Independent · Printed Daily · Est. 2026

The Daily Dispatch

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Lead Story

Iran strikes US military assets in Bahrain as Gulf conflict enters second week

Iran's army launched fresh drone attacks on US military assets at Bahrain's Sakhir air base, targeting the site of US helicopters and P-8 reconnaissance aircraft with Arash drones in what Iranian state media described as the 11th phase of 'Operation Lightning.' The strikes are the latest round of retaliation after US attacks on Iranian infrastructure, with Iran also having hit US-linked targets in Kuwait and Jordan in recent days. Kuwait's air defenses intercepted incoming Iranian missiles and drones, and the broader conflict between the US and Iran was entering its sixth day of renewed hostilities as of the latest reporting.

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Trump administration imposes fixed time limits on student, exchange and journalist visas

The Trump administration issued a final rule ending the decades-old system that let international students and exchange visitors remain in the US for as long as they stayed enrolled or on assignment. Under the new regulation, F and J visa holders will generally be capped at four years, foreign journalists will be admitted for up to 240 days at a time (just 90 days for Chinese nationals), and the grace period for students to depart, transfer, or change status after graduation is cut from 60 days to 30. Anyone needing more time must apply for an extension or leave the country and reapply. The rule takes effect 60 days after publication in the Federal Register and could affect college admissions for programs starting in August and September.

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Bangkok bar fire death toll climbs to 33, house band lost four of six core members

The death toll from a flash fire that tore through a Bangkok music bar has risen to 33, with more than a dozen victims still in intensive care. Investigators suspect a spark from a circuit breaker ignited highly combustible material covering the ceiling, and the blaze spread rapidly through the venue. Among the dead were four of the six core members of Totsakan, the bar's Sunday house band known for playing roots music on modern instruments, including keyboardist Preutthipong Pudmon. Families have been retrieving victims' bodies from Bangkok's Institute of Forensic Science as the city mourns one of its deadliest nightlife disasters in years.

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