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Smartphone manufacturers make their batteries hard to replace. Tough new EU rules will change that. The European Union will soon require smartphone manufacturers to let users replace their batteries. The tough new rules - endorsed by the European Parliament this week - could save millions of phones from landfill. Every year, more than 150 million smartphones are thrown away. Making batteries more easy to replace could stem this deluge of e-waste. Existing phones seal away batteries within the tablet, meaning replacing them can be nearly as expensive as buying a new phone. The new measures will help break that cycle of rampant consumption, MEP Achille Variati declared.

Justice Department investigators were "trying to limit" questioning related to Joe Biden as part of the investigation into Hunter Biden, despite objections from FBI and IRS officials, a whistleblower alleged. The House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday released testimony from two IRS whistleblowers who said officials at the Justice Department, FBI and IRS interfered with the investigation of the tax evasion case against Hunter Biden. The whistleblowers said decisions in the case seemed to be "influenced by politics." One whistleblower, Gary Shapley Jr., who was the supervisor of the investigation at the IRS, said that "at every stage" of the probe, decisions were made that "had the effect of benefiting the subject of the investigation." He cited several examples involving apparent references to Hunter Biden's father. Full Story

The Bank of England has shocked economists and investors by raising interest rates half a percentage point to 5% - the highest level since 2008. Economists had expected the Monetary Policy Committee to raise interest rates by only a quarter percentage point, but the MPC voted 7-2 for the surprise increase, explaining that it was aiming to bring higher-than-expected inflation under control and indicated concern about high wage increases and company profit margins. It comes after the UK's official inflation rate failed to fall as expected in May, staying at 8.7% - well above the bank's 2% target. In the minutes alongside the decision, the bank said higher inflation, especially services inflation, meant it had to act faster to bring prices under control. Full Story

When asked about the prospects for recovering those onboard, Rear Admiral John Mauger warned "it is an incredibly unforgiving environment on the seafloor" - but underwater robots will continue their search. The five men onboard the missing Titan sub died after the vessel suffered a "catastrophic implosion". Rear Admiral John Mauger - who led the search - confirmed that a remotely operated vehicle had discovered the nose cone of the lost submersible about 487m (1,600ft) from the bow of the Titanic on the seafloor. Further debris was found nearby, with Rear Admiral Mauger adding: "In consultation with experts from within unified command, the debris is consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber. "On behalf of US Coast Guard and entire unified command, I offer deepest condolences to the families. I can only imagine what this has been like for them, and I hope this discovery provides some solace during this difficult time." Tributes paid to Titan passengers - latest updates More on this story

All the latest developments from the war in Ukraine. Bridge to annexed Crimea hit in Ukrainian strike A bridge connecting Crimea and southern Ukraine has been damaged by a Ukrainian strike, local Russian authorities said on Thursday. "There were no casualties," said the Russian governor of the annexed peninsular Sergei Aksionov, adding the damage was being assessed. The bridge connects Crimea, illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014, to an area of the southern region of Kherson occupied by Russian forces. This strike reported by the Russian authorities comes as Ukrainian forces have been conducting offensive actions since early June on several sectors of the front, particularly in southern Ukraine. Crimea serves as a logistical rear base for the Russian forces deployed in southern Ukraine.

It's the question we've been asking ever since President Vladimir Putin ordered the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. In this war, would the Kremlin go nuclear? President Joe Biden isn't ruling it out. "I worry about Putin using tactical nuclear weapons," the US president said this week. He believes the danger is "real". I don't know whether President Biden reads the Russian magazine Profile. If he does, you can understand why he's worried. Putin confirms first nuclear weapons moved to Belarus Zelensky admits slow progress in Ukraine offensive Could Russia use tactical nuclear weapons? Last week, Profile published an article by prominent Russian foreign and defence policy expert Sergei Karaganov. The hawkish Mr Karaganov is honorary chairman of the Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defence Policy. In short, he's well-connected to those in power here. FULL STORY

WhatsApp has launched a new feature that could finally protect people from spam and scam callers. The new tool, called “Silence Unknown Callers”, does exactly what it sounds like: stops people ringing you unless they are already in your contacts. The feature is intended to “give you more privacy and control of your incoming calls”, WhatsApp said in its announcement. It pointed to spam and scams but also generally keeping people safe from unknown people’s calls. Those calls will still be visible within the contact list, in case someone important does call. But they will not ring as normal phone calls, and so will not interrupt your day. WhatsApp has also launched a new tool called Privacy Checkup, which allows people to run through a step-by-step guide to the security features on WhatsApp. That includes the new call screening feature, which otherwise can be turned on from within the settings. Full Story

The president reminded Second Amendment supporters on Tuesday night that they would "need an F-16" to oppose the American government. Biden underlined the idea that Americans do not need AR-15s in his speech at a California fundraiser event where he discussed gun violence in the country. Biden emphasized that "we must change." The majority of Americans concur that there is no need for a weapon of war, so there are many things we can modify. I support the Second Amendment. I spent six years at law school and four years teaching it. And what's this? It does not state that you may possess any firearms you like. It claims there are some weapons you simply cannot own. Even during when it was passed, you couldn’t own a cannon. You can’t own a machine gun.… No, I’m serious." ""You know, I love these guys who say the Second Amendment is — you know, the tree of liberty is water with the blood of patriots. Well, if [you] want to do that, you want to work against the government, you need an F-16. You need something else than just an AR-15," he added. Biden further asserted that the AR-15's widespread use among firearm manufacturers is due to its low cost of production and huge margins of profit. "You know one of the reasons why the AR-15 is so strongly supported by so many folks in that — in that industry? Number one, it’s the cheapest weapon to make and it’s the highest profit motive they have for any weapon that is made. It makes more money to sell an AR-15 than any other weapon you can buy," he said. Similar to earlier this year, when he told those gathered at the National Action Network's annual Martin Luther King Jr. breakfast in Washington that those who support the use of AR-15s will need a much larger arsenal to stand a chance against the government, Biden said the same thing on Tuesday. More on this story from - © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2023-06-22

The UK had one of the worst increases in death rates of major European economies during the Covid pandemic, BBC analysis has found. Death rates in the UK were more than 5% higher on average each year of the pandemic than in the years just before it, largely driven by a huge death toll in the first year. That was above the increase seen in France, Spain or Germany, but below Italy and significantly lower than the US. Comparing death rates across countries Back in April and May 2020, the UK was seeing one of the worst waves of Covid deaths in the world. But Prof Sir Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, warned against international comparisons of Covid deaths too early in the pandemic.

A good reminder for people that this can and does happen ! its not just bar stories. Keep your paperwork etc up-to-date to avoid problems.

Following a significant explosion in central Paris' Latin Quarter, police have reported that two persons are still missing and seven others are in critical condition. The explosion caused buildings to catch fire, littered a roadway with debris, and blasted a plume of black smoke across the French capital, injuring at least 30 people in total. Additionally, it blew out windows and brought down the popular with international students exterior of the Paris American Academy design school. A fire was reported in Rue Saint-Jacques in the fifth arrondissement of Paris, close to the Jardin Du Luxembourg and the Sorbonne University, according to interior minister Gerald Darmanin. Edouard Civel, the local deputy mayor, mentioned a gas explosion on Twitter, and French witnesses confirmed this. More on this story from -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2023-06-22

See. I met this bird down by the beach officer !

David Lee, 40, told the police that he was looking for the number of a vet and that he thought the seagull had been hurt. However, he was watching pornography at the time of the incident, according to the police investigation. A man who admitted having sex with a newborn seagull he had caught while kneeling over it was sentenced to 24 weeks in prison. David Lee, 40, performed the deed on himself while holding the bird between his legs. He was at the moment watching porn. The event, which occurred in a Sunderland backstreet in August of last year, was captured on CCTV. Lee claimed he was attempting to help the bird because he thought it was injured when he was apprehended at a nearby takeout. He stated that he was instead looking for a vet's phone number at the time, denying that he was watching pornography. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2023-06-22

Numerous recent events, including the spy balloon that flew over the United States and tensions over Taiwan, have strained relations between China and the United States. China calls Joe Biden's remarks about Xi Jinping, the country's leader, "extremely absurd and irresponsible." The most recent altercation occurs shortly after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken returns from a trip to Beijing with the intention of easing tensions in the increasingly strained international relationship. Diplomatic ties have deteriorated over the past few months as a result of things like the spy balloon that flew over the US and collected data from military sites and the discovery of secret Chinese so-called police stations on American soil. Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry, stated that President Biden's remarks at a California fundraiser "go totally against facts, seriously violate diplomatic protocol, and severely infringe on China's political dignity." At a daily briefing, Ms. Mao stated, "It is a blatant political provocation." More about this story from -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2023-06-22

Here is Part two......

Weeks into Ukraine's military offensive to retake areas occupied by Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky has acknowledged that battlefield progress has been "slower than desired." "Some people believe this is a Hollywood movie and expect results now. It's not," he told the BBC. "What's at stake is people's lives." Ukraine claims that its counteroffensive has retaken eight villages in the Zaporizhzhia region in the south and Donetsk in the east. According to Mr. Zelensky, Russian forces had mined 200,000 square kilometers (77,220 square miles) of Ukrainian territory, making the military push difficult. Mr. Zelensky went on to say, "Whatever some might want, including attempts to pressure us, with all due respect, we will advance on the battlefield the way we deem best," More on this story from

Titanic sub search : Banging picked up by sonar devices deployed by Canadian air force The US Coastguard says remote underwater vehicles have been redeployed after banging noises were heard in the search for the missing Titan submersible, which last night had just 40 hours of oxygen left. Sky News

US President Joe Biden has called Chinese President Xi Jinping a dictator at a fundraiser in California. His remarks come a day after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Mr Xi for talks in Beijing, which were aimed at easing tensions between the two superpowers. Mr Xi said some progress had been made in Beijing, while Mr Blinken indicated both sides were open to more talks. China is yet to respond to Mr Biden's comments. President Biden, at the fundraiser on Tuesday night local time, also said Mr Xi was embarrassed over the recent tensions around a Chinese spy balloon that had been blown off course over the US. "The reason why Xi Jinping got very upset, in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two box cars full of spy equipment in it, was he didn't know it was there," Mr Biden said. FULL STORY

According to police, most of the victims burned to death. Riot could be linked to corruption or gang control within the prison, officials said. A riot at a women's prison in Honduras has left at least 41 dead, most of them burned to death, a Honduran police official said. Authorities discovered 25 burnt corpses and are working to identify the bodies, a spokesperson said. Inmates were also reportedly shot at the Centro Femenino de Adaptacion Social (CEFAS) prison, situated in the town of Tamara, 30 miles from the capital Tegucigalpa. FULL STORY