Julian Assange leaves a Melbourne court after facing charges of computer hacking in 1995. WikiLeaks/ReutersUnder a global spotlightAs WikiLeaks continued its disclosures, Assange found himself the latest cause célèbre – his every movement intensely scrutinized. … He liked the fuss that (the disclosures) caused but he was oddly incurious actually about the documents.”Others offer alternative explanations for Assange’s eccentricities. There were mounting calls for Assange to leave WikiLeaks and, when he didn’t, many cut ties with it. Outside the confines of his diplomatic shelter, the world questioned whether Assange was trying to circumvent justice.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping oversees the inauguration of the Information Support Force of the People's Liberation Army at a ceremony in Beijing on April 19, 2024. The Information Support Force will be led by top generals from the now-defunct SSF. These functions will now be supervised at his level and not through the Strategic Support Force, which served as a middleman,” Wuthnow said. Though US intelligence officials said the balloon was part of an extensive surveillance program run by the Chinese military, Xi may not have been aware of the mission. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has scrapped the People's Liberation Army's Strategic Support Force, a branch he founded in 2015.

The now-retired assistant, Rhona Graff, told jurors that Trump was prone to "multi-tasking" and sometimes would be on the phone at the same time he signed checks. The testimony was elicited during Graff's cross-examination by Trump attorney Susan Necheles. Related storiesThe nine checks are the only records bearing Trump's signature out of 34 checks, invoices, and business-ledger records he allegedly falsified. After Trump signed each check, it would be FedExed back to the Trump Organization's Trump Tower headquarters, scanned into the company records, and then cut and mailed to Cohen. — respectful boss to me," Graff told jurors of working alongside Trump in the Trump Organization headquarters on the 25th-floor of Trump Tower.

The severe weather threat is expected to continue through Sunday, with Saturday possibly being the most dangerous day. Strong tornadoes are possible from Michigan to Texas, including in Oklahoma City, Kansas City, Dallas, Milwaukee, Chicago and Austin. What to expect SaturdayMore than 50 million people are under the threat of severe weather Saturday from the Southern Plains into the Great Lakes region. “A complex but potentially significant severe weather episode is expected on Saturday,” the Weather Prediction Center said Friday. The tornado threat could ramp up considerably through the late afternoon and evening hours with “multiple strong tornadoes” possible, according to the prediction center.

Putin critic Alexey Navalny's death may not have been planned to happen when it did, WSJ reported. The Journal reported that this opinion is shared by several US intelligence agencies. AdvertisementAlexey Navalny's February death in a remote Arctic prison camp likely wasn't directly ordered by Vladimir Putin, despite Navalny's outspoken criticism of the Russian president, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday. Despite the suspicious circumstances of the opposition leader's death, the outlet reported Putin may not have intended Navalny to be killed when he was. None of the intelligence agencies cited by the Journal or the Pentagon have responded to requests for comment from Business Insider.

CNN —In travel news this week: a gelato ban in Italy, runaway horses in central London, the orange fog that hit Athens and – if you’re still feeling brave enough – the best dates and times to book summer flights. When to book summer travelMid-to-late August is the best time for Americans to fly this summer, according to travel company Expedia. It recommends booking summer flights 21 to 60 days out – last year, travelers booking during this window saved around 15% on domestic and international travel. Similar savings were enjoyed by travelers who departed on a Monday for international flights or on a Tuesday for domestic flights, compared with those who opted for more popular Thursday and Friday departures. Over in London, laid-back Bethnal Green cocktail bar Satan’s Whiskers was this month named “Best Bar in the UK” at the Class Bar Awards.

Read previewA Facebook cofounder's attacks against Tesla continues, and it comes with one of his boldest allegations against the company to date: Tesla is the next Enron. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 26, 2024Moskovitz had not yet addressed Musk's posts on Friday. On Wednesday, the Facebook cofounder acknowledged the gravity of his comments in his social media post. Moskovitz also has long been skeptical of Elon Musk and his ventures. "I call on Elon Musk to resign," Moskovitz said on Threads last year, adding that he should resign "(from everything)."

Read previewLooking at the headline numbers, the US labor market is booming. OVOM Research/Bullandbearprofits.comWolfenbarger's views in contextOther market observers have started to warn of a weakening labor market in recent months. Ian Shepherdson, the chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, shared several indicators in a client note earlier this month warning of a job market slowdown ahead. Pantheon MacroeconomicsBut whether the labor market actually weakens materially remains to be seen. AdvertisementIf Wolfenbarger is right and the labor market falls apart in short order, it could catch an exceptionally bullish market off guard.

For the beleaguered drugstore chain, the odd “Gummy Mango” candy is a much-needed win. Walgreens said it didn’t work with any paid influencer to hype up its mango gummies but that it took off organically. Walgreens is quickly following up on the success of its mango gummy with a new peelable banana gummy candy. As Esarte and his team rushed to restock the mango gummies last last year, a bigger challenge emerged. After weeks of scrambling and rushing, Walgreens is better prepared to make a bigger splash with the mango gummies.

Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini have been advertised as AI-powered productivity tools. But Ethan Mollick, a leading AI expert, has a more cynical view of the products. Copilot automates middle management while Gemini makes surveillance easier, he told WSJ. AdvertisementMicrosoft and Google rolled out their own AI-powered productivity tools last year, touting them as products that could revolutionize how people work. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Apple is in talks with OpenAI and Google to bring AI to the next iPhone, Bloomberg reported. Tim Cook in recent months has teased that Apple has big plans for AI coming this year. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Business Insider previously reported that the iPhone 16 is expected to be released this fall.

If you've ever sent a message that said "hi" and nothing else, you may be guilty of "hey hanging." Some workers say the practice can cause anxiety and disrupt productivity. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

An eActros is unveiled at the Mercedes-Benz truck plant of Daimler Truck AG on Ocotber 7, 2021. Daimler Truck agreed to a new labor contract on Friday with over 7,300 hourly workers represented by the United Auto Workers (UAW) at six facilities in the U.S. South, averting a strike at the 11th hour. Daimler Truck, which makes Freightliner and Western Star trucks and Thomas Built buses, had faced the possibility of a strike beginning at midnight ET. Fain's speech on Friday started almost an hour later than scheduled as Daimler Truck made late concessions, Fain explained. Under Friday's deal, Daimler Truck workers will receive a minimum 25% general wage increase over the four-year contract, Fain said.

Head coach Arne Slot of Feyenoord looks on after the Dutch Eredivisie match between Go Ahead Eagles and Feyenoord at De Adelaarshorst on April 25, 2024 in Deventer, Netherlands. Liverpool and Feyenoord have reached an agreement in principle over a compensation package for Arne Slot to become Jurgen Klopp's successor. The compensation package is £7.7m, plus £1.7m in add-ons. Sporting coach Ruben Amorim had made Liverpool's shortlist, and despite the external noise over him, the club always maintained he was not the leading or preferred option. Suggestions that financial reasons were behind Amorim not being the frontrunner for the Anfield job has been termed fiction.

One of the men, a young Briton known for his hawkish views on China, worked as an aide to a prominent member of the British Parliament. Another, a German citizen of Chinese descent, was an assistant to a member of the European Parliament representing Germany’s far right. While from different countries and seemingly divergent backgrounds and outlooks, both men became ensnared this week in accusations of espionage on behalf of China — and a widening pushback in Europe against malign Chinese influence in politics and commerce. In all, six people in three separate cases have been charged this week in Europe with spying for China: two in Britain and four in Germany.

Slavyansk oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar region was damaged in a Ukraine drone attack, local authorities said on Saturday. "The tank farm was not damaged due to the organized protection system. The fire was eliminated by joint efforts of responsible services," Siniagovskyi said. A fire broke out in small area at the refinery, local emergency services said, and was later extinguished. Russia's Defence Ministry said on Saturday its air defense units had intercepted and destroyed 66 Ukrainian drones over the territory of the Krasnodar region, and two more over the Crimean peninsula.

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia is about to institute a rare tax increase on corporations and high earners, a move that reflects both the burgeoning costs of his war in Ukraine and the firm control he has over the Russian elite as he embarks on a fifth term in office. Financial technocrats in Mr. Putin’s government are searching for new ways to fund not just an expensive war in Ukraine but also a broader confrontation with the West that is likely to remain costly for years. Russia is allocating nearly a third of its overall 2024 budget to national defense spending this year, a huge increase, adding to a deficit that the Kremlin has taken pains to keep in check. The proposed tax increase underscores Mr. Putin’s rising confidence about his political control over the Russian elite and his country’s economic resilience at home, showing that he is willing to risk alienating parts of society to fund the war. It would represent the first major tax overhaul in over a decade.