Defiant North Korea tells UN its spy satellite program is its ‘legitimate right as a sovereign state’

Defiant North Korea tells UN its spy satellite program is its ‘legitimate right as a sovereign state’

CNN  —  In a defiant speech to the UN Security Council, North Korea insisted its efforts to launch a spy satellite into space are transparent and within “its legitimate right as a sovereign state.” Pyongyang’s ambassador to the UN Kim Song defended his country during a rare address to the UN on Friday, denying that … Read more

About 4 million children in Pakistan have no safe water, one year after deadly floods

About 4 million children in Pakistan have no safe water, one year after deadly floods

CNN  —  One year after catastrophic floods devastated swathes of Pakistan, some 4 million children in the South Asian nation remain without access to safe water, the United Nations children’s agency has warned. In a news release Friday, UNICEF said it estimates that there are 8 million people in the country, around half of whom … Read more

Michigan power outages: Severe storms leave more than 500,000 in the dark across Michigan and Ohio

Michigan power outages: Severe storms leave more than 500,000 in the dark across Michigan and Ohio

CNN  —  More than half a million homes and businesses are without power in parts of Michigan and Ohio overnight into Friday as a forceful round of severe thunderstorms has brought heavy rains, strong winds and at least one confirmed tornado to the region. The storms marched from southern Michigan into Ohio overnight, threatening powerful … Read more

F-16 training: US will start training Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s in October

F-16 training: US will start training Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s in October

CNN  —  The US has announced that it will start training Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 jets in October. “Following English language training for pilots in September, F-16 flying training is expected to begin in October at Morris Air National Guard Base in Tucson, Arizona, facilitated by the Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing,” Pentagon Spokesman … Read more

Kevin Hart ends up in wheelchair after being ‘dumbest man alive’

Kevin Hart ends up in wheelchair after being ‘dumbest man alive’

CNN  —  Trying to do “young stuff” has temporarily landed Kevin Hart in a wheelchair. That’s according to the movie star, who posted a video on his verified Instagram account in which the caption reads in part, “I got to be the dumbest man alive!!!!!” Using some expletives in both the caption and the video, … Read more

Fukushima nuclear waste water: Japan to release treated water despite China’s opposition

Fukushima nuclear waste water: Japan to release treated water despite China’s opposition

CNN  —  Japan on Thursday began releasing treated radioactive wastewater from its Fukushima nuclear plant, sparking a fiery tirade from China which described operation as a “selfish and irresponsible act”. The release is part of a controversial plan that has met fierce objections from many consumers as well as some regional countries, with Beijing leading … Read more

Writers strike: AMPTP publicly shares latest package proposed to WGA

Writers strike: AMPTP publicly shares latest package proposed to WGA

CNN  —  The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) shared in a news release their latest package of terms proposed to the Writers Guild of America (WGA) as part of strike negotiations. The proposed package from AMPTP includes an increase in wages, which the studios say is the highest wage increase for WGA … Read more

Japan to start releasing Fukushima wastewater as soon as Thursday

Japan to start releasing Fukushima wastewater as soon as Thursday

Tokyo CNN  —  Japan will begin releasing treated radioactive water from Fukushima into the ocean as early as Thursday, officials announced on Tuesday, following months of heightened public anxiety and pushback from many neighboring countries. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said authorities would go forward with the release on August 24 “if they encounter no obstacles.” … Read more

‘Blue Beetle’ unseats ‘Barbie’ from the top of the US box office

‘Blue Beetle’ unseats ‘Barbie’ from the top of the US box office

New York CNN  —  The reign of “Barbie” is over. At least at the box office, anyway. For the first time since its July 21 release, the Greta Gerwig-directed film wasn’t the country’s top-grossing film for the weekend. Instead, DC’s superhero film “Blue Beetle” took its place and grossed an estimated $25.4 million, while “Barbie” … Read more

Italian man dies after being crushed by thousands of wheels of cheese

Italian man dies after being crushed by thousands of wheels of cheese

Rome CNN  —  An Italian cheesemaker died on Sunday after being crushed by thousands of rounds of Grana Padano cheese in the aging room of his factory in Bergamo, northern Italy, local authorities said. Giacomo Chiapparini, 74, had entered the aging room to check the automatic robot used to clean the cheese rounds during the … Read more