Plus: The 'paradise' city attracting scammers ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| | | Hello. What can we learn from US President Donald Trump's secret plane swap? We analyse the ruse. See the $100bn "ghost city" where scammers have moved in, and, like something from a medieval story, take a look at a sword pulled from a lake. | | | | | | |
| TOP OF THE AGENDA | | How Trump's dramatic plane switch hints at war's personal nature | | |  | | The operation saw Trump travel on three different planes from Turkey to the US. Credit: Reuters | | The operation to move the US president to another plane in a catering truck when departing the Nato summit last month is "another striking episode in the turbulent history of Trump's relationship with Iran," writes our correspondent Anthony Zurcher. The ruse was carried out in response to what American officials reportedly believed to be credible intelligence of an Iranian missile threat to Air Force One. Such threats against the president are not new - he, according to reports, often jokes about becoming a target of assassination. But the plane swap highlights the apparent danger Iran presents during a war "that the president asserts is all but wrapped up against an adversary he has said has been thoroughly defeated". What's more, Anthony adds, "the optics of Trump hiding in a catering truck are less than ideal for a president who has repeatedly touted his strength". | | | | | | | | |
| Europe set for once-in-a-generation solar eclipse | | | | The UK and parts of Europe are preparing for the most significant solar eclipse since 1999. More than 90% of the Sun will be obscured by the Moon in the UK later today, while parts of Iceland and Spain will witness a rare total eclipse. Millions of people should have a good view of the phenomenon thanks to the clear skies that are forecast - but be warned that trying to look at the eclipse without specialist glasses - which have rapidly sold out - can cause eye damage. Here's how to see it safely. | | | | | | | | |
| | | Brother of man trapped in quake rubble clings to hope | | Efraín Gallego's brother and sister-in-law are amongst those trapped after their block of flats collapsed in Colombia's earthquake. | | More on rescue efforts > | | | | Driver who broke sound barrier sets new speed record | | Andy Green, a 64-year-old retired Royal Air Force pilot, reached 406mph (654km/h) at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. | | Watch the attempt > | | | | Pageant contestants sorry for wearing indigenous dress | | Two contestants at Miss Universe Canada were accused of cultural appropriation during the national costume segment. | | More on the row > | | | | Baby Shark boy set to make K-pop debut | | The child from the most-watched YouTube video of all time is now 17 years old - and he wants to be a star. | | Watch the video > | | | | Cristiano Ronaldo marries partner Georgina Rodríguez | | The Portuguese striker posted an image on his Instagram account showing two hands wearing wedding rings. | | Read more > | | | | | | |
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| NEWS FROM THE UK | | | | | - Heatwave veg: As the UK grapples with one of its hottest, driest summers, cauliflowers are getting sunburnt and cucumbers are curling. Take a look.
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| | | BEYOND THE HEADLINES | | Inside the 'ghost city' inhabited by scammers | | | | |  | | The project was initially dreamed up as an eco-friendly metropolis for well-heeled Chinese clients. | | Malaysia's Forest City was billed as a "dream paradise" - a special financial zone with homes for 700,000 residents. But a decade on, only an estimated 1% of properties are inhabited in the "ghost city", with eerily quiet skyscrapers lining silent streets. While residents have failed to move in, scammers have instead. A month ago, police raided two alleged cryptocurrency operations running investment and love scams, and arrested more than 330 people. Locals believe the privacy offered by Forest City - "nobody comes here," says one - makes it an ideal place to run scam businesses, and experts believe the arrests are just "the tip of the iceberg". | | | | | | |
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