Typhoon In-Fa sweeps into China after flooding chaos

The typhoon follows a period of historic flooding that caused widespread damage and killed at least 58 people in central China. Emergency crew are still working around the clock to rescue survivors and provide aid to the tens of millions of people affected by the floods. Typhoon In-Fa could bring more torrential downpours to the stricken region in the coming days, and officials fear it could hamper rescue and recovery efforts.

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  Typhoon In-fa hits China's east coast, canceling flights

  Associated Press
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  Typhoon In-fa may produce catastrophic impacts along China's east coast

  AccuWeather

Russia excludes senior Communist candidate from parliamentary vote

Russian electoral authorities on Saturday barred a well-known Communist Party candidate from running in September's parliamentary election, the latest high-profile opposition figure to be disqualified from the vote. Pavel Grudinin, who won 12% of votes when he challenged Vladimir Putin in a 2018 presidential election, was excluded from a candidate list because the Prosecutor's Office had found he held shares in a foreign company, news agencies reported. Grudinin, a wealthy farm boss, denied having any foreign assets and linked his disqualification by the central election commission to the potential for opposition parties to post a strong result in September, Interfax reported.

Boris Johnson talked out of triggering 'nuclear option' over Northern Ireland Brexit stalemate

Boris Johnson was ready to overhaul the Northern Ireland Protocol this week but was talked down by his Brexit minister Lord Frost, The Telegraph has learnt. With the UK now demanding a renegotiation of the post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland, The Telegraph has been told Mr Johnson is now convinced of the need to use the so-called “nuclear option” if Brussels refuses. It is understood that the warning was issued to Dublin this week, with UK officials making clear that it is Mr Johnson, rather than Lord Frost, who is most in favour of triggering Article 16 should the EU fail to change course.

LA man who mocked Covid-19 vaccines dies of virus

A California man who mocked Covid-19 vaccines on social media has died after a month-long battle with the virus. Stephen Harmon, a member of the Hillsong megachurch, had been a vocal opponent of vaccines, making a series of jokes about not having the vaccine. In the days leading up to his death, Mr Harmon documented his fight to stay alive, posting pictures of himself in his hospital bed.

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  Hillsong Church member, 34, dies of Covid after publicly speaking out against vaccine

  The Independent
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  Calif. Man, 34, Dies After Chronicling COVID Battle and Vaccine Hesitancy, Hillsong Pastor Confirms

  People

Vietnam reports record 7,968 coronavirus cases on Saturday

Vietnam's health ministry reported 7,968 coronavirus infections on Saturday, a record daily increase and up from Friday's record of 7,307. More than two-thirds of the cases are in Ho Chi Minh City, the ministry said in a statement. After successfully containing the virus for much of the pandemic, the Southeast Asian country has been facing a renewed outbreak of the virus, with southern business hub Ho Chi Minh City and surrounding provinces accounting for most new infections.

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  Vietnam's biggest cities tighten restrictions as COVID-19 cases surge

  Reuters
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  Vietnam says more U.S. vaccine donations expected after first 5 million doses

  Reuters

California's largest fire torches homes as blazes lash West

Flames racing through rugged terrain in Northern California destroyed multiple homes Saturday as the state's largest wildfire intensified and numerous other blazes battered the U.S. West. The Dixie fire, which started July 14, had already leveled over a dozen houses and other structures when it tore through the tiny community of Indian Falls after dark. An updated damage estimate was not immediately available, though fire officials said the blaze has charred more than 181,000 acres (73,200 hectares) in Plumas and Butte counties and was 20% contained.

Sale of semiconductor factory to Chinese-owned firm presents bigger UK risk than Huawei

The sale of the country's largest microchip factory to a Chinese-owned firm poses a bigger risk to Britain's strategic interests than Huawei's involvement in the 5G network, the UK's former cybersecurity chief warns. Ciaran Martin, the former head of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), said the takeover of Wafer Fab, a semiconductor manufacturer in Newport, was both “puzzling” and “inconsistent” with the Government's wider stance on Beijing. In an interview with The Telegraph, Mr Martin said the acquisition of the plant formed part of China's wider strategy to achieve “clear technological superiority” over the West.

Afghanistan curfew imposed as Taliban militants advance

The Afghan government imposed a curfew across almost all of the country on Saturday in an attempt to stop the Taliban from invading cities. Fighting between the Taliban and Afghan government forces has escalated over the past two months as international troops withdraw from the country. The Taliban - a fundamentalist Islamist militia who were pushed out of power by the US invasion nearly 20 years ago - has also seized key roads as it seeks to cut off supply routes.

A man found with guns and ammunition in his Chicago hotel room told police it was a 'mistake' and he 'didn't mean to startle anyone'

An man caught by police with guns in his Chicago hotel room said it was "an honest to God accident." Footage viewed by media outlets showed that police had worried "it could've been a Las Vegas thing." Keegan Casteel, 32, was arrested and charged with two felony counts.

Why it may be a 'grave mistake' for FDA to wait much longer for full COVID-19 vaccine approval

Zeynep Tufecki, a sociologist who has written extensively on COVID-19 throughout the pandemic, is a proponent of broadening vaccine mandates in the United States, citing precedent in the health-care sector, the military, and schools. Kentucky, she notes in a piece published Saturday in The New York Times, requires anyone working in a long-term care facility to be vaccinated against the flu and pneumococcal disease unless they have a medical or religious exemption (Brown University's Dr. Ashish Jha, another prominent voice during the pandemic, also pointed to flu vaccine mandates in nursing homes as a reason to implement them for the coronavirus). Both Pfizer and Moderna, which were granted emergency use late last year, have submitted their applications for full approval, and the former is apparently set to receive the green light no later than January 2022.

As Spain swelters and COVID cases grow, pool renting app thrives

A cooling dip in the mid-July swelter of central Spain no longer requires owning a private pool, or risking COVID-19 contagion at crowded public swimming facilities, Aura Cenet discovered. The 21-year-old waitress from Madrid and her three friends hired a private pool in the garden of a house in Arroyomolinos, a town 28 km (18 miles) southwest of the capital city, using the Swimmy app. The pandemic has buoyed businesses such as pool manufacturing and maintenance across the world, as more people chose to avoid community pools and beaches.

Germany toughens rules for travel from Spain, Netherlands

Germany is listing Spain and the Netherlands as “high-incidence areas,” meaning that most people arriving from those countries who aren't fully vaccinated will have to go into quarantine from next week. The national disease control center, the Robert Koch Institute, said Friday that the change will take effect on Tuesday. The change of status in the middle of the summer travel season will inconvenience some people traveling from Spain, a hugely popular tourist destination for Germans, and likely put off more would-be vacationers.

Arlington firefighter accidentally asphyxiated in Cancun window, authorities conclude

An Arlington firefighter on vacation in Mexico was accidentally asphyxiated last week when he was trapped in a window as he tried to enter a bathroom, law enforcement authorities have concluded. No signs of violence were found at the scene of Elijah Snow's death on Monday at a hotel in Cancun, according to the State Attorney General's Office for Quintana Roo. Snow's relatives have said that Snow's death was criminal.

Fauci: 'There's no way' the coronavirus was made with U.S. research funds. Here's why

From the pandemic's earliest days, Dr. Anthony Fauci has drawn political fire from COVID-19 skeptics. As director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Fauci is steeped in the scientific disciplines of virology, immunology and vaccine design. The latest example occurred this week on Capitol Hill, when Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) effectively accused Fauci of sending U.S. tax dollars to China so scientists there could soup up coronaviruses culled from bats and make them more dangerous to people.

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  Rand Paul sends criminal referral to DOJ saying Fauci lied about gain-of-function research funding

  Washington Examiner
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  Sen. Rand Paul Told To 'Get F**ked' During Virtual Town Hall

  HuffPost

First three of six new models now open in south Overland Park

Chapel Hill has three of what will be six new single-family model floor plans from Kansas City's leading building companies open now to tour, along with a new furnished model villa home in Chapel Hill's new limited maintenance-provided area. All model homes are open daily until 5 p.m. Don Julian Builders, Inc.

Army Ranger Savagely Killed Female Security Guard in Drunken Rampage: Police

Patrick Byrne, stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, was arraigned by video conference from his jail cell on Friday and a court-appointed attorney pleaded not guilty on his behalf. Court documents obtained by local outlets show that Pierce County prosecutors have accused Byrne of first-degree murder for killing 41-year-old Denise Smith as she was on duty at a downtown Tacoma office building on Sunday. U.S. Army Ranger Patrick Byrne, 26, is charged with murdering Denise Smith, 42, as she worked as a security guard at a Tacoma office building.

A United Airlines flight was evacuated after a teenager AirDropped a photo of an airsoft gun to other passengers, report says

A teen caused a United Airlines flight to be evacuated after he AirDropped an image of a gun to other passengers. Passengers were removed from the plane and rescreened, NBC Bay Area reported. A United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Orlando was evacuated on Thursday after a teenager sent a photo of an airsoft gun to other passengers on the plane, according to NBC Bay Area.

Arizona secretary of state tells Trump to ‘take your loss and accept it and move on’

Republicans in Arizona's State Senate are currently conducting a months-long audit of the 2020 election in Maricopa County, which Joe Biden won by about 11,000 votes. No evidence has indicated that the results were fraudulent, but Mr Trump insists that Democrats somehow stole the election – a falsehood that he's likely to repeat at Saturday's rally. On CNN, reporter Jim Acosta asked Ms Hobbs how dangerous Mr Trump's false claim is.

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  Arizona secretary of state tells Trump to "accept" his election loss ahead of Phoenix rally

  Axios
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  Arizona secretary of state tells Trump to 'accept' his election loss and 'move on' ahead of Phoenix rally

  Business Insider

‘Avenge Her Murder’: The Grisly Killing of an Ex-Diplomat’s Daughter Ignites a Wave of Fury Worldwide

Four days after the headless body of a former Pakistani diplomat's young daughter was discovered in Islamabad, her death has ignited a wave of fury across the globe and sparked calls for stronger protections for women in Pakistan. Near the Toronto waterfront, writer and activist Zahra Haider—who grew up with both the 27-year-old victim, Noor Mukadam, and her alleged killer, Zahir Jaffer—hosted a vigil in Queen's Park on Friday night. Haider opened the vigil with a quote from writer Mohammed Hanif: “There was not a single day—when she didn't see a woman shot or hacked, strangled or suffocated, poisoned or burnt, hanged or buried alive... Most of life's arguments, it seemed, got settled by doing various things to a woman's body.”

California family say they were treated like criminals on a Southwest flight because their toddler wouldn't keep his mask on

A California family said Southwest Airlines "just wanted them off the plane" when their 3-year-old son refused to keep his face mask on. After the experience, the family is vowing to never fly on the airline again. Eric Hansen, his wife, and their toddler were all ready to fly from Las Vegas to San Jose on Friday 23 July, KRON4 reported.

At the recent CPAC, attendees celebrated the failure of Biden's goal to vaccinate 70% of adults. Now top Republicans have U-turned, urging people to get their jab.

Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville has said the jabs are "effective, safe, and don't cost you a dime." High-profile Republicans are switching from a previous vaccine hesitant stance and now urging Americans to get their COVID-19 vaccines, as soon as possible. Only two weeks ago at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, attendees cheered and clapped that Biden had not been able to"sucker" people and had missed his goal of vaccinating 70% of adults.