New York CNN Business —

You’ll soon be able to sign up for a cheaper version of Netflix with ads — though that option is still in its “early days.”

Netflix will partner with Microsoft on this new ad-supported subscription plan, the two companies announced Wednesday.

The partnership follows the surprising announcement in April that Netflix (NFLX) would be open to adding a lower priced ad-supported tier to its service — something its CEO Reed Hastings resisted for years. But the company is going through one of the roughest periods in its 25-year history, after losing subscribers in the first quarter for the first time in more than a decade.

The timing of the ad tier’s launch has not been formally announced, but the New York Times reported in May that Netflix told employees it may come by the end of 2022.

Netflix said Wednesday that the move is in “very early days” and that the company has “much to work through” when it comes to introducing an ad tier to its 221.6 million subscribers globally.

Microsoft’s formidable ad sales unit will bring that new tier to life. Greg Peters, Netflix’s chief operating officer and chief product officer said Wednesday in a statement that “Microsoft offered the flexibility to innovate” in both technology and sales, as well as pledged strong privacy protections for Netflix members.

Netflix’s “long-term goal is clear: More choice for consumers and a premium, better-than-linear TV brand experience for advertisers,” he added.

In April, Netflix reported that it lost 200,000 subscribers in the first quarter of 2022 and that it expects to lose another 2 million in the second quarter. That news sparked a stock decline — and spooked investors about not only the future of Netflix, but about the entire streaming business overall.

Netflix reports second-quarter earnings on Tuesday, and all eyes will be on its subscription numbers.


This is the weekly edition of CNN’s coronavirus newsletter. Look out for your roundup every Wednesday. If you haven’t subscribed yet, sign up here.

CNN —

In the meantime, vaccine makers Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax have already been testing updated versions of their vaccines, including some bivalent vaccines that target Omicron variants.

Repeated Covid-19 waves have left millions of people dead, with only vaccines helping to blunt the toll. Now the virus is spreading again — evolving, escaping immunity and driving an uptick in cases and hospitalizations. The latest version of its shape-shifting, BA.5, is a clear sign that the pandemic is far from over.

The newest offshoot of Omicron, along with a closely related variant, BA.4, are fueling a global surge in cases — 30% over the past fortnight, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

In Europe, the Omicron subvariants are powering a spike in cases of about 25%, though Dr. Michael Ryan, the executive director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Program, has said that number may actually be higher, given the “almost collapse in testing.” BA.5 is on the march in China, ratcheting anxieties that major cities there may soon re-enforce strict lockdown measures that were only recently lifted. And the same variant has become the dominant strain in the United States, where it accounted for 65% of new infections last week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Video Ad Feedback Dr. Fauci explains why new BA.5 subvariant is concerning 04:58 - Source: CNN

“We have been watching this virus evolve rapidly. We’ve been planning and preparing for this moment. And the message that I want to get across to the American people is this: BA.5 is something we’re closely monitoring, and most importantly, we know how to manage it,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House’s Covid-19 response coordinator, in a news briefing on Tuesday.

On the same day, WHO’s Emergency Committee said Covid-19 remained a Public Health Emergency of International Concern — its highest level of alert, first declared on January 20, 2020 — amid rising cases, ongoing viral mutation and increasing pressure on already overstretched health systems. In a statement, the committee, which is made up of independent experts, highlighted challenges to the ongoing global Covid-19 response, including a drop-off in testing and spotty genome sequencing, raising the question of just how accurately any nation might reasonably be able to monitor BA.5.

Official data dramatically undercount the true number of infections in the US, epidemiologists say, leaving the nation with a critical blind spot as the most transmissible coronavirus variant yet takes hold. Some experts think there could be as many as 1 million new infections every day in the broader US population — 10 times higher than the official count.

As for how to manage the new wave, Jha urged Americans aged 50 and older to get second booster shots. Adults who are up to date with vaccinations are less likely to be hospitalized than those who are unvaccinated. But only about one in four adults in the US over 50 have gotten their recommended second boosters, data collected by the CDC show.

US health officials are urgently working on a plan to allow second Covid-19 boosters for all adults, a senior White House official confirmed to CNN on Monday, amid fears that younger adults’ immunity may be waning as Covid-19 cases rise with the dominance of BA.5.

“We’ve got Covid, then a wedding, then Covid, then a vacation, then Covid.”

What makes BA.5 different? Eric Topol, a cardiologist and professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research, has called BA.5 “the worst version of the virus we’ve seen.” He explained in a recent newsletter: “It takes immune escape, already extensive, to the next level, and, as a function of that, enhanced transmissibility,” well beyond earlier versions of Omicron.

In other words, BA.5 can easily evade immunity from previous infections and vaccines, increasing the risk of reinfection. Though the variant does not appear to lead to more severe illness, in an interview with CNN on Monday, Topol said that given the extent of BA.5’s immune evasion, he expects to see an escalation in hospitalizations, as we’ve seen in Europe and elsewhere that the variant has taken root. “One good thing is it doesn’t appear to be accompanied by the ICU admissions and the deaths as previous variants, but this is definitely concerning,” he added.

Public health experts in the US may take some solace from the trajectory of the variant in Europe. WHO’s Ryan said last week that while many European countries are experiencing a jump in hospitalizations, “what we’re not seeing is an increase in intensive care unit admissions, so the vaccines are very much still working and it is those gaps in immunity that are causing the problem.”

But still, steep reductions in Covid-19 surveillance worldwide are hindering epidemiologists’ efforts as they race to trace the virus’ evolution.

“Sub-variants of Omicron, like BA.4 and BA.5, continue to drive waves of cases, hospitalization and death around the world,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a media briefing on Tuesday. “Surveillance has reduced significantly – including testing and sequencing – making it increasingly difficult to assess the impact of variants on transmission, disease characteristics, and the effectiveness of counter-measures.”

US President Joe Biden said he believes the Covid-19 pandemic is “over,” even as the country continues to see around 400 deaths a day. In a Sunday interview on CBS’ “60 minutes,” the President acknowledged the US still has a “problem” with the virus – which has killed more than 1 million Americans – but said that, to his mind, “the pandemic is over.”

YOU ASKED. WE ANSWERED.

Q: Is there a link between Covid and mental health?

A: You may have up to a 50% higher risk of developing long Covid if you suffer from common psychiatric issues, a recent study found.

“I don’t think that most people should have to change their daily activities, but I do think people need to be aware of their risk of contracting Covid-19 if they don’t take additional precautions,” Wen said. The question to ask yourself, she added, is this: How much do I want to continue to avoid infection?

For individuals who want to reduce their risk, Wen advises that they stay up to date with their boosters (in the US, everyone age 5 and older can receive a first booster, and those 50 and older can receive a second booster for a total of four shots). She also recommends wearing a high-quality N95 mask or equivalent in indoor, crowded settings, and staying outside for large gatherings as much as possible — something easier to do in the summertime.

“For those who find masks uncomfortable, I’d encourage mask-wearing in the highest-risk settings — for example, mask while in a crowded security line at the airport and during boarding and deplaning,” she said.

Send your questions here. Are you a health care worker fighting Covid-19? Message us on WhatsApp about the challenges you’re facing: +1 347-322-0415.

READS OF THE WEEK

Earlier this year, an 11-year-old snow leopard at Miller Park Zoo in Bloomington, Illinois died after contracting the virus. The leopard, Rilu, also developed pneumonia before death, zoo officials said.

Beijing last week announced a Covid-19 vaccine mandate for residents wanting to enter public venues, becoming the first city in mainland China to do so as it attempts to contain the spread of BA.5, Nectar Gan writes. Those who are “not suitable” for vaccination will be exempt from the requirement, a city official said, without clarifying how they can provide the proof needed for exemption.

The vaccine mandate comes as Beijing reported three cases of the highly contagious Omicron subvariant. Several Chinese cities have imposed new curbs after detecting BA.5. Shanghai, which only recently emerged from a two-month lockdown, identified its first case on Friday and will perform two rounds of Covid tests this week. An outbreak of BA.5 has already shut down the northwestern city of Xi’an, home to 13 million people, where entertainment, sports and religious venues have been closed, and restaurants limited to takeaway and delivery services.

Casinos in the gambling hub of Macao were ordered to shut for the first time since February 2020 because of a Covid outbreak, sending shares of their operating companies plunging, and fears of new lockdowns in Shanghai undermined the broader China market. Chinese stocks remained under pressure after Monday’s sell-off fueled by the threat of new Covid restrictions, especially the tech sector, Laura He reports.

People stand in line at a coronavirus testing site in Beijing on July 4. Andy Wong/AP

Drug-resistant infections and deaths have risen among hospital patients

The US had made significant progress in fighting drug-resistant infections in recent years. But those gains were largely erased during the Covid-19 pandemic, with hospital-acquired infections and resulting deaths rising 15% in 2020, according to new data, Deidre McPhillips reports.

A special report released Tuesday by the CDC found that more than 29,400 people died from antimicrobial-resistant infections in the first year of the pandemic — nearly 40% of those deaths were among people who got the infection while in the hospital. The full number is probably even higher, given that data for half of the 18 pathogens identified as threats are unavailable or delayed.

WHO has called antimicrobial resistance a “silent pandemic,” and drug-resistant infections were linked to nearly 5 million deaths globally in 2019. The Covid-19 pandemic probably contributed to the increased risk in the US, particularly because many people delayed care or left infections untreated — either because of closed clinics or fear of exposing themselves to Covid-19 — which can increase the risk of developing drug resistance.

Pulse oximeters don’t work as well for people of color

Often when Dr. Thomas Valley sees a new patient in the intensive care unit at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor, he clamps a pulse oximeter on their finger — one of the many devices he uses to gauge their health and what course of care they require, whether they are a child having seizures, a teenage car accident victim or an older person with Covid-19.

But recently, Valley, an assistant professor in the University of Michigan’s Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, realized that the small device may yield less accurate oxygen readings in patients with dark skin. If the device isn’t calibrated correctly, the darker pigmentation can affect how the light is absorbed by the sensor, leading to flawed oxygen readings and patients being discharged when they shouldn’t.

TOP TIP

The man began taking more than 20 over-the-counter supplements every day, including 50,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D three times a day, after a visit with a private nutritionist. That’s a dose “375 times the recommended amount” in the UK, said the report’s coauthor and endocrinologist at William Harvey Hospital, Dr. Alamin Alkundi. Within a month, the man began suffering from nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea and repeated bouts of vomiting, along with cramping in the legs and ringing in the ears.

Edith Bracho-Sanchez, director of pediatric telemedicine and assistant professor of pediatrics at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, didn’t think she’d be an anxious mom. But that changed when she had her son. “I stress over every decision I make for William. I make long pro and con lists, I discuss everything with my partner, sleep on things and ultimately, I pray,” she wrote in a recent column for CNN.

Knowing how difficult it is to make decisions — big and small — she said she understood why some parents might struggle with the choice to vaccinate their children against Covid-19. This is why she says she did it, and her advice to anxious new moms like her:

First, Covid-19 is an unpredictable illness. While most children have minor symptoms and recover well, many have landed in hospitals and emergency rooms, and to date, more than 400 children under the age of 5 have died from the illness in the US alone, according to the CDC. We also don’t yet fully understand the long-term effects of the disease.

Second, I know the vaccine is in the body for a short period of time and with a specific mission. It instructs the body to make protective antibodies against Covid-19, and the body’s own cellular mechanisms quickly break it down soon after. Because of this, there really is no plausible way it will interfere with my little William’s development, something about which I am constantly thinking.

LISTEN TO OUR PODCAST

Keep up to date with your Covid vaccines this fall, especially if you are 50 or older.


CNN —

Sri Lanka has plunged into chaos and its president has fled to Singapore, before emailing his resignation, as questions swirl about the country’s future.

Embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa arrived in Singapore on a flight from Maldives on Thursday, according to a high-ranking security source in Colombo. He had been in Maldives for just over 24 hours after fleeing Sri Lanka’s commercial capital on Wednesday – the same day he was meant to resign after he pledged to step down following huge protests against his rule at the weekend.

Singapore confirmed that Rajapaksa had landed and been allowed to enter the country on a “private visit” but had not asked for or been granted asylum.

Rajapaksa then tendered his resignation in a letter sent by email to parliamentary speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardenena, according to the speaker’s office, though the office also cautioned “we cannot accept such an email at face value.”

Here’s what we know.

Sri Lankan protesters chant slogans after taking control of the Prime Minister's office in Colombo on July 13. Abhishek Chinnappa/Getty Images

Where is the president?

Rajapaksa had been expected to resign on Wednesday, clearing the way for new leadership. Instead he and his wife boarded a military plane in the early hours of Wednesday and fled from Colombo to Maldives.

The plane had been refused permission to land in Maldives until former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed – now speaker of the Maldivian Parliament – intervened, according to a high-ranking security official. A spokesperson for Nasheed did not confirm or deny the intervention.

Maldives and Sri Lanka are close neighbors – the Maldivian capital Male is just a 90-minute flight from Colombo. And Nasheed and the Rajapaksas have a history of cooperation. In 2012, amid anti-government protests in the Maldives, Nasheed and his wife sought political shelter in Sri Lanka, then led by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the current president’s brother.

The Maldivian government didn’t confirm Rajapaksa’s presence in the country, but Sri Lankans living in Maldives took to the streets of Male anyway on Wednesday to protest his reported arrival.

Photos from the Maldives capital show a crowd of people holding the Sri Lanka flag, and signs reading: “Throw him out here” and “Dear Maldivian friends, please urge your government not to safeguard criminals.”

Sri Lankans living in Maldives stage a demonstration in Male on July 13. AFP/Getty Images

On Thursday, Rajapaksa left Maldives for the Southeast Asian city-state of Singapore, a senior military source familiar with the matter told CNN. The president left on a “Saudi flight,” the source said.

CNN believes the source was referring to Saudia flight 788, which left Male at 11:30 a.m. local time Thursday. Saudia is the flag carrier of Saudi Arabia. CNN has reached out to Saudia but has not heard back.

Rajapaksa landed in Singapore later on Thursday, and its Foreign Ministry released a statement that read: “It is confirmed that Mr. Rajapaksa has been allowed entry into Singapore on a private visit. He has not asked for asylum and neither has he been granted any asylum. Singapore generally does not grant requests for asylum.”

A Saudia airline Boeing 787 Dreamliner believed to be carrying Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa arrives at Changi Airport in Singapore on July 14. Roslan Rahman/AFP/Getty Images

Is Rajapaksa still the president?

Sri Lanka’s parliamentary speaker, Abeywardenena, has received an email with Rajapaksa’s resignation, the speaker’s office confirmed to CNN Thursday, but added that the “legality of it needs to be ascertained.”

It has been shared with the relevant authorities for the verification of the same,” the office said. “Once we have official confirmation and it is legally verified, we hope to make a statement regarding it tomorrow [Friday] morning.”

Abeywardenena’s office added that it is expecting to receive a paper copy of the letter, but that would take longer as it would be sent from Singapore.

Rajapaksa’s resignation would only be considered official once the speaker receives a letter of resignation, according to the country’s constitution.

A new president was set to be elected on July 20 after the resumption of parliament on July 16 – though that timeline is now on hold.

Rajapaksa’s departure is a historic moment for the island nation, which his family had ruled with an iron fist for much of the past two decades before losing the faith of their once adoring citizens.

Sri Lankan protesters occupy the prime minister's office in Colombo on July 13. Tharaka Basnayaka/NurPhoto/Getty Images

What’s going on with the protests?

Colombo appeared calm on Thursday after several days of escalating protests, with a curfew declared from noon until 5 a.m. on Friday.

Last weekend’s demonstrations were among the most dramatic seen so far, with protesters setting fire to Wickremesinghe’s private residence in an affluent neighborhood, and swimming in Rajapaksa’s private pool.

On Wednesday, hundreds of demonstrators broke into the compound of the prime minister’s office in Colombo following a standoff with armed police. Protesters also entered the premises of state broadcaster Sri Lanka Rupavahini.

A protester runs for cover from a tear gas canister during a protest in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 13. Abhishek Chinnappa/Getty Images

Photos from Wednesday show crowds of protesters crammed into the prime minister’s office, waving the Sri Lankan flag and singing. Some flooded out onto the balconies and flung open windows, raising their fists at the crowd gathered below.

Police responded with tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds. Photos show protesters covering their faces with face masks, bandannas and plastic goggles; some picked up tear gas canisters to throw back toward police.

At least 75 people were injured during the protests Wednesday, according to the National Hospital in Colombo. Many people were brought in due to tear gas inhalation, others with cuts and bruises likely from trying to jump over fences, according to a nurse at the hospital.

One police officer was seriously injured during the protests Wednesday and was rushed to hospital where he was receiving treatment, Sri Lankan police said Thursday. An army sergeant was also injured in scuffles with protesters, police added.

During this incident, protesters took a T-56 rifle and two clips of live ammunition, containing 60 rounds each, police said. Police were looking for the service weapon and ammunition to bring it back into police custody.

As the demonstrations escalated, Wickremesinghe’s office declared a state of emergency – later canceled – and a nighttime curfew. He also appointed a committee of senior armed forces commanders to coordinate ground troops across Sri Lanka, and to “restore law and order.”

What caused the crisis?

Sri Lanka, located just off the coast of India, has been rocked by ongoing protests for months over its worst financial crisis in seven decades.

The country’s foreign exchange reserves plummeted to record lows, with dollars running out to pay for essential imports including food, medicine and fuel – leaving millions unable to feed their families, fuel their cars or access basic medicine.

Frequent and largely peaceful protests have been held since March, with rising public anger over food costs, electricity cuts, and the government’s handling of the crisis. Protesters have demanded the resignations of both Rajapaksa and Wickremesinghe.

The crisis has been years in the making, said experts, who point to a series of government decisions that compounded external shocks.

Over the past decade, the Sri Lankan government has borrowed vast sums of money from foreign lenders to fund public services, said Murtaza Jafferjee, chair of Colombo-based think tank Advocata Institute.

This borrowing spree coincided with a series of blows to the Sri Lankan economy, from both natural disasters like monsoons and man-made catastrophes, including a government ban on chemical fertilizers that decimated farmers’ harvests.

Facing a massive deficit, Rajapaksa slashed taxes in a doomed attempt to stimulate the economy. But the move backfired, instead hitting government revenue. That prompted rating agencies to downgrade Sri Lanka to near default levels, meaning the country lost access to overseas markets.

Sri Lanka then had to fall back on its foreign exchange reserves to pay off government debt, shrinking its reserves. This impacted imports of fuel and other essentials, which sent prices soaring.

Topping all that, the government in March floated the Sri Lankan rupee – meaning its price was determined based on the demand and supply of foreign exchange markets. However, the plunging of the rupee against the US dollar only made things worse for ordinary Sri Lankans.

Colombo, Sri Lanka CNN —

Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday said he was willing to resign and make way for an all-party government to take over, shortly after protesters reportedly breached his official residence in Colombo during demonstrations over the country’s worsening economic crisis.

“To ensure the continuation of the Government including the safety of all citizens I accept the best recommendation of the Party Leaders today, to make way for an All-Party Government,” Wickremesinghe wrote on Twitter.

“To facilitate this I will resign as Prime Minister.”

His statement came after a meeting of party leaders, held by Sri Lanka’s parliament speaker, agreed to ask both the President and Prime Minister to resign per an “overwhelming request,” Sri Lankan lawmaker Rauff Hakeem tweeted on Saturday.

Wickremesinghe has not yet submitted his letter of resignation to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Sri Lanka’s Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena says President Rajapaksa has informed him he will resign on July 13, the speaker’s office announced late Saturday.

The announcement comes after the Speaker asked the President to resign following a meeting of party leaders.

Anger reached unprecedented levels in the South Asian nation of 22 million on Saturday, as more than 100,000 people massed outside Rajapaksa’s residence, calling for his resignation.

Video broadcast on Sri Lankan television and on social media showed the protesters enter the President’s House – Rajapaksa’s office and residence in the commercial capital – after breaking through security cordons placed by police. Images show demonstrators inside the building and hanging banners from the balcony, as well as swimming in the residence’s pool.

People protest outside the prime minister's office in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Wednesday, July 13. AFP/Getty Images A man sits in a chair inside the prime minister's office on Wednesday. Rafiq Maqbool/AP Protesters celebrate after they entered the prime minister's office on Wednesday. Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters Protesters shout slogans outside the prime minister's office. Adnan Abidi/Reuters People celebrate after entering the prime minister's office. Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters Protesters storm the prime minister's office. Rafiq Maqbool/AP People help a protester who was affected by tear gas on Wednesday. Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters People protest outside the prime minister's office. Arun Sankar/AFP/Getty Images Protesters wave the national flag after entering the prime minister's office. Rafiq Maqbool/AP A man throws a cone amid tear gas on Wednesday. Arun Sankar/AFP/Getty Images Protesters on Wednesday demanded that neither the president nor the prime minister "be spared." Eranga Jayawardena/AP A protester pours water on a man outside the prime minster's office. Adnan Abidi/Reuters People help an injured protester in Colombo on Wednesday. Buddhika Weerasinghe/Bloomberg via Getty Images Protesters break down the gate to the prime minister's office on Wednesday. Adnan Abidi/Reuters Hundreds of protesters breached the compound of the prime minister's office on Wednesday. Adnan Abidi/Reuters A protester takes a selfie near a swimming pool inside the presidential palace in Colombo on Wednesday. Protesters broke into that building over the weekend. Abhishek Chinnappa/Getty Images Tear gas is used to disperse protesters at the prime minister's office on Wednesday. Buddhika Weerasinghe/Bloomberg/Getty Images Soldiers patrol near the official residence of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Tuesday. Rafiq Maqbool/AP Crowds gather at the president's office in Colombo on Tuesday. Thilina Kaluthotage/NurPhoto/Shutterstock A man waves Sri Lanka's national flag after climbing a tower in Colombo on Monday. Arun Sankar/AFP/Getty Images Members of the police stand guard in front of the police headquarters in Colombo during a protest on Monday. Arun Sankar/AFP/Getty Images On Monday, two days after protesters stormed the President's House in Colombo, people continued to flock to the capitol to see the palace. Thilina Kaluthotage/NurPhoto/Reuters People protest inside the President's House on Saturday. Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters More than 100,000 people amassed outside the President's House on Saturday, police said. Tharaka Basnayaka/NurPhoto/Getty Images Protesters swim in the pool at the President's House on Saturday. AFP/Getty Images An injured protester is carried away to an ambulance on Saturday. Tharaka Basnayaka/NurPhoto/Getty Images People sit on a bed inside the President's House. AFP/Getty Images Firefighters work inside the private residence of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe after protesters set it on fire on Saturday. M.A. Pushpa Kumara/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images A Buddhist monk takes part in Saturday's protest. Pradeep Dambarage/NURPHO/Associated Press Police fired water and tear gas to disperse protesters gathering in the street leading to the President's House. Pradeep Dambarage/NURPHO/Associated Press A protester reacts to tear gas that was used by police near the President's House on Saturday. Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters Firefighters try to douse a fire at the prime minister's private residence on Saturday. Eranga Jayawardana/AP Protesters run from tear gas used by police near the president's residence on Saturday. Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters People gather inside the President's House. AFP/Getty Images Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in recent months, calling for the country's leaders to resign over accusations of economic mismanagement. In several major cities, including Colombo, hundreds are forced to line up for hours to buy fuel, sometimes clashing with police and the military as they wait. AFP/Getty Images Police use a water cannon as they try to disperse protesters Saturday in Colombo. Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters Protesters carry an injured man on Saturday. AFP/Getty Images Demonstrators celebrate after entering the President's House on Saturday. Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters Police use tear gas to disperse protesters Saturday. Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters A protester stands above the crowd at the President's House on Saturday. Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters Tear gas is fired during Saturday's chaotic scene in Colombo. Amitha Thennakoon/AP Protesters gather inside the President's House on Saturday. Pradeep Dambarage/NURPHO/AP Police use tear gas to disperse university students protesting in Colombo on Friday. Pradeep Dambarage/NurPhoto/Getty Images Police stand behind a barricade during a protest near the President's House on Friday. Tharaka Basnayaka/NurPhoto/Getty Images A man holds up his phone during protests in Colombo on Friday. Pradeep Dambarage/NurPhoto/AP A Catholic priest and a nun shout slogans during a protest near the President's House on Friday. Tharaka Basnayaka/NurPhoto/Getty Images A man has his eyes flushed with water after tear gas was dispersed on protesters in Colombo on Friday. Pradeep Dambarage/NurPhoto/Getty Images Police fire tear gas at university students during a protest on Friday. Tharaka Basnayaka/NURPHO/Associated Press A university student shouts slogans on top of a barricade during a protest Friday. Tharaka Basnayaka/NurPhoto/Getty Images Prev Next

Rajapaksa is not at the site and has been moved elsewhere, security officials told CNN. It is unclear how many security personnel are present at the location.

Protesters then also breached Wickremesinghe’s official residence in Colombo, known as Temple Trees, according to local media reports, while video of protesters entering the gates to Wickremesinghe’s residence circulated on social media on Saturday.

Demonstrators also broke into Wickremesinghe’s private residence, on Fifth Lane, and set it on fire, according to his office. Live video streamed by local media and seen by CNN showed the residence engulfed in flames as crowds gathered at the scene.

Wickremesinghe was not there at the time it was breached: He had been moved earlier to a secure location, his office said.

If both Wickremesinghe and Rajapaksa resign, under the Sri Lankan constitution, the speaker of parliament will serve as acting president for a maximum of 30 days. Meanwhile, parliament will elect a new President within 30 days from one of its members who will hold the office for the remaining two years of the current term.

It is unclear how many security personnel are at the Sri Lankan leader's official residence, where more than 100,000 amassed outside, police said. News Cutter/Reuters

Protesters enter the pool in the presidential house in Sri Lanka. WhatsApp

At least 55 people have been injured in the protests, according to Dr. Pushpa Zoysa with the National Hospital of Sri Lanka, who said the figure included three people with gunshot wounds. Among those injured is a lawmaker from eastern Sri Lanka, she added.

Earlier Saturday, Wickremesinghe called an emergency meeting of party leaders to discuss the current situation and come to a resolution, his office said. He also asked the Speaker of Parliament to summon MPs.

Financial crisis triggers unrest

Sri Lanka is suffering its worst financial crisis in recent history, leaving millions struggling to buy food, medicine and fuel.

Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters

Demonstrators run from tear gas used by police during a protest demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa near the president's residence in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Saturday. Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters

A police curfew that was earlier imposed in several police divisions in the Western Province of Sri Lanka was lifted on Saturday. Several politicians and the Bar Association in Sri Lanka referred to the curfew as being “illegal,” saying there had been no instances of violence to justify imposing the measure.

In a statement Saturday, the Bar Association called on Rajapaksa to “consider whether he can continue” in light of the protesters storming the President’s House. It also urged the government and MPs “to immediately ensure that political stability of the nation is secured forthwith. There should be no delay in ensuring such transition.”

Tens of thousands have taken to the streets in recent months, calling for the country’s leaders to resign over accusations of economic mismanagement.

In several major cities, including Colombo, hundreds are forced to queue for hours to buy fuel, sometimes clashing with police and the military as they wait.

On Saturday, crowds of anti-government demonstrators protested outside a stadium in Sri Lanka’s southern coastal city of Galle during the country’s Test cricket match against Australia, the world’s No. 1 ranked team, though the protests didn’t stop play.

Local media showed videos of large crowds protesting against the government outside the Galle International Stadium, which is about a two-hour drive from Colombo. They waved Sri Lankan flags and carried banners with signs reading “Power to the people” and “GotaGoHome” – demanding Rajapaksa step down.

Many protesters then defied a police ban to march to the top of a fort overlooking the stadium grounds, where they continued to hold banners and chant their demands.

Meanwhile, images from Colombo painted a chaotic scene, with pictures showing demonstrators running from tear gas, and clashing with police in body armor.

Schools have been suspended and fuel has been limited to essential services. Patients are unable to travel to hospitals due to the fuel shortage and food prices are soaring.

Trains have reduced in frequency, forcing travelers to squeeze into compartments and even sit precariously on top of them as they commute to work.

Wickremesinghe said the country had entered talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to revive the country’s economy.

On Tuesday, he told parliament that talks with the IMF were “difficult” as they entered the discussion as a “bankrupt” country, rather than a developing one.

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CNN —

A stellar nursery where stars are born, interactions between galaxies and a unique view of an exoplanet are just some of the new cosmic images were shared Tuesday.

After decades of waiting, it’s finally time for the world to see the first images taken by the most powerful space telescope ever – the James Webb Space Telescope.

Development of the world’s premier space observatory began in 2004, and after years of delays, the telescope and its massive gold mirror finally launched on December 25.

The images are worth the wait – and they will forever change the way we see the universe.

President Joe Biden released one of Webb’s first images on Monday, and it is “the deepest and sharpest infrared image of the distant universe to date,” according to NASA. The rest of the high-resolution color images made their debut on Tuesday.

The space observatory can investigate the mysteries of the universe by observing them through infrared light, which is invisible to the human eye.

Webb will peer into the very atmospheres of exoplanets, some of which are potentially habitable, and it could uncover clues in the ongoing search for life outside of Earth.

The telescope will also look at every phase of cosmic history, including the first glows after the big bang that created our universe and the formation of the galaxies, stars and planets that fill it today.

Now, Webb is ready to help us understand the origins of the universe and begin to answer key questions about our existence, such as where we came from and if we’re alone in the cosmos.

The first images

The first image, released on Monday, shows SMACS 0723, where a massive group of galaxy clusters act as a magnifying glass for the objects behind them. Called gravitational lensing, this created Webb’s first deep field view that includes incredibly old and faint galaxies.

The image of SMACS 0723 is "the deepest and sharpest infrared image of the distant universe to date," according to NASA. NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI

Some of these distant galaxies and star clusters have never been seen before. The galaxy cluster is shown as it appeared 4.6 billion years ago.

The image, taken by Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera, is composed of images taken at different wavelengths of light over a collective 12.5 hours. Deep field observations are lengthy observations of regions of the sky that can reveal faint objects.

Webb’s other primary targets for the first image release included the Carina Nebula, WASP-96 b, the Southern Ring Nebula and Stephan’s Quintet.

Webb’s study of the giant gas planet WASP-96 b is the most detailed spectrum of an exoplanet to date. The spectrum includes different wavelengths of light that reveal new information about the planet and its atmosphere. Discovered in 2014, WASP-96 b is located 1,150 light-years from Earth. It has half the mass of Jupiter and completes an orbit around its star every 3.4 days.

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope captured a spectrum of WASP-96 b. NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI

Webb’s spectrum includes “the distinct signature of water, along with evidence for clouds and haze, in the atmosphere surrounding a hot, puffy gas giant planet orbiting a distant Sun-like star,” according to NASA.

The observation demonstrates “Webb’s unprecedented ability to analyze atmospheres hundreds of light-years away,” according to NASA.

In the future, Webb will capture actual images of known exoplanets while also searching for unknown planets, said Knicole Colón, Webb deputy project scientist for exoplanet science at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, during a news conference. And the spectrium of WASP-96 b is “barely scratching the surface of what we’re going to learn.”

Colón anticipates that scientists will determine just how much water is in the exoplanet’s atmosphere.

The Southern Ring Nebula, also called the “Eight-Burst,” is 2,000 light-years away from Earth. This large planetary nebula includes an expanding cloud of gas around a dying star. Webb helped reveal previously hidden details about the nebula, which is a shell of gas and dust released by the dying star. The nebula’s second star can be seen in the Webb image, as well as how the stars shape the gas and dust cloud.

NASA/ESA/STScl/Aura NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI NASA

The second star is surrounded by dust while the brighter star, at an earlier stage of evolution, will release its own cloud of gas and dust later on. As the two stars orbit one another, they effectively “stir” the gas and dust, resulting in the patterns seen in the image.

The insights from images like this could help astronomers to unlock how stars change their environments as they evolve. Multi-colored points of light in the background represent galaxies.

The space telescope’s view of Stephan’s Quintet shows the way galaxies interact with one another. This compact galaxy group, first discovered in 1877, is located 290 million light-years away in the constellation Pegasus. Four of the five galaxies in the group “are locked in a cosmic dance of repeated close encounters,” according to a NASA statement.

NASA/ESA/Hubble SM4 ERO Team NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI NASA

If you’ve ever watched “It’s a Wonderful Life,” you’ve seen Stephan’s Quintet. Now, Webb has revealed the galactic grouping in a new mosaic which is the telescope’s largest image to date.

“The information from Webb provides new insights into how galactic interactions may have driven galaxy evolution in the early universe,” according to NASA.

The Stephan’s Quintet image provides a rare glimpse into how galaxies can trigger star formation in one another when they interact, as well as outflows driven by a black hole at a new level of detail.

The gravitational dance between these galaxies can be seen through tails of gas, dust and stars and even shock waves as one of the galaxies pushes through the cluster.

Located 7,600 light-years away, the Carina Nebula is a stellar nursery, where stars are born. It is one of the largest and brightest nebulae in the sky and home to many stars much more massive than our sun.

Now, its “Cosmic Cliffs” are revealed in an incredible new Webb image.

NASA/ESA/Hubble Heritage Team NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI NASA

Webb’s ability to see through cosmic dust has revealed previously invisible areas of star birth within the nebula, which could provide new insight on the formation of stars. The earliest stages of star formation are harder to capture – but something Webb’s sensitivity can chronicle.

What looks like a landscape in the image is really a massive gaseous cavity with “peaks” reaching 7 light-years high.

“The cavernous area has been carved from the nebula by the intense ultraviolet radiation and stellar winds from extremely massive, hot, young stars located in the center of the bubble, above the area shown in this image,” according to NASA. And what looks like “steam” rising off the “mountains” is hot, energetic gas and dust.

The targets were selected by an international committee, including members from NASA, the European Space Agency, the Canadian Space Agency and the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore.

Video Ad Feedback 'I'm a little verklempt': Analyst breaks down stunning new Webb telescope images 03:50 - Source: CNN

A long future of observation

The mission, originally expected to last for 10 years, has enough excess fuel capability to operate for 20 years, according to NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy.

These will be just the first of many images to come from Webb over the next two decades, which promises to fundamentally alter the way we understand the cosmos.

While some of what Webb could reveal has been anticipated, the unknowns are just as exciting to scientists.

“We don’t know what we don’t know yet,” said Amber Straughn, Webb deputy project scientist for communications at NASA Goddard. “I think it’s true that every time we launch a revolutionary instrument into space, like with Hubble, we learn things that completely surprise us but do cause us to sort of change our fundamental understanding of how the universe works.”

Hubble’s 31 years have yielded a wealth of discoveries that couldn’t be anticipated, and the scientific community views Webb and its capabilities in the same way.

When comparing Webb’s first images to other breakthroughs in astronomy, Webb program scientist and NASA Astrophysics Division chief scientist Eric Smith compared it to seeing Hubble’s images after the telescope was repaired and everything snapped into focus.

“A lot of people sometimes see pictures of space and they think it makes them feel small,” Smith said. “When I see these pictures, they make me feel powerful. A team of people can make this unbelievable instrument to find out things about the universe revealed here, and just seeing that pride in the team, and pride in humanity, that when we want to, we can do that.”

“The universe has (always) been out there,” said Jane Rigby, Webb operations project scientist at NASA Goddard. “We just had to build a telescope to go see what was there. Yeah, very similar feeling of, maybe, people in a broken world managing to do something right and to see some of the majesty that is out there.”


CNN —

It was a good morning for the cast and creative teams of “Succession” and “Ted Lasso.”

The shows on Tuesday earned several nominations in the major categories for the 74th Emmy Awards, which will be held September 12.

“Succession” earned the most nominations of any show, earning a total of 25 nods, including one for outstanding drama, as well as outstanding lead actor nominations for Brian Cox and Jeremy Strong.

“Ted Lasso” led the comedy category, earning 20 nominations, including one for outstanding comedy series. Star Jason Sudeikis earned an outstanding lead actor nomination, while Juno Temple, Brett Goldstein and Hannah Waddingham were among those who earned individual nominations in their respective supporting acting categories. Sarah Niles, Toheeb Jimoh and Nick Mohammed also earned supporting actor nominations.

“White Lotus” was a favorite in the limited series category, earning a total of 20 nominations and an incredible eight nominations in supporting acting categories.

“Hacks” and “Only Murders In the Building” earned 17 nominations each, rounding out the list of top five nominated programs.

See below for a list of nominees in top categories.

Outstanding drama series

“Better Call Saul”

“Euphoria”

“Ozark”

“Severance”

“Squid Game”

“Stranger Things”

“Succession”

“Yellowjackets”

Outstanding comedy series

“Abbott Elementary”

“Barry”

“Curb Your Enthusiasm”

“Hacks”

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”

“Only Murders in the Building”

“Ted Lasso”

“What We Do in the Shadows”

Outstanding limited series

“Dopesick”

“The Dropout”

“Inventing Anna”

“Pam & Tommy”

“The White Lotus”

Outstanding lead actor in a drama series

Brian Cox, “Succession”

Lee Jung-jae, “Squid Game”

Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul”

Adam Scott, “Severance”

Jeremy Strong, “Succession”

Outstanding lead actress in a drama series

Jodie Comer, “Killing Eve”

Laura Linney, “Ozark”

Melanie Lynskey, “Yellowjackets”

Sandra Oh, “Killing Eve”

Reese Witherspoon, “The Morning Show”

Zendaya, “Euphoria”

Outstanding supporting actor in a drama series

Nicholas Braun, “Succession”

Billy Crudup, “The Morning Show”

Kieran Culkin, “Succession”

Park Hae-soo, “Squid Game”

Matthew Macfadyen, “Succession”

John Turturro, “Severance”

Christopher Walken, “Severance”

Oh Yeong-su, “Squid Game”

Outstanding supporting actress in a drama series

Patricia Arquette, “Severance”

Julia Garner, “Ozark”

Jung Ho-yeon, “Squid Game”

Christina Ricci, “Yellowjackets”

Rhea Seehorn, “Better Call Saul”

J. Smith-Cameron, “Succession”

Sarah Snook, “Succession”

Sydney Sweeney, “Euphoria”

Outstanding lead actor in a comedy series

Donald Glover, “Atlanta”

Bill Hader, “Barry”

Nicholas Hoult, “The Great”

Steve Martin, “Only Murders in the Building”

Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building”

Jason Sudeikis, “Ted Lasso”

Outstanding lead actress in a comedy series

Rachel Brosnahan, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”

Quinta Brunson, “Abbott Elementary”

Kaley Cuoco, “The Flight Attendant”

Elle Fanning, “The Great”

Issa Rae, “Insecure”

Jean Smart, “Hacks”

Outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series

Anthony Carrigan, “Barry”

Brett Goldstein, “Ted Lasso”

Toheeb Jimoh, “Ted Lasso”

Nick Mohammed, “Ted Lasso”

Tony Shalhoub, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”

Tyler James Williams, “Abbott Elementary”

Henry Winkler, “Barry”

Bowen Yang, “Saturday Night Live”

Outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series

Alex Borstein, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”

Hannah Einbinder, “Hacks”

Janelle James, “Abbott Elementary”

Kate McKinnon, “Saturday Night Live”

Sarah Niles, “Ted Lasso”

Sheryl Lee Ralph, “Abbott Elementary”

Juno Temple, “Ted Lasso”

Hannah Waddingham, “Ted Lasso”

Outstanding lead actor in a limited series or TV movie

Colin Firth, “The Staircase”

Andrew Garfield, “Under the Banner of Heaven”

Oscar Isaac, “Scenes from a Marriage”

Michael Keaton, “Dopesick”

Himesh Patel, “Station Eleven”

Sebastian Stan, “Pam & Tommy”

Outstanding lead actress in a limited series or TV movie

Toni Collette, “The Staircase”

Julia Garner, “Inventing Anna”

Lily James, “Pam & Tommy”

Sarah Paulson, “Impeachment: American Crime Story”

Margaret Qualley, “Maid”

Amanda Seyfried, “The Dropout”

Outstanding supporting actor in a limited series or TV movie

Murray Bartlett, “The White Lotus”

Jake Lacy, “The White Lotus”

Will Poulter, “Dopesick”

Seth Rogen, “Pam & Tommy”

Peter Sarsgaard, “Dopesick”

Michael Stuhlbarg, “Dopesick”

Steve Zahn, “The White Lotus”

Outstanding supporting actress in a limited series or TV movie

Connie Britton, “The White Lotus”

Jennifer Coolidge, “The White Lotus”

Alexandra Daddario, “The White Lotus”

Kaitlyn Dever, “Dopesick”

Natasha Rothwell, “The White Lotus”

Sydney Sweeney, “The White Lotus”

Mare Winningham, “Dopesick”

Outstanding reality/competition series

“The Amazing Race”

“Top Chef”

“RuPaul’s Drag Race”

“Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls”

“The Voice”

“Nailed It!”

Outstanding variety talk series

“Last Week Tonight With John Oliver”

“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert”

“Late Night With Seth Meyers”

“The Daily Show With Trevor Noah”

“Jimmy Kimmel Live!”


CNN —

Everyone has been found after reports of more than 40 people missing in a rural Virginia county inundated by a torrential downpour that tore homes from their foundations and damaged roads and bridges.

Crews worked overnight and through the morning in the flooded areas to help locate the 44 people who had been reported missing, Buchanan County Sheriff Chief Deputy Eric Breeding said in a news conference Thursday.

“We are happy to report that zero people are unaccounted for in the impact area,” Breeding said. “We’re also happy to report we are at zero fatalities.”

Six inches of rain in just hours Tuesday caused extensive damage in the western Virginia county, CNN meteorologist Robert Shackelford said. “Combined with the fact that the area is mountainous, rainfall is able to collect quickly, and dangerous runoff occurred,” he said.

The “monumental” search effort for missing persons in Buchanan County covered about 30 miles and 400 structures, Virginia Department of Emergency Management search and rescue specialist Billy Chrimes said.

A truck sits on the edge of a river, Thursday, July 14, 2022, in Whitewood, Virginia, after being swept away in a flash flood. Michael Clubb/AP

The state used six teams to assist, according to Chimes. Multiple search operations are ongoing, Chrimes said, “just to make sure that we don’t have anybody else out there.”

Those search efforts are expected to be wrapped up by sometime Thursday afternoon, he added.

The storm was swift and overwhelming, with widespread flooding and road closures reported in just a few hours. Radar estimates indicate 6 inches of rain fell in about four hours starting at 8 p.m. Tuesday, corresponding with a rain event with a 1-in-1,000 chance of happening in a given year.

“We were sitting at this post office over here, and the next thing you know, the house is floating on down through there. We thought it was going to wash off. Two of the houses washed off,” resident Seth Owens told CNN affiliate WCYB.

Virginia’s governor declared a state of emergency to help with recovery efforts.

A house was moved off its foundation after a flash flood, Thursday, July 14, 2022, in Whitewood, Virginia. Michael Clubb/AP

As searches continue, the forecast Thursday and Friday calls for sun, with high temperatures in the lower to mid-80s, ahead of a slight chance of rain Saturday that increases Sunday and Monday, according to the National Weather Service. The damaging storm was among several that lingered Tuesday night over the county and parts of Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia.

This region of Appalachia is among those most prone to flash flooding in the country, with many areas also most at risk because of the growing threat of heavy rain, according to a CNN analysis of a report last year from a nonprofit climate research group, First Street Foundation.

The climate crisis is exacerbating flash flooding, too, by increasing the rate of rainfall or the amount of rain that falls in a short period of time. A warmer atmosphere can hold more water, making extreme rainfall events more likely.

Driveways ‘fell down the mountain’

Events like this, in which massive amounts of water are dumped in a short period of time, “have increased in frequency and intensity in the Southeast,” according to the US government’s latest National Climate Assessment, “and there is high confidence they will continue to increase in the future.”

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for Buchanan County around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. About two hours later, local officials began reporting widespread flooding and road closures.

Chairs and pews sink down in mud inside Baptist Bible Church, Thursday, July 14, 2022, in Whitewood, Virginia, following a flash flood. Michael Clubb/AP

Dominick Fragoso, who lives in Whitewood, said the water rose to his kneecaps.

“One of our neighbors’ driveways completely collapsed and fell down the mountain and fell down the creek,” Fragoso told the station.

The storm system also hit the Greenbrier Campground in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, where more than 400 people were evacuated Wednesday after more than 8 inches of rain fell, said Perrin Anderson, the assistant mayor for governmental affairs in Sevier County.

“Debris and vehicles washed downstream in the Middle Prong of the Little Pigeon River from the campground,” Anderson said.

Debris builds up against a bridge, Thursday, July 14, 2022, in Whitewood, Virginia, following a flash flood. Michael Clubb/AP

More than 100 homes were damaged in southwestern Virginia, said Billy Chrimes, a search and rescue specialist with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

“It’s gonna take time for the access to be restored so we can get in,” Chrimes said.

Roads were blocked by landslides and approaches to bridges were washed out in the storm, he added.

“In the wake of the devastation, I want Virginians in Buchanan County to know that we are making every resource available to help those impacted by this storm,” Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in a statement. “While rescue and recovery continues, please join me in prayer as we lift up our fellow Virginians impacted by this tragedy.”

Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated when the torrential rain fell. It was Tuesday.

Aya Elamroussi Michelle Watson Alaa Elassar


The United States on Monday unveiled a potential new player in the Ukraine war: Iran.

Newly declassified US intelligence indicates that Tehran is preparing to supply Russia with "hundreds" of drones -- including those with weapons capability -- for use in the war in Ukraine, White House officials said.

"Our information further indicates that Iran is preparing to train Russian forces to use these UAVs, with initial training session slated in as soon as early July. It's unclear whether Iran has delivered any of these UAVs to Russia already," national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters at the White House press briefing on Monday.

Sullivan argued that news of Iran supplying the drones is evidence that Russia's attacks against Ukraine in recent weeks are coming at the "severe" cost of depleting of its own weapons.

The announcement has raised eyebrows, and not everyone is convinced that Iran is capable of exporting large quantities of drones. “It's unlikely Iran even has that many operational drones in its own fleet,” tweeted Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, founder of Bourse Bazaar, a London-based think tank. “It also has no experience exporting drones at scale.”

The White House’s claim comes as nuclear talks between Iran and the United States have come to a dead-end, potentially raising the specter of renewed conflict in the Middle East should they fail. But it also comes as Middle East states prepare to launch an alliance of Arab states and Israel, reportedly under US backing, to counter potential threats from Iran. Iran has warned that it views the move as provocative and a threat to its national security.

If Iran is indeed planning to sell arms to Russia for use in its war on Ukraine, it would be essentially inserting itself into a Russian-Western proxy war in NATO’s backyard. The message to the Biden administration is that Tehran too can spread its influence to faraway conflict zones where the US has vested interests.

While Iran’s drones haven’t been known to be sought after by militaries around the world, they do pose a potent threat to its adversaries. They have been an integral part of Iran’s military strategy and have caught the attention of American officials. Last year, Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., the top US commander in the Middle East, told Congress that Iran-linked drones “present a new and complex threat to our forces and those of our partners and allies.” For the first time since the Korean War, “we are operating without complete air superiority,” he said.

Drone warfare was especially important in the early weeks of the Ukrainian conflict, when Turkish-made strike drones were used by the Ukrainian military to great effect. But Russian air defenses now provide greater coverage in the east.

Iranian drones would not be a game changer but might mitigate Russian weaknesses in exploiting UAVs.

Major General Hossein Salaami, the commander of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, said last year that his country possesses drones with a 7,000 kilometer (4,300 mile) range. According to the United States Institute of Peace, Iran’s medium-to-large drones can likely stay in the air for up to 20 hours while carrying fairly sophisticated sensors, payloads and a range of weapons. Some its drones, like those used by Lebanon’s Hezbollah, can carry a payload of up to 150kg, it said.

Iranian drones have been used outside its borders before, but that has largely been in Middle East conflict zones where Tehran can smuggle them to its non-state proxies. They have been effective in Iraq, Yemen and Saudi Arabia, where they were believed by the US to have been used in an attack on Saudi oil facilities in 2019 that saw crude prices soar to a record high. Iran denied launching that attack.

The arrival of Iranian weapons into Europe’s biggest conflict since the Second World War would be a major milestone for Iran’s weapons industry and its status as an arms manufacturer. And it would represent a rare occasion when Tehran’s weapons were being employed not just by a state actor, but one that is a top global military power.

CNN’s Tim Lister contributed to this article.


New York CNN Business —

The God of Thunder still has some pop.

“Thor: Love and Thunder,” the latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, made an estimated $143 million domestically for its opening this weekend, according to Disney (DIS).

That number is on par with industry expectations, which had the film making around $150 million in North America. Despite it not being a record-shattering debut, or even the biggest opening for Marvel this year — which belongs to May’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” — it marks another strong premiere for Hollywood’s most reliable blockbuster franchise.

The film, which has Chris Hemsworth’s Thor team up with Natalie Portman’s The Mighty Thor to fight off an evil force that is killing gods, has made $302 million worldwide so far.

That’s the good news. The not-so-good news is that “Love and Thunder” has garnered mixed reviews from audiences and critics alike.

The film holds a 68% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and earned a “B+” CinemaScore from audiences. Now, a “B+” from ticket buyers is typically not the end of the world, but it’s concerning for Marvel since these movies are specifically built as crowd pleasers.

If the fanbase that sees a Marvel movie on opening weekend is not insanely into what they’re watching, that doesn’t leave a lot of hope for long-term box office growth.

In short, if you’ve failed to energize the opening weekend audience — which would likely enjoy a Marvel film of Thor reading a phone book for two hours — there’s not a lot of places to go from there in terms of box office success in the weeks to come.

For example, May’s “Multiverse of Madness” made $187 million its opening weekend and also had a “B+” audience score. Box office returns dropped 67% in its second weekend and the film was eventually eclipsed by Paramount’s “Top Gun: Maverick,” which has made roughly $600 million domestically thanks in large part to overwhelmingly positive word of mouth.

The lukewarm reactions are also becoming a bit of a trend for the superhero brand recently, with three of its last four films earning a CinemaScore below “A.”

So what’s going on with Marvel?

For starters, the brand may be getting a bit diluted due to a surplus of Disney+ Marvel shows.

“Commercial success, however, doesn’t always directly correlate with quality,” Brian Lowry, CNN’s media critic, wrote on Friday. “A downward drift for the Disney-owned unit raises legitimate questions about whether Marvel’s efforts to feed the parent studio’s streaming service, Disney+, have contributed to diluting its output.”

Also, the movies following the record-breaking success of 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame” have felt a little aimless due to a lack of overarching storylines.

Does this mean Marvel is in trouble? Hardly.

Marvel is still the biggest blockbuster brand in Hollywood with over $25 billion in box office returns worldwide, according to Comscore (SCOR). The studio has the highly anticipated “Black Panther” sequel (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”) set for November and will eventually lay down a one-two punch with the introductions of two of the comic book world’s most notable superhero groups: the Fantastic Four and the X-Men.

Either way, theaters and Hollywood are more than happy to see a big weekend like this as the industry attempts to return to pre-pandemic normalcy at the box office.


CNN —

Inflation surged to a new pandemic-era peak in June, with US consumer prices jumping by 9.1% year-over-year, according to fresh data released Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

That’s the highest level in more than 40 years and higher than the previous reading, when prices rose by 8.6% for the year ended in May. It is also much higher than the 8.8% that economists had predicted, according to Refinitiv.

The Consumer Price Index for June also showed that overall prices that consumers pay for a variety of goods and services rose by 1.3% from May to June.

Much of the June increase was driven by a jump in gasoline prices, which were up nearly 60% over the year. Americans faced record-high gas prices last month, with the national average topping $5 a gallon across the country. Electricity and natural gas prices also rose, by 13.7% and 38.4%, respectively, for the 12-month period ended in June. Overall, energy prices rose by 41.6% year-over- year.

The increases, however, were felt across all categories. Prices for food at home were up 12.2% over the year, with eggs up 33.1%, butter up 21.3%, milk up 16.4%, chicken up 18.6%, and coffee up 15.8%. Shelter costs were up 5.6%.

Tackling inflation is ‘a top priority’

President Joe Biden said Wednesday the June CPI inflation reading was “unacceptably high” but noted that it is “also out of date,” since gas prices have lowered in the last 30 days. Gasoline and crude oil prices are now below $100 per barrel, down from their highs in June.

“Energy alone comprised nearly half of the monthly increase in inflation,” Biden said. “Today’s data does not reflect the full impact of nearly 30 days of decreases in gas prices, that have reduced the price at the pump by about 40 cents since mid-June. Those savings are providing important breathing room for American families. And, other commodities like wheat have fallen sharply since this report.”

Biden also reiterated that tackling inflation is his “top priority.”

The typical American household now needs to spend $493 more per month to buy the same goods and services they did at this time last year, said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics.

And, as prices continue to rise, they’re also outstripping wage gains.

Real average hourly earnings – which represent wage growth adjusted for inflation – slumped 1% from May to June and are down 3.6% from June 2021, according to separate BLS data released Wednesday.

“Inflation has pretty much eroded most of the gains,” said Kathy Jones, managing director and chief fixed income strategist at Charles Schwab. “People’s purchasing power is going down.”

How this might impact rate hikes

Stripping out food and energy costs, which tend to represent transitory fluctuations, core CPI prices rose by 0.7% from May to June and by 5.9% for the 12-month period ended in June.

The Federal Reserve pays particular attention to that core data when assessing future inflationary trends, and the latest numbers likely give the central bank a green light to continue with its aggressive series of rate hikes to cool off the economy and bring down higher prices. The Fed is widely expected to raise its benchmark interest rate by at least 75 basis points at its next monetary policymaking meeting on July 26-27.

While it’s too soon to say whether inflation has peaked (especially given the broader volatility within the global economy), core inflation appears to have leveled off, and expectations are for it to continue to come down in the year-over-year comparison, said Cailin Birch, global economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit.

‘What everyone’s worried about is this day’s inflation data or what happened yesterday, so [the Fed is] having to work with backward-looking information in order to make forward-looking decisions,” she said. “I think they are going to decide to focus on keeping inflation expectations anchored, reassuring the market. And that means the higher interest rate hikes, but it brings more recession risks moving forward.”

CNN’s Allie Malloy contributed to this report.

Lucy Bayly Alicia Wallace
Lucy Bayly
Alicia Wallace