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 More than 4,200 Israeli settlers and members of far-right groups have stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem in one of the largest incursions this year as they mark a Jewish holiday, Palestinian officials say. Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also entered the site under heavy police protection on Thursday for Tisha B’Av, a Jewish day of mourning that marks the destruction twice of an ancient Jewish temple believed to have stood at the site known to Muslims as Al-Aqsa and to Jews as the Temple Mount. The Palestinian administration of the Jerusalem governorate said 4,288 Israelis had so far entered the compound. This number was expected to keep rising until sundown, perhaps reaching 5,000, the governorate said, which would exceed the numbers recorded in previous years during the same Jewish holida y.

 Spain snuffed out France’s dream of a third World Cup triumph, taming their galaxy of forwards to win 2-0 and progress to a final against England or Argentina. Didier Deschamps’s men were hot favourites for the trophy after a string of breathtaking displays in the United States, but they met their match against the slick European champions at the semifinal stage on Tuesday. alty in the first half in Arlington, Texas, and Pedro Porro doubled their lead in the second half. Shell-shocked France could not find a way back into the match despite their wealth of attacking riches. The game at Dallas Stadium caught fire midway through the first half when Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton pointed to the penalty spot after a reckless challenge by France left-back Lucas Digne on Spain winger Lamine Yamal. Oyarzabal hammered the ball past France goalkeeper Mike Maignan for his fifth goal of the World Cup to leave France trailing for the first time in the tournament. Minutes later, France suffered...

 Kylian Mbappe and France have not trailed at all in this year’s World Cup. Neither has Spain, with teenage sensation Lamine Yamal and clutch goal-scoring substitute Mikel Merino. Only one of those teams can make it to the final. France and Spain, both at their 17th World Cup, have met only once previously on football’s biggest stage. They play Tuesday’s match at the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys in the first of two powerhouse semifinal matches. After entering this tournament as FIFA’s top-ranked team, France have outscored their opponents 14-2. Mbappe, the 2022 Golden Boot winner, has eight goals to match Lionel Messi for the scoring lead this time, and is one behind the Argentina captain’s career record of 21 at the World Cup. “We are confident, of course, with the course we have done so far, and we have to be,” France midfielder Adrien Rabiot said. “But always with this humility that has characterised us since the beginning of the competition.” The 27-year-old Mbappe has 20 g...

  Oil prices have surged to their highest level in a month as renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran continued for a third consecutive day, dampening hopes for a return to normality in the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude, the primary international benchmark, rose as much as 3.8 percent on Tuesday, extending a 9.6 percent gain from the previous day. Brent futures for September delivery stood at $85.92 a barrel as of 08:00 GMT, the highest since June 15. After easing to pre-conflict levels following Washington and Tehran’s signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for peace last month, Brent has risen 19 percent from its price before the start of the US-Israel war on Iran in late February. The US Central Command on Monday announced strikes on Iran for a third day, saying its forces targeted Tehran’s ability to attack “innocent civilians and commercial shipping” in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it hit two oil supertankers in the...

 India vs England, Lord's Test Day 3 Highlights: India produced a landmark performance to defeat England by 270 runs in the first-ever women's Test at Lord's, securing a famous victory at the historic venue. The visitors needed only the opening session on the fourth and final day to complete the win after setting England an imposing target of 457. England resumed on 130/6 with little realistic hope of chasing down the target, which would have been the highest successful fourth-innings chase in women's Test history by a considerable margin. Amy Jones offered resistance with a fighting 54, while Sophie Ecclestone combined with Lauren Filer in a spirited last-wicket stand to register her maiden Test half-century. However, India's experienced spinners quickly ended England's resistance. Sneh Rana dismissed Jones before returning to bowl Ecclestone for 50, finishing the innings in style. Deepti Sharma also struck twice in quick succession as England were bowled out f...

 Lamine Yamal insists he would take no fear into Spain’s World Cup semifinal against France when both sides meet after he celebrated his 19th birthday. The Barcelona prodigy raised eyebrows following Spain’s 2-1 quarterfinal defeat of Belgium last week after being quoted as saying that France rather than Spain ought to be “afraid” given recent defeats against La Roja. A relaxed-looking Yamal addressed those comments as he spoke to reporters on Monday at a press conference. “I was asked if I was afraid of France, and I said no,” Yamal explained. “We are European champions. It’s simply football,” the teenager explained. Yamal said he had marked his 19th birthday by buying a chunky jewel-encrusted necklace he wore to his press conference. The real birthday present, though, would be a place in Sunday’s World Cup final. “I haven’t received many gifts yet. The best gift would be a win on Tuesday and a trip to New York,” he said. While other stars at this World Cup have been in blistering...

A rapidly intensifying El Niño weather pattern is threatening to bring severe flooding, disease and drought to some of the world’s most vulnerable communities across East Africa and Asia, a humanitarian organisation has warned. On Monday, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) said Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan were among the countries most at risk, some of which have already been struggling with ongoing humanitarian emergencies. “We’re watching several emergencies converge at once, and the places least equipped to absorb another shock are the ones in the crosshairs,” Bob Kitchen, a senior official for emergencies at the IRC, said. The US Climate Prediction Center said on July 9 that El Niño is strengthening rapidly, with an 81 percent chance of becoming one of the most powerful events since 1950, likely peaking between October and December. The UN’s weather agency, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said in early July that El Niño conditions ...

 Defending champions Argentina face England in the 2026 FIFA World Cup‘s second semifinal on Wednesday, renewing one of football’s bitterest rivalries. From the controversial “Hand of God” goal by Diego Maradona in 1986 to David Beckham being red-carded for kicking Diego Simeone in 1998, England vs Argentina matches at the World Cup have never been devoid of drama. Come Wednesday, as the two teams meet again on the sport’s biggest stage after 24 years, a new chapter opens in their storied history. It marks the first time Argentina legend Lionel Messi will face England, who have their own heroes in Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham. The winner of this semifinal will proceed to Sunday’s final, facing either France or Spain for a chance to be crowned the world champion again.

 A huge fire tore through a bar in Thailand's capital Bangkok late on Sunday, killing at least 28 people and leaving 25 critically injured. The blaze started near the stage of the bar in the popular Chatuchak district, then spread rapidly, cutting power and engulfing the room with smoke, eyewitnesses say. Footage posted online shows panicked customers screaming as they fled – some with their clothes on fire – through the flame-enveloped front door of Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao. Firefighters, who arrived at the scene just after midnight, quickly extinguished the fire. They found the bodies of most of the victims in a bathroom, where they had apparently sought shelter. "Most of the people who died were found in the toilets. When the fire broke out, they panicked. There were no lights," national police chief Kitrat Panphet said. Kaew-udon Poungppany, 24, from Laos, fought back tears as he described trying to reach his younger brother, who did not survive. "I grabbed a fire ...

  The US Central Command on Sunday declared that the Strait of Hormuz is open for all vessels to lawfully transit the strategic waterway amid Iran’s announcement that it has shut Hormuz over Washington’s attack and alleged breach of ceasefire and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). In a post on X, the US Central Command wrote, “US forces are positioned and prepared to ensure that freedom of navigation remains available despite unwarranted Iranian aggression, harassment, threats, and arbitrary declarations. Iran does not control the strait. Traffic is flowing.” Iran targeted US facilities in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait, raising fears of a wider conflict in the region. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they destroyed a command and control center and drone hangars in Jordan, targeted a ‌US radar site in Kuwait, attacked US aircraft carrier support and refueling platforms in Oman and destroyed a jet maintenance centre and command facility in Qatar. The US military said it car...

 Add Al Jazeera on Google Iran claims attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Qatar and Oman as UAE also reports intercepting Iranian missiles and drone threats. The attacks came after the US announced a third round of strikes on Iran this week, accusing it of attacking a Cyprus-flagged container ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media say explosions were heard in the port cities of Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Chabahar, Bandar-e Deyr, Jask and Asaluyeh The hostilities come after Iran’s IRGC declared the Strait of Hormuz temporarily closed and said it had fired a warning shot at a ship attempting to transit through what it called an unapproved route. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei pledges to avenge the killing of his father, Ali Khamenei, by US and Israeli forces, saying “revenge is the will of our na tion”.

 Nigeria's military says it has freed all 44 pupils and teachers who were abducted two months ago from schools in the southern state of Oyo, and arrested some of their captors. A local teachers' union has told the BBC of its "relief" - but families say the ordeal has been harrowing and they are still waiting to be reunited with their loved ones. The military said that several soldiers died in the rescue mission. The freed captives are currently receiving medical treatment at an undisclosed hospital and will return home at a later date, army spokesman Danjuma Jonah Danjuma said in a statement issued on Friday evening. A renewed wave of mass kidnappings have hit Nigeria in recent months, and insecurity remains a major issue ahead of next year's general election. The government says it is stepping up security around schools and vulnerable communities but critics say it is not enough. In this case the victims were kidnapped by gunmen on 15 May from three schools in th...

 Substitutes have scored 52 of 250 goals at this World Cup, the highest rate in over a decade. From Merino's two late strikes for Spain to Haaland's late double for Norway, it isn't luck. It's exhaustion, arriving on schedule. Mikel Merino had been on the pitch for a mere one minute and fifty-seven seconds when he scored the goal that sent Spain into the World Cup semi-final. Belgium’s backup goalkeeper Senne Lammens, in only because Thibaut Courtois had gone off injured, spilt a Pau Cubarsi shot into his path in the 88th minute. One substitute punished another substitute’s mistake, in a match Belgium had also started without their injured captain. It was Merino’s second goal as a substitute at this World Cup, with his first coming six days earlier, in the 91st minute, six minutes after coming on, and it ended Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup. Matches at this tournament have been settled less by ninety minutes of football than by whoever is still standing in the final twen...

  At least fifteen Indian tourists have died after a boat capsized near an island off Vietnam ’s Phu Quoc on Saturday (July 11, 2026). The tourist speedboat AG 26751, operated by Ocean Pearl Island Company (Minh Huy Phu Quoc Trading and Tourism Co. Ltd. was carrying 32 Indian tourists and four crew members from Hon May Rut to An Thoi Port, according to Vietnamese news portal VN Express International. It capsized about 400 metres off Hon May Rut Ngoai, throwing everyone on board into the sea.

 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” with thousands more to follow if it tries to assassinate him. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticised the United States over its failure to uphold the interim agreement, warning that the administration’s actions demonstrate a clear breach of established commitments. Araghchi is taking part in talks in Oman in a bid for a diplomatic solution.

 US President Trump says Tehran and US agreed to continue talks, but he communicated to Iran that the ceasefire is “over”. After two days of deadly strikes between the US and Iran, Qatari negotiators are in Tehran in an attempt to get diplomacy back on track. Shipping in the Strait of Hormuz has plunged during the renewed fighting, dealing a new blow to energy markets already reeling from the biggest supply disruption in history. The pace of Israeli attacks on Lebanon increased overnight Thursday into Friday, with numerous drone and warplane strikes taking place.

 South Korean chip giant SK Hynix has raised a record-breaking $26.5bn ahead of its Wall Street debut amid soaring demand for semiconductors used in AI. SK Hynix said on Friday that it had sold 177.9 million American depositary shares (ADS) at $149 each ahead of its listing on the New York-based Nasdaq stock exchange. ADS are US dollar-denominated shares of a foreign company that can be bought and sold on the US market. SK Hynix’s 177.9 million ADSs are equivalent to 18 million ordinary shares. SK Hynix’s initial public offering (IPO) marks the largest-ever listing by a foreign company in the US, surpassing Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba’s $25bn debut in 2014. The listing also ranks as the second-largest globally, after SpaceX’s record-breaking $85.7bn Nasdaq listing in June. Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that the listing was more than seven times oversubscribed. Dilin Wu, a research strategist at Pepperstone in Melbourne, Australia, said the market ...

 At least 11 people have died in a wildfire in southern Spain, with early indications suggesting four of the victims are British, according to a local official Hundreds of firefighters are working to contain the blaze around Los Gallardos, Almería, which appears to have been caused by a downed power line A sustained heatwave with temperatures of around 40C (104F) has caused wildfires across southern Europe this summer The bodies of the 11 victims were found in and around the small village of Bédar, just outside Los Gallardos, while 19 pothers are still missing Regional president Juanma Moreno says the deaths are a tragedy and warns the death toll could rise significantly The bodies of the 11 people that are confirmed to have been killed in the fire were found in and around the small village of Bédar, just outside Los Gallardos, in the Andalusia region of southern Spain. The region’s health and emergencies minister, Antonio Sanz, says the majority, or even all of the victims, may be...

 Ukraine's military has intensified its attacks near Russian-annexed Crimea, following up strikes on Russia's land corridor to the peninsula by targeting maritime supply routes as well. Ukraine's drone force commander Robert Brovdi, also known as Magyar, says at least 25 ships have been hit and set on fire over the past four days in the Sea of Azov, the inland sea linked to the Black Sea by the Kerch Strait. Such losses in so short a time are a clear blow to Russia's naval capability as well as Vladimir Putin's guarantee of maintaining fuel supplies. These attacks appear to be the latest phase of Ukraine's self-declared "logistics lockdown" which aims to choke off supplies and routes into and out of occupied Crimea. Ukraine's military talks of 36 ships hit and that most belong to Russia's "shadow fleet" of commercial oil tankers. The exact number is unclear as some ships may have been hit more than once and not all the strikes have be...

 The 2026 World Cup rolls into the quarterfinal stage, kicking off with a blockbuster battle between title favourites France and African champions Morocco. France, two-time world champions and the 2022 edition’s runners-up, have been the most well-balanced team in the football tournament in North America, scoring a whopping 14 goals while leaking only two en route to a perfect five wins out of five. Spearheaded by Golden Boot leader Kylian Mbappe, and boasting a tantalising trio of Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise and Bradley Barcola, France have arguably the most lethal and enviable attacking unit in the tournament. But the next challenge in their bid for a third world title is far from easy. The French are up against Ismael Saibari and Brahim Diaz’s Morocco, who stunned the Netherlands in the knockouts and will be eager to take down another European giant. The Atlas Lions, no longer challengers but contenders, are looking to reach back-to-back semifinals for the first time in histo...

 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 one person is killed in Iranshahr. US President Donald Trump says the attacks are in “retribution” for alleged Iranian attacks on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will be buried in his hometown of Mashhad today, after millions of people attended funeral processions in the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala. Israeli forces keep up attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, killing at least eight people in the Palestinian territory and two men in Nabatieh al-Fawqa.

 U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday (July 8, 2026) that the memorandum of ‌understanding signed with Iran to end the conflict was “over”, adding he didn’t ⁠want to engage with Tehran. Also read | The last revolutionary of Iran The interim ceasefire agreement signed between Washington and Tehran was intended to provide a 60-day window for negotiations ‌on a permanent agreement, but indirect ‌talks ⁠in Qatar ended last week ⁠with no sign of headway.  Earlier, the U.S. military unleashed a new wave of strikes against Iran after it said Tehran struck three ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran retaliated with strikes targeting Bahrain and Kuwait. Three tankers hit in latest attacks in Strait of Hormuz: UKMTO The attacks on shipping and the resulting strikes came during the dayslong funeral for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed February 28 in the war’s first moments at age 86. The funeral, which ends on Thursday (July 9, 2026), had been thought t...

 During his visit to Australia in May 2023, when the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and Australia was almost three years old, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had characterised India-Australia ties as having entered T-20 mode. He also stressed that the relationship had gone beyond the conventional three Cs — of Commonwealth, Cricket and Curry — and the subsequent three Ds — Democracy, Diaspora and Dosti. As Mr. Modi undertakes his third visit to Australia this week, it would be instructive to look at some of the recent progress in two other important dimensions, the Ds of Development and Defence. Growing bilateral economic cooperation has brought dividends like never before for both countries. All Indian exports to Australia now have duty free access under the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), benefitting textiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, engineering goods, gems and jewellery. Preferential access to 90% of Australia’s trade value has facilitated Au...