Yahoo News Digest

Today's top global news delivered in a quick visual summary, twice a day.

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Hannibal Buress says 'Spider-Man' red carpet prank was a win

Entertainment

Hannibal Buress says 'Spider-Man' red carpet prank was a win

Comedian Hannibal Buress says his prank of sending a lookalike to Wednesday night's "Spider-Man: Homecoming" premiere was more effective than if he'd actually attended." "If I went to the carpet and did 20-plus interviews, you wouldn't have reached out to my publicist. So it worked!"

An actor named Joe Carroll, whom Buress said he met during production of last month's MTV Movie and TV Awards, went to the premiere in his place.

Rashida Jones

"He had a great time," Buress said Thursday.Buress said he came up with the idea on Tuesday of sending a substitute to the red carpet premiere. He started searching for a lookalike on Wednesday through emails and Instagram, adding that he would have attended the event had he been available.He said he's been in Atlanta working on a film called "Tag" that's set for release next summer.

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Ex-TEPCO leaders plead not guilty in Fukushima nuclear trial

World

Ex-TEPCO leaders plead not guilty in Fukushima nuclear trial

Three former executives of Tokyo Electric Power Co. apologized in court Friday for the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, but they pleaded not guilty to charges of professional negligence. Tsunehisa Katsumata, the 77-year-old ex-chairman of TEPCO, and two former vice presidents said they don't think they bear criminal responsibility, because they couldn't predict the enormous tsunami that flooded the plant. That issue is expected to be the crux of their trial, the first to consider whether officials of the utility can be held criminally responsible.

The trial got underway at Tokyo District Court and is likely to take more than a year. A prosecutor told the court that the three defendants had access to data and studies anticipating the risk of a tsunami exceeding 10 meters (30 feet) that could trigger a loss of power and severe accidents.

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UK consumer confidence slumps on double hit from inflation and weak pay - GfK

Business

UK consumer confidence slumps on double hit from inflation and weak pay - GfK

Consumers in Britain have suffered a sharp loss of confidence in the face of rising inflation and weakening wage growth, a survey showed on Friday, three weeks after the country's inconclusive national election. A monthly measure of consumer confidence published by market research firm GfK sank to -10, weaker than a median forecast of -7 in a Reuters poll of economists. It was the lowest reading since last July's -12, shortly after Britain voted to leave the European Union.

Strong consumer spending has propped up the economy since last June but now the twin pressures of higher prices and sluggish wage growth are squeezing household finances and adding to widespread fears of a Brexit-induced economic slowdown.

June 1 and June 15 for the European Commission

The survey chimed with another measure of consumer confidence published by polling firm YouGov earlier this week which pinned the gloomier mood on Britain's messy election outcome and a weakening of the housing market. Britain's economy initially withstood the impact of the decision to leave EU.

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Science Says: Pregnant or trying? Don't let Zika guard down

Technology

Science Says: Pregnant or trying? Don't let Zika guard down

"It's part of the new reality," said Dr. Martin Cetron of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Those trying to conceive, and their partners, are advised to check with their doctor on how long to wait after visiting a location with active Zika infection.There are lingering questions, too, about Zika's risk beyond pregnancy, enough that U.S. scientists just began studying babies in Guatemala to learn if infection after birth also might damage the brain.The challenge is getting those messages to the people who most need it when Zika is fast receding from the public's radar — even as money may be drying up to track the virus and the babies it injures.UNCERTAINTY AS MOSQUITO SEASON GETS IN FULL SWINGIn the past month, Puerto Rico and Brazil, hard hit by Zika last year, declared their epidemics over.

The U.S. Zika Pregnancy Registry counts 1,963 pregnant women in U.S. states who had lab tests showing Zika infection since officials began counting in 2016, and another 4,107 in U.S. territories.Since the beginning of June, 271 pregnant women were added to the registry's Zika count, 80 of them in U.S. states and the rest residents of U.S. territories, although it's not clear when they became infected.What about nonpregnant travelers?

Dr. Anne Schuchat

But if Zika infections remain at low levels, it's likely to take more than one summer of shots to prove if the vaccine really protects.This kind of virus "almost certainly is not going to disappear completely," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, recently told Congress.Several other vaccine candidates are in earlier stages of testing. Further down the pipeline, the NIH also is researching whether it's possible to create a universal vaccine to protect against multiple "flaviviruses" including Zika, dengue, yellow fever and West Nile.

Our concern is that a developing brain in early life can be impacted significantly.

Dr. Flor Munoz of Baylor College of Medicine

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WIMBLEDON '17: Could anyone end the Big 4's title streak?

Sport

WIMBLEDON '17: Could anyone end the Big 4's title streak?

Somewhere, there is a man who one day will win Wimbledon — and other Grand Slam titles, too.John McEnroe recalls knowing early on in the careers of players such as Nadal or Djokovic that they would break through. Lately, though, the seven-time major champion said, "I don't see that person right now that's got it all, where you're like, 'OK. "McEnroe's brother, Patrick, agreed the most likely winner will again be one of the usual quartet.

We're going to be likely talking about two of those four guys on 'championship Sunday,'

Grand Slam titles, too.John McEnroe

His footwork on grass needs help; he could go to the net more.What a championship would mean: Completing a career Grand Slam, something only eight other men have done (including Federer, Djokovic and Nadal).ALEXANDER ZVEREV, 20, GERMANYWhy he should be taken seriously: He is 6-foot-6 (1.98 meters), with big shots and tennis smarts. He recently beat Djokovic in the Italian Open final to become the youngest champion at a Masters event since — wait for it — Djokovic.Why it's too soon to take him seriously: He's only 20, and never been past the third round at a major.

I'm pretty sure he's going to win multiple majors. He's about as close to (that) guy as I get. But ... he's a little frail.

Grand Slam titles, too.John McEnroe

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Murdoch takeover bid for Sky delayed for extra scrutiny

Business

Murdoch takeover bid for Sky delayed for extra scrutiny

Britain's government stalled Twenty-First Century Fox's takeover of the Sky pay television and broadband network Thursday after regulators said the deal could give Rupert Murdoch and his family too much influence over the country's media.Culture Secretary Karen Bradley said Thursday that the deal "potentially raises public interest concerns" and said she is "minded to" send it to the Competition and Markets Authority for further review. Twenty-First Century Fox has two weeks to respond to issues raised by the communications regulator, Ofcom, before Bradley makes a final decision.In a report on the transaction, Ofcom said the merged company would be Britain's third largest source of television news, and its influence would be magnified because it also owns newspapers, radio stations and online outlets.

Critics have charged that the 11.7 billion pound ($15.2 billion) deal would give Murdoch too much power in the U.K., because his company already owns two of the country's biggest newspapers, The Sun and The Times.Despite the government's move to investigate further, shares in Sky rose over 3 percent in London as investors seemed optimistic the deal would ultimately go through.Buoying those hopes was the fact that Twenty-First Century Fox gave Ofcom assurances that it would protect the editorial independence of Sky News after the takeover.

Watson said.Media analyst Alice Enders said Thursday's decision showed that Bradley would be scrupulous in zeroing in on the facts — rather than any perception of the actions of the Murdochs.

Alice Enders

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The Latest: Trump praises new South Korean president

Politics

The Latest: Trump praises new South Korean president

The Latest on the South Korean president visit to Washington (all times local):6:40 p.m.President Donald Trump is praising South Korean President Moon Jae-in (jah-yihn) at the start of a White House dinner.Trump says he and Moon plan to discuss the threat from North Korea and trade during their meetings. He predicts their talks could go "late into the evening." "The president is congratulating Moon on his recent election victory in South Korea.

we must cross boundaries and all party lines and all come together and unite as one.

President Donald Trump

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The Latest: UK lawmakers pass May government's 2-year agenda

Politics

The Latest: UK lawmakers pass May government's 2-year agenda

The Latest on British Prime Minister Theresa May's weakened Conservative government: (all times local):5:50 p.m.Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative minority government has secured lawmakers' backing for its legislative plans, but only after making a last-minute concession on abortion funding to stave off defeat.The House of Commons voted 323 to 309 Thursday to approve last week's Queen's Speech, which laid out the government's plans for the next two years. Defeat would have been a major — and possibly fatal — blow to May's new administration.The Conservative Party lost its parliamentary majority in a June 8 general election and was forced to strike a deal with Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party to win passage of its legislative proposals in the Commons.In a sign of the government's fragile hold on power, it was forced into a major concession hours before the vote.

p.m.Britain's government has been forced into a concession hours before lawmakers were set to vote on whether to approve its agenda for a Brexit-dominated parliamentary session.In a sign of the Conservative government's weakened position after an election wiped out its parliamentary majority, ministers said they would pay for women from Northern Ireland to travel to England for abortions.Abortion is far more tightly restricted in Northern Ireland than in the rest of the U.K., and hundreds of women a year travel to Britain to terminate pregnancies.Women from Northern Ireland had previously been asked to pay their own travel costs and for their abortions in England.The concession came after Labour Party lawmaker Stella Creasy obtained a vote on a motion calling for the abortion funding.Several Conservative legislators said they would support the amendment, prompting the government's scramble to change its policy.

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Arsenal CEO defends Wenger deal, promises 'quality' signings

Sport

Arsenal CEO defends Wenger deal, promises 'quality' signings

Arsenal CEO Ivan Gazidis has told supporters that the club is hunting for top players to boost the squad and defended the decision to hand long-serving manager Arsene Wenger a new contract after a season marred by protests. A vociferous section of fans turned on the manager as results faltered when Arsenal exited the Champions League and their hopes of a change of leadership were dashed when he signed a new two-year deal at the end of the campaign. "We're looking for top-quality players," Gazidis said at a fan event on Thursday.

We've got three times as many scouts as we had four years ago. I believe that to be a world-class football club you've got to be world class off the pitch.

Arsenal CEO Ivan Gazidis

Gazidis denied there was an element of sentimentality behind the decision to give Wenger an extended stay. "It wasn't a sentimental decision," he said.

It was a mutual one... I care about the club and those values. I want the club to be successful.

Arsenal CEO Ivan Gazidis

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North Korea and trade on agenda for US-SKorea talks

Politics

North Korea and trade on agenda for US-SKorea talks

South Korea's new leader dined with President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday as part of an effort to reassure Washington that he will coordinate closely on dealing with the North Korean threat.Trump said at the start of a formal dinner with South Korean President Moon Jae-in that they would discuss North Korea and trade over two days of meetings. The South Korean leader has sought to make clear to the U.S. that he is serious about dealing with his neighbor's threat, despite having long advocated engagement with North Korea to address its nuclear weapons development.

Moon's position could cause strains with Trump, who wants to step up economic pressure and further isolate the North diplomatically.The U.S. and South Korea want to show they are on the same page as concern deepens over North Korea's technological progress toward a nuclear-tipped missile that could strike the continental U.S., and its lack of interest in negotiations aimed at dismantling its atomic arsenal.

Republican Speaker Paul Ryan

He even looked forward to a time when peace on the divided Korean Peninsula would open up business opportunities inside North Korea.South Korean companies on Thursday announced plans to import more American shale gas and build new factories in the U.S. That could help fend off criticism from Trump over the U.S. trade deficit with South Korea, which totaled $17 billion last year. Associated Press writers Jill Colvin and Ken Thomas contributed to this report.

We have shared concerns such as threats posed to both our nations from North Korea.

Republican Speaker Paul Ryan

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Cyberbullying opponent Melania Trump defends president’s Brzezinski tweets

Politics

Cyberbullying opponent Melania Trump defends president’s Brzezinski tweets

She was bleeding badly from a face-lift. I said no! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 29, 2017 “As First Lady has stated publicly…when her husband gets attacked, he will punch back 10 times harder,” Melania’s communications director said in regards to the latest online insults hurled by the president.

Melania Trump’s stance is a departure from her attitude during the campaign, when she focused on children but noted the overall dangers of online attacks. She specifically singled out people who criticize “looks or intelligence.

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FedEx says operations at TNT Express disrupted after virus attack

Business

FedEx says operations at TNT Express disrupted after virus attack

Package delivery company FedEx Corp (FDX.N) said on Wednesday operations in its TNT Express unit were disrupted after its information systems were hit by a virus attack. FedEx, however, said no data breach was known to have occurred. The company said it was unable to measure the financial impact of the service disruption at TNT, but it could be "material".

The Netherlands-based TNT Express said on Tuesday it was experiencing interference with some of its systems, following a global ransomware attack. The ransomware attack on Tuesday hit computers at Russia's biggest oil company, Ukraine's international airport, global shipping firm A.P. Moller-Maersk (MAERSKb.CO) and the world's biggest advertising agency WPP (WPP.L).

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UK consumer borrowing spikes, adding to confused rate-hike picture

Business

UK consumer borrowing spikes, adding to confused rate-hike picture

British household borrowing jumped last month, bucking expectations of a slowdown and suggesting consumers might be upbeat enough for the Bank of England to start raising interest rates later this year. Consumers -- the drivers of the country's economic growth -- are under pressure from a rise in inflation after last year's vote to leave the European Union caused sterling to plunge. But the BoE expects the slowdown to be gentle enough that business investment and exports should fill most of the gap.

May's household borrowing figures provide another reason to think that consumer spending growth may have picked up pace ... but will clearly add to concerns about household debt.

BoE Governor Mark

BoE Chief Economist Haldane then surprised financial markets last week by saying he expected back a rate rise this year too, if growth matched the BoE's forecasts. Haldane said on Thursday the central bank needed to "look seriously" at raising rates.

Alpesh Paleja, an economist at the Confederation of British Industry, said on Twitter. I'm) not convinced Carney has turned hawkish.

BoE Chief Economist

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Train evacuated in western Poland due to bomb threat

World

Train evacuated in western Poland due to bomb threat

Polish media are reporting that authorities have stopped a train traveling from Warsaw to Berlin and evacuated its passengers after receiving a bomb threat.The state news agency reported that the train was stopped in the Mogilno station in western Poland on Wednesday evening.Train passengers and residents of nearby buildings were evacuated so bomb experts could check the area.

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Dollar falls, bond yields up as central banks shift views

Business

Dollar falls, bond yields up as central banks shift views

The euro rose on Thursday alongside sterling and bond yields as a slew of hawkish comments from central banks signaled the era of ultra-loose monetary policy is ready to sunset across the Atlantic. The dollar index touched its lowest since October - before Donald Trump was elected U.S. president - as investors shifted to the view that the U.S. Federal Reserve might not be the only game in town when it comes to higher interest rates. With the Fed green-lighting dividends and buybacks in major banks as part of another round of stress tests, financial stocks rose but not enough to offset declines in technology and interest-rate sensitive sectors.

Part of the reason why tech is down today is the steam in the recent rotation out of some of big tech winners and into banks.

Benchmark U.S. Treasury

The dollar index fell 0.31 percent, with the euro up 0.4 percent to $1.1421. Bank of England Governor Mark Carney surprised many on Wednesday by conceding a hike was likely to be needed as the economy came closer to running at full capacity.

The shifting monetary policy trajectories of other central banks is making other currencies more attractive relative to the U.S. dollar.

Kathy Lien

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Texas man indicted in deadly church bus crash

World

Texas man indicted in deadly church bus crash

A grand jury has indicted a Texas man whom authorities accuse of causing a traffic collision that killed 13 people in a minibus returning from a church retreat in March.The Uvalde (yoo-VAL'-dee) County district attorney's office said Thursday that Jack Dillon Young, 20, was indicted Monday on multiple charges, including intoxication manslaughter and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon causing serious bodily injury.Young turned himself in Wednesday and was being held on a $380,000 bond, District Attorney Daniel Kindred said in a statement emailed Thursday.

He said he had taken prescription drugs before the crash and investigators found marijuana in his pickup, the report said.An NTSB review of a 14-minute video shot by a motorist trailing Young's pickup prior to the crash showed Young's truck cross the double yellow center line 19 times, the solid white shoulder lines 37 times and the grass shoulder at least five times, according to the report.The driver and 12 passengers on the bus from First Baptist Church of New Braunfels were killed. One passenger survived and was hospitalized with serious injuries.

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Amazon Prime Day promo starts night of July 10, now 30 hours

Business

Amazon Prime Day promo starts night of July 10, now 30 hours

Amazon is extending its annual "Prime Day" promotion to 30 hours this year.Amazon will offer discounts and other deals in an effort to boost sales during the slower summer months. The deals are open only to members of Amazon's $99-a-year Prime loyalty program, so Amazon typically gets more sign-ups, too.While Amazon has claimed success, there have been grumblings that Prime Day deals are unimpressive or involve older models. Last year, Benchmark analyst Daniel Kurnos called Prime Day an example of "how to make clearance look good."

This year's promotion will start at 9 p.m. ET on July 10 and end at 3 a.m.