US reaches nuclear power deal with Saudi Arabia
The US and Saudi Arabia have reached an agreement on civil nuclear power, the US Energy Department said on July 22, a deal that allows the kingdom to build nuclear reactors using American technology and to enrich uranium.
A civil nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia has been in the works for years during both President Donald Trump’s first administration and that of former president Joe Biden.
Unlike the Biden plan, the current deal does not include a so-called Additional Protocol that allows the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency to carry out intrusive snap inspections.
The deal would also allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium and reprocess nuclear waste, both of which are potential pathways to making a nuclear weapon.
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ASEAN’s external partnerships key to regional resilience
PHOTO: VIVIAN BALAKRISHNAN/FACEBOOK
ASEAN’s partnerships with countries around the world remain one of the regional grouping’s greatest strengths, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said on July 22.
“They have helped to advance our shared prosperity, strengthen our resilience, and contribute to peace and stability in our region and beyond,” he said in a Facebook post after attending a series of post-ministerial conferences on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Manila.
Discussions with ASEAN’s dialogue partners covered issues including the digital economy, green transition, supply chain resilience and people-to-people connectivity, he added.
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Trump threatens Iran after Houthis block Red Sea artery
PHOTO: US CENTRAL COMMAND
US President Donald Trump vowed on July 22 to destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant every time Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, raising the stakes after Iranian-allied Houthis in Yemen threatened a second vital energy route.
Five tankers changed course in the Red Sea to avoid the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on July 22, a day after the Houthi threat to block Saudi oil exports highlighted a new risk to global oil supplies from the escalating conflict. Three tankers loaded with Saudi oil for China and India made U-turns on July 21.
Iran’s joint military command warned, according to state media, that if Trump’s threat against infrastructure was carried out, Iranian forces would target regional oil, gas, electricity and economic infrastructure and prevent the export of “even a single drop of oil.”
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Zelensky speaks to US envoys to ‘reinvigorate diplomacy’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on July 22 he had spoken with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in a bid to revive diplomatic efforts to end the war with Russia.
US-led talks on resolving the conflict have stalled since Washington’s attention has turned to the Middle East, while Russia stuck to its hardline demand that Ukraine cede territory.
“I just spoke with President Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. It was a good, important conversation on how to reinvigorate diplomacy and bring peace closer,” Zelensky said on X.
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Miami Heat mistakenly post video teasing LeBron return
PHOTO, SCREENSHOT: IMAGN IMAGES, @WADEXFLASH/X
The basketball world was ablaze on the morning of July 22 after the Miami Heat’s YouTube account mistakenly posted a video the night before teasing the possible return of LeBron James, who has yet to announce where he will play his 24th NBA season.
A live stream entitled “LeBron James Introductory Press Conference” scheduled for July 27 was uploaded to the Heat’s channel on the night of July 21 but was later deleted, leaving fans wondering if the 41-year-old is heading back to the team he won two championships with.
A team spokesperson told ESPN that the Heat’s social media department was preparing for the possibility of James’ signing and mistakenly posted the link to the team’s YouTube page.
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