Viral World Cup bet: Norwegian swaps Instagram logo for British Airways after England win

The playful, viral wagers were agreed before the July 12 clash as British Airways and Norwegian embraced the sporting rivalry online. Norwegian first challenged British Airways on Instagram, writing: “If Norway wins, you have to switch to our logo on Instagram on Sunday (one day). And vice versa. Deal?” British Airways confidently accepted, replying: “Don’t make bets you can’t win.”

China evacuates nearly two million people as powerful typhoon makes landfall

A powerful typhoon has made landfall in China, the second to hit the country in a week, with nearly two million people evacuated from areas in the path of the storm.

Indian Navy commissions Made-in-India advanced stealth frigate ‘INS Mahendragiri’

The Indian Navy inducted the indigenously-built advanced stealth frigate ‘INS Mahendragiri’ into its Eastern Fleet during a ceremony presided over by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh on July 11, 2026.

Former Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani dies aged 74

Qatar’s Father Emir ⁠Sheikh Hamad bin ⁠Khalifa Al Thani ‌has died at the age of ⁠74, the country’s Amiri ⁠Diwan said.

US launches fresh strikes as Iran closes Strait of Hormuz

The US said it launched a fresh wave of strikes on Iran after Tehran struck a ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

South Africa World Cup midfielder Adams dies aged 25

South Africa and Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Jayden Adams has died at the age of 25, just weeks after featuring for his country at the World Cup.

UNHCR expresses concern over ‘forced’ repatriation of Afghans

Amid renewed concern of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) about the “forced” repatriation of Afghan nationals from Pakistan, figures obtained from a transit point in Landi Kotal showed a marked increase in the number of returning Afghan refugees in recent days.

Two dead, 19 wounded as Russia strikes Ukraine with missiles, drones

Russia attacked Ukraine with missiles and drones ‌on Saturday, killing two and wounding 19 others, officials said, as Kyiv awaits supplies of air defence munitions after a shortage has left it exposed to Russian attacks.

Speedboat accident in southern Vietnam kills 15 Indian tourists

Fifteen Indian tourists have died after their speedboat capsized near southern Vietnam’s Phu Quoc island.

Trump says US, Iran agree to continue talks but ceasefire over

President Donald Trump said the U.S. and Iran had agreed to continue talks despite an escalation of hostilities this week but he declared that the ceasefire reached between ‌the two sides last month was over.

India’s ONGC plans to build 13-million-barrel national strategic oil reserve

India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corp will build a 1.75 million metric ton (about 13 million barrels), strategic petroleum reserve in Mangalore in southern India, the company said in a stock exchange filing late on Thursday.

Iran admits to Trump advisers ’’they made a mistake’’ in shooting at ships in strait

Iranian officials privately told Trump advisers that they made a mistake in shooting at commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, that the attacks stemmed from an ’’errant’’ sect of hardliners who are trying to undermine negotiations, and that they want to keep talking, senior U.S. officials said on Friday.

Twelve killed, 23 missing in one of Spain’s deadliest wildfires

At least 12 people died attempting to flee a wildfire in southern ​Spain and 23 were missing, officials said on Friday, as firefighters battled to bring one of the country’s deadliest blazes on record under control.

US wants Iran to pledge to stop shooting at ships in Strait of Hormuz

The US wants Iran to publicly state that the Strait of Hormuz is open and to pledge to stop firing on commercial ships as part of negotiations due to be held on Saturday.

Trump says US agreed to Iran’s request to continue talks, but ceasefire is over

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that Iran had asked to continue ​talks and the U.S. had agreed, but that the June ceasefire was ’’over’’.

Man nearly sucked out of window mid-air on Ryanair plane, passengers say

A man was nearly sucked head-first out of a cabin window in mid-air on a Ryanair plane, passengers have said.

East Asia braces for destructive typhoon as landslides kill 15 in Philippines

Landslides triggered by one of the strongest storms in decades have left at least 15 people dead and six others missing on the island of Mindanao in southern Philippines, as parts of East Asia brace themselves for the looming storm.

China’s jobseekers seek refuge in Communist Party centres to hide unemployment

China’s weakening job market is forcing a growing number of unemployed professionals to seek refuge in free public spaces, where they can maintain the appearance of a working life while searching for jobs and, in many cases, conceal their unemployment from family members.

US and Iran halt attacks, mediators race to restore diplomacy after strikes

The guns went quiet on Thursday, but nobody was celebrating. After two days of strikes between the United States and Iran, both sides have halted military operations in what officials described as an “uneasy calm,” even as the diplomatic machinery that might prevent a return to fighting remained broken and the mediators who put it together scrambled to reassemble it.

Spain wildfire kills several, with some victims found in vehicles

A wildfire that ripped through a hamlet in southern Spain killed 11 people, authorities said Friday, as a heatwave stifled swathes of the country.

Burnham set to be next PM as 322 Labour MPs back him in first nomination tally

Andy Burnham has taken another step towards becoming the next Labour leader and prime minister, after the vast majority of Labour MPs nominated him to replace Sir Keir Starmer.

EU imposes anti-dumping duties on Chinese tyres

The European Commission said on ​Thursday it had imposed ‌anti-dumping duties on the import of ​tyres for cars ​and lighter trucks and ⁠buses from China.

Israel shared intelligence with US of Iranian plot to assassinate Trump, sources say

Israel shared intelligence with the United States that Iran had recently devised a new plan to assassinate President Donald Trump, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN, adding another layer of tension as a ceasefire deal between the countries comes under strain.

India-Japan convergence reshaping Indo-Pacific’s power balance

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on July 2 produced a long list of agreements spanning artificial intelligence, batteries, critical minerals, defense manufacturing, energy resilience and financial cooperation.

Tensions erupt in Indian state after 11-year-old raped and murdered

The Indian state of West Bengal has been on the boil for the past few days over the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl.

Factory fire kills at least 28 in China’s ’shoe capital’

A fire at a shoe factory in the south-eastern Chinese city of Jinjiang has killed at least 28 people, according to the state news agency.

Iran says it hits U.S. military targets in Gulf, buries slain leader Khamenei

Iranian armed forces launched attacks on U.S. military infrastructure in Gulf states on Thursday following U.S. strikes on Iran’s southern coastal and eastern provinces, further eroding a ‌three-week-old ceasefire.

Heatwave linked to more than 5,000 deaths in Germany, RKI says

Germany has recorded an estimated 5,120 heat-related ​deaths so far this year, ‌most of them in late June when weekly average temperatures far exceeded ​20 degrees Celsius, the Robert ​Koch Institute (RKI) for public health ⁠said on Thursday.

China, Taiwan brace for Typhoon Bavi, possibly the most powerful storm in years

China and Taiwan were bracing for possibly the most destructive tropical storm in years as Typhoon Bavi churned southeast of Taiwan ​on Thursday, with winds near 200 kph (124 mph), and as parts of China were still reeling from Typhoon Maysak.

Outspoken Chinese economist who doubted official GDP data dies

Influential Chinese economist Gao Shanwen, who challenged the reliability of China’s official growth data and was known for blunt assessments of the economy, has died, according to Chinese media reports.