musician and civil society activist Haluk Levent on Sunday, media reports said. BirGun newspaper and the left-leaning Sozcu daily said the Istanbul public prosecutor's office issued a warrant as part of a graft investigation into…
Mali army says about 30 troops killed retaking Anefis
Mali's army chief said about 30 soldiers were killed in recent fighting to retake the northern town of Anefis from Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists and their Tuareg separatist allies. General Jean Elysee Dao told Malian state TV that around 60 soldiers were also wou…
Trump praises Iraq's new prime minister during White House talks
US President Donald Trump praised Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi during White House talks on Tuesday, while Washington continued to press Baghdad to curb Iranian influence. Trump hosted Zaidi, a businessman who came to power this year with US support after…
Toronto police say festival shooting victims were targeted
Toronto police said the two people killed in a weekend shooting at a music festival were targeted. Police Chief Myron Demkiw said the victims were males aged 25 and 20 who knew each other, and that police believe they were targeted. Four other people were inj…
Researchers test drones to measure volcanic gases in Sicily
Researchers on the Aeolian island of Vulcano, off Sicily, are testing whether drones can help measure volcanic gases and improve efforts to anticipate eruptions. A team from the Technical University of Munich is testing a system in which a ground sensor sends…
Cuba restores power after third nationwide blackout in less than 10 days
Cuban authorities said power had been restored across the country after the island's third nationwide outage in less than 10 days. The state-run UNE electricity company said the latest blackout began at about 11:05 am on Tuesday, or 1505 GMT, leaving Cuba's 9…
Germany’s car-sector slowdown weighs on young engineers
Germany’s automotive slowdown is making it harder for some young engineers to find work, even in fields linked to software and advanced vehicle systems. AFP spoke with Max Peil, a 30-year-old German software engineer trained in computer vision, a technology u…