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Iraqi officials have ordered all electronic advertising screens to be shut down in Baghdad after a hacker used one to show a pornographic film. It happened at a major road junction in the Iraqi capital. Videos have been shared widely on social media. A man has been arrested in connection with the incident, police say. A statement said the suspect was a technician who had financial issues with the company that runs the advertising screens. He was said to have acted in retaliation. The hacker "showed a pornographic film for several minutes before we cut the power cable" on Saturday, a security source who requested anonymity told the AFP news agency. These "immoral scenes" prompted the authorities to "turn off all advertising screens in Baghdad" while they review security measures, the same official explained. Screens in the capital - which are generally used to advertise products or politicians - were switched off on Sunday morning. FULL STORY

Donald Trump has confirmed that he will not take part in Republican presidential debates with his rivals in the race for the White House. The ex-president said one latest poll showed he had "legendary" numbers ahead of other hopefuls to be the party's nominee for the 2024 election. "The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had," Mr Trump, 77, wrote in a post on social media. The first Republican presidential primary debate will be on 23 August. The second debate can possibly follow the next day. At least two more debates are expected in the ensuing months. Voting in the Republican primary election begins in the state of Iowa on 15 January 2024, but more debates are likely to be held to help winnow the field. Recent polls have consistently shown that Mr Trump - who faces a number of criminal charges - is currently the frontrunner for the Republican nomination. Republican rivals need Trump to debate. But will he? In a post on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, Mr Trump wrote: "New CBS POLL, just out, has me leading the field by "legendary" numbers." He added that several other contenders - including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis - were lagging far behind. "The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had, with Energy Independence, Strong Borders & Military, Biggest EVER Tax & Regulation Cuts, No Inflation, Strongest Economy in History, & much more. "I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!" FULL STORY

A US shop owner was shot dead after a dispute over a Pride flag displayed outside her business, police say. Laura Ann Carleton, 66, was found with a bullet wound at her Mag Pi shop in Cedar Glen, California, on Friday. A suspect - who fled the scene on foot - was killed by police when found nearby, allegedly still armed. Ms Carleton was described as a "wonderful friend" by Hollywood director Paul Feig, who posted an image of them together. The suspect made "disparaging remarks" about the rainbow flag before shooting the victim, police said. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers then located the suspect, armed with a handgun, the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department said. At this point, "a lethal force encounter occurred and the suspect was pronounced deceased". Feig - known for films such as Bridesmaids as well as the Freaks and Geeks TV series - said his friend had been shot after confronting the suspect for ripping down the flag. FULL STORY

Spain's Olga Carmona was told after winning the World Cup that her father died Carmona's father is understood to have died on Friday but it was kept from her She scored the only goal of the game as Spain beat the Lionesses 1-0 in Sydney Spain's World Cup final hero Olga Carmona tweeted a heartbreaking tribute to her father on Sunday night after she learned of his death in the aftermath of their win over England. Carmona's father is understood to have died on Friday but news was kept from the 23-year-old defender so as not to affect her frame of mind going into the game against the Lionesses. The Spanish Football Federation tweeted after the game: 'We deeply regret to announce the death of Olga Carmona's father. The footballer learnt the sad news after the World Cup final. We love you, Olga, you are part of Spanish football history.' But in a post later on Sunday night the 23-year-old, who scored the only goal of the game past England's Mary Earps, said her father had 'given me the strength to achieve something unique'. She wrote: 'And without knowing it, I had my star before the game started. FULL STORY

Russia's unmanned Luna-25 spacecraft has crashed into the Moon after spinning out of control, officials say. It was Russia's first Moon mission in almost 50 years. The craft was due to be the first ever to land on the Moon's south pole, but failed after encountering problems as it moved into its pre-landing orbit. It was set to explore a part of the Moon which scientists think could hold frozen water and precious elements. Roscosmos, Russia's state space corporation, said on Sunday morning that it had lost contact with the Luna-25 shortly after 14:57pm (11:57 GMT) on Saturday. Preliminary findings showed that the 800kg lander had "ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the surface of the Moon", it said in a statement. It said a special commission would look into why the mission failed. The loss of Luna-25 is a blow to Roscosmos. Russia's civilian space programme has been in decline for several years, as state funding is increasingly directed towards the military. Russia was racing to the Moon's south pole against India, whose Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is scheduled to land there in the coming days and send a rover to explore the rocks and craters, gathering data and images to send back to Earth. FULL STORY

England's wait to win a first Women's World Cup title goes on after Spain deservedly triumphed in the final in Sydney. The Lionesses, looking to become the first England senior side since the men's team in 1966 to win the World Cup, suffered heartbreak after being outplayed by a Spanish side full of flair and creativity. England's players fell to their knees in tears at the final whistle as Spain celebrated inside their penalty area after dealing with a final corner kick in the 14th minute of nerve-wracking stoppage time. Spain captain Olga Carmona slotted the winner past goalkeeper Mary Earps in the first half, capitalising after England's Lucy Bronze lost possession in midfield. England manager Sarina Wiegman, who has now lost two successive World Cup finals, introduced Lauren James and Chloe Kelly at half-time but Spain maintained control despite the Lionesses' best efforts. Earps made several stunning saves, including one from the penalty spot to deny Jenni Hermoso after Barcelona midfielder Keira Walsh had been penalised for handball following a lengthy video assistant referee review. But it was one step too far for the European champions, who lost just their second match in two years under Wiegman. Spain are crowned champions for the first time despite going into the tournament under a cloud of controversy following a dispute between players and the Spanish football federation. Reaction to the Women's World Cup final FULL STORY

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The blocking feature will be removed for users of X, formerly Twitter, Elon Musk has announced, claiming the feature "makes no sense". The X boss said users will still be able to block people from directly messaging them, however. But many people on social media said it will make it hard for people to remove abusive posts from their timeline. It is the latest in a series of changes Mr Musk has made since taking over the site in a $44bn deal last year. Currently, when users "block" an account, it stops that account's posts from appearing in the blocker's timeline, and vice versa. An account that is blocked can no longer send messages to the blocker, nor can it view their posts. Former Twitter founder, Jack Dorsey, seemed to agree with Mr Musk's decision, posting: "100%. Mute only". But there are concerns that muting an account would not be sufficient protection from cases of harassment, abuse or stalking. The mute function currently only stops notifications about an account's posts. An account that is muted can still view the muter's posts and reply to them. One user called Mr Musk's decision a "huge mistake", saying there are "toxic people" on the platform whom users simply did not want to interact with in any way. Removing a blocking feature could also potentially violate the terms and conditions of stores like Apple's App Store and Google Play. Both stores have conditions stating that social media apps should allow users facilities to filter harassment or bullying. It could mean X is no longer downloadable from those stores. If the policy goes ahead, it is not clear if all those accounts which are blocked will automatically become unblocked. Users do however have the option to make their account private, hiding their tweets from the public and only allowing accepted followers to view their posts. FULL STORY

President Biden announced Friday a trilateral agreement with the leaders of Japan and South Korea to deepen their security and economic commitments following a historic summit at the Camp David presidential retreat. Mr. Biden held the summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to focus on regional security cooperation concerns, especially managing North Korean belligerence and countering China. "We meet in this historic place to make a historic moment, and I believe that to be true," the president said. "This is new era and partnership between Japan, the Republic of Korea and the United States, our new 'Camp David Trilat.'" As part of the renewed ties, detailed in a joint statement titled "The Spirit of Camp David," the three nations committed to new coordination efforts, including a hotline when there is a crisis in the region. The leaders announced a "commitment to consult" the others "in an expeditious manner to coordinate our responses to regional challenges, provocations, and threats that affect our collective interests and security," according to the joint statement from the U.S., Japan and South KoreaTICS The three leaders agreed to strengthen information sharing about North Korean missile launches and cyber activities, bolster missile-defense cooperation to counter nuclear and missile threats from Pyongyang, and reaffirmed the commitment to "peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits," the president said. On the economic front, the U.S., Japan and South Korea will work to launch early-warning system pilots to expand information-sharing and boost coordination on possible supply-chain disruptions. "We will bolster the rules-based international order and play key roles to enhance regional security and prosperity based on our shared values on freedom, human rights and rule of law," Yoon told reporters. Mr. Biden said as part of the renewed ties, the leaders will meet in-person annually, while Cabinet-level officials will gather on a regular basis in perpetuity. "Our world stands at an inflection point, a point where we're called to lead in new ways, to work together, to stand together, and today, I'm proud to say our nations are answering that call," the president said. FULL STORY

There is a "pinned" notice at the head of the World news" forum. here: Quite simply, if there is something that you (a member) would like to suggest to be added to that forum for discussion you can submit it to me via PM. Not all suggestions are used but all are considered for inclusion in the daily topics.

Tapper noted reporting on Hunter Biden's business dealings 'directly goes against what Joe Biden said in the debate' CNN host and chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper admitted that former President Donald Trump "was right" when he accused then-presidential candidate Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden of accepting large amounts of foreign money during the 2020 presidential debates. On CNN's "The Lead" Thursday, Tapper also declared that Biden "was wrong" during the match-ups between the two candidates three years ago, when the then-Democratic nominee denied Trump’s allegations that his son made "a fortune in Ukraine, in China, in Moscow and various other places." At the time Biden flatly rejected the claim, saying, "None of that is true." Tapper gave Biden the benefit of the doubt in his commentary, stating he didn’t know whether the then-candidate was "lying" at the time. Tapper played a compilation of the two debate exchanges and compared them with a recent report from Washington Post chief-fact checker Glenn Kessler showing Biden to be wrong. The host stated, "Glenn Kessler from the Washington Post had a fact check about Joe Biden from earlier this month noting that Hunter Biden admitted in court in July that he was in fact paid substantial sums from Chinese companies." Citing the piece, Tapper said, "Kessler wrote, ‘Hunter Biden reported nearly 2.4 million in income in 2017 and 2.2 million in income in 2018,’ most of which came from Chinese or Ukrainian interests." He then took a swipe at Biden’s 2020 claims, before playing footage from the debates, "This directly goes against what Joe Biden said in the debate in 2020 with Donald Trump. Take a listen." FULL STORY

Not my experience after 5 years of owning one. Like anything else depends how you look after it.

Same on my Toyota and thats nearly 5 years old.

Donald Trump will skip the first Republican debate of the 2024 primaries and attempt to upstage his rivals for the party’s nomination by instead sitting down for an interview with Tucker Carlson, according to a report. In a Truth Social post, the former president gave the excuse that he was far ahead in the polls and that Ronald Reagan hadn’t participated in a debate. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie called him a “certified loser, verified coward” after news of the decision emerged. On Thursday night, Mr Trump abruptly cancelled his proposed press conference at which he claimed he was going to unveil a report that would “exonerate” him in the criminal case over his attempts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia brought by Fulton County DA Fani Willis. He claimed: “My lawyers would prefer putting this, I believe, Irrefutable & Overwhelming evidence of Election Fraud & Irregularities in formal Legal Filings”. The former president and 18 of his allies were indicted on Monday for running a criminal enterprise to try to thwart the will of the American people and keep Mr Trump in power at all costs. He is also the defendant in three other ongoing criminal proceedings. FULL STORY Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

An official deadline to evacuate Yellowknife as a wildfire looms on its outskirts has lapsed, as residents scramble to leave by air and road. About 22,000 people - or roughly half the population in Canada's Northwest Territories - are now displaced in the country's worst fire season on record. A separate blaze in the west, that threatens Kelowna, British Columbia, has grown one hundredfold in 24 hours. Officials have warned the fires "are very active and very unpredictable". "The stress of leaving your home not knowing if it will be there when you return is now a reality faced by thousands," Harjit Sajjan, Canada's minister of emergency preparedness, said at a news conference on Friday. He said the federal government did not yet know the full extent of the damage wrought in what has been an "incredibly challenging week for Canadians". The McDougall Creek Wildfire in Kelowna, in the western province of British Columbia, poses a particularly concerning threat to lives and properties after it grew significantly overnight.

A hurricane packing 130mph (215km/h) winds is churning towards Mexico and the south-western US. The Category 4 storm, named Hilary, is predicted to first make landfall in Baja California, a Mexican state, on Saturday morning. Forecasters say it will then lose wind speed and become a tropical storm, tracking north-west towards southern California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah. It would be the first tropical storm to hit California in over 80 years. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) has "pre-positioned personnel and supplies in the region, and they're ready to respond as needed," President Joe Biden said Friday. "I urge everyone in the path of the storm to take precautions and listen to the guidance from state and local officials." The National Weather Service (NWS) said the potential for heavy rain, ranging from 3-6in (7-15cm) in some areas, and up to 10in in others, could lead to "significant and rare" impacts for parts of southern California and southern Nevada. In San Diego, the NWS has issued a warning for the "high potential" of flash flooding. Nearly 26 million people in the south-western US were under flood watch. FULL DETAILS Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

Summary Nurse Lucy Letby has been found guilty of murdering seven babies who were being looked after on a neonatal ward The murders happened at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016 Letby, 33, is the UK's most prolific killer of babies in modern times She has also been found guilty of attempting to murder another six babies, with the jury undecided on the attempted murder of a further four She was found not guilty of two counts of attempted murder, and will be sentenced on Monday The lead consultant at the neonatal unit has told the BBC that hospital bosses failed to investigate allegations against Letby VIDEO COVERAGE FULL STORY

Abigail Jo Shry accused of leaving voicemail at federal courthouse using racist term for US district judge Tanya Chutkan A Texas woman has been arrested and charged with threatening to kill the federal judge overseeing the criminal case against the former US president Donald Trump in Washington DC, and a member of Congress.Abigail Jo Shry of Alvin, Texas, called the federal courthouse in Washington DC and left the threatening message, using a racist term for the US district judge Tanya Chutkan, on 5 August, court records allege. Investigators traced her phone number and she later admitted to making the threatening call, according to a criminal complaint. In the call, Shry told told the judge, who is overseeing the election conspiracy case against Trump: “You are in our sights, we want to kill you,” according to the documents. Prosecutors allege Shry also said: “If Trump doesn’t get elected in 2024, we are coming to kill you.” She also threatened to kill Sheila Jackson Lee, a Texas Democrat representative running for mayor of Houston, according to court documents.A judge earlier this week ordered Shry jailed. Court records show Shry is represented by the Houston public defender’s office, which did not immediately return a message on Wednesday asking for comment. FULL STORY

WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors are seeking sentences of 27 to 33 years in federal prison in the cases of four Proud Boys found guilty of seditious conspiracy for their actions during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and 20 years for a fifth Proud Boy found guilty on other charges. Enrique Tarrio, Joseph Biggs, Ethan Nordean and Zachary Rehl were all convicted of seditious conspiracy in May following a months-long trial that began in January. A fifth defendant, Dominic Pezzola, was acquitted of the seditious conspiracy charge, but found guilty of assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers. Pezzola smashed a Capitol window with a stolen police shield, leading the first breach of the building. Prosecutors are seeking 33 years in federal prison for Tarrio and Biggs, 30 years for Rehl, 27 years for Nordean, and 20 years for Pezzola. Sentencing hearings are set for the week of Aug. 28, which is also when a federal judge in D.C. will set the trial date for Donald Trump's election interference trial. Prosecutors said that the Proud Boys were guilty of crimes of terrorism, and that it was important that the sentences they receive "be noted by those who would foment such political violence in the future." The justice system’s response to Jan. 6 "will impact whether January 6 becomes an outlier or a watershed moment," prosecutors wrote. "The defendants understood the stakes, and they embraced their role in bringing about a 'revolution.' They unleashed a force on the Capitol that was calculated to exert their political will on elected officials by force and to undo the results of a democratic election. The foot soldiers of the right aimed to keep their leader in power," prosecutors wrote. "They failed. They are not heroes; they are criminals." FULL STORY

Hunter Biden's misdemeanor tax charges have been dismissed by a federal judge in Delaware, an expected move after his "sweetheart" plea deal fell through last month during his first court appearance in the case. The Justice Department submitted a filing last week to dismiss the case ahead of a possible trial on Biden's felony gun charge in a different district. After the plea deal fell apart, Biden pleaded "not guilty" as federal prosecutors confirmed he is still under federal investigation. He was expected to plead guilty to the two misdemeanor tax counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax as part of the plea deal to avoid jail time on the felony gun charge. Biden's attorneys and Special Counsel David Weiss are still fighting over a diversion agreement concerning the felony charge that would allow him to avoid any jail time. Weiss has indicated he plans to potentially take Biden to trial in the future in either Washington, D.C., or California. On Tuesday, Weiss strongly rejected claims by Biden's legal team that his office "reneged" on the plea deal for President Biden's son to resolve the federal tax and gun charges, while stressing that agreement was "not in effect." In a court filing, Weiss fired back at the Biden attorneys, which, over the weekend, filed a motion stating that "the parties have a valid and binding bilateral Diversion Agreement." FULL STORY

Former President Trump’s lawyers are proposing an April 2026 trial in the federal case over his efforts to block the transfer of power after the 2020 election. The Trump team’s suggested start date falls more than two years after the Justice Department’s proposal of Jan. 2, 2024, which the former president’s lawyers argued is meant to “to deny President Trump and his counsel a fair ability to prepare for trial.” They pointed to the “enormous and growing” amount of discovery in the case, the complex and unusual nature of the charges and the defendant, the former president’s stacked legal schedule and the standard timeline of jury-tried cases in arguing for a 2026 start date. Special counsel Jack Smith’s office has produced 11.5 million pages of discovery so far, Trump’s attorneys said. “To put 11.5 million pages in some perspective, we began downloading the government’s initial production on August 13, 2023,” they wrote in Thursday’s filing. “Two days later, it was still downloading.” “Nonetheless, even assuming we could begin reviewing the documents today, we would need to proceed at a pace of 99,762 pages per day to finish the government’s initial production by its proposed date for jury selection,” they added. “That is the entirety of Tolstoy’s War and Peace, cover to cover, 78 times a day, every day, from now until jury selection.” Trump’s lawyers also noted that the case is particularly unusual given that the defendant is a former president currently campaigning for the White House in a race that appears likely to pit him against the current president. Trump already has a packed court schedule as well, with a New York civil trial scheduled for October, a defamation trial scheduled for January, a New York criminal case scheduled for March and a federal case in Florida scheduled for May, they argued. FULL STORY

The bipartisan group of representatives pushing for public information on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) is having difficulty continuing their effort after a blockbuster committee hearing last month. The Hill hosted an event Thursday, The Truth Is Out There: UFOs & National Security, which was moderated by congressional reporter Mychael Schnell and featured three of the four members of Congress who have pushed for UAP transparency. “I hear from people more on this subject than anything else,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) said. “Not the Trump indictments, not Hunter Biden. They are talking about the UAP hearing because there’s great interest in this government transparency issue.” Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn) said the group — comprising Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla), Moskowitz and himself — will likely not get another opportunity for a hearing unless Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) designates a select committee on UAPs as they have requested. That select committee would give subpoena powers to force leaders in the Department of Defense and others to testify and push past the “roadblocks” the group has faced so far in seeing classified material and getting timely responses, Burchett said. “We’re running into a lot of roadblocks there, and that’s the problem with this whole thing. It just creates more and more conspiracy theories because our federal government is so arrogant and so bloated, and they’ll just run out the clock,” Burchett said. “I’m guilty of this as well, but Americans want their pizzas in 30 minutes or less, and that’s about our dadgum attention span.” FULL STORY

A Canadian woman has been jailed for 22 years in the US for sending letters laced with ricin poison, including to Donald Trump when he was president. Pascale Ferrier, 56, agreed to the sentence in January after pleading guilty to biological weapons charges. The deadly envelope addressed to Mr Trump was intercepted in September 2020 before delivery to the White House. Ferrier told the court that she regretted that her plan had failed and that she "couldn't stop Trump". In a long-winded address to the court, she also said that she saw herself as an activist not a terrorist. "I want to find peaceful means to achieve my goals," Ferrier added. The FBI found her fingerprints on the letter to Mr Trump, which urged him to drop out of the presidential race. "I found a new name for you: 'The Ugly Tyrant Clown'," she wrote in the letter, according to FBI charging documents. District Judge Dabney Friedrich sentenced Ferrier to 262 months - just shy of 22 years - in prison. She will be deported from the US after serving her sentence and faces supervision for life if she ever returns. Judge Friedrich told Ferrier her actions were "potentially deadly" and "harmful to you, harmful to society, harmful to the potential victims". FULL STORY

Thousands of people fleeing a wildfire on the outskirts of Yellowknife, one of the largest cities in Canada's north, have crowded into the local airport and the road out of town. Hundreds have also lined up for emergency military evacuation flights. Local officials have given the 20,000 residents of Yellowknife, in the Northwest Territories, a deadline of noon Friday (18:00 GMT) to leave. As of Thursday, the fire was within 16km (10 miles) of the city. The Northwest Territories declared a state of emergency late on Tuesday as it battles nearly 240 wildfires. "Very tough days ahead - with two days of northwest to west-northwest winds on Friday and Saturday, which would push fire towards Yellowknife," the territorial fire service said in a statement on Facebook. Wildfire evacuees frustrated by Facebook news ban There have been reports of long lines at petrol stations in the city and on the road out of town. Resident Bill Braden told Global News he was carrying extra petrol with him after a family member told him the line at one gas station stretched a kilometre in length. Police advised drivers to slow down as they reach Fort Providence, about 300km southwest of Yellowknife by road, as a long queue for gas was affecting traffic. For those not staying with friends or family in other communities, the closest centre for evacuees is 1,100km south of Yellowknife. Military evacuation flights are scheduled throughout the afternoon and evening on Thursday, with five flights to Calgary, in the neighbouring province of Alberta. FULL STORY

Property giant Evergrande has filed for bankruptcy protection in the US as the real estate crisis in China deepens. It will allow the heavily-indebted company to protect its assets in the US as it works on a multi-billion dollar deal with creditors. Evergrande defaulted on its huge debts in 2021, which sent shockwaves through global financial markets. The move comes as problems in China's property market add to concerns about the world's second largest economy. China Evergrande Group made the Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection filing in a New York court on Thursday. Chapter 15 protects the US assets of a foreign company while it works on restructuring its debts. Evergrande, which defaulted on its debt repayments in 2021, has been working to renegotiate its agreements with creditors. With debts estimated to total more than $300bn (£235bn), it was the world's most heavily indebted property developer. The company's Hong Kong-listed shares have been suspended from trading since March 2022. Evergrande revealed last month that it lost a combined 581.9bn yuan ($80bn; £62.7bn) over the last two years. Last week, another major Chinese property giant, Country Garden, warned that it could see a loss of up to $7.6bn for the first six months of the year. Some of the biggest companies in China's real estate market are struggling to find the money to complete developments. "The key to this issue is to complete unfinished projects because this will at least keep some of the financing flowing," said Steven Cochrane of economics research firm Moody's Analytics. FULL STORY