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Nato states have said Ukraine can join the military alliance "when allies agree and conditions are met" after President Volodymyr Zelensky criticised the "absurd" delay to accession. In a communique, Nato said it recognised the need to move faster but would not be drawn on a timeframe. Earlier Mr Zelensky said there seemed to be "no readiness" to invite Ukraine to Nato or make it a member. He is now in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, where the summit is happening. Kyiv accepts it cannot join Nato while it is at war with Russia but wants to join as soon as possible after fighting ends. But Mr Zelensky, tweeting before Mr Stoltenberg's comments, said that the lack of an agreed timeframe meant his country's eventual membership could become a bargaining chip. "A window of opportunity is being left to bargain Ukraine's membership in Nato in negotiations with Russia. Uncertainty is weakness," he said. FULL STORY

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has bemoaned the lack of a timetable for future accession to NATO on Tuesday, as he confirmed he would attend the alliance's landmark summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, to ensure his country was treated with "respect." The prospect of future Ukrainian NATO membership is looming over the meeting in Vilnius, with Ukraine and its stronger supporters urging allies to set out a concrete path to accession, most likely when the hot phase of the ongoing war with Russia ends

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An volcanic eruption has sent lava and smoke pouring out of the side of Mount Fagradalsfjall, near Iceland's capital Reykjavik. It comes after intense earthquake activity in the area. Local authorities said on Monday there was no imminent hazard to people in the region. The volcano is located in the country's southwest, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, which is known to be a seismic hotspot. Domestic flights were delayed after the eruption created a plume of smoke over the road connecting the capital to the country's largest airport. Full Story and Video footage

President Biden has a profane temper behind closed doors that contrasts with his folksy, affable public demeanor, according to a report. Axios reports that, according to current and former aides, the president has a short fuse and is prone to eruptions such as, “God dammit, how the f–k don’t you know this?!” and “Get the f–k out of here!” Biden also aggressively interrogates aides to the point that some try to avoid meeting alone with the president, according to the report. However, Axios cited aides who say facing an outburst from the president is a sign of respect, and that the behavior signals Biden’s high expectations for those around him. In public, Biden is less prone to profanity — though has occasionally cursed on hot mics. Among the president’s perceived political strengths is empathy and his “regular Joe” persona, despite spending his entire career in Washington. His speeches are often filled with folksy anecdotes, calls for civility and even whispers to emphasize some points. Axios notes in a podcast accompanying the report that those public habits contrasts with his raising the volume in private settings. Biden’s top challenger in 2024 is once again former President Trump, who lost his own reelection bid to Biden in 2020. FULL STORY

The head of a U.S. think tank who has repeatedly accused President Biden and his family of corruption has been charged with acting as an unregistered agent of China, Manhattan prosecutors announced Monday evening. Gal Luft, co-director of the Maryland-based Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, is accused of recruiting and paying an unnamed former high-ranking U.S. government official on behalf of principals based in China in 2016, without registering as a foreign agent, which is legally required. The former high-ranking official was an advisor to then President-elect Trump and was allegedly paid to publicly support certain policies pertaining to China, according to the 58-page, eight-count indictment unsealed Monday. Manhattan prosecutors also allege Luft attempted to broker illicit arms deals to sell weapons to countries including Libya, the United Arab Emirates and Kenya without having a license to do so, as is legally required in the U.S. FULL STORY

Migrants saved in one of the first rescue operations in the Mediterranean since hundreds of people died when a boat sank off the Greek coast, say nothing could deter them from trying to reach Europe. They spoke to the BBC's Alice Cuddy - on board a rescue vessel patrolling the sea for migrant boats in distress. As the giant red and white rescue ship sails across an expanse of Mediterranean Sea, the horizon is interrupted by the sight of a dark blue inflatable boat, crammed with bobbing heads. Rescue workers from the charity SOS Mediterranée don helmets and life jackets as they race to the scene in speedboats. They quickly pull the migrants on board the vessels one by one, counting as they go. The boys and young men, most from The Gambia, have been at sea for 15 hours and have made it 54 nautical miles from the Libyan town of Castelverde, near Tripoli. They are in a state of distress. Some later tell me that shortly before rescuers arrived, a fight had almost broken out on board the over-packed boat. Some were determined to keep going, while others were begging to give up and try again later. One dropped his phone in the sea in the melee. FULL STORY

Russian President Vladimir Putin met Yevgeny Prigozhin five days after the Wagner mercenary boss led a failed mutiny, the Kremlin has revealed. The BBC's Russia Editor gets to grips with the latest twist in the Wagner saga. So, let me get this straight. On the morning of 24 June, the day of the mutiny, Vladimir Putin accused the Wagner leadership of "treachery" and "a stab in the back". Later that day, Russian air force pilots were killed, shot down by Wagner fighters. Then, with the mercenaries just 200km (120 miles) from the Russian capital, the Kremlin and Wagner did a deal. The mutiny was over. No-one was arrested. No-one has been prosecuted. Not only was Yevgeny Prigozhin not clapped in irons and hauled off to the police station for his rebellion. It's now emerged that five days later he was in the Kremlin, together with his commanders, sitting round the table and chatting with President Putin. Yet another twist and turn in a story that's already surpassed Dostoyevsky for levels of surprise and mystery. FULL STORY

Nato leaders are gathering in Lithuania for a crucial summit that could shape the direction of the war in Ukraine and the future of the Western alliance. The 31 allies hope to show Russia they have the resolve to support Ukraine militarily for the long term. They arrive with a welcome boost after Turkey dropped its objections to Sweden joining the alliance. But there remains disagreement over what to say about Ukraine's own ambitions of future membership. It is thought some allies will promise Kyiv new security guarantees designed to deter future Russian aggression. They will also discuss providing more weapons and ammunition. On the membership issue, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wants Nato to say Ukraine could join as soon as possible after the fighting ends - setting out explicitly how and when this could be achieved. But some Nato nations are reluctant to go too far, fearing the promise of near-automatic membership could give Russia an incentive both to escalate and drag out the war. FULL STORY

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to support Sweden's bid to join Nato, the military alliance's chief Jens Stoltenberg says. He said the Turkish leader would forward Sweden's bid to the parliament in Ankara and "ensure ratification". Meanwhile, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said: "I am very happy, it is a good day for Sweden." Turkey had previously spent months blocking Sweden's application, accusing it of hosting Kurdish militants. As one of Nato's 31 members, Turkey has a veto over any new country joining the group. Reacting to the news, US President Joe Biden said he welcomed the commitment by President Erdogan to proceed with "swift ratification". "I stand ready to work with President Erdogan and Turkey on enhancing defence and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area. I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister Kristersson and Sweden as our 32nd Nato ally," a White House statement said. FULL STORY

Troll comment and subsequent responsesto it, removed.

exercise - get off your butt and do something, medical fact... "Physical activity may help bump up the production of your brain's feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins. Although this function is often referred to as a runner's high, any aerobic activity, such as a rousing game of tennis or a nature hike, can contribute to this same feeling." and NO the Hoookers dont qualify !????

Troll and off topic posts removed. Please stay on the topic. Jomtien changing the rules again?

Troll remarks removed.

A record number of bills aimed at restricting the rights of LGBTQ people have become law in the past three years, but the majority of those that have faced legal challenges haven’t held up in court, according to an NBC News analysis, legal experts and the American Civil Liberties Union, which has filed legal challenges against some of the laws. Just this year, state representatives introduced 491 bills aimed at restricting LGBTQ rights, with 77 of them becoming law, according to the ACLU. The majority of bills proposed and passed focused on limiting the ability of transgender youth to receive gender-transition care and play school sports. In the past year, lawmakers in at least 16 states also introduced bills to restrict drag performances. FULL STORY

The prospect of mercenaries from the Russian Wagner group moving to Belarus as part of the deal struck to end their mutiny has made Poland extra wary of its neighbour. A border once marked by a few pillars and wooden look-out posts has already been transformed by miles of tall metal fencing, thermal cameras and spotlights. They were installed after Belarus began encouraging thousands of migrants to cross into Poland two years ago in what Warsaw calls an act of hybrid warfare; Minsk and Moscow are close allies. Ahead of this week's Nato summit in Lithuania, the Polish government has been warning that Wagner forces could be used to spark more trouble, so it's deploying hundreds of extra officers at its eastern border as reinforcements. "The biggest threat is that our neighbour, Belarus, is completely unpredictable," Michal Bura of the local border guard explains, although all is calm as we talk - apart from swarms of vicious summer bugs in the wheat fields. "We have to be ready for any developments. Maybe Wagner will be a problem, but no one really knows why they're going there or what they're preparing for." FULL STORY

Inflammatory posts and responses removed.

Imagine the scenario of two kayakers basking in the serenity of a tranquil day on the water. Suddenly, without warning, their peaceful excursion takes an unimaginable turn. A colossal whale emerges from the depths, engulfing them within its enormous maw.

So he got his happy ending with 1000bt then ????????

Meanwhile , down in Pattaya..........

A transgender woman has been crowned Miss Netherlands for the first time in the beauty pageant's history and is now set to compete for the Miss Universe crown. Rikkie Valerie Kolle, 22, made history after she won the competition in the Dutch country on Sunday. Full Story

Six people including three children have been killed in a kindergarten stabbing in China's south-eastern Guangdong province. Police said they have arrested a 25-year-old man with the surname Wu in Lianjiang town. The other victims are a teacher and two parents, AFP reported, quoting a local city official. One person is also injured. The attack happened on Monday at 07:40 local time (23:40 Sunday GMT). The man was arrested at 08:00 and police have called this a case of "intentional assault". A storeowner who works near the kindergarten told the BBC the surrounding area has been sealed. The attack has sparked widespread conversation across Chinese social media platforms, with many users responding in shock. Violent crime is relatively rare in China, but the country has seen a spate of knife attacks in recent years, including several in schools. STORY