A look at today’s top stories.
Gulf of Oman tankers hit in suspected attack: Live updates
By Eliza Mackintosh, Helen Regan and Vasco Cotovio, CNN Updated 9:21 a.m. ET, June 13, 2019 What we are covering here What’s happening: Authorities are investigating suspected attacks on two tankers in the Gulf of Oman this morning.
Beijing walks a thin line as Hong Kong erupts at the worst possible time
This week’s violent protests in Hong Kong against a controversial extradition bill couldn’t come at a worse time for China’s stability-obsessed Communist Party and its leader, President Xi Jinping.
Oil prices surge after tankers attacked near the Iranian coast
Crude oil futures surged more than 4% on Thursday after two tankers were attacked in the Gulf of Oman, a key waterway used to transport energy supplies from the Middle East.
Sara Netanyahu pleads guilty in illegal meals case as corruption probes loom over husband
Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, agreed to a plea deal on Wednesday morning in a case concerning illegally ordered meals at the Prime Minister’s residence, according to a statement released by Israel’s Justice Ministry.
Trump and Polish President sign new defense agreement
President Donald Trump and Polish President Andrzej Duda inked a new defense agreement at the White House on Wednesday that will station an additional 1,000 US troops in Poland on a rotational basis
UK signs Julian Assange’s US extradition papers
The United Kingdom has signed an extradition request for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who faces charges in the US under the Espionage Act.
The SkyDeck ledge of the Willis Tower cracks under visitors’ feet
Visitors to the Willis Tower’s SkyDeck in Chicago get an extra scare when the attraction’s protective layer covering the glass splintered into thousands of pieces under their feet.
Keanu Reeves not touching women is a thing
Keanu Reeves is officially a national treasure.
NatGeo reveals the best travel photo of 2019
A snowy fishing village in Greenland, a vulture soaring through the sky in Spain, and a trio of actors gearing up for an opera performance in China all make up the award winners in the 2019 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year awards.
Johnson tops first Tory leadership poll
Boris Johnson has secured the highest number of votes in the first ballot to select the Conservative party leader and next prime minister. Three contenders – Mark Harper, Andrea Leadsom and Esther McVey – have been knocked out, in the secret ballot held in the House of Commons.
The 23-year-old fixing the broken world of online argument
An idea by a Highlands teenager has garnered worldwide attention and is now, six years later, the basis for a fledgling start-up. At its heart is a simple question: how do you fix the often ugly world of online debate? Kal Turnbull can’t remember what presents he got for his 17th birthday, or what type of cake he had.
Who were the Central Park Five?
One spring evening in 1989, a group of around 30 teenagers were hanging out in Central Park, New York. Some of them were causing serious trouble – including badly hurting others in the park and harassing homeless people. The same night, a 28-year-old white woman, Trisha Meili, had been out jogging in the park.
Lionel Messi: Why does Argentina’s captain struggle internationally?
He was too young, too shy, too special. Argentina have always known that Lionel Messi is a rare gem, to be treated with extreme care. But 14 years after his senior international debut, the Albicelestes still haven’t succeeded in bringing out his best. And the clock is ticking.
‘My journey from janitor to principal’
Sometimes a single teacher can change your life. Michael Atkins’ life was changed by his elementary teacher… years after he left school. His journey was not always straightforward, but thanks to some friendly guidance, doors he once cleaned were opened up for him in the education system.
You’ve accepted the notch. Now prepare to accept the square camera bump.
It’s official: Google’s Pixel 4 will have a large, square camera bump on the back. We don’t know its exact dimensions or just how big of a bump it’ll be, but judging from the company’s own render of the device (above), it’ll definitely rise above the phone’s back surface, and it won’t be small.
Chris Hemsworth unveils a truly angsty deleted scene from ‘Avengers: Endgame’
If anyone really felt the deep, emotional impact of Avengers: Infinity War, it was Thor. When we caught up with the emotional god in Endgame, he was truly wallowing, smashing the brewskis, and playing video games.
Did Kumail Nanjiani once try to murder someone? Chris Hemsworth and Jimmy Fallon guess.
Was Chris Hemsworth’s first job cleaning out breast pumps? Even bigger, did Kumail Nanjiani once try to murder someone in Singapore? See if you can guess what’s a lie and what’s the truth, as the two stars joined Jimmy Fallon for a game of “True Confessions” on The Tonight Show Wednesday night.
Here’s what Uber’s flying taxis and skyports could look like
If all goes according to plan, Uber Air flying taxis will take off in Dallas, Los Angeles, and Melbourne in 2023, the company announced at its annual Uber Elevate Summit on Wednesday. Think of it like Uber Pool in the sky (but definitely not as cheap).
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Telegram says ‘powerful’ cyber attack was from China, timed with Hong Kong protests
The encrypted messaging app Telegram experienced a “powerful” distributed denial-of-service attack (DDoS) on Wednesday, causing interruptions. Telegram has been one of the primary tools Hong Kong protestors have used to communicate and organise themselves in defiance of a highly-controversial extradition bill, which is behind the country’s worst political crisis in recent memory.
How to find out if your home internet is good enough for Google Stadia
Google is about to make video games even weirder than they already are, and you might have to learn what some numbers mean to keep up. Last week, Google revealed launch information for its Stadia gaming platform.
Elon Musk says Tesla pickup will look like it ‘came out of a sci-fi movie’
Tesla had its yearly shareholder meeting on Tuesday and Elon Musk had a lot to say. He talked about media coverage of the company (he wasn’t too happy about it), the possibility of Tesla getting into the mining business (not boring, mining) to get rare materials needed for batteries, and had a few words about horses (Tesla’s upcoming pickup truck will be able to haul a horse, in case you wondered).
Huawei cancels laptop launch because of U.S. ban
Huawei has cancelled its planned launch of a new laptop due to a recently imposed U.S. ban that forbids the company from buying parts from U.S. companies without a special government approval. Huawei business consumer group CEO Richard Yu told CNBC that the company planned to launch a new MateBook product, but has now put those plans on hold – indefinitely.
