U.S.ReutersMore guilty pleas expected from U.S. Capitol rioters linked to Oath Keepers -prosecutor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Federal prosecutors are discussing possible plea bargains with at least 12 of 16 defendants in the U.S. Capitol riot accused of links with the far-right Oath Keepers movement, a government lawyer said in court on Friday. Three people described as Oath Keeper defendants have already entered guilty pleas and agreed to cooperate with investigators. Prosecutor Kathryn Rakoczy, at a hearing to discuss the status of the cases, told Judge Amit Mehta that it is likely more Oath Keepers would plead guilty.
WorldBBCEthiopia Tigray conflict: Famine hits 400,000, UN warns
Recent fighting in the Tigray region of Ethiopia has resulted in a famine that is now affecting more than 400,000 people, UN officials say. In its first public meeting on the crisis, members of the UN Security Council warned that as many as 33,000 children were severely malnourished. The Ethiopian government, which has been fighting regional forces in Tigray, declared a unilateral ceasefire on Monday.
WorldAssociated PressFrance probes claims that retailers used forced Uyghur labor
French prosecutors have opened an investigation into alleged involvement in crimes against humanity based on claims that global retailers, including Uniqlo and the makers of Skechers shoes and Zara clothes, rely on forced labor of minorities in China's Xinjiang region. The Chinese government on Friday reiterated denials of any forced labor in Xinjiang, and lashed out at what it called interference in its internal affairs. The investigation was opened last month by the crimes against humanity unit of France's anti-terrorism prosecutor's office, a judicial official said Friday.
WorldReutersMalaysia to ease coronavirus lockdowns in five states next week
Malaysia will relax coronavirus lockdowns next week in five states that have met the government's indicators for lifting curbs, the security minister said on Saturday. The Southeast Asian country has been under a nationwide lockdown since June 1 to rein in a surge of COVID-19 infections. Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has said the government will gradually open up the economy and social activities in four phases, based on infection numbers, vaccination rates, and the capacity of the healthcare system.
WorldBBCJapan landslide: 20 missing in Atami city
Twenty people are missing in central Japan after a huge landslide hit Atami city following heavy rainfall. Kyodo news agency reports that the bodies of what appear to be two victims have been found in the port district. A witness described a "horrible sound" before he fled to higher ground.
PoliticsReutersChina bill delayed in U.S. House amid partisan wrangling
The U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee will resume work later this month on Democratic-led legislation intended to boost competitiveness with China and push Beijing on human rights, after two days of debate on the measure. A spokesman said on Friday the panel would consider its consideration of the Ensuring American Global Leadership and Engagement Act, or Eagle Act, on July 12 after marathon discussion of the measure on Wednesday and Thursday, but no vote. The desire for a hard line in dealings with China is one of the few truly bipartisan sentiments in the deeply divided U.S. Congress, which is narrowly controlled by President Joe Biden's fellow Democrats.
PoliticsThe TelegraphGhislaine Maxwell's ties to Clintons could be revealed as she is told to release financial documents
Ghislaine Maxwell's personal financial records, including possible connections to the Clinton Foundation, are set to be released after the British socialite lost a bid to keep the documents sealed. Ms Maxwell had claimed that release of the information would prejudice her upcoming criminal trial and become the subject of tabloid fodder, however a New York judge ruled against her on Thursday. The documents were originally filed in connection with alleged Jeffrey Epstein victim Virginia Roberts Giuffre's civil lawsuit against Ms Maxwell.
U.S.Associated PressAnother building evacuated; search goes on at collapse site
An audit prompted by the collapse of Champlain Towers South in nearby Surfside found that the 156-unit Crestview Towers in North Miami Beach, about 5 miles (8 kilometers) away, had been deemed structurally and electrically unsafe in January, the city said in a news release. Friday afternoon law enforcement authorities cordoned off the area and went door-to-door in the apartment building, telling residents they had to leave the 49-year-old structure. Harold Dauphin was on his way home from picking up his son at camp Friday when he noticed a helicopter buzzing around his apartment and a heightened police presence.
WorldArchitectural Digest11 Dreamy Candles to Capture Your Summer Mood
From sweet summer scents to whimsical shapes Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
WorldMiami HeraldGuaidó, U.S. have aligned diplomatic strategy as opposition enters talks with Maduro
Venezuelan opposition leaders emerged from talks in Washington last week with a coordinated strategy before entering negotiations with the Nicolás Maduro regime, a top White House official said, settling on a structure for what serious negotiations might look like. Juan Gonzalez, special assistant to President Joe Biden and Director for the Western Hemisphere at the National Security Council, told McClatchy that opposition leaders left in a united front with the Biden administration ahead of their first round of negotiations, organized by Norway. At the outset, the preliminary strategy appears to be about designing a structure for the talks that could trigger concessions from each side.
U.S.Business InsiderMichael Cohen is suing the US government for $20 million, claiming the Trump DOJ returned him to prison because he refused to stop writing about his ex-boss
Michael Cohen was imprisoned in 2018 but was allowed in May 2020 to serve out his sentence at home. Cohen is now suing the US, saying the Trump DOJ punished him for writing a book about Trump. Michael Cohen has sued the US government for $20 million in damages, accusing Donald Trump's administration of sending him back to prison for writing a critical book about the former president.
U.S.Associated PressBoy Scouts bankruptcy plans anger some, welcomed by others.
An $850 million agreement by the Boy Scouts of America to compensate sex-abuse victims prompted outrage Friday from some survivors and their advocates, while others were encouraged and saw it as the best outcome that could be achieved under the circumstances. The agreement, filed in court late Thursday as a step toward resolving a complex bankruptcy case, includes the BSA national leadership, abuse victims, local Boy Scout councils and lawyers appointed to represent victims who might file future claims. Lawyer Tim Kosnoff, whose Abused in Scouting legal team says it's representing thousands of clients, called it “a lousy deal — a sellout of tens of thousands of brave men” because it did not press local councils to contribute the bulk of their unrestricted assets.
U.S.Kansas City StarNo pardon for Kevin Strickland, whose continued incarceration is a national shame
Two other men convicted in the case have confessed and said Strickland was not involved. He was home watching television with his brother and talking on the phone with his girlfriend, but their testimony was ignored. In May, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said she had determined Strickland is innocent of the crime that took his freedom.
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U.S. leaves Afghan airbase, once war epicenter, after nearly 20 years
After nearly 20 years, the U.S. military left Bagram Airfield, the epicenter of its war to oust the Taliban and hunt down the al-Qaida perpetrators of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America, two U.S. officials said Friday.
WorldAssociated PressAP PHOTOS: US troops on front lines of America's longest war
For the troops on the front lines, sometimes it meant holding a remote outpost as mortars, rockets or gunfire hit almost daily. It meant patrols through orchards hunting for hidden Taliban, down roads laced with explosive devices. With the surge that began in 2009, troops wrested back territory from the Taliban in the group's southern strongholds in Helmand and Kandahar provinces, only for the insurgents to recapture it years later when the surge receded.
U.S.Idaho StatesmanMassive bear seen on camera in SC wilderness. ‘Wouldn’t want to walk up on this guy!’
A massive black bear that could be among the biggest in South Carolina has appeared in a single trail camera photo in Sumter National Forest. Deer hunter Allen Shelor says it was taken June 25 in the Mountain Rest area of Oconee County, eight miles from his home in Walhalla. Oconee County is the state's westernmost county, wedged between North Carolina and Georgia.
U.S.The IndependentCapitol rioter caught on camera dragging police officer tries to argue he was actually helping him
A Capitol rioter has rallied his friends and family to back up his claims that video footage of him dragging a Capitol police officer into the violent crowd of insurrectionists actually shows him trying to save the officer. Clayton Mullins, of Kentucky, was at the Capitol riot and was later arrested and charged with eight crimes. Footage of him at the Capitol shows Mr Mullins dragging a Capitol police officer into the crowd of Trump supporters fighting with law enforcement.
WorldBBCEthiopia's Tigray crisis: Rebel resurgence raises questions for Abiy Ahmed
The rebel capture of Tigray's capital city Mekelle is a significant milestone in the eight-month conflict in northern Ethiopia, which has killed thousands of people and left millions in desperate need of food and other assistance. The Ethiopian government pulled out its troops after months of fighting, sparking celebrations on the streets. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed initially said the withdrawal was a strategic move because the city was no longer "the centre of gravity for conflicts", but he later confirmed it was to avoid further casualties.
LifestyleAssociated PressAs condo crashed down, they escaped through smoke and ruin
Alfredo Lopez and his wife Marian were asleep when the first thundering blast jolted them awake. Alfredo rushed to wake his 24-year-old son Michael, urging him to get dressed, before running to the balcony window. The Lopez family has lived for two decades on the street side of the condo that's still partially intact.
U.S.The IndependentTopless Capitol protester caught when reporter tells him he was on camera at January insurrection
An alleged participant in the attack on the Capitol said he “would like not to comment” on whether he was the person depicted in photos published by the FBI. While shirtless and on his doorstep Chase Allen, of Seeknok, Massachusetts, was asked by WPRI, a Rhode Island news channel, what he was doing at the insurrection, and he described himself as a “documentarian” and compared his work to other broadcast journalists. “I'm a documentarian,” he said.
PoliticsUSA TODAY OpinionJoe Biden, Merrick Garland set themselves up for disaster in Georgia voting rights case
With its decision Thursday in the voting rights case of Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee, the court closed its term with a decision that will resonate not just legally but politically for years to come. The 6-3 decision upheld Arizona's new voting rules in Arizona over claims of racial discrimination. While the court said it would be imprudent to create a sweeping rule for all future such cases, it was equally imprudent for the Biden administration to ignore the forthcoming decision in filing a new challenge to Georgia's new voting rights.
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Wisconsin woman in mental health facility following Slender Man stabbing to be released
A Wisconsin judge on Thursday ordered the release of a woman who has spent 3 1/2 years in a state mental health facility after being convicted of stabbing her classmate to please the Slender Man character.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderPsaki says Kamala Harris has a 'hard job' in response to report calling the VP's office a 's---show'
Jen Psaki dismissed recent reporting that criticized Kamala Harris' work environment. "She has a challenging job, a hard job," Psaki told reporters Friday. Politico and Axios published reports this week describing Harris' office as dysfunctional.
U.S.USA TODAYRemains of grizzly bear later found decapitated and declawed in Montana
Wildlife officials are investigating an incident where remains of a grizzly bear were later found decapitated and declawed in the Yellowstone River north of Gardiner, Montana, last month. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials discovered the 25-year-old male bear when it washed ashore an area along the river on June 10. Plans were made to remove the remains via boat or helicopter the next morning.
U.S.The IndependentYouTuber who joined Capitol riot accompanied Republican members of Congress on border trip
A conservative YouTuber who joined the Capitol riot also accompanied Republican members of Congress on a trip to the southern border. An ally of Georgia Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene, Anthony Aguero, joined the Tuesday night trip, at times performing the role of translator, CNN reported. It has been previously reported that Aguero participated in the storming of the US Capitol on 6 January and justified the break-in.
“Obamacare is getting stronger every time the Republicans try to kill it.”
“It is far from certain the Supreme Court will safeguard the Affordable Care Act the next time the law reaches the court’s chambers.”
“Although ACA cost Obama an enormous amount, it’s become clear that he will have the last laugh.”
“Even the feistiest Republicans have given up talking seriously about repeal.”
“Current and future cases will largely concern the administration and enforcement of the ACA, not its underlying architecture.”