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Rapper Big Pokey has died at the age of 45 after collapsing on stage in Texas.

The search for British actor Julian Sands, who was first reported missing in January after going hiking in the San Gabriel mountains northeast of Los Angeles, resumed on Saturday, according to a news release on Monday from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

Singapore surged to top the rankings as the most expensive city in the world for luxury living for

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday reiterated decades of US policy towards Taiwan when he said the US does not support a declaration of independence by the government on that island, which the People’s Republic of China considers a rogue province. Mr Blinken’s statement came during a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at which the top US diplomat and the Chinese strongman attempted to smooth over months of tension between Washington and Beijing. A previously scheduled trip to China by the US secretary of state had been cancelled in the wake of the February shootdown of a spy balloon that US intelligence has said belonged to the PRC. “We do not support Taiwan independence,” Mr Blink said in public comments. “We remain opposed to any unilateral changes to the status quo by either side.” While the US diplomat stressed that the US does not support “independence” for Taiwan, Washington remains a major supplier of arms to the Taiwanese military, and President Joe Biden on several occasions has said the US would defend Taiwan if China was to mount an invasion. Officially, his statement does not represent a policy change for the US because the US has long maintained strategic ambiguity towards the island, supplying Taipei with weapons while simultaneously avoiding any official diplomatic contact. Mr Blinken met on Monday with Chinese President Xi and said they agreed to "stabilise" badly deteriorated US-China ties, but America's top diplomat left Beijing with his biggest ask rebuffed: better communications between their militaries. After meeting Mr Xi, Mr Blinken said China is not ready to resume military-to-military contacts, something the US considers crucial to avoid miscalculation and conflict, particularly over Taiwan. Still, China's main diplomat for the Western Hemisphere, Yang Tao, said he thought Blinken's visit to China "marks a new beginning." "The US side is surely aware of why there is difficulty in military-to-military exchanges," he said, blaming the issue squarely on US sanctions, which Mr Blinken said revolved entirely around threats to American security. Yet Mr Blinken and Mr Xi pronounced themselves satisfied with progress made during the two days of talks, without pointing to specific areas of agreement beyond a mutual decision to return to a broad agenda for cooperation and competition endorsed last year by Mr Xi and President Joe Biden at a summit in Bali. And, it remained unclear if those understandings can resolve their most important disagreements, many of which have international implications. Still, both men said they were pleased with the outcome of the highest-level US visit to China in five years. The two sides expressed a willingness to hold more talks, but there was little indication that either is prepared to bend from positions on issues including trade, Taiwan, human rights conditions in China and Hong Kong, Chinese military assertiveness in the South China Sea, and Russia's war in Ukraine. Mr Blinken said later that the US set limited objectives for the trip and achieved them. He told reporters before leaving for a Ukraine reconstruction conference in London that he had raised the issue of military to military communications "repeatedly." "It is absolutely vital that we have these kinds of communications," he said. "This is something we're going to keep working on." The US has said that, since 2021, China has declined or failed to respond to over a dozen requests from the Department of Defense for top-level dialogues. According to a transcript of the meeting with Mr Blinken, Mr Xi said he was pleased with the outcome of Mr Blinken's earlier meetings with top Chinese diplomats and said restarting the Bali agenda were of great importance. "The Chinese side has made our position clear, and the two sides have agreed to follow through the common understandings President Biden and I had reached in Bali," Mr Xi said. That agenda had been thrown into jeopardy in recent months, notably after the US shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon over its airspace in February, and amid escalated military activity in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. Combined with other disputes over human rights, trade and opiate production, the list of problem areas is daunting. But Mr Xi suggested the worst could be over. "The two sides have also made progress and reached agreement on some specific issues," Mr Xi said without elaborating, according to a transcript of the remarks released by the State Department. "This is very good." In his remarks to Mr Xi during the 35-minute session at the Great Hall of the People, a meeting that was expected but not announced until an hour before it started, Mr Blinken said "the United States and China have an obligation and responsibility to manage our relationship." "The United States is committed to doing that," Mr Blinken said. "It's in the interest of the United States, in the interests of China, and in the interest of the world." Mr Blinken described his earlier discussions with senior Chinese officials as "candid and constructive." Despite the symbolism of his presence in China, Mr Blinken and other US officials had played down the prospects for any significant breakthroughs on the most vexing issues facing the planet's two largest economies. Instead, these officials have emphasised the importance of the two countries establishing and maintaining better lines of communication. Thus, China's refusal to resume the military-to-military contacts was a hitch. "Progress is hard," Mr Blinken told reporters. "It takes time, it takes more than one visit." Mr Blinken's trip is expected to herald a new round of visits by senior US and Chinese officials to each other's countries, possibly including a meeting between Mr Xi and Mr Biden in India or the US in the coming months. Before meeting with Mr Xi, Mr Blinken met earlier Monday with China's top diplomat Wang Yi for about three hours, an encounter that produced a harsh assessment of the talks. China's foreign ministry said "it is necessary to make a choice between dialogue or confrontation, cooperation or conflict." It blamed the "U.S. side's erroneous perception of China, leading to incorrect policies towards China" for the current "low point" in relations. And, it said the US bore responsibility for halting "the spiraling decline of China-US relations to push it back to a healthy and stable track." It added that Wang had "demanded that the U.S. stop hyping up the 'China threat theory,' lift illegal unilateral sanctions against China, abandon suppression of China's technological development, and refrain from arbitrary interference in China's internal affairs." In its readout of the meeting, the State Department said Mr Blinken "underscored the importance of responsibly managing the competition between the United States and the PRC through open channels of communication to ensure competition does not veer into conflict," using the acronym for the People's Republic of China. In the first round of talks on Sunday, Mr Blinken met for nearly six hours with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, after which both countries said they had agreed to continue high-level discussions. Both the US and China said Qin had accepted an invitation from Mr Blinken to visit Washington but Beijing made clear that "the China-U.S. relationship is at the lowest point since its establishment." That sentiment is widely shared by U.S. officials. In his meetings, Mr Blinken also pressed the Chinese to release detained American citizens and to take steps to curb the production and export of fentanyl precursors that are fueling the opioid crisis in the United States. Since the cancellation of Mr Blinken's trip in February, there have been some high-level engagements. CIA chief William Burns traveled to China in May, while China's commerce minister traveled to the US And Mr Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with senior Chinese foreign policy adviser Wang Yi in Vienna in May. But those have been punctuated by bursts of angry rhetoric from both countries over the Taiwan Strait, their broader intentions in the Indo-Pacific, China's refusal to condemn Russia for its war against Ukraine, and US allegations from Washington that Beijing is attempting to boost its worldwide surveillance capabilities, including in Cuba. And, earlier this month, China's defense minister rebuffed a request from US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin for a meeting on the sidelines of a security symposium in Singapore, a sign of continuing discontent. Read More White House attempts to explain Biden’s ‘God save the Queen’ remark Trump rants on Truth Social over poll showing him losing to Biden These House Republicans opposed making Juneteenth a holiday two years ago International news organisations condemn Tory conference ‘tax’ on journalism Pre-historic long-necked reptiles were decapitated by their predators – study Buttigieg says US 'green corridors' initiative key to cutting shipping industry emissions

When President Joe Biden on Friday closed out a speech to gun control advocates by exclaiming, “God save the Queen, man,” confused members of the White House press corps wondered what, exactly, the president meant. Was he speaking of Her Late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away in September 2022 after a full seven decades on the throne of the United Kingdom and 14 other commonwealth reams — the longest reign of any British monarch and of any female monarch in recorded history? Or was he referring to Queen Camilla, who in May was crowned alongside her husband, King Charles III? Perhaps he was not referring to any British queen, but was instead speaking of the leader who took Elizabeth II’s place as the longest-serving European monarch, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark? According to the White House, the correct answer is: None of the above. Deputy Press Secretary Olivia Dalton clarified the situation slightly late on Friday by telling reporters who were travelling with the president that Mr Biden was merely “commenting to someone in the crowd”. Ms Dalton did not add anything further on who the president was responding to or what prompted the strange remark. Yet Mr Biden, a proud Irishman who was accused of harbouring anti-British sentiments after he followed the example of previous American presidents by not personally attending the 6 May coronation, has previously expressed the same pro-British sentiment at a key moment in recent US history. When, as vice president, he presided over the January 2017 counting of electoral votes which confirmed former president Donald Trump’s surprise 2016 election victory, Mr Biden made the exact same remark in jest to then-House Speaker Paul Ryan after gavelling the counting session to a close. Read More Trump rants on Truth Social over poll showing him losing to Biden Blinken says US ‘doesn’t support Taiwan independence’ in visit to ease relations with China These House Republicans opposed making Juneteenth a holiday two years ago

Vice President Kamala Harris said Monday that the story of Juneteenth is "the story of our ongoing fight to realize America's promise -- not for some, but for all."

The collapse of the terraUSD stablecoin and the associated Luna token rocked cryptocurrency markets.

The Blue Jays need to replace Alek Manoah in their starting rotation after his struggles this year. They will turn to the trade block to do so.The Toronto Blue Jays are one of the best teams in the MLB. They have a glaring problem with their roster though. They're missing a starting pitcher...

The artist behind a flattering courtroom sketch of Donald Trump has defended his controversial depiction of the former president. William J Hennessy Jr was one of three artists who drew Mr Trump, 77, during his arraignment in Miami on 13 June on 37 federal counts related to willful mishandling classified documents, obstruction of justice and making false statements. The sketch of a slimmed down, youthful-looking Mr Trump standing bolt upright provoked protests on social media for being overly generous to the defendant. “Is this William J Hennessy Jr’s audition to do Trumps official White House portrait?” quipped one person. “That last sketch of Trump looks almost exactly like the recent photo of his son Barron,” another tweeted. A third person commented that “they got Trump looking like ‘Prince of Tides’ Nick Nolte in this sketch.” Mr Hennessy told the Boston Globe he was bemused by the strong response, which he said had been about half positive and half critical. “It’s rare I get any kind of feedback,” Mr Hennessy told the news site. “Some said he looked too thin, too young, and some said he looked too good.” He told the Globe the court appearance had been “pretty stressful” to cover. Journalists reported waiting in line for 24 hours to get a seat in the courtroom. “I don’t editorialise,” he said. “I just draw what I see.” Other sketches during Mr Trump’s arraignment showed the 45th president hunched over with his arms folded and a scowl on his face. Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty to all the counts, and has denounced the investigation as a political “witch hunt”. When Mr Trump appeared for arraignment in New York in April on charges relating to falsifying business records around hush money payments during the 2016 presidential campaign, he told officers he weighed 240 pounds (109 kgs). Read More Trump news – live: Bill Barr slams Trump’s ‘absurd’ classified papers defence as ex-attorney quits CNN lawsuit Attorney General Garland keeps poker face as firestorm erupts after Trump charges Fox News quietly changes headline after White House accused network of lying about Pride flag Why aren’t more Republicans attacking Trump like Bill Barr? Trump news – live: Bill Barr slams Trump’s ‘absurd’ classified papers defence as ex-attorney quits CNN lawsuit

SYDNEY, June 20 Australia's central bank's decision to hike interest rates in June was "finely balanced" but judged

The Chicago White Sox look like a team that won't be making a return to the postseason for the first time since 2021. Here are five of the team's most likely trade candidates.The Chicago White Sox looked like a team that could do some damage in the postseason just a couple of years ago...

Former president Donald Trump reacted angrily when Fox News host Bret Baier confronted him and old him that he had lost the 2020 presidential election. Mr Baier asked how he would win back independen suburban female voters who have drifted from the Republican Party. The twice-indicted and twice-impeached former president responded by repeating the lie that he did not lose the 2020 presidential election. “First of all, I won in 2020,” he said. “Let’s get that straight. I won in 2020.” Mr Baier interrupted Mr Trump’s tirade to try and correct him even as Mr Trump continued. The former president repeated lies about footage that allegedly shows people stuffing ballot boxes. “You lost the 2020 election,” Mr Baier said. “There were lawsuits, more than 50 of them, by your lawyers, some of them in front of judges, judges that you appointed that came up with no evidence.” Mr Trump repeated his claims throughout the interview and falsely claimed that the state of Wisconsin “practically admitted it was rigged.” Mr Baier countered that investigations did no show widespread voter fraud. “They found fewer than 475 cases,” he said. “They were counting ballots, not the authenticity of the ballot,” Mr Trump said. “The ballots were fake ballots. This was a very rigged election.” Mr Baier then tried to circle back to his original question and ask Mr Trump if this is how he would make a case to the aforementioned indpendent suburban female voter. “We’re off to winning an election, and I think we’re winning very well,” he said. Mr Baier’s challenge to Mr Trump’s claims about the election being stolen came after Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems settled a lawsuit that the company which makes voting machines had filed against the cable news giant for $787.5m. Dominion had filed the lawsuit and claimed that the network defamed the company by giving a platform to conspiracy theorists who spread lies that Dominion engaged in widespread voter fraud and that Fox failed to challenge the lies about the company. Shortly after the settlement, the cable news giant parted ways with Tucker Carlson, one of its most-watched hosts. Mr Carlson had repeatedly parroted lies about the 2020 presidential election. Mr Trump is also currently facing an investigation led by the district attorney of Fulton County, Georgia, for his attempts to overturn the election in that state in 2020. Mr Tump’s interview with Mr Baier was the first one that he conducted with the Rupert Murdoch-owned network since his arraignment in a federal court in Miami. Mr Trump pleaded not guilty to the 37 charges that an indictment that a grand jury supervised by Special Counsel Jack Smith handed down. Mr Smith is also in charge of investigating Mr Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, including his actions on and leading up to the January 6 riot wherein supporters of Mr Trump broke into the US Capitol to prevent the certification of the 2020 presidential election results. Read More Donald Trump Jr facing calls to be banned from Australia Trump news – live: Trump denies ever having ‘Iran’ paper despite recording, as Fox confronts him over 2020 Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement