<p>Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has resigned from his post. He has e-mailed his resignation to the speaker of the country's parliament. The former president of the country in unprecedented chaos landed in Singapore from Maldives on Thursday (July 14). He had fled Sri Lanka on a military plane to go to Maldives.</p>

<p>It is being reported that Rajapaksa e-mailed his resignation to speaker of the Sri Lankan parliament.</p>

<p>Interestingly, Maldives President Mohammed Nasheed tweeted about Rajapaksa's resignation. He referred to Rajapaksa as 'GR' in his tweet.</p>

<p>"President GR has resigned. I hope Sri Lanka can now move forward. I believe the President would not have resigned if he were still in Sri Lanka, and fearful of losing his life. I commend the thoughtful actions of the Govt of Maldives. My best wishes to the people of Sri Lanka," tweeted Nasheed.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">🇱🇰 President GR has resigned. I hope Sri Lanka can now move forward. I believe the President would not have resigned if he were still in Sri Lanka, and fearful of losing his life. I commend the thoughtful actions of the Govt of Maldives. My best wishes to the people of Sri Lanka.</p>
— Mohamed Nasheed (@MohamedNasheed) <a href="https://twitter.com/MohamedNasheed/status/1547583437602979841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>The resignation was being forwarded to the country's attorney general to consider legal implications before being formally accepted, said AFP quoting sources.</p>

<p><br />
Sri Lanka is currently witnessing unprecedented chaos due a major economic crisis that has seen acute shortage of food, medicine and fuel among others. There have been massive protests across the country and huge mobs of angry Sri Lankans have ransacked official residences of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and now former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa.</p>

<p>As president, Rajapaksa enjoyed immunity from arrest. He had agreed to step down in the wake of massive protests. He fled the country on Wednesday and went to Maldives. From there he flew to Singapore on Thursday.</p>

<p>Singapore's foreign ministry confirmed Rajapaksa had been allowed to enter the city-state for a "private visit", adding: "He has not asked for asylum and neither has he been granted any asylum."</p>

<p><i>(With inputs from agencies)</i></p>

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Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has resigned from his post. He has e-mailed his resignation to the speaker of the country's parliament. The former president of the country in unprecedented chaos landed in Singapore from Maldives on Thursday (July 14).

Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has resigned from his post. He has e-mailed his resignation to the speaker of the country's parliament. The former president of the country in unprecedented chaos landed in Singapore from Maldives on Thursday (July 14). He had fled Sri Lanka on a military plane to go to Maldives. It is being reported that Rajapaksa e-mailed his resignation to speaker of the Sri Lankan parliament. Interestingly, Maldives President Mohammed Nasheed tweeted about Rajapaksa's resignation. He referred to Rajapaksa as 'GR' in his tweet. "President GR has resigned. I hope Sri Lanka can now move forward. I believe the President would not have resigned if he were still in Sri Lanka, and fearful of losing his life. I commend the thoughtful actions of the Govt of Maldives. My best wishes to the people of Sri Lanka," tweeted Nasheed. 🇱🇰 President GR has resigned. I hope Sri Lanka can now move forward. I believe the President would not have resigned if he were still in Sri Lanka, and fearful of losing his life. I commend the thoughtful actions of the Govt of Maldives. My best wishes to the people of Sri Lanka. — Mohamed Nasheed (@MohamedNasheed) July 14, 2022 × The resignation was being forwarded to the country's attorney general to consider legal implications before being formally accepted, said AFP quoting sources. Sri Lanka is currently witnessing unprecedented chaos due a major economic crisis that has seen acute shortage of food, medicine and fuel among others. There have been massive protests across the country and huge mobs of angry Sri Lankans have ransacked official residences of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and now former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa. As president, Rajapaksa enjoyed immunity from arrest. He had agreed to step down in the wake of massive protests. He fled the country on Wednesday and went to Maldives. From there he flew to Singapore on Thursday. Singapore's foreign ministry confirmed Rajapaksa had been allowed to enter the city-state for a "private visit", adding: "He has not asked for asylum and neither has he been granted any asylum." (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigns amid turmoil in the country

<p>The European Commission cut its forecasts for economic growth in the euro zone for this year and next and revised up its estimates for inflation on Thursday (July 14) largely due to the impact of the war in Ukraine.</p>

<p>In its quarterly forecasts, Brussels confirmed its more downbeat outlook, which it had already discussed with euro zone finance ministers on Monday.</p>

<p>The EU executive now predicts growth of 2.6% this year for the 19-country currency bloc, slightly less than the 2.7% it had forecast in May.</p>

<p>But next year, when the impact of the Ukraine war and of higher energy prices may be felt even more acutely, growth is now forecast to be 1.4%, instead of the 2.3% previously estimated.</p>

<p>At a news conference, EU economy commissioner Paolo Gentiloni also said the fall of the euro to parity against the dollar was a major concern largely for developing economies, rather than for the euro zone, because the euro was appreciating against other major currencies.</p>

<p>For the wider 27-country European Union, the growth forecast was unchanged at 2.7% this year, but revised down to 1.5% in 2023 from 2.3%.</p>

<p>In a major change, the Commission also raised its estimates for euro zone inflation, which this year is now expected to peak at 7.6% before falling to 4.0% in 2023.</p>

<p>In May, the Commission had forecast prices in the euro zone would rise 6.1% this year and 2.7% in 2023.</p>

<p>Brussels warned headline inflation could move even higher if gas prices soared due to Russia cutting off supplies, which might lead to a further downward revision of growth.</p>

<p>Risks to the outlook from a resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic could also not be ruled out, the Commission said.</p>

<p>Despite these high risks, the Commission underlined that the euro zone was not expected to tip into a recession and the forecasts could also improve if recent declines of oil and commodity prices continued.</p>

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The European Commission cut its forecasts for economic growth in the euro zone for this year and next and revised up its estimates for inflation on Thursday (July 14) largely due to the impact of the war in Ukraine.

The European Commission cut its forecasts for economic growth in the euro zone for this year and next and revised up its estimates for inflation on Thursday (July 14) largely due to the impact of the war in Ukraine. In its quarterly forecasts, Brussels confirmed its more downbeat outlook, which it had already discussed with euro zone finance ministers on Monday. The EU executive now predicts growth of 2.6% this year for the 19-country currency bloc, slightly less than the 2.7% it had forecast in May. But next year, when the impact of the Ukraine war and of higher energy prices may be felt even more acutely, growth is now forecast to be 1.4%, instead of the 2.3% previously estimated. At a news conference, EU economy commissioner Paolo Gentiloni also said the fall of the euro to parity against the dollar was a major concern largely for developing economies, rather than for the euro zone, because the euro was appreciating against other major currencies. For the wider 27-country European Union, the growth forecast was unchanged at 2.7% this year, but revised down to 1.5% in 2023 from 2.3%. In a major change, the Commission also raised its estimates for euro zone inflation, which this year is now expected to peak at 7.6% before falling to 4.0% in 2023. In May, the Commission had forecast prices in the euro zone would rise 6.1% this year and 2.7% in 2023. Brussels warned headline inflation could move even higher if gas prices soared due to Russia cutting off supplies, which might lead to a further downward revision of growth. Risks to the outlook from a resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic could also not be ruled out, the Commission said. Despite these high risks, the Commission underlined that the euro zone was not expected to tip into a recession and the forecasts could also improve if recent declines of oil and commodity prices continued. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

EU cuts euro zone growth forecasts, revises up inflation outlook

<p>The legal fight between social media giant Twitter and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has taken an interesting turn. Both are in a legal fight over the acquisition of Twitter. Now, as per report by Fox Business, Twitter has used a poop emoji posted by Elon Musk as an evidence against him in the lawsuit. Twitter alleges in its lawsuit that Musk tried to disparage him. The poop emoji in question was posted by Elon Musk as a reply to Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal's tweet on May 16.</p>

<p>“We suspend over half a million spam accounts every day, usually before any of you even see them on Twitter. We also lock millions of accounts each week that we suspect may be spam – if they can’t pass human verification challenges (captchas, phone verification, etc),” he tweeted.</p>

<p>"The hard challenge is that many accounts which look fake superficially – are actually real people. And some of the spam accounts which are actually the most dangerous – and cause the most harm to our users – can look totally legitimate on the surface," he added.</p>

<p>Musk had reacted with poop emoji.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Unfortunately, we don’t believe that this specific estimation can be performed externally, given the critical need to use both public and private information (which we can’t share). Externally, it’s not even possible to know which accounts are counted as mDAUs on any given day.</p>
— Parag Agrawal (@paraga) <a href="https://twitter.com/paraga/status/1526237589534953472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>In its lawsuit, Twitter has alleged that since the acquisition deal was inked between Twitter and Elon Musk, the latter had repeatedly disparaged the social media company. This, says Twitter, created business risk in addition to downward pressure on its share price.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/is-twitter-down-users-report-serious-access-problems-497334">Is Twitter down? Users report serious access problems</a></strong></p>

<p>Elon Musk had offered to buy Twitter for USD 44 billion. But as days passed, it emerged that both parties had difference of opinions over the issue of fake accounts. Musk recently terminated his offer to but Twitter. Twitter has now sued Musk and asked the courts to compel him to follow through on his initial agreement.</p>

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The legal fight between social media giant Twitter and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has taken an interesting turn. Both are in a legal fight over the acquisition of Twitter.

The legal fight between social media giant Twitter and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has taken an interesting turn. Both are in a legal fight over the acquisition of Twitter. Now, as per report by Fox Business, Twitter has used a poop emoji posted by Elon Musk as an evidence against him in the lawsuit. Twitter alleges in its lawsuit that Musk tried to disparage him. The poop emoji in question was posted by Elon Musk as a reply to Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal's tweet on May 16. “We suspend over half a million spam accounts every day, usually before any of you even see them on Twitter. We also lock millions of accounts each week that we suspect may be spam – if they can’t pass human verification challenges (captchas, phone verification, etc),” he tweeted. "The hard challenge is that many accounts which look fake superficially – are actually real people. And some of the spam accounts which are actually the most dangerous – and cause the most harm to our users – can look totally legitimate on the surface," he added. Musk had reacted with poop emoji. Unfortunately, we don’t believe that this specific estimation can be performed externally, given the critical need to use both public and private information (which we can’t share). Externally, it’s not even possible to know which accounts are counted as mDAUs on any given day. — Parag Agrawal (@paraga) May 16, 2022 × In its lawsuit, Twitter has alleged that since the acquisition deal was inked between Twitter and Elon Musk, the latter had repeatedly disparaged the social media company. This, says Twitter, created business risk in addition to downward pressure on its share price. Also Read | Is Twitter down? Users report serious access problems Elon Musk had offered to buy Twitter for USD 44 billion. But as days passed, it emerged that both parties had difference of opinions over the issue of fake accounts. Musk recently terminated his offer to but Twitter. Twitter has now sued Musk and asked the courts to compel him to follow through on his initial agreement. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Poops, sorry! Twitter uses Elon Musk's poop emoji as evidence against him

<p>A Russian missile strike on the city of Vinnytsia in central Ukraine has killed at least 12 people. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has termed the attack "an open act of terrorism". As per Ukrainian emergency services, there were 12 dead, including one baby. The attack has injured 25. Dozens of rescue workers were fighting to douse a large fired caused by the strikes. The missile strike has taken place ahead of the meet of European Union foreign and justice ministers in The Hague. The conference is on alleged Russian war crimes.</p>

<p>Zelensky is due to address the meeting via video call while Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is set to attend.</p>

<p>"Every day, Russia kills civilians, kills Ukrainian children, carries out missile attacks on the civilian facilities where there is no military target. What is this, if not an open act of terrorism?" the Ukraine leader said in a statement on social media.</p>

<p>Zelensky has repeatedly accused Russia of war crimes and he has vowed to hold Moscow to account. Zelensky has called for special war crimes tribunal set up in the Netherlands.&nbsp;</p>

<p>An investigation into possible war crimes was opened by the International Criminal Court in The Hague just days after Russia invaded Ukraine. Russia started its 'special military operation' in Ukraine on February 24.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In recent weeks, Russian strikes in central Ukraine away from frontlines in the east and the south have become relatively rare.</p>

<p>But the war has raged around cities like Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine near the Black Sea which the presidency said was hit by a "massive missile strike" earlier on Thursday.</p>

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A Russian missile strike on the city of Vinnytsia in central Ukraine has killed at least 12 people. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has termed the attack "an open act of terrorism".

A Russian missile strike on the city of Vinnytsia in central Ukraine has killed at least 12 people. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has termed the attack "an open act of terrorism". As per Ukrainian emergency services, there were 12 dead, including one baby. The attack has injured 25. Dozens of rescue workers were fighting to douse a large fired caused by the strikes. The missile strike has taken place ahead of the meet of European Union foreign and justice ministers in The Hague. The conference is on alleged Russian war crimes. Zelensky is due to address the meeting via video call while Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is set to attend. "Every day, Russia kills civilians, kills Ukrainian children, carries out missile attacks on the civilian facilities where there is no military target. What is this, if not an open act of terrorism?" the Ukraine leader said in a statement on social media. Zelensky has repeatedly accused Russia of war crimes and he has vowed to hold Moscow to account. Zelensky has called for special war crimes tribunal set up in the Netherlands. An investigation into possible war crimes was opened by the International Criminal Court in The Hague just days after Russia invaded Ukraine. Russia started its 'special military operation' in Ukraine on February 24. In recent weeks, Russian strikes in central Ukraine away from frontlines in the east and the south have become relatively rare. But the war has raged around cities like Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine near the Black Sea which the presidency said was hit by a "massive missile strike" earlier on Thursday. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Russian missile strike in central Ukraine kills at least 12

<p>Sri Lanka's national broadcaster SLRC also know as Jathika Rupavahini suspended live telecast on Wednesday (July 13) due to protesters surrounding its premises. The development came after Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country. He has appointed PM Ranil Wickremesinghe as interim President of Sri Lanka.</p>

<p>A state of emergency was declared after protesters came prepared to face tear gas shelling by security forces outside Wickremesinghe's residence. A curfew has been declared in the western province of the country.</p>

<p>Sri Lankan opposition leader Sajith Premadasa said that the PM cannot exercise the powers of the President, and cannot declare a curfew or a state of emergency.</p>

<p><strong>WION Fineprint | The rise and fall of Sri Lanka's Gotabaya Rajapaksa</strong></p>

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<p>"PM becomes acting President only if the President appoints him as such, or if the office of President is vacant, or if the CJ in consultation with the Speaker forms the view that the President is unable to act," Premadasa tweeted.</p>

<p>"In the absence of any of these, the PM cannot exercise the powers of President, and cannot declare curfew or a state of emergency," he said in another tweet.</p>

<p>Tear gas shells were used to disperse protesters trying to scale the wall to enter residence of Sri Lankan PM in capital Colombo.</p>

<p>The crisis-hit island country`s Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said that he was yet to receive resignation letter from Gotabaya.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We haven`t received President Gotabaya`s resignation yet, but we hope to get one in a day," Abeywardena told ANI.</p>

<p>73-year-old Gotabaya Rajapaksa had gone into hiding after crowds of protestors stormed his residence on July 9 and he had announced that he will resign on July 13.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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Sri Lanka's national broadcaster SLRC also know as Jathika Rupavahini suspended live telecast on Wednesday (July 13) due to protesters surrounding its premises. The development came after Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country.

Sri Lanka's national broadcaster SLRC also know as Jathika Rupavahini suspended live telecast on Wednesday (July 13) due to protesters surrounding its premises. The development came after Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country. He has appointed PM Ranil Wickremesinghe as interim President of Sri Lanka. A state of emergency was declared after protesters came prepared to face tear gas shelling by security forces outside Wickremesinghe's residence. A curfew has been declared in the western province of the country. Sri Lankan opposition leader Sajith Premadasa said that the PM cannot exercise the powers of the President, and cannot declare a curfew or a state of emergency. WION Fineprint | The rise and fall of Sri Lanka's Gotabaya Rajapaksa × "PM becomes acting President only if the President appoints him as such, or if the office of President is vacant, or if the CJ in consultation with the Speaker forms the view that the President is unable to act," Premadasa tweeted. "In the absence of any of these, the PM cannot exercise the powers of President, and cannot declare curfew or a state of emergency," he said in another tweet. Tear gas shells were used to disperse protesters trying to scale the wall to enter residence of Sri Lankan PM in capital Colombo. The crisis-hit island country`s Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said that he was yet to receive resignation letter from Gotabaya. "We haven`t received President Gotabaya`s resignation yet, but we hope to get one in a day," Abeywardena told ANI. 73-year-old Gotabaya Rajapaksa had gone into hiding after crowds of protestors stormed his residence on July 9 and he had announced that he will resign on July 13. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Sri Lanka state broadcaster stops live telecast as protests intensify

<p>NASA stunned everyone by releasing images taken by James Webb Space Telescope which has swung into action after its successful deployment. The most advansed telescope constructed by humankind is ready to unravel mysteries of the Universe from farthest corner previously invisible to human eyes, or lenses.</p>

<p>But another discovery justifies the promise shown by the telescope. The telescope has discovered water on a distant planet. It is a gas giant and presence of water has been detected in its atmosphere.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"WASP-96 b is one of more than 5,000 confirmed exoplanets in the Milky Way. Located roughly 1,150 light-years away in the southern-sky constellation Phoenix, it represents a type of gas giant that has no direct analog in our solar system. With a mass less than half that of Jupiter and a diameter 1.2 times greater, WASP-96 b is much puffier than any planet orbiting our Sun. And with a temperature greater than 1000°F, it is significantly hotter. WASP-96 b orbits extremely close to its Sun-like star, just one-ninth of the distance between Mercury and the Sun, completing one circuit every 3½ Earth-days," says NASA.</p>

<p>While searching for life, scientists often search for presence of water. Even on Earth, life began in water.&nbsp;</p>

<p>When it comes to alien life, it is not necessary that the extra-terrestrials should be tentacles-wielding creatures popularised by movies and books. Detection of even a microscopic life is a huge step in our search for life beyond Earth. And where there is water, there is high likelihood of there being microscopic life.</p>

<p>So have we found aliens? Let's wait for James Webb Space telescope to scan the skies a bit more to be absolutely certain.</p>

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NASA stunned everyone by releasing images taken by James Webb Space Telescope which has swung into action after its successful deployment. The most advansed telescope constructed by humankind is ready to unravel mysteries of the Universe from farthest corner previously invisible to human eyes, or lenses.

NASA stunned everyone by releasing images taken by James Webb Space Telescope which has swung into action after its successful deployment. The most advansed telescope constructed by humankind is ready to unravel mysteries of the Universe from farthest corner previously invisible to human eyes, or lenses. But another discovery justifies the promise shown by the telescope. The telescope has discovered water on a distant planet. It is a gas giant and presence of water has been detected in its atmosphere. "WASP-96 b is one of more than 5,000 confirmed exoplanets in the Milky Way. Located roughly 1,150 light-years away in the southern-sky constellation Phoenix, it represents a type of gas giant that has no direct analog in our solar system. With a mass less than half that of Jupiter and a diameter 1.2 times greater, WASP-96 b is much puffier than any planet orbiting our Sun. And with a temperature greater than 1000°F, it is significantly hotter. WASP-96 b orbits extremely close to its Sun-like star, just one-ninth of the distance between Mercury and the Sun, completing one circuit every 3½ Earth-days," says NASA. While searching for life, scientists often search for presence of water. Even on Earth, life began in water. When it comes to alien life, it is not necessary that the extra-terrestrials should be tentacles-wielding creatures popularised by movies and books. Detection of even a microscopic life is a huge step in our search for life beyond Earth. And where there is water, there is high likelihood of there being microscopic life. So have we found aliens? Let's wait for James Webb Space telescope to scan the skies a bit more to be absolutely certain. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

NASA James Webb Space Telescope detects water on distant planet

<p>Iran and Saudi Arabia are interested in holding more talks, Tehran's foreign ministry said on Wednesday, three months after a fifth round of contacts aimed at restoring relations between the Middle East's two main rival powers.</p>

<p>Tehran gave an update on the status of the talks as U.S. President Joe Biden landed in Israel in a high-stakes Middle East trip that will include Saudi Arabia. Both countries are U.S. allies while Iran is a longtime adversary of Washington.</p>

<p>Tehran and Riyadh, the leading Shi'ite and Sunni Muslim powers in the Middle East, severed ties in 2016 with both parties backing opposide sides in proxy wars across the region, from Yemen to Syria and elsewhere.</p>

<p>"Our conclusion is that the negotiations have been positive. Both sides are interested in a continuation of the meetings," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani told a televised weekly news conference.</p>

<p>"The delay in holding the next round of talks between Tehran and Riyadh is due to efforts (being made) to take an important step forward at the next meeting in Baghdad," he said.</p>

<p>In May, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said there had been some progress in the Iraq-mediated talks with Iran but "not enough".</p>

<p>The fifth round of the talks was held in April after Iran suspended the negotiations in March without giving a reason, but the decision came on the heels of Saudi Arabia's execution of 81 prisoners, its biggest mass use of the death penalty in decades.</p>

<p>Iran condemned the executions, which according to rights activists included 41 Shi'ite Muslims.</p>

<p>U.S. officials say Biden's trip - his first to the Middle East as president - could yield more steps toward normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, historic foes but also two of America's strongest allies in the turbulent region.</p>

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Iran and Saudi Arabia are interested in holding more talks, Tehran's foreign ministry said on Wednesday, three months after a fifth round of contacts aimed at restoring relations between the Middle East's two main rival powers.

Iran and Saudi Arabia are interested in holding more talks, Tehran's foreign ministry said on Wednesday, three months after a fifth round of contacts aimed at restoring relations between the Middle East's two main rival powers. Tehran gave an update on the status of the talks as U.S. President Joe Biden landed in Israel in a high-stakes Middle East trip that will include Saudi Arabia. Both countries are U.S. allies while Iran is a longtime adversary of Washington. Tehran and Riyadh, the leading Shi'ite and Sunni Muslim powers in the Middle East, severed ties in 2016 with both parties backing opposide sides in proxy wars across the region, from Yemen to Syria and elsewhere. "Our conclusion is that the negotiations have been positive. Both sides are interested in a continuation of the meetings," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani told a televised weekly news conference. "The delay in holding the next round of talks between Tehran and Riyadh is due to efforts (being made) to take an important step forward at the next meeting in Baghdad," he said. In May, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said there had been some progress in the Iraq-mediated talks with Iran but "not enough". The fifth round of the talks was held in April after Iran suspended the negotiations in March without giving a reason, but the decision came on the heels of Saudi Arabia's execution of 81 prisoners, its biggest mass use of the death penalty in decades. Iran condemned the executions, which according to rights activists included 41 Shi'ite Muslims. U.S. officials say Biden's trip - his first to the Middle East as president - could yield more steps toward normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, historic foes but also two of America's strongest allies in the turbulent region. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Iran says it and Saudi Arabia interested in more talks

<p>By now, almost everyone has seen first images clicked by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. The most powerful telescope humankind has ever made sent in some stunning pics of the cosmos.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The buzz was so much that even Times Square featured these photos. Some of the images were projected in Times Square on Wednesday (July 13).</p>

<p>These images captured by James Web Space Telescope has given us a peek into early Universe.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Absolutely breathtaking views of the <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAWebb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASAWebb</a> telescope’s first full-color images to the world 🔭 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UnfoldTheUniverse?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UnfoldTheUniverse</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/OneTimesSq?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OneTimesSq</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASA</a> ✨ <a href="https://t.co/jZu2DLrhlT">pic.twitter.com/jZu2DLrhlT</a></p>
— Times Square (@TimesSquareNYC) <a href="https://twitter.com/TimesSquareNYC/status/1546977695912890368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>The first images captured earlier depicted the galaxy cluster SMACS 0723. The very first Deep Field image captured by James Webb Space Telescope was a composite of several images that captured light at different wavelengths.</p>

<p>The composite was made using images taken with the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam). NASA then revealed images of the following celestial structures: Carina Nebula, WASP-96 b (spectrum data), Southern Ring Nebula and Stephen`s Quintet.</p>

<p>The Carina Nebula is a stellar nursery located 7600 light-years away.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The stunning new images also show 'Cosmic Cliffs'. The image reveals previously hidden baby stars. According to NASA, this provides "a rare peek into stars in their earliest, rapid stages of formation."&nbsp;</p>

<p>The compact galaxy group was first discovered in 1787. It is at a distance of 290 million light-years away in Pegasus constellation.</p>

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By now, almost everyone has seen first images clicked by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. The most powerful telescope humankind has ever made sent in some stunning pics of the cosmos.

By now, almost everyone has seen first images clicked by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. The most powerful telescope humankind has ever made sent in some stunning pics of the cosmos. The buzz was so much that even Times Square featured these photos. Some of the images were projected in Times Square on Wednesday (July 13). These images captured by James Web Space Telescope has given us a peek into early Universe. Absolutely breathtaking views of the @NASAWebb telescope’s first full-color images to the world 🔭 #UnfoldTheUniverse @OneTimesSq @NASA ✨ pic.twitter.com/jZu2DLrhlT — Times Square (@TimesSquareNYC) July 12, 2022 × The first images captured earlier depicted the galaxy cluster SMACS 0723. The very first Deep Field image captured by James Webb Space Telescope was a composite of several images that captured light at different wavelengths. The composite was made using images taken with the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam). NASA then revealed images of the following celestial structures: Carina Nebula, WASP-96 b (spectrum data), Southern Ring Nebula and Stephen`s Quintet. The Carina Nebula is a stellar nursery located 7600 light-years away. The stunning new images also show 'Cosmic Cliffs'. The image reveals previously hidden baby stars. According to NASA, this provides "a rare peek into stars in their earliest, rapid stages of formation." The compact galaxy group was first discovered in 1787. It is at a distance of 290 million light-years away in Pegasus constellation. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Video: Times Square features James Webb Space Telescope images 

<p>Tesla CEO and billionaire Elon Musk and former US president Donald Trump are now trading jibes, the former on the social media platform he earlier was to buy. In a back-and-forth, both influential men have taken potshots at each other.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It was Trump who fired the first expletive-laden salvo and called Musk "another bull s*** artist". He was speaking at a rally. During his address he also claimed that Musk voted for him.</p>

<p>"You know what he (Elon Musk) said the other day that he never voted for Republicans. You know he told me he voted for me. So he is another bull s*** artist," Trump said at a Save America rally in Anchorage, Alaska.</p>

<p>Musk has denied the claim and has replied "not true" on a news video showing Trump's remarks.</p>

<p>The former US President also commented on the ongoing legal battle between Twitter and Musk. "Elon is not going to buy Twitter. Where did you hear that before? From me...He has got himself in a mess," Trump said.</p>

<p>Trump`s comment comes in the wake of an American billionaire`s decision to back off from the Twitter deal which has led to a lawsuit from the social media giant.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Last week, Musk said he is terminating his USD 44 billion deal to buy Twitter citing multiple breaches of the purchase agreement, according to a letter sent by the billionaire Tesla chief`s team to Twitter.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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Tesla CEO and billionaire Elon Musk and former US president Donald Trump are now trading jibes, the former on the social media platform he earlier was to buy. In a back-and-forth, both influential men have taken potshots at each other.

Tesla CEO and billionaire Elon Musk and former US president Donald Trump are now trading jibes, the former on the social media platform he earlier was to buy. In a back-and-forth, both influential men have taken potshots at each other. It was Trump who fired the first expletive-laden salvo and called Musk "another bull s*** artist". He was speaking at a rally. During his address he also claimed that Musk voted for him. "You know what he (Elon Musk) said the other day that he never voted for Republicans. You know he told me he voted for me. So he is another bull s*** artist," Trump said at a Save America rally in Anchorage, Alaska. Musk has denied the claim and has replied "not true" on a news video showing Trump's remarks. The former US President also commented on the ongoing legal battle between Twitter and Musk. "Elon is not going to buy Twitter. Where did you hear that before? From me...He has got himself in a mess," Trump said. Trump`s comment comes in the wake of an American billionaire`s decision to back off from the Twitter deal which has led to a lawsuit from the social media giant. Last week, Musk said he is terminating his USD 44 billion deal to buy Twitter citing multiple breaches of the purchase agreement, according to a letter sent by the billionaire Tesla chief`s team to Twitter. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Trump says Elon Musk voted for him, Tesla chief says nope

<p>Russia on Tuesday said it had detected the first case of monkeypox in the country in a man who returned from a trip to several European nations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The infection was found in a young man who came back from a trip through European countries and went to a medical facility with a characteristic rash," health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said in a statement.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It said the man has been isolated in hospital and that he has a "mild" form of the disease.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Contact persons have been established, they are being monitored by doctors," the statement said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It added that the man's illness was established quickly and "helped prevent further spread of the infection".&nbsp;</p>

<p>The surge of monkeypox infections has been reported since early May outside the West and Central African countries where the disease has long been endemic.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There are confirmed cases in Britain, Spain and Germany.&nbsp;</p>

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Russia on Tuesday said it had detected the first case of monkeypox in the country in a man who returned from a trip to several European nations. "The infection was found in a young man who came back from a trip through European countries and went to a medical facility with a characteristic rash," health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said in a statement.

Russia on Tuesday said it had detected the first case of monkeypox in the country in a man who returned from a trip to several European nations. "The infection was found in a young man who came back from a trip through European countries and went to a medical facility with a characteristic rash," health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said in a statement. It said the man has been isolated in hospital and that he has a "mild" form of the disease. "Contact persons have been established, they are being monitored by doctors," the statement said. It added that the man's illness was established quickly and "helped prevent further spread of the infection". The surge of monkeypox infections has been reported since early May outside the West and Central African countries where the disease has long been endemic. There are confirmed cases in Britain, Spain and Germany. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Russia reports first case of monkeypox

<p>French government led by President Emmanuel Macron has suffered its first legislative defeat in parliament. Macron's ruling party has lost its majority in the parliament last month. France's National Assembly has rejected a proposal that would have given government powers to demand proof of vaccination or negative COVID test from travellers when they enter France.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The proposal was opposed by 219 lawmakers while 195 supported it. All major opposition parties the far-right National Rally (RN), the hard left LFI, and rightwing Republicans (LR) united against the minority government.</p>

<p>"The circumstances oblige the government to listen to opposition parties which at the moment it has a few difficulties in doing," top Republicans MP Olivier Marleix told Sud Radio on Wednesday morning.</p>

<p>French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne condemned the obstruction. Allies stressed how the so-called "extremes", far left and far right, teamed together.</p>

<p>"Clear collusion between the extremes, each one applauding the other," MP Maud Bregeon from Macron's Republic on the Move wrote on Twitter alongside a video.</p>

<p>Fellow ruling party Remy Rebeyrotte criticised "an atmosphere like a football match" during the debate where speakers were routinely shouted down. Mthilde Panot, most senior MP in the hard-left LFI party compared ruling party MPs as 'playmobils'. It is an insult that equated them to inanimate toys.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


French government led by President Emmanuel Macron has suffered its first legislative defeat in parliament. Macron's ruling party has lost its majority in the parliament last month.

French government led by President Emmanuel Macron has suffered its first legislative defeat in parliament. Macron's ruling party has lost its majority in the parliament last month. France's National Assembly has rejected a proposal that would have given government powers to demand proof of vaccination or negative COVID test from travellers when they enter France. The proposal was opposed by 219 lawmakers while 195 supported it. All major opposition parties the far-right National Rally (RN), the hard left LFI, and rightwing Republicans (LR) united against the minority government. "The circumstances oblige the government to listen to opposition parties which at the moment it has a few difficulties in doing," top Republicans MP Olivier Marleix told Sud Radio on Wednesday morning. French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne condemned the obstruction. Allies stressed how the so-called "extremes", far left and far right, teamed together. "Clear collusion between the extremes, each one applauding the other," MP Maud Bregeon from Macron's Republic on the Move wrote on Twitter alongside a video. Fellow ruling party Remy Rebeyrotte criticised "an atmosphere like a football match" during the debate where speakers were routinely shouted down. Mthilde Panot, most senior MP in the hard-left LFI party compared ruling party MPs as 'playmobils'. It is an insult that equated them to inanimate toys.

Macron suffers first legislative defeat in parliament

<p>A US Navy destroyer ship carried out what US calls Freedom of Navigation exercise in the South China Sea on Wednesday. An angry China said that its military had 'driven away' the US warship which had sailed near the disputed Paracel Islands. China claims the entirety of South China Sea based on ancient claims. US regularly carries out Freedom of Navigation exercises in the sea to challenge Chinese assertions.</p>

<p>Monday (July 11) was the sixth anniversary of a ruling given by international tribunal that had invalidated China's sweeping claims in the South China Sea. China had rejected the ruling.</p>

<p>The US Navy said the destroyer USS Benfold "asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the South China Sea near the Paracel Islands, consistent with international law".</p>

<p>China maintains that it does not impede freedom of navigation. It has accused the US of provoking tensions deliberately.</p>

<p>Southern Theatre Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) said that action of US destroyer seriously violated China's sovereignty and security. It said that the ship illegally entered China's territorial waters around Paracel islands. These islands are also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam.</p>

<p>"The PLA's Southern Theatre Command organised sea and air forces to follow, monitor, warn and drive away" the ship, it added, showing pictures of the Benfold taken from the deck of the Chinese frigate the Xianning.</p>

<p>"The facts once again show that the United States is nothing short of a 'security risk maker in the South China Sea' and a 'destroyer of regional peace and stability.'"</p>

<p><strong>Watch | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-china-and-pakistan-commence-maritime-exercise-near-shanghai-to-deepen-frienship-496961">China and Pakistan commence maritime exercise near Shanghai to deepen 'frienship'</a></strong></p>

<p>US Navy, in turn, has said that Chinese statement on its mission was "false". It said that this was latest Chinese act to "misrepresent lawful U.S. maritime operations and assert its excessive and illegitimate maritime claims at the expense of its Southeastern Asian neighbours in the South China Sea".</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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A US Navy destroyer ship carried out what US calls Freedom of Navigation exercise in the South China Sea on Wednesday. An angry China said that its military had 'driven away' the US warship which had sailed near the disputed Paracel Islands.

A US Navy destroyer ship carried out what US calls Freedom of Navigation exercise in the South China Sea on Wednesday. An angry China said that its military had 'driven away' the US warship which had sailed near the disputed Paracel Islands. China claims the entirety of South China Sea based on ancient claims. US regularly carries out Freedom of Navigation exercises in the sea to challenge Chinese assertions. Monday (July 11) was the sixth anniversary of a ruling given by international tribunal that had invalidated China's sweeping claims in the South China Sea. China had rejected the ruling. The US Navy said the destroyer USS Benfold "asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the South China Sea near the Paracel Islands, consistent with international law". China maintains that it does not impede freedom of navigation. It has accused the US of provoking tensions deliberately. Southern Theatre Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) said that action of US destroyer seriously violated China's sovereignty and security. It said that the ship illegally entered China's territorial waters around Paracel islands. These islands are also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. "The PLA's Southern Theatre Command organised sea and air forces to follow, monitor, warn and drive away" the ship, it added, showing pictures of the Benfold taken from the deck of the Chinese frigate the Xianning. "The facts once again show that the United States is nothing short of a 'security risk maker in the South China Sea' and a 'destroyer of regional peace and stability.'" Watch | China and Pakistan commence maritime exercise near Shanghai to deepen 'frienship' US Navy, in turn, has said that Chinese statement on its mission was "false". It said that this was latest Chinese act to "misrepresent lawful U.S. maritime operations and assert its excessive and illegitimate maritime claims at the expense of its Southeastern Asian neighbours in the South China Sea". (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

US carries out Freedom of Navigation exercise in South China Sea

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