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Cyprus marks 52 years since invasion as UN renews peace push

(Corrects first bullet point to change "Southern" to "southern".)

NICOSIA, July 20 (Reuters) - Cyprus marked the 52-year anniversary of Turkey's 1974 invasion on Monday as the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities prepared for a renewed effort from the United Nations to break years of deadlock in peace talks.

• Air raid sirens sounded over the southern Greek Cypriot government-controlled areas of Cyprus on Monday morning to commemorate the hour Turkish forces landed in 1974, days after a short-lived Greek-inspired coup.

Graves of soldiers killed in the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, during a memorial service at the Tymvos Macedonitissas military cemetery in Nicosia, Cyprus, July 20, 2026. REUTERS/Yiannis Kourtoglou

US stocks drop on latest Middle East fighting, tech earnings caution

Wall Street stocks retreated Monday with early gains fading as the escalating US-Iran conflict lifted oil prices while markets awaited key earnings reports. Earlier Asian stock markets ended the day mostly lower under the weight of higher oil price, alongside lingering concerns that the AI sector may be overbought.
As the US attacks on Iran entered a second consecutive day, Tehran threatened to stop complying with its framework agreement with Washington

Israel to receive more US refuelling planes as Iran attacks intensify, Israeli officials say

By Steven Scheer

JERUSALEM, July 19 (Reuters) - Israel is preparing to receive more U.S. refuelling aircraft, an Israeli military official said on Sunday, as attacks launched by the United States and Iran have escalated over the past week.

The U.S. and Iran have intensified strikes since an interim ceasefire deal signed a month ago crumbled, raising the possibility of a return to all-out war. Israel has not joined the latest U.S. attacks.

U.S. Air Force tanker aircraft are lined up at Ben Gurion International Airport in Lod, near Tel Aviv, Israel, May 19, 2026. REUTERS/ Dedi Hayun

US-Iran strikes: latest developments

US and Iranian strikes extended into Sunday, with Washington saying it was punishing Tehran for the deaths of two US servicemen in Jordan and Gulf states announcing responses to Iranian attacks. US strikes on Iran The US military command for the region, CENTCOM, said its latest round of strikes on Iran was partly to "punish" Iran for a Friday attack on a base in Jordan which killed two US soldiers and left another missing in action.
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for the world's oil, is a major source of contention between the United States and Iran

Lebanon's Aoun to meet Trump at White House, hoping to generate pressure on Israel

By Maya Gebeily and Tom Perry

BEIRUT, July 19 (Reuters) - Lebanese President Joseph Aoun will make his first trip to the White House this week to present a plan to U.S. President Donald Trump on how to disarm Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah and secure Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon.

Aoun, who served as the commander of Lebanon's U.S.-backed army before being elected president last year, is the first Lebanese head of state in nearly 20 years to visit the White House, where he will meet Trump face-to-face for the first time.

U.S. President Donald Trump attends a FIFA reception at Trump Tower in New York City, U.S., July 17, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci

Palestinians say Israeli settlers torch mosque, factory

Israeli settlers set fire overnight to a mosque in a village in the occupied West Bank, a Palestinian official said Sunday, as an AFP journalist saw the structure's entrance scorched and Hebrew graffiti sprayed on its walls. More than two dozen settlers, some masked, attacked the Al-Taqwa mosque in the village of Al-Tuwani during the night and set it on fire, Mohammed Rabie, head of the village council, told AFP. The settlers also set fire to two houses and a dairy factory, he said, adding the attackers spray-painted Hebrew graffiti on the walls of the mosque.
Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank toruch a mosque in the village of Al-Tuwani, according to Palestinians in the area

Iran hits out at Gulf neighbors as US presses on with strikes

Washington and Tehran traded strikes on Monday as US deaths in the renewed fighting climbed to three and more ships came under attack in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said on Monday that a vessel was on fire in the strait, citing information from military authorities.
The United States launched fresh attacks on Iran to 'punish' it for the deaths of two servicemen in Jordan

In a Lebanon museum, 'keys without homes' evoke destruction in south

Tears streamed down south Lebanon resident Fatima Hajj Ali's face as she stared at a host of keys hanging like windchimes from the ceiling of a Beirut museum -- each one symbolising a home, like her own, destroyed by Israel. The exhibition "Hkeeli ya Jnoub", or "Tell me, O South", features pictures and videos preserving the memory of southern Lebanon at the capital's Beit Beirut museum.
An installation featuring keys from destroyed houses in south Lebanon forms part of an ongoing exhibition at a Beirut museum