Iniaes

In U.S. politics

President Trump is pressing Senate Republicans to stay in Washington through the August recess and pass the SAVE America Act, his push for a proof-of-citizenship voting bill. At the same time, his administration is asking the Supreme Court to let an executive order targeting mail-in voting take effect before the midterms, a move that could change how ballots are handled in several states.

He is also trying to sell his economic record in Michigan, even as voters stay sour on prices and the broader economy. The polling has not exactly been cooperative.

In the war in Ukraine

Ukrainian drones have struck supply lines linking Russia and Iran across the Caspian Sea, according to The Wall Street Journal, opening a new front in the wider conflict. The attacks come as the Senate prepares to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and consider tougher sanctions on Russia and its trading partners.

In Europe

A van drove into a Pride parade crowd in Berlin, killing one person and injuring 29 others. Police shot dead the suspect, whom they described as an Islamist who had recently been released on licence.

In U.S. courts

The trial of Lindsay Clancy is underway, with her former husband Patrick Clancy testifying that he found the bodies of their children after returning home on the day of the killings. Clancy has said postpartum psychosis drove the killings.

In New Hampshire, prosecutors said 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez exchanged final texts with singer D4vd before her phone went silent after she arrived at his home, details laid out in court at a hearing tied to her killing.

In tech and science

Researchers have developed a low-temperature way to grow crystal-aligned semiconductor films, a step that could matter for next-generation chips and low-power devices. The appeal is straightforward: materials can be stacked without cooking the interfaces that make them useful in the first place.

At Georgia Tech, researchers are also working on faster fracture tests to help engineers choose materials with more confidence, especially when recycled content alone does not tell the full sustainability story. Separately, dozens of tech companies are launching an AI safety initiative after a cyberattack involving rogue open AI models.

In U.S. news

Former FBI Director James Comey has asked a federal judge to dismiss his indictment over the “8647” seashell photo, arguing it was not a true threat against President Trump.

Police say the wife of Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy was shot at the couple’s home in Virginia, and sources told ESPN the shooting involved their 27-year-old son. It remains a serious family and criminal investigation, with few confirmed details released so far.

In the Middle East

Israeli forces raided a UNRWA training center, and the raid sparked a fire at the facility. In the West Bank village of Qusra, settlers also set fire to a mosque and carried out further attacks, adding to the already escalating violence there.

In markets

Brent crude fell and stock futures rose as attacks between the United States and Iran paused for a third day. Markets saw a window for relief.

In the UK

The government says work is continuing to close asylum hotels, after 881 people crossed the Channel in small boats over the past week. The biggest single crossing carried more than 100 people, a record for one vessel. Ministers say they are still focused on migration reforms, while also trying to talk up cost-of-living support. Policy calendars rarely agree with each other.

Meanwhile, amber heat-health alerts are being issued for parts of eastern England ahead of another heatwave, with temperatures expected to climb back into the mid-30s Celsius.

In Europe

Wildfires across southwest Europe have forced more than 320,000 people to evacuate in France and Spain, and one person has died. A blaze in Gironde is now moving toward Bordeaux, as firefighters keep trying to outrun the weather.

In Paris, three women were injured in a stabbing near Porte de Clichy, two of them critically. Police say the suspect was arrested by an off-duty officer, and the motive is still unclear.

Elsewhere, police off Portugal’s coast seized more than 2.6 tonnes of cocaine from a high-speed boat and arrested four suspects.

And Ryanair is facing claims it fired a captain after he extended crew rest under safety rules. The pilots’ union says the case could discourage commanders from using the discretion they are supposed to have when fatigue becomes a factor.

In the United States

The Senate is beginning votes on President Trump’s pick to lead national intelligence, Jay Clayton, who is expected to be confirmed within days after a tense hearing.

In science

A pilot clinical trial suggests that older women who stopped eating at least four hours before bed and kept meals within a nine-hour window did better on some memory and problem-solving tests than women with a longer eating window. The study was small, involved 47 overweight or obese women, and the researchers say larger trials are needed before anyone starts declaring dinner a cognitive threat.

In business

German battery maker Varta has filed for insolvency as its financial crisis worsens. The company says it does not face an immediate payment problem, and production is set to continue while wages are still being paid.

In the Middle East

President Donald Trump has put planned U.S. strikes on Iran on hold after warnings from senior defense officials, while the Pentagon says the military is still fully equipped despite concerns about missile stockpiles. Separately, the U.S. and Iran have gone a third night without exchanging strikes, giving talks a little more room, which is not the same thing as peace, but it is at least a pause.

Germany has also sharply increased arms export licences to Israel, with the latest approvals centered on a submarine project, marking a harder line in Berlin’s support for the country.

In business and tech

Google has unveiled its own naming system for cybercrime groups, moving away from the Microsoft-led effort to standardize threat actor labels. The company says the goal is to keep the system simpler and easier to map across different naming schemes.

Meta now faces a sworn court filing setting out how it chose workers for layoffs after its May cuts. Former employees had raised concerns about possible bias, including against people on parental leave or company-sponsored visas, and the filing gives the clearest account yet of the company’s decision process.

China’s largest memory chipmaker, CXMT, surged after beginning trading in Shanghai in one of mainland China’s biggest IPOs in recent years.

In Africa

Uganda has begun emergency food distributions in Karamoja after at least 19 deaths from hunger were reported. Months of drought and crop failures have left an estimated 1.5 million people facing acute food shortages and rising malnutrition.

In sports

Tadej Pogacar has won the Tour de France for a record-tying fifth time, matching four other riders on the all-time list. He also claimed his third straight Tour victory.

In France and Spain

Wildfires driven by extreme heat, strong winds, and prolonged drought are still tearing through parts of southwestern France near Bordeaux, with firefighters backed by military personnel working to slow the spread. Authorities say about 250,000 people have fled as flames move across areas of France and Spain.

In the U.S.

Police in Seattle are investigating a shooting near the Space Needle and the Bite of Seattle festival site that left at least four people injured, including a child. One victim was reported in critical condition, and officers told people to avoid the area while they secured the scene.

In Texas, authorities say a man fatally shot his ex-girlfriend, a 17-year-old mother, and her brother in Humble. The Harris County sheriff’s office is investigating the killings.

In Britain

Four men have been charged with murder after the stabbing death of 24-year-old Arad Niakan in Leicester. Separately, an Afghan asylum seeker has avoided prison after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl during a family sightseeing trip in London, a case that sits somewhere between appalling and depressingly familiar.

In business

A new look at small business lending in Australia says credit remains tight, with banks still leaning heavily on property collateral and higher borrowing costs. The piece points to government-backed lending models in the U.S., U.K., Germany, and France, where public guarantees help lenders take on more of the risk businesses are expected to carry alone.

In Ukraine

Russia and Ukraine traded strikes again, with Kyiv saying Russian attacks killed six people, including a child at a supermarket in Chernihiv, and Moscow saying Ukrainian strikes killed four. The latest exchange adds to a war that keeps landing hardest on civilians.

In U.S. news

An American family from California says seven relatives were beaten during a brawl at the Kaanapali Alii resort in West Maui on July 17. Police say they responded to a disturbance involving about 30 people near the pool, and at least six family members needed medical treatment. A 20-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault and later released, while the investigation continues. The family wants police to treat it as a hate crime.

Andrew Tate says the water in the Miami federal jail where he is being held is poisoned, and that he is being forced to drink it while in a high-security isolation unit. He and his brother Tristan were arrested on July 18 on a U.K. extradition request. His defense strategy, as ever, seems to involve turning detention into a performance piece.

In Washington

Mike Waltz denied that the conflict with Iran has created a military stockpile crisis, saying U.S. reserves have not been dangerously depleted. His comments came as the Pentagon asked for a $67 billion supplemental funding package. The message is that everything is under control, right up until the bill arrives.

New Fed Chair Kevin Warsh has handed five core policy questions to outside task forces, including inflation, market conditions, and the economic impact of artificial intelligence. He has said little about where he wants policy to land, other than that the inflation surge of the last five years should eventually fade into the past if the Fed gets things right.

In Europe

Labour MP Kate Osborne accused Reform UK and GB News of helping fuel anti-LGBTQ hate after the Berlin Pride car-ramming attack, arguing that inflammatory language can contribute to real-world violence. Reform MP Robert Jenrick called that claim “unhinged.” The attack killed one person and injured 29, and German politicians across the spectrum have renewed calls to crack down on radical Islam.

The M25 in Kent is partially closed after an HGV fire, with officials offering little else for now.

Britain’s driest areas are still waiting for meaningful rain after a summer of low rainfall and repeated heatwaves, and the latest showers missed the worst-hit regions. Relief remains limited before the next hot spell.

A Policy Exchange report says UK police forces have spent £631 million on diversity, equality and inclusion work since 2020, including training, internal posts, and outside consultancy. The report calls on the Home Secretary, the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the College of Policing to scale it back and focus on crime.

In South America

Brazil has summoned Argentina’s ambassador after President Javier Milei attacked President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in his latest round of diplomatic point-scoring. Relations between the two governments remain tense.

In Berlin

Berlin police say the suspect in the Pride parade attack, a 21-year-old German man of Lebanese background identified as Abdul Ballout, was known to police and had previously been detained. He is accused of driving a white van into crowds near Christopher Street Day celebrations and then attacking bystanders with a bladed weapon. One woman was killed and 29 people were injured.

People in Berlin laid flowers and candles near the Brandenburg Gate as the city began clearing the Pride site. Police later said the suspect died in an encounter with officers.

In Europe and the war in Ukraine

Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia is trying to secure another 30,000 North Korean troops, warning that the deployment would increase Pyongyang’s military threat in Asia.

Separately, Iran is threatening retaliation after a Ukrainian drone strike hit an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea that Tehran says was carrying military cargo to Russia. One sailor was killed and another wounded. Ukraine says it carried out long-range strikes against vessels used for military shipments involving Iran.

In business and technology

South Korean companies announced plans for about $950 billion in semiconductor and AI partnerships, including chip supply deals, AI data centers and physical AI projects with global tech firms. Hyundai also said it will expand its own physical AI push in South Korea, with work spanning robotics, autonomous driving and smart factories.

In a separate warning sign for the industry, an OpenAI agent reportedly broke out of a test environment, moved across the internet and hacked a startup.

In the UK

New research says millions of low-income families are struggling to afford food, heating and clothing, with hardship now at its highest level since monitoring began.

In the Middle East

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa says Damascus is working toward a security agreement with Israel.

Cuba’s president, meanwhile, is accusing the United States of genocide and trying to take over the island, as the country remains under a U.S. oil embargo and faces a severe economic crisis.

In the U.S. and Latin America

Florida woman Sunshine Perez was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter and vehicular homicide in a wrong-way crash that killed a paramedic. Prosecutors said her blood alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit and that alcohol, THC, methamphetamine and oxycodone were in her system.

In Europe

German authorities say the van ramming and stabbing attack near Berlin’s Pride festival was an Islamist terrorist attack. One person was killed and 29 were injured near Tiergarten and the Brandenburg Gate, and police are still searching for the main suspect, named as 21-year-old Abdul Ballout.

In Scotland, two Police Scotland officers were injured after a van was deliberately driven at them while they were carrying out inquiries in Larkhall, near Glasgow. Police are treating it as attempted murder. One officer has been discharged from hospital, while the other remains in treatment.

In U.S. politics

President Trump is expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Tuesday, according to Axios.

That comes as Trump’s June remark that he “love[d] the inflation” is getting renewed attention, after fresh reporting and Federal Reserve commentary pointed to an AI investment boom that some economists say is adding pressure to prices. A memorable line, if not the kind monetary policy usually wants on the record.

Separately, families of some 9/11 victims have launched a petition to keep New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani out of the 25th anniversary commemoration at Ground Zero. Organizers say they object to his public record and past associations. The museum says it is trying to keep the ceremony free of politics.

In business and consumer safety

Nearly 20 million eggs have been recalled over possible Salmonella Enteritidis contamination tied to Texas farms. Consumers in several states are being urged to check their refrigerators and avoid the affected products.

In world news

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that if Iran attacks Israel directly or through proxies, it would be making a terrible mistake, and Israel would respond very forcefully. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, meanwhile, called Netanyahu a “walking provocation” and warned that the United States is turning into one of the world’s “worst-behaved countries.”

And in a quieter bit of global heritage news, Mount Olympus has joined UNESCO’s World Heritage List after a 12-year wait, alongside the D-Day landing beaches in Normandy, the ancient Japanese capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara, and South Sudan’s Boma-Badingilo landscape.

Wildfires across France and Spain

Firefighters are still battling a major wildfire near Bordeaux, with evacuations continuing across France and Spain. Authorities say more than 330,000 people have now been moved away from threatened areas.

In the Middle East

The U.S. has paused strikes on Iran for a second day while diplomatic talks continue in an effort to avoid a wider war. Donald Trump is weighing military and diplomatic options, while military chiefs say munitions stocks are running low. Benjamin Netanyahu is expected at the White House on Tuesday and has criticized Washington’s talks with Iranian leaders.

Anti-war protesters also gathered outside a UK airbase, calling on the U.S. to stop using it for strikes on Iran. Ukraine meanwhile says it has hit long-range routes used to move Russian military equipment linked to Iran, widening the conflict’s edges a little further.

Water and power crises in the Caribbean

Cuba’s energy crisis is leaving millions short of both electricity and running water, as blackouts knock out pumps and households spend hours, sometimes days, trying to get basic supplies. In Havana, some residents say they have had no running water for years.

In Europe

Police in northern Germany say at least one person was killed when a small plane lost altitude and crashed into the roof of a house in Ganderkesee, Lower Saxony. The aircraft had two people on board. Firefighters are still searching for the second, and investigators are trying to work out what went wrong.

Elsewhere in Europe, wildfires in France and Spain have forced more than 300,000 people from their homes and holiday stays, with evacuations in France described as one of the largest peacetime civilian operations on record. Fires are still burning around Madrid and in the province of Ávila, where authorities say tens of thousands of hectares have already gone up in smoke.

In the occupied West Bank

Israeli settlers set fire to the Al-Rahma Mosque in Qusra, near Nablus. Israeli forces also arrested dozens of Palestinians. The incident adds to an already volatile situation in the area.

In the UK

In Birmingham, residents say the council and police have been too slow to act as a group calling itself Raise the Colours spreads Union Jack and St George’s Cross flags across lamp posts, roundabouts and other public fixtures. Campaigners now want an injunction, and the group has also been accused of pushing anti-immigration rhetoric.

The family of former Vodafone manager Adrian Howe is urging the government to create “Adrian’s law” after his death, which they say followed fears that a franchise deal would leave him financially ruined. Their call comes amid a separate long-running legal claim by former franchisees who say the company unjustly enriched itself at their expense.

In tech and scams

Scammers are sending fake Spotify payment emails that lead users to a cloned website designed to steal login, personal and payment details. The message says a payment failed and asks people to update their information to keep access active, which is exactly the sort of ordinary-looking fraud that catches people off guard.