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  • China says hopes U.S. will remove 'unreasonable' curbs on cooperation

    China urged the United States on Sunday to remove "unreasonable" curbs on cooperation as soon as possible and work together on issues like climate change, while accusing Washington of bringing chaos in the name of spreading democracy. Last week, U.S. President Joe Biden singled out a "growing rivalry with China" as a key challenge facing the United States, with his top diplomat describing the country as "the biggest geopolitical test" of this century. Speaking at his annual news conference, the Chinese government's top diplomat, State Councillor Wang Yi, struck a tough line even as he outlined where the world's two biggest economies could work together.

  • Roger Stone’s Oath Keeper Bodyguard Charged by Feds in Capitol Riots

    Samuel Corum/Getty ImagesA New York tattoo artist and member of the far-right militia group the Oath Keepers who provided protection to disgraced Trump adviser Roger Stone the day of the sacking of the U.S. Capitol was arrested Saturday by the FBI for allegedly taking part in the Jan. 6 insurrection, a law enforcement official confirmed to The Daily Beast.Roberto Minuta, 36, was taken into custody at a business in Newburgh, New York, according to NBC New York, which first reported the arrest. Minuta is set to appear in White Plains federal court on Monday. Attorney information for him was unavailable at press time.Minuta, who reportedly lives in New Jersey, was spotted by ABC News providing security for Stone the day of the Capitol riot. Asked for comment, Minuta’s wife told the outlet that her husband hadn’t entered the Capitol building and had not been charged with a crime. As previously reported by The Daily Beast, Minuta also has ties to the far-right militia group, the Oath Keepers. Dozens of Oath Keepers have since been arrested after allegedly planning for at least two months to storm the Capitol after the 2020 election. Trump State Dept. Aide Accused of Beating Cops During Riot Is Already Hating PrisonMinuta owns and operates a tattoo parlor in Newburgh called Casa Di Dolore—“House of Pain” in Italian—which made headlines in May 2020 for reopening in defiance of state lockdown orders. A crowd of supporters gathered outside Minuta’s shop the day he reopened, including a number of Oath Keepers and the group’s founder, Stewart Rhodes, who traveled to Newburgh from Texas to be there. “Robert will be urging other NY small business owners to follow his example in a mass defiance of Cuomo’s edicts,” Rhodes wrote in a “call to action” on the Oath Keepers’ website prior to the event, asking others to be there. “You should know that Robert drove 350 miles all the way down to Richmond, VA on January 20, 2020 to stand with us and our Virginia brothers at the massive, historic open carry rally to put the Virginia tyrant, Governor Ralph ‘Blackface’ Northam on notice that We the People will NOT comply with his unconstitutional violations of our rights.”As The Daily Beast previously reported, Minuta has also worked security for other Trumpworld figures such as former Trump National Security Adviser Mike Flynn and far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones at so-called Stop the Steal rallies in the aftermath of the 2020 election. Minuta was identified by Citizen Lab researcher John Scott-Railton and a group of volunteers calling themselves the “Capitol Terrorists Exposers” who were the first to note Minuta’s connection to Flynn. In an interview with The Daily Beast, Scott-Railton described the relationships between organized groups such as the Oath Keepers and high-ranking members of Trump’s inner circle as “troubling.” Although Flynn did not respond to a request for comment, his brother Joseph said neither he nor his brother knew Minuta.Volunteer researchers dubbed Minuta “Goggles” for the protective eyewear he wore in footage posted online of the Jan. 6 Capitol siege. “We don’t care about your jobs!” he yelled at cops guarding the building.Federal authorities also over the weekend arrested Isaac Steve Sturgeon, 32, for allegedly using a metal police barrier to push into officers—before crawling under the barricade to breach the Capitol on Jan. 6. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Isaac Lawncare (@isaaclawncare) Sturgeon, who owns a lawn care business in Dillon, Montana, was arrested Saturday afternoon at JFK Airport in New York City on several charges, including obstruction of justice, for participating in the siege. Sturgeon was deposited after authorities issued a warrant for his arrest.According to a criminal complaint obtained by The Daily Beast, Sturgeon, who traveled to Kenya after the riots, was seen in photos and videos on the Capitol grounds with a green jacket, scarf, and dark backpack. He also meticulously documented his involvement in the riots on social media, posting several videos from former President Donald Trump’s speech at the Washington monument.“I’ve seen the cry of The People today…,” he wrote in one Jan. 6 post, along with several photographs of him in a sea of MAGA supporters carrying confederate and Trump flags just outside the Capitol. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Isaac Lawncare (@isaaclawncare) In another video Sturgeon posted on Instagram, a lone D.C. police officer is seen being pulled in various directions by a crowd of rioters who are yelling at him—before other insurrectionists try to use flag poles to break down the Capitol doors. “This officer was pulled out of the Capitol, and dragged down the stairs forcefully, and then protected and returned to the force,” Sturgeon wrote. “BY THE SAME PEOPLE. Today we stand to make a statement, not hurt the police. But to represent a real issue! STAND.”Prosecutors allege the 32-year-old did in fact hurt law enforcement, as he was among a group of rioters who “picked up a metal police barricade and shoved” it into D.C. police officers. After pushing down officers, videos show Sturgeon crawling underneath the barrier to enter the government building.About two weeks after the violent siege, Sturgeon traveled to Kenya and planned to turn to the U.S. on April 5. Sturgeon posted several photos on Instagram about his trip, including one Jan. 28 post with the caption, “Shhh Rona don’t know i’m here…”Last Friday, FBI agents also arrested accused Capitol rioter Shane Leedon Jenkins at his home in northwest Houston. Jenkins, who allegedly threw a pole, a desk drawer, and pipe, and a flagpole at Capitol Police officers trying to guard the building on Jan. 6, was outed to the feds by a concerned citizen analyzing publicly available video footage of the pro-Trump insurrection. In a screenshot the unnamed tipster turned over to the FBI, Jenkins—who has a distinct tattoo underneath his right eye and another spelling out “MAMA TRIED” across the front of his neck—can be seen wearing a red beanie, a blue hoodie, and black jacket as he pulls a crowbar out of his bag and smashes one of the Capitol windows. The damaged window will cost approximately $1,500 to repair, says a criminal complaint filed on Mar. 5 in D.C. federal court. Investigators then matched the photograph with images of Jenkins posted on his Facebook and Twitter accounts, a 2014 Texas Department of Criminal Justice booking photo of Jenkins, in which both his facial and neck tattoos are clearly visible, as well as a driver’s license picture showing the same ink. Ronnie Presley, a 42-year-old from Tennessee who was reportedly caught on video punching a Capitol window, was also arrested on Monday for this role in the riots. The Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee confirmed to The Daily Beast that Presley was taken into custody by FBI agents Friday evening in Old Hickory. It is not immediately clear what charges Presley faces, but he is expected to make his initial court appearance on Monday afternoon. Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

  • A new lab study shows troubling signs that Pfizer's and Moderna's COVID-19 shots could be far less effective against the variant first found in South Africa

    A mutation called E484K appeared to help the variant, first found in South Africa, to evade antibodies produced by the vaccines, the authors said.

  • UK's Johnson steers clear of royal racism row after Meghan interview

    Prime Minister Boris Johnson avoided wading into the clash of British royals on Monday, praising the queen but sidestepping questions about racism and insensitivity at the palace after an interview by Prince Harry and his wife Meghan. The former Hollywood actress, whose mother is Black and father is white, accused the royal family of pushing her to the brink of suicide. In a tell-all television interview, she said someone in the royal household had raised questions about the colour of her son's skin.

  • Bethenny Frankel apologizes for insulting Meghan Markle after watching her and Prince Harry's tell-all Oprah interview

    The 50-year-old former reality star and entrepreneur previously called Markle a "game show host" and "fairly unknown actress."

  • Oprah shares 2 moments from her Meghan Markle and Prince Harry interview that surprised her the most

    Oprah Winfrey was surprised Meghan told her about her suicidal thoughts, and that royal family members had "concern" over Archie's skin tone.

  • Anya Taylor-Joy wore a semi-sheer tulle gown with matching gloves at home for the Critics Choice Awards

    Law Roach styled "The Queen's Gambit" star Anya Taylor-Joy for the Critics Choice Awards. She wore a Dior Haute Couture gown for the virtual event.

  • Lindsey Graham says Trump has ‘dark magic’ and could destroy GOP

    Senator says there ‘was something about Trump’ that made him the ‘best way’ forward for Republicans, although that risked him ‘destroying’ party

  • The Queen emerges unscathed as Meghan and Harry lavish praise on his grandmother

    The Duke and Duchess of Sussex unloaded on Prince Charles, The Duchess of Cambridge, and the tabloid press in their extraordinary tell-all with Oprah Winfrey. But despite the numerous allegations levelled at named and unnamed members of the Royal family, The Queen emerged unscathed, and instead received glowing praise from the couple. Meghan described how "everyone" welcomed her to the royal set-up initially, but singled out the Queen as making her particularly comfortable. In another sign of their positive relationship, the Duchess said: “I just pick up the phone and I call the Queen - just to check-in. Meghan said the Queen has "always been wonderful" to her and that she reminded the Duchess of her own grandmother. "She’s always been warm and inviting," the Duchess added. The Duchess shared a touching anecdote on how her future husband’s grandmother gave her "some beautiful pearl earrings and a matching necklace" for the couple's first joint engagement together, and that the monarch also shared her blanket while travelling together between visits. The pair attended a ceremony for the opening of the new Mersey Gateway Bridge, in Widnes, Cheshire in June 2018 and travelled north on the Royal train.

  • Meet Allen Weisselberg, the Trump Organization CFO prosecutors are reportedly trying to flip

    Allen Weisselberg may know more about the Trump Organization and family's finances than anyone else, and he's loyally served Donald Trump for decades.

  • Meghan Markle, Prince Harry secretly got married 3 days before their televised wedding

    When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got married on May 19, 2018, at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, it was their second time around. During an interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired Sunday night, Markle revealed that the pair actually were married three days before their wedding, which was televised to millions of people around the globe. The private ceremony was conducted in their backyard by the Archbishop of Canterbury, with no one else present. "This spectacle is for the world," Markle said. "But we want our union for us." She added that on the day of their wedding at Windsor Castle, the couple tried to keep things "fun and light and remind ourselves that this was our day — but I think we were both really aware, even in advance ... that this wasn't our day. This was the day that was planned for the world." A year after their wedding, Markle and Harry welcomed their son, Archie. The pair announced last month that they are expecting their second child this summer, and shared with Winfrey that it is a girl. More stories from theweek.comLindsey Graham says his revived friendship with Trump is an attempt to 'harness' his 'magic'Britain's tabloids, vilified by Harry and Meghan, are all agog over the 'devastating' Oprah interviewWhat most shocked some Britons about the Harry and Meghan interview? U.S. drug ads.

  • Meghan Markle says she went into her royal marriage to Prince Harry 'naively'

    When Oprah asked Meghan Markle what she thought her life would be like following her wedding, Markle said she could not have imagined what was coming.

  • Looming China extradition deal worries Uighurs in Turkey

    Joining hundreds of women in Istanbul to protest at China's treatment of Uighurs, Nursiman Abdurasit tearfully thinks of her jailed mother in Xinjiang and fears that Uighurs like her in Turkey may one day be sent back under an extradition deal. Beijing approved an extradition treaty between the two nations in December and with the deal awaiting ratification by Ankara's parliament, activists among some 40,000 Uighurs living in Turkey have stepped up efforts to highlight their plight.

  • Biden nominates female generals who were passed over by the Pentagon because they feared Trump's reaction

    Pentagon officials reportedly believed former president Donald Trump would oppose the promotion of female generals.

  • Tyler Perry provided Harry and Meghan a home and security in Los Angeles after their royal support was removed

    The couple stayed at Perry's home in California for three months after leaving Canada when their royal security detail was removed.

  • Prince Harry and William to reunite at unveiling of Diana statue as they move past rift

    The Duke of Sussex is determined to stand shoulder to shoulder with his brother at the unveiling of a statue of their mother Diana, Princess of Wales, whatever the fallout from his interview with Oprah Winfrey. Prince Harry hopes that the brothers can present a united front at Kensington Palace on July 1, which would have been the Princess’s 60th birthday, in an attempt to move past their rift. A source close to Prince Harry insisted that whatever had been said and done, he desperately hoped to attend the event and considered it a priority. There is more uncertainty about whether the Duke might make it back to the UK for earlier events, such as Trooping the Colour on June 12 or the Duke of Edinburgh’s 100th birthday on June 10, partly due to the impending birth of his second child, thought to be due around that time. Despite the explosive nature of the revelations made to Ms Winfrey, the Sussexes consider the interview their last word on the subject and want to move on. They felt they needed to have their say and explain to the public why they turned their backs on royal life, but now consider the matter closed, sources said. One friend said: “It was something they felt they wanted and needed to do but now they have done it, they feel a line has been drawn under that chapter of their lives and they want to move on.”

  • Harry and Meghan interview was ‘utterly ridiculous from start to finish’: Piers Morgan

    Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sit down with Oprah Winfrey for tell-all interview; Piers Morgan reacts on ‘Fox & Friends.’

  • Biden eyes trashing Trump-era rules that advocates feared would silence sexual assault survivors on college campuses

    The rules were unveiled by former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos in the final year of the Trump administration.

  • India seeks funds from Quad alliance to match China's vaccine push: source

    India has urged the United States, Japan and Australia to invest in its vaccine production capacity, an Indian government source told Reuters, as the so-called Quad alliance tries to counter China's growing vaccine diplomacy. Beijing has committed to provide at least 463 million doses of its home-made COVID-19 vaccines through exports and donations across the world from Asia to Africa, Europe and Latin America, according to Reuters calculations. Two senior Indian officials said the Quad alliance, grouping the United States, Japan, Australia and India, was stepping up efforts to expand global vaccination to counter China's growing soft power.

  • Pence to give speech in SC, his 1st since leaving office

    In his first public address since the end of the Trump administration, former Vice President Mike Pence is traveling to South Carolina, set to speak to a conservative Christian nonprofit in the state that plays a crucial role in the presidential nominating process. Next month, Pence will keynote a dinner hosted by the Palmetto Family Council, a Pence aide told The Associated Press on Sunday. The Palmetto Family lobbies for what it considers to be “biblical values,” such as heterosexual marriage, and most recently helped push through a ban on most abortions in South Carolina.