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IMPORTANT | | | Payback | US Drone Strike Takes Out Al-Qaida Leader Behind 9/11Twenty-one years after plotting the deadliest foreign attack on American soil in modern times, Ayman al-Zawahri was killed by two Hellfire missiles while standing on his balcony in downtown Kabul. American intelligence agencies tracked him down to a house in the Afghan capital earlier this year. Once they’d verified it was him, President Joe Biden gave the CIA the go-ahead. “We make it clear again tonight,” said Biden late Monday, “that no matter how long it takes, no matter where you hide, if you are a threat to our people, the United States will find you and take you out.” (Source: NYT) |
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| | Taiwan Tenterhooks | Pelosi Plane Leaves Malaysia, as China’s Military Postures Taiwanese and U.S. officials said they expected House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to touch down in Taiwan sometime Tuesday, with the Taiwanese source adding she was likely to spend the night on the disputed island. The news came as Chinese planes and warships “squeezed” the median line of the Taiwan Strait by repeatedly “touching” the unofficial border between Taiwan and China — a highly unusual tactical move described by an anonymous source as “very provocative.” A person familiar with her itinerary said Pelosi would meet Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen and a group of activists critical of China’s human rights record Wednesday. (Sources: Reuters, AP) |
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| | Hundreds Still Missing | 37 Confirmed Dead in Kentucky Flash Floods At least six children are among the dead, including four siblings — aged 2, 4, 6 and 8 — who were ripped from their parents’ arms after their trailer home was swept away. “The water got so strong it just washed them away,” said the children’s aunt. Gov. Andy Beshear warned that the death toll from floods that were “certainly the deadliest and the most devastating of my lifetime,” would rise further as hundreds of people remained unaccounted for and rain continued to fall. President Biden called the floods a “major disaster” and released emergency federal funds to aid the recovery effort. (Source: BBC) |
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| | Nuclear Holocaust? | UN Boss: World ‘One Miscalculation Away From Nuclear Annihilation’Speaking at the opening of a nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty conference in New York, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres warned that one misunderstanding could trigger total nuclear destruction: “We have been extraordinarily lucky so far. But luck is not a strategy. Nor is it a shield from geopolitical tensions boiling over into nuclear conflict.” While he made special mention of serial nuclear provocateurs Russia and North Korea he also alluded to the fact that seemingly more responsible nations should move towards ditching their nuclear arsenals. “Eliminating nuclear weapons is the only guarantee they will never be used,” he stressed. (Sources: DW, The Guardian) |
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| | Briefly | Here are some things you should know about today: ‘ERIC has my Complete and Total Endorsement.’ Former President Donald Trump sparked confusion in Missouri’s GOP Senate primary by failing to mention whether he was referring to Eric Greitens or Eric Schmitt. (Source: The Hill) 87 months. Guy Reffitt, a recruiter for the far-right Three Percenters militia who joined the Jan. 6 insurrection with a holstered pistol, has received the longest prison sentence of all Capitol rioters after being turned in by his son. (Source: BBC) Up in flames. As the McKinney fire continued to rage, two people were found dead in a burned-out car in the driveway of a Klamath River home. (Source: Al Jazeera) |
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INTRIGUING | | | ‘Sachet Economy’ | Unilever Isn’t Cleaning Up After Itself in SE AsiaSince their introduction in the 1990s, single-serve sachets — of everything from coffee to laundry detergent — have proved immensely popular among poorer consumers in Southeast Asia. But they’re almost impossible to recycle. In 2017 Unilever announced an innovative system called CreaSolv that wouldn’t just recycle sachets into new products but would also “empower” waste collectors. Five years down the track, the project’s come to a standstill and waste banks are burning the sachets in desperation. Unilever’s CEO Alan Jope has publicly called for an end to sachets — but the firm privately lobbied against proposed bans in India, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. (Source: The Guardian) |
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| | Mixed Messages | Ice MaidensTwo Maine Mermaids. The Red Hot Chilly Dippers in Vermont. The Puget Sound Plungers in Washington State … The polar bear plunge has been a thing for over a century, but informal cold plunging groups predominantly made up of women are on the rise. And it’s all about mindfulness. Cutting a hole in the ice is part of the process — but the cold water is what it’s all about. “Some days it’s serene, peaceful and just calming. Sometimes it’s a party,” said Caitlin Hopkins, one half of Two Maine Mermaids. “Either way, the water always gives us exactly what we need.” (Source: NYT) |
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| | Dog Days | Japanese Pets Have a New Way to Keep Cool This Summer Instead of letting Japan’s scorching summer heat get her and her pet chihuahua down, maternity clothing designer Rei Uzawa teamed up with veterinarians to find a way to make walks more bearable for them both. Their solution? A battery-operated fan connected to a special mesh jacket that circulates cool air around the animal’s body. Mami Kumamoto said she usually uses dry ice packs to keep her miniature poodle Pudding and her terrier Maco cool. “But I think it’s easier to walk my dogs if we have this fan.” The breezy outfits retail for around $75 — and they work for cats too. (Source: Reuters) |
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| | Life Goes On | K-Pop’s BTS Could Still Perform During Military Service With nuclear-armed North Korea as its neighbor, military service is a hot topic in South Korea. All able-bodied males between 18 and 28 must serve for two years. But sportsmen, classical musicians and dancers who win specified competitions only have to do three weeks. A 2019 amendment allowed internationally recognized pop stars to defer service until they turn 30. Now parliament is debating whether global ambassadors like BTS deserve an exemption. The defense minister offered a third way: “Even if they join the military, there would be a way to give them a chance to practise and perform together,” he said. (Source: Reuters) |
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| | Slap on the Wrist | Deshaun Watson Suspended for 6 Games, NFL Considers Appeal The league wanted a year’s suspension and a $5 million fine, but the game’s disciplinary officer, Sue Robinson, said such a stiff penalty wasn’t in line with NFL disciplinary standards. She justified handing down the “most significant punishment ever imposed on an NFL player for allegations of nonviolent sexual conduct,” because, “Mr. Watson’s pattern of conduct is more egregious than any before.” Twenty-four massage therapists accused the Browns QB of exposing himself, kissing them without consent, or touching them with his penis. One woman said he forced her to perform oral sex. Twenty-three of the lawsuits have been settled out of court. (Source: AP) |
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