Help wanted for British Conservative Party
The nominations to replace British Prime Minister David Cameron
as leader of the Conservative Party will close Thursday at noon. The line quickly began forming Wednesday, less than a week after Cameron announced his resignation following the Brexit vote to drop out of the European Union. First to formally declare for the post was Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb. Cameron said he intends to leave the negotiations of the EU split to the new leader, who could be in place as early as September.
First lady to wrap up Let Girls Learn initiative in Spain
Michelle Obama will visit Spain on Thursday as part of the last leg of her trip to promote the Let Girls Learn initiative, which encourages developing nations to educate the more than 62 million girls worldwide who do not attend school. She will urge young women in high school and college to do their part to raise awareness on the issue, according to her travel blog. The first lady and her daughters, Sasha and Malia, have already visited Liberia and Morocco, holding panel discussions moderated by actresses Freida Pinto and Meryl Streep. The White House also announced Monday that the U.S. Agency for International Development has donated $27 million to the initiative.
Let the war games begin
Warships from the United States, China and 24 other nations will begin five weeks of exercises Thursday intended to promote international security, goodwill and cooperation on the high seas. The Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercises, held every two years, come at a time of increased tension in the waters of the Asia-Pacific region and will involve ships from at least seven nations with competing claims or interests there. Some American officials requested China’s invitation be revoked because of the country’s territorial claims and island-building program in the South China Sea, but it wasn’t. China will be in attendance for just the second time.
Images from a similar exercise between the U.S., India and Japan in the Philippine Sea:
Catch a live Broadway show from the comfort of your home
A few Broadway shows have been broadcast, but it's never happened in real time. Until now. Online theater streaming service BroadwayHD plans to livestream She Loves Me Thursday night, marking the first time a Broadway show has been aired live. The company hopes to become the Netflix of "The Great White Way." The show closes July 10, and the $9.99 viewing pass seems like a better deal than the $849 tickets for premium seats to Hamilton.
The 'Filipino Trump' takes his presidential oath
Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippines’ newly elected president, was sworn into office Thursday months after emerging unscathed from a rigorous campaign filled with incendiary rhetoric that drew sharp comparisons to presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Duterte, 71, is a law-and-order advocate who has threatened the use of death squads to execute criminals across the Southeast Asian country. This tough-on-crime stance eventually helped Duterte win supporters who appeared fed up with a notoriously corrupt political system. One of Duterte's first bold moves as president: a controversial contraception plan pitting him squarely against the church — in a nation where 80% of people are Catholic.
And the essentials:
Weather: More rain and thunderstorms are predicted Thursday to soak the Southeast, Plains and Rockies.
Stocks: Global stock markets were mixed Thursday as investors tried to downplay the fallout from the U.K.'s Brexit vote.
TV Tonight: Wondering what to watch tonight? TV critic Robert Bianco looks at Greatest Hits, Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll and more Shark Week.
Be inspired: Teacher makes good on an impossible promise.
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