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Robert Downey Jr. is paying tribute to his father, Robert Downey Sr., who died Tuesday. He was 85. Downey Sr. was an actor and filmmaker best known for "Putney Swope" and "Greaser's Palace." He also appeared in "Boogie Nights," "Magnolia" and "To Live and Die in L.A." Along with Downey Jr., he also had a daughter, Allyson.
Source: cnn.com
A man in Austria has described the moment a 5ft (1.6m) python bit him while he was using the toilet. Walter Erhart, 65, said he was using the toilet "as usual" and only noticed the snake after it nipped him. The snake had escaped from his neighbour's apartment - where they were keeping 11 snakes - and its owner is now facing charges for bodily harm.
Source: bbc.com
Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar and his U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin on Wednesday had a "constructive and positive meeting" to discuss a plan for Turkey to operate and guard Kabul airport after the NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Turkish defence ministry said. Ankara has offered to run and guard the airport after NATO's withdrawal, and has been in talks with allies, namely the United States, on financial, political and logistical support. Security of the airport is key for the operations of diplomatic missions out of Afghanistan after the withdrawal. The talks would continue on Thursday, the statement said.
Source: reuters.com
Tropical Storm Elsa, which has weakened from the first hurricane of the season, is poised to make landfall on the west coast of Florida on Wednesday. A warning is in force for a 200-mile (300km) stretch of the Gulf Coast north of Tampa Bay.
Source: bbc.com
Iran has begun the process of producing enriched uranium metal, it has told the global nuclear watchdog. Tehran informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that the process was to develop fuel for a research reactor. But uranium metal could also be used to make the core of a nuclear bomb. European powers said Iran's move breached a nuclear deal and threatened talks to revive it. The US called it an "unfortunate step backwards".
Source: bbc.com
A huge container ship that blocked the Suez Canal in March - disrupting global trade - is finally leaving the waterway after Egypt signed a compensation deal with its owners and insurers. Witnesses say the Ever Given weighed anchor shortly after 11:30 local time (09:30 GMT) and headed north towards the Mediterranean escorted by tugs. The ship has been impounded for three months near the canal city of Ismailia. Terms of the deal were not disclosed but Egypt had demanded $550m.
Source: bbc.com
Argentina will face Brazil in the Copa América final on Saturday after defeating Colombia on penalties. Emiliano Martínez emerged as the hero of the shootout, saving three penalties with the game ending 1-1 after extra time.
Source: cnn.com
Tennis star, 23, withdrew from the French Open in May and hasn't played since announced withdrawal from tournaments and media obligations to protect her mental health. Netflix documentary trailer comes after she returned from blackout to share snaps of a glossy shoot with Vogue Japan. Osaka's agent confirmed the star will play at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan later this month.
Source: dailymail.co.uk
Foreign tourists and visitors are no longer be eligible for free Covid tests in France after the government scrapped free testing for non-residents, blaming a "lack of reciprocity" from other countries.
Source: thelocal.fr
Dilip Kumar, one of India's most respected actors and known for his roles as a tragic hero in Bollywood films, died on Wednesday morning, his family said. Kumar was 98 and ailing for some time. Born Mohammed Yusuf Khan in 1922 in Peshawar, now in Pakistan, he was known by the screen name of Dilip Kumar once he joined Bollywood in the 1940s.
Source: reuters.com
Confirmed to be going ahead in February, the film will follow on from the critically and audience-acclaimed Paddington 2, regarded by some as one of the greatest movies of all time.
Source: news.sky.com
South Korea on Wednesday reported 1,212 new cases, a steep rise in coronavirus infections unseen since the winter outbreak as it slips into another surge while most of its people are still unvaccinated. Health experts say the government sent the wrong message by pushing for a premature easing of social distancing. Packed restaurants, bars and stores and huge beer-drinking crowds at parks alongside Seoul’s Han River in recent weeks have illustrated how the country has let its guard down despite a slow vaccine rollout.
Source: apnews.com
Kenya has restarted its vaccination programme in an effort to tackle the re-emergence of measles, which has surged in the country during the Covid restrictions. A 10-day campaign against highly contagious measles and rubella has begun to target 4 million children aged nine months to five years in 22 of Kenya’s 47 counties where outbreaks are highest.
Source: theguardian.com
Belgium's Africa Museum, once a celebration of the country's colonial rule, will begin a multi-year process of returning stolen art to Democratic Republic of Congo, the Belgian government said on Tuesday. From the late 19th century to 1960, thousands of art works including wooden statues, elephant ivory masks, manuscripts and musical instruments were likely taken by Belgian and other European collectors, scientists, explorers and soldiers.
Source: reuters.com
World number one Ash Barty outclassed compatriot Ajla Tomljanovic 6-1 6-3 to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals on Friday and set up a meeting with 2018 champion Angelique Kerber. In the first all-Australian women's Grand Slam quarter-final since the 1980 Wimbledon championships, the 25-year-old Barty produced a calm and composed display on Centre Court.
Source: reuters.com
Canadian Prime Minister has named Mary Simon as governor general, the first indigenous person to hold the post. The former diplomat and advocate for Inuit rights will represent Canada's head of state, Queen Elizabeth II. The announcement comes nearly six months after the former governor general, Julie Payette, resigned amid accusations of bullying.
Source: bbc.com
The man who has guided Britney Spears' career for the last 25 years is stepping down as her manager. Larry Rudolph, who helped Spears secure her first recording contract, said the star's "intention to officially retire" had prompted him to resign. The move comes two weeks after Spears' told an LA judge that she had been forced to perform against her will. Rudolph announced his intention to resign in a letter to the star's father, Jamie Spears, and co-conservator Jodi Montgomery.
Source: bbc.com
Hong Kong’s national security police say they have arrested nine people on suspicion of engaging in terrorist activity after uncovering what they described as an attempt to make explosives and plant bombs across the city. According to police, the suspects were aged 15-39 and included six secondary school students, a teacher, an unemployed person and a management-level university employee.
Source: theguardian.com
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