12-07-2026 WASHINGTON/ DAMASCUS: The United States says it will remove Syria’s designation as a “state sponsor of terrorism”, a decades-old label that severely impeded investment, in a new vote of confidence in President Ahmed al-Sharaa. “This is yet another historic step by President Trump to give the Syrian people a …

12-07-2026 JAKARTA: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s signature free meals program is escalating into one of Indonesia’s biggest corruption scandals in years as officials struggle to rein in the $15bn initiative amid allegations of graft and mismanagement. Launched in 2025, the “Free Nutritious Meals” program aims to address the chronic issue …

12-07-2026 MANAMA: Air raid sirens blare in Bahrain as Kuwait reports “hostile missile and drone” attacks after US bombs Iran for a second consecutive night. Explosions have been reported in Iranian cities along the Strait of Hormuz, including Bushehr, Chabahar, Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Jask and Abu Musa Island. At least …

11-07-2026 TEHRAN: In his first message since the funeral of his father, Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has pledged to “avenge (his) innocent blood”, adding that “revenge is the will of our nation”. US president says 1,000 missiles are “locked and loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran” …

11-07-2026 ZAPORIZHZHIA REGION: Russian forces are trying to counter Ukrainian “mid-strike” drone attacks by camouflaging cargoes and installing powerful jamming systems to disrupt Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet system, Ukrainian drone commanders and pilots told media. Kyiv’s development of “mid-strike” drones that can hit targets dozens of kilometres behind front …

11-07-2026 Bureau Report NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is ​facing mounting anger over a mandatory 20% ethanol-blended fuel policy, with vehicle owners demanding choice and an opposition politician asking ‌carmakers Maruti Suzuki and Toyota to provide clarity. The 20% ethanol-blended petrol, called E20, became the only fuel …

11-07-2026 HAVANA: Cubans in several locations on the island banged pots on Tuesday evening to express their anger about the latest nationwide power cut. While public dissent in the Communist-run country is often punished with long prison sentences, there have been spontaneous protests in areas worst affected by the outages. …

11-07-2026 BRUSSELS: Twelve countries, including the UK, are set to spend more than £37bn ($50bn) over the next 10 years on a new long-range missile to protect Europe. The Deep Precision Strike project has just been unveiled by No 10 and is due to be discussed later on Wednesday at …

11-07-2026 BEIJING: On Sunday, heavy rain began falling on Renhe village in the southern Chinese province of Guangxi. The villagers were used to it but the rain didn’t stop and the water suddenly rose. By the early hours of Monday, the water had reached their knees. By dawn, it had …

11-07-2026 WASHINTON/ TEHRAN: United States President Donald Trump says the ceasefire with Iran is “over”, describing Iranian leaders as “sick people” after Iran and the US exchanged military attacks. “I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them anymore, they’re scum,” Trump said on Wednesday at a NATO …