Good day.
Donald Trump has called the war in Iran “very complete, practically,” as the economic cost of the joint US-Israeli operation rises, disrupting the global oil trade and threatening to plunge the Middle East into a regional war.
The US president made the comments ahead of a speech and press conference in Florida where he sought to emphasize that the US military campaign would end soon amid growing concerns from Republican allies. “I think the war is pretty much complete,” he said in a phone call with CBS News. “They have no navy, no communications, no air force.”
During the news conference, in which he delivered a contradictory and confusing forecast for the war, he dodged a reporter’s question about whether that meant the war could end this week. “No, but soon. I think soon. Very soon.”
When asked by reporters to clarify whether the war was “very complete” or, as the US defense secretary said, “this is just the beginning,” Trump told reporters: “I think you could say both… It’s the beginning of building a new country.”
X suspends 800 million accounts in one year amid ‘massive’ manipulation attempts
Social media company X (formerly Twitter) said it suspended 800 million accounts in 2024 as part of its fight against “massive” attempts to manipulate the platform.
X spokesmen told British MPs that it was constantly fighting state-backed attempts to hijack the agenda on its network. The company has been criticized for its focus on content moderation since it was acquired by Elon Musk in 2022.
In 2024, 800 million accounts were suspended for violating its rules on platform manipulation and spam, although it did not disclose how many of those suspensions were related to foreign interference.
Trump threatens not to sign any bill until Congress passes strict voter ID law
The president renewed his push to restrict voting access on Monday, ahead of midterm elections expected to be bruising for Republicans and after threatening not to sign any bills until Congress passes the legislation.
“All voters must show proof of citizenship in order to vote,” Trump said during his remarks on the Save America Act at a Republican event in Miami. “No mail-in ballots are allowed, except for illness, disability, military service or travel.”
On Sunday, while threatening not to sign other bills until the law is passed, Trump laid out a list of what he wanted in the bill, much of which is not currently in the proposal: showing voter ID and proof of citizenship, and banning voting by mail except in a few cases.
-
What else is included? Banning transgender people from participating in women’s sports and gender-affirming surgeries for minors has no bearing on voting.
-
What progress has the bill made? The US House of Representatives passed it earlier this year, but it faces major difficulties in the Senate.
In other news…
-
Satellite images reveal the A long-term “famine strategy” is being used against the people of Sudan, according to an investigation by The Guardian.
-
The choice of Robert F Kennedy Jr to review the safety of Covid vaccines has generated misleading research. according to more than a dozen scientists and public health experts.
-
Georgia will vote in a high-stakes primary Tuesday for Marjorie Taylor Greene’s seat in the House of Representatives. in a race that may act as a survey of Donald Trump’s influence.
-
The Iranian women’s football team – minus five players who have been formally granted protection in Australia – were taken by police and airport staff on a bus at Sydney Airport after exiting the plane from the rear.
Stat of the day: South Africa’s homicide rate is 30% below its 1993 peak
Violent crime fell by half in the two decades after the end of apartheid in South Africa, and although homicide rates have increased since the late 2010s and remain very high by world standards, they are still about 30% below their peak in 1993. The American far right has bought into the myth of white persecution in South Africa, but whites in the country are generally less likely than black citizens to be victims of crime.
Culture selection: Liza Minnelli’s memoir offers a heady mix of gossip, glamor and defiance
Liza Minnelli’s memoir, Kids, Wait Until You Hear This! It’s really revealing. It covers her difficult childhood as Judy Garland’s daughter, her later addiction problems, inside information about Lady Gaga and also her tumultuous love life. But Minnelli is characteristically cheerful in his conclusion: “It’s been a life of high notes and low notes, darling. And I want you to know… it’s been a life very well lived. I have no regrets. None.”
Don’t miss this: How to recognize – and handle – a psychopath
Psychopaths, who are selfish, callous, impulsive, and manipulative, and often come across as charming and trusting, are everywhere. One percent of the general population has clinical levels of psychopathy and 18% has “high” levels of these characteristics. Dr. Leanne ten Brinke says people with these traits could be in our families, workplaces or neighborhoods. “I began to realize that these traits are not just limited to the underworld. These traits appear in all aspects of our lives,” he says.
Climate control: can pumping chemicals into the ocean help stop global warming?
Last summer, scientists pumped 65,000 liters of an alkaline chemical into the Gulf of Maine. The researchers behind the scientific experiment hope to advance a technology to combat both global warming and ocean acidification, but questions remain over whether it can safely operate at the level needed to combat the climate crisis.
The latest: A look? Brain activity allows scientists to understand the minds of mice
Scientists have created short films using the brain activity of mice in an attempt to understand how the animals perceive the world. The clips offer insight into how the mice, when shown videos, processed the images, which showed people participating in various sports, including gymnastics and wrestling.
Register
Register for the US Morning Briefing
First Thing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you are not registered yet, subscribe now.
Get in touch
If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters, please email newsletters@theguardian.com
