Good morning. Donald Trump accused China of interfering pinch nan 2020 election successful a primetime televised reside that laid bare his continuing obsession pinch his conclusion to Joe Biden, but which opponents warned was a smokescreen for him to meddle successful nan forthcoming legislature midterms. Trump’s claims are unverified.
In a 25-minute speech, nan US president formed bonzer doubts connected nan integrity of nan US electoral process, saying it was “catastrophically” short of standards of fairness and trust, while susceptible to trespassing by overseas powers. Democrats warned that Trump was trying to sow confusion, dispersed misinformation and laic nan groundwork to situation nan results of nan midterm elections.
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What was nan purpose of Trump’s address? In this study piece, Sam Levine explains really nan president is utilizing his agency and US intelligence agencies to effort to undermine assurance successful elections. Instead of offering smoking-gun evidence, nan merchandise of caller papers seemed to beryllium a return to a classical Trump strategy of flooding nan area pinch accusation successful an effort to muddy nan waters.
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What did US networks do astir broadcasting Trump’s allegations? The US’s largest tv stations split connected whether to air Trump’s White House address, which was filled pinch unproven accusations. While CNN, ABC and NBC chose not to aerial nan reside live, CBS, Fox News and MS Now (formerly MSNBC) aired astatine slightest ample portions of nan reside live.
‘Enemies of civilization’: apical Trump officials motorboat sweeping onslaught connected left

In different prong of nan administration’s onslaught connected its opponents, apical Trump officials hosted a gathering of 66 nations connected Thursday to discuss nan expected threat of leftwing violence. The conference, convened by Marco Rubio, nan caput of state, and attended by Stephen Miller, a apical Trump adviser, and Scott Bessent, nan treasury secretary, was billed arsenic a “ministerial connected nan resurgence of governmental violence”.
The attraction was solely connected crushing leftist violence. It came arsenic Donald Trump ramped up his efforts to explanation his governmental opponents, and a rising number of politicians identified pinch nan Democratic Socialists of America, arsenic “communists”. The officials did not mention episodes of rightwing attacks, specified arsenic nan 6 January riot connected Capitol Hill.
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What did Rubio say? “They tin telephone themselves anti-capitalist aliases anti-imperialist, communist, rebel aliases Marxist. It’s ever nan same. It is simply a venomous resentment cloaked successful nan connection of equality and justness liberation – an overwhelming request to tear down, to wreck, what is beautiful and what is correct connected behalf of group who are only filled pinch ugliness,” he said. He called leftists “an encroaching darkness” and “the enemies of civilization”.
Marines committee tanker amid blockade of Iranian ports arsenic US expands strikes pinch attacks connected bridges

American forces boarded a vessel successful nan Gulf of Oman connected Thursday arsenic portion of nan renewed blockade of Iran’s ports that began earlier this week, the US subject said. US Central Command besides said it had “redirected” 3 commercialized vessels “trying to tally nan blockade”.
The boarding of nan alloy came arsenic nan US expanded its airstrike run against Iran pinch attacks connected aggregate bridges, successful statement pinch Donald Trump’s threats to destruct infrastructure, prompting Tehran to occurrence connected Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait. Attacking civilian infrastructure whitethorn represent a warfare crime.
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How mightiness nan conflict proceed to escalate? Iran has asked its friends successful Yemen, nan Houthis, to beryllium prepared to adjacent nan lipid way done nan Red Sea if nan US targets Iranian power infrastructure. The Houthi leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, besides threatened that Saudi lipid accommodation could beryllium targeted if Riyadh intervened successful Yemen. The threat came aft Saudi Arabia struck Sana’a airport, starring to retaliatory rocket strikes from nan Houthis connected Saudi Arabia.
In different news …

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Officials are looking astatine a Taco Bell lettuce supplier arsenic a imaginable root of nan cyclosporiasis outbreak, nan parasitic unwellness that causes watery, explosive diarrhea, which has affected thousands of people.
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A White House teleprompter usability has been put connected time off complete alleged bets connected Trump speeches which Karoline Leavitt, nan White House property secretary, has labelled “deeply unfortunate and frankly a disgrace”.
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The remains of LA millionaire Thelma Gaston, missing since 1981, have been identified aft much than 40 years.
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Two women who person accused nan main charismatic of nan world criminal court, Karim Khan, of intersexual maltreatment have spoken out astir their claims against nan salient British lawyer.
Stat of nan day: General Mills recalls 736,000 Pillsbury rolls complete solid contamination fears

A announcement issued by nan US Food and Drug Administration earlier this week says General Mills is recalling astir 736,000 Pillsbury breadstuff rolls complete concerns they could incorporate glass. The items person been delivered to aggregate states. More specifications here.

I americium tense astir it having specified a agelong runtime erstwhile I for illustration my films a spot snappier, but then, I conjecture it is aft each The Odyssey. Peter Bradshaw has nary specified qualms, saying Christopher Nolan has done afloat justness to nan Homeric legend pinch a movie that conveys nan existent costs of war. It has sparked a caller appetite for an aged classic, and Ioan Marc Jones has a guide to nan translations, podcasts and audiobooks that make nan original approachable, and Tom Shone has interviewed Nolan. It is worthy noting location are dissenting voices astir nan production, though. Earlier this week, Mohamed Sleiman Labat wrote eloquently for nan Guardian astir really it feels to spot a movie lauded erstwhile it was made successful Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara, 1 of nan world’s oft-neglected disputes.
Don’t miss this: Trump made $1.4bn from crypto successful 1 year. Is Justin Sun nan man who helped him do it?

Matt Shea looks astatine nan entrepreneur who is known successful Washington arsenic nan financial powerfulness down nan president’s crypto luck and asks really Justin Sun’s business love-in pinch nan Trump family spiralled into dueling lawsuits.
Climate check: Air value plummets successful 20 US states arsenic fume from Canadian wildfires spreads

Smoke from wildfires burning successful south-central Canada and parts of Minnesota is spreading, prompting air value alerts successful much than 20 states, pinch millions of Americans expected to look unhealthy aerial conditions. Ed Markey, nan Massachusetts inferior senator, said nan fume is “darkening skies and getting successful our lungs. The ambiance situation is present and it does not extremity astatine our borders.”
Last Thing: California firefighters springiness oxygen to suffering bird

If you’ve ever wanted to spot a video clip of a pigeon being giving oxygen by a occurrence crew, coming is your fortunate day. A unit successful Oakland spotted a pigeon “in distress” aft a conveyance fire, and jumped into action. A firefighter administered oxygen pinch a disguise placed complete nan bird’s look arsenic it stood successful nan road. You tin watch it here.
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