WORLD
Texas provides initial $250mn for border wall with Mexico
During a press conference on Wednesday in the state capital of Austin, Abbott said: "Texas will build a border wall in our state to help secure our border," Xinhua news agency. Also on Wednesday, Abbott directed the Texas Facilities Commission to hire a program manager for the construction, but he did not give details about how long the wall would be or where it would be built.
Arizona wildfire scorches 148,299 acres of land
The wildfire, dubbed Telegraph Fire, started on June 10 in Pinal County and located less than 1 mile from the 250-person community, Top-of-the-World, reports Xinhua news agency. It has become the sixth largest wildfire in Arizona history. Over 1,000 crews were fighting the blaze, Inciweb said on Wednesday. Crews had little help from the hot, dry weather, Pinal County Emergency Management Director Chuck Kmet said in a briefingt.
13 dead in China iron mine accident
The bodies of the victims were lifted out of the well, and the DNA confirmation was completed, according to the local rescue headquarters. The miners were trapped on June 10 as a well was flooded at the Dahongcai iron mine in Daixian county, reports Xinhua news agency. The police have detained 13 suspects. An investigation into the cause of the accident is underway.
'EU-Russia ties at lowest possible level'
Addressing a news conference on Wednesday, he said that while Russia remains the EU's largest neighbour and an important global actor, the "deliberate policy choices and aggressive actions of the Russian government over the last years have created a negative spiral" in relations, Xinhua news agency. A further downturn of the relations, which are already "at the lowest level," is "the most likely outlook for the time being", he added.
Global Covid-19 caseload tops 176.9mn
In its latest update on Thursday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 176,960,993 and 3,830,127, respectively. The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 33,498,145 and 600,648, respectively, according to the CSSE.
Biden and Putin praise Geneva summit talks but discord remains
Disagreements were stated, said US President Joe Biden, but not in a hyperbolic way, and he said Russia did not want a new Cold War, the BBC reported. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Biden was an experienced statesman and the two "spoke the same language". Biden said that they did not need to spend more time talking and there was now a genuine prospect to improve relations with Russia.
Big Tech critic Lina Khan begins stint as Biden's FTC chief
At 32, Khan is said to be the youngest chair in Federal Trade Commission (FTC) history. Wednesday was Khan's first full day in her new role. Her term runs until September 25, 2024. Khan was sworn in as chair of the FTC after the Senate confirmed her via a 69-28 vote. Khan will now be one of three FTC Democratic commissioners. While still a law student at Yale, Khan cranked out a 96 page zinger titled "Amazon's Antitrust Paradox,".
UK reports highest daily increase of Covid cases since Feb
The total number of coronavirus cases in the country now stands at 4,589,814, the Xinhua news agency reported. The country also recorded another nine coronavirus-related death. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 127,926. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test. More than 42 million people have been given the first jab of the coronavirus vaccine.
Putin lashes out at US after meeting with Biden
"As for the general assessment, I believe there was no hostility at all," Putin said during his solo press briefing, adding that the meeting, the first of its kind since Biden took office in January, was "open" and with "no pressure of the parties on each other." Putin said that the two sides "differ in many respects" but "showed willingness to understand each other and seek ways to bring the positions closer."
Pak-linked charities collected funds in the name of helping India during Covid crisis
After collecting millions of dollars, few of them came together and sent peanuts in the name of help. All of them claimed the credits so that their donors would think that money was well spent, according to the report by DisinfoLab. "The money collected could go from terror finance to Pakistan army to Islamists to Hamas - apart from the pocket money to the charities," DisinfoLab said in its disclosure.
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