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Donald Trump Jr. Releases Email Chain Showing Russia Communication

Diane A. Wade
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Donald Trump Jr. Releases Email Chain Showing Russia Communication

Donald Trump Jr. has released an email chain showing he was keen to accept “sensitive” information on Hillary Clinton from a Russian national.

Publicist Rob Goldstone tells Donald Trump Jr. that there is information that is “part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump”.

Donald Trump’s son replies: “If it’s what you say, I love it.”

The emails led to a meeting in New York with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya.

It appears to be the first confirmation that a Trump associate attended a meeting in the expectation of being handed sensitive information from Russian officials.

US officials are currently investigating alleged Russian meddling in the US election.

Donald Trump Jr. Admits Meeting Russian Lawyer During Campaign

President Donald Trump issued a brief statement in support of his son, describing him as “a high-quality person” and applauding his transparency.

Image source Wikimedia

The emails to Donald Trump Jr., which he released on Twitter, say “the crown prosecutor of Russia” (a role that does not exist) had “offered to provide the Trump campaign with some official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary and her dealings with Russia and would be very useful to your father”.

The email chain was also forwarded to Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law, and campaign manager Paul Manafort.

All three later met Natalia Veselnitskaya at New York’s Trump Tower.

Russia Investigation: Jared Kushner Is under FBI Scrutiny

Since he was elected, Donald Trump has been dogged by allegations that Russia tried to sabotage Hillary Clinton’s campaign. The president has denied any knowledge of this and Russia has also repeatedly denied interfering.

In May, the DoJ appointed ex-FBI director Robert Mueller as special counsel to look into the Russian matter.

The New York Times first reported on July 8 that a meeting had taken place on June 9, 2016, between Natalia Veselnitskaya and the Trump team.

It later reported that Donald Trump Jr. had earlier been offered alleged damaging information on Hillary Clinton.

The Times had been expected to publish emails connected to the meeting, but Donald Trump Jr. pre-empted this by posting the email chain on Twitter.

He had earlier admitted meeting Natalia Veselnitskaya but insisted she had provided “no meaningful information”. He said she had wanted to talk about adoptions.

Natalia Veselnitskaya, who has been linked to the Russian government, has insisted she was never in possession of information that could have damaged Hillary Clinton.

The Russian lawyer said Donald Trump’s son and two senior campaign aides may have met her last summer because they were “longing” for such information. She has denied any connection with the Kremlin.

The email chain released by Donald Trump Jr. shows that:

  • On June 3, 2016, he received an email from intermediary Rob Goldstone promising documents from Russia that would incriminate Hillary Clinton and her supposed dealings with Russia;
  • One email from Rob Goldstone said the information they had been promised was “obviously very high-level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump”;
  • The person who was to meet Donald Trump Jr. in New York was described as “a Russian government attorney who is flying over from Moscow”;
  • Within the week, a meeting had been arranged which included Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort.

Donald Trump Jr. also posted a statement saying he was releasing the email chain “to be totally transparent” and reiterated that the Russian lawyer had “no information to provide”.

Rob Goldstone has previously denied any knowledge of involvement in the election by the Russian government.

See You Again Overtakes Gangnam Style as YouTube’s Most-Watched Video

Sonia Pantiss
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See You Again Overtakes Gangnam Style as YouTube’s Most-Watched Video

Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth’s See You Again overtook Psy’s Gangnam Style as the most-watched video on YouTube.

The South Korean megahit had been the site’s most-played clip for the last five years.

The surreal video became so popular that it “broke” YouTube’s play counter, exceeding the maximum possible number of views (2,147,483,647), and forcing the company to rewrite its code.

Gangnam Style exceeds YouTube’s view limit prompting counter upgrade

Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth’s See You Again, a heart-wrenching ballad, has now been streamed 2,897,632,968 times; beating Psy’s current count of 2,895,111,556 views.

Adding it up, that means See You Again has been streamed for a total of 21,759 years. If one person was to listen to each of those streams consecutively, they’d have to have started during the glacial peak of the last Ice Age.

Image source YouTube

Charlie Puth wrote on Twitter: “I joined YouTube in 2007 hoping to make a video that would reach 10,000 views.

“Just heard about See You Again… Wow.”

See You Again was written for Furious 7, playing over the closing credits in tribute to Paul Walker, who died in a car accident before the movie was completed.

It was the best-selling song worldwide in 2015, and received best song nominations at both the Grammys and the Oscars.

Gangnam Style hits 2 billion views on YouTube

The music video features the final scene of Furious 7, in which the two main characters Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Brian O’Conner (Cody Walker, filling in for his brother, Paul), drive side-by-side, sharing a smile for the last time before they pull onto separate roads and drive into the sunset.

As the camera pans up into the sky, a title card reads “For Paul” and the video ends.

Paul Walker dead: Fast & Furious actor dies in LA car crash

The video reached 1 billion views in six months, and hit 2 billion in September 2016. However, its reign as YouTube’s most-watched clip may be short-lived.

Luis Fonsi’s summer smash Despacito has racked up 2.5 billion views in just six months, and it shows no signs of slowing down.

Meanwhile, 47 of the top 50 clips on YouTube are music videos, proving the importance of the streaming site to the music industry – despite the fact the two sides are locked in a battle over royalty payments.

According to analysis by Midia Research, every stream on YouTube generates $0.001 for the music industry.

That means Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth’s See You Again has earned $2.9 million from YouTube – roughly the same amount it has made from 665 million plays on Spotify.

Russia Threatens to Expel 30 US Diplomats in Retaliation for Washington’s Sanctions

Diane A. Wade
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Russia Threatens to Expel 30 US Diplomats in Retaliation for Washington’s Sanctions

Russia is threatening to expel about 30 US diplomats and seize US state property in retaliation for Washington’s sanctions, local officials confirm.

The threat came from Russian foreign ministry sources, quoted by the daily Izvestia. Other Russian officials have made similar statements recently.

In December 2016, the Obama administration expelled 35 Russian diplomats and shut down two intelligence compounds.

The measures were a response to alleged Russian meddling in the US election.

Russia was already under US sanctions.

Former President Barack Obama acted against Russia after US intelligence sources had accused Russian state agents of hacking into Democratic Party computers to undermine Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.

Trump Vows To “Move Forward” In Relations With Russia

President Vladimir Putin raised the issue of the Obama sanctions with President Donald Trump when they met in Hamburg last week, Izvestia reported.

Meanwhile, the Trump team is under investigation over alleged Russian collusion during last year’s presidential campaign. Russia has strongly denied interfering in the election.

In addition to expelling 35 Russian diplomats from Washington and San Francisco, the Obama administration imposed sanctions on nine entities and individuals including Russia’s GRU and FSB intelligence agencies. The US closed Russian intelligence compounds in New York and Maryland.

Donald Trump Jr. Admits Meeting Russian Lawyer During Campaign

President Putin refrained from tit-for-tat retaliation – unlike in previous diplomatic spats.

Russia says President Donald Trump presented “no plan to resolve the crisis” when the issue was raised in Hamburg.

An unnamed Russian diplomat told Izvestia that in retaliation Russia could seize a US government dacha (country villa) at Serebryany Bor, to the northwest of Moscow, and a US warehouse in the city itself.

Donald Trump Shifts His Position on Working with Russia for A Joint Cyber Security Unity

However, the US ambassador’s Spaso House residence and the Anglo-American School in St Petersburg would not be affected.

Russia would carry out the threat if no compromise was reached at a St Petersburg meeting later this month between Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and US Under Secretary of State Thomas Shannon, Izvestia reported.

The US and its Western allies have also imposed wide-ranging sanctions on Russia because of Moscow’s role in the Ukraine conflict.

Russia blocked most imported Western food and drink in retaliation.

Trump Vows To “Move Forward” In Relations With Russia

Dana R
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Trump Vows To “Move Forward” In Relations With Russia

US President Donald Trump vowed on Sunday to “move forward in working constructively with Russia”, including mentions of forming a cybersecurity unit staffed by the two countries. This statement follows Russian President Vladimir Putin denying any kind of interference in the 2016 US Presidential Election.

With US President Donald Trump.

Source: Kremlin Official Website

Trump’s commitment to partner with Putin on cybersecurity has drawn stern criticism from officials of both the main parties, some of whom have described the president as dangerously naïve for trusting his Russian counterpart in this way. Trump tweeted that he “strongly pressed” Putin twice about Russia meddling in the election during their meeting in Germany on Friday, and that Putin “vehemently denied it”.

American intelligence agencies have concluded definitively that there were attempts by Russian authorities to influence the election in Mr Trump’s favor, through illegal hacking, propaganda, and other insidious activities. However, Trump’s public statements on the issue haven’t been defensive in the least, and have varied from vague complacency to outright doubt over Russia’s role in the election.

Following the meeting at the G20 Summit earlier this month, Trump didn’t say whether he believed Putin’s denial or not, only stating “I’ve already given my opinion” at the end of his tweet. Both Putin and his Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have claimed that Trump believed Putin’s assurances that Russia hadn’t meddled in the election.

However, White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus disputed Putin and Lavrov’s version of events. Though Priebus wasn’t present at the meeting between the two world leaders, he said “It’s not true” on Fox News Sunday and that Trump “absolutely did not believe the denial of President Putin”.

However, the Chief of Staff later showed varying certainty over the issue, saying that president Trump “believes that Russia probably committed all of these acts that we’ve been told of. But he also believes that other countries also participated in this activity.”

Trump’s statements have all come in the form of tweets, following his three-day visit to Hamburg, where he met Putin and other world leaders. In these tweets, Trump repeated his accusation that Obama and did “nothing” after learning about Russia’s involvement in hacking Democrat email servers to influence the outcome of the 2016 election.

As more and more of the election hacking scandal has come to light, there’s been increasing talk about what can be done to protect future elections. One arm of this is new biometric technology, from companies such as Smartmatic. If integrated, this extra layer will ensure that the person voting really is who they say they are.

While there’s no evidence as of yet that ballot counting or voting was affected directly in last year’s election, many American officials are concerned that Russian saboteurs may have gained some knowledge that could help them influence elections in the future, including the 2018 mid-terms.

Both Democrat and Republican secretaries of state, who are responsible for conducting elections in many American states, have complained about a lack of information from federal intelligence officials regarding Russian interference in the last presidential election.

Yemen Cholera Outbreak: Number of Cases Passes 300,000

Kathryn R. Bown
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Yemen Cholera Outbreak: Number of Cases Passes 300,000

The number of Yemen cholera cases has passed 300,000 in the past 10 weeks, the International Committee of the Red Cross says.

The situation has continued to “spiral out of control”, with about 7,000 new cases every day, the ICRC warned.

According to the UN, more than 1,700 associated deaths have been reported,.

Yemen’s health, water and sanitation systems are collapsing after two years of conflict between pro-government forces and the rebel Houthi movement.

Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholera.

Most of those infected will have no or mild symptoms but, in severe cases, the disease can kill within hours if left untreated.

Image source Al Jazeera

On June 24, the WHO declared that Yemen was facing “the worst cholera outbreak in the world”, with more than 200,000 suspected cases.

Yemen Cholera Outbreak: Number of Suspected Cases Exceeds 200,000

In just over two weeks, another 100,000 people have been infected – an increase the ICRC’s Middle East regional director Roberto Mardini called “disturbing”.

On July 8, the WHO said that 297,438 cases had been recorded, but the agency was still analyzing the latest figures from the Yemeni health ministry on Monday.

The outbreak has affected all but one of Yemen’s 23 provinces. The four most affected provinces – Sanaa, Hudaydah, Hajja and Amran – have reported almost half of the cases.

UN agencies say the outbreak is the direct consequence of the civil war, with 14.5 million people cut off from regular access to clean water and sanitation.

More than half of health facilities are no longer functioning, with almost 300 having been damaged or destroyed, and some 30,000 local health workers who are key to dealing with the outbreak have not been paid for 10 months.

Rising rates of malnutrition have weakened the health of vulnerable people – above all children under the age of 15 and the elderly – and made them more vulnerable to the disease.

Last week, the UN’s humanitarian co-ordinator in Yemen warned that humanitarian organizations had been forced to divert resources away from combating malnutrition to deal with the cholera outbreak, raising the risk of a famine.

Steps To Report An Auto Accident To An Insurance Company

Nancy Clayson
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Steps To Report An Auto Accident To An Insurance Company

Whether it is a fender-bender or major collision it is enough to leave you shaken, especially if there is damage to your property — or worse yet, injury to you. If you are going to report an accident to an insurance company, there is a process to help things go smoothly.

Do I report an accident?

Sometimes the most difficult part of making an insurance claim is deciding whether you even want to make one. There are times when it is more economical to take care of the damages on your own than to make a claim. There are two types of insurance claims that you can file: a first-party claim and a third-party claim.

When you file a first-party claim, you report the accident directly to your own insurance carrier. When making a third-party claim, you contact the insurance company of the other motorist involved in the accident. A third-party claim is made when the other driver was “at-fault.” If you are at fault and the damages to your car or the other car are minimal, it is best to consider how much it will increase your premiums to report the accident versus how much it would cost to fix the damages. If there are injuries involved or the accident was substantial, then it is always best to get the insurance company involved.

Report the car insurance claim

Although you may be a little shaken, it is important to report the accident immediately to the proper insurance carrier. If you are filing a first-party claim, then you will want to call your insurance carrier and should have their contact info either online or on the back of your insurance card. If you are filing a third-party claim, then you will have to get the information about the insurance company from the other motorist. Other things you will likely need when making a third party claim are:

  • The policy number
  • The insured person’s full name
  • The time and date of the accident
  • The license plate numbers for all parties involved
  • The police report number
  • A general description of the accident

The insurance company will be responsible for investigating your claim and arranging a time for you to have your car inspected for damages. They will typically have someone come out to assess the damage, unless the accident was severe enough that the car was totaled.

Each carrier will have their own timeline for filing a claim, which is why it is imperative that you call immediately to file.

What not to say when you call

There are certain questions that the insurance carrier is going to ask you. Because the call will be recorded, it is important that you not say anything that might jeopardize the case. There are many things that you will want not to talk about with the other insurance company, like:

  • Giving a report of your injury – Although you should tell them you are injured, do not give any more specifics about how you were injured or the extent of your injuries when you’re first filing a claim. Any statements about self-diagnosing can come back to bite you.
  • Submitting a written statement – Never give any written statements related to the accident unless you know exactly why you are providing them. And it is always a good idea to have Los Angeles auto accident lawyers look over any written statements before you send them.
  • Answer any specific questions – Avoid answering any specific questions about the accident. Don’t offer any conclusions of your own or give more details than are asked.
  • Tell the truth – It is imperative to tell the truth. Even if you are worried that it might put you at fault, if you are caught telling the insurance company something that isn’t true, that is technically fraud.
  • Agree to any settlements – Before you accept any settlement money, it is important to have your case assessed by a personal injury lawyer to ensure that you are being fairly compensated. Once you accept money then the case is over, and you aren’t eligible to collect for anything that may creep up in the future.

If you are in an accident where there is either damage or injuries, it is always best to get the help of a personal injury lawyer who specializes in auto accidents before you discuss any specifics of the case or agree to any settlements made by an insurance company.

Salvează

Salvează

Donald Trump Jr. Admits Meeting Russian Lawyer During Campaign

Diane A. Wade
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Donald Trump Jr. Admits Meeting Russian Lawyer During Campaign

Donald Trump Jr. has admitted meeting a Russian lawyer last year who, he says, promised to reveal damaging material on Hillary Clinton.

However, the president’s son insisted that Natalia Veselnitskaya had provided “no meaningful information” on his father’s rival for the presidency.

President Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and then-campaign head, Paul J. Manafort, were also at the meeting.

US officials are currently investigating alleged Russian meddling in the US election.

The meeting took place on June 9, 2016, at New York’s Trump Tower, just two weeks after Donald Trump secured the Republican nomination.

Donald Trump Shifts His Position on Working with Russia for A Joint Cyber Security Unity

It is thought to be the first confirmed private meeting between a Russian national and members of Donald Trump’s inner circle.

After the New York Times first reported the meeting on July 8, Donald Trump Jr. released a statement which confirmed that it had taken place but did not mention whether it was related to the presidential campaign.

However, another Times report, on the next day, said Donald Trump Jr. had agreed to the meeting after being offered information that would potentially prove detrimental to Hillary Clinton.

Russia Election Hacking: Donald Trump Accuses Obama Administration of Inaction

The newspaper cited three White House advisers briefed on the meeting, and two others with knowledge for it, as its sources.

Image source Wikimedia

Donald Trump Jr. said that an acquaintance he had known from the 2013 Miss Universe pageant had set up the meeting. The Washington Post confirmed that figure to be music publicist Rob Goldstone, who has links to the Russian music industry.

In a statement on July 9, Donald Trump Jr. said he had been asked to meet “an individual who I was told might have information helpful to the campaign”.

“I was not told her name prior to the meeting. I asked Jared [Kushner] and Paul [Manafort] to attend, but told them nothing of the substance.”

Donald Trump Jr.’s statement continues: “After pleasantries were exchanged, the woman stated that she had information that individuals connected to Russia were funding the Democratic National Committee and supporting Mrs. Clinton.

“Her statements were vague, ambiguous and made no sense. No details or supporting information was provided or even offered. It quickly became clear that she had no meaningful information.

“She then changed subjects and began discussing the adoption of Russian children and mentioned the Magnitsky Act.

“It became clear to me that this was the true agenda all along and that the claims of potentially helpful information were a pretext for the meeting.”

Russia Investigation: Jared Kushner Is under FBI Scrutiny

Natalia Veselnitskaya said on July 8 that “nothing at all was discussed about the presidential campaign” and insisted she had “never acted on behalf of the Russian government and have never discussed any of these matters with any representative of the Russian government”.

The Magnitsky Act was adopted by Congress in 2012 and allows the US to withhold visas and freeze financial assets of Russian officials thought to have been involved in human rights violations.

The law so incensed President Vladimir Putin that he suspended a program allowing Americans to adopt Russian children.

Natalia Veselnitskaya is a lawyer whose clients include companies and individuals said to be close to the Kremlin and her main role has been campaigning against the Magnitsky Act.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCc1WxnHVjE

Donald Trump Shifts His Position on Working with Russia for A Joint Cyber Security Unity

Diane A. Wade
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Donald Trump Shifts His Position on Working with Russia for A Joint Cyber Security Unity

President Donald Trump has backtracked on a proposal to work with Russia to create an “impenetrable” cyber security unit to prevent election hacking.

Hours after promoting the idea on July 9, Donald Trump said that he did not think it could actually happen.

The idea of a partnership with Russia was ridiculed by senior Republicans.

It comes after President Trump’s first face-to-face talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Germany on July 7, in which the pair discussed the issue.

G20 Hamburg: Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin Meet Face to Face for First Time

President Trump described the outcome of the talks as positive and suggested closer co-operation between the two nations.

“Putin and I discussed forming an impenetrable cyber security unit so that election hacking, and many other negative things, will be guarded and safe,” he said.

The initial proposal immediately prompted derision from Democrats, as well as some Republicans who questioned why the US would work with Russia after the Kremlin’s alleged meddling in the 2016 US election.

Russia Hacking Briefing: Vladimir Putin Developed a Clear Preference for Donald Trump

President Trump shifted his position on the next day, saying on Twitter: “The fact that President Putin and I discussed a cyber security unit doesn’t mean I think it can happen. It can’t.”

However, the president stressed that another issue discussed in his talks with Vladimir Putin, a ceasefire in south-western Syria, had come into effect.

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin had sought to defend the proposed cyber unit after President Trump’s initial announcement.

Speaking on ABC’s This Week, Steve Mnuchin described it as a “significant accomplishment” for President Trump.

“What we want to make sure is that we co-ordinate with Russia,” he added.

Rex Tillerson Hearing: Trump’s Pick for Secretary of State Accepts Vladimir Putin Knew of Russian Hacking

However, Republican Senator Marco Rubio suggested that such an initiative would be like partnering with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on chemical weapons.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said: “It’s not the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard, but it’s pretty close.”

A special prosecutor is investigating whether Trump associates colluded with alleged Russian efforts to influence the 2016 US election.

Both Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin said the allegations had been discussed.

However, the two sides described the content of the meeting differently.

President Trump said he “strongly pressed” the issue with Vladimir Putin, who had “vehemently denied” interfering in the US election.

The president also said it was time to work more “constructively” with Russia.

Vladimir Putin said he believed President Trump had accepted his assurances that Moscow had not interfered in the vote.

However, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said interference in the 2016 election remained an impediment to better relations with Russia, while the US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said the US “can’t trust Russia” and “won’t ever trust Russia”.

Laptop Ban Lifted on More Middle East Flights

Nancy Clayson
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Laptop Ban Lifted on More Middle East Flights

The US laptop ban has been lifted on Kuwait Airways and Royal Jordanian.

They have become the latest Middle Eastern airlines to let passengers take laptops in the cabin on US-bound flights.

Both carriers said they had worked with US officials to tighten security checks on flights from Kuwait and Jordan.

The ban was imposed in March on direct flights to the US from eight mainly Muslim countries to address fears that bombs could be concealed in the devices.

Etihad, Turkish Airlines, Emirates and Qatar Airways became exempt last week.

Laptop Ban No Longer Applies on Emirates Flights to US

Royal Jordanian, which flies to three US cities from Amman lifted the ban after new security measures were implemented for US-bound flights, airline president Stefan Pichler said.

Image source Public Domain Pictures

State-owned Kuwait Airways, which flies from Kuwait to New York via Ireland, said the ban was lifted after US officials inspected security measures on its flights.

Large Electronic Devices Ban on Flights Comes Into Effect in US and UK

Last month, the US Department of Homeland Security announced measures requiring additional time to screen passengers and electronic devices on US-bound flights from 105 countries.

Airlines expressed hopes at the time that the changes would pave the way for the lifting of the electronics ban.

Large Electronic Devices Banned on US Flights from Eight Muslim Countries

The Morocco, Egypt and Saudi Arabia airlines are yet to announce a lifting of the ban.

Saudia, the flagship carrier for Saudi Arabia, has said passengers would be able to take personal electronic devices on US flights from July 19.

Royal Air Maroc also believes it can have the ban lifted for flights out of Casablanca by the same date, a senior official told Reuters last week.

Model 3: Elon Musk Unveils First Photos of Tesla’s Latest Car

Clyde K. Valle
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Model 3: Elon Musk Unveils First Photos of Tesla’s Latest Car

Elon Musk has shared the first images of Tesla’s Model 3 after it came off the assembly line.

The electric car company’s co-founder and chief executive tweeted a picture captioned “First Production Model 3” on July 8.

Elon Musk followed it up with another Model 3 photo, this time in color, outside the Tesla factory site in California.

Image source Twitter

The Model 3 is Tesla’s first mass-market car and the first 30 owners will get in the driver’s seat on July 28.

Model 3: Tesla Unveils Its Lowest-Cost Vehicle to Date

The four-door Model 3 will then be available to the public, with a base price of $35,000, almost half that of the Tesla’s next-cheapest model.

Tesla’s share price more than doubled between December and late June as investors backed Elon Musk’s strategy to transform the low-volume luxury electric car maker into a producer for the crowded mass-market, but has since fallen back.

Elon Musk: Tesla Model 3 Pre-Orders Total 276,000

Registrations for new Tesla cars in California, its largest market, were down 24% in April compared with April 2016, according to IHS Markit data. Tesla responded by calling the figure “cherry-picked” data.

Image source Twitter

Tesla reported that first-half 2017 global deliveries for all its models rose to 47,100. That was at the lower end of its predicted sales range of 47,000 to 50,000.

In its last full financial year results, Tesla made a loss of $889 million.

Elon Musk’s tweeted images follow news last week that Volvo would become the first traditional vehicle manufacturer to phase out the petrol and diesel powered combustion engine, in a move toward hybrid and electric car production.

Venezuela: Leopoldo Lopez Released from Jail After Three Years

Diane A. Wade
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Venezuela: Leopoldo Lopez Released from Jail After Three Years

Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro has surprisingly praised opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez’s jail release.

Leopoldo Lopez, one of Venezuela’s main opposition leaders, has been moved to house arrest after more than three years in jail.

He left a prison near Caracas and was reunited with his family on July 8.

Leopoldo Lopez Mendoza was serving a 14-year sentence for inciting violence during anti-government protests in 2014, a charge he has always denied. The Supreme Court said he was released on health grounds.

Venezuela: Leopoldo Lopez Jailed for 13 Years and Nine Months

President Maduro said he “respected” and “supported” the Supreme Court’s decision but called for “a message of peace and rectification” in Venezuela.

Hours after being freed, Leopoldo Lopez urged supporters to continue protesting in the streets against Nicolas Maduro.

Venezuela’s opposition and international powers have long pressed for Lopez’s freedom. The head of the Organization of American States regional bloc, Luis Almagro, said the court’s decision offered an opportunity for national reconciliation.

Image source Flickr

Former opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles stressed “he must be given his full liberty together with all political prisoners”, Reuters reported.

Giving a glimpse of his son’s life behind bars, Leopoldo Lopez’s father told Spanish radio “a few days ago they had punished him with solitary confinement without light or water for three days”.

He said his son was now wearing an electronic tag so that the authorities could keep abreast of his movements.

Venezuela: Brazilian Senators Attacked After Trying to Meet Jailed Opposition Leader Leopoldo Lopez

Leopoldo Lopez’s wife had complained that she had not been allowed to see him for more than a month, but on July 7 she tweeted she had been allowed an hour-long meeting.

In May, a government lawmaker published a video of Leopoldo Lopez in his cell following rumors that he had been poisoned and taken to hospital.

In the video, Leopoldo Lopez – a Harvard-educated former mayor who has been prevented by the government from standing for public office – said he was well and did not know why he was being asked to prove he was still alive.

Venezuela has been experiencing a wave of anti-government protests similar to those over which Leopoldo Lopez was jailed.

The opposition is calling for early elections and the release of opposition politicians jailed in recent years, saying the socialist governments of President Nicolas Maduro and his predecessor, the late Hugo Chavez, have mismanaged the economy since coming to power in 1999.

Vatican Bans Gluten-Free Bread Used for Holy Communion

Nancy Clayson
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Vatican Bans Gluten-Free Bread Used for Holy Communion

The Vatican has ruled that bread used to celebrate the Eucharist during Roman Catholic Mass must not be gluten-free – although it may be made from genetically modified organisms.

In a letter to bishops, Cardinal Robert Sarah said the bread can be low-gluten.

However, the cardinal said there must be enough protein in the wheat to make it without additives.

Image source Wikimedia

The new Vatican rules are needed because the bread is now sold in supermarkets and on the internet, the cardinal said.

Roman Catholics believe bread and wine served at the Eucharist are converted into the body and blood of Christ through a process known as transubstantiation.

Cardinal Robert Sarah of the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments said the wine used must also be “natural, from the fruit of the grape, pure and incorrupt, not mixed with other substances”.

The Vatican letter said that the ruling was issued at the request of Pope Francis.

There are about 1.2 billion Roman Catholics around the world.

Nelsan Ellis Dead: True Blood Star Dies of Complications from Heart Failure Aged 39

Sonia Pantiss
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Nelsan Ellis Dead: True Blood Star Dies of Complications from Heart Failure Aged 39

Nelsan Ellis, best known for starring Lafayette Reynolds in the popular HBO series True Blood, has died at the age of 39, his manager confirmed.

The actor died after complications from heart failure.

“He was a great talent, and his words and presence will be forever missed,” his manager Emily Gerson Saines told the Hollywood Reporter.

Nelsan Ellis appeared in True Blood from 2008 until the series ended in 2014.

Image source Wikimedia

HBO said in a statement on July 8: “We were extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Nelsan Ellis.

“Nelsan was a long-time member of the HBO family whose groundbreaking portrayal of Lafayette will be remembered fondly.”

Nelsan Ellis appeared regularly throughout the series of True Blood after first appearing as the cook at a local restaurant in 2008. He played the role of Lafayette Reynolds, a charismatic gay medium who was able to contact ghosts.

The actor also featured alongside Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer in the film adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s novel The Help in 2011.

Nelsan Ellis is survived by his grandmother Alex Brown, his father Tommie Lee Thompson and his son Breon, along with seven siblings.

G20 Final Agreement Acknowledges Donald Trump’s Withdrawal from Paris Climate Change Deal

Diane A. Wade
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G20 Final Agreement Acknowledges Donald Trump’s Withdrawal from Paris Climate Change Deal

Leaders of 19 nations at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, have renewed their pledge to implement the Paris deal on climate change, despite the US pulling out.

Deadlock over the issue had held up the last day of talks in Hamburg but a final agreement was eventually reached.

The final agreement acknowledges President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement without undermining the commitment of other countries.

The compromise comes after violent protests in the host city.

The joint summit statement released on July 8 said: “We take note of the decision of the United States of America to withdraw from the Paris Agreement.”

However, the leaders of the other G20 members agreed the accord was “irreversible”.

The statement also said the US would “endeavor to work closely with other countries to help them access and use fossil fuels more cleanly and efficiently”.

President Trump has pledged to help the US coal industry make a comeback and has previously characterized the Paris agreement as aiming to disadvantage his country’s workers.

In press conference as the two-day summit drew to a close, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she still deplored President Trump’s position on the Paris accord but she was “gratified” the other 19 nations opposed its renegotiation.

As well as insisting on the inclusion of separate America-only paragraphs in the final text, Donald Trump canceled his own scheduled news conference on July 8, reinforcing the image of the G20 as the G19 + 1.

“I think it’s very clear that we could not reach consensus, but the differences were not papered over, they were clearly stated,” Angela Merkel told reporters.

Angela Merkel said she did not share the view of UK Prime Minister Theresa May that Washington could decide to return to the climate agreement.

However, Theresa May reiterated her belief that the US could rejoin the accord in her news conference on July 8.

French President Emmanuel Macron also remained hopeful of persuading President Trump to change his mind, saying: “I never despair of convincing him because I think it’s my duty.”

Emmanuel Macron announced that Paris would host another summit on December 12 to make further progress on the climate agreement and to address financing.

There have been large protests in the city, with demonstrators and armed police clashing into the early hours of Saturday.

G20 Hamburg: Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin Meet Face to Face for First Time

Demonstrators – who were protesting against the presence of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, climate change and global wealth inequalities – set fire to vehicles and barricades, threw rocks at officers and looted shops.

At one point, police chased protesters across rooftops while officers on the streets used water cannon on protesters.

Nearly 200 police officers were injured during the protests. Dozens of protesters have been detained.

Japan Flooding Death Toll Rises to 15

Diane A. Wade
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Japan Flooding Death Toll Rises to 15

According to Japanese officials, the death toll from flooding caused by recent heavy rain in the country’s southern region has risen to at least 15.

Rescue teams are searching for another 15 people who are missing.

Rivers burst their banks, destroying buildings and roads after more than 20in of rain fell on parts of Kyushu, Japan’s southernmost island, over a 12-hour period on July 5.

Image source Wikimedia

Emergency teams are working through thick mud to try to reach stranded survivors. Hundreds have already been evacuated.

The worst-hit areas are in Fukuoka prefecture.

Japan floods: more than 250,000 people ordered to leave their homes

Announcing the revised death toll, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the region was expected to see further heavy rain on July 8.

About 12,000 police, military, firefighters and coast guard personnel have taking part in the rescue operation.

Japan Flood 2015: At Least Three Dead and Hundreds Stranded

Venus Williams Car Crash: Tennis Star Drove Lawfully, Police Report Says

Clyde K. Valle
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Venus Williams Car Crash: Tennis Star Drove Lawfully, Police Report Says

Footage has emerged showing that Venus Williams was driving lawfully during a car crash that led to the death of 78-year-old Jerome Barson, police say.

According to a surveillance video obtained by Palm Beach Gardens police in Florida, Venus Williams’ car entered the intersection on a green traffic signal.

An earlier police report had said Venus Williams, 37, was at fault and “violated the right of way of [the other driver]”.

Venus Williams’ lawyer said the fatal crash on June 9 was an accident.

Jerome Barson’s family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the tennis star.

Venus Williams Involved in Florida Fatal Crash

New video evidence has revealed that Venus Williams had the right of way as she entered the intersection of Northlake Boulevard in the city of Palm Beach Gardens, according to the police report.

However as she proceeded, the report says, Venus Williams was forced to brake to avoid a collision with an oncoming vehicle, which delayed her from clearing the junction.

Image source Flickr

As the tennis star then began to move forwards, a second vehicle – traveling in a different direction – entered the intersection on a green traffic signal, and the two cars collided.

“This updated information, based upon new evidence, is still under investigation,” the police statement said.

Jerome Barson had been travelling with his wife who was driving their vehicle at the time. He was taken to hospital but died two weeks later from his injuries.

The wife was also taken to hospital but survived.

The initial police report said that no other factors such as drugs, alcohol or mobile phone distractions were being investigated.

Was Serena Williams drunk at Wimbledon 2014?

Venus Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, reportedly told police she did not see the couple’s car and she was driving slowly. She was not arrested in connection with the crash.

On July 3, when questioned by reporters about the crash, Venus Williams broke down in tears, and said: “There are no words to describe how devastating [it is]. I’m completely speechless.”

Venus Williams’ lawyer Malcolm Cunningham told CNN in a statement: “Ms. Williams entered the intersection on a green light. The police report estimates that Ms. Williams was travelling at 5mph when Mrs. Barson crashed into her.

“Authorities did not issue Ms Williams with any citations or traffic violations. This is an unfortunate accident and Venus expresses her deepest condolences to the family who lost a loved one.”

Venus Williams is currently playing her 20th Wimbledon tournament in London, where she is seeded 10th.

How Artificial Intelligence is set to alter our way of living

Dana R
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How Artificial Intelligence is set to alter our way of living

From self-driving cars to virtual assistants, Artificial Intelligence has impacted our lives in every possible way and this technology is becoming invincible day by day. According to a study conducted by Oxford University, AI may replace up to 45% of the human jobs in next 20 years. Chat bots have already replaced their human counterparts in Customer service and intelligence systems may soon eliminate low-level manual jobs that involve repetitive tasks.

As computational intelligence keeps improving and gets faster due to enhanced processor speeds, AI is getting better and is also able to defeat humans in various tasks. Google’s DeepMind labs developed an AI application named AlphaGo which has already defeated one of the best human players Lee Sedol in the ancient Chinese game of Go and has also recently defeated the current world champion Ke Jie. Another AI named Libratus that was developed by the scientists at Carnegie Mellon University was able to defeat the world’s best poker players in a 3-week tournament of Texas Holdem’ Poker. This is a milestone achievement in the field of Artificial Intelligence since poker is a game of incomplete information and not just a normal repetitive task.

Image result for Artificial Intelligence

Autonomous cars are being used for ride-hailing services in Singapore by a start-up named nuTonomy and various companies are exploring this area. AI is also revolutionizing healthcare and deep learning algorithms are used in the analysis of complex medical data. Artificial Intelligence is already used for diagnosis of X-rays and CT scans to detect early stages of lung cancer by a Chinese start-up named Infervision.

AI based health care assistants use natural language processing and machine learning algorithms to analyse the symptoms of the patients in diagnosing their diseases and suggesting appropriate medications. For example, Your.MD is an AI-powered mobile App which can suggest remedies for your ailments and will caution you when you should consult the doctor. Similarly, IBM’s Watson is an AI whose oncology platform can detect cancer symptoms and offer dynamic care by guiding patients on the right treatment path. There will lot more AI applications developed in the future which will redefine the healthcare industry altogether and help in faster treatment and recovery of complex diseases.

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX has launched a start-up named NeuraLink which will be developing devices that can be implanted in human brains to act as a brain-computer interface. As we know, Tesla and SpaceX are companies which are already working on innovative ideas and this new venture of Elon Musk is a completely mind-blowing concept which can make humans smarter than computers. Musk while addressing a gathering at Dubai told that, “Over time I think we will probably see a closer merger of biological intelligence and digital intelligence.”

Electrode arrays and several implants have been already used in medical industry to improve the effects of neurodegenerative disorders like epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease. Musk’s idea of NeuraLink is developing a brain computer interface by using a network of tiny electrodes that can be implanted in the human brain. Musk believes this technology will help humans to communicate with others wirelessly without using any spoken or written language. If this technology is realized, and it can alter our lifestyle completely as human beings will be able to communicate more effectively and swiftly. This technology will create a biological connection to the Internet and human mind and this is something which we have seen only in the science fiction movies so far.

AI has also disrupted the design industry with many start-ups coming up with machine learning powered branding platforms like Tailor Brands. Even website creation is automated using machine learning algorithms and start-ups like The Grid and Wix have already launched AI-powered website builders that can design websites for you with very little manual effort. Smart chat bots are already being used for servicing customers online by various businesses. With new applications getting developed almost every day, AI has become ubiquitous and plays an inevitable role in altering human life.

G20 Hamburg: Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin Meet Face to Face for First Time

Diane A. Wade
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G20 Hamburg: Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin Meet Face to Face for First Time

Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have met face to face for the first time at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.

They have discussed the alleged Russian hacking of last year’s US presidential election.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson described the exchanges as “robust”.

And Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said President Trump had accepted President Putin’s assertions that Russia was not responsible.

However, Rex Tillerson said it was not clear whether the US and Russia would ever come to an agreement on what happened.

“I think the president is rightly focused on how do we move forward from something that may be an intractable disagreement at this point,” the secretary of state added.

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin held their first face-to-face talks on the sidelines of the G20 summit, which is being held amid sometimes violent protests.

Donald Trump Warsaw Speech: “Russia Has to Stop Destabilizing Ukraine”

Other topics discussed during their meeting – which lasted nearly two-and-a-quarter hours, longer than originally planned – included the war in Syria, terrorism and cybersecurity.

Image NBC News

Rex Tillerson, part of the US delegation, told reporters afterwards: “The president opened the meeting with President Putin by raising the concerns of the American people regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election.”

“They had a very robust and lengthy exchange on the subject. The president pressed President Putin on more than one occasion regarding Russian involvement.

“President Putin denied such involvement, as I think he has done in the past.”

Rex Tillerson said the two leaders had “connected very quickly”, adding: “There was a very clear positive chemistry between the two. There are so many issues on the table… Just about everything got touched upon… Neither one of them wanted to stop.

“I believe they even sent in the First Lady [Melania Trump] at one point to see if she could get us out of there, but that didn’t work either… We did another hour. Clearly she failed!”

Russia Election Hacking: Donald Trump Accuses Obama Administration of Inaction

Sergei Lavrov told reporters: “President Trump said he heard clear statements… that Russian authorities did not intervene [in the US election], and he accepted these declarations.”

Rex Tillerson was asked as he was leaving the news conference if this was accurate, but declined to answer.

Earlier, as the talks began in front of the media before going into private session, President Trump told President Putin: “It’s an honor to be with you.”

President Putin replied: “I’m delighted to meet you personally.”

Donald Trump added: “Putin and I have been discussing various things, and I think it’s going very well.

“We’ve had some very, very good talks. We’re going to have a talk now and obviously that will continue. We look forward to a lot of very positive things happening for Russia, for the United States and for everybody concerned.”

Vladimir Putin, via a translator, said that while they had previously spoken by phone, that would never be as good as meeting face to face.

The G20 (Group of Twenty) is a summit for 19 countries, both developed and developing, plus the EU.

Sheila Michaels, Feminist Who Popularized “Ms.”, Dies Aged 78

Nancy Clayson
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Sheila Michaels, Feminist Who Popularized “Ms.”, Dies Aged 78

American feminist Sheila Michaels, who brought the honorific “Ms” into mainstream use, has died at the age of 78.

Sheila Michaels did not invent the term, but is credited with rescuing it from obscurity after she saw it used in an address, thinking it was a typo.

“Ms” did not convey a woman’s marital status, unlike the traditional options “Mrs.” or “Miss”.

Sheila Michaels once said: “I had never seen it before: It was kind of arcane knowledge.”

Speaking to the New York Times in a 2016 interview for her own obituary, Sheila Michaels said the honorific resonated with her, both as a feminist and as the child of unmarried parents.

“[I] was looking for a title for a woman who did not <<belong>> to a man. There was no place for me,” she told The Guardian newspaper in 2007.

“I didn’t belong to my father and I didn’t want to belong to a husband – someone who could tell me what to do.”

Image source Wikimedia

Born in St Louis, Missouri, Sheila Michaels spent some of her childhood in New York City. She was a lifelong feminist activist, biblical scholar, and collected oral histories of the civil rights movement later in life.

In her professional life, Ms. Michaels worked as a ghostwriter, editor, and even ran a Japanese restaurant – but her obituary in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes her favorite job was being a New York City taxi driver.

The term Ms dates back to at least 1901, but its obscurity meant that Sheila Michaels first thought it was a typo, intended to be Mrs., on a housemate’s delivery of a Marxist magazine in the early 1960s.

Years later, she brought it casually, during a lull in conversation on broadcast radio – where it was heard by others, and began to attract attention.

That broadcast would lead the first editors of Ms. Magazine to adopt the honorific as its title in 1972 “after prompting from Sheila Michaels, who had been pushing the women’s movement to adopt its usage,” the magazine wrote last month.

“<<Ms.>> is how you address a woman as a whole person. In a culture where women were identified on the basis of their marital status… [it was a] way to define ourselves as individuals, not subordinates or partners.”

While the new honorific was in the public sphere and a subject of debate, it was not adopted by the New York Times until 1984 – seen as a landmark for its usage by a traditional stylistic conservative.

Now, the Times has published an extensive obituary based on interviews with Sheila Michaels herself.

“Ms. Michaels leaves a legacy both minute and momentous: two consonants and a small dot – three characters that forever changed English discourse,” the newspaper wrote.

Qatar Crisis: Saudi-Led Bloc Warns of Unspecified New Measures

Roy Siemens
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Qatar Crisis: Saudi-Led Bloc Warns of Unspecified New Measures

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, which lead a boycott against Qatar, have described Doha’s rejection of their demands as a threat to regional security.

In a statement, the Saudi-led bloc also warned of unspecified new measures.

Last month they cut all ties with Qatar, in effect imposing a land blockade on the tiny emirate.

Qatar Crisis to Be Discussed in Cairo

They demanded that Qatar shut down Al Jazeera TV, reduce ties with Iran and end its alleged support for jihadists.

Image source Flickr

Earlier this week Qatar rejected the four Gulf states’ ultimatum. It denies the allegations against it.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is expected on July 10 to visit Kuwait, which is mediating the Gulf crisis.

Qatar Rejects List of Conditions for Lifting Sanctions

In a July 6 statement, the bloc said Qatar’s rejection of their 13 demands “reflects its intention to continue its policy, aimed at destabilizing security in the region”.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates also threatened new political and economic measures against Qatar, without providing any further details.

Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani has described the cutting of ties with his country as “a siege that is a clear aggression and an insult”.

He said earlier this week: “The answer to our disagreement is not blockades and ultimatums, it is dialogue and reason.”

Qatar is dependent on imports to meet the basic needs of its population of 2.7 million.

As Qatar’s only land border is now closed, food is having to be shipped or flown in.

Elon Musk and Tesla to Build World’s Biggest Lithium Ion Battery in South Australia

Nancy Clayson
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Elon Musk and Tesla to Build World’s Biggest Lithium Ion Battery in South Australia

The state of South Australia will install the world’s biggest lithium ion battery in a “historic” deal with electric car company Tesla and energy company Neoen.

According to Premier Jay Weatherill, the battery will protect South Australia from the kind of energy crisis which famously blacked out the state.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed a much-publicized promise to build the battery within 100 days, or do it for free.

The 100-megawatt (129 megawatt-hour) battery should be ready this year.

Tesla to Unveil Electric Articulated Truck

Elon Musk said in Adelaide on July 7: “There is certainly some risk, because this will be largest battery installation in the world by a significant margin.”

He also said that “the next biggest battery in the world is 30 megawatts”.

Image source Flickr

According to South Australia’s government, the Tesla-built battery, paired with a Neoen wind farm, will operate around the clock and be capable of providing additional power during emergencies.

“It will completely transform the way in which renewable energy is stored, and also stabilize the South Australian network as well as putting downward pressure on prices,” Premier Jay Weatherill said.

Tesla Launches New Battery Pack for Model S and X Cars

Elon Musk’s 100-day pledge will begin once an electricity grid interconnection agreement has been signed.

Tesla has been expanding its battery business alongside its car production.

South Australia has suffered from blackouts since September 2016, leading to a political spat over energy policy.

The row culminated in a confrontation between Jay Weatherill and a federal government minister at a press conference in March.

Donald Trump Warsaw Speech: “Russia Has to Stop Destabilizing Ukraine”

Diane A. Wade
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Donald Trump Warsaw Speech: “Russia Has to Stop Destabilizing Ukraine”

President Donald Trump has urged Russia to stop “destabilizing” Ukraine and other countries and end support for “hostile regimes” such as those in Syria and Iran.

Speaking in Warsaw, Poland, Donald Trump urged Russia to “join the community of responsible nations”.

Russia rejected the president’s comments.

Image source AP

Donald Trump has traveled to Hamburg for the G20 summit, where he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time.

The president also faces differences with other leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who said last week that the G20 would focus on the Paris climate deal – which the US has withdrawn from.

Up to 100,000 protesters are expected over the two-day event and police have warned of potentially violent clashes. They have already confiscated a number of homemade weapons.

In Warsaw, President Trump argued that the future of Western civilization itself was at stake and asked whether the West had the “will to survive”.

He urged Russia to join the “fight against common enemies and in defense of civilization itself”.

Donald Trump also hailed Poland as an example of a country ready to defend Western freedoms.

Poland’s conservative government shares President Trump’s hostile view of immigration and strong sense of sovereignty.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieeCnD1BfLs

Donald Trump Warns North Korea of “Pretty Severe” Response Following ICBM Test

Roy Siemens
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Donald Trump Warns North Korea of “Pretty Severe” Response Following ICBM Test

President Donald Trump has warned North Korea that it is facing a “pretty severe” response following its long-range missile test earlier this week.

The president said: “They are behaving in a very, very dangerous manner and something will have to be done about it.”

However, Donald Trump moderated his comments, saying: “We’ll just take a look at what happens over the coming weeks and months.”

North Korea tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with the potential to hit Alaska on July 4.

Image source Wikipedia

Despite the ICBM’s relatively short flight and eventual crash into the sea, the test has been labeled a sharp military escalation by the US.

Donald Trump Criticizes China Following North Korea’s Test of Long-Range Missile

“I have pretty severe things that we’re thinking about,” President Trump said of a possible US response.

“That doesn’t mean that we’ll do them.”

President Trump said other nations should challenge North Korea’s “very, very bad behavior”.

He was speaking in Warsaw, Poland, at a joint news conference with the Polish President Andrzej Duda.

North Korea Claims It Successfully Tested ICBM

President Trump is due to meet with other world leaders at the G20 summit in Germany on July 7.

His comments follow those of US ambassador Nikki Haley, who told the UN Security Council that the US was willing to use its “considerable military forces” on North Korea “if we must”.

The US and South Korea have already stepped up military drills, firing missiles into the Sea of Japan in an apparent show of strength.

North Korea, however, said it would not negotiate over its missile program unless the US ended its “hostile policy” against Pyongyang.

Unless the US stopped its “hostile policy”, North Korea would “never put the nuke and ballistic rocket on the negotiating table”.

Ed Sheeran Quits Twitter Following Abusive Comments

Sonia Pantiss
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Ed Sheeran Quits Twitter Following Abusive Comments

Ed Sheeran has announced he quits Twitter after receiving a stream of abuse.

The 26-year-old singer told The Sun: “I’ve actually come off Twitter completely. I can’t read it.

“I go on it and there’s nothing but people saying mean things. One comment ruins your day. But that’s why I’ve come off it.”

Ed Sheeran, who has 19 million followers on Twitter, says he will keep the account open, but it will only share automatic updates from his Instagram page from now on.

Image source Flickr

A quick scan of Twitter finds a number of negative – although not necessarily abusive – comments directed towards Ed Sheeran.

Most recently, Ed Sheeran had to defend himself against accusations of using a backing track during his headline set at this year’s Glastonbury festival.

Glastonbury 2017: Ed Sheeran Closes Festival at Pyramid Stage

Ed Sheeran uses a loop pedal during his performances, which allows him to record his vocal and guitar lines, creating a layered, looped accompaniment live, on the spot.

In his last personally-authored tweet, Ed Sheeran sounded exasperated by the accusations.

“Never thought I’d have to explain it, but everything I do in my live show is live, it’s a loop station, not a backing track. Please google,” the star wrote.

Ed Sheeran to Feature in Game of Thrones 7

Other users took aim at Ed Sheeran’s televised Glastonbury show after he suffered guitar problems during the song Bloodstream.

Speaking to The Sun, the singer said he had “been trying to work out why people dislike me so much” but the simple answer is that he’s the victim of his own success.

Ed Sheeran’s third album ÷ (Divide) is the year’s biggest-seller, dominating the charts and radio around the world.

Donald Trump Criticizes China Following North Korea’s Test of Long-Range Missile

Roy Siemens
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0
Donald Trump Criticizes China Following North Korea’s Test of Long-Range Missile

President Donald Trump has criticized China following North Korea’s test of a long-range missile, condemning it for increasing trade with Pyongyang.

He tweeted: “So much for China working with us.”

Meanwhile, the US and South Korea conducted a ballistic missile fire exercise in the Sea of Japan in response to North Korea’s action.

China and Russia have urged both sides to stop flexing their military muscle and said they oppose any attempts at regime change in North Korea.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said: “It is perfectly clear to Russia and China that any attempts to justify the use of force by referring to [United Nations] Security Council resolutions are unacceptable, and will lead to unpredictable consequences in this region which borders both the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China.”

“Attempts to strangle the DPRK [North Korea] economically are equally unacceptable,” he added.

North Korea Claims It Successfully Tested ICBM

North Korea’s missile launch, the latest in a series of tests, was in defiance of a ban by the UN Security Council.

Image source YouTube

The US has asked for an urgent meeting of the Security Council to discuss the issue. A closed-door session of the 15-member body will take place later on July 5.

President Trump held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping at his Mar-a-Lago retreat in Florida in April.

After those meetings, President Trump hailed “tremendous progress” with China.

North Korea Tests New Rocket Engine

The trade figures showing an increase in trade between China and North Korea, which he was apparently referring to in July 5 critical tweet.

President Trump is now en route to Poland and Germany, where he will meet President Xi Jinping for the second time.

China, which is North Korea’s main economic ally, and Russia have called on the North to suspend its ballistic missile program in exchange for a halt on the large-scale military exercises by the US and South Korea.

President Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who met in Moscow on July 4, said “the opposing sides should start negotiations”.

On July 4, Japan said “repeated provocations like this are absolutely unacceptable” and lodged a protest.

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