First Thing: US continues attacks on Iran ‘in honor’ of dead service members | US news

Good morning. The United States launched its ninth night strike targeting Iran early Monday after announcing the death of another American soldier – the third in recent days. Donald Trump said the new attacks were carried out “in honor” of those who died. Iranian religious leader Mujtaba Khamenei warned of “unforgettable lessons” if the US continues to attack.
Trump has threatened to target Iran’s power plants and bridges to force Tehran to loosen its control over the Strait of Hormuz. Last week, the United States reimposed a naval blockade of Iranian ports. On Saturday, the military said six ships had since been diverted and disabled one. Oil prices rose at the opening of trading in Asia on Monday, with the price of Brent crude rising 2.72% to $90.50 per barrel.
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Where were US service personnel killed? The soldier was killed in a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance during the downing of an Iranian attack drone in northern Iraq on Saturday. This is the third death in the United States in recent days, after two military personnel were killed and a third was missing in an Iranian attack on an air base in Jordan on Friday. 17 US soldiers have been killed since the war began.
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What is the US mission against Iran? The war began in February when a former Iranian religious leader was killed in joint US-Israeli attacks. Trump has cited several reasons for the war, including preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons and trying to force regime change. On Sunday, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright argued that the mission was shifting towards ensuring oil shipments pass through Hormuz following the breakdown of the US-Iran ceasefire.
Mamdani is investigating whether she can arrest Netanyahu if he visits New York
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said his administration is reviewing whether to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits the city for the UN general assembly in September as expected. The mayor said he believes the Israeli prime minister “belongs in The Hague,” referring to the Dutch city where the international criminal court (ICC), which issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024, said.
Marco Rubio announced the US policy of trying to “dismantle” the court. Early in his presidency, Trump ordered economic sanctions against the ICC, arguing that the ICC did not have jurisdiction over the United States or Israel. In his speech on the radio, Netanyahu said that he did not care about Mamdani’s arrest threats, that he was not worried about this issue and that the New York mayor was “in league with terrorist actors.”
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What did Mamdani say? “I believe that Netanyahu belongs in the Hague. He is a war criminal indicted by the ICC, and you will find that that is a view held by many people, purely because of his actions in recent years. We will do what the law allows me to do in New York City.”
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What is Netanyahu accused of by the ICC? The ICC’s arrest warrant for Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders charged them with war crimes and crimes against humanity, including “starvation as a method of warfare and…murder, cruelty and other inhumane acts” in Gaza.
Spain won the World Cup with Ferran Torres breaking the 10-man Argentine resistance
Spain won its second FIFA men’s World Cup. The reigning European champions defeated Lionel Messi’s Argentina 1-0 in extra time at New York’s New Jersey Stadium on Sunday. Spain previously won the men’s World Cup in 2010. Spain’s women’s team is also currently world champion.
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How did Argentina react to the defeat? David Hytner described their reaction as “embarrassing” in his match report. Argentina started a fight at the final whistle of the match. While Enzo Fernández received a red card during the game, Leandro Paredes also received a red card after the match for his role in the challenge. Later, during the presentation of the cup, the team turned their backs on the Spanish players.
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What happened to Donald Trump in the finale? The US president, accompanied by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, was booed when they both took to the pitch for the presentation ceremony before Trump tried to crash Spain’s victory party. Trump attended a game for the first time this summer at the World Cup, which the United States co-hosted with Canada and Mexico.
In other news…
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American boxer Hannah Rap He died after being hit by a driver while cyclingthe police said. Investigators arrested a 31-year-old man.
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JD and Usha Vance We welcomed a boyHe is the first child born to a vice president in 156 years.
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A second person died in the legionnaires’ disease outbreak in New York. Authorities say they believe the source of the outbreak has ‘likely been eliminated’.
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Andy Burnham will become Britain’s sixth prime minister in a decade On Monday, King III. After meeting Charles, he replaced outgoing Keir Starmer.
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Ryan Fox becomes golf’s Open champion The favorites came under pressure at Royal Birkdale in England.
Stat of the day: Odyssey earned $264 million in opening revenue
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey took the global box office by storm, grossing $264 million in its opening weekend.
Building power: One year after national guard takes office, D.C. residents say they’re living in a ‘city under siege’
Kirstin Garriss reports from Washington about the impact of the roughly 2,000-2,500 national guard troops who have been patrolling subway stations, parks, city streets, neighborhoods and tourist attractions for months under Donald Trump’s orders and how communities are responding.
Don’t miss this: What happened to Nolan Wells? Family seeks answers two weeks after 18-year-old’s death
Two weeks after 18-year-old Nolan Wells was found dead during a July 4 boat trip to Horn Island, his family is still searching for answers. It remains unclear what happened on the island, and misinformation is running rampant on social media as local authorities continue their investigation. This is what we know so far.
…or this: Sphinxes, movie stars and 3 million books – at Los Angeles’ beloved art deco library
The architectural gem has served as the backdrop for key film moments and is influenced by the darker side of Los Angeles life; serial killer Richard Ramirez was a visitor, and in 1986 a still officially unsolved arson destroyed 400,000 volumes and closed it for seven years. James Bartlett was there as the landmark celebrated its centenary.
Climate control: Majority of US voters link extreme weather to climate crisis, study finds
In the midst of a summer filled with dangerous temperatures, drought and floods, new polls show that a majority of Americans attribute increasingly harsh weather conditions to the climate crisis, despite Trump’s efforts to dismiss global warming as a “scam” and “hoax.”
Last Thing: Can Artificial Intelligence be conscious?
We may be creating a new kind of being by building ever more advanced artificial intelligence, and it may be the most important thing our species has ever done. But we don’t actually have a plan for how to navigate this process ethically. William MacAskill and Lucius Caviola tell us the big idea: Can artificial intelligence be conscious?
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