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India is set to deliver BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and Astra air-to-air missiles to Indonesia, an Indian government official confirmed on Tuesday, as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi kicked off a two-day trip to Jakarta.

Sources within the Indian government previously told Reuters that the agreement, valued at roughly $630 million, was likely to be formally signed during Modi’s visit to the Indonesian capital.

With this deal, Indonesia would become the third nation to enter into a purchase agreement for the missiles, which are produced by BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited.

The transaction represents a significant milestone in the expansion of India’s defense exports and is expected to strengthen strategic relationships with Southeast Asia’s largest economy. It comes amid increasing competition between India and China for regional influence across the Indo-Pacific.

The BrahMos missile was jointly developed by India and Russia and ranks among the fastest cruise missiles in the world. It can be launched from land, sea, and air-based platforms.

The Astra beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles are designed to be integrated with Russian-built Sukhoi fighter jets currently operated by the Indonesian Air Force.

The Indian government had not responded to prior requests for comment, and the Indonesian embassy in New Delhi also did not immediately reply to media inquiries.

Back in March, Indonesia announced it had reached an agreement with India to acquire the BrahMos missile system, which is jointly owned by the Indian and Russian governments. At that time, Indonesia’s Defence Ministry indicated to Reuters that the deal was in its final stages and could be valued somewhere between $200 million and $350 million.

Global interest in the BrahMos missile has surged following India’s four-day military conflict with Pakistan last year, during which the weapon system was used in live combat for the first time.

India has already finalized BrahMos sales agreements with Vietnam and the Philippines and has received expressions of interest from more than six other countries, including the United Arab Emirates.

During his visit, Modi is scheduled to meet with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto to discuss topics including maritime security, defense cooperation, regional connectivity, and broader strategic coordination across the Indo-Pacific, according to Indian sources.

Negotiations surrounding the BrahMos deal are expected to center on a phased acquisition approach, which would allow Indonesia to build up its missile capabilities gradually over time, a third Indian source said. The package being considered includes missile systems, supporting infrastructure, operator training, maintenance services, and additional technical assistance needed for long-term use.

Trade between India and Indonesia reached $28.15 billion during the 2024-25 fiscal year, with Indonesia standing as India’s second-largest trading partner within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

In the lead-up to his trip, Modi stated that his visits to Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand would reinforce India’s “Act East” policy, its Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security Across Regions vision, and its dedication to a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

South Korea put a new law into effect Tuesday that opens the door to significant financial penalties against news organizations and social media content creators accused of spreading false information — but press freedom advocates are sounding the alarm over what it could mean for free speech.

Journalist organizations and civil liberties groups have raised serious concerns about the law, saying its language is too vague to clearly define what content is actually prohibited and that it does not provide enough protections for the press. Critics warn the legislation could discourage reporters from covering government officials, politicians, and major corporations.

Under the law, courts can order news outlets and large social media channels — including YouTube creators — to pay up to five times the documented damages if they are found to have spread illegal, false, or manipulated content that caused harm or was used to generate profit.

The law also carries additional penalties: anyone who continues sharing content that a court has determined to be false or manipulated — doing so more than twice — could face fines of up to 1 billion won, equivalent to roughly $656,000, imposed by the country’s media regulatory body. Large social media platforms with more than one million daily users would be required to remove content or suspend accounts when false or fabricated information is reported to them.

The legislation was championed by President Lee Jae Myung’s liberal Democratic Party and approved by the National Assembly in December, despite a boycott from the conservative opposition. Supporters of the law argue it is a necessary tool to fight disinformation, which they say is threatening democracy by deepening division and fueling hate speech.

The Journalists Association of Korea warned that the threat of repeated large-scale legal claims could have what it called an “unavoidable chilling effect” on the press.

“Even if a law’s objective is legitimate, it could erode the foundations of democracy if it’s enforced in a way that discourages the media and ordinary citizens from freely criticizing and scrutinizing those in power,” the organization stated.

The Seoul Foreign Correspondents’ Club also voiced concern about how the law might affect journalism and the free flow of information.

The push for the legislation gained momentum after Lee raised alarms about South Korea’s online information environment following the brief imposition of martial law by then-President Yoon Suk Yeol in 2024. Yoon was subsequently impeached and removed from office, then convicted of rebellion and sentenced to life in prison — a ruling he appealed in February. Yoon, who faces additional criminal charges, had promoted unverified election fraud claims circulated on YouTube to justify his actions and rally his conservative base against the Democrats. Critics say his campaign deepened the country’s political divisions by injecting falsehoods into already contentious disputes.

The Korea Media and Communications Commission has pushed back against fears of government-sponsored censorship, arguing that private platform operators — not government officials — would be responsible for determining whether reported content qualifies as false or manipulated. The commission also noted last week that reporting done in the public interest is exempt from damage claims.

However, a professor at Seoul’s Duksung Women’s University, Kim Hong-yeol, cautioned that the law could lead to widespread self-censorship and cause internet companies to over-moderate content in order to avoid liability — potentially removing legitimate material in the process. Kim made those observations in an article published by the news website Medius.

Major South Korean internet companies like Naver and Kakao have reportedly been updating their systems to comply with guidelines from the Korea Internet Self-Governance Organization, but it remains unclear how large foreign platforms — such as Google’s YouTube — plan to respond. Google did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Following the law’s passage in December, U.S. Under Secretary of State Sarah B. Rogers criticized it in a post on X, writing that the revised law puts tech cooperation at risk and that “it’s better to give victims civil remedies than give regulators invasive license for viewpoint-based censorship.”

Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong is scheduled to face sentencing this coming September in a case brought under a national security law that Beijing imposed on the city — legislation that critics argue has been used to crush the pro-democracy movement there.

Wong, who first gained recognition as a student leader in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, was taken into custody in June 2025. He faces charges of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces in a way that endangers national security. This marks the second time he has been charged under the security law, which was introduced in Hong Kong in 2020 following sweeping anti-government protests that swept through the city the year prior.

Court records posted on the judiciary’s website Tuesday show a combined plea and sentencing hearing has been set for September 2, with the proceedings expected to wrap up in a single day.

Prosecutors allege that Wong conspired with fellow activist Nathan Law and others to urge foreign governments, institutions, organizations, or individuals outside of China to impose sanctions, blockades, or carry out other hostile actions against Hong Kong or China. The alleged conduct is said to have taken place between July 1 and November 23, 2020.

If convicted, the charge carries a prison term of between three and ten years. However, if authorities determine the offense is “of a grave nature,” the sentence could extend to life imprisonment.

This is not Wong’s first brush with the national security law. In 2024, he pleaded guilty in a separate case tied to an unofficial primary election and received a sentence of four years and eight months behind bars.

Wong first came to public attention in 2012, when, as a high school student, he led protests against a proposed national education curriculum in Hong Kong’s schools. He later became an internationally recognized figure as a leader of the 2014 Occupy Movement.

In 2016, Wong co-founded a political party called Demosisto alongside other young activists, including Law. During the 2019 pro-democracy protests, Wong worked to build support for the movement from overseas. His efforts prompted Beijing to label him a proponent of Hong Kong independence who “begged for interference” from foreign powers.

Demosisto dissolved when Beijing enacted the security law in 2020. Authorities have maintained that the law has restored stability to the city.

Hong Kong authorities have placed bounties of 1 million Hong Kong dollars — roughly $127,600 — on Law, who relocated to Britain, and other activists living abroad, offering the reward to anyone who provides information leading to their arrest.

Just last month, a court in London handed down prison sentences to a former U.K. border official and a retired Hong Kong police officer after they were convicted of spying on dissidents and critics of Beijing living in Britain. Prosecutors said Law was among those targeted.

India has announced it will deliver the BrahMos cruise missile system along with the Astra air-to-air missile to Indonesia, according to an Indian government official who spoke on Tuesday.

The announcement coincides with a visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Southeast Asian nation — his first trip there since 2023.

A Paris appeals court began delivering its verdict Tuesday afternoon that will determine the political future of French far-right leader Marine Le Pen — and potentially reshape the country’s next presidential race.

The ruling, which began at 1:30 p.m. and was expected to take several hours to read, centers on whether Le Pen will be permitted to seek the French presidency in 2027. That election will choose a successor to President Emmanuel Macron, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term.

Le Pen, 57, is challenging a March 2025 conviction in which she and fellow members of her National Rally party were found guilty of misappropriating European Parliament funds. The case involves allegations that the party paid its own staff using money that was designated for EU parliamentary assistants — a practice prosecutors say continued from 2004 through 2016.

The original lower court ruling handed Le Pen a suspended prison sentence and a five-year ban on holding elected office. She has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has expressed her intention to make a fourth run at the presidency.

Should the appeals court uphold a lengthy ban, Le Pen’s presidential ambitions would effectively be ended, and her career — which transformed the National Rally into one of France’s most significant political forces — would be placed on hold. Such a ruling could also have wider implications for the European Union, as Le Pen has been a prominent critic of the 27-nation bloc.

If she is disqualified from running, her protege Jordan Bardella, 30, who currently leads the anti-immigration, EU-skeptic National Rally as its president, would be positioned to take her place as the party’s standard-bearer.

However, the court has other options available. It could uphold the guilty finding while reducing the office-holding ban to two years or less — or eliminate the ban entirely. A ban of two years or less would run out before the first round of the French presidential election, currently scheduled for April 2027.

Even so, Le Pen has indicated that simply being legally eligible to run may not be enough. She has said that if the court imposes conditions that interfere with her ability to campaign freely — such as a prison sentence, electronic monitoring, or other judicial restrictions — she may choose not to enter the race.

“If I’m allowed to be a candidate but am effectively prevented from campaigning freely, then you understand that wouldn’t be possible,” Le Pen said in an interview last week.

Prosecutors urged the appeals court to sentence Le Pen to four years in prison — three of which would be suspended — along with a five-year ban on holding public office. They characterized her as the architect of a scheme designed to “siphon off” EU public funds for the benefit of her party.

While prosecutors did not specifically request it, the appeals court has the authority to order any ban to take immediate effect, as the lower court previously did.

Le Pen retains the right to appeal further to France’s highest court, the Court of Cassation, though it remains uncertain whether that court would pause enforcement of the sentence while it reviews the case. The Court of Cassation has previously indicated that, if asked to weigh in, it would aim to issue a decision before the 2027 presidential election.

ANKARA, Turkey — NATO is preparing to unveil a series of new military contracts worth tens of billions of dollars Tuesday, in a direct effort to show U.S. President Donald Trump that member nations are not just spending more on defense — they’re turning that money into actual weapons and equipment.

The announcement, being called the “big reveal,” will feature several alliance leaders announcing new agreements with defense manufacturers, many of them based in the United States. Trump has previously dismissed NATO as a “paper tiger” that couldn’t function without American weapons and leadership.

“We will announce tens of billions in new contracts that will provide the crucial kit we need to deter and defend,” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told journalists on the eve of the summit, which is being held over two days in Turkey.

The push to showcase defense investments follows an earlier attempt by Rutte to address U.S. concerns, when he presented a chart he called “The Trump Trillion” — illustrating $1.2 trillion in defense spending by European allies and Canada since 2017. Trump appeared unimpressed, expressing frustration that some NATO allies refused to support the Iran war, which he launched alongside Israel without consulting the alliance.

“We don’t need their money — we don’t need anything,” Trump said. “I just want loyalty.”

Among the expected announcements is a contract to replace NATO’s aging fleet of surveillance aircraft. While NATO does not own weapons — those belong to its 32 member nations — it does operate a fleet of AWAC surveillance planes that are roughly 50 years old, along with some newer surveillance drones.

Several of the new projects will be funded through a European Union loan program designed specifically for defense purposes, which can raise up to $170 billion through capital markets.

“We need to ensure that we are translating our economic might into military capabilities, putting the cash to work from defense plans to drones, from money to missiles and interceptors,” Rutte said.

The summit is taking place at President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s expansive palace complex in Ankara. Trump has suggested he plans to arrive with favorable news for the Turkish leader, hinting that F-35 fighter jet sales to Turkey — halted since 2019 after Turkey bought Russian S-400 missile defense systems — could soon resume.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed back Monday during an appearance on the morning program “Fox & Friends,” urging the U.S. not to sell F-35s to Turkey. He said Erdogan “calls openly for the annihilation of Israel.” Turkey and Israel have had a deeply strained relationship, with Erdogan regularly accusing Israel of committing genocide in its war in Gaza, which was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

Netanyahu warned that arming Turkey with F-35s would “upset the power balance in the Middle East, which is ultimately guaranteed by Israeli air superiority and also, I think, by America’s posture in the Middle East.” Israel’s air force relies on hundreds of U.S. fighter jets, including F-35s, F-16s, and F-15s.

The broader theme of the summit centers on building a stronger Europe capable of handling more of its own security needs. The Trump administration has signaled that the U.S. intends to shift its focus toward China and the Indo-Pacific, leaving Europe to take on a larger share of its own defense responsibilities. The Pentagon has been promoting what it calls “NATO 3.0” — a restructured alliance in which European nations shoulder more of the burden.

But increasing defense budgets requires either raising taxes or pulling funding from other priorities. The U.K.’s Defense Secretary John Healey unexpectedly stepped down last month, citing the government’s reluctance to boost military spending despite growing threats.

Some nations in northern and central eastern Europe are increasingly worried that Russia may be planning a hybrid attack on the continent — combining traditional military force with tactics such as cyberattacks — as Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to struggle to achieve a decisive victory in Ukraine.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is attending what is expected to be his final foreign trip as leader, after announcing his resignation on June 22. His office said he will focus on “building a stronger and more European NATO.” Starmer has faced criticism from military officials, opposition lawmakers, and members of his own center-left party over the pace of defense spending increases. While his government has committed to reaching NATO’s target of spending 3.5% of gross domestic product on defense by 2035, no concrete roadmap exists to get there — current plans would bring spending to 2.7% of GDP by 2029.

CARABALLEDA, Venezuela — Along Venezuela’s Caribbean coastline, the community of Caraballeda was once a place where wealthy and working-class residents lived remarkably close together. Marina-access apartments sat near towering public housing blocks on the same curved road, with both sets of residents enjoying the same stunning views of white sand beaches and clear blue water.

Yacht owners and everyday commuters alike called this stretch of coast home. Many of them were relaxing or celebrating on June 24 when a violent earthquake reduced their homes to rubble within seconds.

Now, approximately 17,000 survivors share an unusual and tragic circumstance — they are homeless in Venezuela. With the official death toll surpassing 3,500, many of those who made it out alive must now depend on a government that has been widely criticized for its handling of the disaster and has a history of using housing as a political tool.

For generations of Venezuelans, owning or securing a home has been a central life goal. During the country’s oil boom in the latter half of the 20th century, the government funded large housing developments, lower-income families built informal concrete and brick homes known locally as “ranchos,” and wealthier citizens purchased multiple properties.

Even as Venezuela’s economy collapsed in 2013, most residents managed to keep a roof over their heads — whether through government-provided housing, buying deeply discounted homes from people fleeing the country, stacking new ranchos on top of old ones, or occupying abandoned properties.

Those who received homes through the ruling party — which has been in power for 27 years and is currently led by acting President Delcy Rodríguez — never received legal ownership documents. Even so, those homes gave families stability and kept them off the streets.

“It was their home, their house. It was an immense joy when they were assigned these houses here,” said Carlos Ortega, whose relatives were given 12 apartments in Caraballeda more than a decade ago after losing nearly everything in a mudslide.

“Imagine, they were given a home after losing everything, but now they’ve lost everything, even their lives,” he added.

Only one of Ortega’s siblings survived when the public housing towers collapsed. His son, who lived on the ninth floor but happened to be working at a nearby convenience store when the earthquakes hit, has been missing for more than a week. Ortega said he was holding out hope of finding him at a hospital, a shelter, or one of the tent encampments that have sprung up in public spaces and private parking areas.

Not far from where Ortega paused from digging through rubble that buried his family, others were surveying the destruction near a yacht club, with some Jet Skis being towed away. Rescuers working through the debris were being handed food on plastic trays as the wife of a military general waited nearby, hoping her husband and children would be found.

Ronal Rodríguez, a researcher at the Venezuela Observatory at Colombia’s Universidad del Rosario, noted that Venezuelan governments — even before Hugo Chávez took office in 1999 — had made efforts to prevent the wealthy and poor from living in entirely separate neighborhoods by placing public housing near more exclusive areas. He said this approach also served a political purpose, helping to diversify the voter base in wealthier districts that typically lean toward the opposition.

However, homes constructed under Chávez’s “Grand Housing Mission” — a program his successor, Nicolás Maduro, continued until the U.S. military removed him from power in January — came with a significant catch: residents never received property deeds.

“What Chavismo tries to do is maintain political dependence,” Rodríguez said of Chávez’s political movement. “That is, if at any point you turn against me and stop supporting me, then I’ll take away the roof I’ve given you.”

That dynamic leaves earthquake survivors especially vulnerable, particularly as many have spoken out publicly about the government’s inadequate search and rescue response. The government of acting President Rodríguez, whose handling of the disaster has drawn sharp criticism from residents, has not provided any timeline for long-term housing recovery.

The full scope of the destruction is still being assessed, but satellite imagery analyzed by Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab indicates that at least 10,000 structures — roughly one-third of all buildings — were damaged in Catia La Mar, a city just west of Caraballeda in La Guaira state. Aging buildings, poor construction standards, and the region’s geography made many neighborhoods especially susceptible to the powerful tremors.

Benito Mantilla, 68, is now living in a tent in a pharmacy parking lot in Catia La Mar after his privately owned home was damaged. His wife traveled to the Dominican Republic last week, but Mantilla chose to stay and search for work about 40 minutes away in Caracas, as the earthquakes also destroyed the auto repair shop he runs with his brother.

Another woman sheltering in the same parking lot said she was still counting on the government to provide her with a new home. She mentioned that her daughter holds a local organizing role within the ruling party.

Caryudedi González, 44, who purchased her own home at age 21, was holding onto hope that her working-class house — half of which slid into a ravine — might somehow be salvageable.

“In many countries, it’s very difficult to own a home, and here, we work so hard to have what’s ours,” González said.

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sat down with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Tuesday in Jakarta, as the two leaders sought to reinforce strategic partnerships between their nations at a time when global economic cooperation faces growing challenges.

The summit, held following a formal ceremony at Indonesia’s main presidential office, the Merdeka Palace, covered a broad range of topics. These included defense and security cooperation, trade and investment, food and energy security, critical minerals, and capacity-building efforts in health and education. Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Sugiono — who, like many Indonesians, goes by a single name — told reporters ahead of the meeting that eight formal agreements and a number of memorandums of understanding were expected to be unveiled.

This marks Modi’s second visit to Indonesia as prime minister, his first having occurred in 2018. The trip follows President Prabowo’s attendance at India’s Republic Day celebrations as the event’s chief guest last year. Modi landed in Jakarta on Monday afternoon, with his aircraft escorted into Indonesian airspace by three fighter jets. President Prabowo personally greeted him on the tarmac at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base, a gesture that underscored the significance Jakarta places on its relationship with New Delhi.

The Jakarta stop is the first leg of a broader Indo-Pacific tour for Modi, which will also take him to Australia and New Zealand. Both India and Indonesia are members of the Group of 20 major economies and of BRICS.

India’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Sandeep Chakravorty, said Modi was also scheduled to address members of Indonesia’s Parliament on Tuesday and attend an evening gathering with the Indian community living in Indonesia. Chakravorty emphasized that the visit reflects deepening collaboration between two of Asia’s most consequential democracies.

“In the recent geopolitical context, closer ties between two leaders of the Global South are very essential so that we give the message to the world that we are together and we work for each other’s strength,” Chakravorty said.

On the defense front, Chakravorty noted that Indonesia has expressed strong interest in purchasing India’s BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system, with negotiations described as having reached an advanced stage. The two nations are also expected to explore broader maritime security arrangements, given their shared strategic interests along major shipping lanes connecting the Indian and Pacific oceans.

Another anticipated highlight of the visit is the planned launch of the Indonesia Open Network, a digital commerce platform modeled after India’s own digital public infrastructure system.

On Wednesday, Modi is expected to travel to the historic Indonesian city of Yogyakarta, where he may formally announce the beginning of an Indian-supported restoration effort at the Prambanan Hindu temple — one of Indonesia’s most treasured cultural heritage sites. That project stems from an agreement made during Prabowo’s earlier visit to India. Later that same day, Modi is set to fly to Australia for meetings with his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese.

North Korea’s state-run news agency KCNA published a commentary Tuesday taking aim at Japan’s military growth, asserting that Japanese overseas aggression is “not hypothetical but reality.”

The piece specifically highlighted Japan’s reported plans to develop unmanned submarines capable of conducting anti-ship attacks. According to the commentary, those vessels would be able to carry torpedoes and naval mines and could be positioned near the shores of neighboring countries, enabling pre-emptive strikes against enemy ships during a conflict.

KCNA accused Tokyo of walking away from its long-held policy of defense-only military operations, claiming Japan has transformed its armed forces into what it called a “thoroughly offensive and aggressive force.”

The commentary also pointed to several other Japanese military developments, including efforts to mass produce domestically built long-range missiles, the pursuit of a new ballistic missile with a range of up to 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles), the deployment of upgraded anti-ship missiles and hypersonic glide weapons, and the acquisition of foreign-made missiles, including U.S. Tomahawks.

Japan’s foreign ministry did not respond to telephone calls requesting comment on the criticism.

The KCNA commentary arrives at a time when North Korea has been drawing attention to its own naval expansion. On Sunday, the agency reported that leader Kim Jong Un watched the launch of a strategic cruise missile and observed weapons tests conducted aboard the new 5,000-ton destroyer Kang Kon.

Kim has called for bolstering the country’s naval combat strength and directed the ship to be put into active service within two months.

North Korea recently brought the 5,000-ton destroyer Choe Hyon into commission and has announced intentions to construct additional warships, including larger vessels weighing in at 10,000 tons.

LONDON — Tuesday marks a turning point in Prince Harry’s years-long legal battle with the British press, as a judge in London’s High Court prepares to deliver a ruling in his privacy invasion lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail.

The decision wraps up a series of three lawsuits in which Harry accused news outlets of unlawfully prying into his personal life. Harry and six co-claimants are seeking significant financial damages in the high-profile case, which involved an 11-week trial estimated to have cost roughly 40 million pounds — approximately $53.5 million.

Among those suing Associated Newspapers Ltd. alongside Harry are singer Elton John, actors Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost, anti-racism activist Doreen Lawrence, former politician Simon Hughes, and John’s husband, David Furnish. The group alleged the company tapped their phones, intercepted voicemails, and used deceptive methods to collect private information.

The newspapers rejected those claims as “preposterous,” arguing that the approximately 50 articles in question were produced through legitimate reporting, with information coming from friends, royal aides, and publicists who voluntarily spoke to journalists.

The ruling arrives while Harry is visiting the United Kingdom, though attention has also turned to whether he will bring his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, to see his father, King Charles III, who is undergoing treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer.

Harry’s drive to challenge the press goes far beyond stories about his younger years or his romantic life. His testimony in February offered an emotional window into the deeper impact of press intrusion on his wellbeing.

He has long blamed the media for the 1997 death of his mother, Princess Diana, who was killed in a Paris car crash while being chased by paparazzi. He has also said relentless press attacks on his wife contributed to the couple’s decision to step back from royal duties and relocate to the United States in 2020.

“They continue to come after me, they have made my wife’s life an absolute misery,” Harry said, visibly emotional while testifying in court.

The phone hacking scandal, which began in the 1990s and stretched on for more than a decade, gave Harry an opening to pursue legal action — something unusual for a senior royal. Three years ago, he became the first high-ranking member of the royal family to appear in court in more than a century.

His legal efforts have already yielded results. In 2023, he won a ruling against the publishers of the Daily Mirror, which was found guilty of “widespread and habitual” phone hacking. More recently, Rupert Murdoch’s flagship U.K. tabloid, The Sun, issued an unprecedented public apology and agreed to pay substantial damages to settle a separate privacy lawsuit brought by Harry.

Harry’s attorney, David Sherborne, argued that the Daily Mail and its companion publication, the Mail on Sunday, deployed journalists, freelancers, and private investigators in a “clear, systematic and sustained use of unlawful information gathering” to spy on his clients. Sherborne pointed to payments made to private detectives and connected them to specific articles, including reporting on Harry’s then-girlfriend, Chelsy Davy, and her travel plans.

When he testified at the start of the trial in January, Harry said the press intrusions left him “paranoid beyond belief,” damaged his relationships, and seriously harmed his mental health.

Hurley testified that the Mail went as far as placing microphones outside her windows and obtaining her medical records, among what she described as “other monstrous, staggering things.”

“It is like there is someone peeping into your life and into your home,” she said in court. “My private life had been violated by violent intruders — that there had been sinister thieves in my home all along and that I had been living with them completely unaware.”

Defense attorney Antony White pushed back, saying the case was built on speculation and that the far more probable explanation was “ordinary, legitimate journalism.” He argued that Harry was “inclined to see unlawful evidence gathering, in particular voicemail interception, everywhere,” without sufficient proof to support those claims.

Unlike the Mirror case, the Mail trial featured journalists who were willing to defend their reporting in court. Some reporters identified official sources such as palace spokespersons, while others named their contacts directly to counter Harry’s claim that his inner circle did not leak information.

“They were not all tight-lipped,” said Katie Nicholl, a former Mail on Sunday editor. “I had very good sources in the inner circle.”

A significant legal question in the case was whether the claimants should have been permitted to bring allegations stretching back to the 1990s, well past a six-year statute of limitations. They argued the deadline did not apply because they only became aware of the hacking after private investigator Gavin Burrows came forward in 2021, saying he wanted to “do the right thing” and assist those he had targeted.

However, Burrows — who once apologized to Harry in a BBC documentary for aggressively targeting him for tabloids during his teenage years — testified at trial that he never worked for the Mail. He further claimed that a statement attributed to him had been fabricated by the claimants’ legal team and that his signature on the document had been forged.

Justice Matthew Nicklin pressed Sherborne multiple times on what would become of the case if the court rejected Burrows’ original statement. Sherborne maintained that other evidence still implicated the newspapers, while White argued that Burrows’ courtroom testimony effectively dismantled the entire case.

Burrows denied that he changed his account out of spite following a falling out with Harry’s legal team.

The ruling will be delivered remotely, without a courtroom hearing, while Harry is in London for charity engagements. Meanwhile, a potential family visit between Harry and King Charles remains uncertain, with disputes over security arrangements and accommodations still unresolved. A government committee declined to approve taxpayer-funded protection for Harry — an issue that has been the subject of repeated legal battles that Harry has consistently lost.

President Donald Trump is reportedly preparing to tell Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that the United States is willing to bring Turkey back into the F-35 stealth fighter jet program, according to a report published Monday by the New York Times. The newspaper cited four senior administration officials in its reporting.

The news comes as Trump makes his way to Ankara for a NATO summit, where a face-to-face meeting with Erdogan is anticipated. The summit is scheduled to kick off Tuesday evening.

The four officials cited in the New York Times report did not all agree on the specifics of how Trump would navigate existing congressional and legal barriers to such a move. However, they indicated that one possible approach could involve an exchange of formal letters between the two heads of state.

Reuters reached out to the White House for comment on the report but did not receive an immediate response.

The tension between Turkey and the United States over this issue dates back to 2019, when Turkey purchased the Russian-made S-400 air defense system. That decision strained the relationship between the two NATO allies, leading Washington to impose sanctions on Ankara and cut Turkey out of the F-35 program entirely.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill went further, passing legislation that explicitly bans any F-35 sales to Turkey for as long as the country continues to hold onto its Russian S-400 system. Congress cited the national security risk the Russian technology poses to U.S.-built combat aircraft as justification for the ban.

Despite improved diplomatic relations between Turkey and the United States under the Trump administration, the F-35 dispute has continued to be a sticking point between the two nations.

The latest development appears to reflect a broader thaw in relations. Last month, the Trump administration formally notified Congress of its plan to sell Turkey dozens of jet engines valued at more than $700 million — a copy of that notification was reviewed by Reuters.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Monday accused Hamas of using a governance proposal as cover to hold onto its military power, declaring that any postwar arrangement for Gaza must require the complete disarmament of the militant group.

Sa’ar was responding to Hamas’s July 6 announcement that it would be willing to transfer Gaza’s civilian administration to a technocratic committee. Rather than viewing this as a genuine step toward peace, Sa’ar said the move is designed to replicate what he called the “Hezbollah model” — a setup where civilian institutions manage routine government functions while an armed faction continues to hold military dominance.

“The willingness to ‘make room’ for a technocratic government is designed to prevent Hamas from being disarmed,” Sa’ar said. “Hamas is interested in a ‘Hezbollah model’ in Gaza: the technocratic committee will be responsible for garbage collection and municipal services, and Hamas will remain the dominant military force.”

Sa’ar made clear that Israel is not budging from its stated position. “Israel insists on implementing the Trump plan as written, with the disarmament of Hamas and other terror organizations and the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip at its core,” he said.

Hamas has framed the governance transfer as a move intended to help revive a stalled peace process, but the proposal contains no pledge by the group to give up its weapons.

The official stated that a technocratic committee could only assume governing responsibilities in Gaza after Hamas has been fully stripped of its military capabilities. The official also made clear that Gaza’s reconstruction would not move forward as long as Hamas remains armed, and that any rebuilding proposals that come before the group’s military infrastructure is dismantled would be rejected outright.

Government authorities in the Gaza Strip have announced they have finished all preparations to transfer control of the territory to a newly established body known as the National Committee for Gaza Administration, or NCGA.

As part of the handover process, Mohammad Abdel Khaleq Al-Farra stepped down from his dual role as head of the Government Emergency Committee and acting head of Government Follow-up. The Government Emergency Committee itself was also formally dissolved to clear the way for the transition.

The Government Media Office issued a statement saying the moves reflect a genuine willingness to give up governing authority. “Today, we are not merely reaffirming this commitment and our firm principled position; rather, we are translating it into concrete actions on the ground by taking new and decisive strategic steps that pave the way for fulfilling this national responsibility,” the statement read.

Officials said all administrative and legal groundwork for the transfer had been completed and shared with representatives from Palestinian factions and political groups, the Higher Committee of Clans and Tribes, civil society organizations, and a United Nations observer representative.

The statement noted that only technical and professional staff would remain in leadership roles during the changeover, in order to keep government services running without interruption and to prevent “any administrative or technical vacuum that could harm our people.” Those arrangements, officials said, align with the roadmap agreed upon by Palestinian factions during talks held in Cairo, Egypt.

Public service workers would continue as state employees operating under the authority of the NCGA, the office added, working “in full compliance with its directives and decisions.”

The statement also called on all relevant parties to move quickly, urging them “to expedite the immediate deployment of the National Committee for Gaza Administration so that it may assume its national and administrative responsibilities, strengthen the resilience of our people, and help heal their wounds.”

Officials described the steps as being driven by the best interests of the Palestinian people and the urgency of moving the authority transfer forward without further delay.

As world leaders gathered in Ankara for a high-stakes NATO summit, Turkey’s government found itself facing sharp criticism over the detention of anti-NATO demonstrators — and the question of where legitimate security measures end and political suppression begins.

On Sunday, Turkish police detained more than 100 people during a march organized by the Communist Party of Turkey, known by its Turkish initials TKP, in Ankara’s Kızılay Square, according to Reuters. Officers deployed tear gas to disperse the crowd as demonstrators waved party flags and chanted against NATO’s presence in Turkey. Similar rallies took place under heavy police watch in Istanbul’s Taksim Square and the Kadıköy district.

It is worth noting that the TKP is not an outlawed organization. It is a legally registered political party that appears in the official registry maintained by Turkey’s Court of Cassation Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, with Kemal İbrahim Okuyan listed as its leader. The fact that a lawful political party organized the protest makes the mass detentions more difficult to dismiss as purely a security response.

The arrests came just ahead of the July 7-8 NATO summit, which brought together leaders from all 32 member nations — including President Donald Trump — to discuss defense spending, the war in Ukraine, military production, recent regional conflicts, and Turkey’s expanding role in Western defense cooperation.

Turkish authorities have a straightforward argument for tightening security. A summit of this scale draws heads of state, cabinet ministers, large diplomatic delegations, media crews, and security personnel from across the alliance. In preparation, Ankara restricted movement in parts of the city, closed roads, increased police patrols, and prohibited public demonstrations near the venue.

But critics say those powers are being stretched well beyond their intended purpose. Turkey’s constitution guarantees freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association. In practice, those rights are governed by a law known as Law No. 2911, which gives provincial governors broad authority to ban gatherings on public order or security grounds. Human rights organizations have long argued that this authority is applied far too broadly, effectively turning constitutional protections into rights that exist only on paper.

Human Rights Watch reported that Turkish police arrested at least 209 people in Ankara during overnight raids on June 22-23, weeks before the summit. Those swept up in the raids included political activists, lawyers, an academic, and journalist and LGBT activist Yıldız Tar. Turkish officials said the operations targeted armed groups, including Islamic State and far-left organizations, but Human Rights Watch characterized the detentions as evidence of Turkey’s “ruthless intolerance of freedom of speech and assembly.”

Reuters also reported that Turkish prosecutors had issued arrest warrants for 241 suspects tied to investigations into Islamic State and far-left groups, including DHKP-C, MLKP, and TKP/ML. Opposition figures described the raids as part of a wider campaign against democratic freedoms and civil liberties.

The crackdown has spread beyond protest organizers. The Financial Times reported additional detentions in the lead-up to the summit, including journalists and opposition campaigners. Among those arrested was comedian Deniz Göktaş, taken into custody following a YouTube comedy sketch that mocked President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. His case has deepened concerns about speech restrictions and the government’s use of law enforcement against its critics.

The pressure on the press has also drawn attention. Reuters reported that dozens of Turkish journalists from independent news outlets were denied credentials to cover the summit. NATO stated that accreditation decisions were made based on guidance provided by the host country.

Amnesty International has noted that freedom of peaceful assembly and association in Turkey remains arbitrarily restricted, with police using force against peaceful demonstrators and courts pursuing charges under protest-related statutes. That track record sits uneasily alongside a NATO summit built around the language of collective defense, democracy, and a rules-based international order.

Turkey has been a NATO member since 1952 and commands one of the alliance’s largest military forces. Its control of the Turkish Straits — the waterway connecting the Mediterranean and Black Seas — gives it enormous strategic importance. Turkey also sits at the crossroads of Europe, Russia, the Caucasus, Syria, Iraq, and Iran. For NATO, Turkey is not a country that can simply be sidelined.

Anti-NATO sentiment in Turkey runs deep across a range of political currents, from leftists and nationalists to Islamists and anti-imperialist movements. Critics of the alliance view it as an instrument of American power and foreign military influence, while supporters see it as a source of military strength and diplomatic standing.

That is the complicated backdrop to this week’s gathering. Erdoğan wants Turkey recognized as an indispensable NATO partner. Protesters want NATO out of Turkey altogether. Rights organizations want Western leaders to press Ankara on civil liberties. And those same Western leaders want Turkey’s cooperation on Ukraine, Black Sea security, defense production, and regional diplomacy.

The underlying tension is nothing new, but it is becoming harder to overlook. NATO needs Turkey, and Turkey’s government knows it. That leverage gives Erdoğan considerable room to host the alliance on his own terms — and the wave of arrests before the summit illustrates the cost of that arrangement. A gathering designed to project allied unity is simultaneously shining a spotlight on the shrinking space for dissent in the country where it is being held.

A newly released report from NGO Monitor claims that anti-Semitism and anti-Israel bias run deep within the culture of Doctors Without Borders — known internationally as Médecins Sans Frontières, or MSF. The findings build on an earlier NGO Monitor publication from April that examined MSF’s public communications regarding the war in Gaza.

The latest report, titled “Documenting the Antisemitic Organizational Culture of Doctors without Borders (MSF),” expands on a prior NGO Monitor publication from April 2026 called “NGO Malpractice: MSF (Doctors Without Borders) and the Gaza ‘Genocide’ Campaign.” That earlier report argued that MSF’s messaging about Israel relied on false testimonies and ran counter to medical ethics and the principle of neutrality. The new report contends those problems stem from a broader organizational culture marked by anti-Semitism, bias against Israel, and repeated expressions of support for Hamas.

To make its case, the report draws on statements from current and former MSF officials, staff members, and board members, as well as internal discussions and public interviews, arguing the organization has strayed from its own stated commitments to neutrality and impartiality.

Among those cited is Alain Destexhe, a former MSF secretary-general who accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the organization in 1999. In an October 2025 interview, Destexhe stated, “MSF is lying, MSF is partial, MSF is biased and MSF are accomplices of Hamas.” He added that such a level of bias would have been unthinkable during his time leading the organization, saying MSF “has become a biased, partial and militant organization.” The report also references his earlier analysis, in which he argued that MSF failed to condemn Hamas’s October 7 attacks or Hamas’s use of hospitals, while repeatedly criticizing Israel.

The report also includes remarks from Richard Rossin, another former MSF secretary-general, who stated, “Anti-Semitism within MSF began under the cover of anti-Zionism.” Rossin recalled a 2010 incident during a mission in Uganda where an MSF team from the Netherlands refused to collaborate with an Israeli medical organization, which he described as an example of “one-way empathy.”

Michael Goldfarb, who spent more than 15 years working with Doctors Without Borders USA, said Jewish employees faced hostility inside the organization. “European colleagues freely told me, knowing I am Jewish, that Israel doesn’t have a right to exist,” he said. Goldfarb also alleged that complaints about anti-Semitism were not taken seriously and described what he called “extreme ideological fervor” among certain colleagues.

The report references MSF’s internal staff forum, known as the Souk, citing posts from current and former employees that described Israel as a “76-year-old crime scene” and a “textbook example of violent, racist settler colonialism.” One employee reportedly said MSF’s public messaging on the conflict was “one-sided, divisive, and inflammatory,” while an anonymous doctor was quoted saying, “I have never seen this level of polarization within the organization.”

Also cited is Dr. Estrella Lasry, a former consultant and board member at MSF’s Geneva headquarters, who criticized what she described as “the appalling lack of empathy in the organization towards the victims in Israel.” She said an MSF office in the Middle East made an explicit request “not to speak out on behalf of victims in Israel as it would victimize the perpetrators.” The report additionally quotes current employees, identified by pseudonyms, who raised concerns about MSF’s operations in Gaza, its public campaign accusing Israel of genocide, and how the organization internally handled questions about Hamas’s presence in hospitals.

In its conclusion, NGO Monitor calls for sweeping changes at MSF, including replacing current leadership, creating independent oversight mechanisms, and removing staff members it holds responsible for discrimination and anti-Semitism. The organization argues these reforms are essential to restoring MSF’s standing as a neutral provider of humanitarian and medical aid.

Iran has revealed plans to collect service fees from ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz — a decision that flies in the face of President Donald Trump’s warning that any such charges would bring negotiations between the two nations to a halt.

Ambassador Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli made the announcement Saturday while speaking at the World Peace Forum in Beijing. He said Iran was working alongside Oman in “collaboration and cooperation” to establish “new arrangements” for how the strait would be managed. He also noted that “special considerations” would be given to “friendly countries” whose vessels pass through the waterway.

Fazli argued that the fees are justified because the Strait of Hormuz runs through Iranian territorial waters, though he pushed back against describing the charges as tolls.

“As a country where the Hormuz is part of its territorial waters, we will definitely charge service fees,” Fazli stated.

He went on to explain the purpose of the new framework, saying, according to AFP: “These new arrangements will be concerning guaranteeing the security of passage through the Straits of Hormuz, supervision of the passage of the vessels … and also guaranteeing and dealing with the environmental consequences of the massive number of ships.”

President Trump had previously made clear that any effort by Iran to levy charges on vessels using the strait would put an end to talks over a memorandum of understanding, or MoU, aimed at resolving the broader conflict between the two countries.

Just last month, Trump posted on Truth Social claiming that Iran had given the United States assurances it would not impose any fees on commercial shipping. “Iran has informed the US that, despite troublemaking Fake News reporting to the contrary, there are ‘NO TOLLS, NO INSURANCE COSTS, & NO OTHER CHARGES OF ANY KIND BEING SOUGHT OR RECEIVED BY IRAN ON SHIPS TRAVELING THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ,’” Trump wrote.

The original MoU signed between Iran and the United States included a provision allowing commercial vessels to pass through the strait without charge for a period of 60 days. However, the agreement left open the question of what rules would govern passage once that two-month window closed.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical shipping routes, with roughly 20% of the global oil and gas supply moving through it during normal times. Shipping traffic through the waterway was disrupted during the conflict involving the United States, Iran, and Israel, which contributed to a significant spike in oil prices.

Aisha al-Khatib, a 32-year-old law student and coordinator of the “Power of Decision Through Women’s Voices” initiative, started her day doing household chores and caring for her children before meeting with the Norwegian ambassador during a visit to Aleppo. By afternoon, she was standing in the heart of the city holding a sign that read: “Representation Is Not Just Numbers.”

Al-Khatib was among dozens of women who gathered for a licensed demonstration calling for greater female involvement in political decision-making — the same day authorities in Damascus announced the formation of Syria’s first People’s Assembly since the fall of former President Bashar Assad. The timing was not lost on her.

The new parliament has 210 seats, though only 207 lawmakers have been named. Elections for the remaining three seats in the southern province of As-Suwayda could not take place due to sectarian violence in the region.

Under Syria’s Constitutional Declaration governing the transitional period, 137 members were chosen through indirect elections conducted by bodies established by the Higher Committee for People’s Assembly Elections. President Ahmed al-Sharaa then appointed an additional 70 members — referred to as the “presidential third” — to include professionals, specialists, and social groups that might otherwise have been left out of the process.

Among those 70 appointments were 15 women, which significantly increased female representation in the chamber. Depending on how different news outlets count the numbers, the new parliament now includes either 21 or 22 women, accounting for roughly 10% of the total membership.

While that figure represents a boost in women’s presence, it still falls well short of the global average and has sparked renewed debate about whether presidential appointments can truly make up for women’s limited success in the electoral process — or whether they simply delay addressing the deeper structural barriers that keep women from winning seats outright.

The Aleppo protest was organized within hours of the final parliamentary roster being released. Demonstrators argued that the assembly still fails to reflect the breadth of female expertise and leadership that developed throughout Syria’s years of conflict and upheaval.

“I joined because I believe change comes through action, not words,” al-Khatib told The Media Line. “I felt it was my duty as a Syrian woman to help create space for women’s voices, especially after years in which women carried enormous responsibilities during the revolution — within their families, at work, and in their communities — yet remained largely absent from positions where decisions are made.”

She argued that rebuilding Syria requires “justice and democracy based on merit rather than gender,” and that women should be genuine partners in shaping the country’s future rather than serving as symbolic figures.

For al-Khatib, speaking out publicly carried its own meaning. “For many years, expressing an opinion publicly was associated with fear and danger,” she said. “Standing peacefully in a public square today and demanding our rights was an extraordinary feeling.”

Asmaa al-Mahmoud, 28, a human rights advocate and governance consultant who also studied law, shares al-Khatib’s view that the problem goes deeper than seat counts. “We support merit and technocratic governance at every stage,” al-Mahmoud told The Media Line. “But during this transitional period, I believe a temporary gender quota is necessary.”

She pointed to Aleppo, Syria’s largest province in terms of parliamentary representation, which was allocated 46 seats in the new assembly — yet only two women from the province ended up securing seats. “That simply does not reflect the number of qualified women in Aleppo,” she said. “Women are not decoration. The current percentage is too low to create meaningful influence inside parliament, and the representation does not reflect all segments of Syrian society.”

Yafa Nawaf, a Syrian political activist focused on women’s political participation, said the numbers highlight the structural obstacles women continue to face. “Syrian women were active participants in the struggle for freedom and justice,” Nawaf told The Media Line. “They stood at the forefront of demonstrations against repression, endured imprisonment, displacement, and the loss of family members. That contribution should now be reflected more clearly in the country’s decision-making institutions.”

Government officials maintain that the presidential appointments were intended to address those gaps. Mohammad Taha al-Ahmad, head of the Higher Committee for People’s Assembly Elections, told The Media Line the appointments were made under authority granted by the Constitutional Declaration. He said the president appointed 55 men and 15 women representing a wide range of professional and social backgrounds, including academics, legal experts, community leaders, former political detainees, people injured during the Syrian revolution, and individuals with disabilities. “The objective,” al-Ahmad said, “was to achieve more balanced representation within the assembly.”

Al-Ahmad also confirmed that parliament is ready to hold its first session, during which members will elect a speaker and formal leadership, officially launching Syria’s first legislative body of the transitional era.

Among the more notable female appointees is Rozina Lazkani, 36, a Syrian actress from Hama province. A graduate of Damascus’ Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts with a focus on scenography, she began her television career in 2013 and has appeared in some of Syria’s most well-known TV dramas. Speaking to Syrian media after her appointment, Lazkani described the role as “both a vote of confidence and a great responsibility,” saying she hopes to represent citizens’ concerns and help rebuild Syria during its transitional period.

Other appointees include Samira Ayman al-Wattar, a member of the Higher Committee’s legal committee; Aisha al-Dibs, who led the Women’s Affairs Office in Syria’s post-Assad transitional administration; and Houda al-Atassi, an architect and advocate for women’s and children’s rights who previously served on the preparatory committee for Syria’s National Dialogue Conference.

The list also includes Israa al-Mashhour, an agricultural researcher from Deir ez-Zor who specializes in soil science and plant nutrition. She previously headed a department at the General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research and has published work in scientific journals. In a statement following her appointment, al-Mashhour described the role as “a responsibility before it is an honor,” saying Syria’s next phase requires turning the people’s sacrifices into legislation that “strengthens justice, protects rights, and reinforces the rule of law.”

Additional appointees include Lara Qadid, a researcher in higher education policy; Madonna Bishara, a civil society activist focused on human rights and women’s issues; and Hanan Ibrahim al-Balkhi, an academic with a master’s degree from the University of Oslo who previously served in both the Syrian National Council and the Syrian Opposition Coalition. Community figures Najwa Qassas, known for supporting women’s economic empowerment, and Asmaa Farhan al-Sibai, a former political detainee and social activist, are also among the appointees.

Critics argue that the true measure of success will not be the diversity of backgrounds but whether these women can actually shape legislation and hold the executive branch accountable.

Mahmoud Hammam, a lawyer, legal researcher, and former parliamentary candidate, said presidential appointments alone will not resolve the deeper barriers to women’s political participation. “The international benchmark of at least 30% female representation is widely regarded as the minimum threshold at which women can form a parliamentary bloc capable of influencing legislation and public policy,” Hammam told The Media Line. “That is precisely the figure demanded by the women who protested in Aleppo.”

He said meaningful progress requires more than allocating seats — it requires building a political environment where qualified women with legal, political, and administrative experience can compete on equal footing.

At roughly 10%, Syria’s female parliamentary representation falls short of regional peers. Iraq’s constitution guarantees women at least 25% of parliamentary seats. Jordan has expanded its quota system in recent years, with women holding about one-fifth of seats in its House of Representatives. Lebanon, which has no parliamentary quota, still has fewer than 10% women — making Syria’s current level broadly comparable despite the countries’ very different political circumstances. According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, women now hold more than 27% of parliamentary seats worldwide on average.

Women’s underrepresentation in Syrian politics is not new. Parliamentary records and Inter-Parliamentary Union data show no women served in Syria’s parliament after the 1947 or 1953 elections. Representation gradually climbed over the following decades, reaching 2.7% in 1973, 3.6% in 1977, 6.7% in 1981, and 8.4% in 1990. Under Assad’s rule, women generally held between 10% and 13% of seats, peaking at 13.2% in 2016 before dropping to roughly 9.6% in the parliament elected in 2024.

The stakes are particularly high because this new People’s Assembly is Syria’s first legislature since Assad’s fall. During the transitional period, it will be responsible for debating and passing laws, approving the state budget, ratifying international agreements, and exercising legislative authority until a permanent constitution is adopted and national elections are held.

Aqeel Hussein, an elected parliament member representing Aleppo, told The Media Line that success should not be measured by seat counts alone. “The real test,” he said, “will be their presence in key parliamentary committees and their ability to influence legislation and exercise meaningful oversight of the executive branch.”

For al-Khatib, the debate ultimately reaches beyond the makeup of this particular parliament. “We want women’s participation to become the natural result of merit and equal opportunity,” she said, “not an exception achieved only through appointments.”

As Syria’s new parliament prepares to meet for the first time, the debate over women’s representation is shifting beyond statistics and appointments. The months ahead will reveal whether the increase in female lawmakers signals a genuine change in women’s role in shaping Syria’s future.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards launched at least two missiles at commercial vessels traveling through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday night, according to Axios, which cited two U.S. officials familiar with the situation.

Both targeted ships suffered considerable damage, though no crew members were killed or injured, a U.S. official told Axios. U.S. Central Command had not responded to requests for comment at the time of reporting.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency reported early Tuesday that a tanker had been struck by an unidentified projectile on its port side while traveling southbound, roughly 8 nautical miles — about 15 kilometers — east of Oman’s Limah. The strike sparked a fire aboard the vessel, though no casualties or environmental damage had been reported.

The incident follows the collapse of indirect diplomatic talks between the U.S. and Iran last week, which wrapped up without any visible progress toward a lasting peace agreement. Those negotiations had been taking place under a 60-day ceasefire meant to allow room for diplomacy after U.S. and Israeli military strikes sparked the conflict.

Earlier Monday, President Donald Trump stated that the United States would either negotiate a deal with Iran or “finish the job,” once again threatening military action. His remarks came as Iran showed a defiant posture following the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Over the weekend, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard broadcast a warning to ships via maritime radio. The Wall Street Journal, which obtained a recording, reported the message: “Our missiles and drones are ready to fire at you.”

One of the vessels that came under attack appears to be the Al Rekayyat, a liquefied natural gas tanker owned and operated by Nakilat, the shipping division of Qatar’s LNG sector, according to the Wall Street Journal. The ship was reportedly struck on its port side near the top of the engine room.

A recording obtained by the Wall Street Journal captured a distress message from the vessel: “Engine room fire and full of smoke. Unable to assess further damage. All crew are safe and mustered on the starboard side.”

The ship was located at the entrance to the strait, in the Gulf of Oman, when the attack occurred, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Financial markets and global investors have been closely watching U.S.-Iran negotiations over the security of shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz, while also monitoring the pace of recovery in Gulf oil exports.

Morning commuters in Melbourne, Australia got quite a surprise Tuesday when a man climbed to the top of a 460-foot tower on a major cantilever bridge and painted a massive cartoon bird on it — then refused to budge unless police brought him a peanut butter sandwich via drone.

The incident took place on the Bolte Bridge, where the man scaled the 140-metre eastern tower and settled in, shutting down one lane of traffic and triggering a standoff with law enforcement.

Acting Sergeant Paul Hogan of Victoria Police confirmed the situation, saying, “A man has scaled the bridge and remains in a restricted area on the eastern tower. He is refusing to follow police direction and come down.”

Hogan added, “Police allege the man is responsible for graffitiing the bridge earlier this morning.”

The artwork painted on the bridge bears a strong resemblance to a character known as Pam the Bird — a graffiti symbol that has popped up on numerous buildings throughout Melbourne over the years, including on the heritage-listed Flinders Street railway station.

An Instagram account appeared to be streaming live from the scene, showing footage of a man sitting at the top of the tower with his legs hanging over the edge.

In follow-up posts, the man also called for lower taxes in Australia, in addition to his unusual demand for the drone-delivered sandwich.

The identity of the person behind Tuesday’s stunt was not confirmed. However, a separate individual faced court last year on more than 200 charges, many of them tied to previous incidents involving Pam the Bird graffiti.

A tanker ship burst into flames in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday morning after being hit by a projectile near the Omani coastline, according to the British military.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center reported that the vessel was struck close to Limah, Oman, while navigating through the strait. The projectile made impact on the port side of the ship as it was heading southbound out of the strait toward the Gulf of Oman.

Officials stated that the strike did not cause any environmental damage, and an investigation into the incident has been launched.

As of Tuesday, no group or nation had stepped forward to claim responsibility for the attack. However, Iran is under suspicion in connection with at least two other recent strikes on vessels traveling a similar route near Oman in the strait.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Indonesia on Tuesday for high-level talks with President Prabowo Subianto, with both leaders looking to lock in a series of agreements spanning defense cooperation, food security, and several other key areas.

The visit marks Modi’s first trip to the country since 2023. His itinerary includes stops in the capital city of Jakarta and the cultural city of Yogyakarta on Tuesday and Wednesday, after which he is scheduled to continue on to Australia and New Zealand.

India’s ambassador to Indonesia, Sandeep Chakravorty, told reporters last week that the two leaders plan to discuss memorandums of understanding covering health, space, pharmaceuticals, and food security. “Some are in process, some will be finalised in time, some may get delayed but there will still be outcomes related to the visit,” the ambassador said.

The two heads of state have met before — Prabowo traveled to New Delhi last year, where the two countries signed a broad set of agreements.

During his time in Yogyakarta, Modi announced Monday that he would visit Prambanan, Indonesia’s largest Hindu temple complex and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The ambassador added that both leaders are expected to announce the launch of restoration efforts at the site.

Defense matters are also high on the agenda. Chakravorty said the two nations hope to wrap up certain agreements involving BrahMos, a joint missile manufacturing venture between India and Russia. Defense discussions will also touch on maritime awareness and combating piracy.

Back in 2023, BrahMos disclosed it was in advanced negotiations with Indonesia over a potential deal valued somewhere between $200 million and $350 million for its missile systems. The company has already reached agreements with neighboring countries Vietnam and the Philippines.

Trade ties between the two nations are substantial — India is a significant purchaser of palm oil and coal from Indonesia, which is considered a global commodities powerhouse. In May, Indonesia announced plans to bring exports of its key strategic commodities under centralized government control in order to increase state revenues.

Chakravorty indicated India is not particularly concerned about that policy shift, saying: “We understand the reasons and we believe that we are part of the solution.”

Rajiv Bhatia, a distinguished fellow at the think-tank Gateway House and India’s former deputy chief of mission to Indonesia, published an opinion piece Monday suggesting the two countries already enjoy solid relations and have the potential to grow more closely aligned on the world stage.

“The two leaders are expected to achieve a closer, more aligned worldview, especially in the aftermath of the wars in Ukraine and the Gulf and amid the emerging entente cordiale between the U.S. and China,” Bhatia wrote in the Jakarta Post.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Monday that a resolution to the war in Ukraine, now more than four years old, is “getting much closer than people realize,” and he plans to raise the issue during NATO summit talks in Turkey this week.

Trump’s comments came after he spent part of his weekend on the phone with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. He offered no specific details to back up his optimism, and the statement came even as Russia carried out a deadly overnight assault on Kyiv and the surrounding area using missiles and drones, leaving at least 28 people dead.

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump told reporters: “This is one that I think we’re getting much closer than people realize. And President Putin wants it to end. I will tell you that very strongly.”

Trump described his Fourth of July phone call with Putin as a “good call.” A Kremlin aide said the conversation ran 85 minutes and that the American president offered to help chart a path toward peace.

“And President Zelenskiy actually wants it to end now. And we’re going to be going to NATO, and we’re going to be talking about it, and I think we’re going to get it,” Trump continued. “I think we’re going to get it ended. It’s been a terrible situation.”

Trump is set to meet with Zelenskiy on Wednesday on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara. A U.S. official said the purpose of those talks is to make a fresh push toward ending the conflict, and that Trump would likely reach out to Putin again after meeting with the Ukrainian leader.

In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin and Trump agreed to stay in contact “in the near future” and that Russia views the U.S. president’s position on Ukraine as steady and unchanged.

“President Trump, the U.S. president, has a fairly consistent stance, and all these fabrications about him supposedly changing his views like a weather vane are, of course, untrue,” Peskov told reporters. “He is consistent and confident in his understanding of what is happening, but, most importantly, he is open to listening to the information that is conveyed to him by Putin.”

Zelenskiy also called his weekend conversation with Trump “very good.” In an interview with the Financial Times, Zelenskiy said Trump told him that Ukraine “is doing very well” with its long-range drone campaign targeting Russian oil industry infrastructure, a campaign that has contributed to fuel shortages inside Russia.

When asked whether Trump’s positive comments meant the U.S. president was firmly in Ukraine’s corner, Zelenskiy suggested the American leader now sees the conflict differently in light of recent Ukrainian battlefield successes.

“President Trump wants to be where there’s success,” the Financial Times quoted Zelenskiy as saying. “That’s tied to many things — not only to his personality, but to the approaching elections, to his status, to his belief in how this war can be ended.”

The relationship between Trump and Zelenskiy has been rocky. A previous Oval Office meeting between the two deteriorated into a public argument, but the Ukrainian president has since made efforts to repair the relationship through a series of subsequent meetings.

Trump’s latest remarks made no mention of his earlier comments in which he urged Zelenskiy to move quickly toward a deal with Russia, saying the Ukrainian leader lacked the “cards” needed for effective negotiations.

BEIJING — When Bao Zhang lost his job as a software tester, he turned to driving for a ride-hailing app to make ends meet. Working from 7 a.m. until nearly midnight in Beijing, the 30-year-old brings home around 6,000 yuan — roughly $885 — each month after covering vehicle rental and charging expenses. He sees little chance of getting back into the tech industry anytime soon.

Zhang’s situation is far from unique. Across China, tens of millions of workers are moving away from traditional employment and into the gig economy, driven by scarce job opportunities, a record number of college graduates entering the workforce, and limited unemployment benefits.

“Those who used to take taxis now have to drive them themselves,” Zhang said.

According to the China New Employment Forms Research Center, a think tank, the number of people in flexible employment — meaning those without a permanent, full-time contract — is expected to climb from 280 million in 2025 to 320 million this year. That figure represents roughly 44% of China’s total workforce and is nearly equal to the entire population of the United States.

Analysts describe the gig economy as a critical buffer absorbing workers displaced by multiple economic pressures. The collapse of China’s property market has wiped out construction jobs, while manufacturers are cutting staff through automation and cost reductions tied to tariffs, overcapacity, and fierce price competition. Increasingly, educated young people and white-collar professionals are also being pushed into gig work as domestic demand stays weak and artificial intelligence adoption accelerates.

“The proportion is extremely high,” said Yang Zhan, a cultural anthropology expert at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. “It’s no longer limited to rural migrants and has spread to the middle class and university graduates.”

“China is upgrading manufacturing, and many industries that used to absorb large numbers of workers are being phased out. Then there is AI,” Zhan added.

China’s human resources ministry and the State Council Information Office did not respond to requests for comment.

While gig work helps cushion the financial blow of losing a formal job, it also creates long-term risks for China’s welfare system. One government adviser noted that gig workers are not required to make social insurance contributions, which puts additional pressure on an already underfunded system.

A 2019 report from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences warned that the national pension fund could be depleted by 2035 as China’s population continues to age. A follow-up report in 2024 suggested that pushing back the retirement age could delay that depletion by eight to nine years.

“It may not be easy to find a solution,” the adviser said, citing the unstable incomes and contracts common in the gig sector. The adviser suggested Beijing focus on supporting the formal services industry to generate higher-quality jobs.

The financial strain on the social insurance system is already showing. An analysis by Gavekal Dragonomics found that central government transfers used to cover social insurance budget shortfalls have roughly tripled over the past decade to around 3 trillion yuan, and have doubled as a share of total government spending — now accounting for about 10%.

A second government adviser cautioned that placing heavier tax burdens on gig workers, many of whom are rural migrants, would be “highly unreasonable.” That adviser suggested birth subsidies might be a better long-term approach.

Of the 12 flexible workers interviewed by Reuters, only two said they were voluntarily contributing to social insurance. Two others said they paid in through formal part-time jobs held alongside their gig work. The remaining workers said they preferred to manage their own savings.

“I can take control, rather than wait for decades for others to pay me,” said Angel An, 24, who earns above the average ride-hailing income by marketing her services to tourists in Shanghai and nearby Suzhou through social media.

Zhang, meanwhile, deals with ongoing ankle and knee pain from spending long hours behind the wheel in traffic. He has chosen not to purchase medical insurance and said a pension feels “too far away” and would be too small to matter much anyway.

HSBC Asia economist Frederic Neumann warned that gig jobs fall short of the pay and stability many Chinese workers expect, and said this trend is weighing on consumer spending and overall economic growth.

“A whole new generation is growing up unaccustomed to the security and confidence that their parents for a long time enjoyed,” Neumann said.

Participation in formal social insurance programs among gig workers remains low. A government report from December 2025 found that as of the end of 2024, only 70.6 million flexible workers were enrolled in the urban employee pension scheme. Most migrant workers contribute only to the basic scheme, where monthly payouts can be as low as 163 yuan.

A Peking University survey of 30,000 delivery workers found that fewer than 10% would support mandatory social security contributions, which would cost workers roughly 10% of their income and employers about 25%.

“The urgent priority is to make it easier for flexible workers to be included in the employee social security system,” said Nomura’s chief China economist Ting Lu, who estimates only tens of millions are fully enrolled. “We need to reduce anxiety so that they save less and consume more,” he added.

Zhan, the anthropologist, said the government faces a difficult balancing act between requiring platform companies to contribute more to social welfare and preserving those companies’ ability to keep creating jobs. “The government very much needs the platform economy to absorb workers” and maintain social stability, she said, warning that major regulatory changes could deliver “a major shock” to the industry’s profits.

China’s official unemployment rate has stayed between 5% and 6% for roughly a decade, partly because anyone working even one hour per week is counted as employed — a definition that effectively absorbs many gig workers into the employed category.

Still, an oversupply of gig workers is starting to push wages down in some sectors. The think tank’s report found that China’s 16 million food delivery riders saw their average hourly pay rise 11% to 37.3 yuan in 2025, but wages for the country’s 37.2 million ride-hailing drivers fell by 1.8%. At least four cities, including the tech hub of Shenzhen, have issued warnings about ride-hailing market “saturation” since April.

The second government adviser said those warnings were intended only to raise public awareness, not to discourage people from taking gig work — noting that restricting such opportunities “would become a social stability issue.”

For workers like Li, a cleaner in his early 50s who delivers food until 10 p.m. to earn an extra 40 to 100 yuan a day, there is simply no alternative. He suspects the growing number of delivery riders is shrinking the earnings per order but says he has “no choice” but to continue.

“At my age, without education, what could I possibly do? In Beijing, most college students also have to deliver food,” said Li, who provided only his surname.

A Paris appeals court is scheduled to deliver a landmark ruling Tuesday that will determine the political fate of French far-right leader Marine Le Pen and whether she will be allowed to compete in next year’s presidential election.

Le Pen’s path to the presidency has been uncertain since March 2025, when a court handed down a five-year ban on holding public office after finding her guilty of diverting more than €4 million (approximately $4.6 million) from the European Parliament. She has maintained her innocence and challenged the ruling through an appeal.

Should the appeals court uphold the ban, the 57-year-old would be blocked from making her fourth attempt at the French presidency. In that scenario, her 30-year-old protege Jordan Bardella would step in as the presidential candidate for her anti-immigrant National Rally party, known by its French initials RN — a party that currently leads in polling.

Le Pen has devoted more than a decade to reshaping the movement her father Jean-Marie founded, transforming it from a fringe nationalist group into what many observers now consider a serious contender for governing power. Being forced out of the race would represent a deeply personal setback.

Despite her potential absence, surveys indicate that Bardella — even with limited political experience — would likely advance through the first round of voting and reach a two-candidate runoff.

The court’s decision is expected at 1:30 p.m. local time (11:30 a.m. GMT). Le Pen is then scheduled to appear in a prime-time interview on TF1 at 8 p.m., where she may address her political future.

The National Rally, currently the largest party in the French parliament, has been preparing for the possibility of operating without Le Pen at the top. Many of the party’s lawmakers built their political careers under her leadership and would need to adjust to Bardella’s direction. Party officials have indicated that Le Pen would actively campaign alongside Bardella if he becomes the nominee, and that the party’s leadership would stay unified.

However, Bardella’s policy positions differ from Le Pen’s in notable ways — particularly his more pro-free-market stance and proposals on pension reform that could alienate older voters, a key part of the RN’s support base.

The specifics of the court’s ruling will be decisive. Le Pen was originally convicted of orchestrating a scheme in which European Union funds meant to pay parliamentary staff were instead used to compensate RN employees. Her original sentence included a five-year ban from seeking elected office — effective immediately — along with a €100,000 fine and a four-year prison term, with two years suspended and two to be served under home detention with electronic monitoring.

The appeals court has several options. It could maintain the conviction but reduce the punishment. If the office ban is eliminated or cut to two years or less, Le Pen would likely be eligible to run, given that the ban began in March 2025. If the prison component is kept in place, running an active presidential campaign while confined to home monitoring would present serious practical and political challenges.

Judges could also throw out the conviction entirely, clearing Le Pen to run without restriction — though legal analysts view that outcome as unlikely given the lower court’s findings.

If the original conviction and sentence are both upheld, Le Pen could bring her case before France’s highest court, the Cour de Cassation. However, she has stated that she will not pursue the presidency if doing so means waiting even longer for a final legal decision.

NEW YORK — Federal prosecutors are asking a New York judge to show leniency toward a Turkish-Iranian gold trader set to be sentenced next week after he admitted to helping Iranians and their government dodge U.S. sanctions — and then turned around to become a key government witness in a major corruption case.

In a sentencing memorandum filed Monday, prosecutors told a federal judge in New York that international gold trader Reza Zarrab delivered meaningful assistance to the United States. That help included revealing that he had paid millions of dollars in bribes to Turkish government and banking officials, and taking the witness stand during a December 2017 trial.

Zarrab’s testimony was central to the conviction of Turkish banker Mehmet Hakan Atilla, who received a prison sentence of more than two years. Following that verdict, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan publicly called the outcome “scandalous.”

Prosecutors described Zarrab’s October 2017 guilty plea — on charges of conspiracy, bank fraud, and money laundering — as the beginning of cooperation they characterized as “truthful, complete and reliable,” as well as significant, useful, and timely. They also acknowledged that his decision to cooperate exposed him to serious personal danger.

While testifying for a week at the 2017 trial, Zarrab recounted being attacked inside prison by a fellow inmate armed with a knife, who claimed he had been instructed to kill Zarrab because of his cooperation with U.S. authorities.

Monday’s filing from prosecutors referenced that threat directly. According to the memorandum, the inmate at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn told Zarrab he would be killed for cooperating against “big people in Turkey.” The incident led to Zarrab being removed from the prison facility and placed into FBI custody.

Prosecutors also noted that the Turkish government moved to freeze and seize Zarrab’s assets after he began working with U.S. authorities.

The years-long gap between Zarrab’s guilty plea and his upcoming sentencing is not unusual in complex federal cases where a cooperating witness may be needed for multiple trials down the road.

Last month, a Manhattan judge approved the dismissal of a separate criminal case the U.S. government had filed against Halkbank, a Turkish state-owned bank. That move to drop the charges came during a period of improved relations between Erdogan and President Donald Trump.

Following a meeting between the two leaders at the NATO summit in The Hague last year, Erdogan told reporters that Trump is quick to return his calls — a detail widely seen as a sign of their close relationship.

“With my friend Trump, we are opening the door to a new era in Turkish-American relations,” said Erdogan, who has led Turkey for 13 years.

TORONTO — Canada announced Monday that Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems has been selected as the preferred supplier for a new fleet of up to 12 submarines, a deal Prime Minister Mark Carney described as the biggest military procurement in the country’s history.

The announcement was made ahead of Carney’s departure for this week’s NATO summit, where alliance members are under pressure to back up pledges of higher defense spending with solid, concrete plans.

Speaking at a military base in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Carney said the TKMS platform is best suited for operations in Arctic waters and for working alongside NATO allies. “The submarine is proven and capable. It is used widely by our allies. TKMS provides submarines to over a third of the NATO alliance, and is the leading submarine provider to navies around the world,” he said.

ThyssenKrupp beat out South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean for the contract. The German company noted that its submarines would improve coordination among allies since many NATO nations already operate its conventionally powered vessels. Canada will now move into further negotiations with TKMS as the preferred supplier.

Canada has committed to significantly ramping up its military spending after falling short of NATO targets for years. Carney has pledged to increase defense spending to 5% of gross domestic product by 2035. Canada only recently met NATO’s previous benchmark of 2% of GDP this year. He added that Canada’s fiscal framework has already set aside funding to reach 4% of GDP in total spending by 2030, ahead of NATO’s own schedule.

Carney also said that Germany and Norway have offered to share some of their production slots so Canada can take delivery of submarines sooner than originally planned. The expectation is that Canada will have four submarines in service by 2034.

The new fleet is intended to replace Canada’s four aging Victoria-class submarines, which were bought secondhand from the United Kingdom in the late 1990s.

No American company submitted a bid for the contract, as the United States only manufactures nuclear-powered submarines. Canada was specifically seeking conventionally powered diesel-electric vessels.

OSLO — Norway is pressing China to use its direct connections to the Russian government to help push for a negotiated end to the ongoing war in Ukraine, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere announced Monday.

“China is probably the country with the best and most direct access to the Russian leadership. We expect, hope and strongly urge China to use that channel,” Stoere told reporters following his meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Oslo. He noted that Ukraine dominated the bulk of their conversation.

Stoere also warned that China’s continued close partnership with Russia is holding back the potential for stronger ties between China and Europe. “There is a potential for deeper cooperation between Europe and China, but as long as this war goes on and China is a close partner of Russia, that is a limitation on that opportunity,” he said.

Earlier Monday, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide described the dialogue with China about ending the conflict as “constructive and promising.” When asked whether China had signaled a willingness to bring Russia to the negotiating table, Eide was cautious but optimistic. “I’m not a spokesperson for China. I’m not going to quote them, but there are some hints in what they say,” he remarked.

Norwegian officials stated that peace talks should begin without any preconditions, starting with a ceasefire along the existing front lines in Ukraine. Stoere described this as a significant sacrifice on Ukraine’s part, noting, “That is, in itself, a major concession from Ukraine’s side. It is inside their territory.”

Wang Yi’s visit to Oslo came after previous stops in Denmark, Sweden, and Finland as part of his Nordic tour. Reuters indicated it had reached out to the Chinese delegation in Oslo for comment.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that a resolution to the Ukraine conflict is “getting closer than people realize” and indicated he plans to address the issue during meetings in Turkey this week at a NATO summit.