President Donald Trump has unloaded on former aide Omarosa Manigault Newman, calling her a "crazed, crying lowlife" and "that dog," as a clash rooted in the reality star's accusations of racism focused new attention on his frequent disparagement of prominent African-Americans.
The public conflict showed no signs of slowing, as Manigault Newman did another round of interviews to promote her tell-all book and Trump's presidential campaign filed arbitration action against her alleging she breached a confidentiality agreement.
Manigault Newman, who has painted a damning picture of Trump and alleged there is a videotape of him using a racial slur, told The Associated Press she is not going away.
"I will not be silenced. I will not be intimidated. And I'm not going to be bullied by Donald Trump," she said.
Trump, who has denied the existence of any such tape, assailed Manigault Newman in language that stood out even by his trash-talking standards, praising his chief of staff, John Kelly, ...

WH insists Trump's no racist as he vilifies another minority

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A US Space Force is necessary to protect American satellites from being targeted by attack weapons in the hands of China and Russia, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has said.
Mattis' comments came days after Vice President Mike Pence announced ambitious plans to create a sixth, separate US military warfighting service by 2020 to ensure American dominance in space.
Speaking during a trip to Brazil yesterday, Mattis said repeatedly that the US has no plans to put weapons in space, but he emphasised the vital and growing role that satellites play not just in military operations but in the world economy.
He recalled China's use of a ground-based missile to destroy one of its own nonfunctional weather satellites in January 2007, which he suggested was a calculated demonstration to the United States of Chinese capabilities.
"We understand the message that China was sending  that they could take out a satellite in space," Mattis said in remarks to about 270 military officers and civilians at ...

Mattis: US needs Space Force to counter Russia, China

At least 24 people were killed and another 19 injured when a bus careened into another vehicle at high speed and overturned on a highway near Ecuador's capital, officials reported.
The Colombian-registered bus was travelling to Quito when it hit a smaller vehicle in an area known as dead man's curve yesterday, Ecuadorean authorities said.
Col Wilson Pavon, head of Ecuador's transit police, said the majority of the passengers aboard were Colombians, but that Venezuelans were also among the dead.
Three people, including two minors travelling in the smaller vehicle were also killed.
A small fleet of ambulances and first responders rushed to the crash site about two hours from Quito before dawn. They found the severely wrecked bus overturned and several homes adjacent to the highway damaged and strewn with metal debris.
It's the second highway tragedy in less than three days in Ecuador.
On Sunday, 12 people were killed and another 30 injured when a bus carrying fans of the Ecuadorean ...

Bus crash in Ecuador kills 24 people, injures 19

Police were investigating after a video showed a man spanking a hippopotamus at the Los Angeles Zoo.
The video showed the man crossing a railing last week and sneaking up on two hippos, Rosie and Mara.
He smacks Rosie on the rear and her mother lifts her head as the man runs off and raises his arms in gesture of victory.
Zoo spokeswoman April Spurlock told the Los Angeles Times that any unauthorised interaction with an animal is unsafe for the animal and potentially unsafe for the person.
Spurlock said state law prohibits entering zoo enclosures.
The zoo had posted a "No Trespassing" sign on the exhibit for the first time.
Police told the newspaper they're investigating the case as trespassing because the hippo didn't appear to be injured.

Police look into video of man spanking hippo at LA Zoo

A fire swept through a nursing home in southern Chile today, killing 10 elderly women, the regional governor said.
Investigators were still trying to determine the cause of the fire that broke out at around 3 am in a dormitory at the Santa Marta nursing home about 320 miles (520 kilometers) south of the Chilean capital.
Only three elderly women were rescued from the burning room.
Bio Bio region Gov. Jorge Ulloa said staff at the home had checked the room 10 or 12 minutes before the fire "and didn't find anything."
He said the doors to the dormitory were open, in line with regulations.
No details were immediately available about the victims.

Chile: 10 people killed in nursing home fire

Egyptian police have arrested 13 alleged Muslim Brotherhood members accused of inciting protests on the fifth anniversary of the violent dispersal of two mass sit-ins.
The Interior Ministry said today that six were arrested in a Cairo suburb, including three who had been sentenced in absentia to 10-15 years on terror charges. They will now face a retrial.
The other seven were detained northwest of the capital.
On August 14, 2013, police dispersed two mass sit-ins by supporters of President Mohammed Morsi, who had been overthrown by the military earlier that summer amid mass protests against his rule.
Security forces killed more than 600 people.
Morsi was a senior figure in the Muslim Brotherhood, which is now outlawed as a terror group. Egypt has detained thousands of Islamists since 2013.

Egypt arrests 13 on anniversary of 2013 crackdown

German federal prosecutors say they've filed charges against a 29-year-old Islamic State suspect accused of planning a vehicular attack in the southwestern city of Karlsruhe.
Dasbar W., a German citizen whose last name wasn't released in line with privacy laws, faces charges of membership in a terrorist organisation and planning an act of violence.
Prosecutors said today that the man was accused of distributing IS propaganda online starting in 2015 and joining and training with the group in Iraq in 2016.
They alleged, upon his return to Germany in July 2017, he embarked on planning his attack, scouting locations and trying to find a job as a delivery driver.
They said he was planning an attack on crowds around an outdoor skating rink when arrested shortly before Christmas last year.

German prosecutors charge IS suspect with planning attack

The Philippine president said China's claim to airspace above newly built islands and surrounding waters in the disputed South China Sea "is wrong" and Beijing should not tell others to leave those areas to avoid clashes.
President Rodrigo Duterte's remarks in a speech today were a rare public criticism of China, which he has refused to antagonize to nurture closer relations.
Duterte said "I hope that China would temper its ... behavior" in a speech in which he also praised Beijing for its readiness to provide help.
The Associated Press reported two weeks ago that the Philippines has expressed concern to China over an increasing number of Chinese radio messages warning Philippine aircraft and ships to stay away from Beijing-held artificial islands in the disputed waters.

Duterte: China should temper its behavior in disputed waters

The Russian military said today that its forces in Syria will help U.N. peacekeepers fully restore patrols along the frontier with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, reflecting Moscow's deepening role in mediating between the decades-old foes.
The Russian deployment in the area has also highlighted Moscow's growing clout in the region, where it seeks to balance the sharply conflicting interests of Israel and Iran.
"The Russian flag is the guarantor of peace and security on that land," said Lt. Gen. Sergei Kuralenko, speaking to international reporters on a trip to the area organised by the Russian Defense Ministry.
He noted that Russian and Israeli officials have maintained regular communications, adding that "operations by Russian military police help ensure the security of Israel."
Russia has been President Bashar Assad's number one backer against rebels seeking to oust him.
Moscow's military intervention in Syria has turned the tide of the war in his favor, helping his forces ...

Russia to help restore UN patrols near Syria-Israel frontier

Masked youths torched dozens of cars overnight in Sweden and threw rocks at police, prompting an angry response from the prime minister, who denounced an "extremely organized" night of vandalism.
Police spokesman Hans Lippens said today that initial reports indicate that about 80 cars were set ablaze overnight, chiefly in Sweden's second largest city, Goteborg, and nearby Trollhattan, an industrial city.
Fires were also reported on a smaller scale in Malmo, Sweden's third largest city.
In Trollhattan, northeast of Goteborg, where at least six cars were burned, rocks were also thrown at police and roads were blocked.
Goteborg is 400 kilometers (250 miles) southwest of Stockholm.
Lippens said that because the fires started within a short period of time, "we cannot exclude that there is a connection between the blazes."
Photos posted by Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet showed black-clad men torching cars on a parking lot near Goteborg.
Sweden's news agency TT said witnesses had seen "masked ..

Swedish leader voices anger after dozens of cars are burned

The Chinese government said any problems Malaysia has with multibillion-dollar Chinese-backed infrastructure projects should be handled through "friendly negotiation."
The foreign ministry in Beijing defended China's projects in Malaysia, saying in a statement faxed to The Associated Press today that such deals have brought tangible benefits to the two countries.
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad told the AP in an interview yesterday that Malaysia was looking to cancel Chinese projects signed by the previous scandal-tainted government as it digs itself out of debt.
Mahathir said he wanted to maintain good relations with China and welcomed its investment, so long as the projects benefit Malaysia.
But he took his toughest stance yet on Chinese-backed energy pipelines and a rail project along peninsular Malaysia's eastern coast.

China urges Malaysia to address project woes through talks

The leader of Bosnia's Serbs today called for a government report that acknowledged the massacre of more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in 1995 to be revoked, triggering possible new tensions in the war-scarred Balkan state.
Milorad Dodik spoke at a parliamentary session of the autonomous Bosnian Serb republic, demanding that the legislature revoke the 2004 report compiled by a previous government which acknowledged the massacre  the worst carnage in Europe since World War II.
He said the report was biased and did not mention Serb victims.
Dodik, who advocated that Bosnian Serb territories should split and join Serbia, has always rejected rulings by the U.N. war crimes court that genocide was committed in Srebrenica.
He accused "some Western states" and rival Bosnian Muslims of staging the massacre.
"The Srebrenica crime is a staged tragedy with an aim to satanize the Serbs," Dodik said without elaborating.
He called for the forming of an "unbiased" international 

Bosnian Serb leader denies scope of Srebrenica massacre

Following the departures of Cristiano Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane, Real Madrid gets its first test against crosstown rival Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup.
So far, Madrid hasn't resorted to a "galacticos" spending spree to bring in marquee names at astronomical prices. Coach Julen Lopetegui seems to be relying on the talent already at his disposal and a new tactical system.
The club, though, has made a few significant purchases, including goalkeeper Thibault Courtois from Chelsea.
Now, the team that was built around Ronaldo and which has won three straight Champions League titles comes up against a strong Atletico team that won the Europa League and finished ahead of Madrid in the Spanish league.
Here are a few things to watch out for in Wednesday's match in Tallinn, Estonia: NEW ERA
Ronaldo moved to Juventus in a 112 million euro ($131 million) deal and Zidane resigned.
Those changes have given new impetus to forwards Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio to step up and .

Post-Ronaldo Real Madrid gets 1st test in UEFA Super Cup

Congo's health ministry said a deadly Ebola outbreak has spread into Ituri province as a vaccination campaign in neighboring North Kivu province continues in the country's northeast.
The ministry is reporting 57 cases of hemorrhagic fever, 30 of them confirmed as Ebola and 27 listed as probable. Of 41 reported deaths, 14 have been confirmed as Ebola.
The ministry said today that a man who was treated for a heart attack in Mangina, where the outbreak was declared Aug 1, returned home to Mandima in Ituri province just across the border. He has since died and tests confirm he had Ebola.
The outbreak response is challenged by the presence of several armed groups in the densely populated region close to the Uganda border.

Congo's health ministry says Ebola spreads to second province

Two men are standing trial in the 2013 shooting death of a 15-year-old Chicago student just days after she performed with her high school band at then-President Barack Obama's inaugural festivities.
Separate juries have been selected to hear the cases against Micheail Ward and Kenneth Williams in the death of Hadiya Pendleton. Opening statements begin today.
Pendleton was with friends at a park 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) from Obama's Chicago home when she was shot in what prosecutors say was a botched attempt at gang retaliation.
Prosecutors say the then 18-year-old Ward was the gunman and that Williams, who was 20, was the getaway driver.
Lawyers for the suspects have called the state's evidence deeply flawed and note that no physical evidence ties either defendant to the shooting.

2 on trial in killing of Chicago teen days after Obama event

The U.N. refugee agency said it's concerned over a Libyan militia forcing 1,900 displaced people out of their refugee camp in the capital, Tripoli.
UNHCR spokesman William Spindler said today that the militia ran 370 families, originally from the western city of Tawergha, out of their homes in the Triq al-Matar camp last week.
He said the militia also "arrested" around 100 of the Tawerghas, 12 of whom are being held in dismal conditions.
The displaced in other Tripoli camps were also at risk of "forced evictions", he added.
Libya plunged into chaos after the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed dictator Moammar Gadhafi and is now split between rival governments, each relying on several militias.
The Misrata militia, which is dominant in Tripoli, blames the Tawergha for siding with Gadhafi.

UN: Libyan militia forces 1,900 people from camp in Tripoli

Berlin police say threatening letters containing a white powder have been sent to both the American and Israeli embassies in the German capital.
Police spokeswoman Kerstin Ismer told The Associated Press today that the Israeli Embassy received a letter July 24 and the US Embassy on July 26. Ismer says police have opened two investigations on suspicion of disturbing the peace by threatening a crime.
She says both contained a powder but would not comment on whether it had been determined to be dangerous or other details due to the ongoing investigation.
She would also not say whether the two letters were thought to be connected or whether there were any suspects yet.
Neither embassy had any immediate comment, saying in general they do not comment on security issues.

US, Israeli embassies in Berlin receive letters with powder

A bridge over an industrial area in the Italian city of Genova partially collapsed during a sudden and violent storm today, leaving vehicles crushed in the rubble below.
Italian media reported that there were deaths, but Maria Luisa Catalano, a police official in Genoa, said that authorities were still involved in rescue efforts and did not yet know the number of victims or injured.
The disaster occurred on a highway that connects Italy to France and other vacation resorts on the eve of a major Italian holiday tomorrow, Ferragosto, and traffic would have been heavier than usual as many Italians traveled to beaches or mountains.
The transport minister, Danilo Toninelli, called the collapse "an enormous tragedy."
The private broadcaster Sky TG24 said that a 200-metre section of the Morandi Bridge collapsed over an industrial zone.
Firefighters told The Associated Press that there are concerns about gas lines.
Photos published by the ANSA news agency on its website showed a huge gulf ...

Bridge collapses in Italy during heavy storm, crushing cars

Sit at the back of the movie theatre, and it's possible to see the appeal of ScreenX, the latest attempt to drag film lovers off the sofa and away from Netflix.
Instead of one screen, there are three, creating a 270-degree view meant to add to the immersive experience you can't get from home TV.
First adopted in South Korea in 2012, the system is being launched in the U.K. and theatre chain Cineworld plans to add over 100 screens to its worldwide count of 151.
It's the latest attempt by movie theatres to attract viewers amid the popularity of online subscription services like Netflix and Amazon Prime.
They've ranged from 3D screens to ultra-high resolution IMAX projectors and 4DX, which features moving chairs and real-life special effects like snow.

To fend off Netflix, movie theatres try 3-screen immersion

Syrian state media say five drones have been shot down in the coastal Latakia province as they approached a Russian air base in the area.
The air base, known as Hemeimeem, is the headquarters for Russia's military operations in support of Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces.
Russia has been a major Assad ally and has turned the tide of the civil war in his favour.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group says the drones were downed late yesterday. It says this is the fifth time in as many days that drones have been shot down as they tried to reach the air base.
The Observatory and Syrian state media say the drones were launched by rebels holding territory in neighbouring Idlib province in northwestern Syria.

Syrian media say 5 drones shot down near Russian air base

The Taliban struck today in Afghanistan's northern province of Kunduz, leaving 15 soldiers dead there, and in western Farah province, where they killed four policemen, officials said.
In Kunduz, Taliban fighters tried to overrun a military security post in the district of Dasht-e-Arch, using artillery shells, according to army spokesman Mohammad Hanif Rezaie, who is based in Balkh province.
Along with the 15 killed, at least 13 soldiers were wounded in the four-hour-long gunbattle, he added.
However, Mohammad Yosuf Ayubi, the head of the provincial council, said as many as 30 soldiers were killed. The disparate death tolls could not be immediately reconciled.
In the attack in Farah, the governor's spokesman Mohammad Naser Mehri said the Taliban targeted a police checkpoint.
The Taliban have not so far claimed either attack but the insurgents have recently stepped up assaults in both provinces and elsewhere in Afghanistan.
A roadside bomb struck a vehicle in Farah's Khak-e Safad ...

AP

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