International News from Friday, July 17th, 2026

US President Donald Trump escalated his effort to make election security a central issue in November's midterm elections, asserting that China interfered in the 2020 presidential campaign despite a US intelligence assessment that found no evidence to support that claim.

Torrential rains have killed two people in Texas as floodwaters swept them away in their vehicles while the state braced for "record-shattering" rainfall over the next 24 hours, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said on Thursday afternoon.

SpaceX's Starship rocket triggered a last-second abort before liftoff for its 13th flight test from Texas on Thursday as some of its 33 engines failed to start, with CEO Elon Musk saying it will likely try to launch again early next week.

Qatar's Ministry of Interior has announced that a child has sustained an injury as a result of falling debris from interception operations against Iranian attacks early on Friday.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has announced that it completed its latest major wave of strikes against Iran, while Kuwaiti and Qatari defence forces reported intercepting missile attacks early on Friday.