On this 9/11 anniversary, these are the top stories from select sources around the world.
Analysis: Trump’s historic dereliction of duty laid bare
It matters who the president is. Millions of lives and livelihoods depend on the person in the Oval Office — whatever their party or ideology. But President Donald Trump — as he devastatingly revealed in his own voice to Bob Woodward — met the great crisis of his age with ineptness, dishonesty and an epic dereliction of duty.
This is what the Bay Area’s skies looked like today during the wildfires
The Bay Area in California awoke Wednesday to a scene straight out of Mars.
Bollywood actress arrested on alleged drug offenses following media firestorm over famous boyfriend’s death
A Bollywood actress has been arrested on alleged drugs offenses in the latest development of an ongoing celebrity saga that has transfixed the Indian public and dominated headlines for months.
Whistleblower alleges top Trump appointees abused authority by telling officials to alter intelligence to match Trump claims
A whistleblower is alleging that top political appointees in the Department of Homeland Security repeatedly instructed career officials to modify intelligence assessments to ensure they matched up with misleading public comments from President Donald Trump about Antifa and “anarchist” groups, according to documents reviewed by CNN and a source familiar with the situation.
‘Pretty cool. Right?’ Unfiltered moments from Trump’s 18 interviews with Bob Woodward
Author and veteran journalist Bob Woodward conducted 18 interviews with President Donald Trump for his new book, “Rage.” The wide-ranging conversations are a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes.
White House and Trump campaign scramble to respond to Woodward revelations
Journalist Bob Woodward’s new book “Rage” sent shockwaves across Washington on Wednesday that left the White House, Trump campaign and congressional Republicans scrambling to react to revelations that President Donald Trump concealed what he knew early on about how dangerous and deadly the coronavirus was.
‘A magical force’: New Trump-Kim letters provide window into their ‘special friendship’
Bob Woodward’s new book “Rage” provides a fascinating window into one of the strangest diplomatic relationships of the 21st century between President Donald Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. Woodward gained access to 25 never-before-seen letters Trump exchanged with Kim, and CNN obtained transcripts of two of the letters.
Serena Williams reaches US Open semifinals after rallying against Tsvetana Pironkova
A fellow mom gave Serena Williams all she could handle at the US Open but it was the legendary American who battled to another comeback win to keep her hopes of tallying a record 24th Grand Slam title alive.
Ukrainian church leader who called Covid-19 ‘God’s punishment’ for same-sex marriage tests positive for virus
Patriarch Filaret, head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church — Kiev Patriarchate, made headlines in March when he told a Ukrainian TV channel that the Covid-19 pandemic was “God’s punishment for the sins of men, the sinfulness of humanity.”
Coronavirus update: Latest news from around the world
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said it is “disgusting” and “almost criminal” that US President Donald Trump knew of the serious risk posed by the coronavirus in February and then downplayed its threat in March.
Wildlife in ‘catastrophic decline’, report warns
Wildlife populations have fallen by more than two-thirds in less than 50 years, according to a major report by the conservation group WWF. The report says this “catastrophic decline” shows no sign of slowing. And it warns that nature is being destroyed by humans at a rate never seen before.
George Bizos: Anti-apartheid lawyer who defended Mandela dies aged 92
After the end of white minority rule, Mr Bizos helped to write South Africa’s new constitution, and represented families of anti-apartheid activists who had been killed during apartheid at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
How Sudan’s rebel deal offers lifeline for peace
Sudan’s peace agreement signed last week finally promises to end the devastating wars in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile that have cost hundreds of thousands of lives, but as Alex de Waal and Edward Thomas explain, it comes with a huge price tag .
World vaccine delivery ‘will need 8,000 jumbo jets’
Shipping a coronavirus vaccine around the world will be the “largest transport challenge ever” according to the airline industry. The equivalent of 8,000 Boeing 747s will be needed, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said. There is no Covid-19 vaccine yet, but IATA is already working with airlines, airports, global health bodies and drug firms on a global airlift plan.
Lucid Air finally unveils what that 517-mile battery range will cost you
The long-awaited Lucid Air electric sedan is finally here. At a virtual event Wednesday evening the Air was introduced as a premium, powerful EV to take on Tesla’s Model S – even though the company’s CEO told us earlier this year he definitely doesn’t consider Lucid a ” Tesla killer.”
How freakish weather just came alive in the West
Over Labor Day weekend, the National Weather Service posted footage of a parade of tumbleweed’s vigorously blowing through Idaho. In much of the Western U.S., the weather has been extreme and fiery over the last few days.
The $80,000 Lucid Air: It’ll be nice when we can drive it
Lucid they may be, but they’re not exactly transparent. The buzzworthy Bay Area car company, which makes engines for electric Formula One racing, appears to have leapfrogged Elon Musk’s line of Tesla electric cars. The Lucid Air EV unveiled in a Wednesday afternoon livestream (and finally price-tagged at $80,000) has an EPA-reported range of 517 miles, instantly turning the 400-mile-range Tesla Model S into yesterday’s news.
FaZe Clan, Jeffree Star, and MrBeast received coronavirus relief loans
A number of high-earning online figures received federal relief loans designated for helping small businesses to get through the pandemic, including MrBeast, Jeffree Star, and FaZe Clan. Companies belonging to YouTubers MrBeast and Jeffree Star were approved for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans this spring, per ProPublica’s searchable database.
Netflix’s ‘The Social Dilemma’ clip offers an unsettling look into how closely we’re tracked online
Stories about social media privacy breaches and user data being pinched during massive hacks are pretty much ten a penny these days. But if those haven’t been enough to put you off ever doing anything on the internet again, Netflix’s new documentary The Social Dilemma is here to really send you running.
Immense ‘Dune’ trailer takes us to the desert planet Arrakis
The planet Arrakis is in for quite a shake-up. The first trailer for the upcoming sci-fi movie Dune, adapted from the 1965 novel by Frank Herbert, is an impressive and immense-feeling look at the first of two parts of the space epic.
Huawei is running out of display suppliers as Samsung and LG bail out, report says
Huawei’s status as the world’s largest smartphone maker might get challenged soon, as the company scrambles to get key parts for its phones. It all started with the U.S. trade ban, which meant Huawei could not get access to Google services or do business with U.S. companies, including chipmakers Qualcomm and Broadcom.
