- 16h ago
Hamas elects Khalil al-Hayya as new political chief, ending nearly two-year leadership vacuum
Khalil al-Hayya, the group's chief negotiator during the Gaza war, was elected on Monday to head its political bureau, filling a role vacant since Israel killed Yahya Sinwar in October 2024.
- 19h ago
Spain defeat Argentina 1-0 in extra time to win 2026 World Cup as Rodri claims Golden Ball and Unai Simon sets clean-sheet record
Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the 2026 World Cup final at MetLife Stadium, with Ferran Torres scoring the decisive goal in the 99th minute. Rodri was named player of the tournament and Unai Simon set a new clean-sheet record as La Roja claimed their second men's title.
- 2d ago
Israeli ministers join settler march to Gaza demanding return of settlements
Thousands marched toward the Gaza border on 19 July 2026, with cabinet members Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, demanding the rebuilding of Jewish settlements evacuated in 2005.
- 2d ago
Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City kill at least nine, including three children, despite October ceasefire
Israeli airstrikes on residential neighbourhoods in Gaza City killed at least nine Palestinians, including three children, on Saturday, despite a fragile ceasefire in place since October 2025.
- 2d ago
Trump guarantees Netanyahu will not be arrested in US after NYC mayor threatens to enforce ICC warrant
President Trump's Truth Social post on Monday came after New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he was exploring legal options to detain the Israeli prime minister during September's UN General Assembly, citing an ICC warrant for alleged war crimes in Gaza.
- 3d ago
Israel reclassifies Nile crocodile to clear path for Ben-Gvir's prison moat plan
Israel's environmental protection minister has reclassified the Nile crocodile, clearing a legal path for the far-right security minister's plan to surround a desert prison with crocodile-filled moats.
- 4d ago
Andy Burnham becomes UK prime minister, names John Healey chancellor and pledges cost-of-living help
Andy Burnham took office as UK prime minister on Monday, appointing John Healey as chancellor and Angela Rayner as housing secretary, and promising immediate measures to ease the cost-of-living crisis.
- 6d ago
Majority of House Democrats vote to block $3.3 billion in Israel aid, exposing party split
More than 100 House Democrats voted to strip $3.3 billion in annual military aid from Israel, a symbolic but sharp break from years of near-unanimous support that lays bare the party's internal rift ahead of the November midterms.
- Jul 13
Mossad recruited Holocaust denier Ahmadinejad in secret plot to lead post-war Iran, NYT and Haaretz reveal
Israel ran a multi-year intelligence operation to recruit former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a vocal anti-Semite, as the figurehead of a post-war regime in Tehran. The plan included secret meetings in Guatemala and Hungary and an extraction mission during the 28 February airstrikes, before unravelling when the IRGC took him into custody.
- Jul 13
EU split over Israeli settlement trade ban as foreign ministers fail to reach majority for action
A proposal to ban trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank won the most support among EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday, but fell short of the simple majority needed to compel the European Commission to draft sanctions.
- Jul 12
Israel sets October 27 election as Netanyahu trails former military chief Eisenkot in polls
The Knesset confirmed Sunday that general elections will be held on October 27, marking the first time in decades the legislature has completed a full term. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces an uphill battle, with surveys showing his Likud party behind the centrist Jaschar party led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot.
- Jul 12
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, former emir who transformed Qatar into global LNG power, dies at 74
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who ruled Qatar from 1995 to 2013 and oversaw its transformation into the world's largest LNG exporter, died on Sunday at age 74. The royal court announced a four-day mourning period; funeral prayers were held at Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque in Doha.
- Jul 12
Darline Graham sworn in as US senator after Lindsey Graham's sudden death, raising questions over Ukraine sanctions bill
Darline Graham Nordone, 62, a political novice, was sworn in Tuesday as South Carolina's first female senator, just days after her brother Lindsey Graham, 71, died suddenly of an aortic tear while pushing for Russia sanctions.
- Jul 9
Israeli strike kills Gaza World Cup screening organiser and three others, including two children
Mohammed al-Wahidi, who set up public screenings of 2026 World Cup matches in Gaza, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Tuesday along with three others, including two children, as he headed to the Egypt-Argentina match.
- Jul 9
Israeli strikes kill at least eight in Gaza, including three children, despite ceasefire
Israeli airstrikes and gunfire killed at least eight Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, including three children, despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in place since October.
- Jul 8
Gaza doctor held without charge for 18 months fears he will die in Israeli custody
Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, told his lawyer on 2 July that he believed he would be killed, after being subjected to daily beatings and torture in an Israeli detention facility.
- Jul 7
Ireland passes bill banning goods from Israeli settlements, but services excluded amid opposition criticism
The Dáil approved legislation prohibiting imports of goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, but the government blocked an opposition amendment to extend the ban to services.
- Jul 6
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan uses World Cup press conference to plead for Palestinian rights ahead of Argentina clash
Ahead of Egypt's last-16 match against Argentina, coach Hossam Hassan delivered an impassioned appeal for the Palestinian people, calling the situation in Gaza 'a shame for all of us' and urging the world to let them live.
- Jul 6
Hamas dissolves Gaza government after 20 years, paving way for US-backed technocratic committee
Hamas announced the dissolution of its de facto government in Gaza on Monday, inviting a US-backed technocratic committee to take over administration of the enclave. The move is part of a stalled Trump peace plan, but Israel and the Board of Peace remain cautious.
- Jul 5
Twin bombings near Macron's Damascus hotel wound 18; French president presses on with Syria visit
Two improvised bombs detonated near the Four Seasons hotel in Damascus on Tuesday, wounding 18 people including four police officers, as French President Emmanuel Macron began the second day of his landmark visit to Syria. Macron, who had already left for the presidential palace, was unharmed and vowed to continue his trip.
