Andy Biggs – a hard-right congressman endorsed by Donald Trump – won the Republican nomination for Arizona governorHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.Andy Biggs – a hard-right congressman endorsed by Donald Trump – won the Republican nomination for Arizona governor, saying he will “work with people that don’t necessarily agree with me”.As he wages war on Iran to prevent that country from enriching uranium, Donald Trump has reportedly approved a deal with Saudi Arabia to have US firms build a civilian nuclear energy program in the kingdom, which could include a uranium enrichment facility, US officials told the Wall Street Journal. The deal, which the administration plans to submit to Congress in the coming days, does not include safeguards to stop materials being used in nuclear weapons programs, Reuters reports.The US-Israeli war on Iran has cost the Pentagon $37.5bn so far, defense secretary Pete Hegseth told the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday.“Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal, the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people,” New York mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a video statement in which he called the International Criminal Court warrant for the Israeli prime minister’s arrest justified but admitted that he lacks the legal authority to enforce it.Donald Trump announced a new package of tariffs on Tuesday, this time on generic drugs made overseas, to begin in 2028.The Senate intelligence committee on Tuesday advanced the nomination of Jay Clayton to serve as the US intelligence director, despite criticism from Democrats.The Trump administration paused more than $1bn in Medicaid funding to California and Minnesota, two states run by elected Democrats, citing “suspected fraud and noncompliance”. Continue reading...
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• Morocco and the United Arab Emirates are evolving their long-standing bilateral relations into a strategic geoeconomic alliance focused on trade, investment, and connectivity. • The partnership has strengthened significantly since the Arab Revolts of the early 2010s as both nations converged on their assessments of regional threats and international developments.
Read original · orfonline.org
ORF Online• Heightened insecurity caused by the shifting defense capabilities and regional ambitions of Israel, Iran, and Saudi Arabia has led to the formation of a new Islamic defense alliance. • This strategic pact involves Pakistan and Turkey, emerging as a response to regional instability and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's efforts to weaken Iran.
Read original · indianexpress.com• Israeli PM Netanyahu has rejected a 15-point Gaza peace plan proposed by Donald Trump, while the NYT reports allegations of torture and abuse against Global Sumud Flotilla activists in Israeli detention. • In the Middle East, Iran is nearing a pact with Oman to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but tensions remain high as Iran-backed Houthi rebels attacked a Saudi Aramco refinery.
Read original · democracynow.orgOfficers may not have fully unzipped the bag containing the sex doll to avoid destroying evidence, one expert saysRevelations that a “body” found inside a suitcase was actually a lifelike doll may have been embarrassing for police, but experts say officers followed the correct procedure.New South Wales police on Sunday were called to Oallen, a town near Goulburn, after two members of the public found a suitcase containing what they believed to be human remains, dumped on the side of the road. Continue reading...
Read original · theguardian.comLindsey Graham’s sister, appointed to replace the Republican, held a narrow lead in the Senate primarySign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailSenator Darline Graham, appointed to complete the Senate term of her late brother, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina has advanced to a runoff election for the Republican nomination of the seat. It remains unclear who she will face on 25 August.Graham held a narrow lead in the polls going into the abbreviated special primary on Tuesday, which predicted a close contest for second place. Congressman Russell Fry, Congressman Ralph Norman and former governor Mark Sanford polled within a point of each other in the most recent survey from the Trafalgar Group. Graham has loudly trumpeted her endorsement from Donald Trump, but also enjoys the support of South Carolina’s governor, Henry McMaster, and John Thune, the Senate majority leader. Continue reading...
Read original · theguardian.comThe prime minister tells the Guardian that last year’s diplomatic rift with ally New Zealand could be on voters’ minds as they head to the pollsAs voters in the Cook Islands prepare to head to the polls in a high-stakes general election, they will have much to reflect on. Over recent years, politics in this small island nation has been defined by fierce debates about deep-sea mining, diplomatic rifts with ally New Zealand and a major reshaping of the country’s foreign partnerships.In an exclusive interview with the Guardian, days before Wednesday’s poll, Cook Islands prime minister Mark Brown defended his four-year term and the decisions he made that have seen this South Pacific nation of 17,000 people pushed into the international limelight, turning it into a battleground for influence between Beijing and western powers. Continue reading...
Read original · theguardian.comAccording to manufacturer, shock ‘is usually effective in bringing individuals into compliance in less than three seconds’ICE plans to spend up to $20m (£15m) to purchase thousands of gloves that can deliver painful electric shocks for officers and agents by March, according to a notice published Monday by the Department of Homeland Security.The devices, called Glove (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter), are manufactured by Compliant Technologies LLC of Lexington, Kentucky. Continue reading...
Read original · theguardian.comNew research sheds light on the genetic basis of the venomous insect’s ‘weird mating behaviour’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIf you think you’ve had a bad one-night stand, spare a thought for the male redback spider, whose sole reproductive partner eats him after sex.Male redbacks appear to invite this cannibalism through a “self-sacrificial somersault”, with new research shedding light on the genetic basis of the behaviour. Continue reading...
Read original · theguardian.comRuling expands on earlier order that prevented implementation in 23 mostly Democratic-led statesSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailA federal judge on Tuesday blocked the US Postal Service (USPS) from implementing part of Donald Trump’s executive order that aims to tighten rules for mail-in voting ahead of November midterm elections that will decide control of Congress.The ruling by US district judge Indira Talwani in Boston in effect expanded on an earlier order she had issued in June that had prevented Trump’s administration from implementing it in 23 mostly Democratic-led states. Continue reading...
Read original · theguardian.comJournalists and others were allowed to fly on presidential jet despite security threat while Trump was spirited awaySign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email Democrats called on Tuesday for a congressional briefing over a stunning charade in which Donald Trump was secretly spirited to different plane than the one the public and press believed he was travelling on, an episode first reported by the Washington Post and also by the New York Times. Critics now question why reporters and the public had been deliberately misled.When US intelligence allegedly found a credible threat that Iran plotted to kill him last month, Trump left Air Force One in a catering truck. While the president was reportedly snuck out the side door of the plane, more than a hundred aides, officials and reporters, were kept onboard to fly towards Britain, without being told there was a threat to their lives. Continue reading...
Read original · theguardian.comBrittany Boltinhouse’s attorney says removal of title and crown ‘another troubling example of cancel culture’A lawyer for beauty queen Brittany Boltinhouse, dethroned as Miss North Carolina USA last week, is threatening legal action, claiming the actions of pageant organizers were “wrongful and unjustified”.The attorney, Patrick Mincey, described the removal of her title and crown “another troubling example of cancel culture”. Continue reading...
Read original · theguardian.comPolicy comes as debate continues over causes of and solutions to housing issues. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAre the Coalition 100% set on cutting net overseas migration to 180,000?Despite Andrew Bragg’s speech being sent to the media overnight, this morning the shadow treasurer, Tim Wilson, doesn’t seem to want to lock in the 180,000 net overseas migration target.I don’t think you should bank that at all. Let’s just wait and see, firstly, what Senate Bragg’s saying in his speech and we haven’t made an announcement about where we’re going to be going into the next election, but our focus is actually about what we need to do to invest in the long-term growth and success of our country.A NOM reduction on this scale is manageable and in line with reductions we have managed in recent history – for example in 2009-2010 when the NOM declined from 300,000 to 175,000 in around 18 months.This will be achieved through a higher share of skilled migrant workers linked to jobs that meet Australian industry needs. This includes more reductions in other streams like family, international students and other temporary migrants. Continue reading...
Read original · theguardian.com