WorldThe TelegraphViolence shatters Pakistani elite as thousands protest 'illegal' land grab
For those fortunate enough to own a home in a Bahria Town development, the elite suburb promises to offer a respite from the clamour of life in much of Pakistan. Prospective residents from Karachi are lured with assurances that they can swap the blackouts, floods and rubbish heaps of the port metropolis for a luxury lifestyle in a manicured architectural fantasia. While Pakistan is often gripped by political and religious protests, the rich are rarely targeted - and the violent intrusion in Bahria Town has shaken elite Pakistani society beyond its gates.
- PoliticsThe Week
Russian media apparently sees Biden as a shrewd statesman, not a bumbling dotard, after Putin meeting
We probably won't know for a while whether President Biden's sit-down with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva this week produced any tangible benefits for the U.S. But Biden did accomplish one thing, at least: Russia's pro-Kremlin media no longer views him as a dotard. For months, Russian state media ridiculed Biden "as bumbling, confused, and well past his prime," The New York Times reports. "But by Thursday, the mood had shifted: Here was a man in the White House, some said, who understands us, whom we can do business with."
WorldThe TelegraphKim Jong-un says ready for negotiations with US as food shortages bite
Kim Jong-un has declared that North Korea should be ready for negotiations with the United States, striking an unusually conciliatory note amid a growing economic crisis that has led to dire shortages of fuel and food. The dictator's comments come just days after the United States and others urged the totalitarian regime to abandon its nuclear program and return to talks. Speaking at a meeting on the ruling Workers' Party on Friday, the North Korean leader “stressed the need to get prepared for both dialogue and confrontation,” according to the state-run KCNA news agency.
WorldBBCApple Daily: Hong Kong police raid sparks rush on newspapers
People in Hong Kong have queued up to buy copies of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily a day after its newsroom was raided by police. The raid on the newspaper came as two of its executives were charged under Hong Kong's controversial new national security law. Editor-in-chief Ryan Law and chief executive officer Cheung Kim-hung were the two charged.
WorldThe TelegraphFounding father of the EU Robert Schuman in line for sainthood from Catholic Church
One of the founding fathers of the European Union was put on the path to sainthood by Pope Francis. Robert Schuman, who called for a supranational community for coal and steel in 1950, was recognised by the Pope for his “heroic virtues”, the Vatican said. Mr Schuman said cooperation on coal and steel, especially involving France and Germany, would make future wars impossible.
U.S.Miami HeraldDeSantis has no business sending Florida police to Texas border. Campaign ruse alert! | Opinion
If Gov. Ron DeSantis really cared about the meth-addiction problem in Florida, he would not be looking for solutions among immigrants at the Texas or Arizona borders, where he has no jurisdiction to enforce immigration law or run drug stings. But demagogue DeSantis made another round of attention-grabbing headlines when he pledged to send local and state security forces to Texas and Arizona to help police the southern border. Never mind that everyone knows that immigration and border security are federal government issues.
WorldBBCAustralia takes wine dispute with China to WTO
Australia will file a formal complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) after China imposed up to 218% tariffs on its wine last year. China says the tariffs were increased because of trading malpractice, which Australia denies. Australia says it remains open to engaging directly with China to resolve the issue.
U.S.Raleigh News and ObserverWhen and where Tropical Storm Claudette could cause flooding and tornadoes in NC
The National Weather Service on Saturday issued a tropical storm watch for southeastern North Carolina as Tropical Storm Claudette approaches the state. Forecasters said isolated flooding could result from heavy rainfall in some areas north of Cape Fear, along with isolated tornadoes from early Sunday into Sunday night. Winds of 40 mph could occur in New Hanover and Pender counties Sunday night, forecasters said.
WorldThe TelegraphCharities should not use taxpayers’ money to pursue ‘doctrinal ends’, say MPs
Charities should not use taxpayers' money to pursue "contentious doctrinal ends" through running diversity training, MPs have said in the wake of a Citizens Advice Bureau row. Tory MPs from the Common Sense Group have urged ministers to "ensure that public funds are not being used to further militant ends" by charities. It comes after The Telegraph unearthed mandatory "woke" equality and diversity training for Citizens Advice staff.
PoliticsLA TimesColumn: Small-time leader with a big mouth shows the problem with today's politics
The political career of Tito Ortiz was short and flashy before fizzling like a meteor plunging into the Pacific. The former mayor pro tem of Huntington Beach fancied himself the Donald Trump of Orange County, gaining national attention for calling COVID-19 a "plandemic" and "political sham" and for his confrontational refusal to wear a mask in public. Brief though it was, Ortiz's stretch in small-time politics reflects something much bigger: a political culture that spurs conflict, rewards intransigence and empowers the loud and adversarial, even if polls show most voters would rather their lawmakers give in some if it means getting things done.
U.S.BBCPornhub videos: Women sue, alleging lack of consent
More than 30 women are suing the company which owns the streaming site Pornhub, alleging exploitation over the use of explicit videos of them. The women say the videos were uploaded to Pornhub without their consent and have lodged a civil suit in California. The California lawsuit accuses Mindgeek of running a "criminal enterprise".
U.S.Raleigh News and ObserverAre Americans worried about COVID spreading to their family? What new poll finds
An all-time low percentage of people said they're very concerned about COVID spreading to them or their family, according to a recent poll. The survey, done by the Associated Press and the National Opinion Research Center for Public Affairs Research, found 21% of respondents said they're “very worried” or “extremely worried” about the virus reaching them or their family — a record low since the pandemic began. Americans also said they're more likely to resume pre-pandemic activities, including visiting friends and family, shopping in-person, going to a restaurant or bar, traveling, exercising at a gym, attending a sports event and going to a movie, theater or concert compared to when they were asked the same question in May 2020.
U.S.Business InsiderNew Jersey governor signed an executive order that bars landlords from asking tenants about their criminal history
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy passed legislation that bars landlords from asking prospective tenants about their criminal history. Landlords can only inquire about criminal history if an applicant has met certain parameters, like registration as a sex offender. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday signed an executive order that broadly prohibits landlords from inquiring about a tenant's criminal history.
WorldINSIDERCannibal waiter jailed for murdering his mother and eating her remains
Alberto Sánchez Gómez will serve 15 years in jail for murdering his 68-year-old mother. Sánchez ate her remains "bit by bit" with his pet dog, according to police officers. An unemployed Spanish waiter has been sentenced to jail for killing his mother, cutting her into thousands of pieces, and eating her remains, the Independent reported.
EntertainmentLA TimesHow a hit Netflix series dove headfirst into an online debate over OnlyFans
Warning: This story contains spoilers for the first four episodes of "Élite" Season 4. At the Gran Hotel Brenwhorf, a handcuffed Mencía Blanco lies in Suite 428, dimly lit by red fluorescence. The daughter of the incoming director at the posh international school Las Encinas, the center of Netflix's Spanish-language hit Élite, Mencía has found herself in the grip of a new client, pleading “suéltame, por favor as her phone rings incessantly.
PoliticsThe New York TimesHow Republican States Are Expanding Their Power Over Elections
Across Georgia, members of at least 10 county election boards have been removed, had their position eliminated or are likely to be kicked off through local ordinances or new laws passed by the state Legislature. At least five are people of color, and most are Democrats — though some are Republicans — and they will most likely all be replaced by Republicans. Hollis and local officials like her have been some of the earliest casualties as Republican-led legislatures mount an expansive takeover of election administration in a raft of new voting bills this year.
- NewsYahoo News Video
Biden's lack of action on executions adds to death penalty disarray
Activists widely expected Joe Biden to take swift action against the death penalty as the first sitting president to oppose capital punishment, especially since an unprecedented spate of executions by his predecessor ended just days before Biden took office. That has not happened.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderGOP congressman lashes out at Juneteenth becoming a federal holiday: 'Are we going to do one for the Native American Indians?'
GOP Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, one of 14 Republicans who voted against the legislation, took to Fox News Radio on Thursday to explain his opposition, saying that the vote "was an easy no vote" and questioned if a holiday would now have to be established for Native Americans as well. During the program "Fox Across America with Jimmy Failla," Norman also cited the number of existing holidays in detailing his rejection of a federal holiday for Juneteenth, while alleging that supporters were using "race" as an issue. "There's one Fourth of July.
U.S.The Daily BeastThe Saga of a Top Police Reformer Who Says She Was Accused of Bias
It was the day after Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd, and Ayesha Bell Hardaway was speaking on a panel reacting to the decision on her local NPR station. Bell Hardaway, a Black law professor at Case Western Reserve University, former prosecutor, and monitor on an independent team tasked with reforming the Cleveland Division of Police, said the verdict gave her a sense of relief. In essence, Bell Hardaway's response to the question of whether prosecutors tried to make the case apolitical was yes—it sure seemed like they sought to make sure that the murder inspiring protests against acts of police brutality against Black people around the country wasn't seen as an “anti-policing” case.
U.S.INSIDERSt. Louis couple that pointed guns at demonstrators plead guilty to misdemeanors, agree to surrender guns
Mark and Patricia McCloskey pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges after they waved guns at protesters in 2020. Patricia McCloskey pleaded guilty to misdemeanor harassment and was fined $2,000. Mark McCloskey admitted to misdemeanor fourth-degree assault and was fined $750.
U.S.LA TimesDisneyland reveals which COVID-era changes will stay, which will go
With the government-imposed attendance caps and physical distance requirements gone, the Disneyland and Disney California Adventure parks are expected to relaunch several rides, musical acts and nighttime extravaganzas over the next few weeks and other attractions later this summer. In some ways, the parks will never return to pre-pandemic operations. Disney executives say the 15-month closure helped them rethink how best to manage one of the biggest headaches at the resort: the enormous throngs of Disney-loving visitors.
U.S.Business InsiderRudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, and Fox News have August date confirmed for court bid to dismiss $2.7 billion Smartmatic lawsuit
Rudy Giuliani and Fox News will argue for dismissal of a $2.7 billion defamation case on August 17. Voting-machine company Smartmatic said they spread false claims about the presidential election. Defendants include Trump lawyers Giuliani and Sidney Powell, along with a cast of Fox News hosts.
WorldUSA TODAYExtreme weather, Father's Day and a new federal holiday: 5 things to know this weekend
Americans celebrate Juneteenth Saturday marks the first time Juneteenth will be celebrated as a federal holiday after President Joe Biden signed legislation on Thursday. Juneteenth commemorates the day the news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached Texas in 1865, 2 1/2 years after the order became effective. The first known Juneteenth celebrations began in 1866.
U.S.INSIDERA murder suspect accused of stabbing and setting fire to his son cross-examined the 11-year-old in court
A Florida judge allowed a murder suspect to represent himself at trial and cross-examine witnesses. Ronnie Oneal III is charged with killing his girfriend and daughter and nearly killing his son. A murder suspect accused of shooting his girlfriend, axing his 9-year-old daughter in the head, then stabbing and lighting his son on fire cross-examined the 11-year-old survivor Wednesday in a jaw-dropping courtroom scene.
U.S.The Daily BeastIndiana Zoo Owner Who Appeared in ‘Tiger King’ Pleads Guilty to Roughing Up Official During Inspection
An Indiana zoo owner pleaded guilty to intimidation charges after he roughed up a deputy attorney general during an inspection of his now shuttered zoo. Tim Stark, who appeared in the Netflix true-crime series Tiger King, was sentenced to time served over a confrontation in March 2020 at his zoo Wildlife in Need, which was dissolved in Nov. 2020. He was accused of grabbing and threatening the official.
“It may seem desperate at this point, but I can’t be mad at any and all efforts to get people vaccinated.”
“I won’t get rich, but I will get to live my life. That seems like reward enough.”
“Offering incentives may encourage people who are not actively opposed to vaccination but may have put it off.”
“At some point, the government is simply rewarding irresponsible behavior.”
“Sure, people should do it without needing an incentive. But what’s the alternative? Not enough people get vaccinated.”