US and Saudi Arabia sign landmark nuclear cooperation agreement
The United States and Saudi Arabia have signed a landmark agreement on peaceful nuclear cooperation, with Washington announcing the deal on Wednesday. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman signed the accord, which is intended to establish a civilian nuclear programme in the kingdom, according to the US Department of Energy and multiple reports.
The framework would allow the United States to transfer nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia and could permit the kingdom to enrich uranium for civilian use, NPR and euronews reported. The Trump administration did not release the full text, but officials said the agreement includes non-proliferation safeguards designed to prevent weapons development.
Unlike previous administrations, which had demanded that Saudi Arabia normalise relations with Israel in exchange for such technology, the BBC noted that the deal does not appear to carry that condition. The arrangement has drawn criticism over concerns it could fuel an arms race in the Middle East, TIME reported.
Trump considers a massive attack as Iran rejects cease‑fire
President Donald Trump said Iran is “not ready” to make a deal and has not “received enough pain yet,” as he weighs what he has described as a “massive attack,” TIME reported. The remarks came after Tehran rejected a cease-fire proposal, and as the US military carried out a 12th successive night of airstrikes in Iran, according to The Guardian.
The conflict appeared to widen in the Red Sea, where Iran-aligned Houthi forces claimed to have struck two Saudi Arabian-flagged oil tankers. Saudi authorities confirmed that one vessel was ablaze, and the attacks were the first claimed by the group since it announced a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia on Monday, The Guardian and The New York Times reported.
The strikes helped push Brent crude futures toward $100 a barrel, with traders fearing a “two‑chokepoint problem” in the region, according to The Guardian and The New York Times. Trump has also threatened attacks on Houthi militants, the newspapers reported.
Indian activist Sonam Wangchuk ends 26-day hunger strike
Indian activist Sonam Wangchuk ended a 26-day hunger strike on Friday, saying he broke his fast “after long negotiations” with officials and “in view of possible violence in the country,” according to The New York Times and the BBC. The fast had helped galvanise a youth movement known as the Cockroach Janta Party, which is demanding the resignation of India’s education minister over an exam-paper scandal.
Although Wangchuk has stopped his fast, protesters have vowed to continue demonstrations across India, NPR and Sky News reported. The BBC earlier reported that Wangchuk, who had lost 11kg, had been the main draw at the Delhi protest.
Justice Department withdraws subpoenas for New York Times journalists
The US Justice Department is withdrawing subpoenas issued to New York Times journalists who reported on security concerns surrounding President Donald Trump’s use of a Qatari-donated Air Force One, The Guardian and CBS News reported. Prosecutors said at a court hearing on Thursday that the subpoenas, which sought grand-jury testimony and phone records, would be dropped.
The reversal followed sharp questioning by a federal judge, NPR reported, and came after The Times argued the subpoenas were an attempt to intimidate the free press. The subpoenas had been issued on 10 July by Jay Clayton, the Manhattan US attorney, according to The Guardian.
Police boat strikes Westminster Bridge, injuring five officers
Five Metropolitan Police officers were injured on Friday afternoon when a marine policing unit boat struck Westminster Bridge in central London, the force said. The incident occurred at about 3.40pm; a number of officers entered the water but were recovered, the BBC reported.
Chris Brown pleads guilty to affray in London nightclub brawl
US singer Chris Brown pleaded guilty to affray over a 2023 bottle attack on music producer Abraham Diaw at a private members’ club in London, prosecutors said. The guilty plea, entered on Friday, averted a trial on more serious charges including assault, which were dropped; Brown is due to be sentenced in October, The Guardian and News24 reported.
DNC panel backs South Carolina for first 2028 Democratic primary
The Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee voted on Friday to recommend that South Carolina hold the first presidential nominating contest of the 2028 Democratic primary, CBS News reported. The state appears set to play an important role in choosing the party’s next nominee, The New York Times said, though several other states are still being selected.
Trump meets advisers as he weighs major escalation in Iran
President Donald Trump met with senior advisers as he weighs a major escalation in the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran, the New York Times reported. The conflict has now lasted nearly five months, longer than Trump had predicted, the New York Times reported. The United States has continued airstrikes in Iran while Tehran has launched retaliatory attacks on American targets in the Gulf, NPR reported. Trump said he was close to deciding whether to launch a “massive attack,” NPR reported.
Salman Rushdie testifies at knife attacker’s US terrorism trial
Author Salman Rushdie took the stand at the federal terrorism trial of Hadi Matar, the man convicted of stabbing him on a New York amphitheater stage in 2022, leaving him blind in one eye. Rushdie testified for a second time about the near-fatal attack, recalling that the knife came “a millimetre from my brain,” according to The Guardian and Sky News.
Wildfires force mass evacuations in south-west France and Spain
More than 80,000 people have fled large wildfires burning in south-west France and Spain, The Guardian reported. French authorities ordered the total evacuation of the holiday spot Cap Ferret, while most of the 20,000 people evacuated in France were tourists from campsites around Arcachon Bay in the Gironde region, the BBC reported. Spain has declared a national emergency as fires merged near Madrid, The Guardian added.
New York double stabbing investigated as possible hate crime
New York City police are investigating a double stabbing near Central Park as a possible hate crime, Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. The suspect, Raul Morales, allegedly yelled “Allahu Akbar” before stabbing a 57-year-old Asian man in the back with a knife and a 50-year-old Jewish man in the torso with a screwdriver, The Guardian reported. CBS News said the attacks occurred on Thursday just blocks apart.