While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, July 27, 2026

Iran says it will halt strikes as long as US bombing pause holdsIran will halt its own attacks as long as the United States does the same, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on July 26.The development comes as the US pressed pause on its bombing campaign after President Donald Trump’s advisers told him they were running out of targets and expressed worries about depleting the US arsenal.After 13 nights of intensifying US airstrikes on Iran, the Pentagon abruptly suspended the campaign late on July 24, with no US attacks reported on either July 25 or July 26.Iran, which had been following each night of US attacks with its own strikes on neighbouring countries that host US bases, has also so far held fire for two days.READ MORE HEREIndia PM Modi announces panel to overhaul exam system after protestsPHOTO: REUTERSPrime Minister Narendra Modi announced on July 26 the creation of a task force headed by tech entrepreneur Nandan Nilekani to overhaul India’s examination system, following days of youth protests about exam paper leaks.“Our examination system should be trustworthy, should be transparent and the system should make maximum use of technology,” Modi said on Instagram, adding that new legislation to deal with exam leaks would be introduced in Parliament on July 27.The measures would tighten the law and toughen the penalties for culprits, he added.READ MORE HERESuspect in Berlin Pride attack shot dead by policePHOTO: AFPGerman police said a 21-year-old man with a record of Islamist extremist activity was shot dead on July 26, a day after he allegedly drove a minivan into people near Berlin’s Pride celebrations, killing one person.The ramming attack happened in the Tiergarten park near the Brandenburg Gate at about 10pm on July 25 (4am on July 26, Singapore time), not far from one of Europe’s biggest annual LGBTQ celebrations, Christopher Street Day.The authorities said that in addition to the one fatality, 29 people were injured, some by a bladed weapon the attacker wielded.READ MORE HEREIsrael to allow international force into GazaPHOTO: BLOOMBERGIsrael will allow a multinational security force to enter Gaza as proposed under US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan for the enclave, an Israeli official said on July 26, a day before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heads to Washington.Netanyahu’s security Cabinet on July 26 approved the legal framework that would allow the force’s entry to Gaza, the official said. Netanyahu is scheduled to depart for Washington on July 27 and is expected to meet Trump on July 28.The official said that the mission, called the International Stabilization Force, will include 200 members from “friendly countries such as Uganda and Morocco” deploying in areas that are not under Israeli control. Each contingent requires individual Israeli approval to enter Gaza.READ MORE HERE‘Incredibly proud’ Tadej Pogacar wins record-equalling fifth Tour de FrancePHOTO: REUTERSTadej Pogacar ticked off a “big goal” as he claimed his record-equalling fifth Tour de France title as Mathieu van der Poel won a sensational 21st and final stage around Paris on July 26.Two-time world champion Pogacar joined Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain as the most successful riders in Tour history.“I’m really incredibly proud to be a fifth time winner of the biggest race in the world,” Pogacar told France Televisions.READ MORE HERE