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GLOBAL NEWS
Afghanistan
(UN News) Flash floods have killed at least 26 people across eastern Afghanistan, including 23 in the mountainous province of Nuristan, where homes, markets and roads were swept away and search teams continued looking for people reported missing. The flooding, triggered by heavy rainfall on 20 July, also claimed the lives of three Afghan refugees at a returnee transit camp near the Torkham border crossing with Pakistan, while nine others were injured, according to the UN relief coordination office, OCHA. The worst devastation was reported in Parun City, the capital of Nuristan province, where a sudden flash flood struck at about 3pm local time, overwhelming residential neighbourhoods and commercial areas. Preliminary assessments indicate that at least 22 houses were destroyed and another 45 severely damaged. Four bridges, six sections of road, irrigation canals and flood protection walls also sustained extensive damage, disrupting access to affected communities. – Deadly Afghanistan floods kill at least 26 as aid agencies race to reach survivors | UN News
Nicaragua
(UN News) The UN human rights chief Volker Türk on Wednesday condemned new threats from Nicaragua’s co-president Daniel Ortega to hinder civil rights and prevent dissenting individuals and groups from participating in elections. Mr. Ortega said on Sunday that the country would no longer hold elections, which were scheduled for next year. In his statement, the High Commissioner did not directly address the threat of cancelling the national poll, but broadly deplored Mr. Ortega’s restrictions on political freedoms. The co-president’s announcement builds on a series of troubling developments in Nicaragua, where the Government recently revoked lawyers’ credentials with no explanation and currently is detaining 46 individuals arbitrarily for political reasons, according to the UN’s human rights office (OHCHR). “These latest developments further deepen the severe restrictions on fundamental freedoms, the dismantling of civic space, and the steady erosion of the rule of law,” Mr. Türk said. The human rights chief maintained that political dissidents must be released and that they must be allowed to participate in the political process, in line with Nicaragua’s international human rights obligations. – Nicaragua continues to weaken political freedoms, UN warns | UN News
US
(Rebecca Falconer – Axios) Threats against people the U.S. Secret Service protects are up about 40% from a year ago, the agency says, as it prepares for Friday’s rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner. The surge is forcing the Secret Service to devote more agents and investigative resources to protecting senior government officials, potentially straining other protective operations. The Secret Service says it has investigated roughly 10,000 threat cases so far this year, about halfway through the year. “We are seeing a roughly 40% increase from this time compared to last year,” Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi tells Axios. Mental health interventions have increased tenfold from the same period last year, including referrals and both voluntary and involuntary commitments involving people encountered during its protective mission, he says in an email. – Secret Service threat investigations up 40% from last year
(Joann Muller – Axios) Tesla’s massive investments in humanoid robots, self-driving cars and AI chips are hurting profits, but the company says it’ll all pay off down the line. CEO Elon Musk indicated he’s “never been more optimistic about the future,” but acknowledged the investments could lead to uneven results. Tesla revenue jumped on record vehicle deliveries in the second quarter, but the company saw a significant dip in operating profit because of its heavy spending on R&D. Tesla plans to spend more than $25 billion on capital investments this year, and that spending rate will grow over the the next two or three years, CFO Vaibhav Taneja told investors and analysts on a call late Wednesday. Additionally, Tesla plans to borrow as much as $30 billion to accelerate its investments in robotaxis, Optimus robots, semiconductors, solar manufacturing and AI compute infrastructure, he said. – Tesla’s push into AI and robotics is proving costly
War in Iran – Middle East – Gulf
(Barak Ravid – Axios) The U.S. military used a B-1 long-range bomber on Tuesday to strike Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets in Iran, U.S. officials said. It was the first time the U.S. conducted a B-1 mission since fighting with Iran resumed 12 days ago. Using B-1 bombers, which can carry two dozen 2,000-lb. bombs or dozens of cruise missiles, signaled a significant escalation and expansion of the U.S. military campaign. The B-1 can fly faster than the speed of sound at low altitudes while carrying the largest bomb load of any type of bomber. Amid a continued U.S. military build up in the region, President Trump is still considering returning to major combat operations against Iran. U.S. and Israeli officials say this could happen within days. The B-1 launched its mission from an airbase in the UK and was spotted on online plane tracking websites. – U.S. deploys B-1 bomber as attacks on Iran intensify
(UN News) As months of conflict continue to devastate communities across Lebanon, families are being left without shelter, healthcare and other essential services. Independent human rights experts, appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, warned on Wednesday that civilians are paying a “devastating and disproportionate toll,” with homes destroyed, entire towns cut off and many communities in southern Lebanon still inaccessible. As a result, thousands of displaced people remain unable to return home. More than 4,300 people have reportedly been killed since 2 March, including 392 women and 253 children, while more than 12,000 have been injured. “Evacuation is an exceptional and strictly temporary measure. It may only be used to protect the safety of civilians or for imperative military reasons, not to depopulate and occupy areas,” the experts said, stressing that displacement should only ever be used as a temporary measure to protect civilians. They added that civilians “have the right to return voluntarily and safely to their homes once the circumstances justifying their displacement have ceased.” – Thousands prevented from returning home to southern Lebanon | UN News
Critical Minerals
(UN News) The world’s shift to clean energy is driving huge demand for critical minerals such as lithium, nickel, cobalt and copper. Digging them out of the ground may be the most straightforward part of the process. Around the world, the United Nations is helping countries make sure these valuable resources create decent jobs, protect the environment and benefit local communities – not just global supply chains. – From lithium to nickel: How the UN is helping countries make the most of critical minerals | UN News
