Day News Recap: Middle East tensions drive deaths, oil spike and wider security fallout
The biggest escalation came in the Middle East, where US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran was not serious about a ceasefire deal, while Washington also investigated claims that Russia may have helped Tehran target CIA related sites in the Gulf. Donald Trump attended the repatriation at Dover Air Force Base for US service members killed in the war with Iran, and the US House passed a $1.15 trillion military bill that expands cooperation with Israel. đź”— đź”— đź”— đź”—Oil markets were jolted as Brent crude moved above $100 a barrel for the first time since May, with shipping... [Continue Reading]
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Kashmiri activist Khurram Parvez and journalist Irfan Mehraj freed on bail after years in prison
Indian authorities have released prominent Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Parvez and journalist Irfan Mehraj on bail after years in prison on terrorism-financing charges. The two men walked free from a jail in New Delhi late on Wednesday, according to relatives, but remain subject to strict court-imposed restrictions. The National Investigation Agency is seeking to overturn the bail order, keeping the case active in the coming weeks.Parvez, who serves as programme coordinator for the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society, was arrested in 2021 at his home in Srinagar. Mehraj, a freelance journalist who had worked with the same rights... [Continue Reading]
Day News Recap: US Iran escalation, Gaza strikes and floods hit Asia as markets swing to commodities
The biggest story was the deepening US Iran confrontation, with Washington saying it had completed an 11th straight night of strikes on Iran while Tehran reportedly retaliated against US military targets in Iraq and Syria. President Donald Trump said the United States was not finished and warned of further attacks, including on the Pickaxe Mountain area and on Iranian bridges and power plants if shipping in the Strait of Hormuz is hit. đź”— đź”— đź”— đź”—The conflict is also carrying a heavy financial and military cost. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told senators the campaign has cost about $37.5bn so far... [Continue Reading]
Breakfast News Recap: US Iran strikes deepen as floods, trade tensions and Gaza violence mount
The biggest escalation remains the US campaign against Iran, with American strikes continuing for an 11th straight night, Iranian air defences activated in Tehran and explosions reported near Natanz, while Donald Trump warned the United States was “not finished” and could hit the Pickaxe Mountain area soon. 🔗 🔗Washington is also facing the financial and political cost of the conflict, after Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told senators the war has cost about $37.5bn so far and pressed Congress for urgent extra funding. A US soldier has also been identified after dying in northern Iraq in a controlled detonation of a... [Continue Reading]
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Pakistan-administered Kashmir splits election schedule after protests and violence
Pakistan-administered Kashmir has changed the timing of its regional election after weeks of protests, sit-ins and a security crackdown that have left dozens dead. The vote, which had been due on July 27, will now take place on three separate days across different parts of the territory. Officials say the revised schedule is intended to reduce security risks linked to the unrest.Under the new plan, voting in the Mirpur division will go ahead on July 27 as originally planned. Polling in Muzaffarabad and for 12 seats reserved for refugees from Indian-administered Kashmir living elsewhere in Pakistan has been moved to... [Continue Reading]
UN urges probe into deaths in Pakistan-administered Kashmir unrest
The United Nations human rights chief has called for an independent investigation into deadly unrest in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Volker Turk urged Islamabad to carry out prompt, thorough and impartial inquiries into all civilian and security force deaths linked to the violence. The appeal comes as at least 31 people have been killed since last month, with tensions rising ahead of regional elections later this month.The unrest has centred on the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee, an umbrella group of traders and activists. The movement began with protests over rising food prices and utility tariffs, but the immediate dispute now... [Continue Reading]
Fear the Shia, Arm the Sunnis: The Uncomfortable Numbers Behind America’s War Narrative
“When fear is managed carefully enough, a nation can be taught to look away from the blood on the floor and stare instead at the shadow on the wall.” A friend of mine, whose name I will not reveal because he asked me not to, sat across from me over dinner and placed a question on the table that would not leave me alone. He was born into a Muslim Shia background, and for the angle of this article, that detail matters, not because I wish to reduce a man to a sect, but because sect has become one of... [Continue Reading]

