SocietyA mass wedding in Nigeria’s Kano state brought 1,500 couples together in a single ceremony on Friday. The event was organized as part of a government initiative aimed at helping low-income residents meet the costs of marriage. The initiative also seeks to support family stability. The ceremony marked a large-scale public effort focused on marriage assistance.
The Associated Press
PoliticsThe Senate has voted to confirm Todd Blanche as U.S. attorney general. Chief congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reported on the confirmation vote. The action came as lawmakers prepared to leave Washington for the August recess. The appointment is tied to the Trump administration and the Senate’s confirmation process.
Fox News
EconomyBloomberg Money examines issues shaping viewers’ financial lives through interviews and market analysis. Guests include Meredith Whitney, CEO of Meredith Whitney Advisory Group; David Kelly, chief global strategist at JPMorgan Asset Management; and PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp. The program considers what the jobs report indicates, how artificial intelligence is enabling retail investors to operate like do-it-yourself hedge funds, and the state of the job market.
Bloomberg Television
PoliticsSingapore will conduct a major review of how the government supports families, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said in his National Day Message. The review will look beyond marriage and parenthood to support across the course of life. Wong said officials would revisit issues including the cost of infant and child care. He also said Singapore would continue shaping evolving technology on its own terms.
WorldIsraeli media report that bombardment and occupation by Israel have destroyed entire villages in southern Lebanon. The reports concern the latest assault in the area. Israel’s defence minister said the campaign was modelled on the destruction in Gaza. Al Jazeera’s Imogen Kimber reports on the devastation.
SocietyAbby and the group have an unfiltered conversation about biohacking and tracking real-estate information. Abby explains her personal sleep cocktail. She also describes using Zillow to look up where people live and how much they paid for their homes. The segment is part of CNN’s “Confessions & Obsessions” series.
CNN
WorldUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is paying his first official visit to Serbia. The trip is notable because Belgrade maintains close relations with Moscow and has declined to sanction Russia. With Russian strikes on Ukraine intensifying, Zelensky is seeking to strengthen international backing. He had dinner with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić on Friday, ahead of formal talks scheduled for Saturday.
CultureVladimir Duthiers meets Sean Evans, the host of the online show “Hot Ones.” On the program, celebrities answer questions while eating chicken wings that become progressively hotter. The encounter asks whether Duthiers can withstand the heat. “The Uplift,” anchored weekly by Shanelle Kaul, highlights stories intended to inspire, motivate and tug at viewers’ heartstrings.
ScienceThousands of people across France are expected to turn their eyes to the sky tonight and through the weekend for the annual Nuits des Étoiles. The three-night event offers free stargazing in more than 400 towns. Astronomers will be available to help visitors identify Saturn, Mars and even faraway galaxies.
WorldIceland is widely known for its volcanoes, geysers and waterfalls, but it also occupies an important strategic position. Although it founded NATO, the country has no army and no defense budget. During the Cold War, its location in the Greenland-Iceland-UK gap helped the alliance monitor Soviet submarines with patrol aircraft. That strategic role remains relevant as Iceland reassesses its defense arrangements.
PoliticsA settlement in Texas requires Texas Children’s Hospital to establish a free detransition clinic. It also directs the hospital to end gender-transition services and pay $10 million in penalties and damages. A Fox News panel is weighing the broader consequences of the agreement. The discussion frames the dispute around detransition care, transgender healthcare and Texas politics.
Fox News
PoliticsDays after Gen Z protesters led by the Cockroach Janta Party brought down India’s education minister, dozens of women who joined the demonstrations say they are being hit by a barrage of online threats. They describe the movement as over, but say their struggle has shifted to two new fronts. One is the courts, while the other involves doxxing. A France 24 team reports from the ground on their ordeal.
TechThe UK’s expanding hacker rehabilitation programme is run by police to divert teenagers from cybercrime. BBC was given exclusive access to the course and spoke with young hackers taking part. The participants described starting with minor illegal hacking, motivated by the challenge, before being caught and placed on the programme. The course is presented as a way to change their path for good.
BBC News
PoliticsSen. Marsha Blackburn has secured the Republican nomination in Tennessee’s gubernatorial race. She is set to represent the GOP in the contest to replace outgoing Gov. Bill Lee. Blackburn discussed her primary victory on ‘Hannity,’ emphasizing her record of delivering results.
Fox News
SocietyAn invasive spotted lanternfly is putting crops, vineyards and plants at risk across the United States. Senators from both parties are supporting legislation to combat the pest. They are also calling for tougher action than public efforts to kill the insects. Al Jazeera reports on the push for a broader response.
EconomyA growing trend among wealthy people is “tax alpha,” the effort to reduce tax bills while also producing more profit. The rise of the S&P 500 over the past decade, driven largely by technology stocks, has left many investors with substantial gains. Those gains are often concentrated in a small number of companies, making diversification costly from a tax perspective. Wealthy investors are therefore exploring approaches such as tax-aware long-short strategies and 351 conversions to reposition their holdings while limiting taxes.
Bloomberg Television
WorldPalestinians made their way to the beach in Gaza City to find relief from the intense summer heat. Much of the Gaza Strip remains in ruins after more than two years of war. The shoreline has become one of the few recreational options still available to Palestinians there. For many, it offers a temporary escape from the soaring temperatures.
The Associated Press
SocietyGermany’s housing shortage is placing particular pressure on young people. Rising rents and other housing costs are influencing decisions about where to study, work and live. In Essen, an unusual project is designed to offer help. It begins by giving a former prison a new role as student accommodation.
SocietyThe Indigenous Hmong have lived for centuries in the mountainous areas of northern Vietnam. Today, their farming communities are on the front line of a worsening climate crisis. Higher temperatures, erratic rainfall and landslides have become part of everyday life. Rice terraces maintained by generations of villagers are struggling, while deforestation is driving the loss of important medicinal plants.
ScienceLosing someone we love can bring an experience people describe as feeling utterly heartbroken. That pain may be more than a literary metaphor and could reflect a genuine physical sensation. Brain scans of people in love are used to examine the changes romantic attachment can trigger. The feature also explores what happens in the brain after a breakup and how neuroscience may help people move beyond heartbreak.
BBC Chinese
Politics1:27Spain has introduced border controls on all air and sea travel arriving from Italy amid what is described as an escalating diplomatic crisis. The decision follows comparable measures taken by Rome. Italy acted after an influx of migrants from Morocco into Ceuta, a Spanish territory. The reciprocal restrictions have intensified tensions between the two countries.
PoliticsUS President Donald Trump’s plan for a White House ballroom has suffered another setback. A federal appeals court ordered the administration to stop the $400 million construction project, finding that Congress had not approved it. The National Trust for Historic Preservation had challenged the project and sought an injunction last year. A three-judge panel upheld that injunction by a 2-to-1 vote. Trump has promised to take the case to the Supreme Court.
TechTurkey’s emergency services are deploying drones in the fight against wildfires. By identifying fires at an earlier point, the aircraft can help rescue teams react faster. They can also locate blazes that cannot be seen with the naked eye, giving responders another way to monitor and address fires.
WorldCuba’s energy crisis is colliding with an economic collapse as Washington intensifies sanctions against the island. Caught between American pressure and the crisis at home, people in Cuba are struggling simply to make it through each day. A France 24 report from Havana describes the worsening hardship. The country’s shortages are shaping everyday life. Sanctions and domestic turmoil are converging in the crisis.