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Former President Trump suggested in a new interview that if Democrats had not impeached him during his time in office then House Republicans may not have launched an impeachment inquiry into President Biden. “I think had they not done it to me … perhaps you wouldn’t have it being done to them. And this is going to happen with indictments, too,” Trump told Megyn Kelly on her SiriusXM show. Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) directed House committees this week to open a formal impeachment inquiry into Biden. McCarthy’s formal endorsement of impeachment came after he said for weeks that he believed the House probes would eventually develop into an impeachment inquiry. He had faced growing pressure from conservative members of the House to move forward with an inquiry. In the months that the House Oversight and Accountability Committee has been investigating the Biden family business dealings, it has not found that the president directly financially benefited from his son Hunter Biden’s business dealings or proved that he made any policy decisions because of them. Trump told Kelly that it is ultimately up to House members if they want to pursue impeachment proceedings against Biden, but the former president has not been shy about making his feelings on the matter known. The former president wrote in a late August post on Truth Social that Republicans should impeach Biden, or they would “fade into OBLIVION.” Trump, who is the front-runner for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, was impeached twice during his four years in office. FULL STORY

Prosecutors in Delaware brought three gun-related charges against Hunter Biden on Thursday, with a grand jury indicting the president’s son after special counsel David Weiss said he would pursue charges following the evaporation of a plea deal. The court filings detail charges Hunter Biden would have entered a diversion program for under the failed plea agreement, charging him with failing to disclose drug use when seeking to buy a weapon — resulting in two charges — as well as for unlawful possession of a firearm while addicted to a controlled substance. The most serious charges carry up to 10 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines. The indictment does not list any tax crimes — a matter that also would have been covered by the agreement that would have had Biden plead guilty to two charges of willful failure to pay taxes. Weiss, who is also the U.S. attorney for Delaware, was elevated to special counsel status in August, shortly after discussion around the plea agreement broke down, signaling he may instead seek to bring charges outside the state. Weiss suggested those charges could come in D.C. or California — two venues where IRS agents who spoke to Congress about the investigation claimed they found the stronger evidence of tax crimes. FULL STORY

They strolled side by side through the gleaming space centre - their aides behind them falling in step. Standing over a launchpad, they stared into the pit from where rockets blast into space. And over a banquet later that day, they drank red wine and toasted the embrace of their two pariah states. The optics of Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin's date in Russia's far east have been flashy to say the least. And it isn't over yet with the North Korean leader spending several days touring shipyards, aircraft factories and other military sites before he returns home. There had been great anticipation in the lead-up - with global media rapt as Kim trundled for hours in his armoured train over the border. He kept the West guessing for nearly 40 hours before reaching the Vostochny Cosmodrome - a space base in a far-flung eastern corner of Russia. Even then, it was unclear what exactly the pair would be meeting to talk about - with White House warnings last week that the North could sell arms to Russia sparking alarm. Putin had sent ahead a welcome party to greet Kim as his train rolled onto the space base's tracks. A red-carpeted, balustrade staircase was also erected mid-air, waiting for the train to pull in and for the North Korean leader to step out. FULL STORY

The first sign that something was wrong was the sound of the dogs barking. It was 2.30am and dark outside. When Husam Abdelgawi, a 31-year-old accountant in the eastern Libyan city of Derna, got up and went sleepily downstairs to check on them, he felt water under his feet. Husam opened the front door of the house he shared with his younger brother, Ibrahim. More water flooded in, pulling the door off of its hinges. The brothers ran to the back door, where they were met by a "ghastly, unimaginable scene, worse than death itself to witness", Husam said, in a phone interview from the city of Al-Qubbah. "The bodies of women and children were floating past us. Cars and entire houses were caught up in the current. Some of the bodies were swept by the water into our house." The water swept Husam and Ibrahim up too, carrying them farther and faster than they imagined possible. Within seconds, they were 150m apart. Ibrahim, 28, managed to grab on to floating power cables still tethered to their poles and grapple himself back towards where Husam was stuck. The brothers used the cables like ropes to pull themselves towards a nearby building and through a third-floor window, and from there they made it to a fifth-floor rooftop where they could wait out the flood. "The area where we were was a higher part of the city," Husam said. "In the lower parts, I don't think anyone on the fifth or sixth floors has survived. I think they are all dead. May God have mercy on their souls." FULL STORY

The world's largest lithium deposit was found on the Nevada-Oregon border The McDermitt Caldera that formed 16m years ago has about 40m metric tons There's lithium in thar hills! Great 'white gold' Rush in Nevada sees more than 17,000 mining claims for the precious metal used in electric cars and smartphones... but it's all on tribal land There is a 'white gold' rush happening in Nevada that has seen more than 17,000 placer claims on lithium, but about three-quarters of the sites are on tribal lands and Native Americans fear their ancestral homelands will be turned 'into a sacrifice zone for electric car batteries.' One site in particular, Thacker Pass, is expected to produce at least 80,000 tons of the soft metal each year. This land, however, is where locals claim dozens of Native American were massacre in 1865 and Shelley Harjo, a Fort McDermitt Paiute Shoshone tribe member, stated the project 'will be the biggest desecration and rape of a known Native American massacre site in our area.' Tim Crowley, vice president at Lithium Americas, the firm that owns Thacker Pass, told DailyMail.com: 'There was extensive archeological work completed at the site as part of the NEPA and National Historic Preservation Act processes. 'Claims of the conflict at Thacker Pass have also been raised in federal court in Reno and dismissed.' The US is slowly abandoning gas-powered cars for electrical vehicles in a bid to reduce greenhouse gas emission, but the shift also means it will be more reliant on other countries, like China, to provide the necessary materials. Extracting lithium on US soil would help the nation on its path to being self-reliant, which is something the country has strived to be, but has yet to obtain. Lithium mines in Nevada would push America toward the goal, but the mission has been met with criticism by Native American and environmentalist groups, who are specifically concerned about Thackers Pass, The Guardian reports. FULL STORY

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk says there was "overwhelming consensus" for regulation on artificial intelligence after tech heavyweights gathered in Washington to discuss AI. Tech bosses attending the meeting included Meta's Mark Zuckerbeg and Google boss Sundai Pichai. Microsoft's former CEO Bill Gates and Microsoft's current CEO Satya Nadella were also in attendance. The Wednesday meeting with US lawmakers was held behind closed doors. The forum was convened by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and included the tech leaders as well as civil rights advocates. The power of artificial intelligence - for both good and bad - has been the subject of keen interest from politicians around the world. In May, Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, testified before a US Senate committee, describing the potential pitfalls of the new technology. ChatGPT and other similar programmes can create incredibly human-like answers to questions - but can also be wildly inaccurate. FULL STORY

The White House has struck back against congressional Republicans for considering an impeachment of President Joe Biden, urging the media to scrutinise an "inquiry based on lies". "It is the responsibility of the independent press to treat their claims with appropriate scrutiny," top aide Ian Sams wrote. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced the investigation into Mr Biden, a Democrat, on Tuesday. But there is dissent among Republicans. Some rank-and-file lawmakers question whether they have sufficient evidence to impeach the president. It is not uncommon for White House press officials to outline their case to journalists, but the 16-page document shows how seriously they are taking the impeachment threat. Mr Sams, a special assistant to the president, addressed the memo to "editorial leaders at US news media organisations". "After nearly nine months of investigating, House Republicans haven't been able to turn up any evidence of the President doing anything wrong," Mr Sams wrote. "For years, Republicans in Congress have tried to muddy the waters by attracting media coverage of their allegations, and as they choose to move forward with impeachment, it is the responsibility of the independent press to treat their claims with the appropriate scrutiny," he wrote. FULL STORY

France is set to ban disposable e-cigarettes - known locally as "puffs" - because of the danger they pose to the environment and public health. Speaking recently on RTL radio, Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne said the measure was part of a new anti-smoking plan being drawn up by the government. It should be in force by the end of the year, campaigners said. Several other countries in Europe, including Germany, Belgium and Ireland, have announced similar bans. The UK is also said to be considering one. Sold over the counter by tobacconists, disposable vapes in France cost around €9 (£7.70) - less than a packet of 20 cigarettes. They are supposed to offer around 600 puffs - the rough equivalent of 40 cigarettes. But France's National Academy of Medicine described them as a "particularly sly trap for children and adolescents". According to Élisabeth Borne, "they create a reflex, a gesture, which children get used to, and then end up being drawn to tobacco". Campaigners accuse manufacturers - many based in China - of deliberately targeting teenagers, using bright colours and a range of flavours reminiscent of the sweet shop, for example marshmallow, chocolate and hazelnut, watermelon, and ice candy. FULL STORY

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Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall on Monday warned that China was building up its military to prepare for a potential war with the U.S., and he said America must optimize its forces to counter the rising threat. Speaking at the Air and Space Forces Association Warfighter Symposium at National Harbor, Md., Kendall said the U.S. must be ready for a “kind of war we have no modern experience with,” though he stressed “war is not inevitable.” “Our job is to deter that war and to be ready to win if it occurs,” Kendall said. “We’re all talking about the fact that the Air and Space Forces must change, or we could fail to prevent and might even lose a war.” Kendall said it was vital to prepare for war because China is developing its forces at a rapid pace and has created two new military branches: a force designed to counter aircraft carriers, airfields and other critical assets, and a strategic support service that works to achieve information dominance in the space and cyber domains. The Air Force secretary said, “China has been reoptimizing its forces for great power competition and to prevail against the U.S. in the Western Pacific for over 20 years.” “China has been building a military capability specifically designed to achieve their national goals and to do so if opposed by the United States,” he added. U.S.-China relations have reached a low point amid rising tensions over the self-governing island nation of Taiwan, which Beijing sees as historically part of the mainland. The U.S. has warned that Chinese President Xi Jinping may seize the island by force if necessary, and President Biden has repeatedly said the U.S. would send troops to help defend the island in such a scenario. Washington maintains informal ties with Taiwan and has provided advanced weaponry to the nation. FULL STORY

Google has dismissed arguments that it is the world's biggest search engine because of illegal practices, saying to switch to another company takes "literally four taps". A lawyer for the company made the remarks in court in Tuesday in Washington DC, where it is facing trial over whether it is a monopoly. The case is a major test of the power of US regulators over the tech giants. Prosecutors said the case was about "the future of the internet". The trial is expected to last 10 weeks and will feature testimony from Google boss Sundar Pichai as well as executives from Apple. Judge Amit Mehta, who was appointed to his position on DC district court by former president Barack Obama, will decide the case - the biggest for the industry in 25 years. India tribunal upholds $160m fine on Google Google faces €25bn legal action in UK and the EU Why it is becoming easier to sue Big Tech in the UK The government's lawsuit focuses on billions of payments Google has made to Apple, Samsung, Mozilla and others to be pre-installed as the default online search engine. The US said Google typically pays more than $10bn a year for that privilege, securing its access to a steady gush of user data that helped maintain its hold on the market. FULL STORY

Six decades later, new details are still coming to light in one of the most scrutinised events in American history: the assassination of President John F Kennedy. Paul Landis, an 88-year-old former Secret Service agent who witnessed the president's death at close range, says in an upcoming memoir that he took a bullet from the car after Mr Kennedy was shot, and then left it on the former president's stretcher at the hospital. It might seem like a minute detail in a case that has been poured over since the 1960s, but to individuals who have spent decades looking at every shred of evidence, Mr Landis's account is a major and unexpected development. JFK assassination: Questions that won't go away Thousands of JFK assassination files released Conspiracies, over how many gunmen were involved, who was ultimately responsible, and how many bullets actually struck the president, have abounded in the decades since the assassination. The idea that the true facts of the case differ from the official version is modern America's original conspiracy theory, and according to some historians, the killing instigated the nation's decaying trust in its government. Depending on how one looks at it, Mr Landis's story either changes nothing or everything. FULL STORY

An official inquiry into the Roman Catholic Church in Switzerland has identified nearly 1,000 cases of sexual abuse since 1950. Many involved children and 56% of the victims were male, the report said. The vast majority of the accused were men. Researchers from the University of Zurich also found evidence of a "widespread cover up". "The cases we identified are without a doubt only the tip of the iceberg," said the study's leads. Monika Dommann and Marietta Meier compiled the report following a year-long investigation, which was commissioned by Church authorities. They were given access to Church archives and also held interviews with several people, including those affected by sexual abuse. However, they said "numerous" other documents had not yet been made available. The researchers also found evidence that records had been destroyed at two dioceses and that not all reported cases of sexual abuse were written down and consequently archived. Church of England abuse cases run to hundreds Pope meets victims of clerical sexual abuse "Given what we know from research on the dark figure of crime, we assume that only a small percentage of cases was ever reported in the first place," said Ms Dommann and Ms Meier. FULL STORY

Australia's highest court has rejected a bid by Qantas to overturn a ruling that it illegally outsourced 1,700 jobs during the pandemic. The court unanimously upheld that the carrier had unlawfully laid off staff at 10 airports in 2020. The ruling found that Qantas breached Australia's Fair Work Act, which protects employee rights. Qantas said the outsourcing was a necessary financial measure. The airline has faced public outrage in recent weeks, after reaping record profits despite a series of scandals related to its actions throughout the pandemic. Qantas has also been accused of supporting a government block on the expansion of Qatar Airways flights to and from Australia - a move which critics say would have made the market more competitive and driven down airfares. Last week, the airline's long-term boss Alan Joyce announced his departure from the airline two months earlier than scheduled amid the mounting controversies. The Transport Workers Union - one of the main bodies representing workers which brought the case - said the finding was proof that "the entire Qantas board must be replaced by new directors including a worker representative". FULL STORY

The US House of Representatives will open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, its most senior Republican has said. Kevin McCarthy said the inquiry would focus on "allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption" by Mr Biden. Republicans have been investigating the president since they took control of the House in January. The hearings have found no concrete evidence of misconduct by Mr Biden. They have, however, shed more light on business dealings by the president's son Hunter Biden - which Republicans say are questionable - and on Mr Biden's knowledge of his son's activities. In a brief statement at the US Capitol, Mr McCarthy said there were "serious and credible" allegations involving the president's conduct. "Taken together, these allegations paint a picture of a culture of corruption," he said. The White House was quick to condemn Mr McCarthy's decision. "House Republicans have been investigating the President for nine months, and they've turned up no evidence of wrongdoing," White House spokesperson Ian Sams wrote in a social media post. "Extreme politics at its worst." Hunter Biden: Who are the IRS tax whistleblowers? The struggles and scandals of Hunter Biden Hunter Biden is currently under federal investigation for possible tax crimes related to his foreign business interests. FULL STORY

MOVED to Chiang Mai forum

Used to enjoy the stiff cold wind in your face, the smell of the Autmn air, invigorating ! Great for a few weeks, but live in it again, nah, bones are too old now...5555 but do get fed up occasionally with the relentless heat and humidity in Thailand I. I guess wherever you go there will be an some issue as nowhere is perfect but how much of an issue is dependent on you and your attitude toward it. ????

The purpose of employee health insurance in Thailand is to look after employees’ well being under government mandated rules and regulations. At best, these provide standard coverage without taking into account the unique needs of each employee and are not effective long-term solutions. In this article, we will take a look at the pros and cons of corporate health insurance, what private health insurance plans have to offer, the importance of securing private international health insurance for your expatriate journey, and how an insurance broker like Pacific Prime Thailand can help. The Benefits of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans Generally speaking, the benefits of employee health insurance are evident when you require basic care at a hospital during employment. While the coverage amount may not be significant, it is practical and adequate as a countermeasure to protect employees from minor illnesses and conditions. Another great advantage of employer-sponsored health plans is their average waiver and wait times, which provide employees with coverage from the first day of their employment to their last, regardless of pre-existing conditions and pre-medical screenings. The Drawbacks of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans The drawbacks, in this case, are rather self explanatory. Coverage ends as soon as employment ends, and any costs incurred from illnesses or health conditions treated at hospitals shall be paid directly from your pocket. Another important drawback of employer-sponsored health plans is that their terms, benefits, and scope of coverage are decided between the employer and insurer, which does not account for the differences among the needs of employees at different stages in their careers. Moreover, employer-sponsored health plans are capped, which may more or less result in an employee having to pay out of their own pockets for substantial amounts that exceed the coverage limit as specified in their plan. Lastly, employers continuously work with insurers to limit their liabilities and save money. At any given moment in time, conditions may shift and certain types of coverage may be removed. The Benefits of Securing Private International Health Insurance Making the decision to relocate to a new country is a major life change. It also brings fresh difficulties, the most serious of which is access to quality medical care. When living abroad, many people tend to struggle to find affordable health insurance that suits their needs. In addition, depending on the visa type, Thai law may require expats to carry medical insurance. Obtaining insurance from a Thai company satisfies the first visa requirement. The second step is obtaining additional coverage from an international insurer. What’s more, while Thai insurance policies are generally inexpensive, they may not offer the same level of protection as more pricey private international policies. This necessitates that expats carefully consider alternatives to the Thai health insurance plans' coverage. As a result, it is important to shop around for a more personalized private international health insurance policy. By working with an insurance agent, you should be able to locate a medical coverage strategy that fits your needs and finances in no time. To provide an easier-to-understand overview, we’ve listed below a few of the most compelling reasons to invest in private international health insurance: Direct Billing Direct billing is one of the most important selling points for policyholders. This ensures that every medical fee is paid for and charged directly from an insurer's network, eliminating the hassle of paying from your own wallet or having to settle lengthy claims processes. Flexible Plans By dealing directly with an insurance broker, you’ll be able to customize every aspect of your coverage. This helps match the benefits with your specific needs and, most importantly, your budget. This outcompetes employer sponsored health insurance plans, which are limited in scope and coverage. Private Healthcare Access Access to the finest private hospitals and clinics in one's host country is one of the main benefits of having private international health insurance. In addition, private hospitals have excellent connections to insurer networks, provide care with international standards, have shorter wait times, and have staff members who speak English. Lifetime Renewability Securing health coverage as an older person can be a challenge. A lot of insurance companies are reluctant to insure those over the age of 60; however, by working with an insurance broker, you should be able to find plans with lifetime renewal as an option. Insurance Brokers: Why You Need Them In an agile business environment saturated with information, the last thing you want is to be confused by what your insurer has to offer or how you’ll be covered. Eliminating this confusion is the job of an insurance broker, providing you with a full and simplified understanding of all benefits and coverage terms. Secondly, when it comes to insurance, miscommunication and misunderstandings can lead to unhappiness and dissatisfaction. Another job of insurance brokers is to make sure that every client is happy and satisfied with their conditions and coverage terms. This is because an insurance broker’s success hinges upon the satisfaction and trust of expat clients, who trust brokers to act as their intermediaries in securing a comprehensive international health plan to fit their unique needs and budget. Pacific Prime: Health Insurance Simplified for You Pacific Prime is an award-winning intermediary that equips individuals moving abroad with the knowledge and self-assurance to make informed insurance decisions. Our insurance specialists offer first-rate assistance, individualized plans, and a fresh perspective on medical care to international clients. With offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Singapore, Dubai, Bangkok, London, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Cebu, Dublin, Kuala Lumpur, and Jakarta, our experience and understanding of international health insurance enable us to provide the best advice and services to our expat clients. Here are a few ways we can guide you: Provide you with an understanding of every available insurance plan Providing unbiased guidance via phone call Assist you in selecting a plan to suit your unique needs Help you throughout your expatriate journey To get started, contact us or compare quotes today.

The American position depends not only on relations with Russia, China and the Brics countries, but on fixing its own economic and political problems. Is the dollar poised to lose its dominance of global economic and financial transactions? Many commentators apparently think so. Russia obviously hopes they are right, given that it has been shut out of the US banking system and suspended from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (Swift). China evidently wants to help the process along by encouraging countries to undertake transactions in yuan. And the Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has called for the Brics countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) to create a common currency as an alternative to the dollar. Russia’s shift away from the dollar, which got under way after its illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, was prompted by the fear – and then the fact – of US sanctions. More than a few commentators have since warned that other countries, witnessing US “weaponisation” of the dollar, will follow the Kremlin’s example. China’s yuan internationalisation campaign reflects not only tensions with the US but also a desire to project power internationally, with the drive for economic and financial self-sufficiency reflected in other aspects of Chinese policy as well. The dollar’s singular pre-eminence, in this view, is unlikely to survive a world dominated by two large economies at loggerheads, only one of which benefits from the dollar’s “exorbitant privilege”. Similarly, Lula’s common currency campaign reflects the view that the rising power and influence of the Brics can no longer be denied, and that they deserve a seat at the top monetary table, whether the US agrees or not. FULL ARTICLE

A distillery apologized to neighbors after a river of surplus wine rushed down a narrow, hilly street in a small town in Portugal. The alcoholic flash flood Sunday in São Lorenco de Bairro was captured on video and appeared as a torrent of red wine. No injuries were reported, but the wine may have entered a home's basement, according to the distiller and Portuguese news platform Jornal Diário de Aveiro. Firefighters diverted the flow from a nearby river and into fields, the publication reported. Destilaria Levira said in a statement that the release happened after two storage tanks burst. The cause was under investigation. The distillery apologized and said it would handle cleanup, repair and damage. Jornal Diário de Aveiro said more than 580,000 gallons of wine ended up in streets. The distillery said its bountiful storage was the result of governmental response to a wine surplus in Europe, caused by decreasing demand. Destilaria Levira described the oversupply as a crisis. In June, the European Commission, the day-to-day executive leadership of the European Union, acknowledged the oversupply and said it would support measures to convert excess wine to biofuel. FULL STORY

The Biden administration informed Congress on Monday that it has taken concrete steps to carry out a prisoner exchange with Iran, issuing a waiver that will give Tehran access to $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue that had been blocked by U.S. sanctions, according to a State Department document sent to Congress and obtained by NBC News. Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week issued a sweeping waiver to international banks allowing the transfer of $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds from South Korea to Qatar without the threat of U.S. sanctions, according to the State Department report notifying Congress of its decision. Iran will then be permitted to use the funds to buy food, medicine or other humanitarian items allowed under U.S. economic sanctions. In addition, the administration told lawmakers it would free five Iranian nationals under detention in the U.S. in exchange for five Americans held in Iran, according to the document. The move is the latest sign that the prisoner exchange is moving ahead. The text of Blinken’s waiver decision, which was first reported by The Associated Press, says that “the United States has committed to release five Iranian nationals currently detained in the United States and to permit the transfer of approximately $6 billion in Iranian funds held in restricted accounts in the ROK (Republic of Korea) to restricted accounts in Qatar, where the funds will be available only for humanitarian trade.” Adrienne Watson, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council, said in a statement Monday night that "no individuals have been or will be released into U.S. custody this week." FULL STORY

Nearly half the House Democratic Caucus is calling on President Biden to put executive muscle into measures to help immigrants and asylum-seekers get work papers. In a letter signed by 103 lawmakers, the Democrats laid out three legal avenues to allow asylum-seekers and certain undocumented immigrants to work legally, and for some undocumented immigrants to apply for permanent residency. The House members joined calls by some Democratic senators and an array of labor, religious and civil rights organizations that have been pressing for the administration to adopt a more proactive approach on work authorization. The lawmakers also underscored their support for expansion of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), but kept their specific policy suggestions to a set of targeted regulations. “We write to urge the administration to use all the tools available to provide stability to undocumented individuals and recently arrived asylum seekers, seeking to work lawfully, support their families, and contribute to the economy,” they wrote in the letter, first reported by Politico. “While this letter does not focus on Temporary Protected Status (TPS), many of these individuals come from countries that warrant a designation or redesignation of TPS, and we support those on-going efforts.” FULL STORY