While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, July 17, 2025
Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa (left) meeting US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on July 16.
Bahrain announces $20b in US deals during Trump talks
Bahrain's crown prince announced on July 16 plans to invest more than US$17 billion (S$21.8 billion) in the United States at a meeting with President Donald Trump focused on trade, Iran and regional security issues.
Under the plan, Bahrain was expected to sign a deal valued at about US$7 billion for its national carrier, Gulf Air, to buy 12 Boeing aircraft with an option for six more and 40 General Electric engines, according to a White House official.
'We're very happy to be announcing US$17 billion worth of deals that are coming to the United States,' said Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
'And this is real. These aren't fake deals.'
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Syria pulling troops from Druze heartland after Israeli strikes
Syria announced that its army had begun to withdraw from violence-hit Sweida on July 16, following a wave of Israeli strikes on the capital and a US call for government forces to leave the majority-Druze southern city.
The United States, which is close allies with Israel and has been trying to reboot its relationship with Syria, said an agreement had been reached to restore calm in the area, and urged 'all parties to deliver on the commitments they have made'.
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The Syrian government earlier announced a new ceasefire in Sweida that would bring a halt to military operations there, after clashes that a war monitor said had left more than 300 people dead since July 13.
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Two dead, 27 injured as Russia bombs Ukraine town
A strike by Russian forces on July 16 on a shopping centre and market in Dobropillia, a town near the front line of the 40-month-old war, killed two people, injured up to 27 and caused widespread damage, officials said.
It followed a warning from US President Donald Trump on July 14 for Moscow to reach a peace deal with Ukraine within 50 days or face severe sanctions.
Russia had earlier fired hundreds of drones, artillery and a ballistic missile into Ukraine, injuring dozens of people.
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Air India probe finds no issues with fuel switches: NDTV
PHOTO: NYTIMES
Air India has completed the inspection of fuel control switches on Boeing 787 planes with no issues being found, Indian broadcaster NDTV said on July 16, citing an official.
Reuters could not immediately verify the NDTV report.
India on July 14 ordered its airlines to examine fuel switches on several Boeing aircraft models, while South Korea ordered a similar measure on July 15, as scrutiny intensified of fuel switch locks at the centre of an investigation into a deadly Air India crash in June that killed 260 people.
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Celebrity paranormal investigator dies on US tour
PHOTOS: NEW ENGLAND SOCIETY OF PSYCHIC RESEARCH/FACEBOOK
Celebrity paranormal investigator Dan Rivera died suddenly on July 13 while on tour in the United States with the infamous Annabelle doll – the supposedly demon-possessed toy that inspired the horror flick The Conjuring.
Coincidence? The answers are not forthcoming, as the exact cause of his death has yet to be ascertained. Adams County Coroner Francis Dutrow listed it simply as 'pending'.
Paramedics were called to Mr Rivera's hotel in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on July 13, but efforts to revive him failed.
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