First Thing: Iran says there is ‘progress’ in talks despite Trump’s coarse threats

• Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that Iran will not surrender to external threats. • The President reaffirmed Tehran's commitment to resolving international disputes through diplomatic channels.

• UN partners have launched the Winter Response Plan to provide critical aid to 2.1 million people in Ukraine to help them survive the upcoming cold season amid the ongoing Russian invasion. • In the Democratic Republic of Congo, at least 30 people were killed and dozens injured during attacks in the Beni territory between July 13 and 19.

• Iran has launched missile and drone attacks on the port city of Aqaba in Jordan, escalating regional tensions. • The conflict has disrupted global energy supplies, causing Brent crude oil prices to surge above $94 per barrel.

• Defense Secretary Hegseth testified that the U.S. war on Iran has reached a total cost of $37.5 billion. • In the Middle East, Houthi rebels warned shipping companies against using Saudi ports, while the Israeli military constructed a giant barrier to separate controlled portions of the Gaza Strip.

• Approximately 50,000 people from over 100 countries gathered in Britain for the 60th convention of the nation's largest Muslim organization. • The event focused on calling world leaders to prioritize justice and peace over the strategic interests of powerful states to prevent a devastating global war.

Shooting happened on street in popular neighborhood lined with restaurants, bars, shops and homes A police officer in Madison, Wisconsin, shot and killed a man Wednesday in an incident that was captured on cellphone footage, sparking local protests.John Patterson, the Madison police chief, acknowledged the shooting at a news conference, but stressed footage circulating was just one perspective of what happened. Continue reading...

President visits swing state to promote ‘Trump accounts’ and says high prices lingering from Joe Biden’s presidency Donald Trump scoffed at the word “affordability” as a political message, describing it at a campaign rally on Wednesday as a term concocted by Democratic political consultants to criticize his presidency. Yet even as the president dismissed the notion of affordability, he devoted much of his speech at Wheeler high school to touting the bread-and-butter benefits of his economic policies.“So I just want you to remember that if you’re paying a little bit more – a lot of it’s come down now, we got it coming down very rapidly actually,” Trump said in Marietta, an Atlanta suburb, casting higher prices today as a lingering effect of the Biden administration. Continue reading...

More than 70 attacks have been recorded over past year, including acts of violence, property damage and vandalismOne mosque is attacked in Britain every five days, according to new data released by the government’s partner for monitoring anti-Muslim hatred.More than 70 attacks on mosques in the UK have been recorded over the past year, which include acts of intimidation, violence, property damage, harassment, anti-Muslim hate speech, online abuse and vandalism. Continue reading...

US military says it is degradimg Tehran’s ability to threaten ships in strait of Hormuz; Houthis say tankers violated their blockade; US signs nuclear deal with Saudi ArabiaWelcome to our live coverage of the continuing crisis in the Middle East.The US military announced on Thursday evening it had began a 12th consecutive night of strikes against Iranian military targets at the direction of Donald Trump. Continue reading...

Trump energy secretary hails agreement that could potentially allow kingdom to enrich uraniumThe US has signed a landmark nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia that could potentially allow the kingdom to enrich uranium.In a statement on Wednesday, the US Department of Energy said its secretary, Chris Wright, and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, signed a “peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement”, along with a “bilateral safeguards agreement”. Continue reading...

Shares in Elon Musk company fall more 3% in after-hours trading, as earnings per share miss Wall Street expectationsTesla reported its second-quarter earnings on Wednesday, disclosing far lower profits than expected. The company’s already beleaguered stock, which had fallen around 14% this year to date, dipped further following the earnings report.Elon Musk’s automaker, once the pinnacle of his tech empire, has taken a back seat to SpaceX. Musk’s rocket and AI company held the largest stock market debut in history last month, turning the richest man on earth into the world’s first trillionaire, though his net worth has since fallen from its peak. Continue reading...

GOP-controlled chamber paves way for reconciliation bill, while making long-shot attempt at new voting restrictionsHouse Republicans on Wednesday 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.In a virtually party-line 216-214, the Republican-controlled chamber passed a budget resolution that paves the way for the creation of a reconciliation bill, which can advance through the Senate under special rules that circumvent the Democratic filibuster and requires only a simple majority to pass. Two Republicans – Warren Davidson of Ohio and Thomas Massie of Kentucky, as well as Kevin Kiley, an independent of California – joined all Democrats in opposing the measure. Continue reading...