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Republican lawmakers erupted Tuesday after learning about a 2015 email chain that predated President Biden’s infamous 2015 trip to Ukraine, when a Burisma Holdings executive revealed the "ultimate purpose" of Hunter Biden’s involvement with the Ukrainian energy company. One month before then-Vice President Joe Biden traveled to Ukraine, where he threatened to withhold $1 billion in U.S. aid if Ukrainian leaders did not fire their top prosecutor, Hunter Biden and Burisma executives were discussing executing a contract for counter-messaging against any federal investigations into Burisma’s founder and then-president, Mykola Zlochevsky. "The sequence of events that led to the firing of Viktor Shokin, and the subsequent comments by then-Vice President Biden, raise serious concerns as to what machinations were really at play — and were purposefully concealed from the American people," Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., who sits on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, told Fox News Digital. "No matter how you slice Hunter Biden’s involvement, it screams public corruption at the highest levels and must be fully investigated." FULL STORY

The color of the ocean has changed significantly over the last 20 years and human-caused climate change is likely responsible, according to a new study. More than 56% of the world’s oceans have changed color to an extent that cannot be explained by natural variability, said a team of researchers, led by scientists from the National Oceanography Center in the UK and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US, in a statement. Tropical oceans close to the equator in particular have become greener in the past two decades, reflecting changes in their ecosystems, according to the study published Wednesday in the journal Nature. The color of the ocean is derived from the materials found in its upper layers. For example, a deep blue sea will have very little life in it, whereas a green color means there are ecosystems there, based on phytoplankton, plant-like microbes which contain chlorophyll. The phytoplankton form the basis of a food web which supports larger organisms such as krill, fish, seabirds and marine mammals .FULL STORY

President Joe Biden got almost everything he wanted from the NATO summit. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shot for the stars and reached the moon – securing a permanent rearmament pipeline well into the future from G7 nations but failing to win the collective defense guarantee that membership in NATO would bring. And Russia saw its strategic and military failure entrenched but will surely view the institutionalizing of support for Ukraine as confirming its suspicions of the West. Poignantly, the meeting hosted by a former Soviet vassal state whose NATO status secured the freedom, independence and prosperity that Zelensky craves for his country, was overshadowed by the torment of the Ukrainian people. “It’s just like something out of the 14th century the way they are acting,” Biden said, narrowing his eyes in disbelief at the Russian assault on civilians. Zelensky, who came into the summit as a guest boiling with frustration at the alliance’s unwillingness to give him a timeline for NATO membership, nevertheless contextualized what US and Western help means, in moving remarks to Biden. FULL STORY

Elon Musk has launched his long-awaited artificial intelligence start-up xAI in a bid to build an alternative to ChatGPT. The Twitter owner has brought in a team of engineers from other tech firms he is hoping to challenge in the artificial intelligence sphere. Musk has warned for months about AI's potential for "civilisational destruction", arguing that a race among companies such as Google and Microsoft to develop the technology should be stopped to allow time for regulations on the tech to be drawn up. The reason for the launch of xAI is "to understand the true nature of the universe", said Musk, who also co-founded OpenAI but later left the start-up credited with sparking the generative AI frenzy. Dan Hendrycks, who serves as the director of the Center for AI Safety, a non-profit that aims to reduce the risks posed by the technology, will be an adviser to the new company. FULL STORY

Volodymyr Zelensky may or may not be a Rolling Stones fan - but after this Nato summit, he is probably familiar with their song entitled You Can't Always Get What You Want. Ukraine's president came to Vilnius, Lithuania, with high expectations. He was looking for an assurance that his country would join Nato after the war with Russia was over. He wanted membership of the world's most powerful military alliance to be a beacon of hope for his people, the ultimate peace dividend that could ensure that never again would Russian troops despoil the Ukrainian homeland. Instead, Mr Zelensky was simply told Ukraine would be invited to become a member "when allies agree and conditions are met". So far, so noncommittal. Not surprisingly Ukraine's president hit the roof, saying it was "absurd" for Nato leaders not to give even so much as a timetable. The conditions, he said, were "vague". And he was furious at the idea that somehow Ukraine's membership of Nato would somehow be a bargaining chip for post-war negotiations with Russia. FULL STORY

A heatwave is sweeping across parts of southern Europe and north-west Africa, with potential record-breaking temperatures in the coming days. Temperatures are expected to surpass 40C (104F) in parts of Spain, France, Greece, Croatia and Turkey. In Italy, temperatures could reach as high as 48.8C (119.8F). A red alert warning has been issued for 10 cities, including Florence and Rome. On Tuesday, a man in his forties died after collapsing in northern Italy. Italian media reported that the 44-year-old worker was painting zebra crossing lines in the town of Lodi, near Milan, before he collapsed from the heat. He was taken to hospital where he later died. "We are facing an unbearable heatwave," Italian politician Nicola Fratoianni tweeted. "Maybe it's the case that in the hottest hours all the useful precautions are taken to avoid tragedies like the one that happened today in Lodi." Several tourists in the country have already collapsed due to heat stroke, including a British man outside the Colosseum in Rome. FULL STORY

Huw Edwards is in hospital with "serious mental health issues", his wife says, as she named him as the BBC presenter at the centre of allegations. His wife Vicky Flind said she was issuing a statement on his behalf after days of speculation "primarily out of concern for his mental well-being and to protect our children". The Sun has claimed he paid a young person for sexually explicit images. The Met Police says Edwards, 61, will not face any police action. The family statement said the news presenter intends to respond to the allegations personally when he is well enough. Timeline of the allegations against Edwards Wife Vicky Flind's statement in full The statement read: "In light of the recent reporting regarding the 'BBC Presenter' I am making this statement on behalf of my husband Huw Edwards, after what have been five extremely difficult days for our family. I am doing this primarily out of concern for his mental well-being and to protect our children .FULL STORY

Video report from "The Hill" Briahna Joy Gray and Robby Soave discuss today's hearing on “Investigating the Proximal Origin of a Cover Up," and discuss the "Proximal Origin" paper.

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Local people have reacted after Stardey Park Hotel have been turned into a Home Office facility to temporarily house asylum seekers in the Furnace area of Llanelli Over the weekend there were clashes between police and protesters and some angry demonstrators smeared security vans with animal excrement. The 50 protesters camped outside are being brought food and drink by supporters as the stalemate shows no sign of being resolved. Organiser Stan Robinson said: 'We had the Greenham Common ladies in the eighties, today we have the Stradey Park ladies. They are mothers and grandmothers, all local, who are not accepting the risk that comes with housing so many economic migrants. This is Wales where people are known for their welcome and that is true of Llanelli where there is a large Polish and Ukrainian population. But the people due to arrive at the Stradey Park Hotel are not genuine refugees.' The protesters fear the tight-knit community will become like Penally, a former Army camp 40 miles away, where hundreds of asylum seekers were housed for years. They claim the village and the nearby seaside town of Tenby became a hotbed of sex crimes, arson and knifings, none of which ended up in court. Mr Robinson, of a group called Voice of Wales, said while Dyfed-Powys Police failed to clamp down on asylum seekers they were quick to arrest protestors outside the Llanelli hotel. FULL STORY

After winning 2020 election, Biden said it was 'time to put away the harsh rhetoric,' 'lower the temperature' Candidate Joe Biden in 2020 sold himself to the fatigued American public as an empathetic, ice-cream-loving grandpa who was going to usher decency and expertise into the White House. But those carefully crafted narratives that helped propel him to the Oval Office are crumbling as the country barrels toward the 2024 election in a time of economic and global instability. On the 2020 campaign trail, Biden and the media consistently billed him as the candidate to unify the country after four years under former President Donald Trump, who critics blasted as "divisive." After his election win, Biden declared in a speech that it is "time to put away the harsh rhetoric, lower the temperature, see each other again, listen to each other again." Biden took it one step further after he took office, threatening to fire anyone who didn’t share his views on decency and respect, telling nearly a thousand federal appointees and staff, "I'm not joking when I say this: If you're ever working with me and I hear you treat another with disrespect, talk down to someone, I promise you I will fire you on the spot." But Biden’s inconsistency between his actions and his words are coming more to the forefront ahead of what is expected to be an explosive 2024 presidential election. FULL STORY

The Justice Department has reversed course and said it no longer believes that Donald Trump should be entitled to immunity for his response to E. Jean Carroll’s accusation of sexual assault, allowing the civil lawsuit to move forward to trial in January. The change in position eliminates one legal hurdle surrounding Carroll’s 2019 defamation lawsuit against Trump for statements he made while president, denying her allegation of rape decades earlier, that he didn’t know her, and that she wasn’t his “type.” DOJ lawyers said in a letter to lawyers for Trump and Carroll that “the Department has determined that it lacks adequate evidence” to conclude the former president was acting within the scope of his employment or serving the US government “when he denied sexually assaulting Ms. Carroll and made the other statements regarding Ms. Carroll that she has challenged in this action.” FULL STORY

The US president said he "couldn't be meeting with a close friend or greater ally" amid differences in opinion over Ukraine's accession to Nato and the use of cluster bombs. President Joe Biden has described the US-UK relationship as "rock solid", despite reported disagreements over Ukraine. Mr Biden told Prime Minister Rishi Sunak he "couldn't be meeting with a closer friend and greater ally" as the pair met this morning in Downing Street. He joined the prime minister in the Downing Street garden at the start of their talks, after greeting him at the door to Number 10. The prime minister said it was "great for us to carry on our conversation" following a string of meetings this year, including last month's visit to Washington. Mr Sunak said the pair would consider "how we strengthen our co-operation, joint economic security to the benefit of our citizens". STORY

A US grand jury that is expected to decide whether to charge former President Donald Trump and his allies over their efforts to overturn the 2020 election has been sworn in in Georgia. Mr Trump has been under investigation for his 2021 phone call to a Georgia election official, pressing him to find thousands of votes in his favour. The Republican has denied wrongdoing. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Wallis, a Democrat, launched the investigation in early 2021. She has previously hinted that any charges would probably be filed in August. A focal point of the inquiry is a January 2021 call between Mr Trump and Georgia's chief elections officer, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which the then-president suggested local officials could "find" more than 11,000 votes - enough to give him a victory in the Peach State. In a recording of the call, Mr Raffensperger is heard replying that Georgia's results are correct. FULL STORY

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