Damascus cafe blast kills 5, wounds 16, Syrian state news agency says

Syrian state TV says a bomb had been planted at the cafe
2 July 2026, 19:28 PM

Eight Thai monks killed after boy drives truck into procession: police

The group of 35 monks and five lay followers were walking along a roadside in the northeastern Mukdahan province during a pilgrimage when the incident occurred
2 July 2026, 14:47 PM

Searching for Suu Kyi in Myanmar's capital of confusion

Myanmar's deposed leader is under house arrest in the capital Naypyidaw, according to her captors, but exactly where is hard to say in a city experts describe as purpose-built to guard its closed-ranks rulers' secrets
2 July 2026, 11:55 AM

Magnitude 5.5 earthquake strikes Jurm, Afghanistan, USGS says

The quake was at a depth of 216.7 km (134.65 miles), USGS said.
2 July 2026, 10:15 AM

Death toll from Venezuela quakes nears 2,300

Thousands more were injured and left homeless by the temblors, Rodriguez said in an address on state television.
2 July 2026, 09:26 AM

US, Iran talks conclude in Doha, focused on Strait of Hormuz

Sources familiar with the discussions said negotiators for the two countries spent two days in Doha
2 July 2026, 08:49 AM

US DOJ directs prosecutors to prioritize 'birth tourism' probes following court ruling

A senior Justice Department official, Colin McDonald, told employees in a memo that people who come to the United States under "false pretenses" to give birth and secure citizenship for their child could be criminally charged under laws barring visa fraud, money laundering, identity theft and wire fraud.
2 July 2026, 08:44 AM

Spain records over 1,000 June deaths

More than 1,000 deaths in Spain were attributed to the recent heatwave that roasted Europe, as the country posted the hottest first six months ever recorded, officials said yesterday.
2 July 2026, 00:00 AM

China ethnic unity law comes into force

A new ethnic unity law came into effect in China yesterday, despite warnings from Taiwan, the United Nations and rights groups that it could threaten freedoms, especially for minorities.
2 July 2026, 00:00 AM

Funding crisis hits Palestinian refugee agency

UN chief Antonio Guterres warned Tuesday of the “increasingly precarious” situation of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees known as UNRWA, saying that millions of people’s livelihoods were at risk.
2 July 2026, 00:00 AM

‘No progress’ in negotiations with US: Cuba

Cuba’s government said Tuesday that months of negotiations with the United States, which is applying maximum pressure to the island to try to bring about a change in governance, had shown “no progress.”
2 July 2026, 00:00 AM

More than 100,000 killed in Myanmar

More than 100,000 people have been killed across all sides in Myanmar since a military coup five years ago triggered civil war, a conflict monitor said yesterday.
2 July 2026, 00:00 AM

Pak military intercepts 4 drones from Afghanistan

Pakistan’s military said yesterday it had intercepted four drones sent from Afghanistan the previous day, the latest incident in months of conflict between the two neighbours.
2 July 2026, 00:00 AM

US begins sending unwanted migrants to Palau

The United States has started sending unwanted migrants to a sparsely populated archipelago in the tropical Pacific, the island nation of Palau said yesterday.
2 July 2026, 00:00 AM

Be adaptable, safeguard advances

China’s ruling Communist Party must keep pace with changing circumstances while safeguarding the advances it has made, President Xi Jinping said yesterday during celebrations for its 105th founding anniversary.
2 July 2026, 00:00 AM

US, Iran enter indirect talks to secure deal

The US and Iran held technical talks in Doha yesterday as they seek to agree on the flow of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and secure a lasting ceasefire, a source with direct knowledge of the talks and an Iranian official said.
2 July 2026, 00:00 AM

Vietnam unveils ‘baby bonus’

One year after lifting its long-standing two-child limit, Vietnam is offering incentives for people to have more babies as the communist country risks getting old before it gets rich.
2 July 2026, 00:00 AM

World’s oceans break June heat record: EU monitor

The world’s oceans just experienced their hottest June on record and could set fresh highs in the months ahead as El Nino and climate change drive temperatures even higher, scientists said yesterday.
2 July 2026, 00:00 AM

Venezuela quakes: Thousands of survivors seek food, shelter

Tens of thousands of people desperately sought food and shelter in Venezuela on Tuesday after the two earthquakes killed nearly 2,000, but rescue teams managed to pull a 3-year-old boy alive from the rubble six days after the shocks.
2 July 2026, 00:00 AM

CIA boss compares cutting-edge AI to nuclear weapons

CIA Director John Ratcliffe on Tuesday compared the capabilities of the most advanced artificial intelligence models to nuclear weapons in a tacit defense of the Trump administration’s recent hard line on controlling the release of the most powerful AI technology.
2 July 2026, 00:00 AM