The week in photos: July 18-24, 2026

An Indian court has sentenced former investigative magazine editor Tarun Tejpal to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment after convicting him in a rape case involving a junior colleague, bringing a high-profile legal battle that has spanned more than a decade to a major turning point. The case stems from allegations that Tejpal sexually assaulted a female journalist inside a lift at a luxury hotel in the coastal state of Goa during a media event in November 2013. A trial court had acquitted Tejpal in 2021 of charges including rape, sexual harassment and wrongful restraint. However, the Goa government challenged the verdict before the Bombay High Court, which overturned the acquittal and found him guilty. The court ordered Tejpal to surrender within two weeks to begin serving his sentence. In addition to the prison term, he was directed to pay a financial penalty imposed by the court. Following the verdict, Tejpal announced that he would challenge the conviction before India’s Supreme Court. He maintained that the case against him was politically motivated and claimed he had faced a prolonged campaign against him over the past 13 years. Tejpal was first arrested in 2013 after the allegations surfaced and spent several months in custody before being granted bail by the Supreme Court. Throughout the proceedings, he consistently denied the allegations and argued that the prosecution was driven by political considerations. The case attracted nationwide attention because it emerged during a period of heightened public concern over violence against women in India. Public debate over sexual assault had intensified following the 2012 gang rape and murder of a young woman in New Delhi, which led to widespread protests and significant reforms to India’s criminal laws on sexual offences. The conviction also had a lasting impact on Tehelka, once regarded as one of India’s leading investigative publications. The scandal severely damaged the magazine’s reputation and influence, despite continuing operations under new management.

The United States has awarded Lockheed Martin a defence contract worth up to $58.6 billion to expand production of Patriot interceptor missiles, as ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine continue to put pressure on American weapons stockpiles. The agreement, announced by the Pentagon on Wednesday, is designed to strengthen the country’s air defence capabilities and ensure a steady supply of Patriot missiles over the coming years. The move comes after the United States supplied large quantities of military equipment to its allies while also using significant numbers of precision guided weapons during its own military operations against Iran. The new contract replaces an earlier one year agreement valued at $4.7 billion that was signed in April. It now establishes a seven year procurement framework covering the period from the 2026 to the 2032 fiscal years. According to the US Army, the longer term arrangement is expected to provide greater stability for production planning while helping manufacturers increase output to meet rising demand. The Pentagon has been urging defence companies to speed up production as global security challenges increase. Officials have been negotiating with major contractors throughout the year to secure higher manufacturing capacity for missiles and other critical military equipment. The administration of President Donald Trump has also increased pressure on defence firms to focus more heavily on fulfilling government contracts. Earlier this year, Trump signed an executive order directing officials to identify companies that were failing to meet contract obligations while continuing to reward shareholders. The administration has argued that expanding production is essential as the US seeks to replenish military inventories. Industry leaders have welcomed the government’s long term procurement strategy, saying it gives manufacturers greater confidence to plan future investments. However, they have also noted that Congress must approve the necessary funding before companies can fully expand production facilities and hire additional workers. Many of the final details surrounding Pentagon weapons contracts, including delivery schedules and production targets, are still being negotiated. The Patriot missile agreement follows a similar initiative involving RTX, the parent company of Raytheon, aimed at increasing production of Tomahawk cruise missiles. Under that plan, annual output is expected to rise dramatically from around 60 missiles to as many as 1,000 each year once production reaches full capacity. Lockheed Martin said the latest contract will support its long term investment plans and help the company significantly expand manufacturing. The company expects to triple production capacity for its PAC 3 MSE interceptor missiles by the end of 2030. It also plans to increase its workforce at its Camden, Arkansas, facility by about 50 percent, raising employment from roughly 1,200 workers to around 1,850. The defence contractor has also announced plans to invest between $8 billion and $9 billion through 2030 to modernise more than 20 facilities across the United States. The investment includes the construction of new munitions production centres in Alabama and Arkansas to support increased manufacturing. The PAC 3 MSE interceptor is one of the most advanced missiles used within the Patriot air defence system. It is designed to destroy incoming ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and aircraft through direct impact rather than carrying an explosive warhead. The system has become an important part of air defence operations in several regions facing growing missile threats. Concerns over US missile inventories have intensified in recent months. The Washington based Center for Strategic and International Studies recently estimated that the US military has fewer than 1,000 Patriot interceptors and fewer than 250 THAAD interceptors remaining in its stockpile. Both systems have been heavily used during recent military operations in the Middle East while the United States has also continued supplying advanced air defence equipment to partners facing ongoing security challenges.

The Taliban administration has expressed its desire to reduce tensions and improve relations with Pakistan, saying that continued disputes serve the interests of neither country. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said both sides should work to resolve outstanding issues through dialogue and cooperation. He noted that the closure of border crossings and restrictions faced by Afghan traders have contributed to strained relations and disrupted bilateral trade. Mujahid said the Taliban wants these issues to be addressed to facilitate smoother cross-border movement and strengthen economic ties between the two neighboring countries. He also acknowledged that trade with Pakistan has been affected in recent months, adding that Afghanistan has increased its economic engagement with Iran while pursuing new projects aimed at developing the country’s mineral resources. However, analysts have raised concerns over the transparency of some of the reported mining agreements and questioned whether sufficient oversight and accountability mechanisms are in place. The remarks come at a time when Pakistan and Afghanistan continue to face challenges in bilateral relations, including border management, trade disruptions and broader security concerns.

Cameroon’s 93-year-old President, Paul Biya, the world’s oldest sitting head of state, has enacted a strategic reshuffle of the country’s military leadership from abroad, issuing decrees to promote senior officers and appoint new commanders while remaining in Geneva, Switzerland. Among the key appointments, Biya promoted five colonels to the rank of brigadier general. Notably, Brigadier General Raymond Jean Charles Beko’o Abondo was reappointed to lead the elite Presidential Guard, an essential security unit responsible for the president’s personal protection that he has commanded since 2013. The administrative shifts coincide with growing domestic anxiety regarding Biya’s absence from Cameroon, which has extended to nearly two months following his departure on 7 June for what officials termed a “brief private stay”. Opponents and civil society groups have voiced concern over an institutional vacuum, noting that a newly created vice-presidential seat remains vacant and a promised cabinet overhaul has yet to materialise. Government representatives, including Communication Minister René Emmanuel Sadi, dismissed claims of administrative paralysis or health crises, maintaining that the president remains fully operational and continues to sign official decrees and financial agreements from abroad.

Former Hong Kong opposition leader Wu Chi-wai has been granted permission to stay in the United Kingdom for six months after initially facing the possibility of deportation upon arriving at Heathrow Airport. The decision ends several days of uncertainty and allows the veteran pro-democracy activist to reunite with his family after years of separation. Wu arrived in London last Wednesday but was detained by UK Border Force officers for nearly 10 hours. Speaking to BBC Chinese, he said officials initially refused him entry and later informed him that he would only be allowed to remain in the country for one week before reporting back to the airport for deportation. However, the situation changed on Monday when UK authorities approved his entry under standard visitor rules, allowing him to stay in the country for up to six months. The 63-year-old is one of Hong Kong’s best known pro-democracy figures and formerly led the now dissolved Democratic Party. He was also among the group widely known as the Hong Kong 47, prominent activists and politicians prosecuted under Hong Kong’s national security law. Wu was released from prison in June after serving more than five years on convictions related to subversion and other charges. Wu said the trip was mainly intended to reunite with his wife and son, who moved to the United Kingdom in 2022 and 2023. During his imprisonment, he said their contact was limited to monthly phone calls and letters, making the visit especially meaningful after years apart. Before leaving Hong Kong, Wu said he sought advice from staff at the British Consulate General regarding his travel plans. According to him, officials assured him there should be no problems entering the UK and said they would inform the UK Border Force about his criminal record and travel itinerary in advance. Wu said border officials questioned whether he was a genuine visitor travelling only to see his family. He also rejected media reports claiming that he intended to seek political asylum in Britain, insisting that he had no such plans. The rights group Hong Kong Watch welcomed the UK’s decision to allow Wu to remain in the country. Policy Director Megan Khoo said the outcome was the correct one and argued that Wu should never have faced the threat of being sent back to the city where he had been imprisoned. Wu entered Britain using a British National Overseas passport, a travel document available to many Hong Kong permanent residents born before the territory’s transfer from British to Chinese rule in 1997. Holders of the passport are generally allowed to visit the UK without a visa for up to six months. The UK introduced a special visa route for British National Overseas passport holders in 2021 following the crackdown on Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement. The programme allows eligible applicants to live, work and study in Britain and eventually apply for citizenship after meeting residency requirements. Since the scheme began, more than 230,000 Hong Kong residents have received BNO visas, while nearly 170,000 have relocated to the United Kingdom, according to government figures. The UK Home Office declined to comment on Wu’s individual case but reaffirmed its support for the Hong Kong community living in Britain. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong government said it had not received any request for assistance from Wu or other Hong Kong residents regarding the matter.