US judge sends ex-Trump campaign head Paul Manafort to jail pre-trial
A judge on Friday (June 15) sent longtime Republican political operator and businessman Paul Manafort to jail pending trial after a charge of witness tampering, the latest episode in a slow fall from grace of a man who was President Donald Trump's campaign chairman in 2016.
Manafort, a target of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia's role in the 2016 US election, has been indicted on mostly financial-related charges, including conspiring to launder money and defraud the United States. He has pleaded not guilty.
Manafort had been on home confinement in Virginia, and was required to wear an electronic monitoring device.
Germany's Angela Merkel floats tougher stance in trade row with US
German Chancellor Angela Merkel hinted at a new front in the trade row with the United States on Friday (June 15), warning that Europe's strategic interests rode on the future of Europe's car industry and hinting at competition probes of US internet giants.
Just as US President Donald Trump had given national security as a reason for threatening punitive tariffs on German cars, "We should think about the strategic significance of the auto industry for the European Union so we can prepare an exchange with the US," she said.
Trump has repeatedly criticised Europe, and Germany in particular, for running large trade surpluses over the United States, promising to put an end to what he saw as the continent free-riding on US prosperity.
Trump quip about North Korea's Kim sparks outcry on social media
US President Donald Trump on Friday (June 15) said he wished people would "sit up at attention" for him like North Koreans do for their leader Kim Jong Un, a quip that sparked instant outrage on social media and cable news.
It was the latest example of a Trump remark about strongmen leaders - delivered in a deadpan style - to fall flat and fuel perceptions among his critics that the president admires autocrats.
Trump was asked during a Fox News Channel interview outside the West Wing if he would invite Kim to the White House.
Harvard rated Asian-American applicants lower on personality traits, lawsuit says
Harvard consistently rated Asian-American applicants lower than any other race on personal traits like "positive personality," likability, courage, kindness and being "widely respected," according to an analysis of more than 160,000 student records filed Friday (June 15) in federal court in Boston by a group representing Asian-American students in a lawsuit against the university.
Asian-Americans scored higher than applicants of any other racial or ethnic group on admissions measures like test scores, grades and extracurricular activities, according to the analysis commissioned by a group that opposes all race-based admissions criteria.
But the students' personal ratings significantly dragged down their chances of being admitted, the analysis found.
World Cup: Hat-trick hero Ronaldo denies Spain in six-goal thriller
Portugal's irrepressible captain Cristiano Ronaldo scored a stunning late free kick to complete a World Cup hat-trick and rescue a 3-3 draw in an enthralling match against neighbours Spain on Friday (June 15).
In by far the best game of the tournament so far, Spain forward Diego Costa notched a double before Nacho put them 3-2 ahead with a brilliant third only for Ronaldo to snatch a point.
Ronaldo, who took his tally to 84 goals in 151 games for Portugal, became only the fourth player to score in four World Cups after Uwe Seeler, Pele and Miroslav Klose. He had also scored in the last four European Championship tournaments.
