South Korean soldiers pile out of a military truck during 2013's Ulchi Freedom Guardian—an annual joint US-South Korean military exercise—which will go on as planned this year. Photo by JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty Images
Everything you need to know about the world this morning, as curated by VICE.US and South Korea to Conduct Military Exercises
The US and South Korea are expected to carry out "large-scale" military drills in late August, despite North Korea's threat to strike the waters around Guam with ballistic missiles. Around 40,000 US and South Korea personnel are set to take part in the annual Ulchi-Freedom Guardian exercises, beginning August 21. "North Korea better get their act together, or they are going to be in trouble like few nations have ever been in trouble," President Trump said Thursday. He added on Twitter early Friday, "Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely." —APPresident Trump Labels Opioid Crisis an 'Emergency'
President Trump has revealed he will formally declare the US opioid crisis a national state of emergency. "The opioid crisis is an emergency," said Trump. "We're going to draw it up and we're going to make it a national emergency." It is not yet clear how many of the recommendations for treatment made by Governor Chris Christie's commission the Trump administration will implement.—VICE NewsManafort's Son-in-Law Gave Feds Documents
Jeffrey Yohai, the son-in-law of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, reportedly gave documents to investigators from the Department of Justice over two months ago, material since handed to Special Counsel Robert Mueller. The information pertains to Manafort's financial and business affairs.—CNNMajority of Americans Feeling Obamacare
A majority of Americans—60 percent—are glad the Republican Party's Obamacare repeal bill died in the Senate last month, according to a new national poll. The Kaiser Family Foundation survey revealed 78 percent of people want the Trump administration to help the Affordable Care Act work as effectively as possible.—AP / Kaiser Family FoundationChina Should 'Stay Neutral' If Missiles Fly, State Media Suggests
China should not take sides in the event of a North Korean missile strike against US territory, according to an editorial in one of China's leading state newspapers. An editorial in the Global Times argued China should "make clear that if North Korea launches missiles that threaten US soil first and the US retaliates, China will stay neutral."—ReutersVenezuelan President Wants to Talk to Trump
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said he was willing to meet President Trump for a "personal conversation" at the UN General Assembly in September. Appearing before his new constituent assembly, Maduro said: "Mr. Donald Trump, here is my hand." Maduro also claimed he would use the US legal system to take action against US economic sanctions.—BBC NewsSix Migrants 'Deliberately Drowned' Off Yemeni Coast
Six more migrants have been found dead on a beach in Yemen by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). IOM chief William Lacy Swing bemoaned that so many have been "deliberately and ruthlessly drowned," in this case pushed from a boat off the Yemeni coast by human traffickers. The IOM said 160 migrants from Ethiopia were pushed into the sea, and 13 of them are still missing. A strikingly similar tragedy emerged just 24 hours earlier.—Al JazeeraCanadian Diplomat in Cuba Hit by Hearing Loss
Canada's foreign ministry has revealed that at least one of its diplomats in Cuba has suffered loss of hearing. The government said it was investigating the cause of the "unusual symptoms." The disclosure follows reports that US officials suspect a secret sonic device inflicted similar symptoms on American diplomats in Havana. Cuba has denied any wrongdoing.—The GuardianCNN Fires Jeffrey Lord Over 'Sieg Heil' Tweet
CNN has dismissed its Trump-supporting commentator Jeffrey Lord over a tweet sent to Angelo Carusone, president of Media Matters for America, in which Lord used the Nazi slogan "Sieg Heil!" "Nazi salutes are indefensible," a CNN spokesperson said.—CNNTrump's DC Hotel Profits Almost $2 Million in Four Months
The Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC made $1.97 million in profit in the first four months of this year alone, General Services Administration documents have revealed. The average cost of staying at the hotel was just under $653 a night.—The Washington Post'GLOW' to Return for Second Season on Netflix
The comedy-drama GLOW will be returning to Netflix for a second season, the network has announced. Fans of the fictionalized version of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, starring Alison Brie, will get another ten episodes.—Deadline'Tim and Eric Awesome Show' Returns to Adult Swim
Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim have announced a new, one-off episode of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! on Adult Swim to mark the show's tenth anniversary. Another season of Tim and Eric's Bedtime Stories is also on the docket.—VICELil Durk and Lil Reese Drop Joint EP
Chicago rappers Lil Durk and Lil Reese made their new EP Supa Vultures available to stream ahead of its release Friday. Lead single "Distance," the most popular YouTube video in Chicago, is one of six tracks on the collaborative project.—Noisey
US News
The US and South Korea are expected to carry out "large-scale" military drills in late August, despite North Korea's threat to strike the waters around Guam with ballistic missiles. Around 40,000 US and South Korea personnel are set to take part in the annual Ulchi-Freedom Guardian exercises, beginning August 21. "North Korea better get their act together, or they are going to be in trouble like few nations have ever been in trouble," President Trump said Thursday. He added on Twitter early Friday, "Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely." —APPresident Trump Labels Opioid Crisis an 'Emergency'
President Trump has revealed he will formally declare the US opioid crisis a national state of emergency. "The opioid crisis is an emergency," said Trump. "We're going to draw it up and we're going to make it a national emergency." It is not yet clear how many of the recommendations for treatment made by Governor Chris Christie's commission the Trump administration will implement.—VICE News
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Jeffrey Yohai, the son-in-law of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, reportedly gave documents to investigators from the Department of Justice over two months ago, material since handed to Special Counsel Robert Mueller. The information pertains to Manafort's financial and business affairs.—CNNMajority of Americans Feeling Obamacare
A majority of Americans—60 percent—are glad the Republican Party's Obamacare repeal bill died in the Senate last month, according to a new national poll. The Kaiser Family Foundation survey revealed 78 percent of people want the Trump administration to help the Affordable Care Act work as effectively as possible.—AP / Kaiser Family Foundation
International News
China should not take sides in the event of a North Korean missile strike against US territory, according to an editorial in one of China's leading state newspapers. An editorial in the Global Times argued China should "make clear that if North Korea launches missiles that threaten US soil first and the US retaliates, China will stay neutral."—ReutersVenezuelan President Wants to Talk to Trump
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said he was willing to meet President Trump for a "personal conversation" at the UN General Assembly in September. Appearing before his new constituent assembly, Maduro said: "Mr. Donald Trump, here is my hand." Maduro also claimed he would use the US legal system to take action against US economic sanctions.—BBC News
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Six more migrants have been found dead on a beach in Yemen by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). IOM chief William Lacy Swing bemoaned that so many have been "deliberately and ruthlessly drowned," in this case pushed from a boat off the Yemeni coast by human traffickers. The IOM said 160 migrants from Ethiopia were pushed into the sea, and 13 of them are still missing. A strikingly similar tragedy emerged just 24 hours earlier.—Al JazeeraCanadian Diplomat in Cuba Hit by Hearing Loss
Canada's foreign ministry has revealed that at least one of its diplomats in Cuba has suffered loss of hearing. The government said it was investigating the cause of the "unusual symptoms." The disclosure follows reports that US officials suspect a secret sonic device inflicted similar symptoms on American diplomats in Havana. Cuba has denied any wrongdoing.—The Guardian
Everything Else
CNN has dismissed its Trump-supporting commentator Jeffrey Lord over a tweet sent to Angelo Carusone, president of Media Matters for America, in which Lord used the Nazi slogan "Sieg Heil!" "Nazi salutes are indefensible," a CNN spokesperson said.—CNNTrump's DC Hotel Profits Almost $2 Million in Four Months
The Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC made $1.97 million in profit in the first four months of this year alone, General Services Administration documents have revealed. The average cost of staying at the hotel was just under $653 a night.—The Washington Post'GLOW' to Return for Second Season on Netflix
The comedy-drama GLOW will be returning to Netflix for a second season, the network has announced. Fans of the fictionalized version of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, starring Alison Brie, will get another ten episodes.—Deadline'Tim and Eric Awesome Show' Returns to Adult Swim
Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim have announced a new, one-off episode of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! on Adult Swim to mark the show's tenth anniversary. Another season of Tim and Eric's Bedtime Stories is also on the docket.—VICELil Durk and Lil Reese Drop Joint EP
Chicago rappers Lil Durk and Lil Reese made their new EP Supa Vultures available to stream ahead of its release Friday. Lead single "Distance," the most popular YouTube video in Chicago, is one of six tracks on the collaborative project.—Noisey