Donald Trump has threatened to expand US strikes on Iran to target civilian infrastructure, including power plants and bridges, if Tehran does not agree to a deal. Similar comments were made in March. Destroying civilian infrastructure such as power and water facilities would be illegal under international humanitarian law and would probably constitute a war crime, according to legal experts.
Trump reverses on Hormuz toll, continues blockade
The US president has U-turned on a threat that ships would have to pay a 20% fee for security in the Strait of Hormuz. He said he decided to scrap the toll based on highly productive conversations with Middle East leadership and touted massive investments. The US will continue to blockade Iranian ports.
Senate Democrats block defense bill over hostilities
Senate Democrats blocked the advancement of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said his party could not support the bill as long as the fighting continues. Top House Democrats have vowed to oppose a bid to cut US military aid to Israel amid voter rebellion over the party's support for the ally.
ICE halts vehicle stops after deadly shootings in Texas and Maine
Federal immigration officials have been instructed to stop pulling over vehicles until further notice, according to a homeland security source. This follows two recent deadly shootings in Texas and Maine where officials shot and killed immigrants in vehicles. Since January 2025, ICE and Customs and Border Protection officers have shot and killed 11 people, five of whom were in their vehicles. DHS claimed vehicles were weaponized, but footage later cast doubt on those claims.
Meta sued for using AI to tag workers for layoffs
Dozens of Meta employees have sued the company, alleging it used artificial intelligence tools to target them for mass layoffs after they requested protected or maternity leave or disability accommodations. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in California, references Meta's workforce reduction of about 8,000 employees earlier this year. The complaint states: “Meta did not assemble the termination list through the considered judgment of managers who knew the work.” Instead, AI systems were used to score, rank and select employees. A Meta spokesperson disputed the allegations, saying: “These claims lack merit.”
Other notable news
Mahmoud Khalil is suing Trump officials and pro-Israel groups over an alleged conspiracy to target him for supporting Palestinian rights. The sudden death of Senator Lindsey Graham and health concerns over Mitch McConnell have sparked online conspiracy theories. Cyclospora outbreaks causing diarrhea are expected through August. Thousands have flocked to see rare corpse flower blooms in California. Maryland police arrested an alleged bank robber who wielded a stolen cat as an accessory.
Florida executes one of its oldest prisoners
Dennis Sochor, 74, was pronounced dead at 6:16pm after a three-drug injection at Florida state prison. He was convicted of murdering Patricia Gifford on January 1, 1982. Her body has never been found. A family statement said: “He had 45 years to return Patty’s remains to us, but he cruelly chose not to.”
Rising number of Afghan girls sold into child marriage
Afghanistan is seeing a resurgence in underage brides as desperate families sell children to eat. Taliban policies legalizing the practice and forcing girls out of school, combined with a deepening humanitarian crisis, are driving the trend. The Guardian and Zan Times spoke to families with daughters under nine traded into marriage to settle debts.
Shipwrecks of Shackleton and Scott recreated in 3D
A deep-sea expedition has created high-resolution 3D digital models of the wrecks of Shackleton's Quest and Scott's ships. John Geiger of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society said: “To see a very large ship in the abyss, and to realize you are among the first humans to see it, and to realize that it is largely intact, is a powerful experience.”
California faces highest shark numbers in years
California is set for one of its sharkiest summers in a decade, with large numbers of juvenile great whites moving north from Mexico due to El Niño.
Japan officials hunt bear that raided couple's fridge
Authorities search for a bear that sneaked into an elderly couple's home and raided their fridge, possibly linked to 14 break-ins in two weeks. Shiho Chida, a bear specialist, said: “It's unusual for a bear to break into the same place multiple times. It's possible this is the same animal, so we want to capture it as soon as possible.”
