Category: World

The two-day gathering of countries in Switzerland was aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine – but Moscow was not invited and its key ally China declined to attend.

Eighty countries called for Ukraine’s “territorial integrity” to be the basis of any peace deal on Sunday – but a number of nations did not join in.

World leaders including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy and France’s Emmanuel Macron were among around 100 delegations at a two-day conference in Switzerland this weekend.

The summit was aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine. Moscow was not invited, and its main ally China declined to attend.

Vladimir Putin is not ruling out talks with Ukraine, according to his spokesperson, who said guarantees would be needed to ensure the credibility of any negotiations.

It comes as Kremlin forces in Ukraine claim to have taken control of a village in Zaporizhzhia.

A joint communique from 80 countries said the UN Charter and “respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty… can and will serve as a basis for achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine”.

“The ongoing war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine continues to cause large-scale human suffering and destruction, and to create risks and crises with global repercussions,” the declaration said.

Participants India, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates were among those that did not sign up to the final document, which focused on issues of nuclear safety, food security and the exchange of prisoners.

Brazil, which has “observer” status, also did not sign. With China, Brazil has jointly sought to plot alternative routes toward peace.

Ursula von der Leyen, chief of the European Commission, said this weekend has brought peace closer to Ukraine, but that peace will not be achieved in one step.

“It was not a peace negotiation because Putin is not serious about ending the war, he’s insisting on capitulation, he’s insisting on ceding Ukrainian territory – even territory that today is not occupied,” she said.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/significant-support-for-ukraine-at-peace-summit-but-key-nations-hesitate-13153933

Dramatic pictures show firefighters working overnight to contain a huge blaze about 62 miles northwest of Los Angeles. The fire has already ravaged 4,400 acres of land.

Dramatic pictures have emerged showing firefighters trying to extinguish a massive blaze in Los Angeles, California, which has already forced the evacuation of 1,200 people.

The blaze, named the Post Fire, has burnt through 4,400 acres near the Interstate 5 Freeway Gorman, which is about 62 miles northwest of Los Angeles, according to an update by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire.

Pictures show firefighters working against the backdrop of an orange haze as they battled to contain surrounding flames on Saturday night.

Cal Fire said “residents are reminded to remain vigilant and be prepared to evacuate if fire activity changes,” as regional temperatures were expected to be slightly higher and humidity levels lower throughout Sunday.

California State Park Services evacuated people from the Hungry Valley recreation area in Gorman and both Hungry Valley and the Pyramid Lake reservoir were closed as a result of the fire threat, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said at 8pm local time.

The flames broke out at about 1.45 pm on Saturday, authorities said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/california-wildfire-in-los-angeles-county-forces-evacuation-of-1200-people-as-it-burns-through-4400-acres-of-land-13153882

Actor Morgan Freeman once again criticized the idea of a Black History Month.

“I detest it,” the 87-year-old actor told Variety Saturday. “The mere idea of it. You are going to give me the shortest month in a year? And you are going to celebrate ‘my’ history?! This whole idea makes my teeth itch. It’s not right.”

Freeman added, “My history is American history. It’s the one thing in this world I am interested in, beyond making money, having a good time and getting enough sleep.”

Freeman stressed the value of knowing American history. He related it to his upcoming “The Gray House,” which is based on the true story of three women who worked as Union spies during the Civil War. Freeman serves as the executive producer for the film.

“If you don’t know your past, if you don’t remember it, you are bound to repeat it,” he said.

The Academy-Award winning actor made similar statements about Black History Month. In 2023, he referred to Black History Month as an “insult” along with “African-American.”

I don’t subscribe to that title,” Freeman said.

“Black people have had different titles all the way back to the n-word and I do not know how these things get such a grip, but everyone uses ‘African-American.’ What does it really mean?,” he added.

Most notably, Freeman made national news in 2005 when he called the idea of a month dedicated to Black history “ridiculous.”

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/media/actor-morgan-freeman-derides-black-history-month-my-history-american-history

A play critical of “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling’s gender views is struggling to find actresses willing to fill its female roles, according to a report from The Telegraph.

“This project has met some kind of resistance every step of the way, though I’ve been generally surprised by how difficult it has been for us to recruit the female cast in particular,” creative producer Barry Church-Woods told the outlet.

He added that, “It’s a well-paid gig meeting industry standards and the script is terrific.”

The play’s working title was initially called “TERF [trans exclusionary radical feminist] C—,” but appears to have been changed to “TERF.” Its plot focuses on a “fictional intervention” for Rowling staged by Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe, the trio of stars who led the “Harry Potter” franchise films.

So far, the report says, 90 actresses have turned down parts for female roles, though multiple male roles – including the parts of Grint and Radcliffe – have already been filled.

“There is some suggestion that the actress may have ideological misgivings about the play, or be concerned about a potential backlash,” The Telegraph speculated.

Radcliffe, Watson and Grint have each been outspoken about Rowling’s views on transgender issues since she emerged as a voice to advocate for biological women and single-sex spaces.

Watson, for one, insisted that “trans people are who they say they are” in an X post after Rowling went viral in 2020 for criticizing an article mentioning “people who menstruate” and encouraging readers to use that term instead of “women.”

Watson also wrote at the time, “I want my trans followers to know that I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you and love you for who you are.”

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/media/actresses-reportedly-shun-controversial-play-skewering-jk-rowlings-stance-gender

‘Tis the season for emergency room visits after inappropriately using Ozempic to lose weight for the summer.

“Drugs including Ozempic and Wegovy should only be used by people prescribed them for obesity or diabetes,” Stephen Powis — the national medical director of NHS England, the country’s publicly funded healthcare system — urged last week at a conference in Manchester.

“I’m worried about reports that people are misusing them — they are not intended as a quick fix for people trying to get ‘beach body ready,’” added Powis, per The Times of London.

Semaglutide — sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy — mimics GLP-1, the hormone the body naturally produces after eating. Users feel fuller for longer.

4% of US adults admitted in a July 2023 survey to using a prescription drug to lose weight, while one in 10 confessed they had stopped taking this type of medication.

One doctor warned that “young, beautiful girls” are landing in UK emergency rooms “almost every shift” after lying about their weight while buying Ozempic online.

Most of these retailers do not require an in-person examination, noted medical experts, who cautioned about the dangerous potential side effects of illegitimately obtaining Ozempic.

“Sadly we are seeing serious, life-threatening complications including inflammation of the pancreas gland and alterations in blood salt levels in these patients, who were not aware of the risk they were taking,” said Dr. Vicky Price, a consultant in acute medicine and president-elect of the Society for Acute Medicine.

“There is a need for urgent regulation and control of access for weight-loss drugs online to avoid more patients becoming unwell,” Price continued.

Source: https://nypost.com/2024/06/16/lifestyle/dangers-of-taking-ozempic-to-get-beach-body-ready-revealed/

Swedish citizen Johan Floderus said he was in seventh heaven following his release from an Iranian prison on Saturday, in a recording published on the Swedish government’s website on Sunday.
Sweden and Iran carried out a prisoner exchange on Saturday with Sweden freeing a former Iranian official convicted for his role in the mass execution and torture of political prisoners in Iran in 1988, while Iran released two Swedes being held there.

“I’m in the sky but emotionally I’m in seventh heaven. I have been waiting for this for almost 800 days,” Floderus said in a recording of a telephone call between him and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson while he was on the flight back to Sweden.
Floderus, a European Union employee, was arrested in Iran in 2022 and charged with spying for Israel and “corruption on earth”, a crime that carries the death penalty.

The New Zealand defence force plane flying New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to Japan broke down on Sunday, forcing the Prime Minister to take a commercial flight, his office confirmed on Monday.
Luxon is spending four days in Japan, where he is expected to meet with Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and spend time promoting New Zealand business.
New Zealand media reported that the Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab 757 broke down during a refuelling stop in Papua New Guinea, leaving the business delegation and journalists stranded in Port Moresby, while Luxon flew commercial to Japan.

The New Zealand Defence Force’s two 757s are more than 30 years old and their age has made them increasingly unreliable.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/new-zealand-prime-ministers-plane-breaks-down-way-japan-2024-06-17/

Western powers and their allies at a summit in Switzerland denounced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Sunday, but they failed to persuade major non-aligned states to join their final statement, and no country came forward to host a sequel.
Over 90 countries attended the two-day talks at a Swiss Alpine resort at the behest of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, billed as a “peace summit” even though Moscow was not invited.

Still, the conference provided Kyiv with a chance to showcase the support from Western allies that it says it needs to keep fighting against a far bigger enemy.

“We are responding to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine not only with a full-scale defense of human life, but also with full-scale diplomacy,” Zelenskiy said.

Leaders including U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron gathered at the mountaintop resort of Buergenstock. U.S. President Joe Biden, in Europe for other events last week, did not attend despite public invitations from Zelenskiy.

The frontlines in Ukraine have barely moved since the end of 2022, despite tens of thousands of dead on both sides in relentless trench warfare, the bloodiest fighting in Europe since World War Two.

In her closing remarks, Swiss President Viola Amherd warned that the “road ahead is long and challenging”.

Russia, as it has for weeks, mocked the gathering.

“None of the participants in the ‘peace forum’ knows what he is doing there and what his role is,” said Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former president and now deputy chairman of the country’s Security Council.

‘THINGS CAN’T GO ON LIKE THIS’

After initial Ukrainian successes that saw Kyiv repel an assault on the capital and recapture territory in the war’s first year, a major Ukrainian counter-offensive using donated Western tanks fizzled last year. Russian forces still hold a fifth of Ukraine and are again advancing, albeit slowly. No peace talks have been held for more than two years.
“We know that peace in Ukraine will not be achieved in one step, it will be a journey,” European Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen said, calling for “patience and determination”.
“It was not a peace negotiation because (Russia’s President Vladimir) Putin is not serious about ending the war, he’s insisting on capitulation, he’s insisting on ceding Ukrainian territory – even territory that today is not occupied.”
In the absence of a clear path to ending the war, Zelenskiy emphasised practical issues, such as nuclear safety and securing food supplies from Ukraine, one of the world’s biggest grain exporters.
The summit’s final declaration called for Ukraine’s control over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and its Azov Sea ports to be restored. But in line with the conference’s more modest stated aims, it omitted tougher issues of what a post-war settlement for Ukraine might look like, whether Ukraine could join the NATO alliance or how troop withdrawals from both sides might work.
“The more allies that can be found to say ‘Things can’t go on like this’, ‘This is too much’, ‘That’s overstepping the mark’, that also increases the moral pressure on the Russian Federation,” said Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer.
As Sunday’s talks turned towards issues of food security and nuclear power, some leaders left early.
No country came forward to host another such meeting, with notable silence from Saudi Arabia, mooted as a possible future venue. Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said the kingdom was ready to assist the peace process but a viable settlement would hinge on “difficult compromise.”
Since initial peace talks in the first months after the Feb. 2022 invasion, Ukraine has consistently demanded Russia withdraw from all its land, while Moscow has demanded recognition of its rule over territory its forces captured.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-summit-strives-broad-consensus-lean-russia-end-war-2024-06-16/

Thousands of women protested on Saturday against a bill advancing in Brazil’s conservative Congress that would equate abortions after 22 weeks of pregnancy to homicide and establish sentences of six to 20 years in prison.
The demonstrators marched along Sao Paulo’s main Paulista Avenue carrying banners rejecting the proposal, which they call the most repressive approach to women’s reproductive rights in decades.

People of all ages, including many retirees and children, filled the streets chanting, “A child is not a mother, a rapist is not a father.”
Abortion is allowed in Brazil only in cases of rape, fetal deformation or when the mother’s life is in danger. If the bill backed by evangelical lawmakers becomes law, abortions by rape victims would be considered homicide after 22 weeks gestation.
Feminist groups criticized the proposed legislation for imposing harsher penalties than those given to rapists in Brazil.

They also argue that the changes would greatly impact children abused by family members. Such children, often lacking the understanding or support to recognize themselves as crime victims, frequently discover their pregnancies late.
Leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called the bill “insane” and said his government will defend the current laws that punish rapists and treat their victims with respect.

“It is insane to want to punish a woman with a greater penalty than the criminal who committed the rape,” Lula said at a news conference at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Italy.

Protests began on Thursday in Brazil’s largest cities after the lower chamber of Congress voted to put the bill on a fast track for approval, which curtails debate on the proposal.
Faced with criticism that rape victims seeking abortions could face worse punishment than rapists, the bill’s author Sostenes Cavalcante said he will propose harsher sentences for rape, currently up to a maximum of 10 years in jail.
Cavalcante is an evangelical pastor and member of former hard-right President Jair Bolsonaro’s party.
The angry reaction on social media may slow the bill’s progress, with Speaker Arthur Lira no longer planning to put the proposal to the vote in plenary any time soon and expecting its text to be changed, a source in his office said.
Passage is even less certain in the upper chamber where right-wing senators have less clout, and Senate president Rodrigo Pacheco has said the bill must be debated in committees.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazil-women-march-against-bill-tightening-abortion-ban-2024-06-15/

The fatalities come as summer temperatures soared to 48C in the open, with most rituals held outdoors where there is little if any shade.

At least 14 Jordanians have died and 17 are missing during the ongoing Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, authorities have said.

The country’s foreign ministry previously confirmed six of the fatalities were heat related, but it is unclear if this was also the cause of the other deaths.

Jordan is working with Saudi Arabia to arrange for burials or transportation of the bodies according to their family’s wishes.

The Saudi health ministry had already issued an advisory, warning of temperatures soaring to 48C (118F) in the open.

Pilgrims were told to stay hydrated and avoid being outdoors during the hottest hours of the day between 11am and 3pm.

Security forces and medics were deployed to help those who collapsed, while water was sprayed to try to help keep people cool.

Many pilgrims carried umbrellas to protect them against the blistering sun.

Most of the Hajj rituals are held outdoors with little if any shade.

This year’s five-day pilgrimage fell during Saudi’s scorching summer.

Stampedes, tent fires, heat and other factors have caused hundreds of deaths at the event over the last 30 years.

All Muslims are required to make the Hajj once in their lives if they are physically and financially able to do so.

Many wealthy Muslims make the pilgrimage more than once.

It is one of the largest mass gatherings in the world, with more than 1.8 million pilgrims expected to take part this year.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/fourteen-jordanians-die-during-hajj-pilgrimage-in-saudi-arabia-13153903

A new documentary follows a boy living in a small town in Spain, whose family expects him to become a professional bullfighter.

It may sound like an unusual career choice in an era where bullfighting is considered a cruel and outdated sport, primarily due to issues of animal welfare.
Social attitudes in some parts of Castellón, however, are not quite as progressive as those in nearby Valencia and Barcelona, and the boy’s grandfather, unbothered by the controversy surrounding bullfighting, encourages his grandson to pursue it.
A new documentary, The Boy and the Suit of Lights, which has just premiered at the Sheffield Documentary Festival, follows the child, Borja, and the relationship with his grandfather, Matias, over several years.
Director Inma De Reyes, who is from Castellón, grew up with the bullring in the centre of her hometown and saw coverage of bullfights on television, but didn’t realise her birthplace was considered Spain’s bullfighting capital.
“It’s a small city where time hasn’t passed, people have very traditional jobs, they work in fishing, the orange fields, or bullfighting, and every so often there would be a traditional celebration which is religious.
“So I see my hometown as where nothing ever changes. That’s why I left, I didn’t fit in there, I wanted to explore the world and find out who I was outside of that place.
“And by coming back and making a film there, that’s how I started to look more in depth at how families are putting values onto children and the children’s personalities are being shaped.”
When de Reyes began looking into the subject for a documentary, her mother sent her local newspaper articles highlighting the bullfighting traditions, and the film-maker was opened up to a world she “hadn’t taken an interest” in previously.
“My granddad owned books and posters about bullfighting, but I did think that was generations ago,” de Reyes recalls. “I didn’t know how big the culture was.”
A friend of the Spanish director, who is now based in Edinburgh, connected her to a bullfighting school, through which she ultimately met Borja.

The practice sees the bullfighter, usually in bright and decorated clothing, attempt to subdue, immobilise, or kill a bull, in a ring in front of a live audience.
It’s clear from the film that Matias harbours his own unfulfilled dreams of becoming a professional bullfighter, and pins his ambitions on his grandson succeeding where he failed, partly in the hope it might help lift the family out of poverty.
Coming from underprivileged background, Borja feels limited by a life with seemingly little opportunity, and goes along with his family’s wishes to begin with.
Producer Aimara Reques says becoming a bullfighter is “a romantic idea”, adding: “That’s what Borja is holding on to.”
“Everybody sees the bullfighter as a figure with status, you don’t think of the killing. As a child, he’s fantasising just as the family does. ‘Oh, wow, he’s going to be standing up there’.
“It’s a theatrical event, it’s quite camp in a sense, you dress up, the mothers are so proud. But then you have to kill the bull, that’s the biggest paradox.”

An industry in ‘decay’
Filmed over five years, The Boy and the Suit of Lights doesn’t shy away from the controversy surrounding bullfighting.
Borja watches as protestors storm the ring during one fight with banners which say “No violence.”
However, for a film with bullfighting at its centre – it contains noticeably little bullfighting footage. Instead, it’s the backdrop of a subtle coming-of-age story about adolescence, family and poverty.
“We knew that the film couldn’t have bullfighting at the front,” says de Reyes. “Borja’s coming-of-age story had to be front and centre, and also to make the film watchable.
“You can watch bullfighting on YouTube, I was not interested in capturing any more of that. It’s more about forming a personality as a child.”
On a practical level, there also wasn’t a huge number of bullfights taking place – only two took place as the documentary was shooting.

De Reyes, who is now based in Edinburgh, describes Borja’s personality as “gentle and caring” – a temprement possibly unsuited to the bullfighting world.
“At the beginning, I was very impressed by Borja’s dedication and he was so diligent about his duty. He was almost like, ‘this is what I’ve been told to do and this is what I’m going to do’. I thought he was an amazing child,” says de Reyes.
“And as time goes by, I hope you can see in the film how his mind doesn’t fully engage with the commitment of killing a bull. And I also felt that as a director, that Borja wasn’t made for this, and he kind of knew it.”
The film includes footage of Borja and his brother rehearsing using replica bulls’ heads mounted on wheeled frames, with their grandfather looking on.
It also follows Borja in other settings – spending time with his friends and getting a traditional bullfighter’s costume fitted.
However, the challenge of putting Borja’s own story front and centre was that, like many boys his age, he wasn’t always prone to sharing his feelings.
“Making the film, I was trying to capture what Borja was thinking without him saying it,” says de Reyes, “because I don’t feel like he would ever say to anybody that he wasn’t going to do this – but you could tell.
“So trying to capture that in cinema, saying he’s starting to have these thoughts, without any voiceovers or interviews, was really hard.”
She credits her cinematographer with capturing Borja’s emotions via facial expressions and body language. “You start to realise he’s got a lot going on, just by looking at him.”

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crggz17wkq2o

Nearly 80 countries called Sunday for the “territorial integrity” of Ukraine to be the basis for any peace agreement to end Russia’s two-year war, though some key developing nations at a Swiss conference did not join in. The way forward for diplomacy remains unclear.

The joint communique capped a two-day conference marked by the absence of Russia, which was not invited. Many attendees expressed hope that Russia might join in on a road map to peace in the future.

The all-out war since President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has killed or injured hundreds of thousands of people, unsettled markets for goods like grain and fertilizer, driven millions from their homes and carved a wedge between the West — which has sanctioned Moscow — and Russia, China and some other countries.

About 100 delegations, mostly Western countries, attended the conference that was billed as a first step toward peace. They included presidents and prime ministers from France, Germany, Britain, Japan, Poland, Argentina, Ecuador, Kenya and Somalia. The Holy See was also represented, and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke for the United States.

India, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates — represented by foreign ministers or lower-level envoys — were among countries that did not sign the final document, which focused on issues of nuclear safety, food security and the exchange of prisoners. Brazil, an “observer,” did not sign on but Turkey did. China did not attend.

The final document signed by 78 countries said the U.N. Charter and “respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty … can and will serve as a basis for achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine.” That has been a nonstarter for Putin, who wants Ukraine to cede more territory and back away from its hopes of joining the NATO military alliance.

Viola Amherd, the Swiss president, told a news conference the “great majority” of participants agreed to the final document, which “shows what diplomacy can achieve.” Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said Switzerland would reach out to Russian authorities but did not say what the message would be.

The final document signed by 78 countries said the U.N. Charter and “respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty … can and will serve as a basis for achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine.” That has been a nonstarter for Putin, who wants Ukraine to cede more territory and back away from its hopes of joining the NATO military alliance.

Viola Amherd, the Swiss president, told a news conference the “great majority” of participants agreed to the final document, which “shows what diplomacy can achieve.” Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said Switzerland would reach out to Russian authorities but did not say what the message would be.

It wasn’t clear why some developing countries attending didn’t line up behind the final statement, but they may be hesitant to rankle Russia or have cultivated a middle ground between Moscow, its ally China and Western powers backing Kyiv.

“Some did not sign — even though very few — since they are playing ‘Let’s have peace based on concessions’ game, and they usually mean concessions by Ukraine, and basically accommodating Russian demands,” said Volodymyr Dubovyk, a Ukraine expert and senior fellow at Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington-based think tank. “They also like this ‘neutrality’ positioning.”

Dubovyk said the way forward for Ukraine was to receive aid — weapons and humanitarian assistance — that could improve its situation on the ground and thus give it a better negotiating position.

At the Swiss event, the challenge was to talk tough on Russia but open the door for it to join a peace initiative.

“Many countries … wanted the involvement of representatives of the Russian Federation,” Zelenskyy said. “At the same time, the majority of the countries do not want to shake hands with them (Russian leaders) … so there are various opinions in the world.”

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Union’s executive Commission, said peace won’t be achieved in a single step and asserted that Putin isn’t serious about ending the war.

“He is insisting on capitulation. He is insisting on ceding Ukrainian territory — even territory that today is not occupied by him,” she said. “He is insisting on disarming Ukraine, leaving it vulnerable to future aggression. No country would ever accept these outrageous terms.”

Analysts suspected the conference would have little concrete impact toward ending the war because Russia, was not invited. China and Brazil have jointly sought to plot alternative routes toward peace.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-switzerland-war-conference-burgenstock-568cafee5fbe9c3b19b79b041583a5d6

Jennifer Lopez brushed off divorce rumors while giving her husband, Ben Affleck, a special Father’s Day shout-out.

“Our hero,” the “On the Floor” hitmaker wrote on her Instagram Story Sunday with a white heart emoji. “Happy Father’s Day.”

Along with the sweet message, she attached a throwback photo of the “Argo” star sporting a black leather jacket.

Affleck, 51, shares Violet, 18, Seraphina, 15, and Samuel, 12, with his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner.

He’s also the stepfather to Lopez’s 16-year-old twins, Emme and Max, whom she shares with ex-husband Marc Anthony.

The “Hustlers” star, 54, pinned the special tribute to the “Gone Girl” actor after they spent time together at their $60 million Bel Air, Calif., estate on Saturday.

Later that day, they were also seen arriving at his Brentwood, Calif., rental home in separate cars.

Affleck drove to the property with his windows down as he scrolled through his cell phone while in traffic.

Meanwhile, his wife rode in the passenger seat of a BMW shortly behind him.

Lopez didn’t stay long as she was photographed leaving in a different car shortly after.

The “Good Will Hunting” star’s ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, also stopped by the rental, though it’s unclear if she interacted with the couple.

Last month, rumors Lopez and Affleck, who tied the knot in 2022, were on the verge of breaking up sparked as news broke they were living separately.

The rumblings heightened as the duo also put their martial home up for sale.

Source: https://pagesix.com/2024/06/16/entertainment/jennifer-lopez-calls-ben-affleck-her-hero-as-she-wishes-him-a-happy-fathers-day-amid-divorce-speculation/

China Premier Li Qiang made a low-key start on Sunday to a four-day trip to Australia with visits to a South Australian winery and Adelaide Zoo, where he announced Beijing would provide two new pandas after the current pair go home later this year.
Li, China’s second-highest ranked official and the first Chinese premier to visit Australia in seven years, is due to meet Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday. He arrived in the South Australia state capital late on Saturday, saying bilateral relations were “back on track”.

China, Australia’s largest trade partner, imposed restrictions on a raft of Australian agricultural and mineral exports in 2020 during a diplomatic dispute that has now largely eased.
On Sunday, Li’s first official stop was to visit a pair of pandas on loan from China to Adelaide’s zoo, where Australian Broadcasting Corp television showed crowds gathered, some waving Chinese flags, while others held signs that read “No more panda propaganda”.

In a video posted on Musk-owned X, the 52-year-old billionaire was seen celebrating after the announcement of the pay package.

Vote Results

According to preliminary vote results announced by corporate secretary Brandon Ehrhart at Tesla’s annual meeting in Austin, Texas on Thursday, investors backed a plan of up to $56 billion for Musk. This proposal was passed despite opposition from some large institutional investors and proxy firms.

Tesla’s Shareholders Overturned Elon Musk Package Order

Earlier this year, a judge had nullified the package, but the latest vote by Tesla’s shareholders overturned that decision.

Elon Musk Dance After Vote Results

In a video posted on Musk-owned X, the 52-year-old billionaire was seen celebrating after the announcement of the pay package.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/business-economy/companies/elon-musks-epic-billion-dollar-dance-after-tesla-shareholders-greenlight-56-billion-pay-package-watch-video-article-111024852/amp?utm_campaign=fullarticle&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=inshorts

Cases of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS), a disease caused by a rare “flesh-eating bacteria” that can kill people within 48 hours, is spreading in Japan, a report by Bloomberg said. The nation recorded 977 cases this year, as per data recorded by the nation’s National Institute of Infectious Diseases. The government agency which tracks diseases and its spread in Japan said this year’s cases are higher than the record 941 cases reported for all of last year.

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) usually causes swelling and sore throat in children, known as “strep throat”. However, there are some types of the bacteria that can lead to rapid symptoms like limb pain and swelling, fever, low blood pressure, followed by necrosis, breathing problems, organ failure and death. People over 50 are more prone to the disease.

“Most of the deaths happen within 48 hours. As soon as a patient notices swelling in the foot in the morning, it can expand to the knee by noon, and they can die within 48 hours,” said Ken Kikuchi, a professor in infectious diseases at Tokyo Women’s Medical University, was quoted as saying by news outlet Bloomberg.

Source: https://www.news18.com/world/japan-sees-spike-in-disease-caused-by-rare-flesh-eating-bacteria-that-can-kill-within-48-hours-8933773.html

One of Switzerland’s leading art museums says it will remove five paintings from one of its exhibitions while it investigates whether they were looted by the Nazis.
The works – part of a collection at the Kunsthaus Zurich museum – are by some of the world’s most acclaimed artists, including Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh.
There have long been suspicions about the provenance of works in the Emil Bührle Collection – named after a German-born arms dealer who made his fortune during World War Two by making and selling weapons to the Nazis.
The decision to remove the paintings comes following the publication of new guidelines aimed at dealing with the large number of cultural works that have still not been returned to the families they were stolen from.
The artworks that are under investigation are: Jardin de Monet à Giverny by Claude Monet, Portrait of the Sculptor Louis-Joseph by Gustave Courbet, Georges-Henri Manuel by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, The Old Tower by Vincent van Gogh, and La route montante by Paul Gauguin.
The foundation board for the Emil Buhrle Collection said in a statement it was “committed to seeking a fair and equitable solution for these works with the legal successors of the former owners, following best practices”.
A sixth work in the collection, La Sultane by Edouard Manet, has also come under further scrutiny but the foundation said it did not believe the new guidelines applied to it and that the painting would be considered separately.
“Due to the overall historical circumstances relating to the sale, the Foundation is prepared to offer a financial contribution to the estate of Max Silberberg in respect to the tragic destiny of the former owner,” it said.
Silberberg was a German Jewish industrialist whose extensive art collection was sold at forced auctions by the Nazis. It is thought he was murdered at the Auschwitz Nazi death camp during the Holocaust.
According to the Neue Zürcher Zeitung newspaper, there has been debate about whether Silberberg was forced to sell La Sultane or whether he freely did so for financial reasons.

More than 20 countries, including Switzerland, agreed earlier this year to new best practices from the US State Department about how to deal with Nazi-looted art.
They were issued to mark the 25th anniversary of the 1998 Washington Conference Principles, which laid out a set of principles aimed at making restitution for items that were either stolen or forcibly sold.
The principles are an important recourse for families seeking to recover looted art as, under Swiss law, no legal claims for restitution or compensation can be made today for works from the Bührle collection due to statutes of limitations.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6pp6qv6jjyo

The Sperminator has 165 reasons — and counting — to celebrate this Father’s Day.

Ari Nagel, a 48-year-old Brooklynite, welcomed his 165th child into the world on Wednesday — but will soon retire from spreading his seed, he told The Post.

“I’ll stop when I’m 50,” Nagel, who will turn 49 in August, told The Post.

“Physically I can keep going, but there may be increased risks for things like autism with older males,” he explained via text from a cruise ship in the Bahamas, where he was vacationing with his first son, 20-year-old Tyler, and child No. 33, his 7-year-old daughter Topaz.

But for now, the six-foot-two prolific Kingsborough Community College math professor is celebrating his latest baby, who was birthed by a woman in Connecticut.

“It was that mom’s fourth child with me,” Nagel boasted.

“I have 10 women currently pregnant in the US, Canada, Asia, Africa and Europe … Zimbabwe and Long Island are due in July, Israel and Queens are due in August,” he crowed, adding that one of his baby mamas, a woman in France, is expected to pop at any moment.

Nagel, who shot to fame in The Post eight years ago, still hands over sperm samples to one or two aspiring mothers per week, he said, sometimes through clinics and other times in face-to-face, but non-sexual, meetings.

When he’s not growing his progeny, he vowed to “try to be a better father to my 175 children” – 34 of whom he hasn’t met yet.

“I’ll never be able to be as good of a dad to my kids as my father was to me,” lamented Nagel, who grew up in an Orthodox Jewish home in upstate Monsey alongside two sisters and four brothers.

“Having lots of kids can bring a lot of happiness and joy into your life, [but] I don’t suggest 175,” he said.

However, the Sperminator said he sees many of his sons and daughters often – mostly the 56 who live in New York, the 20 in New Jersey and the 13 in Connecticut.

“Some moms don’t want me to play a role, but I leave them the option if they change their mind, and most do once the child gets a little older and starts asking questions,” he said.

Still, he keeps a spreadsheet with the names, birthdays, addresses and phone numbers of each offspring – and plasters any pictures he has of them around his Kingsborough office.

The photos – which cover nearly every inch of wall space in the room – depict little infants cooing in their carseats, small uniformed children posing for school pictures, and Nagel playing with and snuggling various kids.

After his Sunday morning return to Brooklyn from the Bahamas, Nagel expects that he and a handful of his kids, along with their mothers, will go to the Bronx Zoo, like they did last year on Father’s Day.

Additionally, “I will receive many cards and gifts,” he said.

Source: https://nypost.com/2024/06/15/us-news/sperminator-ari-nagel-welcomes-165th-child-ahead-of-fathers-day/

Life in the Inflated Apple got you down?

According to a new study, the most affordable city in the country is barely a half day’s drive away — hours closer to home comforts than the current hotspots popular with fleeing New Yorkers.

Say hello — and maybe move to — Pittsburgh.

Currently boasting a median house price of $274,900, the mostly-former steel town remains comfortable with its blue collar roots, while also leaning into a uniquely quirky, artsy heritage — this is the birthplace of Andy Warhol and a training ground for a young Keith Haring, home of Fred “Mister” Rogers and the backdrop for the 1980s gauzy teen dream, “Flashdance.”

According to Pittsburgh Planner, a web site dedicated to helping prospective newcomers understand the city, some highlights of living in the home of Perry Como, Carnegie-Mellon University and the the chipped chopped ham sandwich include neighborhoods that are “walkable, dense, and dynamic,” resulting in a “big city that lives like a small town.”

The surprising nod to the country’s 25th largest consolidated metro area was published in the 2024 edition of the Demographia International Housing Affordability report.

Produced jointly by the Chapman University Center for Demographics and Policy and The Frontier Centre for Public Policy, the respected research paper assesses the accessibility to housing in 94 major metropolitan regions across eight wealthy countries — Australia, Canada, China, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, United Kingdom and the United States.

But while a visiting New Yorker might be astonished to see how far a couple of million dollars can take you housing-wise, Pittsburgh is far from immune from the housing affordability issues facing most other cities in the US, the report stated.

In fact, the study’s authors go so far as to classify Pittsburgh as “moderately unaffordable. “

The median listing home price is currently veering towards $300,000 at a rate of 4.9% year-over-year, according to Realtor.com.

The rise comes as the region, famous for pivoting from steel to education, healthcare and technology in the past, is in fact struggling to level up once again, according to Alan Berube, director of Brookings Metro at the Brookings Institution think tank.

Berube pointed out, by way of example, that the metro region ranks at rock bottom for overall job growth, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

“The region’s top-flight research assets are not yet yielding top-flight job creation and inclusive growth,” he said. “The full promise of Pittsburgh’s next economy … remains unrealized.”

Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the list, Gotham ranked at a predictably pricey 77 out of a list of 94 cities, but still cheaper than other global heavyweights like London, Toronto and Sydney.

Source: https://nypost.com/2024/06/15/real-estate/pittsburgh-ranked-the-most-affordable-city-in-the-us/

A bloodthirsty gunman opened fire on innocent kids enjoying a Michigan splash pad Saturday before being cornered by cops in a nearby home and killing himself, police said.

The unidentified suspect unloaded 28 gunshots at the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad in Rochester Hills around 5 p.m. on what marked the end of the first full week of summer vacation for public school students.

“It appears like the individual pulled up, exited a vehicle, approached the splash pad, opened fire, reloaded, opened fire, reloaded, left,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard told reporters.

Eight people were injured in the gunfire — down from the 10 victims police initially reported before checking in with area hospitals.

At least three of the victims come from one family — an 8-year-old boy was shot in the head and is in critical condition while his brother, 4, suffered a shot to the thigh, Bouchard said.

A 39-year-old woman related to the boys sustained gunshot wounds to her abdomen and legs and also is in critical condition, he added.

The other six victims were all aged 30 and older, including a husband-and-wife couple and a 78-year-old man. All were in stable condition.

Police described the suspect as a 42-year-old man. He had no criminal history, but is suspected to have mental health issues, Detroit News reported.

The gunman was “apparently in no rush. Just calmly walked back to his car,” the sheriff said.

“It appears very random. No connectivity to the victims,” Bouchard said, calling the incident “a gut punch” for the country.

Police cordoned off the scene of the shooting with tape, and dozens of yellow evidence markers lay on the ground among colorful folding chairs.

Officials also recovered a handgun and three empty magazines at the attack scene, according to the sheriff.

Police tracked the suspect to a nearby home, where they had a brief standoff with police. They sent a drone inside the home before storming the house to find the suspect was dead.

Rochester City Mayor Bryan Barnett said the suspect died from a “self-inflicted gunshot wound” during the standoff, but would not comment on a potential motive.

According to cops, the gunman had a semiautomatic rifle and another handgun inside the home, meaning the quick containment may have prevented a “second chapter” to the shooting, Bouchard said.

The victims’ conditions are unknown.

“I’ve received calls from the White House, the Governor, most of our congressional delegation and mayors from across the county,” Barnett said in a statement. “This is a horrible scene that has been repeated too many times across our country….unfortunately touching our city today.

Source: https://nypost.com/2024/06/15/us-news/at-least-5-shot-at-michigan-water-park-in-active-shooter-situation/

A video has gone viral showing Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni looking not too thrilled about shaking the hand of French President Emmanuel Macron during the G-7 summit in Italy.

The video clip from Friday shows Macron going down a line, shaking the hands of Italian President Sergio Mattarella and his daughter, first lady of Italy Laura Mattarella, before arriving at Meloni.

As Macron makes his way down the line, Meloni can be seen giving a frosty “death stare” at Macron. When the French leader arrives, she appears to force a smile as the two shake hands.

The exchange came after the two leaders clashed over the use of the word “abortion” in the G-7 statement. Meloni’s government had sought to water down references to abortion in the final statement issued by all the G-7 nations at the end of the summit.

The final statement, released Friday, omits the word “abortion” but does reference the need to promote “reproductive health and rights.”

Macron said that he regretted the decision, telling an Italian reporter on Thursday, “It’s not a vision that’s shared across all the political spectrum.”

“I regret it, but I respect it because it was the sovereign choice of your people,” Macron said.

Meloni told reporters Saturday that a suspected row with Macron had been blown out of proportion.

Meloni, who in 2022 became Italy’s first female Prime Minister, campaigned with the slogan of “God, fatherland, and family.” She has prioritized encouraging women to have babies to reverse Italy’s demographic crisis.

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/world/italian-pm-meloni-gives-frances-macron-death-stare-clash-g7-statement

EIGHT Israeli soldiers have been killed in a blast in the Gaza Strip as forces continue to push in and around the southern city of Rafah.

The Israeli troops were all killed inside an armoured personnel carrier during an ambush by Hamas fighters, the military said.

The IDF convoy was returning back from an overnight offensive on Hamas in which they killed some 50 gunmen when the terror group ambushed the soldiers.

One of the vehicles was hit by a major explosion, killing and wounding the Israeli troops on board.

It was not immediately clear if the bomb was planted under the tank ahead of time or if Hamas fighters placed the explosive device during the surprise attack, the Times of Israel reported.

It’s also being investigated whether explosives stored on the outside of the CEV contributed to the massive blast.

There was no gunfire at the time of the incident and the vehicle had been on the move.

It marks the deadliest incident for the IDF in the Strip since January when 21 soldiers were killed in an explosion.

Reacting to the deaths of eight IDF servicemen, Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his condolences.

He called the loss of the forces the “heartbreaking price in our just war of the defence of the homeland” but added that “despite the heavy and staggering cost, we must stick to the goals of the war.”

Troops have been advancing in the area for weeks, with shells landing in the coastal area where thousands of displaced Palestinians have taken refuge.

A ceasefire deal between the two sides has been stalled for some time despite growing international pressure to bring the war to an end.

Israel has also struck several areas of Gaza where at least 19 Palestinians were killed as a result.

Four others died in separate attacks in the south, according to medics.

The IDF on Saturday said they uncovered a huge amount of weapons both above ground and hidden inside the tunnel network built by Hamas.

It claimed militants had on Friday fired five rockets from the humanitarian area in Central Gaza, with two falling in open areas in Israel and three falling short in Gaza.

“This is a further example of the cynical exploitation of humanitarian infrastructure and the civilian population as human shields by terror organisations in the Gaza Strip for their terrorist attacks,” the military said.

The Islamic Jihad armed wing, Al-Quds Brigades, said Israeli hostages would only be released after the IDF pulled out from the area.

In a video posted on Telegram, a spokesman for Al-Quds Brigades made the demands to end the war in return for hostages.

Islamic Jihad is a smaller ally of Hamas, which led a rampage in southern Israel on October 7 in which 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel says there are still around 100 hostages trapped in Gaza, alongside the bodies of a 30 more.

Since a week-long truce in November, which saw a number of hostages released, ceasefire talks have broken down on several occasions.

The terror squad has previously asked for a permanent ceasefire which would see the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from populated areas in Gaza like the besieged city of Rafah.

Source: https://www.the-sun.com/news/11638162/eight-israeli-soldiers-killed-rafah-hamas/

The Israeli military on Sunday announced a “tactical pause” in its offensive in the southern Gaza Strip to allow the deliveries of increased quantities of humanitarian aid.

The army said the pause would begin in the Rafah area at 8 a.m. (0500 GMT, 1 a.m. eastern) and remain in effect until 7 p.m. (1600 GMT, noon eastern). It said the pauses would take place every day until further notice.

The pause is aimed at allowing aid trucks to reach the nearby Israel-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing, the main entry point for incoming aid, and travel safely to the Salah a-Din highway, a main north-south road, to deliver supplies to other parts of Gaza, the military said. It said the pause was being coordinated with the U.N. and international aid agencies.

The crossing has suffered from a bottleneck since Israeli ground troops moved into Rafah in early May.

Israel’s eight-month military offensive against the Hamas militant group has plunged Gaza into a humanitarian crisis, with the U.N. reporting widespread hunger and hundreds of thousands of people on the brink of famine. The international community has urged Israel to do more to ease the crunch.

From May 6 until June 6, the U.N. received an average of 68 trucks of aid a day, according to figures from the U.N. humanitarian office, known as OCHA. That was down from 168 a day in April and far below the 500 trucks a day that aid groups say are needed.

The flow of aid in southern Gaza declined just as the humanitarian need grew. More than 1 million Palestinians, many of whom had already been displaced, fled Rafah after the invasion, crowding into other parts of southern and central Gaza. Most now languish in ramshackle tent camps, using trenches as latrines, with open sewage in the streets.

COGAT, the Israeli military body that oversees aid distribution in Gaza, says there are no restrictions on the entry of trucks. It says more than 8,600 trucks of all kinds, both aid and commercial, entered Gaza from all crossings from May 2 to June 13, an average of 201 a day. But much of that aid has piled up at the crossings and not reached its final destination.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-un-humanitarian-8c111f2dcf783f8671e6dd6f19547b17

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. — Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump announced Friday from behind a podium in a Detroit suburb that she and the RNC are working to raise a veritable army of “over 100,000 poll watchers and over 500 lawyers” to “deploy” at election sites across the country in November.

These volunteers will have three missions: Watch people vote, watch people count votes, and sue anybody who gets in the way.

“I believe if we have a free, fair and transparent election that there’s no question we’ll all be going to bed early on November 5,” she said.

“And we’ll go to bed knowing Donald Trump is our next president.”

Lara Trump’s vision is to have people “in the room” whenever votes are being counted or cast.

The former president’s daughter-in-law also envisions teams upon teams of (surprisingly free) volunteer lawyers that can respond to any resistance from poll officials on the ground with “quick and effective” litigation.

Following her remarks — which were full of militaristic language such as “deploy” and “battleground” — the assembled volunteers (around 75 in total) began “training” as potential poll watchers.

The press was not allowed to view the training, The Post’s request to view training materials was declined.

“Our people will be taught to be respectful and non-threateninng, but to also follow the law,” said RNC co-chair Michael Whatley.

“Our biggest goals this year with the Trump campaign are to get out the vote and protect the ballot.”

The crowd seemed to appreciate the sentiments.

“I’m convinced that the election was stolen in 2020 . . . and I genuinely think if Joe Biden wins this one we will be heading towards World War Three,” one attendee told The Post.

“This isn’t just about protecting our votes, it’s about protecting our families.”

Matthew, another potential poll watcher, identified himself as a member of Trump Force — a local group that tries to register voters and increase awareness of voter fraud.

He spoke a similar refrain.

“I’m forced to be here,” he told The Post.

“I’ve gotta be here for my family’s sake.”

The wheels are now in motion for what could end up becoming one of the largest-ever voter-engagement campaigns.

It may also cause trouble.

When asked after the event if these efforts could discourage people from voting at all or lead to violence at polling sites, Trump was unconcerned.

“Anyone who comes to these trainings will see and hear the lengths we are going to to ensure freedom, fairness and safety,” she told reporters.

Source: https://nypost.com/2024/06/14/us-news/lara-trump-is-building-an-army-of-100000-poll-watchers-and-over-500-lawyers-to-deploy-across-america-in-november/

The ban, spearheaded by the Scottish Greens, extends to commercial flights, all SUVs including electric ones, and cruise ships.

Edinburgh City Council has banned adverts for fossil fuel-powered cars and exotic holidays on council-owned spaces.

The prohibition, led by the Scottish Greens, also includes a ban on advertising commercial flights, all sports utility vehicles (SUVs), even those that are electric, and cruise ships.

However, the local authority drew the line at banning meat product promotions, considering such a move “highly controversial”.

Additionally, the council will not entertain sponsorship partnerships with fossil fuel companies and arms manufacturers on its advertising platforms.

This initiative to eliminate high-carbon advertising and sponsorship is in line with Sheffield City Council’s policy from March, aiming to influence consumer behaviour towards more sustainable choices.

Officials argue that allowing such adverts could compromise the city’s efforts to cut carbon emissions.

The council emphasises the need for society to change its perception of success to meet net zero targets, highlighting the influential role of advertising in encouraging low-carbon lifestyles.

The Scottish Greens have hailed the decision as “basic common sense”.

Source: https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/edinburgh-council-advert-ban-suvs-32923594?int_source=amp_continue_reading&int_medium=amp&int_campaign=continue_reading_button#amp-readmore-target

Lara Trump, the co-Chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC) and former President Trump’s daughter-in-law, promised Friday to prosecute anyone who cheats in an election, threatening “we will track you down.”

“This year is the year we do it,” Lara Trump said at Turning Point USA’s Detroit convention. “We are also sending a loud and clear message out there to anyone who thinks about cheating in an election, we will find you, we will track you down and we will prosecute you to the full extent of the law.”

Lara Trump and other RNC officials kicked off a massive effort to mobilize thousands of “election integrity” watchdogs to monitor every step of the election process, create hotlines for poll watchers to report perceived problems and escalate those problems through legal action. The initiative immediately drew concerns that it will lead to the harassment of election workers, The Associated Press reported.

“What we need to ensure is integrity in our electoral process,” Lara Trump said at the event hosted in a critical county in Michigan. “We can never go back and repeat 2020, but we can learn the lessons from 2020.”

Her father-in-law, Trump, has continued to refuse to accept the results of the 2020 presidential election and he and his allies have spread false claims of voter fraud, resulting in immediate legal battles after the election and being prosecuted in the years since.

Trump allies already have signaled that he might not accept the results of this year’s election if he loses to President Biden.

Lara Trump also refuses to accept her father-in-law’s 2020 loss. In an April interview with CNN shortly after accepting the RNC position, she claimed Democrats committed “massive fraud” in the 2020 election.

Source: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4723719-lara-trump-vows-to-prosecute-anyone-who-cheats-in-an-election-we-will-track-you-down/

The Prime Minister has been given a top-secret briefing after a Russian nuclear submarine was identified off the coast of Scotland.

It comes as President Vladimir Putin vowed to “punish” the West for giving Ukraine long-term missiles and ­a £40billion loan using frozen Russian assets.

Kazan, a state-of the art Yasen-class submarine, was detected on June 5 after an RAF Poseidon P8 anti-submarine aircraft dropped sonar buoys used to detect subsurface activity at depth.

An RAF maritime surveillance plane tracked the sub as it headed up the west coast of Ireland to Scotland, passing close to Britain’s nuclear naval base at Faslane. Military commanders feared the loitering 13,800-tonne vessel was probing for weaknesses on NATO’s extreme flank.

News of the Russian vessel’s location was passed to the Permanent Joint Headquarters in Northwood, with both the Prime Minister and Defence Secretary informed, the Express can exclusively reveal.

Kazan was expected to go to Venezuela before landing in Commonwealth nation Guyana where Royal Navy patrol ship HMS Trent was recently deployed as a show of support against increasing border belligerence by Russia-supporting Venezuela.

The Russian president has reacted with fury at the provision of American Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) rockets to Ukraine and a loan.

In a briefing last week, Julianne Smith, the US NATO Ambassador, said Washington DC may review its policy of not allowing the ATACMS to target mainland Russia, adding: “We will continue to assess and adapt to Ukraine’s ever-evolving needs.”

On Friday members of the G7 agreed to the £40billion loan, to be financed by interest accruing from frozen Russian assets in the West.

Around £240billion in assets from Russia’s central bank was frozen as part of Western sanctions shortly after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Sources say the deal was struck so Ukraine could be assured of enough funds in the event the US Congress once again held up aid under a Donald Trump presidency.

US President Joe Biden also signed a 10-year security pact with Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky.

Source: https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1911666/russian-submarine-spotted-scotland

The Princess of Wales looked relaxed as she and her family were cheered by crowds as they travelled along The Mall and later on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

The Princess of Wales joined the Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the Trooping the Colour flypast – after making her first public appearance since the announcement of her cancer diagnosis.

Kate, 42, wearing a pale outfit, was earlier pictured arriving at Buckingham Palace in a car sat alongside her children and her husband the Prince of Wales ahead of the event to celebrate the King’s official birthday.

The princess, who has been receiving treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer since late February, and her three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, were cheered by crowds along The Mall as they left the palace in a carriage for the ceremony.

The future queen looked relaxed as she travelled along one of London’s most famous thoroughfares with her family in a carriage.

She could be seen smiling and talking to her children in the carriage before they arrived at Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall.

William rode on horseback for the procession, alongside the Princess Royal, and the Duke of Edinburgh.

The King, who is also undergoing cancer treatment, rode in a carriage with the Queen, a departure from last year because of his illness, and inspected the officers and guardsmen from the coach rather than from a horse.

When the royal carriages finally came to a stop, Louis was the first to leave, followed by his elder brother George, and sister Charlotte.

Finally, Kate stepped down wearing a Jenny Packham dress, hat by Philip Treacy, and the Irish Guards Regimental Brooch, as she is the regiment’s colonel.

In another change from last year, Kate did not join senior family members on a dais, but watched the military spectacle – also known as the Birthday Parade – from a balcony in the Duke of Wellington’s former office with her children.

Prince Louis, six, at one point seemed to be distracted by a blind cord and was seen yawning while watching the parade before dancing along during the quick march of the Scots Guards to Highland Laddie.

Heavy rain began to fall as the royal procession made its way back to Buckingham Palace but the King and Queen, as well as Kate and her children, were protected from the downpour in their covered carriage.

Princess Charlotte, nine, smiled and waved enthusiastically to the crowds who braved the weather, while her brothers also smiled and waved to the sea of umbrellas along The Mall.

A 41-gun salute was then fired by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery in nearby Green Park before Kate and her family joined the King and Queen, as well as other royals, on the Buckingham Palace balcony to watch the RAF flypast.

They smiled and waved to the cheering crowds before standing proudly as the national anthem was played, with the flypast ending with the Red Arrows trailing their trademark red, white and blue colours.

Ahead of the event, Kate said: “I’m looking forward to attending the King’s Birthday Parade this weekend with my family and hope to join a few public engagements over the summer, but equally knowing I am not out of the woods yet.

“I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty.

“Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal.”

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/kate-takes-part-in-trooping-the-colour-procession-her-first-public-event-since-her-cancer-diagnosis-13153385

There will be no opening statements. President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump will each have two minutes to answer questions — followed by one-minute rebuttals and responses to the rebuttals. Red lights visible to the candidates will flash when they have five seconds left, and turn solid red when time has expired. And each man’s microphone will be muted when it is not his turn to speak.

The candidates will get a breather during two commercial breaks, according to debate rules provided by CNN to the campaigns and reviewed by The New York Times, but they will be barred from huddling with advisers while off the air.

The first presidential debate of the 2024 cycle is less than two weeks away, and both campaigns are racing to prepare for the first showdown sponsored directly by a television network in more than a generation. The 90-minute contest in Atlanta on June 27 is circled as one of the most consequential moments on this year’s campaign calendar, as Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump will outline their sharply contrasting visions for the nation, appearing together for the first time since their last debate, in October 2020.

The two men are readying themselves for the debate in ways almost as different as their approaches to the presidency itself. The Biden operation is blocking off much of the final week before the debate, after he returns from Europe and a California fund-raising swing, for structured preparations. Mr. Trump has long preferred looser conversations, batting around themes, ideas and one-liners more informally among advisers. He held one session at the Republican National Committee headquarters this past week.

Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden plainly do not like each other. The former president calls the current president the worst in American history. The current president calls his predecessor a wannabe dictator who threatens democracy itself. Four years ago, in their first encounter, Mr. Trump trampled over his rival’s talking time — the former president has since admitted privately that he was too aggressive — with Mr. Biden scolding him, “Will you shut up, man?”

The rules circulated by CNN warn that this time, “moderators will use all tools at their disposal to enforce timing and ensure a civilized discussion.”

And then there is this: “Microphones will be muted throughout the debate except for the candidate designated to speak.” It is not clear how muted microphones will work in practice — whether the types of memorable moments (Al Gore’s sighs or Barack Obama’s “you’re likable enough” aside to Hillary Clinton) that have defined past debates will be lost entirely.

The candidates will appear without a live audience and at lecterns determined by a coin flip.

The unusually deep personal animosity between the two men is both an X factor for the debate and a key consideration for their strategies. The Trump campaign thinks a winning approach is exposing Biden being Biden; the Biden campaign sees a winning debate as letting Trump be Trump.

Both men will be rusty. Neither has debated since their last clash in 2020, the longest drought since general-election debates became a regular part of American campaigns in 1976.

For Mr. Biden, the preparation process will be overseen by Ron Klain, his first White House chief of staff, who filled the same role for his 2020 debates and his 2012 vice-presidential debate. Mr. Klain compiles what topics are likely to come up and what prospective answers could be, according to people who have been involved in past planning sessions.

Bruce Reed, the White House deputy chief of staff, has in recent weeks been collecting materials on the two candidates’ policy contrasts for Mr. Biden to study. If past is prologue, Mr. Biden will use the early meetings to hash out how he wants to answer various questions. In later sessions, he is expected to rehearse with a stand-in opponent.

In 2020, Bob Bauer, a Democratic lawyer who has served as Mr. Biden’s personal lawyer and is married to Anita Dunn, a top White House adviser, played the role of Mr. Trump; it is unclear if he will do so again in 2024.

“The goal is no surprises,” said Kate Bedingfield, a former White House communications director who was involved in Mr. Biden’s 2020 debate preparations. “In some ways, you have to be prepared for the unimaginable. So the aim of the process is to acclimate President Biden to the idea that some really awful things may come out of Donald Trump’s mouth.”

One major question is whether Mr. Trump brings up Hunter Biden, the president’s son, whom Mr. Trump went after in 2020 and who was just convicted on felony gun charges. Another is how Mr. Biden addresses the fact that Mr. Trump himself is now a felon, convicted in New York of falsifying business records to cover up a sex scandal that threatened his 2016 campaign.

Mr. Klain has long worked to prepare Mr. Biden for attacks on his family. In 2012, when Mr. Klain ran Mr. Biden’s vice-presidential debate preparations, Chris Van Hollen, at the time a Maryland congressman who was playing the role of Paul Ryan, was asked to make a series of personal digs.

“You have to prepare for someone who is going to hit below the belt,” said Mr. Van Hollen, now a U.S. senator. “In that earlier debate with Paul Ryan, it was a low probability. In this case, it is 100 percent that Donald Trump will hit below the belt.”

For his part, Mr. Trump has never consented to anything resembling traditional, rigorous debate preparation, and this election appears no exception. He has often said that he is at his best when improvising.

“He views his rallies as debate prep,” said Marc Lotter, who was an aide on Mr. Trump’s 2020 campaign and now works for a conservative nonprofit group. The challenge for Mr. Trump, Mr. Lotter said, will be to tighten answers to a time limit. “If they’re literally going to cut your mic, you’ve got to hit your marks,” he said.

Often, campaigns spend the run-up to debates puffing up their opponents and their debating skills. But Mr. Trump’s relentless accusations that Mr. Biden is mentally diminished have only dampened expectations for the president.

Mr. Trump’s close inner circle has so far engaged in fairly limited debate preparation, including the recent meeting at the Republican National Committee headquarters, which included Senator Marco Rubio of Florida and Senator Eric Schmitt of Missouri.

Jason Miller, a senior Trump adviser who has taken a leading role in organizing the discussions, said that Mr. Trump’s speeches demonstrated “elite stamina” and that the former president “does not need to be programmed by staff.”

Mr. Trump’s aides are not expected to hold formal role-playing sessions that replicate the debate and include somebody acting as Mr. Biden.

“We have conversations,” Chris LaCivita, one of Mr. Trump’s campaign managers, explained to reporters this month in Las Vegas. Asked who might stand in for the role of the president, he replied, “Joe Biden is going to play Joe Biden.”

Mr. Trump has argued that he is taking on not just Mr. Biden but also a television network in CNN that he says is hostile to him. “CNN is the enemy,” he said on a podcast this past week, mocking one of the two moderators, Jake Tapper, as “Fake Tapper.” (Mr. Tapper will be joined by Dana Bash.) Still, he predicted the network would be “as fair as they can be.”

The Biden team has made clear what topics it would like the moderators to focus on. In a “road to Atlanta” memo last month, Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, the president’s campaign chair, wrote that he wanted to talk about abortion, democracy and some of the specifics of Mr. Trump’s economic plans, including tax cuts for wealthier Americans.

Mr. Trump’s team believes he will have one key advantage that he did not have four years ago: an unpopular Biden record to attack. Mr. Trump wants to focus on inflation, the fact that major conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza began during Mr. Biden’s tenure and record border crossings that the former president blames for domestic crime.

The 90 minutes of debate time will begin, according to the rules circulated by CNN, once the first question is answered. Up to five minutes are designated per question: two minutes for the opening answer, a one-minute rebuttal, a one-minute response to the rebuttal and an extra minute to be used at the discretion of the moderators. Each candidate will also be allowed a two-minute closing statement.

Mr. Biden’s team believes it has already won a major victory by persuading the Trump campaign to agree to move the first debate to late June from September. The Biden campaign believes that once voters fully grapple with the prospect of a return to power by Mr. Trump, Mr. Biden’s lagging poll numbers will improve.

Source: https://dnyuz.com/2024/06/15/trump-biden-and-cnn-prepare-for-a-hostile-debate-with-muted-mics/

The AtmosFEAR ride, which opened in 2021, operates like a pendulum, with the capacity to swing riders completely upside down.

Firefighters rescued 28 people who were stuck dangling 100ft upside down on a ride at an amusement park in Oregon.

One person with a pre-existing medical condition was taken to hospital as a precaution after the AtmosFEAR ride stopped, Oaks Amusement Park, in Portland, said in a statement posted on social media.

However, they said no one was injured in the incident.

Chris Ryan said he and his wife, who were at the park for his birthday were just about to go on the ride – which operates like a pendulum, with the capacity to swing riders completely upside down – when they saw it was stuck.

He heard people saying: “Oh my God, they are upside down.” He said they decided to walk away because of “how scary the situation was”.

They eventually got on a Ferris wheel and heard a loudspeaker announcement that the park was closed and that people should evacuate.

Portland Fire and Rescue said on X that firefighters worked with engineers at Oaks Park, which first opened in 1905, to manually lower the ride, but that crews had been preparing to conduct a high-angle ropes rescue if necessary.

When the ride stopped, park staff immediately called the emergency services, who arrived around 25 minutes later.

Maintenance workers were then able to return the ride to its unloading position minutes later, the park said in a statement.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/firefighters-rescue-28-people-stuck-upside-down-on-oregon-ride-13153377

The TV chef, 57, referred to himself as “looking like a purple potato” and warned his followers to “wear a helmet” in a message on social media for Father’s Day.

Gordon Ramsay has said he is “lucky to be alive” after a “really bad accident” riding his bike in the US.

The TV chef, 57, warned his 7.6 million followers on X and 17 million on Instagram to “wear a helmet” after the incident in Connecticut this week.

He thanked the “incredible trauma surgeons, doctors, and nurses” at the state’s private Lawrence and Memorial Hospital, but said he is “most thankful for my helmet that saved my life”.

In a graphic video, he revealed a huge bruise covering much of his torso and said: “I’m lucky to be standing here.

“I am in pain, it’s been a brutal week, but I am sort of getting through it.”

Hamid Nouri was convicted in Stockholm in 2019 of committing war crimes over his part in 1988 mass executions in Iran.

Sweden has released a convicted Iranian war criminal as part of a prisoner swap deal.

Tehran and Stockholm carried out the switch, which saw a European Union diplomat and another man released in exchange for Hamid Nouri, who was found guilty of being complicit in the 1988 mass executions in the Islamic Republic.

Nouri was arrested in 2019 as he travelled in Sweden as a tourist.

This likely prompted the detention of the two Swedes, part of a long-running strategy by Iran to use those with ties abroad as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West.

While Iranian state television claimed that Nouri had been “illegally detained”, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said diplomat Johan Floderus and a second Swedish citizen, Saeed Azizi, had been facing a “hell on earth”.

“Iran has made these Swedes pawns in a cynical negotiation game with the aim of getting the Iranian citizen Hamid Nouri released from Sweden,” Mr Kristersson said on Saturday.

“It has been clear all along that this operation would require difficult decisions – now the government has made those decisions.”

State TV showed film of Nouri limping off a plane at Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran and embracing his family.

“I am Hamid Nouri. I am in Iran,” he said. “God makes me free.”

Oman mediated the release, its state-run news agency reported.

In 2022, the Stockholm District Court sentenced Nouri to life in prison.

It identified him as an assistant to the deputy prosecutor at the Gohardasht prison outside the Iranian city of Karaj.

The 1988 mass executions came at the end of Iran’s long war with Iraq.

After Iran’s then Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini accepted a United Nations-brokered ceasefire, members of the Iranian opposition group Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, backed by Saddam Hussein, stormed across the Iranian border in a surprise attack.

Iran ultimately blunted their assault but the attack set the stage for the sham retrials of political prisoners, militants and others that would become known as “death commissions”.

International rights groups estimate that as many as 5,000 people were executed. Iran has never fully acknowledged the executions, apparently carried out on Mr Khomeini’s orders, though some argue that other top officials were effectively in charge in the months before his 1989 death.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/iranian-war-criminal-freed-by-sweden-in-prisoner-swap-deal-13153763

Pollsters say the Tories are heading for “electoral extinction” with Reform UK also rising up the ranks.

Two polls spell bad news for Rishi Sunak, with one showing a drop of four points and the other that his party is on course to pick up just 72 seats.

A poll by Savanta for The Sunday Telegraph showed the Tories down four points to just 21% of the vote – the lowest by that pollster since the dying days of Theresa May’s premiership in early 2019.

In a boost for Nigel Farage, the poll showed Reform UK up three points with 13% of the vote.

A separate Survation poll for Best for Britain, published by The Sunday Times, predicted the Tories would win just 72 seats in the next parliament, compared with 456 for Labour.

The result would give Labour a majority of 262 seats – far surpassing the landslide Labour achieved by Sir Tony Blair in 1997 – while the Liberal Democrats would pick up 56 seats, Reform seven and the Greens one seat.

The Savanta poll, which was carried out from 12-14 June and involved 2,045 adults aged 18 and over, also showed Labour up two points on 46% of the vote.

Chris Hopkins, political research director at Savanta, said the poll pointed to “nothing short of electoral extinction for the Conservative Party”.

“The hopes of Conservative candidates are being shot to pieces by poll after poll showing the Conservative Party in increasingly dire straits – and we’re only halfway through the campaign,” he said.

“There’s a real sense that things could still get worse for the Conservatives, and with postal votes about to drop through millions of letterboxes, time is already close to running out for Rishi Sunak.”

The two surveys follow a YouGov poll on Thursday night that put Nigel Farage’s party ahead of the Tories for the first time – on 19% of the vote, compared with 18% for the Conservatives.

The development prompted Mr Farage to declare Reform as the “opposition to Labour” going into the election.

Mr Sunak has repeatedly argued that a vote for Reform would “give a blank cheque to Labour” – something Mr Farage has dismissed.

Survation surveyed 22,000 people and the poll was conducted between 31 May and 13 June. On 4 June, early in the polling period, Mr Farage announced he was the new leader of Reform and would be standing as a candidate in Clacton, Essex,

The Survation results would mean that the Tories’ vote share would have halved from 44% in 2019 to just 24%, while Labour would have increased theirs from 32% to 40%.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/fresh-poll-predicts-tories-will-win-just-72-seats-in-next-parliament-13153645

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday declared unlawful a federal ban on “bump stock” devices that enable semiautomatic weapons to fire rapidly like machine guns, rejecting yet another firearms restriction – this time one enacted under Republican former President Donald Trump.
The justices, in a 6-3 ruling authored by conservative Justice Clarence Thomas, upheld a lower court’s decision siding with Michael Cargill, a gun shop owner and gun rights advocate from Austin, Texas, who challenged the ban by claiming that a U.S. agency improperly interpreted a federal law banning machine guns as extending to bump stocks. The conservative justices were in the majority, with the liberal justices dissenting.

The rule was imposed in 2019 by Trump’s administration after the devices were used during a 2017 mass shooting that killed 58 people at a Las Vegas country music festival.
Democratic President Joe Biden, whose administration defended the rule in court, said the decision “strikes down an important gun safety regulation.”
“Americans should not have to live in fear of this mass devastation,” Biden added, saying he has “used every tool in my administration to stamp out gun violence.”

The case centered on how the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), a U.S. Justice Department agency, interpreted a federal law called the National Firearms Act, which defined machine guns as weapons that can “automatically” fire more than one shot “by a single function of the trigger.”

“We hold that a semiautomatic rifle equipped with a bump stock is not a ‘machine gun’ because it cannot fire more than one shot ‘by a single function of the trigger,'” Thomas wrote. “And, even if it could, it would not do so ‘automatically.’ ATF therefore exceeded its statutory authority by issuing a rule that classifies bump stocks as machine guns.”

Federal law prohibits the sale or possession of machine guns, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Bump stocks use a semiautomatic’s recoil to allow it to slide back and forth while “bumping” the shooter’s trigger finger, resulting in rapid fire. Federal officials had said the rule was needed to protect public safety in a nation facing persistent firearms violence.

‘WALKS LIKE A DUCK’

In a dissent, liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that the ruling would have “deadly consequences,” saying the court’s majority cast aside the will of Congress to embrace an “artificially narrow definition” of a machine gun, allowing gun users and manufacturers to circumvent the law.

Sotomayor noted that the court’s majority accomplished this by focusing heavily on the internal mechanisms of the firearm and using “six diagrams and an animation” to reach its conclusion when bump stock-equipped firearms are clearly machine guns, Sotomayor said.

“When I see a bird that walks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, I call that bird a duck,” Sotomayor added.

After a gunman used weapons outfitted with bump stocks in the Las Vegas shooting spree that killed 58 people and wounded hundreds more, Trump’s administration prohibited the devices. In a reversal of the agency’s previous stance, the ATF decided that bump stocks were covered by the National Firearms Act.

Conservative Justice Samuel Alito wrote in a concurring opinion on Friday: “The horrible shooting spree in Las Vegas in 2017 did not change the statutory text or its meaning. That event demonstrated that a semiautomatic rifle with a bump stock can have the same lethal effect as a machine gun, and it thus strengthened the case for amending (existing law),” Alito said.

“Now that the situation is clear, Congress can act,” Alito added.

EXPANSIVE VIEW OF GUN RIGHTS

The Supreme Court, with its conservative majority, has taken an expansive view of gun rights, striking down gun restrictions in major cases in 2008, 2010 and in 2022. In that 2022 decision, it struck down New York state’s limits on carrying concealed handguns outside the home and set a tough new standard for determining the legality of gun regulations. Unlike those three cases, this one was not centered on the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.

Mark Chenoweth, president of the conservative legal group New Civil Liberties Alliance that represented Cargill, hailed the ruling.

“The statute Congress passed did not ban bump stocks, and ATF does not have the power to do so on its own,” Chenoweth said.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-supreme-court-backs-challenge-federal-ban-gun-bump-stocks-2024-06-14/

World leaders will join Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at a summit this weekend to explore ways of ending the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War Two, but Russia isn’t invited and the event will fall short of Kyiv’s aim of isolating Moscow.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, French President Emmanuel Macron and the leaders of Germany, Italy, Britain, Canada and Japan are among those set to attend the June 15-16 meeting at the Swiss mountaintop resort of Buergenstock.

India, which has helped Moscow survive the shock of economic sanctions, is expected to send a delegation. Turkey and Hungary, which similarly maintain cordial ties with Russia, will be represented by their foreign ministers.
But despite months of intense Ukrainian and Swiss lobbying, some others will not be there, most notably China, a key consumer of Russian oil and supplier of goods that help Moscow maintain its manufacturing base.

“This meeting is already a result,” Zelenskiy said in Berlin on Tuesday, while acknowledging the challenge of maintaining international support as the war, now well into its third year, grinds on.
Ninety-two countries and eight organisations will attend, Switzerland said. Organisers preparing a joint statement have battled to strike a balance between condemning Russia’s actions and securing as many participants as possible, diplomats say.

A final draft of the summit declaration refers to Russia’s “war” against Ukraine, and also underlines commitment to the U.N. charter and respect for international law, according to two people familiar with the document.
Participants not in agreement with the declaration have until the end of Friday to opt out, the sources said.
The Swiss foreign ministry declined to comment.
Switzerland wants the summit to pave the way for a “future peace process” in which Russia takes part – and to determine which country could take on the next phase.

Several diplomats said Saudi Arabia is among the favourites, with other Middle Eastern states also possible.
Zelenskiy visited Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to discuss the summit with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister will attend, Switzerland said.
‘FUTILE’
The idea of a summit was originally floated after Zelenskiy presented a 10-point peace plan in late 2022.
Ulrich Schmid, a political scientist and Eastern Europe expert at the University of St. Gallen, said the summit appeared to be “a mixed bag” so far, given the show of support from some quarters and China’s absence.
“Then the question arises: is peace actually doable?” Schmid added. “As long as (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is in power… it will be difficult.”
Putin said on Friday that Russia would cease fire and enter peace talks if Ukraine dropped its NATO ambitions and withdrew its forces from four Ukrainian regions claimed by Moscow. Kyiv has repeatedly said its territorial integrity is non-negotiable.
Russia, which sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, has described the idea of a summit to which it is not invited as “futile”.
Moscow casts its “special military operation” in Ukraine as part of a broader struggle with the West, which it says wants to bring Russia to its knees. Kyiv and the West say this is nonsense and accuse Russia of waging an illegal war of conquest.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-summit-attracts-world-leaders-fails-isolate-russia-2024-06-14/

Mexican president-elect Claudia Sheinbaum’s motorcade suffered an accident on Friday, her team said in a statement, leaving one person dead and several injured, though the car Sheinbaum was traveling in was not involved.
Sheinbaum stopped to check on the injured people, who were by then being attended to by emergency teams after the crash in Monclova, a city in northern Coahuila state, according to her team.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/mexican-president-elects-motorcade-suffers-accident-sheinbaum-fine-2024-06-14/

The G7 summit held in Italy concluded on Friday. World leaders discussed issues ranging from the war in Gaza to China’s miliary and economic actions. PM Modi, Vatican’s Pope Francis, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, leaders from Brazil and Argentina were also invited to the event hosted by Italian PM Giorgia Meloni.

The host country traditionally invites outside guests to join some of the sessions. The King of Jordan, leaders of Brazil, Argentina, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Algeria, Tunisia and Mauritania were also present at the event in Borgo Egnazia in the southern region of Puglia.

The summit will come to a close on Saturday. Here are a few talking points from the event: From Modi Mania to Biden’s gaffes.

1) Biden’s several gaffes:

The first day of the G7 summit was highlighted by several ‘Grandpa Joe’ slip ups. The US President was at one point seen wandering off a group photo session before being pulled in by Meloni. The 81-year-old also appeared to be saluting Zelenskyy and the Italian PM at different instances.

2) US-Ukraine agreement:

President Biden and Ukrainian leader Zelenskyy signed a 10-year security agreement Thursday that they hailed as a milestone in relations between their countries.

3) Pope Francis creates history:

The Vatican chief became the first pontiff to attend a G7 summit. He challenged leaders to keep human dignity foremost in developing and using artificial intelligence, warning that such powerful technology risks turning human relations themselves into mere algorithms.

4) Gaza, climate change, Iran, gender equality and China discussed:

G7 leaders discussed major topics, such as financial support for Ukraine, the war in Gaza, climate change, Iran, the situation in the Red Sea, gender equality and China’s industrial policy and economic security.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/world/g7-summit-highlights-from-bidens-gaffes-to-modi-mania-article-111013014

The ANC, which lost its parliamentary majority in a May election, has agreed to enter into a government of national unity with other parties.

Cyril Ramaphosa has been re-elected for a second five-year term as president of South Africa.

The result comes after his African National Congress (ANC) party struck a late coalition deal with the centre-right Democratic Alliance (DA), a former political foe, and smaller parties.

The ANC lost its controlling majority in last month’s election after ruling for 30 years since the end of apartheid.

It won just 40% of the vote, forcing Nelson Mandela’s legacy liberation movement to negotiate a power-sharing agreement with rival parties.

In a speech to parliament, Mr Ramaphosa, 71, praised the parties for coming together.

He said he was “humbled and honoured” to be elected again as president, which was a “big responsibility”.

“This is what we shall do and this is what I am committed to achieve as the president,” he added.

The deal marks the start of a new era in South African politics.

Following two weeks of intensive talks with opposition parties, Sihle Zikalala, a member of the ANC’s governing body, said in a post on X on Friday: “Today marks the beginning of a new era where we put our differences aside and unite for the betterment of all South Africans.”

John Steenhuisen, leader of the DA, said he was looking forward to working on “serving the people of the country and building a better future”.

“I think we get an opportunity today to write a new chapter for South Africa and that chapter I think we can make the best chapter ever. No party has got a majority. We are required to work together and we’re going to do it,” he added.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/south-africas-president-cyril-ramaphosa-re-elected-for-second-term-after-coalition-deal-13152943

North West celebrated another year older in the Big Apple!

Kim Kardashian went all out to celebrate her eldest daughter’s upcoming birthday, flying the tween and 10 of her closest friends out to New York City on Friday.

West, who turns 11 on Saturday, and her pals visited the iconic Serendipity3 in the Upper East Side, where they dined on chicken tenders, the restaurant’s famous frozen hot chocolate and ice cream sundaes.

The girls arrived at the celeb-loved hotspot wearing matching plaid pajamas with pink shirts that read, “I ❤️ NW” — a play on the city’s famous tourism slogan.

We’re told West snagged a few selfies in a special birthday tiara before everyone sang “Happy Birthday” while she blew out her candles.

It appears the group flew to NYC in Kardashian’s private plane; however, it’s unclear if they plan to spend the weekend there or just needed a frozen hot chocolate fix.

This isn’t the first time the mother of four has utilized Kim Air regarding her kids’ birthdays.

For West’s 9th birthday, the Skims founder flew her daughter and all her friends out of the city for a “spooky wilderness-themed” party, dubbed “Camp North.”

At the time, Kardashian shared photos of her private plane decked with decorations, including “Camp North” balloons and signs, faux log pillows and fake spiderwebs.

During the camping excursion, the girls tried zip-lining, rafting and inner tubing. They also played card games by the fire and tried their hand at shooting arrows during the jam-packed weekend.

As for their sleeping arrangements, each guest slept in their own tented bed decorated with deer heads and fake blood.

While some people slammed Kardashian for the over-the-top celebration, that didn’t stop the reality TV star from leveling up the following year when West hit double digits.

Source:https://pagesix.com/2024/06/14/parents/inside-north-wests-11th-birthday-trip-to-nyc-with-10-friends/

Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy held that even an isolated offence of sexual harassment at workplace that is grave and has caused constant trauma and fear for the victim, must be considered as a continuing offence.

In a significant ruling, the Madras High Court recently held that even an isolated offence of sexual harassment at the workplace must be considered as a ‘continuing offence’ if it is grave in nature and is causing constant trauma and fear in the victim’s mind.

Therefore, such an offence should not be barred by the six-month period of limitation mandated by Section 9 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act [PoSH Act], the Court said.

In an order passed on June 11, Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy said that in most cases of sexual harassment at the workplace, a complainant battles the dilemma of whether to risk making a complaint and face secondary victimisation by those around her or suppress such complaint and live under constant fear and trauma.

It might take the complainant a long time to finally muster up the courage to make a formal complaint and testify before the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) under the PoSH Act.

In the process, the complainant continues to suffer even after the incident of sexual harassment, the judge said.

“Therefore, in such cases where the alleged offence is a grave one, and has caused constant trauma and fear for the victim, the offence must be considered a continuing one, the judge said. Thus, when the offence complained of is a serious one having the effect of causing grave mental trauma and stress to the victim, pushing her to a dilemma not to reveal or complain due to the fear of secondary and tertiary victimization, on the other hand, she is also unable to withstand, swallow or suppress the same, then that state of the victim fits the definition of undergoing continuous sexual harassment. So long she undergoes such a phenomenon, the same is directly attributable only to the perpetrator and therefore would amount to a continuing offence. Such a phenomenon is not just the effect of the act, but is the injury itself,” the High Court said.

Other well-known faces given honours include Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden and singer Heather Small, while former prime minister Gordon Brown was awarded with the highest honour.

The King’s Birthday Honours list has been published, with leading artist Tracey Emin, pop icon Simon Le Bon and stage and screen actress Imelda Staunton among those recognised.

Other well-known faces given honours include Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden, singer Heather Small and actor Alex Jennings, with the highest award, Companion of Honour, being given to former prime minister Gordon Brown for services to public and charitable services both in the UK and abroad.

Post Office victims campaigner Alan Bates was honoured with a knighthood for his services to justice.

Sir Alan, who inspired ITV drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, founded the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance and helped bring the Horizon IT scandal to light, while supporting the hundreds of sub-postmasters who were prosecuted for theft and false accounting, which turned out to be due to errors in the accounting software.

In total 1,000 people from across the UK have received honours, for the “immeasurable impact” they have had on the lives of people across the country, the Cabinet Office said.

Former Labour leader Mr Brown said he felt “slightly embarrassed” about being made a Companion of Honour, which is limited to just 65 people at any one time, adding that he preferred to recognise “unsung, local heroes”.

Olympic cyclist Mark Cavendish, 39, also received a knighthood for services to cycling and to charity work.

The honour comes weeks after the cyclist achieved his 164th career victory, confirming him as one of the most successful men’s sprint cyclists of all time, the Isle of Man government – where Sir Mark is from – said.

Historian Professor Niall Ferguson, 60, who first came to the attention of many in the UK with the hit 2003 Channel 4 series Empire: How Britain Made The Modern World, and a best-selling book of the same name, is also receiving a knighthood.

British artist Dame Tracey, 60, and The Crown actress Dame Imelda, 68, were given their damehoods for services to art and drama and charity respectively.

Reacting to receiving the award, Dame Tracey, who is known for her autobiographical and confessional artwork, said: “Dame Tracey has a good ring to it. I’m very, very happy.” While Dame Imelda said she felt “genuinely humbled” to be recognised.

English designer Anya Hindmarch, 56, who is best known for creating clothes and accessories using logos of well-known brands including Pringles, Kelloggs and Sprite, was also made a dame for services to fashion and business.

Commander of the British Empire (CBEs) are the highest second class honour, bestowed to individuals for playing a leading role in regional affairs through achievement or service to the community, or for making a “highly distinguished, innovative contribution” in a particular activity.

Scottish writer, director and performer Armando Iannucci, 60, received the honour for services to film and TV. The 60-year-old is best known for creating political sitcom The Thick Of It in 2005 and later HBO’s political satire Veep, for which he won two Emmy Awards.

Also gaining a CBE is actor Alex Jennings, 67 – best known for his portrayal of King Charles in 2006 film The Queen alongside Dame Helen Mirren and more recently as Conservative MP James Arbuthnot in Mr Bates Vs The Post Office – for services to drama.

Meanwhile, lead vocalist and lyricist of new wave band Duran Duran, Simon Le Bon, 65, gets a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to music and charity.

As does Amy Dowden, 33, best known for being one of the professional dancers on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing. She was honoured for her services to fundraising and raising awareness of inflammatory bowel disease having being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease when she was 19.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/kings-birthday-honours-list-duran-durans-simon-le-bon-artist-tracey-emin-and-actress-imelda-staunton-among-big-names-awarded-13152636

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. military launched a secret campaign to counter what it perceived as China’s growing influence in the Philippines, a nation hit especially hard by the deadly virus.

The clandestine operation has not been previously reported. It aimed to sow doubt about the safety and efficacy of vaccines and other life-saving aid that was being supplied by China, a Reuters investigation found. Through phony internet accounts meant to impersonate Filipinos, the military’s propaganda efforts morphed into an anti-vax campaign. Social media posts decried the quality of face masks, test kits and the first vaccine that would become available in the Philippines – China’s Sinovac inoculation.

Reuters identified at least 300 accounts on X, formerly Twitter, that matched descriptions shared by former U.S. military officials familiar with the Philippines operation. Almost all were created in the summer of 2020 and centered on the slogan #Chinaangvirus – Tagalog for China is the virus.

“COVID came from China and the VACCINE also came from China, don’t trust China!” one typical tweet from July 2020 read in Tagalog. The words were next to a photo of a syringe beside a Chinese flag and a soaring chart of infections. Another post read: “From China – PPE, Face Mask, Vaccine: FAKE. But the Coronavirus is real.”

After Reuters asked X about the accounts, the social media company removed the profiles, determining they were part of a coordinated bot campaign based on activity patterns and internal data.

The U.S. military’s anti-vax effort began in the spring of 2020 and expanded beyond Southeast Asia before it was terminated in mid-2021, Reuters determined. Tailoring the propaganda campaign to local audiences across Central Asia and the Middle East, the Pentagon used a combination of fake social media accounts on multiple platforms to spread fear of China’s vaccines among Muslims at a time when the virus was killing tens of thousands of people each day. A key part of the strategy: amplify the disputed contention that, because vaccines sometimes contain pork gelatin, China’s shots could be considered forbidden under Islamic law.

The military program started under former President Donald Trump and continued months into Joe Biden’s presidency, Reuters found – even after alarmed social media executives warned the new administration that the Pentagon had been trafficking in COVID misinformation. The Biden White House issued an edict in spring 2021 banning the anti-vax effort, which also disparaged vaccines produced by other rivals, and the Pentagon initiated an internal review, Reuters found.

“I don’t think it’s defensible. I’m extremely dismayed, disappointed and disillusioned to hear that the U.S. government would do that.”

The U.S. military is prohibited from targeting Americans with propaganda, and Reuters found no evidence the Pentagon’s influence operation did so.

Spokespeople for Trump and Biden did not respond to requests for comment about the clandestine program.

A senior Defense Department official acknowledged the U.S. military engaged in secret propaganda to disparage China’s vaccine in the developing world, but the official declined to provide details.

A Pentagon spokeswoman said the U.S. military “uses a variety of platforms, including social media, to counter those malign influence attacks aimed at the U.S., allies, and partners.” She also noted that China had started a “disinformation campaign to falsely blame the United States for the spread of COVID-19.”

In an email, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it has long maintained the U.S. government manipulates social media and spreads misinformation.

Manila’s embassy in Washington did not respond to Reuters inquiries, including whether it had been aware of the Pentagon operation. A spokesperson for the Philippines Department of Health, however, said the “findings by Reuters deserve to be investigated and heard by the appropriate authorities of the involved countries.” Some aide workers in the Philippines, when told of the U.S. military propaganda effort by Reuters, expressed outrage.

Briefed on the Pentagon’s secret anti-vax campaign by Reuters, some American public health experts also condemned the program, saying it put civilians in jeopardy for potential geopolitical gain. An operation meant to win hearts and minds endangered lives, they said.

“I don’t think it’s defensible,” said Daniel Lucey, an infectious disease specialist at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine. “I’m extremely dismayed, disappointed and disillusioned to hear that the U.S. government would do that,” said Lucey, a former military physician who assisted in the response to the 2001 anthrax attacks

Academic research published recently has shown that, when individuals develop skepticism toward a single vaccine, those doubts often lead to uncertainty about other inoculations. Lucey and other health experts say they saw such a scenario play out in Pakistan, where the Central Intelligence Agency used a fake hepatitis vaccination program in Abbottabad as cover to hunt for Osama bin Laden, the terrorist mastermind behind the attacks of September 11, 2001. Discovery of the ruse led to a backlash against an unrelated polio vaccination campaign, including attacks on healthcare workers, contributing to the reemergence of the deadly disease in the country.

“It should have been in our interest to get as much vaccine in people’s arms as possible,” said Greg Treverton, former chairman of the U.S. National Intelligence Council, which coordinates the analysis and strategy of Washington’s many spy agencies. What the Pentagon did, Treverton said, “crosses a line.”

‘We were desperate’

Together, the phony accounts used by the military had tens of thousands of followers during the program. Reuters could not determine how widely the anti-vax material and other Pentagon-planted disinformation was viewed, or to what extent the posts may have caused COVID deaths by dissuading people from getting vaccinated.

In the wake of the U.S. propaganda efforts, however, then-Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte had grown so dismayed by how few Filipinos were willing to be inoculated that he threatened to arrest people who refused vaccinations.

“You choose, vaccine or I will have you jailed,” a masked Duterte said in a televised address in June 2021. “There is a crisis in this country … I’m just exasperated by Filipinos not heeding the government.”

When he addressed the vaccination issue, the Philippines had among the worst inoculation rates in Southeast Asia. Only 2.1 million of its 114 million citizens were fully vaccinated – far short of the government’s target of 70 million. By the time Duterte spoke, COVID cases exceeded 1.3 million, and almost 24,000 Filipinos had died from the virus. The difficulty in vaccinating the population contributed to the worst death rate in the region.

A spokesperson for Duterte did not make the former president available for an interview.

Some Filipino healthcare professionals and former officials contacted by Reuters were shocked by the U.S. anti-vax effort, which they say exploited an already vulnerable citizenry. Public concerns about a Dengue fever vaccine, rolled out in the Philippines in 2016, had led to broad skepticism toward inoculations overall, said Lulu Bravo, executive director of the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination. The Pentagon campaign preyed on those fears.

“Why did you do it when people were dying? We were desperate,” said Dr. Nina Castillo-Carandang, a former adviser to the World Health Organization and Philippines government during the pandemic. “We don’t have our own vaccine capacity,” she noted, and the U.S. propaganda effort “contributed even more salt into the wound.”

The campaign also reinforced what one former health secretary called a longstanding suspicion of China, most recently because of aggressive behavior by Beijing in disputed areas of the South China Sea. Filipinos were unwilling to trust China’s Sinovac, which first became available in the country in March 2021, said Esperanza Cabral, who served as health secretary under President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Cabral said she had been unaware of the U.S. military’s secret operation.

“I’m sure that there are lots of people who died from COVID who did not need to die from COVID,” she said.

To implement the anti-vax campaign, the Defense Department overrode strong objections from top U.S. diplomats in Southeast Asia at the time, Reuters found. Sources involved in its planning and execution say the Pentagon, which ran the program through the military’s psychological operations center in Tampa, Florida, disregarded the collateral impact that such propaganda may have on innocent Filipinos.

“We weren’t looking at this from a public health perspective,” said a senior military officer involved in the program. “We were looking at how we could drag China through the mud.”

A new disinformation war

In uncovering the secret U.S. military operation, Reuters interviewed more than two dozen current and former U.S officials, military contractors, social media analysts and academic researchers. Reporters also reviewed Facebook, X and Instagram posts, technical data and documents about a set of fake social media accounts used by the U.S. military. Some were active for more than five years.

Clandestine psychological operations are among the government’s most highly sensitive programs. Knowledge of their existence is limited to a small group of people within U.S. intelligence and military agencies. Such programs are treated with special caution because their exposure could damage foreign alliances or escalate conflict with rivals.

Over the last decade, some U.S. national security officials have pushed for a return to the kind of aggressive clandestine propaganda operations against rivals that the United States’ wielded during the Cold War. Following the 2016 U.S. presidential election, in which Russia used a combination of hacks and leaks to influence voters, the calls to fight back grew louder inside Washington.

In 2019, Trump authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to launch a clandestine campaign on Chinese social media aimed at turning public opinion in China against its government, Reuters reported in March. As part of that effort, a small group of operatives used bogus online identities to spread disparaging narratives about Xi Jinping’s government.

COVID-19 galvanized the drive to wage psychological operations against China. One former senior Pentagon leader described the pandemic as a “bolt of energy” that finally ignited the long delayed counteroffensive against China’s influence war.

The Pentagon’s anti-vax propaganda came in response to China’s own efforts to spread false information about the origins of COVID. The virus first emerged in China in late 2019. But in March 2020, Chinese government officials claimed without evidence that the virus may have been first brought to China by an American service member who participated in an international military sports competition in Wuhan the previous year. Chinese officials also suggested that the virus may have originated in a U.S. Army research facility at Fort Detrick, Maryland. There’s no evidence for that assertion.

Mirroring Beijing’s public statements, Chinese intelligence operatives set up networks of fake social media accounts to promote the Fort Detrick conspiracy, according to a U.S. Justice Department complaint.

China’s messaging got Washington’s attention. Trump subsequently coined the term “China virus” as a response to Beijing’s accusation that the U.S. military exported COVID to Wuhan.

“That was false. And rather than having an argument, I said, ‘I have to call it where it came from,’” Trump said in a March 2020 news conference. “It did come from China.”

Source: https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-covid-propaganda/

I generally find Elon Musk useful, in that he makes it clear which things in America are actually hard boundaries (contract law, maybe copyright law) and which are merely conventions (most everything else). You can take ketamine, smoke weed, ask your subordinates to have your babies, and run your companies like your own personal fiefdom; if you are wealthy and powerful enough, no one can stop you.

Musk is entwined with his companies in a particularly unusual way. In the case of Tesla, he is probably responsible for its survival in a dicey period following the 2008 financial crisis. His involvement and fame have allowed Tesla to save significant money on advertising. For this service, Tesla shareholders voted him a massive pay package in 2018 — which was struck down by a judge in the state of Delaware, where Tesla is incorporated, because shareholders were not adequately informed that many of Tesla’s theoretically independent directors weren’t that independent at all.

Perhaps I should say: where Tesla was incorporated. Because in the shareholder vote that reapproved the pay package, Tesla’s relocation to Texas won. Just like Elon Musk wanted.

I doubt I am the only person that watches Musk closely; certainly there are those who have viewed him as a top signal for trading. His job cuts at Twitter were used as an excuse for other job cuts elsewhere, for instance. (Musk is, in his way, Silicon Valley’s Tiberius, ruling from afar and consumed with paranoia; who might be his Sejanus I’ll leave to the reader.)

His weird and at times scandalous behavior has largely been allowed because investing in Musk has been so lucrative for so many people over the last 20-odd years. Though Musk’s adventures in social media ownership have somewhat threatened this reputation — at least for those left holding Twitter’s debt — he nonetheless managed to raise $6 billion for xAI, his somewhat aimless AI company that may or may not rely on (and compete with) Tesla itself.

Musk’s celebrity was built, first, in Hollywood — as the model for Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Marvel superhero Iron Man. But he then cultivated a following on Twitter and at in-person events for the faithful, making himself extraordinarily available to his fans in a way most CEOs, even celebrity CEOs, are not. As time has gone on, he has become more demanding of the high priests of his fandom — threatening to cut them off for linking to reporting he doesn’t like, for instance.

It’s clear that Musk modeled himself on Steve Jobs, who was also controlling, temperamental, and publicity-obsessed. But Musk’s refinements to the model led to a kind of power that even Jobs didn’t have at Apple: an empire of companies, the biggest pay package of all time, and political influence. The fandom aspect here is what makes this all work — the shareholder vote in Musk’s favor was swung by retail shareholders, who overwhelmingly approved his pay package.

Sure, some of these people are true believers — we heard from many of them at the shareholder meeting, thanking Musk for his contributions to society. But I don’t think every single Tesla holder is a purist. This is the stock market; plenty of people just want to make money.

Retail investing has been on the rise since the original internet bubble in the 1990s. Following the events of 2008, many people were convinced that Wall Street was nothing more than a casino, that stock prices (and company valuations) were mostly manipulated, and that there was no other way besides gambling on stock to become wealthy enough to retire. This kind of financial nihilism resulted in meme stock trading, which Musk himself has dabbled in.

Source: https://www.theverge.com/2024/6/14/24178617/musk-tesla-pay-shareholder-vote

The Princess of Wales will make her first public appearance this year at Trooping the Colour.

Kate, who has been receiving treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer since late February, will ride in a carriage alongside her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

Later, she is expected to join the King, her husband the Prince of Wales, and other royals on Buckingham Palace’s balcony for the fly-past.

The princess, 42, said: “I’m looking forward to attending the King’s Birthday Parade this weekend with my family and hope to join a few public engagements over the summer, but equally knowing I am not out of the woods yet.

“I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty.

“Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal.”

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said on Friday: “His Majesty is delighted that the princess is able to attend tomorrow’s events, and is much looking forward to all elements of the day.”

Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer welcomed the news on social media, both describing Kate as an “inspiration” to those experiencing similar health issues.

This will be the princess’s first official outing of 2024 after she missed engagements at the start of the year when she was admitted to hospital for abdominal surgery on 16 January.

At the time her condition was thought to be non-cancerous, but tests after the successful operation found the disease, and Kate disclosed the diagnosis in March.

A time frame has not yet been set for Kate’s return to a full schedule of public engagements.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/kate-to-appear-at-trooping-the-colour-in-first-public-appearance-since-cancer-diagnosis-13153342

Friday recorded a minimum temperature of 33.3°C – the highest it has been in the month of June in six years.

While days have been unbearably hot in Delhi for nearly a month now, the respite that city residents usually enjoyed at night was also taken away on Friday as the minimum temperature soared to 33.3 degrees Celsius – the highest it has been in the month of June in six years.

With a minimum temperature of 33.3°C – five degrees above normal – Delhi recorded what weather scientists refer to as a “warm night”, when the day’s maximum is over 40°C and the night-time or minimum temperature is more than 4.5 degrees or more above normal. To be sure, this minimum reading was taken early on Friday, which means the heat was more in the morning.

The maximum on Friday, meanwhile, was at 44°C – 4.1 degrees above normal. This means that throughout the day, Delhi residents experienced temperatures in a narrow band of 10.7°C. For context, a day earlier this range was 15.4°C with a maximum of 44.8°C and a minimum of 29.4°C.

Lower the gap between the day’s maximum and minimum, the more heat is felt on the human body as there next to no relief from heat stress, even during the night.

The last time Delhi had a higher minimum temperature in June was in 2018 when the reading soared to 34°C on June 13, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data.

The rise in minimum temperature was caused by combination weather factors that played into each other on Thursday, scientists said. In the day, dry westerly winds and clear skies led to a rise temperature, which caused the ground to heat up severely. But by night, a moderate cloud cover took over Delhi due to an approaching western disturbance which meant this heat could not be transmitted back into the atmosphere due to the greenhouse effect.

“Normally during this spell, we have seen clear sky conditions both during the day and night. The heat accumulated during the day is later lost into the atmosphere and the minimum comes down to around 29°C at night. On Thursday night and in the early hours of Friday, the cloud cover did not allow the heat to be lost,” said an IMD official, stating “warm nights” are not uncommon during a heatwave spell.

This same cloud cover also caused isolated instances of drizzle in parts of Delhi on Friday.

While the difference between maximum and minimum was just 10.7°C at Safdarjung, it was even lower at Pitampura (10.2°C), where a high of 45.9°C was recorded during the day, but the minimum was 35.7°C, considerably above normal.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/cloud-cover-traps-surface-heat-after-blazing-days-leads-to-sultry-nights-101718388653699.html

Pakistan can qualify for T20 World Cup 2024 Super Eight stage even if they beat Ireland by a narrow margin in their last Group A match on Sunday, provided USA lose to the same team on Friday.

A state of emergency has been declared in Fort Lauderdale due to the life-threatening flash floods in Florida. Hundreds of flights bound to and from South Florida airports have been grounded by the local authorities. As a result, the Sri Lankan cricket team, which is currently taking part in the T20 World Cup, was left stranded in the city. Fort Lauderdale is one of the three venues in USA scheduled to host the T20 World Cup matches. It will host three important games involving India, Pakistan and USA. The first game in the city — Sri Lanka vs Nepal — was also washed out due to heavy rain in and around the stadium.

“Preliminary reports indicate that the rainfall and flooding has affected and may continue to impact the operational capability of critical infrastructure, including major interstates, state and county roadways, airports, schools, and other critical infrastructure throughout these counties,” Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, said in the declaration.

Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis has also declared state of emergency.

The Sri Lankan team was supposed to fly out from Fort Lauderdale to the Caribbean islands on Wednesday, but heavy rain and flooding has forced them to delay their departure.

Sri Lanka will play Netherlands at St Lucia in their final group game on Monday, June 17. They have lost two of their three games so far, but have an outside chance of making it to the Super 8 stage.

Why Pakistan might get knocked out due to “State of Emergency”?
Meanwhile, the Central Broward Regional Park in Fort Lauderdale is set to host key games this week, with Pakistan and USA both fighting for a place in the next round from Group A.

While USA play Ireland on Friday, Pakistan take on the same opponents on Sunday. If USA beat Ireland or the match gets washed out, they will join India as the second team from Group A to qualify for the Super 8. A washed out game will see USA and Ireland get one point each. Hence, USA will reach five points while the maximum Pakistan can reach is four points.

It means Pakistan’s game on Sunday will have zero relevance as they will get knocked out, if USA vs Ireland game in Florida is abandoned due to rain.

However, if USA lose to Ireland, Pakistan can write their own destiny when they face the Irish on Sunday.

India continue to lead Group A with six points from three games (NRR +1.137). The Rohit Sharma-led side is assured of a Super 8 berth. USA are still second with four points from three games but their NRR has reduced to +0.127. This is a major good news for Pakistan as their NRR is now better that USA’s.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/t20-world-cup-2024/pakistan-may-get-knocked-out-due-to-state-of-emergency-in-florida-visuals-frightening-5880407

President Biden repeatedly watched his German shepherd Commander attack Secret Service members, who wished each other a “safe shift” as the number of incidents mounted — with one exasperated workplace safety professional urging the use of a muzzle, agency records show.

The number of dog attacks involving Commander, who the White House said in February was given away after more than two years of terrorizing professionals assigned to protect Biden; and former first dog Major, who was rehomed in 2021 after also attacking personnel; could top three dozen, the newly surfaced records suggest.

The 81-year-old president reportedly accused a Secret Service member of lying about being attacked by Major during his first year in office, but was present for at least three separate attacks involving Commander, files released to Judicial Watch under Freedom of Information Act litigation show.

A previously unreported incident on Sept. 12, 2023, featured a pair of bites in which Commander tore holes in a Secret Service member’s suit as Biden took him for a walk in the Kennedy Garden along the South Lawn of the White House.

The president “took Commander (on a leash) to the Kennedy Garden this evening for a walk,” the special agent assigned to the Presidential Protective Division wrote in a report.

Some claims on social media about sun safety have grown into a major misconception that sunscreen could cause skin cancer.

Hundreds of creators, many on TikTok, have posted videos arguing that the sun isn’t the culprit in causing cancer, but rather that harmful chemicals found in sunscreens are to blame.

This stems from a 2021 recall of Neutrogena spray sunscreens and one Aveeno product (Aveeno Protect + Refresh aerosol sunscreen) due to the presence of benzene, a known carcinogen.

Johnson & Johnson officials confirmed that benzene is not a sunscreen ingredient, according to a Harvard Medical School advisory in Oct. 2021.

Additional testing reportedly found such low levels of benzene in these products that it would not be expected to cause health problems.

Experts advised choosing a different sunscreen brand as a solution.

But a national survey by the Orlando Health Cancer Institute in Florida found that one in seven adults under 35 years old believe sunscreen is more harmful to the skin than direct sun exposure.

Another 23% believe that drinking water and staying hydrated can prevent sunburns.

“This phenomenon taps into the public’s growing distrust of companies due to the proliferation of harmful chemicals in consumer products.”

Many Americans (32%) also believe that a tan makes people look better and healthier, the survey found.

Rajesh Nair, M.D., an oncology surgeon at the Orlando Health Cancer Institute, commented in a press release that there is “no such thing as a healthy tan.”

“It’s really just a visual manifestation of damage to the skin,” he said. “But we’re fighting against a perceived positive image and health benefits of something that actually has a totally opposite reality, which is that suntanned skin represents an increased risk of a deadly disease.”

“Age, gender and phenotype play a role, too.”

Krista Rubin, a nurse practitioner and member of Mass General Cancer Center’s Melanoma Team, told Fox News Digital that there is “little evidence supporting the claim that sunscreens are carcinogenic.”

“There is clear-cut evidence of the link between UV radiation exposure and skin cancer,” she wrote in an email. “However, the risk of developing skin cancer isn’t limited to UV radiation exposure – age, gender and phenotype play a role, too.”

Males are at a higher risk of developing skin cancer, Rubin said, as are people with blonde or red hair, light skin or light eyes.

Other risk factors include having a suppressed immune system, being a solid organ transplant recipient or taking certain medications.

Rubin reiterated that sunburns are caused by the sun’s UV rays damaging the skin. So, while drinking water in hot weather will help prevent dehydration and keep the body cool, it will not prevent sunburn.

HOW TO WEAR SUNSCREEN THE RIGHT WAY: YOUR GUIDE TO SPF

“A tan is visible evidence of skin injury,” the expert said. “Whether from the sun or from a tanning bed, tanning exposes the skin to high levels of UVA radiation, which we know is not healthy and is linked to both skin cancer and accelerated aging.”

Social media expert Eric Dahan, founder of Mighty Joy, said she believes social media has become “rife with misinformation about sunscreen.”

“It’s often spread by well-meaning but overall uninformed, self-appointed health and wellness experts and select dermatologists,” said Dahan, who is based in California.

“A lot of the misinformation is due to actual science being less engaging and more nuanced than bold (false) statements.”

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/health/does-sunscreen-cause-skin-cancer-doctors-debunk-claims-social-media

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is hosting this year’s Group of Seven (G7) meeting, was seen doing a namaste gesture while welcoming prominent leaders for the summit.

In several videos that have gone viral on social media platform X, Meloni can be seen doing a namaste gesture to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen while greeting them.

The videos have gained widespread attention, with ‘namaste’ trending on the microblogging site.

Many users on X, reacted to the Italian Prime Minister’s namaste gesture and commended her action.

“Namaste goes Global. Italian PM Giorgia Meloni greets guests of the G7 summit with Namaste,” a user wrote.

Another commented, “Sanskaari Kanya ❤️ using namaste for swaagat.”

“That’s such a nice gesture. It shows our culture being celebrated,” a user shared.

Meanwhile, a user offered a scientific explanation for the namaste gesture.

“It is the most scientific way to greet, when we say I bow to the god in you. No transfer of bacteria from one hand to another, while shaking your hand,” the user said.

G7 IN ITALY, PM MODI TO ATTEND
Leaders from the G7 countries – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States – are meeting for a three-day summit from June 13 to 15 to discuss global affairs in the southern Italian region of Puglia (Apulia).

Prime Minister Modi has also departed for the summit in Italy on Thursday.

“I will be attending the G7 Summit in Italy. I look forward to meeting fellow world leaders and discussing a wide range of issues aimed at making our planet better and improving lives of people,” PM Modi had shared earlier today.

Source: https://www.news18.com/world/namaste-goes-global-as-italy-pm-meloni-welcomes-g7-guests-in-desi-style-internet-in-awe-of-her-gesture-8931865.html

From Germany and France to Poland and Spain, the far-right made inroads into the youth vote in key states in this EU election – as a generation that has grown up amid constant crises seeks new answers and follows politicians fluent in TikTok and YouTube.
Young voters, traditionally perceived to be more left-wing, drove the wave of support for environmental parties at the last EU election in 2019, earning the nickname “Generation Greta” after the young Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.

But following the pandemic, the Ukraine war and cost of living crisis, many shifted their support this year towards far-right populist parties that tapped into their concerns, fuelling their overall rise in the June 6-9 EU parliament poll.
With the leaders of Europe’s often upstart ethno-nationalist, anti-establishment movements mastering new social media better than their mainstream counterparts, they are earning cachet as a subversive counterculture among some young people.They appeal in particular to young men who feel left behind and censored by an increasingly “woke” mainstream, analysts say.
“Germany is not going in a good direction and they were the only party with a really clear message, on migration,” said Christoph, 17, a trade school student in Berlin who declined to give his full name, who voted for the far-right Alternative for Germany.
Support for the AfD, which wants to curb migration and warns against what it calls the Islamisation of Germany, was up 11 percentage points to 16% among under-25 year olds, according to an exit poll by Infratest dimap – more than double the 5-point rise among the broader population.

The shift, which helped the AfD achieve a historic second place nationwide, was notable in that Germany’s decision to allow 16-18 year-olds to vote for the first time had been expected to favour left-leaning parties.
Though the far-right did not do well everywhere among young voters – and they are a relatively small category in a continent with an ageing population – the trend will still worry mainstream parties, who face a snap election later this month in France, and federal elections next year in Germany.

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ECONOMIC CONCERNS UP, CLIMATE DOWN

SLICK ON SOCIALS

NATO countries have “comfortably exceeded” a target of placing 300,000 troops on high-readiness as the alliance grapples with the threat from Russia, a senior alliance official said Thursday.

NATO leaders agreed in the wake of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 to massively ramp up the number of forces that alliance commanders can deploy within 30 days.

“The offers on the table from allies comfortably exceed the 300,000 that we set,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

“Those are forces which allies have said to us, ‘They are available to you as of now at that level of readiness’.”

The push to have more troops ready to respond quickly is part of a broader overhaul of NATO’s plans to stave off any potential Russian attack that was signed off at a summit last year.

Those plans laid out for the first time since the end of the Cold War what each member of the US-led alliance would be expected to do in case of an invasion by Moscow.

NATO commanders are currently trying to make sure they have the capabilities to execute those plans if needed.

Source: https://www.barrons.com/articles/nato-says-over-300-000-troops-now-on-high-readiness-bc52d4fa

A gym in South Korea has banned misbehaving “aunties”, reigniting a debate about discrimination against older women in the country.

The gym in Incheon city near the capital Seoul put up a sign that read “off limits to ajummas” and “only cultivated and elegant women allowed”.
Ajumma is a catch-all term for older women – typically late-30s onwards – but is also a pejorative for behaviour that is seen as rude or obnoxious.
Local reports did not name the gym or its owner, who defended the move, claiming that his company had “suffered damages” because of these women and their unruly behaviour.
“[Some older women customers] would spend an hour or two in the changing room to do their laundry, steal items including towels, soaps, or hair dryers,” he said in a televised interview with South Korean news agency Yonhap.
“They would sit in a row and comment and judge other people’s bodies,” he said, adding that some younger women have quit the gym because of these comments, which upset them or made them uncomfortable.
While the move was made by a single gym, it seems to have struck a nerve because in recent years, South Korean businesses have drawn flak for banning children or seniors from certain public places.
Some of this has been seen as proof of growing intolerance for specific age groups.
The gym has also drawn criticism for conflating bad behaviour with women of a certain age.
“How did the term ‘bad customer’ become the same as ‘ajumma’?”, read one comment on local social media website instiz.
“If you have worked in the service industry, you’d know that it’s not just older women who fall into those categories.”
Another comment described the move as a sign of outdated attitudes, calling it “sentiments of the early 2000s”.

The gym defended itself by pointing to an additional notice that tried to distinguish between ajummas and women. It says that ajummas tend to “like free stuff regardless of their age”, and that they are “stingy with their own money but not with other people’s money”.

The gym’s owner also said there may be other business owners who share his sentiments but have not spoken out.

“It’s not that I tried to make a hate comment against older women or women in general,” he told Yonhap. “I think people who are enraged by [the notice] are in fact the ones with the problem.”

The ban did find support among some people online, who also seemed to associate ill manners with older or middle-aged women. Some described them as “territorial”, while others used insulting language, calling them “senseless”.

“The ladies are annoying… They take their kids to restaurants and cafes. They are oblivious and abusive,” read one comment on YouTube.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgll0y7pgygo

Taylor Swift shook it off with her fans in Edinburgh last weekend when they literally shook the Scottish city itself.

Swifties danced so much during the global superstar’s Eras Tour show last Friday at Murrayfield Stadium that they caused seismic activity from 6 km (or 3.7 miles) away, according to the British Geological Survey (BGS).

Friday night’s concert “was the most energetic” out of all three shows she played over the weekend with 23.4 nanometres (nm) of movement. However, Saturday and Sunday’s shows weren’t too far behind, coming in at 22.8 nm and 23.3 nm, respectively.

Furthermore, the UK’s national earthquake monitoring agency reported that “…Ready For It?”, “Cruel Summer” and “Champagne Problems” generated the most seismic activity each night. Honorable mentions include “Shake It Off,” “But Daddy I Love Him” and “Getaway Car.”

On Friday, “…Ready For It?” generated 160 beats per minute of activity, which transmitted approximately 80 kW of power. According to BGS, this is “equivalent to around 10-16 car batteries.”

While the generation is impressive, BGS reported that the vibrations “were unlikely to have been felt by anyone other [than] those in the immediate vicinity.”

Swift’s fans seemingly never missed a beat — and she praised them following her time in Scotland.

“Edinburgh!!! You truly blew me away this weekend,” she penned on Instagram Monday. “Thank you for breaking the all-time attendance record for a stadium show in Scotland 3 times in a row 🤯 and for all the ways you made us feel right at home.”

Each show had a minimum of 73,000 people in attendance, according to CNBC. Swift’s three concerts are now the most-attended in Scottish history.

This wasn’t the first time the 34-year-old Grammy winner’s tour has caused seismic activity — Swifties danced so much during her Seattle concerts in July 2023 that they generated the equivalent of a 2.3 magnitude earthquake.

Swift has since taken the Eras Tour to Liverpool, England, where she performed the first of three slated shows Thursday night.

Thursday’s concert marked the 100th Eras Tour performance, during which the “Love Story” hitmaker confirmed the Eras Tour will end in December after three shows in Vancouver.

“The celebration of the 100th show for me means this is the very first time I’ve acknowledged to myself and admitted that this tour is going to end in December. Like, that’s it,” she noted.

Source: https://pagesix.com/2024/06/13/entertainment/taylor-swift-fans-cause-seismic-activity-at-edinburgh-eras-tour-shows/

Dozens of hikers say they fell ill during trips to a popular Arizona tourist destination that features towering blue-green waterfalls deep in a gorge neighboring Grand Canyon National Park.

Madelyn Melchiors, a 32-year-old veterinarian from Kingman, Arizona, said she was vomiting severely Monday evening and had a fever that endured for days after camping on the Havasupai reservation.

She eventually hiked out to her car in a weakened state through stiflingly hot weather and was thankful a mule transported her pack several miles up a winding trail, she said.

“I said, ‘If someone can just pack out my 30-pound pack, I think I can just limp along,’” said Melchiors, an experienced and regular backpacker. Afterward, “I slept 16 hours and drank a bunch of electrolytes. I’m still not normal, but I will be OK. I’m grateful for that.”

The federal Indian Health Service said Thursday that a clinic it oversees on the reservation is providing timely medical attention to people who became ill. Environmental health officers with the regional IHS office were sent to Havasupai to investigate the source of the outbreak and to implement measures to keep it from spreading, the agency said.

“Our priority is the health and well-being of the Havasupai residents and visitors, and we are working closely with local health authorities and other partners to manage this situation effectively,” the agency said in a statement.

While camping, Melchiors said she drank from a spring that is tested and listed as potable, as well as other sources using a gravity-fed filter that screens out bacteria and protozoa – but not viruses.

“I did a pretty good job using hand sanitizer” after going to the bathroom, she said. “It’s not like you can use soap or water easily.”

Coconino County health officials said Tuesday they received a report from a group of people who hiked to the waterfalls of “gastrointestinal illness” but didn’t know how many people have been affected. The tribe’s land is outside the county’s jurisdiction.

Still, county health spokesperson Trish Lees said hikers should take extra precautions to prevent the spread of illness, including filtering water.

“Watch for early symptoms of norovirus, such as stomach pain and nausea, before the trip. Norovirus spreads easily on camping trips, especially when clean water supplies can be limited and hand washing facilities may be non-existent. Isolate people who are sick from other campers,” the county said.

Thousands of tourists travel to the Havasupai reservation each year to camp near a series of picturesque waterfalls. The reservation is remote and accessible only by foot, helicopter, or by riding a horse or mule.

The hike takes tourists 8 miles (13 kilometers) down a winding trail through desert landscape before they reach the first waterfall. Then comes the village of Supai, where about 500 tribal members live year-round. Another 2 miles (3 kilometers) down the trail are campsites with waterfalls on both ends.

Tourism is a primary source of revenue for the Havasupai Tribe. The campground that has a creek running through it has limited infrastructure. The hundreds of daily overnight campers can use composting toilets on site and are asked to pack out refuse. Recent accounts from hikers on social media indicate trails are littered with garbage, including bathroom tissue, plastic bottles and fuel canisters.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/havasupai-waterfalls-grand-canyon-illness-hiking-003e6e7e8f7189a947061975885bd517#

One of the politicians involved was hurt and rushed away in a wheelchair. The scuffle was an “insult” to millions of Italians, according to one columnist.

A brawl erupted in Italy’s parliament on Wednesday, resulting in one MP having to leave in a wheelchair after he was allegedly kicked and punched.

Footage from Italy’s Chamber of Deputies, its lower house of parliament, shows Leonardo Donno, an MP from the populist Five Star movement, walking towards a minister amid a heated debate about a local government bill intended to give Italy’s regions greater powers.

Mr Donno – who opposes the bill – thrust an Italian flag in the face of the minister, Roberto Calderoli, a member of the right-wing League party.

Two clerks tried to intervene to restore order but they were almost immediately surrounded by at least a dozen parliamentarians.

“The blows to my sternum took my breath away, I collapsed as I struggled to breathe. I was scared,” Mr Donno was quoted as saying by the Italian newspaper Il Corriere della Sera while describing how he suffered “kicks and punches”.

He added doctors checked his heart seven to eight times following the alleged assault.

Former prime minister Giuseppe Conte condemned the “violence” and blamed Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government.

He said: “Hands off us, hands off our flag.”

The League, a party in coalition with Ms Meloni’s Brothers of Italy, denied the attack and blamed Mr Donno for sparking the brawl.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/brawl-in-italian-parliament-leaves-mp-injured-after-five-star-and-league-confrontation-13152591

The Supreme Court is also is expected to rule by the end of June on the legality of Idaho’s strict Republican-backed abortion ban that forbids terminating a pregnancy even if necessary to protect the health of a pregnant woman facing a medical emergency.

Americans will still be able to buy an abortion pill after the US Supreme Court threw out a bid by campaign groups to restrict access to it.

The decision was made by the same court that two years ago overturned Roe v Wade – which had previously given women rights to terminate a pregnancy.

The drug – mifepristone – was first approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in September 2000 for medical termination up to seven weeks into pregnancy, extended to 10 weeks in 2016.

It was ruled the plaintiffs behind the lawsuit challenging mifepristone lacked the necessary legal standing to pursue the case, which required they show they have been harmed in a way that can be traced to the FDA.

The plaintiffs wanted an end to rules introduced in 2016 and 2021 that permitted medication abortions at up to 10 weeks of pregnancy instead of seven, and for mail delivery of the drug without a woman first seeing a doctor in-person.

The suit initially had sought to reverse FDA approval of mifepristone, but that aspect was thrown out by a lower court.

Mifepristone is taken with another drug called misoprostol to perform medication abortions – now the most common method of terminating pregnancies in the US.

The FDA said that after decades of use by millions of women in the US and around the world, mifepristone has proven “extremely safe” and that studies have demonstrated that “serious adverse events are exceedingly rare”.

The plaintiffs, known as the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, argued the FDA acted contrary to its mandate to ensure medications are safe when it eased the restrictions on mifepristone.

They also accused the administration of violating a federal law governing the actions of regulatory agencies.

US District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk broadly sided with them in a 2023 decision that would have effectively pulled the pill off the market.

However, after the FDA appealed, the New Orleans-based 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals did not go as far as Kacsmaryk but still ruled against its move to widen access to the pill.

This decision was placed on hold pending the Supreme Court’s review.

The plaintiffs said they had legal standing to sue because their member doctors would be forced to violate their consciences due to “often be called upon to treat abortion-drug complications” in emergency settings.

The Justice Department said these claims relied on an impermissibly speculative chain of events.

Following the decision, Joe Biden said in a statement: “Today’s decision does not change the fact that the fight for reproductive freedom continues.

“It does not change the fact that the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade two years ago, and women lost a fundamental freedom.

“It does not change the fact that the right for a woman to get the treatment she needs is imperiled if not impossible in many states.”

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/us-supreme-court-rejects-bid-to-restrict-access-to-abortion-pill-mifepristone-13152601

Typically twins account for around 3% of live births in the US – no wonder headteacher Tamatha Bibbo described the event as “quite unusual”.

Twenty-three sets of twins have graduated from a US middle school, making up about 10% of the eighth-grade year group.

The identical and fraternal twins graduated from Pollard Middle School in Needham, Massachusetts, on Wednesday.

Headteacher Tamatha Bibbo described the event as “quite unusual”.

“We typically have anywhere from five to 10 sets at most.

“Given our numbers, we have approximately 450 to 500 children in each grade so this was extraordinarily high.”

The school gave a special shout-out to the 23 sets of twins during the so-called “moving up” ceremony.

The Pollard Middle School graduates must all have completed up to 10 hours of service learning in their communities and every year the Needham Exchange Club offers five community service awards.

For the first time this year a set of twins – Lukas and Sameer Patel – won an award and a donation to their charity, Ms Bibbo said.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/massachusetts-twenty-three-sets-of-twins-graduate-from-same-year-group-at-school-13152735

Never letting go of these memories.

Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio may have had chemistry as Rose and Jack in “Titanic,” but their kissing scenes were pretty awkward for the British actress.

According to Winslet, 48, the intimacy with DiCaprio, 49, was “not all it’s cracked up to be.”

“So we kept doing this kiss and I have a lot of pale makeup on,” she said during a Vanity Fair interview, which published on June 12. “And I would have to like do our makeup checks, on both of us between takes.”

“And I would end up looking as though I had been like sucking a caramel chocolate bar after each take because his makeup would come off on me,” she continued. “And he just looked like there was a bit missing from his face because there was a big pale bit from all my makeup getting onto him.”

“The Reader” actress revealed that shooting the infamous “I’m flying” scene was particularly “such a mess” and “a nightmare.”

“Leo couldn’t stop laughing. We had to reshoot this about four times because of the light … [director James Cameron] wanted the light to be specific for this, obviously,” Winslet recalled.

“So I have got hidden in here and here [in her blouse] … I’ve got his makeup and brushes and sponge, and my makeup and brushes and sponge on the other side,” she went on. “And between takes, I was basically redoing our makeup.”

But makeup mishaps weren’t the only obstacle that the actors had to face while shooting the scene. Winslet spoke about how uncomfortable her outfit was, too.

“See I look at that and I just see how much I couldn’t breathe in that bloody corset,” she noted while watching a playback of the scene.

Winslet and DiCaprio became best friends on set, but there were rumors that Winslet and Cameron, 69, feuded at the time. In 1998, she told Rolling Stone that she would “only work for Jim Cameron again for a lot of money.”

“There’s a part of me that feels almost sad that stupid, speculative ‘Titanic’ stuff at the time overshadowed the actual relationship I have with him,” Winslet told Variety. “He knows I will be up for anything. Any challenge, any piece of direction you give me? I’ll try it.”

Cameron told the outlet, “There was never a rift between us. She had a little postpartum depression when she let go of Rose. She and I have talked about the fact that she goes really, really deep, and her characters leave a lasting, sometimes dramatic impression on her.”

Winslet received harsh remarks about her body after “Titanic” premiered, and found comments to be “bullying” and “borderline abusive.”

Despite the negatives, the actress said she is overall proud of the 1997 movie.

Source: https://nypost.com/2024/06/13/entertainment/kate-winslet-kissing-leonardo-dicaprio-in-titanic-was-a-nightmare/

MOSCOW (AP) — U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich, who has been jailed for over a year in Russia on espionage charges, will stand trial in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg, where he was detained, authorities said Thursday.

An indictment of The Wall Street Journal reporter has been finalized and his case was filed to the Sverdlovsky Regional Court in the city about 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) east of Moscow, according to Russia’s Prosecutor General’s office. There was no word on when the trial would begin.

Gershkovich, 32, is accused of “gathering secret information” on orders from the CIA about Uralvagonzavod, a facility in the Sverdlovsk region that produces and repairs military equipment, the Prosecutor General’s office said in a statement, revealing for the first time the details of the accusations against him.

Gershkovich was detained while on a reporting trip to Yekaterinburg in March 2023 and accused of spying for the United States. The reporter, his employer and the U.S. government denied the allegations, and Washington designated him as wrongfully detained.

Russia’s Federal Security Service, or FSB, alleged after arresting Gershkovich that he was acting on U.S. orders to collect state secrets but provided no evidence to back up the accusations.

The U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller slammed the development, saying there was “absolutely zero credibility to those charges” and adding that the U.S. government would continue to work to bring Gershkovich home.

“Evan has done nothing wrong. He should never have been arrested in the first place. Journalism is not a crime,” Miller said. “The charges against him are false. And the Russian government knows that they’re false. He should be released immediately.”

The Biden administration has sought to negotiate his release, but Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Moscow would consider a prisoner swap only after a verdict in his trial.

“Russia’s latest move toward a sham trial is, while expected, deeply disappointing and still no less outrageous,” a statement by Almar Latour, Dow Jones CEO and publisher of the Journal, and Emma Tucker, the Journal’s editor in chief, said.

They added that the charges against Gershkovich were “false and baseless.”

“The Russian regime’s smearing of Evan is repugnant, disgusting and based on calculated and transparent lies. Journalism is not a crime. Evan’s case is an assault on free press,” the statement said. “We had hoped to avoid this moment and now expect the U.S. government to redouble efforts to get Evan released.”

Roger Carstens, the Biden administration’s special presidential envoy who serves as the U.S. government’s top hostage negotiator, said that though he had been hopeful about striking a deal to get Gershkovich home before this point, the latest development “doesn’t slow or stop us down.”

“The bottom line is, this was not unexpected,” he said.

Uralvagonzavod, a state tank and railroad car factory in the city of Nizhny Tagil, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Yekaterinburg, became known in 2011-12 as a bedrock of support for President Vladimir Putin.

Plant foreman Igor Kholmanskih appeared on Putin’s annual phone-in program in December 2011 and denounced mass protests occurring in Moscow at the time as a threat to “stability,” proposing that he and his colleagues travel to the Russian capital to help suppress the unrest. A week later, Putin appointed Kholmanskikh to be his envoy in the region.

Putin has said he believed a deal could be reached to free Gershkovich, hinting he would be open to swapping him for a Russian national imprisoned in Germany, which appeared to be Vadim Krasikov, who is serving a life sentence for the 2019 killing in Berlin of a Georgian citizen of Chechen descent.

Asked last week by The Associated Press about Gershkovich, Putin said the U.S. is “taking energetic steps” to secure his release. He told international news agencies in St. Petersburg that any such releases “aren’t decided via mass media” but through a “discreet, calm and professional approach.”

“And they certainly should be decided only on the basis of reciprocity,” he added in an allusion to a potential prisoner swap.

Gershkovich faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

He was the first U.S. journalist taken into custody on espionage charges since Nicholas Daniloff in 1986 at the height of the Cold War. Gershkovich’s arrest shocked foreign journalists in Russia, even though the country had enacted increasingly repressive laws on freedom of speech after sending troops into Ukraine.

The son of Soviet emigres who settled in New Jersey, Gershkovich was fluent in Russian and moved to the country in 2017 to work for The Moscow Times newspaper before being hired by the Journal in 2022.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/russia-us-reporter-gershkovich-trial-2c6a9bb58a8ca88b5d49e8c30154decf

Europe is grappling with a surge in ‘dengue fever’ cases, as an invasive mosquito species has been found in 13 EU countries. Dengue fever can be deadly in severe instances, although it often presents mild or no symptoms.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) warns that about half of the global population is now at risk of dengue, with an estimated 100400 million infections each year. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) suggests that climate change is creating favourable conditions for the tiger mosquito, which is believed to be spreading the disease.

Even in Paris, authorities are actively monitoring and trapping these insects. The ECDC has cautioned that international travel could heighten the risk of more outbreaks across Europe, according to the BBC.

But what exactly is dengue fever, how can you identify if you have it, what does it do – and how do you contract it?

Dengue fever, also known as break-bone fever, is a viral infection transmitted to humans via the bite of infected mosquitoes. It is prevalent in tropical and sub-tropical climates worldwide, primarily in urban and semi-urban areas, reports Gloucestershire Live.

Prevention and control of dengue hinge on vector control. There is no specific treatment for dengue/severe dengue, but early detection and access to appropriate medical care can significantly reduce fatality rates from severe dengue.

Most individuals who contract it will not exhibit symptoms. However, for those who do, the most common symptoms include high fever, headache, body aches, nausea, and rash.

The majority of patients recover within one to two weeks.

In some cases, people develop severe dengue and require hospital care – in extreme instances, it can be fatal. You can reduce your risk of contracting dengue by avoiding mosquito bites, particularly during daylight hours.

What are the symptoms?

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), most people with dengue experience mild or no symptoms and recover within one to two weeks. In rare cases, dengue can become severe and result in death.

Symptoms, if they occur, typically begin 410 days after infection and last for 27 days. Symptoms may include:

• High fever (40°C/104°F);
• Severe headache;
• Pain behind the eyes;
• Muscle and joint pains;
• Nausea;
• Vomiting;
• Swollen glands;
• Rash.

Those infected for the second time are at a higher risk of developing severe dengue.

Severe dengue symptoms often appear after the fever has subsided:

• Severe abdominal pain;
• Persistent vomiting;
• Rapid breathing;
• Bleeding gums or nose;
• Fatigue;
• Restlessness;
• Blood in vomit or stool;
• Being very thirsty;
• Pale and cold skin;
• Feeling weak.

Individuals exhibiting these severe symptoms should seek immediate medical attention. After recovery, people who have had dengue may feel fatigued for several weeks.

How can you treat it?

There is no specific treatment for dengue. The focus is on managing pain symptoms.

Most cases of dengue fever can be treated at home with pain medication. For people with severe dengue, hospitalisation is often necessary.

Acetaminophen (paracetamol) is commonly used to manage pain. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and aspirin are avoided as they can increase the risk of bleeding.

If you contract dengue, it’s important to:

• Rest;
• Drink plenty of liquids;
• Use acetaminophen (paracetamol) for pain;
• Avoid non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, like ibuprofen and aspirin; and
• Watch for severe symptoms and contact your doctor as soon as possible if you notice any.

So far, only one vaccine (QDenga) has been approved and licensed in certain countries. However, it’s only recommended for those aged between 6 to 16 years in high transmission areas.

Several other vaccines are currently under review.

But how can you contract it?

It’s transmitted through mosquito bites.

The dengue virus is passed on to humans via the bites of infected female mosquitoes, primarily the Aedes aegypti species. Other species within the Aedes genus can also act as carriers, but their contribution is usually secondary to Aedes aegypti.

The actor admits making some mistakes, and pushes back on Dakota Johnson’s ‘Madame Web’ comments: “You’re telling me you signed up for a universe for cartoon characters and didn’t get enough pathos?”

Russell Crowe is acknowledging some of his missteps, and defending the superhero movie process in the wake of Dakota Johnson’s Madame Web comments.

The 60-year-old actor, who next appears in Sony‘s latest Spider-Man Universe film Kraven the Hunter, gave a candid interview to GQ in which he seemed to address past reports of bad behavior.

“I’m in awe of people these days who say, ‘I have no regrets,’” Crowe said. “Really? Not one single thing you ever did. Right? You’re so fucking perfect. I’ve got a shit ton of regrets. An angry word, an overreaction, a missed opportunity for friendship — lots of things like that. But all of those things are in perspective, because I’ve done lots of really cool shit too. My regrets are, in a way, badges of honor. Having the ability to have that introspection and go, ‘You know, the other day you were a fucking dick, mate. Do your best not to be a fucking dick like that again.’”

Amid giving acclaimed performances in films such as Gladiator, the Oscar-winning actor has a long history of allegations of unfriendly behavior and angry outbursts — though such reports have quieted in recent years.

Crowe was also asked about Johnson saying that the recent box office disappointment Madame Web felt like it was “made by committee” and pushed back on the notion that actors should have high personal artistic expectations for making films in the genre.

“I don’t want to make any comments to what anybody else might have said or what their experience is, but … you’re bringing out the impish quality of my humor,” he reportedly said with a laugh. “You’re telling me you signed up for a Marvel movie, and some fucking universe for cartoon characters … and you didn’t get enough pathos? Not quite sure how I can make this better for you. It’s a gigantic machine, and they make movies at a certain size. And you know, I’ve experienced that on the DC side with Man of Steel, Zack Snyder, and I’ve experienced it on the Marvel side via Disney with Thor: Love and Thunder … These are jobs. You know: Here’s your role, play the role. If you’re expecting this to be some kind of life-changing event, I just think you’re here for the wrong reasons.”

Continued Crowe: “It can be challenging, working in a bluescreen world, when you have to convince yourself of a lot more than just the internal machinations of your character. But for anything to be … and you can’t make this a direct comment on her because I don’t know her and I don’t know what she went through, and the fact that you can have a shit experience on a film … Yeah, you can. But is that the Marvel process? I’m not sure you can say that. I haven’t had a bad experience. I mean [on Thor], OK, it’s a Marvel movie, but it’s Taika Waititi’s world, and it was just a gas every day, being silly. And then, with J.C. Chandor on Kraven, I’m just bringing a little weight to the circumstances, so the young actors have got an actor they can bounce off … You know, so many of these directors have a certain skill level — freaking genius people. Think about what’s required, right? … Whether it’s [Proof director] Jocelyn Moorhouse or it’s Ridley Scott, you’re talking about hanging out with geniuses.”

Asked if he regretted passing on a film, Crowe said, “Only one,” and declined to name the picture. (“It was a biopic of a musician that I love. I kind of felt there was a cheating aspect to it, you know. It would put me in a position from a music career perspective that I wouldn’t have earned.”)

Previously, Johnson told Bustle about making Madame Web: “It was definitely an experience for me to make that movie. I had never done anything like it before. I probably will never do anything like it again, because I don’t make sense in that world. And I know that now. But sometimes in this industry, you sign on to something, and it’s one thing and then as you’re making it, it becomes a completely different thing, and you’re like, ‘Wait, what?’ But it was a real learning experience, and of course it’s not nice to be a part of something that’s ripped to shreds, but I can’t say that I don’t understand.”

Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/russell-crowe-marvel-movies-kraven-madame-web-1235921856/

A U.S. Navy submarine has arrived in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in a show of force as a fleet of Russian warships gather for planned military exercises in the Caribbean.

U.S. Southern Command said the USS Helena, a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine, pulled into the waters near the U.S. base in Cuba on Thursday, just a day after a Russian frigate, a nuclear-powered submarine, an oil tanker and a rescue tug crossed into Havana Bay after drills in the Atlantic Ocean.

The stop is part of a “routine port visit” as the submarine travels through Southern Command’s region, it said in a social media post.

Other U.S. ships also have been tracking and monitoring the Russian drills, which Pentagon officials say do not represent a threat to the United States.

“This is not a surprise. We’ve seen them do these type of port calls before,” Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said Wednesday when asked about the Russian drills. “We of course take it seriously, but these exercises don’t pose a threat to the United States.”

The exercises, however, come less than two weeks after President Joe Biden authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-provided weapons to strike inside Russia to protect Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. Russian President Vladimir Putin then suggested his military could respond with “asymmetrical steps” elsewhere in the world.

Singh said it wouldn’t be a surprise to see more Russian activity around the United States in such global exercises. The drills are in international waters, and U.S. officials expect the Russian ships to remain in the region through the summer and possibly also stop in Venezuela.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/russia-cuba-us-submarine-ukraine-bac0519f4fdbe30a5ef210447d50a671

The United States and Australia expressed concern on Friday (Jun 14) over Hong Kong’s invoking of a national security law to cancel the passports of six democracy activists, adding to a growing chorus of Western condemnation.

The Chinese finance hub in March passed the security law, colloquially known as Article 23, which expanded government powers beyond those granted by legislation Beijing imposed in 2020 to quell dissent.

On Wednesday, Hong Kong cancelled the passports of six activists who had fled to Britain – citing the new law as the legal basis – saying they were “lawless wanted criminals” who continued to endanger national security.

The United States on Friday called on Hong Kong officials to “immediately halt their efforts to intimidate and silence dissidents”.

“The United States remains strongly concerned that Hong Kong authorities are attempting to assert recently enacted Article 23 legislation extraterritorially as part of their ongoing transnational repression efforts,” a State Department spokesperson said.

Australia also said it was “concerned by the erosion of rights and freedoms”, adding that the security laws had “far-reaching impacts, including on individuals in Australia”.

Their comments come a day after Anne-Marie Trevelyan, UK minister of state for the Indo-Pacific, called the passport cancellations the “latest regrettable decision from Hong Kong authorities”.

“It is unacceptable to use these kinds of legal measures to try and punish freedom of expression in (Britain),” she wrote on social media platform X on Thursday.

A European Union spokesperson said on Thursday that the passport cancellations and other measures targeting the activists “seem to confirm our concerns about an extraterritorial application (of the security laws) to stifle dissent”.

Canada also raised the alarm about the “law’s broad definitions of national security offences” causing enforcement overreach.

Source: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/united-states-australia-concerned-hong-kong-passport-cancellations-canada-4409971

Celebrated as a groundbreaking creation, ‘Kalki 2898 AD’s fifth hero and futuristic vehicle, ‘Bujji’ has amassed a massive fandom, winning audiences worldwide. The life-size futuristic vehicle, which plays the crucial role of Prabhas’s character Bhairava’s trusted best friend in the film, ‘Bujji’ came to life after Director Nag Ashwin reached out to Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra. Responding to the same, Anand Mahindra activated his team and connected the filmmaker with Jayem Automotives in Coimbatore, collaboratively bringing this futuristic vision to life. Moving forward, Anand Mahindra has now finally met ‘Bujji’ and looks truly fascinated by the futuristic vehicle.

Soon after meeting ‘Bujji’, Anand Mahindra decided to cruise around in it and experience the future in all its grandeur. Sharing a video of their epic meet, the makers wrote on social media, “#Bujji meets @anandmahindra… #Kalki2898AD #Kalki2898ADonJune27” Check out the exciting video below.

A Group of Seven summit is opening Thursday with agreement on a U.S. proposal to back a $50 billion loan to Ukraine using frozen Russian assets as collateral, giving Kyiv a strong show of support even as Europe’s political chessboard shifts to the right.

Diplomats confirmed that an agreement had been reached on the deal before the leaders even landed in southern Italy for the three-day summit. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be on hand and is expected to sign a separate bilateral security agreement with U.S. President Joe Biden.

Beyond the Ukraine war, Pope Francis will become the first pope to address a G7 summit, adding a dash of celebrity and moral authority to the annual gathering that is being held this year in Italy’s sun-drenched Puglia region. He’ll be speaking Friday about the promises and perils of artificial intelligence, but is expected to also renew his appeal for a peaceful end to wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

The G7 includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Host Italy has invited several African leaders — Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Kenyan President William Ruto and Tunisian President Kais Saied — to press Italy’s Africa initiatives. Other guests include Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, fresh off his own election, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

With Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and now French President Emmanuel Macron facing elections in the coming months, pressure was on the G7 to get done what it can while the status quo lasts.

Frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine
The U.S. proposal involves using profits from the roughly $260 billion in frozen Russian central bank assets, most of them held in the European Union, to help Ukraine, and issuing a $50 billion loan from the U.S. government to Kyiv, using windfall profits from the immobilized funds as collateral.

A French official, briefing reporters Wednesday, said a political decision by the leaders had been reached but that technical and legal details of the mechanism to tap into the assets still had to be worked out. The issue is complicated because if the Russian assets one day are unfrozen — say if the war ends — then the windfall profits will no longer be able to be used to pay off the loan, requiring a burden-sharing arrangement with other countries.

On the eve of the summit, Washington also sent strong signals of support for Ukraine, with widened sanctions against Russia to target Chinese companies that are helping its war machine.

Europe’s new political chessboard
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni goes into the meeting fortified at home and abroad after her far-right party had an even stronger showing in weekend European Parliament elections than the 2022 elections that made her Italy’s first female premier. Known for its revolving-door governments, Italy is now in the unusual position of being the most stable power in the EU.

The leaders of the G7’s two other EU members, Germany and France, didn’t fare nearly as well, rattled after hard-right parties made strong showings in the vote. Macron called a snap election and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz saw the far-right Alternative for Germany beat out his Social Democrats.

As a result, Meloni is likely to be able to steer the three-day meeting to her key priority items as she further cements her role on the world stage, analysts said. One reported sign of her flexed far-right muscles: Meloni’s office denied media reports that Italy was trying to water down language about access to abortion in the final communique.

“While it’s unlikely the recent results will radically shift the focus of the upcoming G7 Summit, this electoral win offers Premier Meloni additional leverage to frame this as an essentially ‘Mediterranean Summit,” said Nick O’Connell, deputy director of the Atlantic Council.

That includes pushing her migration agenda as Meloni seeks to leverage her program for a non-exploitative relationship with Africa to boost development while curbing illegal migration to Europe.

Italy, which for decades has been ground zero in Europe’s migration debate, has been promoting its Mattei Plan as a way to create jobs and opportunity in Africa and discourage its young people from making dangerous trips across the Mediterranean Sea. The plan involves pilot projects in areas such as education, health care, water, sanitation, agriculture and energy infrastructure.

The pope and artificial intelligence
Pope Francis has called for an international treaty to ensure AI is developed and used ethically, acknowledging the promise it offers but emphasizing the grave and existential threats it poses.

He’ll bring that campaign to the world’s industrialized countries as wars are raging across multiple fronts. One of his greatest concerns has been on the use of AI in the armaments sector, which has been a frequent focus of the Jesuit pope who has called even traditional weapons makers “merchants of death.”

Source: https://apnews.com/article/italy-g7-summit-ukraine-biden-pope-a7771f3f8932653b44e21217a121854b#

Nearly 200 people were living in the building and officials most deaths were caused due to inhalation of smoke in sleep.

The bodies of some of the Indians killed in the fire in Kuwait are charred beyond recognition and DNA testing is on to confirm the victims’ identities, Union Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh has said.
The Gonda MP, who had to rush to the Gulf country soon after he took charge as a Minister of State for External Affairs, said an Indian Air Force plane is ready to bring the bodies home. “As soon as the bodies are identified, their kin will be informed and our Air Force plane will bring the bodies back,” he said. According to the latest figures, he said, at least 48 people have died in the fire in Mangaf city and 42 of them are believed to be Indians.

The fire in the six-storey building started in the kitchen early yesterday. Nearly 200 people were living in the building, and officials said most deaths were caused due to inhalation of smoke in sleep.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the tragic incident at a high-level meeting at his residence last night and announced a compensation of ₹ 2 lakh each for the families of those killed in the fire. He has expressed condolences for the families and wished those injured — about 50 — a speedy recovery. In fact, it is the survivors who are helping the officials identify the bodies with severe burns.

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has spoken to his Kuwaiti counterpart Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya. “Was assured that the incident would be fully investigated and that responsibility will be fixed,” Mr Jaishankar said on X. “Urged the early repatriation of the mortal remains of those who lost their lives. He emphasized that those injured were getting the requisite medical attention,” he added.

The Indian Embassy in Kuwait has started a helpline +965-65505246 for family members of the victims to reach out. The first list of victims’ names is expected to be out later today.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/kuwait-fire-kuwait-fire-victims-bodies-charred-dna-testing-on-to-confirm-identity-5879223

PM Modi will reach Italy on Thursday for his fifth consecutive participation in the summit of the world’s most economically advanced nations

PM Narendra Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are likely to meet at the G7 Summit in Italy on Friday. The Indian government emphasised that its primary concern with Canada is the political platform provided to individuals who support violence and extremism against India.

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, walks past India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi (AP/File)
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, walks past India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi (AP/File)
Modi will reach Italy on Thursday for his fifth consecutive participation in the summit of the world’s most economically advanced nations. He will be representing India as an invited guest.

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra on Wednesday said India expressed serious concerns to Canada multiple times, urging Ottawa to take decisive measures against anti-India elements. His remarks came a day before Modi’s departure for Italy to participate in the 50th G7 summit, where Trudeau will also be present among leaders of the world’s leading economies.

Kwatra responded during a press briefing when questioned about the strained relations between India and Canada, as well as Trudeau’s recent comments on the global increase in right-wing movements. He said, “The main issue is the political space that Canada provides to anti-India elements that advocate extremism and violence. We have repeatedly conveyed our concerns to them and we expect them to take strong action.”

The relationship between the two countries became tense after Trudeau accused Indian agents last September of being potentially involved in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia. New Delhi dismissed Trudeau’s accusations as “absurd”. There have been cases where pro-Khalistani groups threatened harm to Indian diplomats.

When asked about the vandalisation of a Gandhi statue in Italy, Kwatra described it as regrettable and mentioned that India had raised the issue with Italian authorities, leading to appropriate corrective measures.

The G7 summit will take place at Borgo Egnazia, a luxury resort in Italy’s Apulia region, from June 13 to 15. The G7 includes the US, UK, France, Italy, Germany, Canada, and Japan.

Kwatra also mentioned that India will participate in its 11th G7 Summit, marking Modi’s 5th consecutive attendance.

The summit’s focus is expected to be on the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.

Modi during 50th G7 Summit:
During his visit, Modi is also set to meet Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for a bilateral meeting. This will be Modi’s first trip abroad since starting his third consecutive term as prime minister.

Kwatra said, “At the invitation of Prime Minister of Italy (Giorgia Meloni), Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be traveling to Apulia, Italy tomorrow to participate in the 50th G7 Summit which is to be held there on 14th June where India has been invited as an Outreach Country…This will be the prime minister’s first overseas travel after assuming office in his third consecutive term. It will also afford him an opportunity to engage with other world leaders present at the G7 Summit on issues of importance to India as also to the Global South.”

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/g7-summit-pm-narendra-modi-come-face-to-face-canada-justin-trudeau-diplomatic-row-101718251073679.html

Miley Cyrus is looking for “quality, not quantity” when it comes to her celebrity relationships.

The “Flowers” singer revealed she doesn’t play a “very active” role in celebrity circles these days in her latest interview with David Letterman on his “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction” series.

“I am not very active or a very active part of my community of other artists and entertainers and celebrities,” she said as she recalled her 2024 Grammy win and performance.

“It just doesn’t feel like my people when I’m in that room. But there are certain artists like Beyoncé — who, like us, we’ve known each other for a long time,” the singer continued.

Cyrus, who was recently featured on the “Renaissance” artist’s latest album, “Cowboy Carter,” remembered her 2007 “Just Stand Up” performance as she looked back on the beginning of her relationship with the “Dreamgirls” star.

“I was, like, sandwiched between Rihanna and the Queen Bey, and they’re fully grown up, gorgeous, probably similar to my age now. Towering over me, completely stunning,” Cyrus shared.

She continued, “I’m like, super small, have acne, have braces on the back of my teeth, and I’m standing next to Mariah Carey, who is dripping in diamonds. And Beyoncé was so kind to me.”

When it comes to their friendship today, the Disney Channel alum said it’s all about the “kindness and the consistency.”

“So I’m apart of my community in that way but, again, it’s all quality, not quantity. I’m not very active in that,” she said.

Later in the episode, the “Wrecking Ball” singer also spoke about inheriting her “narcissism” from her famous father, Billy Ray Cyrus, amid their rumored rift.

Source: https://pagesix.com/2024/06/12/entertainment/miley-cyrus-admits-she-doesnt-maintain-friendships-with-other-celebrities/

In 2022, Kate Winslet went to the London home of director Stephen Frears to discuss HBO’s political satire “The Regime.”

She’d been cast in the role of Elena Vernham, a narcissistic European autocrat, and Frears had been pinpointed by the production as a potential director.

“I was offered a cup of tea, which I then ended up making myself because he clearly had no intention of making the tea for me at all,” Winslet says. “In fact, he didn’t even seem to know where the cups were.” (The British use the phrase “Shall I be mother?” when offering to be in charge of the kettle at teatime, and Winslet, a mother of three, has some experience there.) Over the tea and some chocolate biscuits, she asked the director how he believed Elena should be played.

Kenya Barris, Kirk Franklin, Diarra Kilpatrick and More Talk Storytelling, Building a Hollywood Roadmap at BET’s Emmy FYC Event

“He said to me, ‘Well, it needs to be quite high,’” Winslet recalls. “And I didn’t have a fucking clue what he meant. And as I walked away, I realized I totally knew. It was his way of saying, ‘Go big or go home.’”

Mission accomplished: In the limited series “The Regime,” the actress’s third collaboration with HBO (after 2011’s “Mildred Pierce” and 2021’s “Mare of Easttown”), Winslet deploys a lisp, a blocky way of moving and a racing mind.

Elena, who can’t live up to her late autocratic father’s outsized reputation, has restructured her national government around her neuroses. The series tracks her attempts to grow her power in the face of mass discontent, which she incrementally brings upon herself with blunder after blunder. It’s a character drama with jokes, or a satire with global stakes — a tricky juggling act to keep aloft. The show received respectful notices but found only a small audience, and should Winslet end up an Emmy nominee, more may discover a star turn that is risky and daring. Her Elena is charming and vile — you see why some of her countrymen have fallen for her act and why to others she’s a threat to be overthrown.

And Elena is emotionally fragile — she relies on a body man turned Svengali (Belgian actor Matthias Schoenaerts) to run her life for her, even as she projects supreme confidence to subjects and rivals. Winslet perceives Elena as haunted by her childhood, and the actress prepared obsessively with that in mind, including speaking to a psychotherapist and a neurologist about the after-effects of trauma. And then she let it go.

“All the homework and the prep is just so I can cut myself a bunch of slack,” Winslet says. “It means I’ll always have the robust trampoline to come back and bounce on, and it’s not going to rip or give way, and I’m not going to show the universe my undergarments.”

Frears — who has directed his share of leading ladies in films from “Dangerous Liaisons” to “The Queen” — draws a distinction between reliance on training and the sort of instinct that fuels Winslet. “If you were to ask me about Annette Bening or Glenn Close or Judi Dench or Helen Mirren, they’re all highly trained theatrical actresses,” he says. “They know how to do it. They’re very, very skillful. Kate just sort of does it on willpower. She just jumps, and she’s not wearing a parachute.”

James Cameron, her director on “Titanic” — the movie that made Winslet a superstar in her early 20s — agrees. He’d resisted casting her, noting that her nickname, as a frequent star of period literary adaptations like “Sense and Sensibility,” “Jude” and “Hamlet,” was Corset Kate. “It seemed like lazy casting,” he says — it was almost too apt a choice. “But then wiser heads prevailed, and I could see what everybody was talking about. She’s very alive. She comes into a room with a great deal of confidence, and she’s got that spark of life.”

Elena is only the latest meaty role for a performer who’s found great success in playing things quite high. Winslet’s last TV show wasn’t satirical like “The Regime” — its jokes were mainly biting — but was big, bold and messily human. “Mare of Easttown” captivated viewers and became a massive hit as the world haltingly reopened in early 2021; eventually, Winslet won the second of her two limited-series acting Emmys. (As with “The Regime,” Winslet was an executive producer of “Mare of Easttown.”) The character, Mare Sheehan, a dogged cop in the throes of grief over the death of her son as she tries to crack a pernicious case, combined roughness with big-hearted, sloppy humanity. “You just wanted to cozy up on the couch with her and watch some shit TV and eat cheese balls,” Winslet says. “It was probably quite nice for audiences to see an actress typically known for being a leading lady in films become completely undone. Playing her was like that: I felt refreshed and rejuvenated by how disgusting she was every single day. And she was warm and funny, and her ability to see everyone was fucking gorgeous.”

So much so that there’s been some mixture of anticipation, speculation and hope among the viewing public that Mare could return. Would she ever play the character again? “Probably,” she says after a substantial pause and an audible sigh. It’s a difficult decision, as the character represents a moment in time — Winslet calls her “the Vera Lynn of the pandemic,” referring to the singer whose “We’ll Meet Again” buoyed spirits during World War II.

Winslet has been plainspoken throughout our conversation, but whimsically erudite too; now, her tone is suddenly direct. She’s not interested in going further: “Move on.”

But HBO, at least, isn’t willing to: After Winslet and “Mare” castmates Evan Peters and Julianne Nicholson won Emmys, “we did run to have discussions about a Season 2,” says Francesca Orsi, the network’s head of drama. “But it did feel too soon.” Now, though, “while there’s nothing in the works, we are having early discussions about whether it might be time to start thinking of building something. We might be willing to figure out with Mare, years later, picking her up — not on the heels of where she ended, but there have been years for the character that have passed. Who is she now?” Orsi plans to speak with Winslet as well as series creator Brad Ingelsby and EP Mark Roybal “and see if there’s any viability to everyone saying yes again.”

The notion of Mare facing new conflicts and challenges in a different season of her life certainly holds appeal — and if there’s one thing Winslet knows how to do, it’s convey the passage of time. The question Orsi posed about Mare rings true for Winslet, a mutable actress for whom transformation is the goal: Who is she now?

Winslet views her career as a series of turning points, ones that, in a May Zoom conversation from her home in rural England (periodically interrupted by her youngest son, 10-year-old Bear, in search of snacks and cuddles), she happily lists off. There’s “Titanic,” “for all the obvious reasons.” Then there’s the 2006 Todd Field crisis-in-suburbia drama “Little Children,” on which Field solicited her creative input. “He made me feel that I was able to contribute in a grown-up, more educated way about the world of film.” Then 2008’s “The Reader,” her Oscar-winning role as a woman who’d been a guard at a Nazi concentration camp: “It was the first time I had worked with a director who could be openly nervous and vulnerable. Stephen Daldry would say, ‘Why are you looking at me? I haven’t got a fucking clue how you’re going to play it either. We’ll do it together.’”

“She goes through a huge amount of prep, finding the accent or voice for the character, which is painstaking,” says Daldry. “She’ll do all sorts of physical work, where the center of gravity of the character is. She comes with a lot, but it never feels like a preprepared dinner. It feels like you’re cooking together.”

Another turning point was Roman Polanski’s 2011 bougie-parents-at-war comedy “Carnage,” because she got to work with Jodie Foster, who’d been her childhood idol. She’d marveled that a kid could be in movies — it seemed impossible. Growing up, Winslet had been locked into the idea that she could not be a screen actor because her training, though not extensive, had been for stage acting. Now she looks back with a sort of surprise at how she’d been holding herself back.

“I don’t believe that ‘I’m this kind of person’ chat. It’s like people who say, ‘I’m not really a morning person.’ It just irritates me. It’s like, ‘Well, you’ve decided that about yourself. But maybe you are — and you could be missing the most phenomenal sunrise by choosing not to be a morning person.’”

Winslet has had the experience of rejecting an image of herself at least once in her career: Already a respected performer and an Oscar nominee for “Sense and Sensibility” when she filmed “Titanic,” she emerged from that movie — at the time, the highest-grossing in history — as the subject of intrusive mockery. The jokes about her body — which was, in the heroin-chic era, unfashionably curvy — were at times sneeringly concealed as critiques of her personal style. And they were relentless.

Rose DeWitt Bukater, a lovelorn passenger on a doomed ocean liner, was a role she’d lobbied hard for — “She even sent me a single rose and said, ‘I have to be your Rose,’” Cameron recalls — but being a celebrity in a harsh spotlight was a part that felt less comfortable.

“I actually felt a bit beaten up by it, truth be told,” Winslet says. She couldn’t talk about it to her parents for fear of disappointing them — so excited were they that their daughter had booked her star-making role. “I had a lovely family, but all my family saw is ‘My God, Kate’s got work in a really big film.’ One doesn’t want to turn around to your mum and dad and say, ‘It’s really hard, actually.’”

We’re speaking the day after the Met Gala, and Winslet notes she spent the morning on the BBC News website, looking at photos of stars ascending the steps in elaborate fashions. “I really was smiling, because every single image of the women on the red carpet, every woman is sharing their body in the way they want to, on their terms. And knowing they can do that safely, because the media is not going to criticize them. And that is completely different from the way it used to be in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002.” Her voice builds in intensity in each year she lists — all the years in the immediate wake of “Titanic,” all the years her body was a trending topic. “This shit went on for years.”

“The admiration is one thing, but the trolling is another thing,” Cameron says. “People body-shaming her, dissing her. It was right at the advent of the internet coming into its own.”

Winslet’s early experience of fame came with a series of awkward growing pains: Some incautious remarks she made about the rigors of filming “Titanic” in interviews were interpreted as the start of a feud between Winslet and Cameron — a topic that was revived when she played a motion-capture character, the Na’vi free diver Ronal, in his 2022 film “Avatar: The Way of Water.”

Despite public perception, “there was never a rift between us,” Cameron says. “She had a little postpartum depression when she let go of Rose. She and I have talked about the fact that she goes really, really deep, and her characters leave a lasting, sometimes dramatic impression on her.”

“There’s a part of me that feels almost sad that stupid, speculative ‘Titanic’ stuff at the time overshadowed the actual relationship I have with him,” Winslet says. “He knows I will be up for anything. Any challenge, any piece of direction you give me? I’ll try it.”

Winslet will be back in the next installment of “Avatar.” “I’m in the cutting room now,” Cameron says, “and I work with her performance every day.”

That Winslet was ambitious was always clear. “Sense and Sensibility” director Ang Lee recalls with a laugh that Winslet “lied to us” in her audition. “She was supposed to be a much smaller role, but her agent told her to prepare the wrong thing for the read.” Instead of the supporting role of Lucy Steele, Winslet declared that she’d be reading for second lead Marianne Dashwood, and the part was hers. “As soon as she walked in — we call it ‘chi’ in Chinese: the vibe,” Lee says. “You can sense something coming in. She walked in as Marianne, who’s very vibrant, very refreshing. A budding-flower fresh energy. She just explodes.”

But in the years following “Titanic,” Winslet needed to downshift. “I felt, ‘OK, Kate. It’s going to be fine. You just need to choose carefully.’ And I instinctively knew that saying yes to the bigger things that did come along would not have been right for my mental health,” Winslet says. The period travelogue “Hideous Kinky,” as small as “Titanic” had been massive, took Winslet off the superstar track. The choice to play the role was met with cautious encouragement from a team who had thought Winslet was bound for the A-list. “That was possibly the only moment when the people in my working life were like, ‘OK. We’re just going to have to support this,’” she says.

Source: https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/kate-winslet-james-cameron-feud-rumors-body-shamers-1236033802/

Riot police in Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters outside Congress, before lawmakers gave an initial approval to budget-slashing reforms in the country’s Senate on Wednesday.

Demonstrators – who say the measures will hurt millions of Argentines – threw petrol bombs and stones, setting one car alight.
A number of people were reported injured, with local media describing the scene on Wednesday as a “battlefield”.
The reform package, proposed by right-wing President Javier Milei to revive the country’s flagging economy, includes declaring a state of economic emergency, cutting pensions and watering down labour rights.
The measures are opposed by leftist political parties, labour unions and social organisations.
But the motion, which was initially tied 36-36 in the Senate, was preliminarily passed on Wednesday after the head of the chamber, Vice President Victoria Villarruel, broke the tie.
“For those Argentines who suffer, who wait, who do not want to see their children leave the country… my vote is affirmative,” vice president and Senate leader Ms Villaruel said after breaking the tie.
The 328-article bill will now be surveyed point by point before it’s expected full approval on Thursday.
It will then return to the lower house for the final go ahead.

Ahead of the bill’s passing in the Senate, protesters chanted: “The country is not for sale, the country is defended,” while one banner read: “how can a head of state hate the state?”
Scuffles broke out when protesters tried to make their way towards Congress through fences, with demonstrators throwing rocks at officers who pepper sprayed them.
Observers and opposition MPs said dozens of demonstrators and a handful of MPs received medical attention. At least five opposition MPs in the crowd were hospitalised, legislator Cecilia Moreau told AFP news agency.
At least 20 police officers were also injured, officials said. Security forces said they arrested 15 people.
Police later pushed back protesters, who reportedly set two vehicles on fire – including that of a news organisation.
“We cannot believe that in Argentina we are discussing a law that will put us back 100 years,” Fabio Nunez, a 55-year-old protesting lawyer, was quoted by AFP as saying.
President Milei’s office issued a statement thanking the security forces for repressing what it described as “terrorists” attempting to carry out a coup d’état.
“We are going to change Argentina, we are going to make it the most liberal country in the world,” Mr Milei told a conference in Buenos Aires.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c255zdlde92o

At least 40 Indians are among 49 people killed in a fire at a residential building in the Kuwaiti city of Mangaf, India’s foreign ministry said.
Video shared on social media showed flames engulfing the lower part of the building and thick black smoke billowing from the upper floors.
Authorities said many of the casualties are from the southern Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent his condolences to the victims and their families.
“The fire mishap in Kuwait City is saddening,” he said on X.
“My thoughts are with all those who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest.”
He said the Indian embassy was monitoring the situation and working with the authorities on the ground.
India’s foreign ministry said 50 Indian nationals had also been injured in the incident.
Kirti Vardhan Singh, a junior minister in the government who left for Kuwait on Thursday morning, said DNA tests were being carried out to identify the victims.
“An Air Force plane is on the ready. As soon as the bodies are identified, the kin will be informed and our Air Force plane will bring the bodies back,” he told news news agency ANI.
Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Fahad Yusuf al-Sabah accused property owners of greed and said violations of building standards had led to the tragedy.

“Unfortunately the greed of the property owners is what led to this,” Sheikh al-Sabah, who is also acting interior minister, told Reuters news agency.
“They violate regulations and this is the result of the violations.”
Interior Ministry spokesman Maj-Gen Eid al-Oweihan told state TV that the fire was reported at 06:00 local time (03:00 GMT) on Wednesday. It was now under control.
An eyewitness, Manikandan from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, told BBC Tamil that many of the workers had been on night shifts.
“Some of those who returned to that apartment early in the morning were cooking food after coming back from work,” he said.
“Once the fire erupted, it spread rapidly. People living in the building were not able to control the fire.”
He said many of the building’s residents were from Kerala and another southern Indian state, Tamil Nadu.

Source:https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9ww0j74rddo

At least nine people have been killed and 29 injured in a Russian missile strike on Ukraine’s southern city of Kryvyi Rih, local officials say.

Ukraine’s prosecutor general’s office says five children are among the injured after a residential building was hit on Wednesday. Earlier, four people were reported missing.
Emergency services, police and volunteers are now combing through the wreckage. Search dogs have been brought to the scene.
Russia’s defence ministry has not publicly commented on the reported strike on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s hometown.
Mr Zelensky has expressed his condolences to the victims’ relatives and friends.
“Every day and every hour, Russian terror proves that Ukraine – together with its partners – must strengthen [the country’s] air defence,” he said.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cv22kzp0m0zo

San Francisco recognized Pride Month differently this year — by declaring itself a sanctuary for transgender and gender non-conforming people.

The city’s Board of Supervisors unanimously voted Tuesday in favor of the sanctuary status, making San Francisco one of the first major cities in the nation to do so. The resolution symbolically indicates those identifying as transgender, gender non-conforming, intersex and two-spirit are safe to seek transitioning health care and that providers are similarly safe, Los Angeles’ FOX 11 reported.

“We have seen an influx of refugees, not just from other countries, but from other states who are seeking care and seeking sanctuary,” said San Francisco’s director of the Office of Transgender Initiatives, Honey Mahogany, said.

The resolution comes as liberal-run communities express concern over laws cracking down on gender procedures, particularly for minors, in red states across the nation.

Lawmakers in Tennessee passed a bill criminalizing adults who help minors get transgender procedures. In Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a measure banning transgender treatments for minors, though a federal judge recently ruled key parts of that law unconstitutional.

Other states have addressed transgender issues in other ways, including measures to ensure sex-segregated participation in sports.

Sacramento and West Hollywood have also declared themselves sanctuaries for transgender people, but San Francisco is the first major city to do so, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law in 2022 protecting transgender procedures in California by blocking state officials from enforcing other states’ laws that crack down on transgender surgeries and drugs.

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/media/san-francisco-first-major-us-cities-declare-sanctuary-status-transgender-people

The hunt for extraterrestrial intelligence has long focused on scanning the skies for signs of life light years away. But what if the aliens are already here, living in secret bases deep underground or beneath the ocean waves? As outlandish as it sounds, that’s the startling possibility explored in a fascinating new paper.

While the authors, Tim Lomas and Brendan Case of Harvard University, along with Michael Masters of the University of Montana, acknowledge that this “cryptoterrestrial hypothesis” (CTH) is likely to be viewed skeptically by most scientists, they argue it nevertheless deserves serious consideration given the extraordinary nature of the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) that have confounded experts in recent years. The paper in the journal Philosophy and Cosmology delves into the limits of our historical and geological knowledge, tantalizing traces of lost civilizations, and compelling clues pointing to the existence of hidden realms and beings living in the shadows of our world.

To build their case, Lomas and his co-authors take an interdisciplinary deep dive, weaving together strands of evidence from fields as diverse as anthropology, history, geology, biology, and mythology. They examine potential gaps in the fossil and archeological records that could allow for the possibility of ancient intelligent species pre-dating humanity. The authors also analyze folklore and legends from cultures around the world that consistently describe interactions with subterranean or underwater entities. Finally, they scrutinize anomalous UAP activity, including sightings of objects entering or exiting volcanoes, oceans, and lakes, that could indicate bases hidden in inaccessible locations.

While fully acknowledging the speculative nature of the CTH, the paper compellingly argues that the truly bizarre characteristics of many well-documented UAP encounters — such as instantaneous acceleration (suddenly flying off at high speed), trans-medium travel (seamlessly going from the air to water), and anti-gravity capabilities (appearing to defy the laws of physics) — strain the boundaries of current scientific understanding. Given our still limited knowledge of Earth’s past and the vast expanses of the planet that remain unexplored, the authors contend we cannot rule out the possibility that non-human intelligences have been concealed alongside us for an unknown span of time. It’s a hypothesis some researchers call the “ancient alien theory.”

The new paper outlines four potential flavors of the hypothesis, involving remnants of ancient human civilizations, formerly undiscovered hominid species, extraterrestrial visitors living in hiding, or more supernatural “magical” entities.

The authors do concede that they currently lack any “smoking gun” to conclusively prove the existence of cryptoterrestrials. Without verified physical evidence or direct observation by credible witnesses, the CTH remains an intriguing but unproven conjecture. Much of the support for subterranean civilizations relies on mythological accounts open to interpretation.

The anomalous UAP characteristics, while genuinely baffling, could potentially be explained by foreign adversaries with advanced technology. Ultimately, absence of evidence is not necessarily evidence of absence when it comes to hypothetical hidden species and civilizations.

Despite its admitted limitations, this thought-provoking paper makes a convincing argument that the cryptoterrestrial hypothesis should not be dismissed out of hand as we grapple with the UAP enigma. While an Earth-based explanation may seem far-fetched compared to the extraterrestrial hypothesis, the authors point out that it neatly avoids tricky questions about interstellar travel and the improbable physiological similarities between aliens and humans often reported by alleged abductees. At the very least, the paper suggests that UAP investigations should expand to scrutinize anomalous activity related to volcanoes, oceans, and remote underground locations.

Source: https://studyfinds.org/hidden-alien-civilizations/

Her death was announced by her son who wrote on social media “Mum is gone” alongside a picture of the two of them.

French singer-songwriter Francoise Hardy, who inspired Bob Dylan and Sir Mick Jagger, has died at the age of 80.

The musician was a fixture of pop culture in the 1960s and also modelled for designer brands including Yves Saint Laurent and Paco Rabanne.

Her death was announced by her son Thomas Dutronc, who she shared with ex-husband and French music star Jacques Dutronc.

Sharing an image on Instagram of himself as a baby being held by his mother, he wrote in French: “Maman est partie…” which translates as “Mum is gone”.

Hardy first found fame in 1962 with her debut single Tous Les Garcons Et Les Filles (All The Girls And Boys), in which she lamented her single status.

Known for her androgynous style, which women around the world tried to replicate, she was once described by Sir Mick as his “ideal woman”.

Meanwhile, Dylan wrote several love letters to her and addressed her in a poem on the back of his 1964 album, Another Side Of Bob Dylan.

Hardy’s other hits included the ballad Mon Amie La Rose and Comment Te Dire Adieu, which featured lyrics by fellow French singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/francoise-hardy-french-music-icon-who-inspired-sir-mick-jagger-and-bob-dylan-dies-13151833

An excessive heat warning has been issued by Greece’s weather service from Wednesday morning to 8pm on Thursday, with forecasts saying Athens will see conditions just below 40C (104F).

Greece has shuttered tourist hotspots and schools across Athens as the first heatwave of the summer strikes.

Temperatures were tipped to hit highs up 43C (109F) on Wednesday and Thursday in parts of the Mediterranean country.

Meteorologists say the high temperatures is being driven by southerly winds bringing hot air and dust from North Africa.

As a result, the Acropolis, the archaeological site which saw four million visitors last year, was closed between 9am and 2pm (GMT) on Wednesday over the life-threatening temperatures.

Red Cross medics were also seen handing out water bottles to tourists, while primary schools and nurseries across the southern parts of the country were closed until Friday, when cooler conditions are expected.

City authorities also shared that garbage collection would also be halted for several hours, and added seven air conditioned spaces will be opened to the public.

Drones fitted with thermal cameras will also be used in the city to coordinate a public health response.

Also on Wednesday in Athens, dozens of firefighters were battling a blaze that broke out in a cookware factory in the city on Wednesday, the Greek fire service said.

Fourteen fire trucks and 42 firefighters were sent to the incident in the northern suburb of Kifisa.

Residents in nearby areas were warned to stay indoors to protect themselves. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

The heatwave marks the latest in a series of record-breaking weather events for Greece – one of the most climate-impacted countries in Europe.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/greece-athens-closes-acropolis-and-schools-as-heatwave-strikes-13151940

Some audience members left the Town Hall in Grimsby still undecided but agreed the Battle for Number Ten had challenged both leaders.

The prime minister seemed “defeated” to audience members in Grimsby after Sky’s Battle For Number Ten.

Some also questioned whether Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer had fully answered the questions they asked.

The 90-minute TV grilling left the audience asking how the prime minister could fight back and win the election.

Amy Green had travelled from Leeds to ask a question and said he seemed beaten.

“Sunak needs to drop the act, speak to us like an electorate as humans,” she said.

“I think he was quite defeatist – if I was fighting for my job, I would be out there socking it to people… he has given up and lost the will.”

She used to play a prominent role in her local Conservative Party but quit a few years ago.

She had started the night unsure of who to vote for and afterwards was still no closer to a decision.

“I am still undecided to be honest,” she added.

Grimsby resident Sharon Westerman asked the first question of the night to Sir Keir about inequality in her hometown.

She told Sky News she wasn’t 100% convinced by him, but thought he would become the next prime minister.

“I think Labour will get it, but there will be fierce competition from other candidates – it’s not just about Labour and Conservatives,” she said.

“There were some questions answered, but others such as the NHS and housing and child poverty we still need to know how it is going to be achieved.

“Not enough detail from both men.”

Christina Ashibogu had travelled to Grimsby from London. The lawyer had asked about rebuilding trust between the police and communities.

“I feel a bit bad for Rishi, he does look defeated… with Starmer, I wasn’t entirely impressed,” she told Sky News immediately after the event.

“Someone asked Starmer why he seems like a robot and he was startled by it.”

She thought it was the audience that actually came out on top: “We did well, when we weren’t satisfied with the answer people went back to try and get clarity.”

Retired teacher Ian Miles from Grimsby said the longer format really helped understand the two men better.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/defeatist-sunak-and-robot-starmer-grimsby-audience-members-give-their-verdicts-on-leaders-at-sky-news-event-13152263

Elon Musk on Tuesday withdrew his lawsuit against OpenAI and two of the company’s co-founders, Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, in California state court. Musk’s decision to file to dismiss the suit came just one day after he publicly criticized OpenAI and its new partnership with Apple.

The case was dismissed without prejudice, according to a court filing obtained by CNBC.

In February, Musk had filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, Altman and Brockman — the current CEO and president of OpenAI, respectively — for breach of contract and fiduciary duty.

A hearing was scheduled for Wednesday in San Francisco, in which the judge was going to consider whether the case should be dismissed as requested by the defendants.

Experts told CNBC in March that the case was built on a questionable legal foundation, because the contract at the heart of the suit was not a formal written agreement that was signed by all parties involved.

Rather, Musk had alleged that the early OpenAI team had set out to develop artificial general intelligence, or AGI, “for the benefit of humanity,” but that the project has been transformed into a for-profit entity that’s largely controlled by principal shareholder Microsoft.

Musk had used much of the 35-page complaint (plus attached exhibits) he filed in March to remind the world of his position in the creation of a company that’s since become one of the hottest startups on the planet, (OpenAI ranked first on CNBC’s Disruptor 50 list in 2023) thanks largely to the viral spread of ChatGPT.

“It’s certainly a good advertisement for the benefit of Elon Musk,” Kevin O’Brien, partner at Ford O’Brien Landy LLP and former assistant U.S. attorney, told CNBC at the time. “I’m not sure about the legal part though.”

Last year, Musk debuted his own AI startup and OpenAI competitor, xAI, which last month announced a $6 billion Series B funding round. Investors included Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital and Fidelity Management & Research Company.

Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/11/elon-musk-drops-suit-against-openai-and-sam-altman.html

Oprah Winfrey is recovering after being admitted to a hospital for “very serious” stomach problems.

Gayle King shared details about her good friend’s medical emergency during the Tuesday, June 11, episode of CBS Mornings.

“She had some kind of stomach thing — stomach flu — where stuff was coming out of both ends. I won’t get too graphic,” said King. “But needless to say, she ended up in the hospital, dehydration, she had an IV. So it was a very serious thing.”

“She will be okay,” King added. “I hope she’s not mad at me for sharing that detail.”

King brought up Winfrey because the talk show titan missed a scheduled appearance on CBS Mornings to introduce her latest book club selection, Familiaris, by novelist David Wroblewski. The book is a follow-up to Wroblewski’s debut 2008 novel The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, which Winfrey also endorsed.

Instead of being interviewed by the media mogul, the author discussed his new book with the morning show’s three hosts.

Hours after King revealed why Winfrey was absent, the Oprah Daily Instagram account released a statement saying the mogul is on the mend.

“Ms. Winfrey is recovering following a stomach virus and received an IV due to dehydration at the recommendation of her doctor. She is resting and feeling better every day,” read the statement signed by a spokesperson for Oprah.

Source: https://urbanhollywood411.com/oprah-hospitalized-for-stomach-issues/

Hamas formally responded on Tuesday to a U.S. ceasefire proposal for the eight-month-old war in the Gaza Strip, and Israel said the response was tantamount to a rejection while a Hamas official said the Palestinian group merely reiterated longstanding demands not met by the current plan.
Egypt and Qatar said they had received Hamas’ response to a proposal outlined by U.S. President Joe Biden on May 31 but did not disclose the contents.

An Israeli official said on Tuesday the country had received Hamas’ answer from the mediators and that Hamas “changed all of the main and most meaningful parameters.”

The Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Hamas “has rejected the proposal for a hostage release that was presented by President Biden.”

Earlier a non-Israeli official briefed on the matter, who declined to be identified, said Hamas proposed a new timeline for a permanent ceasefire with Israel and withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, including Rafah.

The U.N. Security Council on Monday backed a U.S. resolution supporting the proposal outlined by Biden. Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters on Tuesday before mediators received the group’s response that Hamas accepted the Security Council resolution and was ready to negotiate over the details of a ceasefire.
Also on Tuesday, Hamas and its ally Palestinian Islamic Jihad expressed “readiness to positively” reach a deal to end the war in Gaza in a joint statement on Tuesday, which some interpreted as acceptance of Biden’s proposal.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in Tel Aviv to meet Israeli officials, called this a “hopeful sign” but said it was not conclusive.

More important “is the word coming from Gaza and from the Hamas leadership in Gaza. That’s what counts, and that’s what we don’t have yet,” Blinken told reporters in Tel Aviv.

CEASEFIRE PLAN

Biden’s proposal envisages a ceasefire and phased release of Israeli hostages in Gaza in exchange for Palestinians jailed in Israel, ultimately leading to a permanent end to the war.

This would be a three-phase plan starting with an initial six-week ceasefire with an Israeli military withdrawal from populated areas of Gaza and the release of some hostages while “a permanent end to hostilities” is negotiated through mediators.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Israeli official’s remarks on Tuesday. Earlier U.S. officials said they were reviewing Hamas’ response, as did Qatar and Egypt.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/blinken-says-hamas-signal-support-un-backed-gaza-truce-deal-is-hopeful-sign-2024-06-11/

Four American instructors from a small Iowa university were wounded in a stabbing attack in a public park in northeast China’s Jilin province on Monday, prompting an investigation into the attacker’s motive, Chinese officials said.

The alleged assaults occurred shortly before noon on Monday at a park in Jilin City, police said. A 55-year-old local man, identified only by his surname Cui, was detained the same day.

“I feel like crying, but there are no tears,” one shop owner said, fearing that all her fish were dead.

More than 1,000 exotic animals have perished after a fire ripped through a famous market in Thailand.

Snakes, puppies and Siamese fighting fish were among the pets and other animals killed as the blaze ravaged around 1,300 sq m of stalls at the Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok in the early hours of Tuesday.

Some 118 shops were destroyed and an initial inspection suggests the fire was caused by an electrical fault, police said.

It took about an hour to bring the fire under control, officials said. There are no reports of human casualties.

In grim scenes, firefighters picked through carcasses, mangled cages, and collapsed metal shop roofs.

“I’m shock. I feel like crying, but there are no tears,” said one Siamese fighting fish shop owner Suwannee Sangdee.

She fears her small establishment has been left in ruins and all her precious fish dead.

“Now I have to think about what’s next.”

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/thailand-1-000-animals-killed-as-fire-rips-through-market-13151166

Marcin Banot, dressed in an Argentine football jersey, was intercepted after climbing 25 floors of the Globant building as onlookers gathered below.

A Polish daredevil was arrested in Buenos Aires Tuesday as he tried to scale a 30-story building without ropes, only to be removed by firefighters.
Marcin Banot, dressed in an Argentine football jersey, was intercepted after climbing 25 floors of the Globant building as onlookers gathered below.

More than 30 firefighters, ambulances and police cars were rushed to the scene after someone inside the building called an emergency line.

He did not resist efforts to remove him.

Back on the ground, Banot was arrested, and risks being ordered to pay the costs for the rescue operation, officials said.

The 36-year-old has pulled similar stunts in other countries and has hundreds of thousands of followers on social networks.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/polish-spider-man-tried-to-scale-30-storey-building-with-no-ropes-arrested-5871318

Warning about the far-right Project 2025 agenda for a Donald Trump White House, a group of House Democrats has launched a task force to start fighting the proposal and stop it from taking hold if the Republican former president returns to power.

Democratic Rep. Jared Huffman of California is unveiling The Stop Project 2025 Task Force on Tuesday, the latest sign that congressional Democrats and outside groups are treating Trump’s campaign seriously in the expected rematch against Democratic President Joe Biden this fall.

“The stakes just couldn’t be higher,” Huffman told The Associated Press.

Huffman said the Project 2025 agenda will hit “like a Blitzkrieg” and lawmakers need to be ready.

“If we’re trying to react to it and understand it in real time, it’s too late,” he said. “We need to see it coming well in advance and prepare ourselves accordingly.”

The Democratic-led task force comes as groups on and off Capitol Hill are increasingly alarmed over Project 2025, a sweeping blueprint from the conservative Heritage Foundation that is preparing to quickly help staff a new GOP administration with plans for dismantling aspects of the federal government and installing loyalists for a second Trump term.

Kevin Roberts, the president of The Heritage Foundation and Heritage Action for America, scoffed at the “unserious” effort and said the left is “in a frenzy” as Project 2025 tries to wrest control of the federal bureaucracy.

“Project 2025 will not be ‘stopped,’” Roberts said in a statement. He said the Democrats fighting Project 2025 are “more than welcome to try. We will not give up and we will win.”

While the Trump campaign has repeatedly said that outside groups do not speak for the former president, Project 2025’s 1,000-page proposal was drafted with input from a long list of former Trump administration officials who are poised to fill the top ranks of a potential new administration.

Core to the Project 2025 plan is ousting thousands of civil servants and replacing them with personnel from a database of applicants, an effort to reverse the setbacks of Trump’s first term, when many of his more extreme ideas were thwarted and blocked by those refusing to break norms or overextend presidential powers.

Huffman’s group is the latest to take on the Project 2025 proposal and plans for a Trump White House.

Last week, one of the nation’s leading civil rights organizations, the American Civil Liberties Union, announced it was preparing potential legal action to stop Trump’s campaign promise to launch mass deportations of immigrants on the first day of his presidency if elected. It’s the first of several memos the ACLU is rolling out, offering a blueprint on how it plans to respond to a second Trump or Biden term.

And others are detailing alleged threats to democracy if Trump’s attacks on the judicial system, plans to pardon those convicted in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and threats of vengeance on political enemies take hold.

Huffman’s group is made up of about a half-dozen House Democratic lawmakers in a loose coalition separate from party leadership. It plans to begin briefing fellow lawmakers about Project 2025, hold a forum on Capitol Hill and inform voters about its ideas.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/project-2025-trump-biden-election-congress-6899a1167a4522b1c8be371f7abe7ee9#

X is rolling out private likes as soon as today, according to a source at the company. That means what users like on the platform will be hidden by default, which is already an option for X’s Premium subscribers. Following the publication of this story, X owner Elon Musk reshared a screenshot of it, saying it’s “important to allow people to like posts without getting attacked for doing so!”

A few weeks ago, X’s director of engineering, Haofei Wang, said the upcoming change is meant to protect users’ public image — because “many people feel discouraged” to like “edgy” content. The Likes tab on user profiles will be gone. Users will still be able to see who liked their posts and the like count for all posts, but they will not see the people who liked someone else’s post, according to X senior software engineer Enrique Barragan. (He also hinted at the launch today in a post.)

“Soon you’ll be able to like without worrying who might see it,” Wang said last month.

Late last year, Musk told the platform’s engineers that he wanted to get rid of the tweet action buttons altogether and instead place a stronger emphasis on post views (also called “impressions”). Musk’s goal was to remove the section that contained the like and repost buttons entirely because Musk believed likes weren’t important, a source told me at the time.

Source: https://www.theverge.com/2024/6/11/24176247/x-likes-hidden-private-rollout

The monarch’s face was covered with a poster of the animated character Wallace, with a speech bubble reading: “No cheese Gromit. Look at all this cruelty on RSPCA farms.”

Animal rights activists have targeted a portrait of the King, pasting over his face with a picture of the animated character Wallace.

A speech bubble, reading, “No cheese Gromit. Look at all this cruelty on RSPCA farms,” was also put onto the painting at the Philip Mould gallery in central London.

It was the first official portrait of the King, by artist Jonathan Yeo, since the coronation, which was unveiled at Buckingham Palace last month.

Animal Rising said two of its supporters were responsible for the stunt, saying the artwork was targeted because of the King’s love of the British stop-motion Wallace and Gromit comedy franchise created by Nick Park and his status as Royal Patron of the RSPCA.

The Queen once revealed that inventor Wallace and his dog Gromit, the stars of hit Aardman films including The Wrong Trousers and A Grand Day Out, were her husband’s “favourite people in the world”.

In a post on the group’s website Daniel Juniper, one of those involved, said they wanted to draw his attention to alleged cruelty reported on RSPCA-assured farms.

“Even though we hope this is amusing to His Majesty, we also call on him to seriously reconsider if he wants to be associated with the awful suffering across farms being endorsed by the RSPCA,” he said.

“Charles has made it clear he is sensitive to the suffering of animals in UK farms; now is the perfect time for him to step up and call on the RSPCA to drop the assured scheme and tell the truth about animal farming.”

A video posted on social media site X shows two protesters approaching the painting before attaching the posters using paint rollers, then walking away.

‘I wasn’t surprised’

Gallery owner Philip Mould said staff had anticipated the painting may be targeted by protesters and is “safely secured in its frame with protective layers”.

“I wasn’t hugely surprised,” he said. “The attack on the picture was not actually of a serious nature. The perpetrators put water on the surface very quickly in a swift manoeuvre and then they added stickers to that.

“No damage was done. The stickers only remained up for about 10 or 15 seconds, and then were taken down by my gallery staff.

“I asked the individuals to leave and they did.”

The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “In response to footage circulating on social media, officers attended a central London gallery to carry out enquiries. Police had not been called to the incident.

“Staff at the venue were spoken to. They confirmed no damage had been done to either the painting or the glass that covered it. The protesters were asked by staff to leave following the incident, which they did.

“The gallery did not wish to report a crime and as such there is no further action by police.”

Animal Rising – which said the posters were affixed using water sprayed on to the back, so they could be easily removed – is calling for the King to suspend his support for the RSPCA until the charity drops its ethical food labelling scheme.

Spokesperson Orla Coghlan said: “Just as Feathers McGraw fooled Wallace into a bank heist, the RSPCA has been fooling the British public into thinking their factory farms are – in any way – an acceptable place for animals to live. It’s clear from the scenes across 45 RSPCA-assured farms that there’s no kind way to farm animals.”

The report, released by Animal Rising on Sunday, contains findings from investigations on 45 farms across the UK featuring chickens, pigs, salmon and trout.

An RSPCA spokesperson said the charity has launched “an immediate, urgent investigation” after receiving the footage on Sunday but was “shocked by this vandalism”.

“We welcome scrutiny of our work, but we cannot condone illegal activity of any kind,” they said, adding the group’s “sustained activity is distracting from our focus on the work that really matters – helping thousands of animals every day”.

The spokesperson said the charity remains “confident” the RSPCA-assured scheme “is the best way to help farmed animals right now, while campaigning to change their lives in the future”.

“We have responded openly and transparently to Animal Rising’s challenges to our farming work,” they said.

“While we understand that Animal Rising, like us, want the best for animals, their activity is a distraction and a challenge to the work we are all doing to create a better world for every animal.”

Buckingham Palace declined to comment.

The portrait shows the King wearing the uniform of the Welsh Guards, which he was made regimental colonel of in 1975, and was originally commissioned in 2020 to mark his 50 years as a member of The Draper’s Company in 2022.

He sat for Mr Yeo on four occasions between June 2021 and November 2023 at both Highgrove in Gloucestershire and Clarence House in London.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/king-charles-first-official-portrait-targeted-by-animal-rights-activists-13151389

President Joe Biden’s son is found guilty of lying about his drug use to illegally buy a gun.

Joe Biden’s son has been found guilty of illegally buying a gun after hiding his drug use.

Hunter Biden, 54, was convicted of three firearm charges in the first criminal prosecution of a sitting US president’s offspring.

Prosecutors said he lied on a form when buying a Colt Cobra revolver in October 2018 by stating he was not a drug user or addict, despite a problem with crack cocaine.

Biden pleaded not guilty to felony charges that included lying about his addiction when he filled out a government screening document for the revolver and illegally possessing the weapon for 11 days.

First Lady Jill Biden was in the courtroom shortly after the verdicts – which came after the jury deliberated for about three hours – and was seen holding her stepson’s hand as they left.

In a statement following the verdicts, President Biden said he accepted the outcome of the case, as his son considers making an appeal.

The trial included testimony from Hunter Biden’s ex-wife and sister-in-law, who gave accounts of his spiralling addiction in the weeks before and after buying the gun.

Prosecutors also showed text messages, photos and bank records they said showed Biden was deep in the throes of addiction when he bought the gun.

Biden’s lawyers sought to show he was not using drugs when he bought the gun and didn’t intend to deceive, as he didn’t consider himself a drug user at the time.

The defence called Biden’s daughter Naomi who testified her father seemed to be doing well when she saw him shortly before and after he bought the gun.

Hunter Biden was convicted Tuesday of all three felony charges related to the purchase of a revolver in 2018 when, prosecutors argued, the president’s son lied on a mandatory gun-purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs.

Hunter Biden, 54, stared straight ahead and showed little emotion as the verdict was read after jury deliberations that lasted only three hours over two days in Wilmington, Delaware. He hugged his attorneys, smiled wanly and kissed his wife, Melissa, before leaving the courtroom with her.

President Joe Biden said in a statement issued shortly after the verdict that he would accept the outcome and “continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal.”

Now Hunter Biden and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, the president’s chief political rival, have both been convicted by American jurors in an election year that has been as much about the courtroom as about campaign events and rallies.

Hunter Biden faces up to 25 years in prison when he is sentenced by U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika, though as a first-time offender he would not get anywhere near the maximum, and there’s no guarantee the judge would send him to prison. She did not set a sentencing date.

Defense attorney Abbe Lowell said they would “continue to vigorously pursue all the legal challenges available.” In a written statement, Hunter Biden said he was disappointed by the outcome but grateful for the support of family and friends.

The jury’s decision was read swiftly after the announcement that it reached a verdict. First lady Jill Biden sat through nearly every day of the trial but did not make it into the courtroom in time to hear the verdict. Hunter Biden walked out of the courthouse holding hands with the first lady and his wife before they got into waiting SUVs and drove off.

Joe Biden steered clear of the federal courtroom where his son was tried and said little about the case, wary of appearing to interfere in a criminal matter brought by his own Justice Department. But allies of the Democrat have worried about the toll that the trial — and now the conviction — will take on the 81-year-old, who has long been concerned with his only living son’s health and sustained sobriety.

Hunter Biden’s conviction came just weeks after Trump was found guilty of 34 felony charges related to a hush money payment to a porn actor in the 2016 campaign. The cases are in no way the same, and Hunter Biden is a private citizen who is not running for office. But they have both argued they were victimized by the politics of the moment.

Trump, however, has continued to falsely claim his verdict was “rigged,” while Joe Biden has said he would accept the verdict involving his son and would not seek to pardon him.

In his statement Tuesday, the president said he and the first lady are proud of their son, who says he has been sober since 2019, and will always be there for him with “love and support.”

Trump’s campaign called the verdict “nothing more than a distraction from the real crimes of the Biden Crime Family.” Trump and his allies have pressed unsubstantiated or debunked allegations that Joe Biden acted while vice president to advance his family members’ foreign business interests.

The verdict came down as the president prepared to give a speech at a conference hosted by the Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund in Washington. He did not mention his son as he spoke about his administration’s efforts to stop gun violence and the need to ban so-called assault weapons.

Hours after the conviction, President Biden hugged his son after landing in Wilmington to spend the night with family before leaving Wednesday for the Group of Seven leaders conference in Italy. Hunter Biden, his wife and their child greeted the president on the tarmac, and the president lingered to visit with them for several minutes.

Jurors found Hunter Biden guilty of lying to a federally licensed gun dealer, making a false claim on the application by saying he was not a drug user and illegally having the gun for 11 days.

The trial played out in the president’s home state, where Hunter Biden grew up and where the family is deeply established. Joe Biden spent 36 years as a senator in Delaware, commuting daily to Washington, and his other son, Beau Biden, was the state attorney general before he died of cancer.

The proceedings put a spotlight on a dark time in Hunter Biden’s life, including his spiraling descent after Beau’s death in 2015. The trial featured deeply personal testimony from former romantic partners and embarrassing evidence such as text messages and photos of Hunter Biden with drug paraphernalia or partially clothed.

In his closing argument on Monday, prosecutor Leo Wise acknowledged the evidence was “ugly.” But he told jurors it was also “absolutely necessary” to prove Hunter was in the throes of addiction when he bought the gun and therefore lied when he checked “no” on the form that asked whether he was “an unlawful user of, or addicted to” drugs.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-gun-trial-federal-charges-delaware-5dd8a9380235c6360a1ddb691ef24a06