PoliticsProtests in New Delhi have entered their third day as pressure grows on Narendra Modi to dismiss his education minister. The youth-led movement remains defiant after what was described as a heavy-handed police crackdown on Monday. The minister at the centre of the dispute says the government remains committed to reform. But supporters of the so-called Cockroach party accuse him of incompetence and are demanding that he leave office.
WorldActivists in Manila confronted police as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived for meetings with Asean foreign ministers and the regional bloc’s dialogue partners. Scuffles broke out during the protest. Demonstrators demanded that the US end its involvement in regional conflicts. They also accused the Trump administration of fuelling tensions across the Asia-Pacific region.
CultureThe Louvre Museum has reopened its Apollo Gallery to visitors, but no jewels are currently on display. The reopening comes nine months after a daring robbery targeted crown jewels valued at $102 million. The heist exposed major security failures at the world’s most visited museum. The gallery’s return marks a resumption of public access despite the absence of the stolen collection.
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WorldUS President Donald Trump has threatened to inflict further devastation on Iran. Tehran, meanwhile, has targeted a desalination plant and power facilities in Kuwait, as well as critical infrastructure in Bahrain and Jordan. Zeidon Alkinani, founding director of the Arab Perspectives Institute, examines the strategic message behind the attacks. He also considers what the strikes could mean for the wider region.
WorldLebanese President Joseph Aoun met Donald Trump at the White House. The meeting is presented as an effort to secure long-term stability for Lebanon after months of conflict involving Israel and the Iran-backed group Hezbollah. George Wardini, a political commentator and editor in chief of Polyblog, explains the significance of the encounter and its possible implications for Lebanon’s search for stability.
EconomyUS equity futures are lower as investors prepare for Alphabet’s earnings release. Brent crude has climbed above $95 a barrel for the first time in six weeks after both the United States and Iran played down the prospect of talks. President Trump says generic-drug manufacturers must shift production to the US or face a 100% import duty. Goldman Sachs’ Christian Mueller-Glissmann assesses the outlook for major technology earnings.
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WorldChinese and Philippine vessels clashed in waters near the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea on July 20, 2026. Both sides accused the other of provoking the incident first, and personnel from both countries were injured. China and the Philippines later summoned each other’s ambassadors and lodged protests. The confrontation took place as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attended an ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting, renewing attention on tensions in the South China Sea.
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EconomyUK inflation fell to 2.6% in June, its lowest level since March 2025. The decline gave new Prime Minister Andy Burnham an early boost as he seeks to relieve pressure from the cost of living. Cheaper petrol was the main force behind the slowdown, following a brief de-escalation in the Iran war. The conflict’s revival, however, is casting uncertainty over the economic outlook.
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WorldUS Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told the Senate that the military campaign against Iran has already cost $37.5 billion. He appeared before lawmakers to defend the war and seek another $67 billion in funding. The request faced criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. France 24 international affairs editor Rochelle Ferguson-Bouyahi provides further details and analysis of the funding push.
PoliticsUkraine has undergone its biggest military leadership shake-up since Russia’s full-scale invasion. The change is intended to bring an end to one of the country’s deepest political crises since the invasion began. Street protests continued for days after last week’s removal of the defence minister. President Volodymyr Zelensky then dismissed the commander in chief of the military. The move leaves open the question of whether protesters will be satisfied.
WorldPresident Trump has played down the prospects of immediate talks with Iran. The two sides have continued exchanging strikes for an 11th straight night, while mediators work to restart negotiations. The program also reviews overnight market developments in the United States and Asia. It highlights the issues considered important for investors in Europe before trading begins, alongside a focus on technology stocks ahead of earnings.
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WorldThe documentary examines claims that the French army secretly used chemical weapons during Algeria’s war of independence, in defiance of international law. It presents archival material and testimony from former French soldiers and Algerian fighters. The film frames the conduct as a French violation of the 1925 Geneva Protocol. Historian Christophe Lafaye cites a 1956 letter from a senior army commander to the government referring to the “use of chemical means.”
PoliticsPresident Volodymyr Zelenskiy has appointed Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi as Ukraine’s new commander-in-chief. The move follows protests over the removal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. Drapatyi will take on Ukraine’s top military command amid the political fallout from Fedorov’s dismissal.
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PoliticsFormer Nicaraguan presidential candidate Juan Sebastian Chamorro, now living in exile, has criticized President Daniel Ortega’s plan to end elections. Chamorro likened Nicaragua to “the North Korea of Latin America.” His remark sharply portrays the political direction he says the country is taking under Ortega’s plan. The criticism comes from an exiled opposition figure.
Reuters
WorldThe United States downplayed the possibility of immediate negotiations with Iran as the two countries continued exchanging strikes. Houthi militants in Yemen also threatened shipping in the Red Sea. US Central Command said it had completed an 11th consecutive evening of strikes on Iran on Tuesday. The stated aim was to weaken the Islamic republic’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
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PoliticsTurkish opposition leader Ozgur Özel says he will launch a new political party after a disputed court ruling removed him from the CHP leadership. Özel and his supporters argue that the ruling was politically motivated. He expects the new movement to develop into Turkey’s leading opposition force. Its stated aim is to challenge President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s hold on power.
WorldDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth told senators that the ongoing war in Iran has cost roughly US$37.5 billion so far. He presented the higher estimate during a fiery Senate Appropriations Committee hearing while urging lawmakers to approve more defence funding. Republicans are preparing a US$95 billion package to support the military and other White House priorities. Some senators, however, questioned US leadership of the war effort, with one criticising Hegseth’s handling of the campaign.
SocietyHong Kong has begun permitting dogs in around 1,000 approved restaurants under a new scheme. Within weeks, complaints surfaced and some eateries decided to withdraw. Videos and photographs showing dogs breaching the rules also spread rapidly online. Authorities introduced the initiative this year to support the city’s struggling food and beverage sector. The backlash is now testing how the pet-friendly dining policy works in practice.
WorldAn explosion has reportedly occurred in Behbahan, in Iran’s southwestern Khuzestan province. Video from the area shows a large column of dark smoke rising into the sky. Residents in Mahshahr also say they heard several blasts. Al Jazeera correspondent Tohid Asadi is joining the coverage live from Tehran.
SocietyCarl McDaniel suffered multiple bone fractures after a bison threw him into the air at Yellowstone National Park on July 10. He said the animal did not appear aggressive at first. McDaniel recalled that it seemed to become focused on him as a target before the encounter turned violent. He added that bison move faster than anyone could imagine.
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EconomyBloomberg Television reports on the accelerating rebound among chipmakers in its Wall Street closing-bell program. The broadcast provides market news and analysis in the final minutes before and after trading ends. Guests include specialists in portfolio management, product and portfolio strategy, pharmaceuticals, Amazon Business and market strategy. The discussion is framed around the latest developments affecting markets as the session closes.
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WorldThe Philippine military accused China’s coast guard of allegedly injuring a Filipino sailor during an incident at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. Philippine officials said personnel aboard a motorboat repeatedly hit the sailor on the head with a wooden baton. They said the assault injured him and damaged his smaller vessel. China’s coast guard responded by claiming that two rubber boats involved belonged to an “illegally” stationed Filipino presence. The two sides presented sharply different accounts of the encounter.
The Associated Press
HealthNovo Nordisk has taken rival Eli Lilly to a US federal court over advertising for weight-loss medicines. The Danish drugmaker accuses Lilly of falsely claiming that its products outperform Novo’s drugs. The lawsuit adds a legal dispute to the companies’ competition in the weight-loss medicine market. Maggie Fick explains the claims and the advertising battle between the two pharmaceutical companies.
Reuters
CultureTom Holland says Spider-Man: Brand New Day will delve into vulnerability and community. The film follows Peter Parker as he faces a new reality without his closest friends around him. Holland describes the new story as grittier and more emotionally charged, highlighting how Peter must navigate that changed situation on his own.
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