First Thing: US agrees Saudi uranium deal as strikes on Iran continue and Yemen’s Houthis hit tankers
Conflict continues across the region as White House announces nuclear technology agreement. Plus, the artist who flattened a Tesla with a tank
Good morning. The US has signed a landmark nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia that could allow the kingdom to enrich uranium in the future. The deal will be submitted to Congress for review, where it could face opposition among lawmakers who fear a lack of monitoring safeguards.
In lengthy talks stretching over more than one administration, the US has feared that Riyadh would look elsewhere for nuclear technology if the US did not provide what it wanted. Saudi Arabia has long said that if it does not partner with the US, it could do so with China or Russia, which have different proliferation standards.
Why is a uranium deal with Saudi Arabia controversial? The full details of the deal have yet to be released, but it comes as the US’s war with Iran is being fought in part to prevent Tehran enriching uranium domestically and make it near impossible for Iran to build a nuclear weapon. Saudi Arabia has in the past said it would need a nuclear weapon if Iran acquired one. Kenneth Roth has analysed why Trump would agree it right now.
House Republicans to write $95bn bill to fund Iran war and aid farmers
House Republicans have agreed to begin the process of writing a $95bn bill to fund the war with Iran as well as provide new aid to farmers, while making a long-shot attempt to impose new restrictions on voting nationwide.
The resolution’s passage comes amid an intensification of the conflict with Iran, which Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, told the Senate on Tuesday had thus far cost $37.5bn. The Trump administration last month asked Congress to authorize approximately $88bn in supplemental funding, the majority of which – up to $67.1bn – will go to pay for the war.
What are the latest developments in the war? The US military launched its 12th successive night of strikes, which have now widened to western and central Iran. In attacks lasting five hours, the US claims to have struck military targets including maritime capabilities, missile and drone storage facilities, coastal surveillance sites and air defense assets. Yemen’s Houthi militia also attacked two Saudi Arabian oil tankers, the Iran-aligned group said on Thursday, with a Saudi news agency later confirming one of the vessels was ablaze in the Red Sea.
US senator wants urgent answers from Barclays over Jes Staley’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein
The leading US senator Elizabeth Warren has called for urgent answers from Barclays over what she claimed was its “apparent failure to meaningfully investigate” ties between the bank’s former boss, Jes Staley, and the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In a letter sent privately to the Barclays chair, Nigel Higgins, and seen by the Guardian, Warren – the most senior Democrat on the US senate banking committee – said it was “deeply unclear how Barclays, supposedly investigating Staley’s connection to Epstein, failed to uncover this decades-long relationship”.
What other developments have there been in the Epstein case? A modelling scout who recruited women for the disgraced financier has been found dead at his home near Paris, French officials have said. Daniel Siad, 69, was under investigation by the prosecutors in France, accused of rape and other charges. He had not yet been questioned by investigators, but had denied the allegations, saying he wanted to give his version of events. His name appeared in more than 1,000 documents in the declassified US Department of Justice Epstein files. An investigation to determine the cause of death has been opened and an autopsy is to be carried out.
In other news …
Just days before trial, a US teen has dropped his Meta lawsuit blaming the firms’s platforms for his depression and anxiety, in a victory for the social media giant after an earlier landmark loss relating to social media addiction.
Donald Trump has scoffed at the word “affordability” as he touted his economic policies in Georgia, describing it as a term concocted by Democratic political consultants.
A police officer has fatally shot a man in Madison, Wisconsin, sparking protests.
India’s prime minister has said he will set up “fast-track courts” to punish corrupt officials who leaked examination papers, as authorities seek to quell the youth-led Cockroach protest movement.
Pride organisers have vowed to march in a Romanian city that has blocked the event four years in a row.
Stat of the day: Google reports 12th consecutive quarter of strong revenue gains
Google’s parent company, Alphabet, reported double-digit revenue growth for its second-quarter earnings on Wednesday. This is the tech giant’s 12th consecutive quarter of massive revenue gains.
The Filter Recommends: 12 things our writers use to keep cool on hot, sticky days
Portable fans, a “cooling necklace”, sun-protective hats and more products our writers reach for when the heat won’t quit. And once you have cooled down, here are seven screen-free activities that will help you survive summer indoors.
Don’t miss this: Ken Turner, the 100-year-old artist who flattened a Tesla with a tank
The British painter, sculptor and performance artist, who has devoted his life to making art available to the masses, discusses inequality, inspiration – and why despite being a centenarian he won’t be stopping any time soon.
… or this: If you’ve heard that London is dystopian and dangerous – read this
You will almost certainly have come across social media posts describing Britain’s capital, London, my home town, as a lawless mess – a “fact” that seems patently untrue every time I step outside my front door. My mayor, Sadiq Khan – the target of widespread racist abuse on the web – has now written for the Guardian that “If you’ve heard that London is dystopian and dangerous – read this. It just isn’t.”
Climate check: Climate crisis-driven heat ‘sucking soils dry’ as extreme drought hits Europe
Our environment editor, Damian Carrington, reports that extreme heat supercharged by the climate crisis is sucking Europe dry in summer and intensifying the drought hitting the continent. Researchers said the link between the human-caused climate crisis and the drying of European summers was strong.
Last Thing: Orcas seen ramming prey so hard it explodes may be playing a game
Orcas have been observed ramming into giant fish so hard that the prey explode, possibly as a form of gory entertainment. Dr Kathryn Ayres, a scientist at the non-profit organization Beneath the Waves, said: “We think this may help younger orcas feed more easily, or it could also just be for fun. Orcas are known for playing with their food.”
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