TRUMP-FBI SHOWDOWN HEATS UP AMID REPORTS OF HUNT FOR N-PAPERS

An FBI raid on former President Donald Trump’s Florida home was tied to classified documents relating to nuclear weapons, a major US media outlet reported on Thursday, even as the Biden administration asked a court to unseal the search warrant that could throw more light on the unprecedented move that has inflamed politics in America.

At a press conference, US attorney general Merrick Garland said he had “personally approved the decision to seek a search warrant in this matter”, and pledged to protect FBI agents and justice department officials under attack from Trump supporting extremists, some of whom have made death threats.

Garland did not refer to the nuclear documents angle at his press conference, but the Washington Post, citing “people familiar with the investigation”, said classified documents relating to nuclear weapons were among the items FBI agents sought during search. In a Friday morning post on his social media platform, Trump called the nuclear weapons issue a hoax, suggesting the FBI may have planted evidence. “Nu- clear weapons issue is a Hoax, just like Russia, Russia, Russia was a Hoax, two Impeachments were a Hoax, the Mueller investigation was a Hoax, and much more,” he wrote.

The fracas is complicated by the fact that Garland’s nomination to the Supreme Court by then President Obama was blocked by the Senate Republicans, giving him (in their eyes) a motive for initiating the raid. Garland rejected the suggestion.

DOWN TO 14+1: LATVIA, ESTONIA QUIT CHINA’S EAST EUROPE FORUM

Latvia and Estonia say they have left a Chinese backed forum aimed at boosting relations with Eastern European countries, in what appears to be a new setback for China’s increasingly assertive diplomacy.

The move follows China’s boosting of its relations with Russia, whose invasion of Ukraine is seen as a possible first step in a series of moves against countries that were once part of the Soviet Union. China has refused to criticise Russia and has condemned punishing economic sanctions imposed on Moscow by the West. The move also comes after Beijing launched economic and diplomatic retaliation against another Baltic state, Lithuania, in retaliation for its expanded ties with the self-governing island democracy of Taiwan.

China set up the forum to strengthen relations with members of the EU as well as Serbia and others, partly to further Xi’s signature Belt and Road campaign to build bridges, railways, power plants and other infrastructure across the Eurasian continent. China originally styled the forum as a “17 plus one” arrangement — with Greece having joined the grouping briefly — but the number of European partners has now fallen to 14.

SALMAN RUSHDIE: AUTHOR ON VENTILATOR AND UNABLE TO SPEAK, AGENT SAYS

Salman Rushdie's agent has said "the news is not good" after the author was stabbed at an event in New York state.

He was attacked on stage, and is now on a ventilator and unable to speak, Andrew Wylie said in a statement, adding that the author may lose one eye.

Mr Rushdie has suffered years of Islamist death threats after writing The Satanic Verses, published in 1988.

Police detained a suspect named as Hadi Matar, 24, from Fairview, New Jersey.

New York State Police said the suspect ran onto the stage and attacked Mr Rushdie and an interviewer at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York state.

"Salman will likely lose one eye; the nerves in his arm were severed; and his liver was stabbed and damaged," his agent, Andrew Wylie said.

No motive or charges have yet been confirmed by police, who are in the process of obtaining search warrants to examine a backpack and electronic devices found at the centre.

Mr Rushdie was stabbed at least once in the neck and in the abdomen, authorities said. He was taken to a hospital in Erie, Pennsylvania, by helicopter.

‘IRAN MAY ACCEPT EU PLAN ON NUCLEAR DEAL IF DEMANDS MET’

A European Union proposal to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal “can be acceptable if it provides assurances” on Tehran’s key demands, the state news agency IRNA said on Friday, quoting a senior Iranian diplomat.

The EU said on Monday it had put forward a “final” text following four days of indirect talks between U.S. and Iranian officials in Vienna.

A senior EU official said no more changes could be made to the text, which has been under negotiation for 15 months. He said he expected a final decision from the parties within a “very, very few weeks.”

IRNA quoted the unidentified Iranian diplomat as saying Tehran was reviewing the proposal.

“Proposals by the EU can be acceptable if they provide Iran with assurance on the issues of safeguards, sanctions and guarantees,” the diplomat said.

The Islamic Republic has sought to obtain guarantees that no future U.S. President would renege on the deal if it were revived, as former President Donald Trump did in 2018 and restored harsh U.S. sanctions on Iran.

However, President Joe Biden cannot provide such ironclad assurances because the deal is a political understanding rather than a legally binding treaty.

CHINA-BUILT PAK WARSHIP ARRIVES IN LANKA, TO TAKE PART IN JOINT DRILL

Colombo : Pakistan’s newlycommissioned Chinese-built frigate warship PNS Taimur arrived at the Colombo port on Friday and will conduct a joint exercise with the Sri Lankan Navy in the western seas. Sri Lanka allowed PNS Taimur to make a port call in Colombo while on its way to join the Pakistan Navy here on August 15 after the Bangladesh government denied it permission to dock at Chattogram Port.

The Pakistani naval ship is expected to remain in Colombo until August 15 and the crew of the ship will take part in several programmes organised by the Sri Lanka Navy to promote cooperation. Further, PNS Taimur is expected to conduct a naval exercise with the Sri Lanka Navy in western seas before its departure on August 15.

EUROPE EYES INDIA, SPACEX TO REPLACE RUSSIAN ROCKETS

Paris : The European Space Agency has begun preliminary technical discussions with Elon Musk’s SpaceX that could lead to the temporary use of its launchers after the Ukraine conflict blocked Western access to Russia’s Soyuz rockets. The private American competitor to Europe’s Ariane space has emerged as a key contender to plug a temporary gap alongside India and Japan, but final decisions depend on the still unresolved timetable for Europe’s delayed Ariane 6 rocket.

“There are two and a half options that we’re discussing. One is SpaceX that is clear. Another one is possibly Japan,” ESA director general Josef Aschbacher said. “Japan is waiting for the inaugural flight of its next generation rocket. Another option could be India,” he added in an interview. “SpaceX I would say is the more operational of those and certainly one of the back-up launches we are looking at. ”

Aschbacher said talks remained at an exploratory phase and any back-up solution would be temporary. “We of course need to make sure that they are suitable. It’s not like jumping on a bus,” he said. For example, the interface between satellite and launcher must be suitable and the payload must not be compromised by unfamiliar types of launch vibration. “We are looking into this technical compatibility but we have not asked for a commercial offer yet. We want to make sure that it would be an option in order to make a decision on asking for a firm commercial offer,” Aschbacher said.

U.S., INDONESIA HOLD MILITARY DRILLS

Soldiers from the U.S., Indonesia and Australia joined a live-fire drill on Friday, part of annual joint combat exercises on Sumatra island amid growing Chinese maritime activity in the Indo-Pacific region.

More than 5,000 personnel from the U.S., Indonesia, Australia, Japan and Singapore are participating in the Super Garuda Shield exercises, making them the largest since they began in 2009.

The drills are seen by China as a threat. Chinese state media have accused the U.S. of building an Indo-Pacific alliance to limit China’s military and diplomatic influence in the region.

The U.K., Canada, France, India, Malaysia, South Korea, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and East Timor also sent observers to the exercises.

The U.S. Indo-Pacific commander, Admiral John C. Aquilino, said the 14 nations are signalling their stronger ties as China grows increasingly assertive in the entire South China Sea. The joint combat exercises will come to a close on Sunday.

AUS ORDERS GOOGLE TO PAY $43M FOR MISLEADING USERS OVER LOCATION DATA

Australia’s competition watchdog said on Friday that Alphabet Inc’s Google unit was ordered by the country’s Federal Court to pay $42. 7 million in penalties for misleading users on collection of their personal location data. Between 2017 and 2018, Google misled users into believing that the “location history” setting on Android phones was the only way location data could be collected by it, when a feature to monitor web and app activity also allowed data storage, the Competition & Consumer Commission said. The watchdog, which estimates that 1. 3 million users may’ve been affected, said Google took remedial steps in 2018. Google said it had settled the matter and has made the setting simple to manage.

J&J TO DROP TALC BABY POWDER GLOBALLY IN 2023

Johnson & Johnson will start using cornstarch in all the baby powder it sells around the world, shifting away from the talcum powder that put the popular product at the centre of tens of thousands of lawsuits filed by customers.

The company discontinued North American sales of its talc-based baby powder in 2020 after recalling some bottles in 2019 but will stop sales of the product globally in 2023, it said on Thursday. J&J said it was already selling powder using cornstarch in manycountries .

The company faces about 38,000 lawsuits from consumers and their survivors claiming its talc products caused cancer due to contamination with asbestos, a known carcinogen. J&J denies the claims, saying decades of scientific testing and regulatory approvals have shown its talc to be safe and asbestos-free. On Thursday, it reiterated the statement as it announced the discontinuation of the talc.

Co plans cornstarch baby powder in India in Q2 of 2023:

In India, J&J is planning the transition to the cornstarch-based baby powder in the second quarter of 2023. The brand has enjoyed popularity in the Indian market for several years now. The firm had faced scrutiny by India’s drug regulator in its talc over four years back when investigations against the US major surfaced in its home market.