Hello! Here’s what’s happening on Friday.
1. Rudy Giuliani says his client US President Donald Trump will not answer Mueller’s questions about obstruction of justice in the Russia probe. It signals the Trump’s lawyers are committed to protecting him from answering questions about actions the he took in office.
2. World leaders are standing behind the UK after it charged two Russians over the poisoning of a former Russian spy. France, Germany, Canada and the US pledged to work to disrupt “the hostile activities of foreign intelligence networks.”
3. A British warship got involved in a showdown with the Chinese military in the South China Sea. China called the incident a provocation and warned it would “take all necessary measures to defend its sovereignty and security.”
4. Hong Kong now has more mega-millionaires than New York City. According to 2017 estimates, one in seven people in Hong Kong is a millionaire.
5. Former UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has reportedly split with his wife after a litany of affairs. His wife Marina Wheeler QC and Johnson are said to be living apart after 25 years of marriage.
6. Apple is building a special portal for law enforcement officials to get user data. Apple responded to over 14,000 police requests including 231 "domestic emergency" requests in 2017, according to a letter seen by Business Insider.
7. Twitter dropped the hammer on conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and permanently kicked him off its service. Last month, Apple, Facebook, Spotify, and YouTube removed Jones and Infowars content their services, citing rules against hate speech.
8. A Brazilian presidential candidate was nearly stabbed to death at a political rally. Jair Bolsonaro is said to be the front-runner in the upcoming presidential elections.
9. Russia reportedly warned the US that it's prepared to attack a key base where dozens of US troops are stationed. The US warned Russia that it would defend itself if attacked.
10. Japan is about to start testing the feasibility of a space elevator. The Obayashi Corporation plans to have an operational space elevator by 2050.
And finally ...
All the Trump officials who have publicly denied writing the anonymous New York Times op-ed
