The Hindu

US forces struck 140 targets in Iran on July 12 2026 following an Iranian attack on a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz. The war began on February 28 and Iran later struck Bahrain Kuwait Qatar and Oman. At least 20 percent of global oil transits the strait annually.

The National Investigation Agency filed a chargesheet on July 10, 2026, against Shabir Ahmad Shah and five other Hurriyat Conference figures in connection with a 1996 incident of alleged mob violence and firing on police in Srinagar. The document names Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Abdul Ganie Lone, Mohd Yaqoob Wakeel, Javid Ahmad Mir, and Shakeel Ahmad Bakshi under provisions of the Ranbir Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Proceedings against Geelani, Lone, and Wakeel have abated due to their deaths.

Vietnamese police arrested the 57-year-old captain of a speedboat on Sunday for maritime safety violations after the vessel capsized near Phu Quoc Island on July 11 2026, killing 15 Indian tourists. The boat carried 32 Indian tourists, three Vietnamese crew members, and a tour guide; rescuers recovered 21 people amid high waves. Unverified reports indicate 16 rescued tourists are returning to India while one remains in critical condition.

Israel passed unconfirmed intelligence to US officials this week alleging a new Iranian plot to assassinate Donald Trump. Supported reports confirm the US-Israel conflict with Iran began in February, included prior US strikes on nuclear facilities, and featured unclaimed airstrikes on southern Iran in July 2026. Multiple claims of specific Trump statements on retaliation remain unverified.

India and New Zealand elevated ties to a strategic partnership on July 11, 2026, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Auckland. The countries adopted the India-New Zealand Strategic Partnership: Roadmap to 2030, which includes a target to double bilateral trade to ₹35,000 crore by 2030 and a reciprocal logistics support pact. The visit marked the first by an Indian prime minister to New Zealand in 40 years.

U.S. officials on July 10, 2026, demanded that Iran publicly affirm the Strait of Hormuz remains open to shipping and that its forces will not attack vessels. Donald Trump stated that an interim ceasefire is over while indicating continued talks for a permanent agreement. U.S. and Israeli strikes at the start of the conflict killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Andy Burnham has received nominations from 322 of Labour's 403 MPs as of July 9, 2026, one short of the 323 required to exclude other candidates before nominations close on July 16. Keir Starmer resigned after May local elections, with Burnham expected to be confirmed as leader on July 17 and named Prime Minister on July 20. Al Carns withdrew on July 8, leaving Burnham as the sole declared contender according to The Hindu.

Fifteen Indian nationals died when a boat capsized near May Rut Ngoai Islet in Vietnam's An Thoi archipelago on Saturday. Thirty-two Indians were aboard the vessel. Indian officials including Prime Minister Modi and President Murmu issued condolences, and the Telangana government established a control room.

Verified reports confirm Israeli gunfire killed nine-year-old Tala Abu Matar at an Al-Bureij encampment and an airstrike killed four people at a Sabra neighborhood foundry. The Israeli military stated it struck terrorist infrastructure in Sabra and was unaware of the child's death. Disputed claims involve total Palestinian casualties since the ceasefire and the number killed on a single Sunday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Australia on July 8 after visiting Indonesia and is scheduled to depart for New Zealand. He met Australian Opposition Leader Angus Taylor on July 10, 2026, with both sides describing the discussion as focused on India-Australia ties. Reports of additional events at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and new defense agreements remain unverified.

S. Janaki, a playback singer, died at age 88 on Saturday in Mysuru according to reports from The Hindu and Times of India. Supported details include her age, date, and location of death along with specific song attributions from The Hindu. Multiple career statistics and tributes remain unverified and sourced only to Times of India.

On July 12, 2026, U.S. Central Command launched strikes on targets in Bandar Abbas and Sirik, Iran, following Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz and Revolutionary Guards' firing on the M/V GFS Galaxy. The vessel sustained engine damage with one crew member reported missing. All verified claims originate from left-center sources, with lower-quality reports on the prior ceasefire and February conflict start.

A wildfire in Almeria province, southern Spain, killed 12 people in the Bedar area of Los Gallardos, with at least six others injured. The blaze occurred amid temperatures near 40°C, prompting evacuations and the planned deployment of additional emergency resources. Authorities have not confirmed the cause despite witness reports of a fallen power line.

Sheikh Hasina, 78, who fled Bangladesh in 2024 after student protests and has lived in Indian exile for two years, stated in a Reuters interview that she intends to return in December with senior Awami League officials despite facing a death sentence. Both Al Jazeera and The Hindu report the verified details of her ouster, sentence for ordering a crackdown, and quoted statements on facing arrest or death. The two sources, both rated left-center, provide the sole basis for these claims.

The State Investigation Agency of Jammu and Kashmir Police obtained an Interpol Red Corner Notice against Imtiyaz Ahmad Kandoo, a designated Hizbul Mujahideen member, in connection with a 2013 attack in Tarzoo, Baramulla district, that killed four police personnel. Kandoo, also known by aliases Fayaz and Sajad and listed as an individual terrorist in 2022, has been described as an active commander since 2010. Official statements were reported on a Saturday, with one source specifying July 11, 2026.

Verified reports confirm Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran's current Supreme Leader and son of former leader Ali Khamenei. Mojtaba issued a Telegram message on July 11, 2026, pledging revenge for his father's death. Lower-quality reports link the death to February 28 U.S.-Israeli airstrikes, with Mojtaba absent from public events since.

K.C. Venugopal, Congress general secretary and MP, addressed media outside Guruvayur temple on Saturday and demanded a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into alleged misappropriation of donations to the Ayodhya Ram temple. He described the matter as India's biggest temple scam, criticized the Uttar Pradesh SIT probe as a farce, and said Congress will raise the issue in the July 20 Parliament session. The temple trust was constituted by the Centre; no independent confirmation of specific allegations such as erased CCTV footage has been reported.

A stampede occurred during a September 27 rally organized by C. Joseph Vijay in Karur, Tamil Nadu. At the time, M.K. Stalin served as Chief Minister and Udhayanidhi Stalin as Deputy Chief Minister. Subsequent statements from political figures addressed the incident alongside references to vacant state government posts and job offers to victims' families.

On July 11, a boat capsized off Vietnam’s Phu Quoc coast, resulting in 15 Indian deaths, with 10 from Tamil Nadu, 3 from Andhra Pradesh, and 2 from Kerala. The Tamil Nadu government dispatched IPS officer Santosh Hadimani to Ho Chi Minh City to assist with repatriation and medical coordination, while working with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy. The Embassy finalized an authorized agency for repatriation of remains.

S. Janaki, the playback singer born on 23 April 1938 in Guntur district, died in Mysuru on Saturday at age 88. She recorded songs in Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, and Sinhala, including tracks such as 'Thenum vayambum' and 'Naguva nayana,' and collaborated with artists including S.P. Balasubrahmanyam and K.J. Yesudas. Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a statement describing her death as an irreparable loss to music and culture.

S. Janaki died at age 88 from age-related ailments at a private hospital in Mysuru after developing breathing issues. Born in Andhra Pradesh, she moved to Chennai in the mid-1950s, joined AVM Studios, and began her playback career in 1957 with the film Vidhiyin Vilayattu. Her breakthrough came with the 1962 song Singara Velane Deva, and she later performed Sendoora Poove in 16 Vayathinile.

The Delhi High Court dismissed Rajpal Yadav's appeals and upheld concurrent three-month sentences plus fines in cheque dishonour cases arising from financing of the 2012 film Ata Pata Laapata. Yadav, who had paid approximately Rs 2 crore during proceedings, was released on bail after the ruling. The cases involve M/s Murali Projects Pvt Ltd and were presided over by Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma.

JAXA performed a flight test of its reusable rocket experimental vehicle at its Noshiro site on July 11, 2026. The vehicle completed a 40-second flight with takeoff and landing reported as normal under project lead Takashi Ito. China conducted its first successful reusable rocket landing the previous day.

Australia's Labor Party approved uranium exports to India in December 2011 under Prime Minister Julia Gillard, following the 2008 India-US nuclear agreement and a 2010 refusal. Claims of a uranium export agreement reached under Prime Minister Narendra Modi remain disputed between sources. Modi met Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.