- WorldBusiness Insider
Japan is 'shocked' and furious at the US after a major coronavirus outbreak at 2 Marine bases in Okinawa — and says the US is not taking the virus seriously
Japanese authorities say they are "shocked" after a significant coronavirus outbreak at two US Marine bases in the country. 61 Marines have been infected with the virus in recent days, spread across two bases in Okinawa prefecture, home to about 26,000 US service personnel. "We now have strong doubts that the US military has taken adequate disease prevention measures," Okinawa governor Denny Tamaki said at a press conference.
- PoliticsTime
After Mueller's Op-Ed, Sen. Lindsey Graham Now Says He'll Call the Former Special Counsel to Testify
Sen. Lindsey Graham has announced that he will grant Democrats' request to have former special counsel Robert Mueller testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee about his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The surprising statement from one of the Senate's leaders comes a day after Mueller broke a longstanding silence to defend his probe, and its consequential conviction of Roger Stone, in a public op-ed. Graham, a South Carolina Republican and the Judiciary Committee's chair, has attempted to discredit Mueller's inquiry in the past.
WorldAFPGiant protests in Russia after popular governor's arrest
At least 10,000 protesters marched through the eastern Russian city of Khabarovsk Saturday in support of a popular local governor arrested this week for allegedly ordering several murders. A court in Moscow on Friday ruled to hold 50-year-old Sergei Furgal for two months pending trial for the murders of several businessmen 15 years ago. Furgal's nationalist Liberal-Democratic Party has thrown its weight behind the governor, and on Saturday said "35,000 people came out to the streets" in Khabarovsk to protest his arrest.
- WorldReuters
Pope 'very pained' by decision to turn Istanbul's Hagia Sophia museum into mosque
Pope Francis said on Sunday he was hurt by Turkey's decision to make Istanbul's Hagia Sophia museum a mosque, the latest religious leader to condemn the move. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has said the first prayers would be held in Hagia Sophia on July 24, after declaring the ancient monument was once again a mosque following a court ruling revoking its status as a museum.
- U.S.BBC
Coronavirus: Florida sets new state daily case record of 15,299
Florida has registered a state record of 15,299 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours - around a quarter of all of the United States' daily infections. The state, with just 7% of the US population, surpassed the previous daily record held by California. Florida, which began lifting coronavirus restrictions in May, has proved vulnerable due to tourism and an elderly population.
- U.S.NBC News
University professors fear returning to campus as coronavirus cases surge
However, professors were initially required to return to campus to teach in person and there wasn't an option to work remotely. The university later put in place a policy where faculty could file a request to work remotely, but there wasn't a guarantee that the request would be accommodated. Boston University philosophy professors Daniel Star and Russell Powell wrote an open letter to the university urging it to allow professors to make their own decisions about returning to campus.
- U.S.INSIDER
Attorneys for Breonna Taylor's family allege that police targeted her residence as part of a Louisville gentrification plan
Attorneys for the family of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician who was killed by police in Louisville, Kentucky, alleged in a new filing that officers were operating under information from an aggressive gentrification campaign in targeting Taylor's residence. The warrant was connected to a suspect who did not live at Taylor's apartment, and no drugs were found at the residence. "While there is no doubt that gentrification of west Louisville neighborhoods could be a very good thing, the methods employed to do so have been unlawful and unconscionable," attorneys said in the complaint.
- WorldAssociated Press
Pakistan says 4 troops, 4 militants killed in shootout in NW
Pakistan's military on Sunday said four soldiers and four militants were killed during a shootout in the rugged northwestern region of North Waziristan, which borders Afghanistan. A statement from the military's public relations wing said the exchange of fire took place after the army personnel had surrounded the militant hideout early Sunday. The statement did not identify the militants, but Pakistan's military has been battling members of the Pakistani Taliban group, known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) in that region for years.
- ScienceCBS News
How to see Neowise before it disappears
A newly-discovered comet is giving skywatchers quite the show during the month of July. Early risers may have already caught a glimpse of the comet Neowise as it streaks across the sky, but don't worry — some of the best viewing moments have yet to come. Astronomers discovered the comet, known as Comet C2020 F3 NEOWISE, back in March.
- BusinessBusiness Insider
Caribbean countries are selling citizenship for as low as $100,000 — here's how the ultra-wealthy are cashing in to avoid pandemic travel restrictions
Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images Secondary passports are in high demand as the coronavirus pandemic causes travel restrictions around the world. In the Caribbean, some nations are offering steep discounts to bring in extra revenue amid a cash crunch. Passport buying has shifted from simple vacations to riding out the virus, experts say.
U.S.Yahoo News VideoCouple who threatened Black Lives Matter protesters with guns once destroyed children's beehives
St. Louis couple Mark and Patricia McCloskey drew national attention in June when they flashed guns at Black Lives Matter protesters walking down their street.
WorldAFPUN fails to find consensus after Russia, China veto on Syrian aid
The UN Security Council failed to find a consensus on prolonging cross-border humanitarian aid to Syria on Friday after Russia and China vetoed an extension and members rejected a counter proposal by Moscow. Without an agreement, authorization for the transport of aid to war-torn Syria, which has existed since 2014, expired Friday night. Germany and Belgium were working on a final initiative to save the effort, with hopes of bringing it to a vote this weekend.
- WorldReuters
U.S. warns citizens of heightened detention risks in China
The U.S. State Department warned American citizens on Saturday to "exercise increased caution" in China due to heightened risk of arbitrary law enforcement including detention and a ban from exiting the country. "U.S. citizens may be detained without access to U.S. consular services or information about their alleged crime," the State Department said in a security alert issued to its citizens in China, adding that U.S. citizens may face "prolonged interrogations and extended detention" for reasons related to state security. "Security personnel may detain and/or deport U.S. citizens for sending private electronic messages critical of the Chinese government," it added, without citing specific examples.
- WorldBBC
Xu Zhangrun: Outspoken professor freed after six days
An outspoken critic of China's rulers, Professor Xu Zhangrun, has been released after six days in police custody, friends say. The Beijing constitutional law professor was already under house arrest when he was detained on 6 July. He had criticised China's response to coronavirus and what he sees as a Mao-like cult of personality under China's current leader, Xi Jinping.
- U.S.The Independent
Coronavirus: Hotline to report people not wearing face masks set up in US county amid surge in Covid-19 cases
A county in Ohio has launched a hotline so that callers can report people who do not use face masks, amid concerns over a surge in the number of coronavirus cases across the state. Armond Budish, the executive of Cuyahoga county, announced the service on Friday and said complaints would be managed by county officers and would be forwarded to local health authorities. Mr Budish's comments came two days after the wearing of masks was made obligatory in the seven Ohio counties most badly affected by Covid-19, following an order given by the Republican state governor Mike DeWine.
- WorldINSIDER
South Africa's 9 million smokers were faced with cold turkey when the government banned cigarette sales in March as a coronavirus measure. Now Big Tobacco is fighting back.
earlier in July. South Africa's government had also banned the sale of alcohol but has since eased that restriction, which according to an AP report, has led to an increase in "drunken brawls and traffic accidents, putting added strain on hospitals as they deal with the virus." Reuters FITA is also arguing that by banning the legal sale of cigarettes, the South African government is encouraging a black market trade, and putting thousands of jobs at risk.
- PoliticsThe Daily Beast
If He Loses, Trump Must Resign Immediately and Make Biden President. No, Really.
If Trump does not resign before the election in November, there is little question he should resign the next day if he loses, especially if the election is not close, and turn the reins of power over to the president-elect. A landslide win by Biden will mean that the pandemic is not under control and probably that the economy remains in turmoil or perhaps ruins. This makes Trump's immediate removal from office all the more compelling because experts are warning that COVID-19 may build into another wave just as the regular flu season kicks into high gear starting in November.
- HealthThe Telegraph
Coronavirus can damage the heart, major study finds
Coronavirus can damage the heart, with more than half of hospitalised patients revealing abnormal scans, a major new study has found. A survey of 69 countries, funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), found that 55 per cent of 1,261 patients studied had abnormal changes to the way their heart was pumping, with around one in seven showing evidence of severe dysfunction. The majority (901 patients) had never been diagnosed with heart problems before, leading scientists to conclude that Covid-19 itself may seriously affect the heart.
- BusinessBusiness Insider
A revival of ultrafast supersonic passenger jet travel is inching closer to reality – take a look at the prototype debuting in October
Boom Supersonic Aircraft start-up Boom Supersonic is one step closer to bringing back supersonic passenger travel with its flagship Overture jet. The Overture's prototype and demonstrator, the XB-1, will be unveiled in October and plans to take to the skies in 2021. If the XB-1 has a successful test flight program, the Overture could fly within the next 10 years, bringing back supersonic travel to the public.
- U.S.NBC News
Fire ravages 249-year-old Spanish mission in Southern California
No injuries were reported, and fire officials were trying to determine what caused the fire. Founded in 1771 by Franciscan priest Junipero Serra, from Spain, the San Gabriel Mission is considered a historical landmark for many faithful in Southern California. But Serra's legacy remains a flashpoint for many Native Americans and Latinos who condemn the colonization and brutalization of Indigenous populations in the region.
WorldAFPInventor of Israel's Iron Dome seeks coronavirus 'game-changer'
Daniel Gold, who led the team that invented Israel's Iron Dome missile defence system, has a history of safeguarding the country against what he identifies as existential threats. With the nation facing surging coronavirus cases amid a pandemic that has triggered unprecedented economic hardship, Gold is trying to replicate his Iron Dome breakthrough in protecting Israel against the virus. Gold, who heads Israel's Defence Research and Development Directorate and holds PhDs in electronic engineering and business management, has become a celebrated figure in the Jewish state.
- WorldReuters
Fire breaks out at petrochemical facility in southwest Iran
The fire was caused by an oil leak but did not lead to any casualties or financial damage, Mohsen Beyranvand, the governor of Mahshahr county said, according to IRNA. A gas explosion shook a residential building in Iran's capital Tehran on Saturday, injuring one person, the semi-official ISNA news agency quoted the city fire department as saying. A chlorine gas leak occurred at a unit of the Karoon petrochemicals plant near the port of Bandar Imam Khomeini on the Gulf on July 4, injuring dozens, the semi-official ILNA news agency reported.
- WorldBBC
Hong Kong security law: Why we are taking our BNOs and leaving
Since China imposed a draconian national security law on Hong Kong, a lot of dinner party chatter in this protest-minded city has been about personal exit strategies. Michael and Serena have decided to leave Hong Kong for good and settle in the UK, a country they have never set foot in. The couple have British National (Overseas) - or BNO - passports, which were issued to Hong Kong residents that registered before the city was handed back to China on July 1997.
- U.S.USA TODAY
John Wayne Airport: Will California terminal's name go the way of Confederate statues?
Now, the county is more diverse, and the Orange County Democratic Party wants the airport's name changed. They cite comments Wayne made to Playboy Magazine in 1971 disparaging Blacks, Native Americans and gay people. They want the county board of supervisors to remove his name and statue from the airport and restore its original name: Orange County Airport.
- U.S.CBS News
Phoenix mayor says city still has "a real challenge with testing"
Washington – Amid a spike of coronavirus infections across the Sun Belt and the West, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said her city still faces a "real challenge" with coronavirus testing, echoing the concerns governors on the East Coast raised as their own states battled rising infections earlier in the pandemic. "It continues to be a very difficult situation in the greater Phoenix area," Gallego said Sunday on "Face the Nation." "We are seeing positivity rates above 20%.
