
Miss Universe cuts ties with Indonesian organizer following sexual harassment allegations
The Miss Universe Organization said Saturday it was cutting ties with its Indonesian franchisee and canceling this year's Malaysia pageant after contestants accused local organizers of sexual harassment.
2023-08-13 22:50

Georgia prosecutors have text messages linking Trump team to voting system breach, report says
Georgia prosecutors have reportedly obtained text messages linking a breach of voting machines to members of Donald Trump’s team as a grand jury prepares to hear evidence in a case surrounding the former president’s attempts to overturn 2020 election results in the state. That state investigation – separate from a federal probe and indictment charging Mr Trump with three criminal conspiracies and obstruction in connection with 2020 election subversion – appears to connect Trump-linked attorneys and operatives to a breach of voting machines in Coffee County. As Mr Trump and his allies hunted for evidence of fraud to undermine Joe Biden’s definitive victory, a local elections official allegedly sent a “written invitation” to attorneys working for then-President Trump, according to text messages reportedly obtained by CNN. Last year, a former Trump official told the House select committee investigating January 6 and attempts to overturn election results said that White House officials had discussed plans to access voting machines in the state during an Oval Office meeting on 18 December 2020. While much of the attention surrounding the Georgia case has involved Mr Trump’s call to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” votes to ensure his victory, investigators have scrutinised the actions in Coffee County, and prosecutors appear prepared to argue that attempts to infiltrate sensitive voting machine software were a top-down effort from the former president. Mr Trump won the rural county in a landslide with 70 per cent of the vote. Katherine Friess, an attorney working with Trump-allied attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, among others, had shared the “invitation” to examine the county’s Dominion Voting Systems software on 1 January 2021, days before the breach, according to CNN. One month earlier, Ms Powell – who amplified false claims and conspiracy theories about Dominion that were central to a landmark defamation settlement between the company and Fox News – had previously enlisted forensics company Sullivan Strickler for $26,000 to investigate Michigan machines. Ms Friess also sent a “Letter of invitation to Coffee County, Georgia” to former New York City Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik, who was working with Mr Giuliani to bolster spurious claims of voter fraud, according to court documents in a civil case. Her texts reportedly show that she told operatives who ultimately performed the breach that Mr Trump’s team had secured written permission, CNN reported. “Just landed back in DC with the Mayor huge things starting to come together!” an employee with Sullivan Strickler reportedly wrote in a group chat on 1 January 2021. “Most immediately, we were just granted access – by written invitation! – to Coffee County’s systems. Yay!” the text reads, according to CNN. Data obtained from the Dominion Voting Systems software was uploaded to a password-protected website that could be accessed by election deniers across the country. Robert Costello, Mr Giuliani’s attorney, said that the former New York City mayor “had nothing to do with this”. “You can’t attach Rudy Giuliani to Sidney Powell’s crackpot idea,” he told CNN. A case led by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is the culmination of a wide-ranging investigation over the last two years following the former president’s pressure campaign targeting state officials to reject the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state. Her office has notified at least two witnesses to appear next week before a grand jury, the strongest indication yet that prosecutors are preparing to issue indictments in the coming days. She has previously indicated that a grand jury would vote on indictments by the end of August. Read More Trump steps up attacks on Fani Willis as Georgia probe links Trump team to voting system breach - latest Georgia grand jury to hear Trump election subversion case next week Trump, January 6 and a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election: The federal investigation, explained Who is Fani Willis, the Georgia prosecutor who could take down Trump
2023-08-13 22:48

AI fears overblown? Theoretical physicist calls chatbots 'glorified tape recorders'
The public's anxiety over new AI technology is misguided, according to theoretical physicist Michio Kaku.
2023-08-13 22:46

Don't expect quick fixes in 'red-teaming' of AI models. Security was an afterthought
White House officials concerned about AI chatbots' potential for societal harm and the Silicon Valley powerhouses rushing them to market are heavily invested in a three-day competition ending Sunday at the DefCon hacker convention in Las Vegas
2023-08-13 22:26

Nigerian delegation says Niger junta is open to diplomacy
By Felix Onuah and Sali Samb ABUJA/CONAKRY (Reuters) -Coup leaders in Niger are open to diplomacy to resolve a standoff
2023-08-13 22:25

More Bitcoin ETF Decisions Are Already Looming After SEC Declines to Rule
Bitcoin ETF candidates got another dose of disappointment when US regulators on Friday punted on making a decision
2023-08-13 22:16

Biden May Name Jack Lew as Ambassador to Israel, Axios Reports
Former US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew is frontrunner for the post of US ambassador to Israel, Axios reported,
2023-08-13 21:48

Real Madrid defender Militão to undergo knee surgery after damaging ligament in league opener
Real Madrid defender Éder Militão will need to undergo surgery after injuring his left knee in the team’s Spanish league opener
2023-08-13 21:47

Three ways Covid changed the restaurant industry
In March 2020, many US restaurants had to shut their doors during the early days of the Covid pandemic in accordance with local restrictions. Now, over three years later, the restaurant industry is back. But the pandemic ushered in some changes that are here to stay.
2023-08-13 21:45

Argentina Holds Key Primary Election With Markets on Edge
Argentines begin casting ballots Sunday in a critical primary election that will provide a key barometer of expectations
2023-08-13 21:26

What judicial ethics rules say about Clarence Thomas' lavish lifestyle bankrolled by his friends
It's undeniable that Justice Clarence Thomas' friendships with billionaires have given the conservative jurist a lifestyle most Americans could only dream of. But whether Thomas violated ethics rules by failing to disclose that hospitality is tricky.
2023-08-13 21:17

An experienced hiker's journey to honor his father came to an unexpected but poignant end
James "Jimmy" Hendricks set out across the American West, bearing the ashes of his late father, in a journey nearly five years in the making.
2023-08-13 20:59