Top World News
"He Respects Them": White House After Biden Calls Japan, India "Xenophobic"
05/03/24 1:58 AM
Hours after President Joe Biden termed India, Japan and other nations, "xenophobic," the White House clarified the President's intentions, emphasising his "respect" for allies and partners.
'Integrated conspiracy': Experts reveal Jack Smith's Supreme Court contingency plan
04/29/24 8:39 PM
Special counsel Jack Smith may have a contingency plan if the Supreme Court gives Trump a win, according to a new analysis.The Supreme Court heard former President Donald Trump's claim to presidential immunity from the federal election conspiracy case last week — and while it's unlikely they will totally throw out the charges, some legal experts think they might find certain official presidential acts could be immune from prosecution. They might punt back to the lower courts to decide which parts of the indictment can and can't move forward, a complication that could further delay the case.But according to the New York Times, there's a possible way Smith could move ahead in this event.ALSO READ: Revealed: What government officials privately shared about Trump not disclosing financesAccording to reporter Charlie Savage, Smith's attorney Michael Drebeen as good as told the justices what they would do at oral argument: he "said that even if the court ruled out basing charges on Mr. Trump’s official actions, prosecutors believed that they could still lawfully present evidence about the official conduct as relevant context that would help jurors understand Mr. Trump’s private acts. 'There’s really an integrated conspiracy here that had different components,' Mr. Dreeben said. Mr. Trump, he added, used his official powers to try to ensure his private efforts to overturn the election were more likely to succeed, and the jury will need to see the entire picture to understand the sequence, why each step occurred and the gravity of the conduct."Trump's attorney John Sauer, on the other hand, urged the court to pre-emptively rule out even using official acts as evidence, not simply as the basis for charges. However, the report noted, "Samuel Buell, a Duke University professor of criminal law, said it was 'quite ordinary' that information is admitted as relevant evidence even though it is not about an action that would itself be subject to a criminal charge" — especially in cases where the alleged crime took place over a long time span and had multiple alleged co-conspirators.Even if this happens, the Supreme Court ruling immunity exists for some of Trump's actions could add months more to a trial that is already facing long odds to be heard before the election.All of this comes as Trump stands trial in a separate case in Manhattan.
'Operation Madonna': Rio readies for singer's free mega-concert
05/01/24 10:56 AM
Madonna's long-awaited free concert on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana Beach has upended the neighborhood, with over a million fans expected -- but for retired resident Mario Renato Borges, it's the least the singer deserves."Welcome, Queen," read some posters near the huge stage erected on the Brazilian beach, where Madonna will on Saturday give the biggest show of her 40-year career and the last of her "Celebration Tour."The 65-year-old American singer arrived in the coastal city on Monday after more than 80 shows in Europe, the United States and Mexico. This will be her only stop in South America.The "Like A Virgin" and "Material Girl" performer traveled to Brazil with three planes and 270 tons of equipment, according to her production company.She has set up camp at the luxurious Copacabana Palace hotel, connected to the stage by a suspended catwalk that dozens of fans crowded under this week, hoping to catch a glimpse of the pop star.- The biggest dance floor -Thanks to free admission, organizers expect Madonna's concert to produce the "world's biggest dance floor" of up to 1.5 million people -- a figure only reached on the same beach by the Rolling Stones in 2006."The traffic is chaos but the concert will be great, especially because it's Madonna, the queen of pop," says resident Borges, who lives in Leme, a neighborhood at the end of Copacabana Beach.Madonna's fourth performance in Rio will contribute some 293 million reais (US$57 million) to the local economy, an income 30 times higher than what city authorities invested, according to the mayor's office.Around 150,000 foreigners are expected to swarm the city, with most hotels already fully booked."This will undoubtedly be one of Rio's biggest international events. It will boost our economy and attract tourists from Brazil, Latin American and all over the world," said the city's Tourism Secretary Daniela Maia.- Return of the conical corset -Madonna fever is clear to see in Rio -- the so-called "Marvelous City" -- as the hours tick down to her performance.At the Lix printing shop in the popular downtown Saara shopping district, the songs of the "Material Girl" are playing on loop to inspire devotees who can choose from personalized fans, hats or mugs.Manager Livia Reis, 23, tells AFP that her store went viral on social media shortly after the concert was announced thanks to an influencer who visited the Madonna-inspired shop."A guy came in, took a photo and a video, and sent them to a fan club with 150,000 followers in Portugal. From there, it jumped to TikTok and Instagram," she says.One particularly popular item is a replica of the conical corset created by French designer Jean Paul Gaultier, which Madonna famously wore on stage in 1990.Sold as a bra or a top, the item is "doing very well," says Reis, who expects there will be "queues out of the door" in the days ahead of the concert.- Patrols on the corners -"All this activity is good for tourism, hotels and restaurants. But let's hope the security is up to the task," says 68-year-old Rio local Borges.The mayor's office has prepared an operation equivalent to New Year's Eve celebrations in Copacabana, one of the most famous in the world that typically brings down some one million people."Operation Madonna" will see some 4,500 agents deployed, working with drones and facial recognition cameras. There will be police patrols on almost every street corner in the neighborhood.Nagila Alves, 54, who works for a pest control company, was on her way to a client's home when she stopped to take a photo of the impressive stage set up for Madonna."I will always love her. Madonna is timeless," she tells AFP, adding she plans to delay her arrival on Saturday to dodge the crowds swarming to the front of the stage.
11 Of The Best Things To Do In London This Mother's Day And Paddy's Day Weekend
03/17/23 5:02 PM
It's a Mother's Day *and* Paddy's Day double whammy, people.View Entire Post ›
17 Very British Tweets About The Very British Queue To See The Very British Queen's Coffin
09/24/22 1:25 AM
"If you’re British, this is the queue you’ve been training for all your life. The final boss of queues."View Entire Post ›
8 Syrian Soldiers Injured In Israeli Strike Near Damascus Amid Tensions
05/03/24 3:43 AM
An Israeli strike hit a building operated by Syrian security forces on the outskirts of Damascus late on Thursday, a security source in the alliance backing Syria's government told Reuters.
12/08/22 8:18 AM
Trevor Reed's release from Russia highlighted concerns over the continued detention of WNBA star Brittney Griner and another former Marine, Paul Whelan.View Entire Post ›
11/07/22 4:48 PM
A researcher doubts WhatsApp's claim that Communities will "meaningfully reduce the spread of potentially harmful misinformation."View Entire Post ›
A Nightmarish New Report Has Detailed Russia’s War Crimes In Ukraine
03/16/23 1:57 PM
A new UN-backed report released Thursday found Russia has committed war crimes and likely crimes against humanity during its yearlong invasion of Ukraine.View Entire Post ›
A scroll for the king, a website for the people: Coronation document to be released digitally
05/02/24 5:10 PM
It is a record fit for a king, but it’s going online for everyone to see