While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, July 20, 2026

Spain win second World Cup after 1-0 extra-time win over defending champs Argentina

Spain dethroned Argentina to claim the World Cup with a 1-0 victory over the defending champions after extra time on July 19.

A Ferran Torres strike in the 106th minute helped Spain edge past 10-man Argentina for their first World Cup title since 2010.

Second-half substitute Torres was the hero for the European champions, thumping home the winner in the second half of extra time after Nico Williams nodded down a cross into the penalty area.

After a pre-game “closing ceremony” featuring Hollywood star Tom Cruise and American singer Jennifer Hudson’s rendition of the US national anthem, the match kicked off with US President Donald Trump in attendance following long lines endured by fans and other attendees caused by enhanced security checks.

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Israel PM’s office slams New York mayor over Netanyahu arrest remarks

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on July 19 denounced New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani after he said he was considering whether to arrest the Israeli leader during an upcoming UN summit.

“Mr Mamdani should focus on fixing the damage his policies have caused New York,” Netanyahu’s office said, in a post on its official X account.

“Like Karim Khan, Mamdani appears interested in diverting public attention from his follies and attacking the leader of the Jewish state and the only democracy in the Middle East.”

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India bans march on Parliament by ‘Cockroach’ activists, standoff looms

Police in India have denied permission for a march on Parliament by supporters of the youth-led “Cockroach” movement on July 20, risking a standoff as calls grow for the sacking of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s education minister over exam paper leaks.

The movement has been galvanised since police forcibly moved hunger-striking activist Sonam Wangchuk to hospital on July 18, with hundreds of supporters gathering at a protest site ahead of a planned march on the opening day of Parliament’s monsoon session.

While the movement initially drew support largely online – amassing 22 million followers on Instagram within days of its formation in May after exam paper leaks affected millions – it has since broadened its appeal, presenting a major challenge for Modi.

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Putin meets North Korea’s foreign minister, hails war support

Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 19 thanked North Korea for supporting Moscow’s war on Ukraine as he met visiting Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui.

“I would like once again to express my gratitude for the support provided to the special military operation we are conducting,” Putin said, according to a video released by the Kremlin.

“We will never forget” the “heroic deeds” of North Korean soldiers, who would be “honoured in the same way as our compatriots”, he added, also praising the mutual understanding established with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

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Ukraine blames Russia for deadly strike on Turkish cargo ship

Ukraine said on July 19 that Russian missile strikes on a Turkish-owned cargo ship carrying grain had killed six people, hours after Moscow fired a fresh barrage of missiles at Kyiv.

Ukraine’s navy said Russia had launched three cruise missiles at the Golden Leo, which flies the flag of Guinea-Bissau, as it was “leaving the combat zone with a cargo of grain”.

Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said the crew had included citizens of Syria and India, while Prime Minister Sergiy Koretsky said the vessel was struck near Odesa after leaving port.

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