ScienceThe pain of losing someone we love may be more than a metaphor. Brain scans of people in love are used to explore how romance changes the brain, why love matters to human life, what happens neurologically after heartbreak and how people might recover.
BBC Chinese
EconomyEurope’s rivers have powered the continent for centuries, but falling water levels on the Danube are now forcing nuclear reactors to shut down. The disruption exposes a hidden vulnerability in Europe’s energy system.
PoliticsAbelardo de la Espriella has been sworn in as Colombia’s new president after narrowly winning the June election. He has pledged a major ideological shift in the country’s domestic and foreign policy.
HealthMarishelle Krygsman was born without a uterus because of the rare condition MRKH and once believed she could never become a mother. After joining a uterus-transplant clinical trial led by Professor Chen Hsueh-kun at Singapore General Hospital, she underwent transplantation and IVF before giving birth to her daughter, Sophie, becoming Southeast Asia’s first patient born without a uterus to give birth successfully.
WorldA 2026 Pew Research Center survey found that China was viewed more favorably than the United States in 25 of 36 countries surveyed, the first reversal of this kind since the research began in 2005. Scholars attributed the shift partly to the Trump administration’s foreign and trade policies and China’s infrastructure, technology and economic cooperation, while Japan, South Korea and the Philippines remained more negative toward China.
BBC Chinese
CultureThe Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., is showing works by 48 contemporary artists selected from 1,500 submissions. Using materials ranging from salt and thread to paint, wax and video, the exhibition reflects current social, cultural and political conditions, including Mojé Rezaeipour’s installation documenting digital protest images and videos made by women and female students in Iran.
VOA Chinese
WorldRecent US intelligence assessments suggest Russian President Vladimir Putin could seek to test NATO’s resolve by launching a limited attack on an allied country within the next few years, according to three sources familiar with the reports. Possible escalation scenarios include a cyberattack or a small incursion aimed at challenging NATO unity and its Article 5 commitment.
CNN
ScienceThe mapping effort uses geospatial information to flag British homes, transport routes and other facilities that may be vulnerable to wildfires, flooding, coastal erosion or exceptional heat.
Reuters
PoliticsThe Senate votes to confirm Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche as attorney general. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., says he will vote for Blanche in a key show of support.
Fox News
PoliticsPresident Donald J. Trump marks National Purple Heart Day with gratitude for every American warrior and veteran who has received the Purple Heart, offering blessings for them, the military and the United States.
WorldSevere drought has pushed Germany’s Rhine River to historically low levels, disrupting inland shipping and adding pressure to the economy and supply chains. Ships cannot carry normal loads of fuel, grain and other essentials, raising transport costs for businesses. Farmers are also reporting some of their worst grain harvests on record.
PoliticsOhio Democratic Congressman Greg Landsman discussed the Senate’s recent passage of Lindsey Graham’s Russia sanctions bill. The measure passed 86-11 with strong bipartisan support and would authorize the president to impose tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil. It now moves to the House, where Landsman was asked about his support and expectations for Democratic backing.
Bloomberg Television
SocietyThailand is reeling after a Bangkok school shooting killed several people and injured dozens. Police say a 14-year-old first killed his grandparents before opening fire at a school, then died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The attack has renewed debate over gun laws and gun violence in Thailand.
WorldDonald Trump said he personally took part in talks aimed at resolving the Strait of Hormuz crisis and that an agreement to reopen the waterway could come soon. The United States sanctioned five Cuban entities and eight individuals over arms imports and external military cooperation. Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan signed a joint defense pact. New Zealand’s foreign minister said some Pacific island states refused to condemn China’s test-firing of a nuclear-strike missile in the region.
VOA Chinese
SocietyAuthorities found more than 50 bodies improperly stored and decomposing Thursday at South Chicago Chapel. The funeral home is run by a couple who previously operated a crematory shut down over mishandled remains, authorities said.
The Associated Press
WorldSaudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have signed a joint defence agreement declaring that an attack on one would be treated as an attack on all three. The pact comes after Iran and its allies struck targets in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states and disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea.
BBC News
EconomyDonald Trump unveiled a package of mining investments worth $3 billion. It includes support for battery, copper, graphite and boron projects as the administration works to expand domestic production of critical minerals.
Reuters
PoliticsDonald Trump has reacted angrily on social media after his administration was ordered to stop building his personal $400m ballroom project at the White House. A federal appeals court’s ruling delivered another setback to the controversial plan and tested presidential authority. Trump has vowed to appeal to the Supreme Court.
BBC News
EconomyThe US economy unexpectedly lost jobs in July, while nonfarm payrolls for the prior two months were sharply revised down. The figures raise questions about whether the Federal Reserve will increase interest rates next month.
Reuters
WorldAs the Iran war draws closer to Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey signed a NATO-style mutual defense pact with the kingdom in Mecca on Friday. It says an attack on any one of the three will be treated as an attack on all, potentially pulling Ankara and Islamabad into a war they have carefully avoided.
CNN
EconomyBloomberg Television, Bloomberg Radio and YouTube provide comprehensive coverage of the U.S. market close, hosted by Romaine Bostick, Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec.
Bloomberg Television
HealthA fast-growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has passed 4,000 cases, marking a grim new milestone. The programme also reports dry taps in Gabon’s capital due to low rainfall and failing pipes, and more crocodile attacks near Kenya’s rising Lake Baringo.
SportsPGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp discusses the changing sports media landscape, rising streaming costs for consumers and the tour’s evolution after LIV Golf’s rise and fall.
Bloomberg Television
PoliticsPresident Trump hosted a roundtable on American mining in Washington, D.C.