Top Stories Today – July 5, 2019
Top Stories Today – July 5, 2019
Trump presents show of a lifetime to celebrate Independence Day
President Donald Trump played host Thursday evening in Washington for what he calls “The Show of a Lifetime” to celebrate US Independence Day. While US presidents have traditionally sat back to watch Americans celebrate independence in their own way, Trump himself directly took charge of the celebration. He introduced military jet flyovers, patriotic band music and a display of tanks, and made a long speech at the Lincoln Memorial highlighting 243 years of American history, despite steamy weather and the threat of storms.
He called the history of the United States “the epic tale of a great nation of people who have risked everything for what they know is right and what they know is true.” There were fears Trump would turn the nation’s birthday party into a political event by talking about what he feels are his accomplishments as president. But he made no mention of politics, next year’s election or the two dozen Democratic candidates looking to stop him from a second term. Instead, Trump avoided talking about what divides Americans and spoke of what unifies them. The Voice of America
China Separating Muslim children from families
China is deliberately separating Muslim children from their families, faith and language in its far western region of Xinjiang, according to new research. At the same time as hundreds of thousands of adults are being detained in giant camps, a rapid, large-scale campaign to build boarding schools is under way. Based on publicly available documents, and backed up by dozens of interviews with family members overseas, the BBC has gathered some of the most comprehensive evidence to date about what is happening to children in the region.
Records show that in one township alone more than 400 children have lost not just one but both parents to some form of internment, either in the camps or in prison. Formal assessments are carried out to determine whether the children are in need of “centralized care”. Alongside the efforts to transform the identity of Xinjiang’s adults, the evidence points to a parallel campaign to systematically remove children from their roots. BBC
4 more villages evacuate in Greece wildfires
Two new brush fires broke out overnight on the Greek island of Evia, forcing the evacuation of four villages, authorities said Friday. The new wildfires came several hours after a major blaze led to the mobilization of more than 100 firefighters and the evacuation of another village. Firefighters managed to limit the spread of the initial fire, which was burning woodland and agricultural areas, but difficult terrain and high temperatures hampered their efforts to extinguish it.
The fire department said that a 64-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of starting the first fire by using a naked flame to burn dried weeds near his house. The man will appear before a prosecutor in court Friday. The two new fires broke out simultaneously shortly before midnight Thursday, authorities said. A total of 255 firefighters, four water-dropping planes and three helicopters along with 100 vehicles and earth-moving machinery were battling the three fires. The Voice of America
Amash quits Republican Party
Rep. Justin Amash (Mich.) on Thursday announced he’s leaving the Republican Party and becoming an independent, months after igniting a political firestorm when he became the first sitting GOP congressman to call for an impeachment inquiry against President Trump. The libertarian congressman, who said he’s become “disenchanted with party politics and frightened by what I see from it,” argued that “the two-party system has evolved into an existential threat to American principles and institutions.”
Amash has fueled speculation in recent weeks that he’s planning to mount a third-party challenge to Trump, whom the Michigan lawmaker has repeatedly criticized in the wake of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on 2016 election interference. The Week
California hit by biggest quake in 20 years
Southern California was hit by its strongest earthquake in two decades on Thursday. The epicenter of the 6.4 magnitude tremor was near the city of Ridgecrest, which is about 150 miles (240 km) north-east of Los Angeles. Firefighters provided medical assistance and dealt with fires in and around the city on Friday.
People from the Mojave Desert to the Pacific coast reported feeling the quake, which hit on Independence Day. There was significant damage in Ridgecrest, which lies south-west of the epicenter, local geophysicist Professor John Rundle told the BBC. He added that it was fortunate the quake had happened far away from major population centers. Roads were cracked and broken and power lines fell to the ground after the earthquake, which also shattered glass and cracked the walls of some homes in the region. BBC
Global stocks mixed ahead of US employment data
Asian stocks advanced Friday while European markets opened lower as investors waited for American jobs data and details of US-Chinese trade talks. Benchmarks in London and Frankfurt retreated while Shanghai and Tokyo gained. Monthly US employment numbers are expected to be a factor in the Federal Reserve’s decision this month on interest rates. Markets expect a solid 165,000 increase in non-farm payrolls.
The central bank has said it is prepared to cut rates to shore up the US economy if trade disputes crimp growth. Investors expect central banks to adopt “more dovish stances,” said IHS Markit in a report. “All incoming data will be scrutinized for last-minute policy signals.” The Associated Press
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