Category: World

A controversial Michigan Senate nominee made a wild claim about President Trump’s marriage to first lady Melania Trump, calling their relationship “rocky” during a TV appearance Sunday.

Abdul El-Sayed railed on CNN’s “State of the Union,” a day after the president posted a photo of the Trumps alongside a shot of the candidate and his wife, Sarah Jukaku.

The side-by-side pics were posted under the caption “Two VERY DIFFERENT America’s (sic).”

“Actually, Sarah and I like each other,” El-Sayed told host Jake Tapper. “I don’t know about the first lady and the president, but, from what I have heard, it’s a bit of a rocky road.”

El-Sayed, a self-described progressive who was not endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, narrowly defeated moderate Rep. Haley Stevens (D) in the Michigan Democratic Senate primary last week.

The remarks come as Donald and Melania Trump have been married since 2005 and have one son, Barron, together.

El-Sayed and his wife, both medical doctors, have been married since 2006 after meeting as students at the University of Michigan and becoming engaged as freshmen.

Source : https://nypost.com/2026/08/09/us-news/abdul-el-sayed-blasts-trumps-marriage-to-melania-after-prezs-social-media-comparison/

A state of emergency has been declared after thousands of people were forced to flee their homes as a fast-moving wildfire spread rapidly in western Canada, doubling in size since it was first detected on Friday.

Police said one person has died in the Bald Range fire, which is burning across 53 sq miles (136 sq km) in Summerland and other areas of British Columbia, according to the BC Wildfire Service.

“We have to brace ourselves for the worst,” Summerland Mayor Doug Holmes told Reuters. The Summerland area has been forced to evacuate along with thousands of others in nearby communities.

Officials said flames were so high they had created their own weather systems, which creates lightning.

Canadian police said on Sunday an 80-year-old woman from Meadow Valley, north-west of Summerland, had died suddenly while attempting to flee her home along with a member of her family. “Police believe her death to be a result of the wildfire,” police said in a statement.

Keegan Radomski who lives in Summerland said she evacuated her home just moments before the fire reached her property.

In a video she shared with the BBC, burning tree tops are seen just over the hill beyond the road where Radomski made her escape.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx25dkwk3e3o

JOE Biden’s stage four cancer battle is difficult to watch as he’s left debilitated and in pain, his son Hunter has revealed in an emotional interview.

The 46th president was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had spread to his bones in May last year.

He had experienced urinary symptoms and doctors found a prostate nodule that was later diagnosed as cancer.

Five months later, it was confirmed the former president was undergoing radiation therapy as part of his new treatment plan.

His team confirmed that while his cancer is “a more aggressive form of the disease, it appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management.”

Last month, the 83-year-old issued a rare personal health update as he announced a new book about his presidency.

He thanked supporters for their well-wishes and confirmed treatment is “going really well.”

“I’ve been spending a lot of time with my family. I’m dealing with a cancer diagnosis, been getting treatment, and it’s going really well,” he said in a video.

Now, in an interview with the BBC, his son Hunter has admitted that “it’s really sad to watch” his father suffer with the disease.

“Cancer is really hard,” he said.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/16812124/joe-biden-cancer-battle-disease-spreads-bones-hunter-says

BENJAMIN Netanyahu has spurned Donald Trump’s 15-point Board of Peace plan for Gaza.

The Israeli PM vowed that his military will make “no withdrawal” from Palestinian territory until Hamas has fully disarmed.

Netanyahu also warned that there will be no Palestinian state in Gaza or the West Bank for as long as he remains in office.

It comes after Trump claimed last month that there had been a breakthrough in his plan to end the war.

The US president made the bombshell announcement that Hamas had finally agreed to lay down its weapons.

Since the ceasefire agreement came into effect last October, Palestinian officials say around 1,200 people – most women and children – have been killed in Israeli strikes.

During a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu said: “Israel rejects the 15-point document.”

He added the Israeli military would “not withdraw at all until Hamas is genuinely disarmed and will continue to thwart threats against our forces and citizens”.

“And when I say disarm Hamas, that means heavy weapons, less-heavy weapons, all weapons. And we are talking about real disarmament, not a fictitious disarmament,” Netanyahu said.

“We are now discussing this with the Americans. They have ideas, some of which are acceptable to us and some are not, and we know how to stand up to those things.”

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/16814950/israel-rejects-trump-peace-plan-netanyahu

A PRISON confession and old Mafia dump site could be the key to solving the decades-long mystery of crooked labor union boss Jimmy Hoffa’s disappearance, a veteran investigative journalist has said.

The case of Hoffa has remained unsolved for over 50 years since the former president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters vanished from a restaurant in Michigan on July 30, 1975.

Hoffa, who was 62 years old at the time, was scheduled to meet with two mafia figures at the Machus Red Fox Restaurant, north of Detroit, that afternoon, but was believed to have been stood up.

He was last heard from when he called his wife to inform her that the meeting had been a bust and that he’d be home at 4pm for dinner.

However, Hoffa never made it for dinner and his car was later found abandoned in the parking lot of the restaurant he’d called from.

What happened to Hoffa in those final moments has remained a mystery over the last 51 years since he was last seen.

Dan Moldea, an author and independent investigative journalist, believes he’s solved the case and has pinpointed Hoffa’s final resting place to an infamous landfill in New Jersey once linked to the Genovese crime family.

Through hours of interviews with FBI officials, Teamsters members, and key Mafia figures from both the Genovese and Detroit factions, Moldea has pieced together the most detailed account of Hoffa’s final hours.

And it all began with a prison confession a week after Hoffa’s disappearance between two Genovese associates, Steve Andretta and Ralph Picardo, who was serving a 20-year sentence for manslaughter.

Andretta visited Picardo, the mobster turned FBI informant, in prison in early August 1975 and disclosed the details of Hoffa’s grim murder and where his body was taken.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/16805297/jimmy-hoffa-disappearance-prison-confession-mafia-fbi/

AS Ukraine brings the war to Russia’s doorstep with devastating, deep strikes, desperate Vladimir Putin is hatching plots to take back the momentum.

The tyrant has suffered months of crippling blows to his war machine as Ukraine unleashes an endgame blitz on oil hubs and logistics warehouses.

In a bid to put an end to the snowballing success, Putin – who will fight to his dying breath, according to Ukraine’s former foreign minister – could unleash one of five options to regain the upper hand.

The cornered dictator has been forced to come up with new ways to win the war because of Ukraine’s long-range drone and missile attacks, experts tell The Sun.

Major e-commerce platform Wildberries, dubbed Russia’s Amazon, as well as oil refineries and transport links have all suffered massive attacks during Kyiv’s 40-day onslaught.

Ex-foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba told The Sun the Kremlin despot has several final-resort options up his sleeve.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/16814172/putin-desperate-plots-ukraine-war/

The footage, published by Mehr for the first time, appears aimed at countering growing speculation about Khamenei’s health and whereabouts.

Days after reports in Israeli media claimed that Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was in critical condition and had been taken to a hospital, Iran’s semi-official Mehr News agency released an undated video appearing to show him in good health.

The footage, published by Mehr for the first time, appears aimed at countering growing speculation about Khamenei’s health and whereabouts. Mehr is a semi-official Iranian news agency sponsored by the government and operated by the Iranian government’s Islamic Development Organisation.

Iran’s Mehr RELEASES VIDEO of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei for ‘FIRST TIME’ pic.twitter.com/v3Rp81VfLH

— RT (@RT_com) August 8, 2026

On Friday, Israeli media reports claimed that Khamenei was in an “extremely critical condition”. Channel 14, citing sources inside Iran, and The Jerusalem Post, quoting IranWire and sources close to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration, reported that concerns over his health were circulating among Iran’s leadership.

A source cited by The Jerusalem Post said, “We would not be surprised if we heard news of his martyrdom soon.”

Khamenei took over as Supreme Leader shortly after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was assassinated in joint US-Israeli military strikes on February 28. He has not appeared in public since assuming the position and has communicated only through written statements.

According to reports, Khamenei was injured and may have suffered disfiguring injuries during the initial strikes on his father’s compound. The injuries reportedly forced him into hiding, while he has allegedly communicated with senior regime figures through a slow network of intermediaries to avoid being targeted.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has also acknowledged the difficulty of directly interacting with Khamenei. In a state TV interview, he said that direct interaction with the Supreme Leader is currently “very difficult”.

Questions over Khamenei’s whereabouts and ability to lead have also emerged in international and regional reports. In July, Saudi news outlet al-Hadath, citing an Israeli security source, claimed that Khamenei was “not in Iran.”

Around the same time, US President Donald Trump said in a Fox News interview that Iran’s top military leadership had been eliminated. He also claimed that Khamenei was “90% gone” and incapacitated following the military campaign.

Source : https://www.news18.com/world/iran-releases-undated-video-of-mojtaba-khamenei-amid-reports-of-extremely-critical-health-ws-kl-10261602.html

British Columbia declared a state of emergency on Saturday after thousands of people in the western Canadian province were ordered to flee ‌a fast-moving wildfire that nearly doubled in size overnight.
The Bald Range wildfire was burning out of control and grew rapidly to about 9,500 hectares (23,500 acres), prompting evacuation orders in Summerland, Peachland and other districts west of Okanagan Lake in the province’s southern interior. The region produces most of B.C.’s wine and is Canada’s second-largest wine-producing area.

Premier David Eby told a news ​conference on Saturday that one fire official had likened the fire to “a bomb going off”.
“He described flames on 100-foot tree, flames ​going 200 feet above that, and the fire creating its own weather system, which creates lightning, which then ⁠feeds on itself,” Eby said.
“Homes have been lost, and properties have been destroyed. Some people became trapped as conditions changed very quickly, and ​needed to be rescued,” the premier said, adding it remained a very dynamic and threatening situation.
Summerland has a population of about 12,000 people, according ​to the 2021 census, and Peachland is home to about 6,500 residents.

A state of emergency grants the provincial government immediate access to special powers including travel restrictions and supply protections to prevent price gouging, and specific tools to coordinate rescue work.
Officials said the Bald Range wildfire triggered the largest evacuation event so far this summer and more than ​20,000 people across B.C. have been forced to evacuate their homes.
“A lot of farms have been affected. We don’t know how many structures have been lost. ​They’re still busy fighting the fire,” Summerland Mayor Doug Holmes said in a phone interview from Penticton. “We have to brace ourselves for the worst.”

OVERNIGHT EVACUATION

Many ‌residents left overnight, ⁠driving south to Penticton or north to Kelowna before highways began to close.
Terry Fries of Summerland was watching a football game on Friday night when a neighbor advised him to get a bag ready as the fire grew.

“At the time, it was still farther back, and you could see it behind the hills,” he said. When B.C. authorities issued the evacuation order around midnight, he and his family drove about 45 ​km (28 miles) north to the city of ​Kelowna.
Residents recorded videos of fires by ⁠the highway and of structures burning as they evacuated. By Saturday afternoon, ashes began to settle on cars and houses in nearby areas as the fire painted the skies with orange hues.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/british-columbia-district-declares-state-emergency-issues-evacuation-orders-2026-08-08/

When blasphemy allegations against a Christian family prompted a mob of hundreds to assemble in Pakistan’s teeming metropolis Karachi last month, officers knew they might only have minutes to save the four women and one child who were targeted.
Islamic Pakistan has witnessed around 90 blasphemy-linked lynchings since 1990 and many started exactly like this.

But as police officer Sanghaar Ali ​Malik and his unit confronted the crowd on a narrow street, Malik recalled he sensed a chance to end the situation peacefully.

The deafening chant of “Death to blasphemers!” was in the air, but the main instigators of such riots in the past — Pakistan’s powerful fundamentalist groups — were missing, reflecting a ‌military-led crackdown that has cut registered blasphemy cases by roughly two-thirds this year.
“No religion allows you to take the law into your own hands,” Malik said he told the crowd, quoting verses from the Muslim holy book, the Koran.
Surprisingly, even for himself, Malik said in an interview, the people listened. With no instigators whipping up frenzy, they melted away after being assured that police would investigate the case.

The country’s Islamist groups have long been backed by the powerful military to keep the civilian government in check, and, occasionally, to stoke tensions with hostile nations, analysts say. But the groups have retreated to the shadows after a crackdown that four government and security sources said was overseen by army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.
The crackdown, the sources and analysts said, was driven by Pakistan’s desire to improve ties and better integrate its ​economy with the West, as Munir builds on a personal rapport with U.S. President Donald Trump. It comes after Islamabad’s falling out with the Afghan Taliban, an erstwhile ally that also hands out custodial and corporal punishments for blasphemy.
The reasons for the crackdown have not been previously reported in detail.
One of the sources, who ​is close to Munir’s inner circle, said the military chief was “clear that these Islamist groups and a progressing Pakistan cannot go together.”

Munir, the source added, was personally involved in ensuring zero tolerance for the fundamentalist groups as he seeks to portray nuclear-armed Pakistan in ⁠a positive light.
Pakistan’s military did not respond to a request for comment.
“The state has learned lessons from past experiences,” Talal Chaudhry, minister of state for the interior, told Reuters, referring to the crackdown. “The government and the army are on one page…there has never been this much clarity. That is to crush any group that tries to hold the people or this ​country hostage to its dictates.”
In one of the most visible effects of the crackdown, the number of registered blasphemy cases has dropped to 13 so far this year, down roughly two-thirds against comparable periods in recent years, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, an independent body.

While Pakistan saw over seven blasphemy riots or attacks per year between 2021 and ​2024 on average, there was only one over the past 12 months, according to separate data provided to Reuters by Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, a conflict monitoring site.

THE SON OF AN IMAM

Munir, the latest in a long line of generals who have dominated Pakistani politics, has been at the forefront of revamping the country’s image, burnishing ties with the U.S., China and Saudi Arabia.
But domestically he faces challenges from crippling insurgencies that feed upon the Islamists, and a shattered economy.
Munir is the son of an imam and a deeply conservative Muslim himself, and theology remains ingrained in Pakistan’s state apparatus. Yet he is seeking global recognition and support through crypto deals, foreign funds, mediating in the U.S.-Iran conflict and signing a mutual defence deal with Saudi Arabia.
In the summer of 2025, Pakistani officials became increasingly worried that the ​fundamentalists’ hostility towards France and other European nations was endangering an EU duty waiver for Pakistani products, said two Pakistani government sources.
Almost one-third of Pakistan’s exports go to the EU and a sudden drop could have thrown its economy into turmoil.
The European Commission and Pakistan’s commerce ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
The Trump administration has also made alleged ​persecution of Christians an issue. The government’s religious watchdog, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, recommended last year that Pakistan be re-designated as a Country of Particular Concern because of its blasphemy laws. Pakistan has rejected the designation.
Abdul Basit, an analyst at Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said worsening insurgencies in the country’s two most mineral-rich regions of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ‌had likely contributed to ⁠a sense of urgency for Munir, who had pitched investments in the minerals sector to the U.S. government last year.
“Religious groups have fallen out of favour,” he said.
While the militias behind these insurgencies are not directly linked to the newly banned Islamist groups, they’ve traditionally relied on the same pool of young, radicalised men.
“The question will be whether Pakistan is able and willing to maintain this focus,” said Elizabeth Threlkeld, director of the Stimson Center’s South Asia program.

‘SERIOUS THREAT’ TO PAKISTAN

The largest fundamentalist group, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, or TLP, which used “Death to blasphemers!” as its rallying cry, was banned late last year. Many of its leaders were sent to jail, its mosques sealed and its bank accounts frozen.
A previously unreported government document that paved the way for the ban argued that the group had “turned into a serious threat to Pakistan” by not only harming “internal peace” but also “the country’s reputation at the international level.”
A TLP spokesperson referred to a statement the group released last year, which called the ban illegal and unconstitutional.
The government cracked down earlier on other Islamist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad after pressure from ​the Financial Action Task Force, a global watchdog against terror financing.
Basit attributed the latest ​crackdown to soul-searching within Pakistan over its past support for the Afghan Taliban. ⁠Islamabad now accuses the Taliban, in power in neighbouring Afghanistan, of fuelling widening Islamist insurgencies against the Pakistani state.
The Afghan Taliban called the accusation “baseless.”
A spokesman for its foreign ministry declined comment on the crackdown on the TLP, calling it an internal affair of Pakistan.
For Pakistan’s Christian, Shi’ite and Ahmadi minority groups, the shift has been stunning.
Suspects in blasphemy killings — including police officers — were at times showered with rose petals or given red carpet receptions. Many people accused of setting Christian churches or minority Muslim mosques on fire have been publicly lauded.
Blasphemy, ​still punishable by death under Pakistani law, has long been so sensitive that even a suspicion could lead to riots and lynchings. Victims’ families have rarely seen justice delivered, human rights groups say, because judges and lawyers were too afraid to take ​up their cases.
The police officer Malik said he and ⁠everyone else who confronted the crowd in Karachi last month felt “fear in their hearts.”
The Christian family that was targeted was eventually brought to safety, and an initial inquiry has since found the allegations against them to have been false, Malik said.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/pakistans-army-chief-turns-hardline-islamist-groups-blasphemy-cases-plummet-2026-08-06/

U.S. House Democrats preparing for a possible return to power are developing a broad investigative strategy targeting companies and financial firms surrounding President Donald Trump, instead of trying to impeach him immediately, according to four people familiar with the discussions.
Senior Democrats in the U.S. House of ​Representatives and committee aides have discussed using hearings, subpoenas and document requests to obtain records from entities tied to Trump’s political and business orbit, the sources said. It is a bet that investigating ‌private companies and outside financial players will prove more fruitful than directly confronting a White House they expect to resist oversight, they said.

The approach reflects both Democratic caution and a lesson many in the party say they learned during Trump’s first term: that impeachment proceedings can consume Congress while allowing Trump to cast himself as the victim of a partisan campaign.
Instead, Democrats involved in the planning envision using House investigative powers after November’s midterm elections to scrutinize the administration’s decision-making and examine whether Trump used his power to benefit himself, allies or donors.
“We’re ​not going into this to impeach,” said a senior Democratic aide, describing the thinking among party leaders and committee staff. “No one wants a failed vote on day one. The focus is on building ​a body of evidence through investigations that can hold Trump accountable.”

Republicans hold a narrow House majority, and polls favor Democrats regaining the majority in November. Winning control would ⁠give Democrats the power to issue subpoenas, compel testimony and documents, hold public hearings and pursue contempt proceedings.
Democrats expect the White House to fight or ignore requests aimed at the executive branch, making companies, contractors and financial ​firms working with the administration an important route for obtaining information, the sources said.
The White House said in a statement that Trump has worked to thwart the “radical left’s agenda” and remains committed to preserving Republican majorities in Congress. ​A White House official said the administration is “prepared to respond to oversight requests, no matter who is in the House or Senate.”
Three sources said Apple (AAPL.O), Alphabet (GOOGL.O), Palantir (PLTR.O), Blackstone (BX.N), BlackRock and companies owned by Elon Musk, such as Tesla (TSLA.O), have surfaced in discussions because of their contracts, regulatory exposure or administration dealings. The sources said no final target list has been established and no formal investigations have begun.

The sources provided no further details about the investigations. Reuters could not determine if they face any accusations of wrongdoing.
Alphabet, Palantir, Blackstone and ​BlackRock declined comment. Apple and Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.
Democrats are expected to examine Department of Homeland Security contracts, financing for Trump’s planned White House ballroom, corporate donors and alleged pay-to-play arrangements, two ​sources said. They also plan a probe of Trump-linked financial vehicles including 1789 Capital – a venture capital firm where his son Donald Trump Jr. is a partner – and foreign sovereign wealth funds whose investments in Trump family-linked entities could raise questions about ‌administration influence, the ⁠sources said.
1789 Capital did not respond to a request for comment.

Because foreign funds may be harder for congressional committees to reach, Democrats are discussing seeking records from U.S.-based firms and funds tied to Trump’s family and other intermediaries, the two sources said.

LAYING THE GROUNDWORK

Democrats have already begun laying the groundwork for investigations, two of the sources said.
Party leaders are sending letters to companies, contractors and other organizations connected to potential investigations, they said. The requests seek records and pave the way for subpoenas if Democrats win the House, the two sources said.
Representatives Robert Garcia from California and Jamie Raskin from Maryland, the top Democrats on the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees, respectively, said existing investigations would expand ​if Democrats win the House.
“From sketchy Pentagon contracts lining ​the pockets of the president’s sons, Trump’s crypto ⁠billions, and the shady backroom deals for Trump donors, we will ensure we combat corruption when Democrats take back the House in November,” Garcia said in a statement.
The letters include requests for information from media company Paramount Skydance over its dealings with the Trump administration and the proposed Warner Bros. Discovery deal as well as video platform YouTube ​and parent company Alphabet (GOOGL.O), over the company’s $24.5 million settlement with Trump in September. Letters have also been sent to private prison operator GEO Group and security ​firm Salus Worldwide Solutions for their ⁠contracts with the DHS as well as commodity traders Vitol and Trafigura over the administration’s sale of Venezuelan oil, the two sources said.
Alphabet and Trafigura declined comment. The others did not respond to requests for comment.
The companies can ignore the requests while Democrats are in the minority. But the letters put potential targets on notice and signal records Democrats could subpoena, the two sources said.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/democrats-plan-trump-investigations-over-impeachment-if-they-win-house-sources-2026-08-08/

Spain’s government said on Friday it would establish border controls for ​flights and ships from Italy from midnight on ‌Saturday until September 7 in a dispute with the neighbouring country over irregular migration.
Passport, nationality and visa checks would ​be conducted for Italian passengers and visitors ​from other countries arriving from Italy “amid the persistent ⁠irregular migratory pressure” from the country.

Spain said the ​measures would apply while Italy applied its own ​measures which it said were motivated by the mass migration rush by 72,000 people on Spain’s African enclave of Ceuta on ​July 30.
Earlier on Friday, Italy said it would ​not bow to “ultimatums or impositions” from Spain and would maintain border ‌controls ⁠on arrivals from the country until at least August 15.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/spain-establish-border-controls-travellers-italy-amid-migration-row-2026-08-07/

A move like this could require affected workers and their dependants to leave the country almost immediately.

The United States is considering ending a provision that gives certain foreign workers up to 60 days to find a new job after losing their employment. The proposal is currently under review by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and has not yet become a rule, with the details of the proposed changes not publicly available in full.

A move like this could require affected workers and their dependants to leave the country almost immediately.

If the regulation is finalised, it would remove the existing 60-day grace period for certain workers and their dependants when the employment on which their immigration status is based ends before their authorised period of stay expires.

The change could have particular significance for the Indian expatcommunity in the US. Indian nationals have long been the biggest beneficiaries of the H-1B skilled-worker programme. In the 2024 fiscal year, 71 per cent of approved H-1B petitions were for beneficiaries born in India, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

More than 5.2 million people of Indian origin live in the US, according to recent estimates based on US Census data.

What Is The 60-Day Rule?

The current rule in the US was introduced in 2017 to provide greater flexibility to highly skilled foreign workers who lose their jobs.

Under those rules, certain non-immigrant workers whose employment ends can remain in the US for up to 60 consecutive days, or until the end of their authorised period of stay, whichever comes first.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/us-visa-h-1b-visa-h-1b-workers-could-lose-60-day-lifeline-under-new-us-immigration-plan-11884468?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

The remarks came on the day Pakistan signed a defence pact with Turkey and Saudi Arabia in the holy city of Mecca.

Pakistan’s defence minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, has urged Islamic countries worldwide to form a military alliance along the lines of NATO after Islamabad signed a defence pact with Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

Talking to Geo News, Asif said the pact’s doors cannot be closed to other countries. “See, we can’t close the doors for other countries. This shouldn’t be an exclusive club. This is my personal opinion. It should expand. I think Muslim countries should keep their differences, transactional or bilateral disputes aside, on the lines of NATO and stand together,” he told the news channel

The remarks came on the day Pakistan signed a defence pact with Turkey and Saudi Arabia in Mecca, in which “an attack on one” of the signatories will be considered “an attack on all three.”

The Pakistan-Turkey-Saudi defence pact

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif put their signatures to a joint defence agreement at Al-Safa Palace in Mecca on Friday, after offering prayers together. The document has a name — the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement — and a headline commitment. An armed attack against any one of the three states will be regarded as an attack against them all, it said.

On Friday, the three countries released a joint statement announcing the agreement, not the text of the agreement. No full treaty document has been made public yet.

The statement commits to “collective deterrence against any act of aggression”, and, in its central clause, holds that “any armed attack against any one of the three States shall be regarded as an attack against them all”. Turkish officials, quoted by Bloomberg, added that the pact would extend to shared development of defensive capabilities, military exercises, and personnel training. Erdogan, in his own X post, said it was a mechanism for joint defence-industry projects and counter-terrorism cooperation.

Reuters, citing Turkish and Saudi officials, said the statement “did not give specifics on the commitments each had accepted, and it was not clear how far their agreement would bind them to any particular military action in each other’s defence”.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/shouldnt-be-an-exclusive-club-pakistan-defence-minister-bats-for-nato-like-alliance-after-pact-with-saudi-turkey-101786206857607.html

THOUSANDS of Cristiano Ronaldo fans mobbed an unsuspecting bride after wrongly believing she was the footballer’s fiancée Georgina Rodriguez.

The Portuguese icon and his long-term partner have been tipped to finally tie the knot in a lavish Portuguese ceremony but excited supporters mistakenly crashed the wrong wedding on Saturday.

More than 2,000 fans had gathered outside a cathedral in Madeira hoping Ronaldo and Rodriguez would have a surprise wedding after dozens of media reports.

But they were left stunned when they realised they had been waiting for the wrong couple.

Instead, Portuguese pair Fabio Ramos and Fatima Nicole Cunha Teixeira were the ones walking down the aisle.

Family and friends of the real bride and groom reportedly had to fight their way through the huge crowd as they waited excitedly for the football icon to arrive.

One member of the wedding party said: “Fabio is not Cristiano Ronaldo. This is all crazy. We did not expect anything like this.”

“I don’t think he is going to forget his wedding.”

The atmosphere reached fever pitch when a grey Rolls-Royce pulled into the square to drop Fatima off for the ceremony.

Hundreds of fans immediately swarmed the luxury car, with phones held aloft as they scrambled to capture a glimpse of the woman they believed was Georgina.

One member of the wedding party desperately tried to set the record straight, shouting: “This is not Georgina!” as the crowd surged forward.

Eventually, Fatima’s bridesmaids managed to clear a path through the mob, allowing her to make her way towards the cathedral entrance.

Father Marcos Gonçalves, the parish priest of the Cathedral who married the couple, said: “I can tell you that they are nothing to do with Cristiano Ronaldo.

“This is the only wedding taking place here today.”

The priest added that he did not believe the footballer had booked the venue for a wedding any time soon.

Dozens of fans wearing No. 7 Ronaldo shirts packed the square outside Madeira Cathedral, convinced the superstar was about to marry Georgina at the venue.

Rumours of Ronaldo’s impending nuptials proved to be wide of the mark.

The 41-year-old Portuguese football legend and his 32-year-old model fiancée Georgina had been widely tipped to tie the knot at the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Funchal.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/sport/16813044/ronaldo-fans-mob-bride-mistaking-wedding-for-cr7-s/

XI Jinping is feared to have found his next target as the Chinese dictator sets his eyes on the Philippines – risking all out war with Donald Trump.

President Xi’s obsession with making China the sole global superpower could see him launch a daring attack and test Washington’s resolve – with a rotting US warship the most likely flashpoint.

China has been trying to grow its dominance in the South China Sea for decades under Xi.

Beijing already claims almost 90 per cent of the waters, but Xi is adamant he should control even more to create a monopoly on trade and naval abilities.

John Hemmings, the director for the National Security Centre at the Henry Jackson Society, told The Sun: “China views the South China Sea as its domain.”

The country with the most to lose if China continues to push for total regional dominance would be the Philippines, experts say.

Manila heavily relies on the South China Sea for national security and economic survival due to it being a key shipping route.

One of the most contentious areas is the sprawling Spratly Islands which is currently claimed by China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

Made up of over 100 reefs, China has been caught building up new military fortresses on a trio of the surrounding islands.

Shocking surveillance footage shows some of the larger reefs sat in the most strategic positions are now flooded with Chinese military gear.

Features include a 10,000ft runway, hardened aircraft shelters, fuel and munitions storage, radar and sensor arrays, and hangars that can accommodate two dozen combat aircraft or several larger planes.

Despite China’s sweeping attempts to seize more territory, the Philippines have become a thorn in Xi’s side.

Manila has spent years standing up to the Chinese – sparking renewed fears Xi could launch an invasion to get rid of the issue entirely.

But attacking Filipino territory could have dire consequences for Beijing.

The Philippines has a firm agreement with the US stating Washington would support the country with its Navy if it ever comes under attack.

The 1951 US–Philippines Mutual Defence Treaty was recently described as being an “ironclad agreement” by Manila.

Dr Philip Shetler-Jones, an expert on Indo-Pacific security at RUSI, said: “Since President Trump visited Beijing, US-China relations are on a very stable level.

“But the reduction of tension in the relationship means it is perfectly logical and normal for China to turn on US allies in the region.

“China has a track record of taking the opportunity to make a move while assuming America and the rest of the world is distracted.

“It’s all related to the longer term objective that Beijing has to reduce the extent to which American presence in the region restricts China’s influence.

“It wants to be the dominant power in the region. The main thing standing in the way of that is currently the US alliance system.”

Terms of the pact apply to any armed attack on the Philippine armed forces, coast guard, public vessels, or aircraft anywhere in the South China Sea.

Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has already warned Beijing that any deliberate act of aggression would cross a red line.

Manila would formally invoke the treaty and ask Washington for military protection and naval escorts.

US Navy warships escorting Philippine ships would likely anger Xi, who has battled to make China the top global superpower.

A direct standoff between US and Chinese warships would leave the world in a precarious position – with fears a single shot or misfiring could spark war.

China is known to test its limits with enemies, with the Philippine Coast Guard accusing its Chinese counterpart of firing water cannons ‌at government vessels near a disputed shoal last month.

Footage also showed the Chinese Coast Guard and Philippine Navy hitting each other with oars and batons during a heated encounter at Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea.

It marked one of three confrontations between the two countries in the South China Sea in just seven days.

China has also been accused of shining military-grade lasers, temporarily blinding Filipino crew members.

These “grey zone” tactics have so far avoided any US response.

A blockade of a key island on the South China Sea would likely be seen as a major escalation, experts say.

Second Thomas Shoal is currently one of the strongest islands in the South China Sea not under Chinese control.

The Philippines currently has a military outpost on the shoal with marines stationed aboard a rotting World War Two-era warship named the BRP Sierra Madre who have strict instructions to protect their patch.

Due to where the warship sits, it currently blocks China’s expansion in the South China Sea – making the Sierra Madre a political signifier of who controls what in the region.

Both John and Dr Shetler-Jones say the worst- case scenario for the region would be Beijing enforcing a total blockade and surrounding the troops.

An attack by the Chinese could provoke a firefight which would see Manila invoke the treaty and call for US backup.

John said: “If China goes into the Sierra Madre and starts killing Philippine Marines, I believe and I think the US has shown itself committed to to sending in its forces to deal with that situation.”

Dr Shetler-Jones added: “One of the flashpoints is the grounded ship, the Sierra Madre, because it is an unsustainable situation.”

A provisional agreement was reportedly made in July 2025 between Beijing and Manila, which saw China promise not to encroach near the sinking vessel.

In return, the Philippines insisted it would only ever sail to the area to provide food, water and supplies to the marines on board.

But Dr Shetler-Jones believes Xi may be waiting for the Sierra Madre to be in dire need of repair so Manila sends in men to fix the ship.

“The Philippines would need to repair that ship to keep it in place to maintain this political status quo,” the expert said.

“But the Chinese would insist the agreement excluded repairs so would give them reason to kick off.”

Experts have feared a Chinese invasion of Taiwan – which forms the eastern boundary of the South China Sea – could trigger World War Three due to the self-governing island’s close ties with the US.

But John believes the Philippines could be the true next target for Xi who may use it to help him gather key intel for a future Taiwan invasion.

John said: “The Philippines is a sort of test case for how China’s going to behave in in the region.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/16812603/xi-jinping-china-war-philippines-war-trump/

A FRIEND of an American who was killed on a beach in Puerto Rico painfully recalled the paralyzing moment she learned about his execution-style murder.

Tyler Wilkin‘s magnetic energy and upbeat persona were what drew friends like Julie Santiago to the 35-year-old Ohio native, who in January 2024 relocated to San Juan, the island’s capital.

“He loved the island. He fell in love with the people. He fell in love with nature. He fell in love with the beach, the mountains, like everything around the island,” Santiago told The U.S. Sun about her late friend Wilkin.

So when Santiago heard about Wilkin’s gruesome murder on July 10, she froze in shock.

Two days prior, Wilkin was dropped off by his girlfriend near the remote beach of Playa la Selva, a secluded forest area in the northeast corner of the island in Luquillo, where he set up a campsite.

For Wilkin’s friends, it wasn’t uncommon for the adventurous and fearless 35-year-old to pack a backpack and go camping.

“He was fearless. He wanted to be in nature. He didn’t care if it was alone or with a group of friends. And nobody could stop him because that’s who he is or he was,” Santiago said.

Wilkin would stay in contact with a group of friends and his girlfriend, Iva Mo, whom he routinely texted in the mornings.

During his stay, Wilkin began sending unsettling messages about a mysterious man in the area, whom he nicknamed “the howler.”

Wilkin told his friends that he could hear someone howling near his tent along with what sounded like fireworks.

On the night of July 9, the messages became more alarming when Wilkin informed his friends that the unknown individual was back.

“He had messaged that same friend and said, ‘The howler is back.’ And then he messaged two hours later, ‘Oh, this guy is getting rowdy lol,’” Mo told CBS affiliate WKRC.

Wilkin’s final message to friends was sent shortly before 2am.

Hours later, a beachgoer on their morning walk located Wilkin’s body at around 6am about 300 yards from his campsite with a single gunshot wound to the back of the head.

Local police believe Wilkin was shot at close range in an execution-style killing.

Santiago recalled gasping when she first learned about the details surrounding her friend’s murder.

“I just couldn’t believe it. I gasped. I was like, is this a joke? I couldn’t believe it. I froze,” the Puerto Rican native told The U.S. Sun.

“The way he died was not like him running away or anything.

“He was facing the ocean probably with his eyes closed, probably kneeling down, at three feet distance to the back of his head.

“It was an execution. And they took his wallet, so they robbed him for whatever the money he had. They took his life away. I’m just still shocked.”

Nearly a month since Wilkin’s murder, authorities in Puerto Rico have not established any significant leads on a potential suspect or suspects.

Joseph Gonzalez Falcon, the superintendent of the police force in Puerto Rico, said on Tuesday that investigators had still not obtained new information.

“I’ve mentioned that there is a person of interest in that case,” Falcon said in a press conference.

“I’ve been in contact with Tyler’s father and other friends of Tyler. As I’ve said, this, like all investigations, is a priority for us.”

Falcon previously said investigators were looking into a person of interest related to Wilkin’s murder; however, he declined to disclose additional details.

The FBI is now involved in the investigation.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/16792395/tyler-wilkin-execution-style-murder-puerto-rico-friends-plea/

Up in the hills above the Roman columns of the ancient site of Sebastia, in the occupied West Bank, are olive fields that have been cultivated for generations by Palestinian families.

One of the landowners, Abu Mudif, says he has received notification that his land is part of a tranche of about 450 acres that the Israeli authorities are taking possession of in order, they say, to protect and develop the site for a major new national park.

Typically, Palestinian landowners receive little or no payment for such land expropriation. And even when it is offered, most refuse it as they see accepting it as giving recognition and legitimacy to the loss of what they see as their patrimony.

It’s a vital income for Abu Mudif to lose of course, but it goes deeper than that for him.

“If I wanted to describe it, the closest description I can give is that it is like having your soul ripped away. I cannot imagine myself without my land.”

Nahed Sakha owns a local restaurant that is under threat of demolition.

He says the Israeli plan seems to be to cut Palestinian residents off from the archaeological site, which dates back thousands of years and has significant remains from the ancient Jewish past, as well as many other eras including the Romans, the Crusaders and the Ottomans.

“Restoration work has now begun along with excavations,” he says. “Landowners were told that no-one would be allowed to use or plough their land.”

The concerns of the village that surrounds Sebastia have been echoed by the United Nations culture and education agency, Unesco, which has now declared it not just a World Heritage Site but also added it to the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Unesco says that the main threat facing the site concerns what it calls the “planned expropriation and creation of the ‘Samaria’ (Shomron) national park, which could divide the property”.

Standing on a path between the entrance car park in Sebastia on one side – where the Roman-era forum once stood – and the columns of the basilica on the other, the village mayor, Mohammed Azem, looks down to his right at some rubbish left in the ruins.

He says locals are now worried about reaching down to clean the area as it might cause problems with Israeli security forces and settlers.

The path on which he stands divides the site between Area B of the West Bank – which is under Palestinian civil and Israeli security control – and Area C, which is under full Israeli civil and security control.

Last week, Israel allocated roughly 113 million shekels (£27.8m) to expanding its control over archaeological sites in the West Bank. Some projects involve sites in areas administered by the Palestinian Authority.

In the remains of the Roman theatre, Israeli activist Alon Arad – who heads Emek Shaveh, an Israeli group that aims to ensure that the ancient heritage of the region belongs to all communities – says that the Israeli authorities have bypassed consultation with the local administration and residents of Sebastia.

“The thing is that Israel is not the owner of this place. This is a Palestinian heritage site. And in order to develop it in a positive way, it has to be done with the local community, with the municipality, so they can benefit.”

The Israeli plans would see Sebastia’s entrance moved to the other side of the vast site, away from the village and current car park and shops.

The Palestinian tourism and foreign ministries have expressed their hope that recognition by Unesco may buttress international support for their opposition to Israeli land seizures in Sebastia.

But the Israeli Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, has portrayed Unesco’s move as enabling Palestinian efforts to diminish historic Jewish ties to the West Bank.

“No vote in an international organisation can change history,” he asserted.

Further to the south in the West Bank and just in sight of Jerusalem is Herodium, a manmade hill with an extraordinary palace built on its summit by King Herod, who ruled the Kingdom of Judea just before the Christian era.

Recently here, too, Israel has begun to expropriate land – this time about 80 acres – for what it says is the “preservation and development” of the site.

Peace Now – an Israeli organisation that monitors settlements – says: “Under international law, as well as according to rulings of the Israeli Supreme Court, Israel is prohibited from expropriating land for settlement purposes or exclusively for the benefit of Israeli citizens”.

“Consequently, in order for the expropriation to be considered lawful, the state will likely argue that the site is intended to serve both Palestinian and Israeli populations, despite the apparent fact that its primary rationale and purpose are linked to settlement expansion and Israeli control.”

For Shmuel Browns, who has worked on excavations in Herodium and leads deeply enthused guided tours, it’s vital for Israeli archaeologists and officials to be able to oversee and protect places that are so freighted with historical and religious significance.

“Israel feels responsible to look after the archaeology, the artifacts, the history of this land,” he says.

But there has also been a drive to go further than this among far-right members of Israel’s current government.

A new law was proposed earlier this year that would have transferred control of archaeological sites to the Israeli heritage ministry from the Civil Administration, which operates under military authority, and given it sweeping powers to seize land for archaeological preservation across the West Bank.

That bill passed its first reading in parliament in May but is now on hold as elections are coming up. It may never re-emerge.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20d8qre98do

Hamptons fashion entrepreneur Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra was cold to the touch, turning purple, and with her mouth, chest and back of her head covered in blood when medics found her aboard a boat in Montauk, according to documents The Post obtained on the one-year anniversary of her death.

The Montauk Fire Department patient care record for the Irish-born 33-year-old founder of East x East also noted purpling on her lips and under her nailbeds as well as blood on the floor near her body.

“Boat was quite warm but [patient] was cool to the touch with nail beds that were purple with slight purpling around lips,” a note from the EMT report read.

The body “had dried blood in oral, head and chest area. No active bleeding observed or obvious sources of trauma. First arriving EMT noted blood potentially from the back of head area when EMT positioned head to open airway and begin” resuscitation efforts and administer oxygen, the report said.

The report notes an “additional male” was on the scene at the time of the cardiac arrest.

That person, not identified in the report, told EMTs that he was in bed with Nolan-O’Slatarra and called 911 when he was unable to wake her up, the report stated.

Boat owner Chris Durnan is the only person to have been previously confirmed as being on the scene and last seeing her alive.

He was reportedly spotted running for help down the Montauk Yacht Club dock completely nude at roughly midnight on Aug. 5, 2025.

“Do something!” the naked man screamed, good Samaritans later told The Post.

Lawyers for Durnan told New York Magazine that he stripped down naked because he was soaked in Nolan-O’Slattara’s vomit. EMTs did not note any vomit in their report.

The EMT report noted Nolan-O’Slatarra was unresponsive the entire time they were on the scene.

An autopsy commissioned by Nolan-O’Slatarra’s family revealed that only trace amounts of cocaine were found in her system, according to the family’s lawyer. The Suffolk County Medical Examiner has not released autopsy results.

A crime scene expert who reviewed the report found the report’s details concerning.

“This thing stinks,” said Patrick Zirpoli, a private investigator and retired Pennsylvania State Police corporal with more than two decades of experience investigating crime scenes and homicides. “Just by virtue of [the report], that’s a problem case.”

Zirpoli, who is not connected to this case, told The Post the scene could have been staged “to make it seem like something else.”

“Something happened to have caused [bleeding from the mouth.] And I think she. . . is deceased well before the first responders first got there,” Zirpoli said.

Lawyers for Nolan-O’Slatarra’s County Carlow, Ireland, family have also claimed that Durnan staged the scene.

“Law enforcement informed the family they believed the scene had been cleaned before responders arrived,” Michael Bowe of Brithem LLP told The Post.

Nolan-O’Slatarra could have been dead for up to an hour before EMTs arrived, and she could have been the victim of an assault, Zirpoli theorized.

Source : https://nypost.com/2026/08/08/us-news/medical-report-details-nyc-fashion-designers-condition-when-emts-arrived-at-montauk-boat/

The high price of a fresh slice.

Driven in part by A-list celebrities like Kris Jenner and Denise Richards, facelifts are on the rise.

According to the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS), facelifts ranked as the second-most popular plastic surgery procedure in 2025.

While popularity is peaking, the price point of the procedure varies widely.

Rumor has it that Jenner’s lift set her back six figures, while other facelifts clock in at a fraction of that, somewhere in the $30,000 to $70,000 range.

Most would assume that when it comes to work done on one’s money-maker, the more expensive, the better the results, right? Not quite, according to Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr. Ben Talei.

“It could be absolutely no difference,” Talei, who’s responsible for Denise Richards’ viral facial transformation and singer Sia’s self-proclaimed “amazing” facelift, told The Post.

“The price would suggest that one would be better than the other, but it doesn’t actually mean that the more expensive one is better than the less expensive one,” the surgeon explained.

However, for one of Talei’s patients, top dollar equals top tier.

“You get what you pay for,” Los Angeles-based real estate agent Pate Stevens of The Agency told The Post.

Stevens, who underwent a facial rejuvenation by Talei last fall, to the tune of $224,000, believes that in LA, there’s more bad work than good, and the bad is…loud.

“I can spot 90% of facelifts three blocks away,” Stevens told The Post,

“The face is pulled so tight, the lips are so big, and the eyes are so open.”

The pursuit of a more natural look led Stevens to Talei, who he says offers a subtler East Coast, old-money aesthetic.

“He’s from New York, he’s not here to do stretchy face lifts with duck lips,” Stevens said.

Stevens shared that aside from a mutual aversion to duck lips, Talei’s goal for facial rejuvenation aligned with his own: to ensure he remained recognizable.

“I wanted to look refreshed, not stretched, and I wanted to look like myself,” he said.

To achieve that desired look, Stevens underwent an AuraLyft, a type of neck lift and deep-plane facelift patented by Talei that starts at around $175,000 and can reach upwards of $350,000 for the more comprehensive procedure that addresses the upper and lower eyelids, lips, the ballast, fat grafting, ptosis repair, and smile modulation.

According to Talei, surgeons, including himself, who charge top dollar often do so because they are in high demand. While being sought after can reflect a strong skill set, it is by no means a guarantee of one.

“There are plenty of surgeons who are not that great who are busy because of a lot of media and marketing,” he revealed.

Further, he says a lower price does not necessarily mean lower quality.

“You can get a fantastic facelift for $30,000,” said Talei. “There is no definitive measure that would tell you that price has anything to do with it.“

To that end, or tuck, many surgeons offer a similar service at a significantly lower price, a discount that may have more to do with address than aptitude.

“Super high prices typically, but not always, mean that you’re looking at an excellent surgeon in a high-end market like LA or NYC,” Dr. Sean McNally, a board-certified plastic surgeon based in Portland, OR, told The Post.

McNally explained that high-end markets often translate to higher overhead for rent and marketing, staffing and social media, upcharges that contribute to the final price of a procedure.

However, like Talei, he notes that patients should be aware that high dollar does not always mean high value, nor does midrange suggest subpar.

“Just because someone charges the highest prices doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re the best. There are extremely talented surgeons in high-end markets that are absolutely worth the premium, and so-so providers convincing patients that they’re great because it’s so expensive,” McNally said.

McNally, whose facial rejuvenation procedures fall in the $25,000 to $50,000 range, explained that his pricing is targeted to the region where he operates.

“Patients in Portland are extremely unlikely to pay Beverly Hills prices. If you set your prices too high for a given area, you won’t be able to convert consults to actual surgeries.”

A recent patient of McNally’s proves the point.

“I knew if I went to California I could find someone with more exposure, but I did not want to spend 100,000,” Fernando, 58, told The Post.

Fernando, whose facelift cost roughly $30,000, had never had any cosmetic work done before his surgery, chose McNally based on before-and-after photos of previous patients and the doctor’s “honest energy.”

A retired gallerist, Fernando began shopping for a surgeon three years ago when he began feeling like his aging face was a mismatch for his fit physique.

“Physically, I do as much as I can with exercise and the way I eat; but in the face, there was nothing I could do.”

Similar to Stevens, Fernando was turned off by the appearance of “bad” facelifts he had encountered and was clear about what he did and did not want.

“My goal was to look younger but to look like myself,” he said. “You see some people; they have no wrinkles but their face looks like plastic; I did not want that.”

McNally assuaged Fernando that his results would amount to looking like a younger, more refreshed version of himself.

“He said, I think we can shave between 12 and 15 years off, and he did,” the 58-year-old said.

Fernando shared that his results have been positively received; a friend recently described his new look as “timeless,” while his husband of 26 years told him, “you look like you did when we first met.”

He shared that his trust in McNally was what guided his decision to go under the knife and ensured his satisfaction in the aftermath: “I felt confident with him; he answered all my questions, and did not rush me. It just felt very good.”

His sentiments are underscored by Talei, who counts trust and the personal relationship between the patient and the surgeon as the strongest predictors of a successful procedure — not cost.

“If you have any issues, you have to have full faith and trust in them that you can seamlessly get through it,” the surgeon explained.

The high-end surgeon notes that historically, bad celebrity facelifts of the wide-eyed, pulled-tight, cartoon lip variety described by Stevens and Fernando have scared off many folks from considering or undergoing the procedure.

However, recent improvements in the field, coupled with celebrity transparency from notable recipients like Jenner and Richards about getting good work done and by whom, have led to an uptick in surgeries.

Source : https://nypost.com/2026/08/08/lifestyle/surgeons-reveals-difference-between-30k-and-300k-facelift/

She’s unplugged from reality.

A rent-striking, rising-star radical orchestrating the Mamdani administration’s socialist housing agenda is the daughter of a famed music studio owner who recorded rock legends like David Bowie, the Ramones, Blondie, Lou Reed, Sonic Youth, the Foo Fighters and Coldplay, The Post has learned.

While framing herself as a champion of the proletariat, Tracy Rosenthal grew up in a trendy $1.7 million NoMad pad with elite access to the music industry — attending the Grammys at least twice with her dad, four-time winner Steven Rosenthal.

Her father recorded hit albums by some of the world’s biggest artists at the Magic Shop, the SoHo studio he founded in 1988, including Coldplay’s 2008 “Viva la Vida,” which sold more than 10 million copies worldwide; the Foo Fighters’ 2014 “Sonic Highways,” for which he was interviewed in the band’s HBO docuseries; and Bowie’s final album, 2016’s “Blackstar.”

Yet despite her first-class upbringing, she’s been on a four-year “rent strike” since moving back to New York City after a stint in Los Angeles — because the Bolshevik bugged out after spotting a cockroach in her hip $2,300 a month Bed-Stuy apartment.

At a North Carolina Democratic Socialists of America meeting where she spoke last August, Rosenthal, 39 — who pridefully posed for a snap on Karl Marx’s grave during a trip to London — sang the blues about what she claimed were horrendous conditions she had to endure in 2021.

“As soon as I moved in, I realized that we had roaches . . . and I lost my mind,” she said of the two-bedroom pad that occupies the top floor of a brownstone. “I was very angry. . . . it’s really gross.”

She said the landlord refused to hire an exterminator, and after finding out the building had more rental units than were legally approved and was facing foreclosure, she organized with the other tenants to eventually stop paying rent, stiffing the owner of at least $108,000 on her unit alone.

“We’ve been on rent strike ever since,” she said proudly.

Her Bed-Stuy landlord, Adetunji Akinboboye, eventually lost the building to foreclosure in 2023.

US Bank, the new owner, is now suing Rosenthal, along with four other tenants, for eviction, saying they have “squatted upon the premises,” according to records filed in housing court in November. The cases are still before the courts.

Earlier this year, the building on quiet tree-lined Hancock Street was placed under the Housing Preservation Department’s Alternative Enforcement Program — meaning the landlord had a few months to address tenants’ complaints. It was removed from the program on July 14 after resolving the issues, according to a city notice taped to the front door this week.

This is the same program the Mamdani administration wants to use to “seize housing,” a previous Post analysis found — and which received a $2 billion budget boost. It can lead to the city dragging the landlord to court if it doesn’t do the repairs, and a housing court judge appointing a non-profit to take over the management of the building.

“They feel entitled to these properties,” said Stu Smith, investigative analyst at the Manhattan Institute, who has been studying Rosenthal and the “rent abolitionist” movement.

“I consider her to be a saboteur, I consider her to be a gaslighter. And the fact that the Mamdani administration wants to highlight her as a hero speaks to the ethics and morality of the mayor’s office.”

Rosenthal’s 2024 book “Abolish Rent” lays out the playbook of escalating tactics she used herself — starting with talking to neighbors to identify shared grievances and making collective demands all the way to rent strikes — with the broader goal of shifting control of housing away from landlords.

It’s helped popularize a confrontational model of tenant activism and become a foundational tome for the DSA, which had her to speak to chapters across the nation for the past two years.

“We pay rent at the peril of our need and at the barrel of a gun,” she said at a meeting in 2024 in Midtown.

“It’s a ransom,” she raged. “We know that if we don’t make this payment, our landlords can call on agents of state violence who can use physical force to throw us outdoors.”

The more inflammatory techniques she pushes include camping outside a landlord’s home; shaming them in front of their neighbors, friends and family; leaving “really bad Yelp reviews;” and even crashing their children’s weddings — something she brazenly did with a tenant union in Beverly Hills in 2023.

Rosenthal — who posted “death to America” the night Mamdani clinched the Democratic primary last year and is a visiting scholar at the woke CUNY — put some of these tactics into practice as a strategist in a high-profile battle involving renters across 93 New York City buildings owned by Pinnacle Group, the focus of Mamdani’s taxpayer-funded “mini doc” released this week.

She helped tenants organize into a union that secured repairs and had millions of dollars in back rent forgiven, after the bankrupt landlord sold its 5,200-unit portfolio in the Bronx and Brooklyn.

“Really just everyone should feel so proud of the work that they did advocating for themselves and their neighbors,” Rosenthal says in the City Hall film, where she’s seen celebrating with tenants.

On the day the doc launched, Aug. 4, Mamdani also signed a “Right to Organize” letter — reminding renters of their right to knock on their neighbors’ doors and form tenant associations — echoing Rosenthal’s very techniques.

Source : https://nypost.com/2026/08/08/us-news/nyc-tenant-activist-who-calls-rent-ransom-is-daughter-of-grammy-winner/

US Senate passes bill allowing tariffs of up to 100% on Russian oil buyers, naming India among five target economies while sparing US allies in Europe.

The US Senate on Friday approved by 86 votes to 11 a bill that would authorise tariffs of up to 100% on countries buying Russian oil, gas and other exports, with India named as one of five target economies by the bill’s sponsors even as US allies in Europe are spared for similar purchases.

Bill leaves tariff rate to USTR, targets India’s Russian oil purchases

The measure — known officially as the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act 2026 — sets a headline ceiling but leaves the actual rate to be set by the office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), and carries a presidential waiver requiring certification to Congress with reassessment every 180 days. The bill permits — but does not necessarily compel — the executive to act against the five named purchasers — China, India, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan — with sponsors saying the rate should be pitched high enough to deter Chinese and Indian buying.

India has in the past, when it was slapped with a 25% additional levy that has since been removed after trade negotiations, called such moves unfair since Russian exports are soaked up by a number of other countries. India has also stated that its energy purchases are guided by its energy security needs.

Senate vote puts India in tariff crosshairs

The bill now moves to the House of Representatives, where Republicans control the floor calendar and where its passage in identical form is the last hurdle before it reaches President Donald Trump for signature. Trump, whose officials helped shape the softened text now before Congress, has signalled support for House passage.

“Today, President Zelenskyy is watching from Ukraine — and Putin is watching from Moscow,” Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat who worked with Graham on the package, said on the Senate floor. “I would like to think Lindsey Graham is watching, too. Today we say to the people of Ukraine: You are not alone. And today we say to Vladimir Putin: You will not conquer Ukraine.”

For India, the vote comes as it and the US are attempting to hammer out a trade deal. It potentially offers Washington another lever over New Delhi even as the first — the Section 301 forced-labour tariff imposed last month, and the excess-capacity investigation still open — reshapes the arithmetic on which those talks proceed.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/us-senate-clears-bill-for-tariffs-over-russian-oil-101786153415547.html

General Caine is not the only one to opine that the war with Iran, which was supposed to be a “short excursion”, has reached a crossroads

As the Iran war drags on, US President Donald Trump’s top advisers are looking for an “off-ramp” as military options available to the administration could backfire and air missions alone are not enough to achieve the stated objectives, sources said.

Over the past few weeks, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine has privately conveyed this message to President Trump. “Caine is looking for an off-ramp,” a source said, CNN reported.

General Caine is not the only one to opine that the war with Iran –– which was supposed to be a “short excursion” –– has reached a crossroads. While he has discussed concerns about the military options for escalating the conflict, he has asked key Cabinet officials, including CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance, to find an “off-ramp”, sources said.

“I think it is just his way of protecting the military,” one of the sources told CNN.

President Donald Trump, who appears reluctant to deploy ground troops in Iran, has signaled a preference for an air bombing mission instead which he believes can persuade the Iranians into agreeing on a deal on his terms.

According to the CNN report, citing the said sources, Caine and several others in Trump’s cabinet have sought to pursue other options that fit within the President’s own parametres.

Source : https://www.news18.com/world/no-short-excursion-trumps-top-advisers-seek-off-ramp-from-iran-war-with-limited-military-options-ws-l-10260287.html

A U.S. official on Friday reported progress between Iran and Oman that could soon reopen the Strait ​of Hormuz, potentially restoring oil exports that have been disrupted by the five-month-old U.S. war with Iran.

The U.S. official, who declined to be identified, said Washington anticipated ‌an agreement soon between the two countries, which sit on either side of the strait, so that normal oil traffic could resume.

A deal between Iran and Oman over control of the strategic waterway is seen as crucial to a wider peace agreement.

“There is progress between Oman and Iran on the strait, and we expect a deal soon,” a U.S. official told Reuters on Friday. “Once the deal is announced to restore commercial shipping without impediments, the United States ​will lift the blockade of Iranian ports.”

“As always, U.S. actions will continue to be performance-based and tied to Iran’s implementation of its commitments,” the official said.

Before the U.S. and ​Israel launched the war on Iran on February 28, about one out of every five barrels of oil consumed worldwide transited the strait, but Iran ⁠has used the hostilities to justify charging a toll on oil tankers and firing on ships that attempt to cross the strait without permission.

That disruption in oil shipments has caused energy prices ​to surge and fueled inflation.

In recent weeks, the Trump administration has repeatedly signaled that a deal to open the strait could be close, only to have Iran deny that talks are under way. It ​was unclear whether the latest flurry of negotiations would yield a more lasting arrangement.

Iranian strikes on Strait of Hormuz shipping have been coupled with increased attacks by its Yemen-based allies, the Houthis, who have targeted ships at another oil chokepoint on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula between the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, one of the world’s largest energy producers, said on Friday that 15 of its vessels had ​been struck in what it called unprovoked attacks while transiting the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the conflict. The attacks have killed one crew member and wounded 20 others, it said.

NEW ​SECURITY PACT

Alarmed at a regional conflagration that has brought Iranian missile fire onto Gulf oil exporters, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey signed a joint defense agreement in Mecca on Friday.

The pact among three U.S. allies with majority ‌Sunni Muslim ⁠populations is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against aggression and stipulates that an armed attack against any of the three would be regarded as an attack on all, the countries said in a statement.

Turkey said the agreement was not aimed at any specific country and was purely defensive. But it comes at a time of heightened tensions with Shi’ite-majority Iran.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-expects-deal-soon-strait-hormuz-sunni-powers-unite-defense-pact-2026-08-07

In the space of three weeks, Vasily Klimov’s online shopping pick-up point in Moscow has gone from a healthy small business to a loss-making operation he is now desperately trying to ​sell.

Klimov runs one of 98,000 pick-up points in Russia and neighbouring countries where customers collect goods ordered through Wildberries, the country’s leading e-commerce retailer.

But since July 18, when Ukraine began targeting ‌Wildberries warehouses across Russia in a wave of near-nightly drone attacks, his business has taken a massive dive.

Attacks on at least 20 of the company’s sites have sparked major fires, destroyed entire warehouses of stock, and disrupted its vast logistics network across the world’s largest country.

A Reuters review of satellite imagery shows at least 1.18 million square metres of warehouse space – more than a fifth of the company’s capacity – has been damaged or destroyed. Wildberries, which reported yet another attack on Friday, says it is seeking partners to open new storage hubs.

The disruption is sending shockwaves through Russia’s ​retail sector, affecting not only franchise operators like Klimov but also tens of thousands of small businesses that rely on Wildberries to sell their products online.

“Sales have dropped by about 50% over the past ​month, and that is because there are almost no deliveries,” said Klimov, whose outlet operates under a Wildberries franchise agreement.

“The last month has been entirely loss-making.”

Ukraine strikes Russia’s Wildberries

Ukraine has attacked around 20 Wildberries warehouses in Russia over the last month, hurting the e-commerce giant that has become a key employer and driver of the country’s economy.

WAREHOUSE ATTACKS BRING ⁠WAR’S COSTS TO BUSINESS

At least 13 people have been killed in the warehouse attacks. Ukraine, which has been defending itself against Russia since February 2022, denies targeting civilians and says the strikes are part of a campaign to “bring the war home” to ​ordinary Russians and raise the cost to Moscow of continuing the conflict.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/ukrainian-attacks-wildberries-strike-heart-russia-inc-2026-08-07

A U.S. federal appeals court ordered Donald Trump’s administration on Friday to stop construction on a $400 million ​ballroom on the site of the White House’s demolished East Wing, dealing the Republican leader a major setback in a case testing his presidential authority.

“Each ‌President is a temporary tenant, not the owner, of the White House,” and cannot fundamentally reshape it without congressional approval, the Washington-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said in a 2-1 opinion, opens new tab.

The order upheld a preliminary injunction won by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which sued last year after the administration tore down the East Wing and began building a 90,000-square-foot (8,360-square-meter) ballroom without seeking ​authorization from Congress.

“Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help,” the panel’s majority ​wrote.

The appeals court placed its ruling on hold for 14 days to allow the Trump administration to appeal to the U.S. Supreme ⁠Court.
Trump, who has increasingly claimed that the ballroom project is a security necessity, referred to the structure as a “military center” in a post on Truth Social on Friday and said ​the administration would appeal to the Supreme Court. He called the decision “horrendous” and politically motivated and said it left him, other White House officials and visitors exposed to attack.

“This unjust ​decision must be overturned by the Supreme Court in its entirety,” Trump wrote. He said the ballroom plan includes bomb shelters, medical facilities, shielding from drones and missiles and other security features that are “all tied together as one big, expensive, and very complex unit.”

National Trust President Brent Leggs said in a statement that the ruling marked “a great day for our country and for the American people’s right to voice their opinions ​about the historic places they cherish, including the White House.”

Trump appealed after U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, an appointee of Republican former President George W. Bush, twice blocked above-ground construction on ​the site while allowing underground work to continue.

The ballroom plan, which the administration has described as necessary for large formal functions and to preserve the safety of the White House, is the grandest ‌of several ⁠Trump efforts to reshape central Washington’s landscape of government buildings and national monuments.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/us-appeals-court-blocks-trumps-400-million-white-house-ballroom-project-2026-08-07

U.S. President Donald Trump is renewing his effort to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, keeping alive his assault on the central ​bank’s independence even after the U.S. Supreme Court in June dealt him a significant setback in his bid to remove her earlier this year, according to a letter seen by Reuters.

The ‌White House told Cook in a letter this week that the president was “considering” removing her from her role and demanded she respond to unproven mortgage fraud allegations within three weeks — allegations her attorney called “baseless.”

The ‌White House told Cook in a letter this week that the president was “considering” removing her from her role and demanded she respond to unproven mortgage fraud allegations within three weeks — allegations her attorney called “baseless.”
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The salvo against Cook is the second time this week Trump has restarted an effort to take actions that the Supreme Court blocked earlier this year. Trump earlier this week also issued another order attempting to limit birthright citizenship after the high court ruled against his previous effort to limit who is automatically considered a ​U.S. citizen.

The letter to Cook, signed by Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino and first reported by ABC News, alleged that she committed crimes that could be punishable by up to 30 years in ​prison and that her conduct constituted negligence that called into question her trustworthiness as a Fed governor.

The salvo against Cook is the second time this week Trump has restarted an effort to take actions that the Supreme Court blocked earlier this year. Trump earlier this week also issued another order attempting to limit birthright citizenship after the high court ruled against his previous effort to limit who is automatically considered a ​U.S. citizen.

The letter to Cook, signed by Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino and first reported by ABC News, alleged that she committed crimes that could be punishable by up to 30 years in ​prison and that her conduct constituted negligence that called into question her trustworthiness as a Fed governor.

In a statement, Cook’s lawyer said “there is no valid cause” for removing ⁠Cook from her position.

“As we did before, we will challenge this latest pretext and preserve her position and the historic role of the Fed,” attorney Abbe D. Lowell said.

The Federal Reserve and White House had no comment.

Trump ​last year cited mortgage fraud in trying to fire Cook, the first Black woman to serve as a Fed governor. Cook denied the allegations, calling them a pretext to remove her for monetary policy differences.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-moving-forward-with-attempt-fire-lisa-cook-after-supreme-court-ruling-abc-2026-08-07

Several media outlets have reported that the US has used a significant share of its global stockpile of highly accurate long-range missiles during the five-month war with Iran.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday dismissed reports that the United States is running low on key missile stockpiles after months of conflict with Iran, insisting the military remains well supplied while acknowledging that inventories of some weapons were “a little bit tighter”.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said the Pentagon continued to have ample supplies of weapons and rejected media reports suggesting the country had depleted much of its stock of precision long-range missiles during its five-month war with Iran.

“We have certain types of munitions that are very powerful, that we have unlimited, virtually unlimited supply,” Trump said.

While dismissing claims of a broader shortage, he acknowledged that supplies of some types of munitions were tighter than others. “We have others where it’s a little bit tighter,” he said.

He maintained that the US was “in very good shape” and insisted, “We have literally massive amounts of ammunition.”

“We have literally massive amounts of ammunition.”

President Trump pushed back on reports that the U.S. was running low on missile stockpiles after months of conflict with Iran, insisting the military remains fully supplied.

Speaking to reporters, Trump said the U.S. is “in… pic.twitter.com/W2pXecgJK1

— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 6, 2026

The US president also said defence companies were expanding production, including building new facilities to manufacture Patriot and Tomahawk missiles. “We always want more. We have to have more,” he said.

Several US media outlets have reported that the Pentagon has used a significant share of its global stockpile of highly accurate long-range missiles during the war with Iran.

Source : https://www.news18.com/world/we-have-massive-amounts-trump-rejects-munitions-shortage-claims-says-iran-war-will-end-soon-ws-l-10258029.html

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is arriving in Saudi Arabia on Friday while Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir are already there

In a significant geopolitical realignment, Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia are finalising a historic trilateral defence agreement aimed at establishing a unified security architecture, CNN-News18 has learnt.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is arriving in Saudi Arabia on Friday for a high-profile working visit to conduct final, top-level consultations with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir. Prime Minister Sharif and Field Marshal Munir reached the Kingdom on Thursday ahead of the summit.

Strategic Synergies: Finance, Tech, and Manpower

The emerging triad leverages the distinct strategic assets of each member nation to create an integrated security network across the Islamic world:

• Saudi Arabia: Financial capital, strategic depth, and regional economic influence.
• Turkey: Advanced defence technology, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and NATO-standard military manufacturing capabilities.
• Pakistani Armed Forces: Strategic manpower, nuclear-capable deterrence capabilities, and battle-tested operational expertise.

Intelligence Confirms Finalised Terms

A top Turkish intelligence source confirmed to CNN-News18 that all foundational terms for the trilateral military alliance have been fully drafted, communicated, and agreed upon by Islamabad, Ankara, and Riyadh.

Source : https://www.news18.com/world/pakistan-turkey-and-saudi-arabia-set-to-sign-historic-trilateral-defence-pact-exclusive-details-10257993.html

President Donald Trump’s administration targeted more universities on Thursday over issues like race and diversity in admissions ‌and pro-Palestinian protests, marking the federal government’s latest crackdown against U.S. schools.
The Department of Justice alleged admissions practices at Duke University School of Law were biased in favor of Black and Hispanic applicants, citing findings of a federal probe.

The DOJ alleged the law school “emphasized racial diversity in ​admissions” and that “a Black or Hispanic applicant has a substantially higher likelihood of admission to Duke Law than ​a white or Asian applicant with the same academic credentials.”
The DOJ said it sought a ⁠voluntary resolution agreement.
“Duke is committed to complying with the law and will continue to do so in a manner ​that is consistent with our academic mission,” the university said, adding it was reviewing a DOJ letter.
The DOJ alleged the ​same this year about admissions practices in medical schools at the University of California and Yale. The schools said their practices were rooted in merit.

Trump, who casts diversity goals as anti-merit and discriminatory against white people and men, has signed orders to dismantle them. Rights advocates say diversity practices ​address historic inequities for marginalized groups.
The Supreme Court rejected affirmative action at colleges in 2023 when it struck down ​race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina.
Separately, the Education Department said it was probing California’s San Jose State ‌University and ⁠San Francisco State University over pro-Palestinian protests.
The department said it received complaints about the universities that alleged failure to respond to antisemitism accusations on campuses. It noted reports of hostility towards Jewish students, displays of “antisemitic graffiti” and pro-Palestinian protests that it said disrupted classes.

Both universities have condemned discrimination, including antisemitism and Islamophobia, and say they treat discriminatory concerns seriously. They said ​they will respond to the ​department through its investigative process.
⁠San Jose State University said a quote attributed in the Education Department’s press release to a former university administrator – making a distinction between “good Jews” and “bad Jews” based on support ​for Israel’s government – was “never made by any representative of the university.”
Trump’s administration alleges pro-Palestinian protesters are ​antisemitic and support ⁠extremists.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-scrutinizes-more-schools-over-admissions-practices-diversity-pro-palestinian-2026-08-06/

With President Donald Trump’s war against Iran now in its sixth month, this week’s flurry of threats and diplomacy has underscored the ever-tighter bind he finds himself in as he tries to extricate the U.S. from an unpopular conflict he originally claimed would last just weeks.
Trump ​is caught between an emerging interim deal being negotiated by Iran and Oman that would give Tehran control over the Strait of Hormuz it never possessed before the war, or following through on ‌his warnings of sharp escalation, risking a more prolonged crisis.

The first option, analysts say, would grant Iran its biggest concession since the U.S. and Israel attacked it on February 28 and formalize, at least for now, the Islamic Republic’s supervision of the vital oil-shipping conduit, which the Trump administration had vowed to prevent.
The second path, likely a fresh wave of airstrikes, could be fraught with political peril for Trump ahead of November’s pivotal U.S. midterm elections, while seeming to offer no better chance of success than the earlier bombing that failed to bring Tehran to its knees.
Trump ​could instead choose to maintain the uneasy status quo. That would mean maintaining a blockade of Iran’s ports and periodically retaliating for any attacks on shipping. But this approach too would not offer Trump a face-saving way ​out of a conflict he had predicted would be over by mid-April.

“It’s a menu of bad options but Trump may have come to the realization that he can’t let this war ⁠go on endlessly,” said Aaron David Miller, a former Middle East negotiator for Democratic and Republican administrations. “Something has to give, and that may be recognition of a new Iranian reality in the strait.”
Responding to Reuters’ questions, a U.S. official said ​on condition of anonymity that any “temporary” shipping routes would be “without any impediments,” with no party overseeing transit.

CHOKEHOLD ON SHIPPING

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has insisted that the strait, where Iran has had a near-chokehold on a fifth of global oil and liquefied ​natural gas shipments since the start of the war, must remain an open international waterway not controlled by Iran and free of tolls or fees.
But Trump has previously contradicted some of Rubio’s assertions about the war, and analysts say he could do so again.

With U.S. gasoline prices high, his own approval ratings low and the war deeply unpopular with the American public, the president’s room to maneuver is increasingly limited, they say.
As the conflict has dragged on, Trump’s bluster has done little if anything to force Iran to give ground, and analysts say it is looking ​more likely that the president could be the one making the biggest compromises.
Reopening the strait is seen as a prerequisite for a return to negotiations between Iran and the U.S., which the Trump administration wants to focus on Iran’s nuclear program, ​the main declared target of the president’s military campaign.
The question remains whether the U.S. would be ready to accept any arrangement worked out between Iran and Oman, which sit on opposite sides of the strait.
The proposed terms would give Tehran some control over ships entering the ‌Gulf through the ⁠strait, a senior Iranian source and two regional officials told Reuters. Trump has said a deal reopening the waterway is imminent, but Iranian officials have said details remain to be resolved.

Even if an Iran-Oman pact is sealed and U.S.-Iran talks resume, experts are skeptical about the chances for a final peace agreement based on the memorandum of understanding the U.S. and Iran signed in June but which quickly unraveled. That preliminary deal had also given Iran some sanctions relief from the start, which drew criticism from some of Trump’s fellow Republicans.
Trump administration officials have increasingly accepted that the conflict likely will still be going on in some form by the time of the midterms, a White House official said on condition of anonymity. In some states, early ​voting begins as soon as September.
This would pose further political ​risks for Trump, who campaigned for a second term ⁠on promises to avoid foreign interventions and focus on Americans’ economic concerns, as his Republican Party struggles to keep control of Congress.
The U.S. official told Reuters that Trump’s decisions on Iran are not guided by “fluid opinion polls.”

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/trumps-iran-dilemma-hes-stuck-war-with-no-exit-sight-2026-08-06/

SPIDER-Man stars Tom Holland and Zendaya have got married again in a top-secret £500,000 wedding in Britain.

The couple hired out an entire countryside estate hotel in Surrey for the three-day extravaganza with celebrity guests this week.

Lovebirds Tom and Zendaya had wedding guests in tears of joy at their “beautiful” secret ceremony, sources said.

Around 250 loved ones, including fellow Hollywood A-listers, were there to see the couple getting married again, with phones not permitted.

The three-day celebrations this week at a lavish Victorian country pile cost included a red and blue lights display — a nod to the colours worn by the Marvel superhero played by Tom.

Some of the guests were flown by helicopter into the grounds of the 370-acre Beaverbrook estate, nestled in the Surrey Hills — 11 miles from Tom’s hometown of Kingston-upon-Thames.

Sources said they included Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr plus Wonka idol Timothee Chalamet and his girlfriend Kylie Jenner.

The ceremony comes after Tom, 30, revealed earlier this summer that he and Zendaya, 29, were already married, and caps an epic year where they have both starred in blockbusters The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

A source told The Sun: “The ceremony was so beautiful and romantic.

“Tom and Zendaya aced their speeches as well — they were both very funny but also very emotional.

“There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. They’re incredibly hard-working and lovely people, and this stunning wedding has capped off an amazing year for them.”

A rehearsal dinner was held on Monday ahead of the wedding the following day, with Tom’s chef brother Sam, 27, best man.

Guests and staff had their phones confiscated ahead of the ceremony, which took place in the woods at sunset.

Tom and California-born Zendaya later made emotional speeches.

Sam’s actor twin Harry was also there, as was the lads’ youngest brother Paddy, 21.

Guests played croquet, had a pool party and ate Japanese food at the venue, which is a five-star hotel and estate once owned by the late newspaper proprietor Lord Beaverbrook, who hosted figures there including Winston Churchill.

It boasts 56 rooms and suites plus a restaurant with hot-air balloon-styled dining tables.

A source said: “Tom and Zendaya went to great lengths to stop any information or pictures getting out, so neither guests nor staff were allowed their mobiles.”

Insiders said the happy couple and their loved ones had breakfast together on Wednesday, with champagne still flowing, before leaving in the afternoon.

Tom and Zendaya, plus their dog, were then driven back to their £3million property in Richmond, South West London, which they renovated together.

One suited employee at the property was seen carrying a bag appearing to contain a white dress, while another hoisted a crate full of flowers.

Tom and Zendaya met while auditioning for Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2016 and started dating soon after.

Their characters Peter Parker and MJ also have an on-screen romance.

They got engaged in 2024 and Zendaya’s stylist, Law Roach, said in March: “The wedding’s already happened. You missed it.”

Then, in June, Tom revealed in an interview with Esquire that he and Zendaya had got married.

It came after AI-generated images of the couple getting hitched went viral — and confused Tom’s nan.

Asked if he had to reassure his family regarding the wedding, Tom said: “No, because they were all there.”

When quizzed further he said: “That’s all you’ll get on that.”

The couple are on course to become the most profitable box-office actors in a single year after the monumental success of their two new films.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/16805669/tom-holland-zendaya-secret-wedding/

LINDSAY Clancy was giving secret signals as she saw her ex-husband in court for the first time since the night she strangled their three children to death, a body language expert told The U.S. Sun.

Lindsay, 35, strangled her kids with exercise bands in the basement of their Massachusetts home on January 24, 2023 while her then-husband Patrick Clancy was briefly out of the home running errands.

Patrick was the first person called to the witness stand in Lindsay’s trial, where she has pleaded not guilty to three murder charges.

Patrick found Lindsay on the ground in their backyard after she jumped from the second-story bedroom window, shortly after she crushed up pills and cut her wrists and neck with a kitchen knife.

While he called 911, he asked Lindsay where the kids were, and she replied, “In the basement.”

While first responders tended to Lindsay, Patrick went to check on his children where he found five-year-old Cora and eight-month-old Callan on the ground next to each other motionless and with exercise bands around their necks.

He then found Dawson on the other side of the basement in a similar condition.

As Patrick entered the courtroom for the first time, Lindsay appeared to let out a deep breath as she pursed her lips together.

Lindsay’s defense attorney Kevin Reddington revealed to the Daily Mail that this was the first time Lindsay had seen Patrick since the night of January 24, 2023.

Traci Brown, a body language expert, told The U.S. Sun that Patrick walking into court got Lindsay’s attention.

“She was trying to completely check out of the whole situation, and then he walked in and she went “Oh, right,’” Brown said.

“And you saw her go into fear and sadness at the same time. And that’s, that’s her eyebrows.”

Brown said that a person’s forehead is like a billboard, and their eyebrows are the writing on the billboard that gives some insight into what a person is thinking.

“We saw her eyebrows go up. So that’s going to say fear or surprise,” she explained.

“And then we saw the tips of them go up in the middle, that can say sadness.”

“So, she had a lot of emotion going on there,” Brown added.

Brown also picked up on Lindsay rolling her lips a lot in court, which she said is sometimes done by a person “holding something back.”

In his testimony, Patrick recalled the months leading up to their children’s deaths, Lindsay’s mental health struggles and difficulty sleeping and finding them on the night of January 24, 2023.

His testimony on day one of the trial ended when he talked about the last time he saw his children alive.

On the second day, he picked back up, recalling going to CVS to pick up medicine for Cora, grabbing dinner, and then coming back to an unusually quiet house.

Patrick was cross-examined later in the day, where he revealed how Lindsay made up songs for the kids and would read to them.

He was also shown a series of Facebook posts Lindsay shared with family photos in the years before the kids’ deaths.

When he was excused from the stand, Patrick kept his head down as he swiftly left the courtroom.

Lindsay’s head was slightly pointed down with her gaze appearing to be fixated on the table in front of her.

When asked about what she picked up on from Lindsay and Patrick not looking at one another after his testimony, Brown told The U.S. Sun, “I think they’re both trying to keep that separation between them there.”

Lindsay has had a few moments in court where she became visibly upset, but has also kept her gaze down and remained expressionless on other occasions.

She could be seen sobbing in court as the 911 call Patrick made was played for the jury, but muted on the broadcast due to a previous order from the judge.

Lindsay’s hands were over her face as she cried, which Brown said is referred to as “eye blocking.”

“That’s when you don’t want to see something. So you’re mostly keeping information out when you cover your eyes.

“It could be keeping information in. But I think in this case it was trying to keep it out because it’s a painful moment.”

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/16804326/lindsay-clancy-body-language-murder-trial-strangling-kids/

HOWARD Stern has fired at least 50 employees – two thirds of his entire staff – over two waves of layoffs.

The U.S. Sun spoke to multiple insiders who confirmed the Howard Stern Show’s operations have been quietly gutted after the marquee star proclaimed he had re-signed with SiriusXM back in December.

During the renewal announcement, Stern appeared to suggest that in staying on the air, he would be saving people’s jobs.

“I think people generally working here are just hoping I stay, because, look, this is people’s livelihoods,” the 72-year-old multi-millionaire said.

“There’s a bunch of technical folks and production people and our social media people, we have a pretty big organization to put on this mess, and I appreciate every single one of them. I don’t even know how to say it, and everyone is just so talented.”

“I think it’s the greatest staff ever in terms of entertainment,” the iconic host gushed.

Despite the high praise and seeming reassurance by the show’s fearless leader, there were layoffs less than two months later on February 12, insiders claimed.

That source said the February layoffs went unnoticed by fans, as most of the employees were based behind the camera.

“They let all these people go, and it was like, ‘Nothing to see here,’ since none of the people were on the air,” the source pointed out.

Another insider said that the number of employees who were let go during the February layoffs was staggering.

“At least 40 people were let go,” the insider claimed.

That insider added that it was disheartening to see so many people let go in February, just two months after being lulled into what they believed was a sense of job security following Stern’s announcement about his contract renewal, and the host’s glowing comments about his staff.

Then, on July 13, the second insider claimed at least 16 people were laid off – including on-air talent Memet Walker, Benjy Bronk, Jonathan Blitt, Mike Trainor and Rahsaan Rogers.

While many people who were laid did sign an NDA when they began working for the show, the source also confirmed confidential documents were attached to their severance packages.

“The exit NDA basically said you can talk about the show, but you can’t say anything negative about it, or you would lose your severance.”

Some staff were able to negotiate from the initial exit package offered, but not everyone had luck with SiriusXM‘s HR.

“HR was trying to get employees to sign the NDA and take the check as quickly as possible. You’re suddenly unemployed, so it makes it very hard to negotiate,” the source explained.

According to several sources who previously spoke to The U.S. Sun, a lot of the laid-off staffers refused their initial severance offers, which amounted to just about one week of pay for every year they worked.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/16804527/howard-stern-fired-radio-show-staffers-two-layoffs/

Artificial Intelligence has been used to design brand new viruses that are fully functional and can replicate in the laboratory, say US researchers.

It is the first time whole genomes have been successfully designed by AI.

The resulting 16 novel viruses were created to infect bacteria and pose no threat to people.

The breakthrough has been labelled a “very significant turning point” in science that could unlock a new era for treating disease. But experts have also warned AI-designed viruses raise “urgent” safety and security concerns.

AI tools are rapidly advancing and have already been used to design new antibiotics.

But that is relatively simple compared with designing a new viable virus from scratch.

“This is a next step in the complexity that’s designable by generative AI, this is the first time generative AI has been used to design a complete genome, it’s something that can replicate and have other functions inside cells… this was new territory for us,” Brian Hie, assistant professor at Stanford University, told the BBC.

The technology works similarly to large language models, like ChatGPT, which predict sequences of text.

In this instance the AI models, known as Evo1 and Evo2, predict the language of life rather than words.

The AI models were trained on genetic codes from viruses, bacteria, plants and people.

They were then refined to produce a type of virus, known as a bacteriophage, which infect only specific species of bacteria.

The Stanford researchers picked the most promising 302 AI designs and synthesised them in the lab. Of these, 16 proved effective at killing E. coli bacteria.

Samuel King, a PhD student in the lab, said they realised the phage were working in the early hours of the morning.

The phage were placed on petri dishes growing a layer of bacteria on them and the scientists waited for signs their new viruses were enjoying the feast.

“We were starting to see these clear spots and it was just extremely exciting,” says King. When the results were shared with the wider team “the room spontaneously burst into applause”, Hie recalls.

Developing new phage could lead to new ways of treating infections that have become resistant to antibiotics.

But the breakthrough also points to the ability of AI to design new biology that goes beyond the natural world – what is known as synthetic biology.

Hie argues this has the potential to “massively improve human health” by developing new drugs and therapies.

But concerns have already been raised that the same technology could be used maliciously to create new diseases.

In a commentary accompanying the publication in the journal Science, Dr Thomas Inglesby and Dr Moritz Hanke from the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins University wrote that the findings raise “urgent biosafety and biosecurity questions”.

They said it was no longer a question of “whether generative viral genome design will exist” but whether it can be used without “enabling serious harm”.

For example, they said new viruses with the potential to cause disease “should not be pursued”.

The researchers themselves took steps to maximise safety. They excluded viruses that could infect complex organisms from the training database, performed the research on phage rather than viruses that infect people and it all took place in a secure laboratory.

Hie argues even existing safeguards go a long way towards “ensuring that the technology is used for good”.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y3j3ngevmo

European teams could still boycott competitions including the World Cup as Uefa says Fifa’s defence of its president Gianni Infantino “changes nothing”.

The English FA has sent a letter withdrawing its support for Infantino in reaction to the plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup to private investors.

European governing body Uefa said in a statement its conditions had not been met, despite Infantino’s plan being aborted.

“First, the proposals to sell off the major competitions had to be withdrawn and secondly,” Uefa’s statement said. “Assurances have to be made that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again.

“These conditions have not been met.”

Uefa has already said it has lost confidence in Infantino, calling the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal a “shabby, back room, opaque deal”.

But on Thursday, Conmebol, the South American confederation, and the Confederation of African Football (Caf) backed Infantino, as did the football associations of World Cup co-hosts Mexico and tournament runners-up Argentina.

Infantino had offered all associations $40m (£30m) if they backed a proposal for private investment in its tournaments, including the men’s and women’s World Cups, through the FFE subsidiary.

World governing body Fifa said during Wednesday’s meeting “mistakes” regarding FFE were “acknowledged”, saying it was “not the intention” for the Fifa Council and members association to “feel excluded from the process and that the process should have been handled differently”.

Uefa’s statement in response added: “Uefa made it abundantly clear in its statement on Saturday that it has lost confidence in Gianni Infantino’s presidency. That position holds.

“Yesterday’s announcement that some people employed by the Fifa president (and whose careers depend on his favour) agree with him changes nothing.”

Fifa has been approached for comment.

Sydney Towle, a popular social media influencer who shared her experience living with a rare, aggressive form of cancer, has died at the age of 26.

Towle’s family announced her death, from complications related to bile duct cancer that had spread to other parts of her body, on her social media accounts on Thursday.

“Syd went peacefully last night after an almost three-year-long battle with cholangiocarcinoma,” her brother Austin said in a video message, alongside their mother, on TikTok.

Towle, who was moved to hospice care earlier this week, had over a million followers on TikTok and over 200,000 on Instagram.

She spent the last three years chronicling her daily life as a young person going through chemotherapy and living with cancer, with all its hopes, joys and struggles. She had been living in New York City at the time of her death.

“We are so proud of how hard Sydney fought and for sharing her journey with so many people,” Towle’s family said in a statement.

“She wanted to raise awareness for rare cancers and was passionate about promoting self-advocacy. We will continue her legacy and honour her in every way we can.”

Following the announcement of her death, thousands of followers posted messages on Towle’s social media accounts paying tribute to her and sending well wishes to her family.

“Sweet angel. Fly high,” actress Alyssa Milano commented. “Praying for all who loved her. She is really something special.”

“You were such a bright light and will be missed,” one person wrote on Instagram, while another said: “How lucky we all are to have found you on the internet. Thank you for sharing yourself and your story.”

In May, Towle posted a series of videos from the hospital where she was receiving treatment for complications related to her cancer.

She shared that her cancer had spread to her peritoneum, a membrane that lines the abdominal and pelvic cavities and protects internal organs.

On 19 May, she posted a video of herself, sitting beside her mother in the hospital, in which she said her oncologist had told her he would no longer treat her cancer, recommending she begin end-of-life care. Towle said she would not accept this and vowed to continue fighting, choosing instead to switch to another specialist.

Despite her illness, she expressed fervent optimism and joy for life on her social media accounts. She often posted videos of herself dancing, getting ready, and having fun with friends.

She recently fulfilled her dream of modelling, walking in a swimsuit for The Chemo Club x Post Swim show at Miami Swim Week.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn4n1eyze05o

Perez Hilton’s first words from his hospital bed after being transported to a medical facility following what appeared to be a self-harm livestream were reportedly “I need help.”

According to the Daily Mail, an insider close to the family shared that the gossip blogger, 48, is “really suffering.”

“He’s a man in a lot of pain,” they added, per the outlet. “I think right now he’s focused on the physical, but it’s all tied together. No one deserves the torment he’s going through.”

The insider, who according to the outlet claimed Hilton is “stable and alert,” was “able to articulate himself” to his mother, Teresita Lavandeira, in the hospital.

“But I don’t think he’s quite self-aware enough yet [to understand exactly what happened],” they added. “He’s still in a dark place as I understand it. Just very very sad.”

The insider reportedly said that prior to the incident, Hilton “was acting normal.”

“That’s the thing,” they added. “He was getting excited about future projects. It had been a good day up to then.”

Hilton, who was born Mario Lavandeira Jr, was taken to a hospital late Tuesday after livestreaming what appeared to be a self-harm video on TikTok, from his new home in Miami.

Audio dispatch from a call to 911 revealed the incident was called a “suicide attempt.” The insider told the Daily Mail that Hilton’s mother “was the one who met the cops there and told them” about the mental health crisis.

The source added that the mother-son duo had an agreement that if the media personality ever needed a break from his three children, Teresita would take them out.

The family — including Hiltson’ sister, Barbara Lavandeira, released an update on Thursday revealing that “when it became clear that Perez was experiencing a severe mental health crisis and harming himself,” Barbara, Hilton’s neice, and Hilton’s three children “immediately fled to protect” the kids “from witnessing any further trauma.”

Hilton then commenced with the livestream on TikTok, which was taken down after 15 to 20 minutes due to what TikTok called a “moderator error” in a statement to Deadline on Wednesday.

“Our highest priority right now is helping the children begin to heal from what they experienced,” the update read. “An important part of that process is allowing them to safely return home and begin rebuilding a sense of security and normalcy.”

The Daily Mail’s insider shared that despite multiple stressors — including a move from Las Vegas to his Miami home, two hospitalizations earlier this year, and subsequent medical bills — they were taken aback by the incident.

“There was nothing specific that happened that anyone knows of,” they reportedly told the outlet. “He hasn’t been particularly depressed.”

The source claimed Hilton was “actually looking forward to new opportunities and new projects. The numbers on his website had been low, but they had been going up, not down.”

The pal said there “wasn’t like a big event” that caused the apparent mental crisis. “We think it’s the stress from the move,” they noted. “He can get very overwhelmed sometimes. Everyone knows that. But never to this extent.”

A Las Vegas pal said they thought Hilton’s turn to religion after his hospitalizations was “a little strange.” “But again I just thought, ‘OK, this is a man who almost lost his life.’”

Source : https://pagesix.com/2026/08/06/celebrity-news/perez-hiltons-first-words-from-hospital-bed-report/

 

He’s a real prima-dani.

Social media-savvy Mayor Zohran Mamdani is developing a reputation IRL as “thin-skinned” and hyper-sensitive to public criticism, despite hyping himself online as a smiling and unflappable politician, scores of insiders spilled to The Post.

Behind the scenes, Hizzoner huffily badgers critics who dare question him publicly, harbors petty grudges against prominent pols and often only responds to texts when he’s miffed about bad press, according to interviews with more than a dozen elected officials, consultants and other politicos.

“I see more and more he cannot handle criticism, but mainly from elected officials who he thinks he can push around,” one political consultant said.

“The mayor personally reaches out when electeds criticizes him publicly. If they speak, then he cares. He cares because he doesn’t want bad press. It shows a sensitivity.”

The insiders who spoke with The Post about Mamdani asked to remain anonymous to avoid crossing a touchy mayor with whom they must deal over matters of governance and politics.

His reputed simmering irritation recently boiled over after city Jewish leaders called on him to “stop fanning the flames of hatred” against Israel in the wake of an alleged antisemitic stabbing attack on the Upper West Side.

Sources said the mayor personally called at least one elected official who attended the news conference, complaining about being told to tone down his rhetoric — and upset that their exhortation was connected to his video branding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “war criminal,” which was posted days before the attack.

The controversial two-minute clip, delivered direct-to-camera by a sober Mamdani sitting at a desk in front of the US and New York City flags, garnered an incredible 100 million views across social media platforms.

His mastery of social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, where he now, respectively, has 3.5 million and 11.9 million followers, largely fueled Mamdani’s meteoric rise during 2025 from little-known state lawmaker to the Big Apple’s next mayor — and, thus, a standard bearer for the nationally ascendant Democratic Socialists of America.

He bombarded New Yorkers’ feeds with slick, entertaining videos in which he affably pressed his campaign’s core message of affordability, such as when he highlighted “halalflation” at the city’s street food carts.

After taking office in January, Mamdani maintained his image-conscious ways by pouring $53 million into a new “Office of Mass Engagement,” an expansion of his already massive communications team that critics argue is a propaganda organ for City Hall.

He also regularly drops new videos, from an arguably ill-advised clip filmed outside billionaire hedge fund titan Ken Griffin’s $200 million condo to hype the DSA “tax the rich” agenda to a 13-minute documentary this week about tenants organizing against their do-nothing landlord.

Protecting the DSA movement’s burgeoning political power appears to be the source of much Mamdani touchiness, insiders said.

Another Democratic operative said Mamdani is “tough on staff,” often holding late-night meetings in Gracie Mansion with his DSA comrades.

“He’s the first DSA (mayor) so they have to show he can manage the city, and any time someone puts a dent in that it hurts their cause,” a government insider said.

But sources revealed that Mamdani also obsesses over even the potential for bad media coverage, such as when Queens Borough President Donovan Richards in July slammed the DSA as “white supremacy” in an X post.

Sources said Mamdani tried to nip a negative story in the bud by having a staffer reach out to Richards’ office to take down the post. Richards left the post up, leading to a Post story highlighting the rift between Mamdani’s largely lily-white DSA comrades and minority lawmakers such as the borough president.

“He’s so thin-skinned and reads everything,” one City Council member said.

“His security blanket is his phone and the dopamine from how many likes he gets on a post,” a Democratic operative scoffed. “Seems to keep him going.”

Posts that harshed Mamdani’s mellow also included City Councilwoman Virginia Maloney (D-Manhattan) rebutting the mayor’s claim that a budget proposal by lawmakers cut services with a lashing, “I know math is hard.”

Maloney’s sarcastic post on X apparently drew Mamdani’s ire, and he reached out to her, sources said.

“That Virginia Maloney tweet really got under their skin,” a source said amid the spat.

He likewise reached out to elected officials who slammed him over a proposed nearly 10% property tax increase, insiders said.

As The Post reported last week, Mamdani fumed in silence as he was snubbed from eulogizing Army Sgt. Angel Sarah Rampersad at her funeral in Queens last Friday.

One Democratic insider said Mamdani treats those who cross him with a “cold demeanor,” terse in responses and not his usual smiling self. That’s a contrast to his usual smiley and affable public manner, even to foes like his unexpected texting bud President Trump and in the face of boos, like the ones he received during an anti-crime event on Staten Island this week.

Multiple sources said they discovered that one sure-fire way to get Mamdani’s and his team’s attention — and a reply — will be negative news coverage or a critical social media post.

“They only respond when it’s a crisis for them and reaches crisis levels in the press, but before that they don’t return calls, texts or emails,” a Democratic operative said.

“He has been known to hold grudges against whoever challenges him or his positions for even some of the smallest of slights, and those people get sent to the back of the line unless he needs something.”

Source : https://nypost.com/2026/08/06/us-news/mamdani-is-thin-skinned-and-hyper-sensitive-in-private-despite-unflappable-social-media-image-political-sources/

Meta said Thursday that one of its artificial intelligence models accessed the internet on its own and hacked another company, the latest in a series of disclosures about AI models going rogue.

In recent weeks OpenAI and Anthropic also have described instances of AI models going beyond humans’ instructions to access the web and find ways around other companies’ digital security.

Meta said in a statement that a “misconfiguration” during cybersecurity testing by Irregular, an independent company hired by Meta, inadvertently allowed one of its models to access the internet.

“The model subsequently exploited a security vulnerability in a third-party service, in a manner similar to previously-reported instances with other companies,” the company said. Meta said it is investigating the incident and will issue a report when that’s complete.

The disclosure has added to worries about AI models acting autonomously.

Separately this week, the United Kingdom’s AI Security Institute announced it had found “unsanctioned agent behavior” during cyber testing. In one case, an agent created fake online identities to pressure a person to approve use of malicious code.

“On investigation, we found that some of the agents being tested had engaged in sustained, potentially harmful activity directed at real people and organizations,” AISI said Tuesday. “We declared a security incident and, within roughly one hour of discovery, had contained it and begun a full investigation.”

During the agency’s testing, Anthropic and OpenAI models took “autonomous, unsanctioned action” on the internet. Some guardrails to prevent misuse had been disabled, the agency said.

“As was standard in our cyber testing, we had intentionally permitted internet access, and model-provider cyber classifiers were deliberately disabled — conditions that do not reflect how frontier models are made available to the public,” AISI said. “We do this to best assess the maximum capability of models.”

Anthropic said it is “grateful” for AISI’s work and added that it underscores the need for a broader conversation about how to safely evaluate AI agents as their capabilities grow.

OpenAI said the AISI incidents took place “in testing environments with reduced safeguards, under conditions that do not reflect ordinary use.” It added it will continue working with others across the industry to “strengthen shared practices for conducting evaluations safely as models become more capable.”

Source : https://apnews.com/article/meta-ai-hacking-anthropic-irregular-openai-0e8061437da6779be962b24ac134a514

Former Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher defeated U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles in a Republican primary Thursday for a significantly reshaped congressional district — marking a rare rejection of a candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump.

Voters also picked a pair of Memphis-area lawmakers to square off in another vastly reconfigured U.S. House district. Trump-backed state Sen. Brent Taylor will face Democratic state Rep. Justin Pearson, who gained national prominence when he was expelled from the Tennessee House for protesting in support of gun control measures and then reelected by voters.

The primaries provided the first test of a new U.S. House map that was redrawn in May by Republican state lawmakers after the U.S. Supreme Court weakened federal Voting Rights Act protections for minorities. Trump cheered along the redistricting as part of a broader national plan to try to hold on to a slim House majority in the midterm elections.

Republicans already hold eight of the state’s nine congressional seats and will be going for a clean sweep of the districts in November.

The previously compact 9th Congressional District, based in Memphis, had a majority Black population and is represented by a Democrat. But it was cracked apart by Republicans this year, causing a ripple of changes that also reconfigured Ogles’ 5th District.

A Trump-endorsed candidate is defeated

Ogles, a member of the conservative Freedom Caucus, had faced controversies related to his campaign finances and his resume, among other things. But Trump gave him an early endorsement last fall — and praised him on Election Day as “a Conservative Warrior” — as Ogles sought a third term.

Ogles capitalized on a previous redistricting in the 2022 elections, winning a formerly Democratic-held seat that was reshaped to Republicans’ advantage by splitting the Nashville area among three districts.

The new 5th District stretches from Ogles’ base in central Tennessee to the northwest corner of the state before snaking south along the Mississippi River to Memphis — with 82% of its voters new, according to an Associated Press estimate.

Although he lacked Trump’s endorsement, Hatcher was backed by Republican Gov. Bill Lee, under whom he served for seven years. Hatcher campaigned as pro-Trump while emphasizing his farming background.

“The message resonated, and the message was: Work like a farmer, get things done and serve others,” Hatcher told the AP after winning the primary.

Ogles’ campaign declined to comment.

Ogles’ controversies have included the FBI seizing his cellphone in 2024 as part of an investigation into his campaign finance reporting. The Justice Department recently agreed to return the device, signaling that it was abandoning the probe, which began under the Biden administration.

In 2023, Ogles acknowledged that he had graduated with a liberal studies degree from Middle Tennessee State University, saying he was “mistaken” for previously describing it as an international relations degree.

Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder won the Democratic primary in the 5th District.

Pearson and Taylor to face off in revamped Memphis district

The new 9th District stretches about 200 miles (320 kilometers) east from Memphis across rural areas before reaching north toward Nashville. It previously favored Democrats but now tilts Republican, with 71% of voters new to the district, according to an AP estimate.

After the redistricting, longtime Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen announced that he would no longer seek reelection.

Pearson noted to supporters Thursday night that it was 61 years ago to the day that the Voting Rights Act was signed. He said the Supreme Court and Tennessee lawmakers have effectively undone portions of it, leading to the redrawing of the formerly majority-Black district.

“The political dilution and degradation of our rights is happening,” Pearson said. But he added: “We’re one step closer to Washington, D.C.”

Taylor said in a statement to supporters that “Pearson is the face of the extreme left in this race — the same activist who has repeatedly put chaos over order.”

How Tennessee’s new U.S. House districts could help Republicans

House districts used in Tennessee’s 2024 elections resulted in eight Republicans and one Democrat. New districts passed by the Republican-led General Assembly would give Republicans a better chance at winning all the seats. The 2024 boundaries show party control from the last election; the new boundaries show the partisan makeup that Republicans hope to achieve in the 2026 election.

While Pearson opposed Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to address crime in Memphis last year, Taylor joined other Republicans in supporting it, calling it “an investment.”

Taylor also sponsored a 2024 law that required law enforcement agencies to communicate with federal immigration authorities if they discover people are in the country illegally.

Memphis voters voice dismay over redistricting

For decades Memphis, the most populous city in Shelby County, formed the base of its own congressional district. Now the county is split among three districts that extend outward like spokes into rural areas.

Lonzo Taylor, a retired postal worker and military veteran, said Black voters like himself have had their voices diluted.

“We only had one district in the whole state of Tennessee, and you don’t even want that to be fair? It’s just terrible,” said Taylor, 72. “I love this state, but I am very disappointed in our governor,” who called lawmakers into a special session for the redistricting.

Terrice Thomas, 45, an educator who votes for Democrats, had to learn a lot more about the candidates when she got switched from District 9 to District 8. She is concerned Memphis constituents could get overlooked.

“Is everybody going to have an equal say on what’s happening in their communities or even the people that you’re voting for?” Thomas said. “Are they going to really take into account the different areas and what makes us unique?”

Garrett wins Republican primary for open seat in the 6th District

Republican U.S. Rep. John Rose opted not to seek reelection in the 6th to run for governor instead. That created a contentious primary for the GOP-leaning district, which stretches east from Nashville.

State Rep. Johnny Garrett won a Republican contest that included Rose’s recent chief of staff, former U.S. Rep. Van Hilleary. Mike Croley won a five-way Democratic primary.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-primary-election-congress-redistricting-memphis-ad0c23a4d0d5f7464ff2bdbb892b0a3f

Iran’s parliament is reviewing a proposal to ban US- and Israeli-linked ships from transiting the Strait of Hormuz and impose tolls on other commercial vessels.

Iran’s parliament is reviewing a proposal to bar ships linked to the United States, Israel, and other countries it describes as “hostile” from transiting the Strait of Hormuz until Tehran is compensated for damage caused during the war, according to Iranian state media.

The proposal would also impose fees of up to 7% of cargo value on commercial vessels passing through the strategic waterway. Ships that violate Iran’s conditions could face fines amounting to 20% of the value of their cargo, the reports said.

The move comes as Iran said it is finalizing an agreement with Oman on shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz. According to Iranian state media, vessels would enter through the northern corridor near the Iranian coast and exit through the southern corridor near the Omani coast.

President Trump has denied reports that the US is running low on key munitions in its war with Iran, threatening long prison sentences for officials leaking such information.

President Donald Trump has pushed back hard against reports suggesting the United States is running low on important weapons stockpiles in its conflict with Iran. He went as far as threatening lengthy prison sentences for anyone leaking details about the military’s weapons supplies.

On Thursday, Trump insisted the country has “massive amounts” of ammunition on hand, adding that even more is currently being produced and sent to the region. His comments came as his frustration over how the conflict is being covered boiled over into a direct attack on the press.

“Defense companies are building the largest number of plants and factories in our country’s history,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, though he didn’t offer any evidence or specifics about which weapons systems he was referring to.

What Sparked The Reaction

Trump’s outburst followed a report claiming he had confronted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over alleged weapons shortages during a cabinet meeting last Friday at Camp David. According to the Washington Post, which cited two unnamed sources familiar with what was said, Trump told Hegseth he felt misled, since he had believed the shortage issue was already resolved. The Post reported that Hegseth defended himself during the exchange and pointed to his deputy, Stephen Feinberg, as being responsible.
Trump didn’t hold back in his response Thursday, accusing media outlets of pushing “treasonous statements” and vowing consequences for whoever was behind the leaks. “The ‘leakers’ of these treasonous statements are being hunted down,” he wrote. “Long term jail sentences will be sought!”

The White House, however, insisted on Wednesday that US President Donald Trump was never in danger.

US President Donald Trump was at the centre of a reported mid-air safety scare on Tuesday after Marine One, the military helicopter carrying him, allegedly flew within less than a mile of a commercial passenger jet over Washington.

The helicopter had departed the White House for Andrews Air Force Base around the same time an American Airlines regional flight took off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, prompting a federal investigation into what officials described as a “loss of separation” event.

The White House, however, insisted the president was never in danger.

According to a New York Times report, the close approach occurred after garbled communication with air traffic controllers.

‘Loss of separation’ event investigated

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed it has launched an investigation into the reported “loss of separation” between Marine One and the commercial aircraft departing Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

The agency said it is “investigating a reported loss of separation event between Marine One and a commercial aircraft departing DCA (Washington National Airport) that occurred on August 4.”

US President was not in ‘harm’s way’

White House spokesperson Kush Desai defended the presidential helicopter’s operation, saying, “Marine One flights are piloted by some of the best aviators in the world, and at no point was the president in harm’s way.”

US aviation regulator the FAA said that “the air traffic controller was in contact with both the commercial pilot and Marine One pilot during the loss of separation.”

“The President was never in danger. We are continuing to review the incident and will implement any appropriate corrective actions based on our findings,” it added.

According to the Wall Street Journal, safety measures in such circumstances require a separation of at least 1.5 miles horizontally and 500 feet vertically.

The outlet, stating that the incident occurred around 2:30 pm (1830 GMT), reported that an American Airlines Embraer E-170 operated by its subsidiary Envoy Air took off at that time.

The helicopter was headed to Andrews Air Force Base, where Trump boarded his presidential aircraft to travel to California.

American Airlines, and the US Marine Corps which operates Marine One, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The FAA has drastically tightened safety measures around Washington National airport since the deadly collision between an incoming airliner and an Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people in January 2025.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/donald-trump-marine-one-military-helicopter-comes-close-to-passenger-jet-plane-ronald-reagan-airport-washington-101785981380674.html

These new rules for foreign media come amid widespread protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which have garnered global headlines.

Pakistan has issued new guidelines for foreign journalists and mediapersons in the country for news coverage. Based on the new rules issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, all foreign media personnel will be required to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) before travelling outside Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi for news coverage.

These new rules come amid widespread protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which have garnered global headlines.

As per Pakistani daily Dawn, all foreign journalists and media professionals registered with the ministry’s External Publicity (EP) Wing will be required to secure a mandatory NOC before travelling to any other city to produce news reports, documentaries, films, videos or social media content for official purposes.

The guidelines also call on journalists associated with foreign media to register online with the EP wing, followed by QR-based PVC accreditation cards being issued by the Pakistani government.

Dawn further added that accreditation cards may take four to six weeks to be issued, whereas registration will be issued within seven working days.

These new regulations are applicable for international print, electronic and digital media organisations, including web-based platforms and social media outlets, as well as Pakistani journalists residing abroad and contributing to foreign media.

What does the notice say?

“EP Wing reserves the right to approve or reject any Accreditation application. The journalists can appeal to the Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in such cases,” reads the notice.

“All foreign/international media personnel already accredited or registered with EP Wing shall be required a mandatory NOC from EP Wing for movement to any other city (except Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi) in case they are going to produce news content, story, video, film, documentary or social media content for their official use.”

Breaking: Pakistan enacts harsh new restrictions on foreign media after global criticism of Pakistan’s repression of protests in Kashmir

Foreign media will now need No Objection Certificates to travel within Pakistan pic.twitter.com/6pmxkxPzwX

— Shashank Mattoo (@MattooShashank) August 4, 2026

Unrest grapples PoK

These new guidelines for media come amid the ongoing protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and heightened scrutiny over media access after reports of protests, disruptions and alleged use of force during the local election process surfaced.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/accreditation-cards-noc-pakistan-tightens-rules-for-foreign-media-as-pok-protests-gain-attention-101785898587785.html

An official has indicated that the visa revocation does not mean Brazil’s ambassador will be expelled from the US.

An anonymous US State Department official briefed reporters on Tuesday that Ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti’s visa had been temporarily revoked.

But Ribeiro Viotti was not being expelled from the country, the official added.

“The action was that the visa of a senior diplomat here was revoked or cancelled. That is not the same thing as kicking the person out of the country,” the official said.

The decision to revoke the visa was framed as backlash to Brazil’s decision to withhold approval for Trump’s ambassador to the South American country.

Should that approval be granted, the US official explained, Ribeiro Viotti’s visa would be returned. Until then, the official suggested she could remain in the US.

“It means that they are here but without a visa, and would have their visa restored if the balance is restored by giving agreement to our chosen ambassadorial nominee,” the official said.

The move comes after Washington expressed anger over Brazil’s failure to approve Trump’s choice for ambassador to Brazil, Danny Perez.

Perez is a Florida state representative and a Republican ally of Trump’s hawkish Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. He was nominated to the ambassadorship in June, but has yet to be confirmed by the full US Senate.

Media reports indicate that Trump publicly nominated Perez before reaching out to Brazil.

Sources inside the Brazilian government said this was considered a breach of protocol, and they intend to probe Perez’s nomination before issuing formal approval.

Without such approval, though, Perez will be unable to take up his post in the capital, Brasilia.

The tit-for-tat over the ambassadors is likely to ratchet up long-simmering tensions between Washington and Brazil, the US’s largest South American trading partner.

Last month, Brazil denied visas to officials from the US State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, after voicing concerns that the delegation intended to undermine the country’s election system. Brazil is set to elect its president in October.

Trump is considered a close ally of the Bolsonaro family, a powerful political dynasty on Brazil’s far right.

The US president’s first term overlapped with the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro, who was nicknamed the “Trump of the Tropics”.

His son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, is on the ballot this election season.

Both Trump and the elder Bolsonaro have used false claims of election fraud to dispute unfavourable election results.

Trump has also sought to boost the prospects of right-wing candidates across Latin America since the start of his second term, even threatening to withhold US funds depending on election outcomes.

With Latin America experiencing a shift rightwards, Brazil remains the largest country to be governed by a left-wing leader: President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. He has emerged as a vocal critic of Trump’s attempts to increase US influence in Latin America.

Lula defeated the elder Bolsonaro in the 2022 presidential elections, and he is seeking a fourth, non-consecutive term this October. Flavio Bolsonaro is his top rival.

Since being voted out of office, Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years in prison for his role in an alleged plot to overthrow the 2022 election results.

Source : https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/4/us-revokes-visa-of-brazilian-ambassador-amid-deepening-diplomatic-spat

The latest attack comes after at least 27 people were killed in both Russia and Ukraine earlier this week.

The strikes early on Wednesday morning come after at least 27 people were killed in separate attacks in both Ukraine and Russia earlier this week, with the five-year-long conflict showing no signs of slowing down.

Kyiv’s military administration said seven sites had come under attack in the assault that began after midnight. Air raid alerts for Kyiv remained in place for more than an hour.

The city’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said one warehouse building had been destroyed near the city centre and rescue teams had pulled two people from the ruins.

“There may still be people under the rubble,” he wrote on Telegram. “Search and rescue operations are proceeding.”

Several other warehouses were also damaged in the attack, according to emergency services.

In an earlier post on Telegram, Klitschko said that air defence units had been in action to repel the assault.

Ukraine has in recent months urged its allies for more supplies of US-made Patriot missile interceptors to protect its airspace against Russian ballistic attacks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said a lack of ballistic missile interceptors “only encourages Russia to launch such attacks that take human lives”.

Source : https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/4/russia-strikes-ukrainian-capital-kyiv-with-ballistic-missiles

A proposed deal between Iran and Oman to help end five months of ​war between Iran and the United States would give Tehran control over ships entering the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, a senior Iranian source and two regional officials told ‌Reuters on Wednesday, one of the biggest concessions yet to Iran.
There was no immediate U.S. comment on the proposal. While President Donald Trump has said a deal reopening the strait is imminent, U.S. officials have repeatedly insisted they would never agree to Iran controlling access to the world’s most important trade route for energy supplies.

An agreement that gives Iran authority over traffic through the strait would mean the war launched by the United States and Israel in February had resulted in a major shift in ​the balance of regional power in Tehran’s favour. Before the war, the strait was freely open to all ships with no fees.
Amid a wider diplomatic effort in the region, Iran and Oman ​have been engaged in bilateral talks regarding the strait that they each control through northern and southern channels. Iran reported “significant progress” in the talks and said both ⁠inward and outward journeys would pass through Iranian waters.

Meanwhile, Iran has warned Gulf states that any new U.S. attack on its territory would trigger retaliation against critical energy infrastructure across the region, according to five sources, ​as Tehran seeks to raise the cost of military action by threatening Washington’s closest regional allies.
“The Iranian warning was unequivocal: if America targeted Iran’s infrastructure, they would retaliate by striking Gulf energy facilities and other regional targets,” ​one Gulf source said.
Iran has been striking back with missiles and drones against Washington’s allies in the region, while also targeting commercial ships transiting the strait without its permission.
While addressing supporters at a rally in Las Vegas, Trump expressed a preference for diplomacy.
“I’d rather make a deal because I don’t want to kill people. I do not want to kill people, but at some point we’re gonna,” Trump said.

Iran has reported more than 3,400 deaths since the U.S. and Israel launched the war ​on February 28, while the U.S. has reported 18 military personnel dead.

UNRESOLVED ISSUES

Regarding any deal between Iran and Oman, the regional and Iranian sources who spoke to Reuters cautioned that significant issues remained unresolved and ​also pushed back against suggestions from Trump that a deal reopening the strait was imminent.

“The concession has already been made regarding some form of control over Hormuz,” one of the regional sources told Reuters.
The other regional source said there were ‌still details ⁠to be determined about how “control” would be defined, with Gulf negotiators insisting regional countries supervise inspections of ships, and that any payment of fees be voluntary.
According to the senior Iranian official, Iran is seeking fees of between 5% and 7% of the price of cargoes from ships using the strait. Oman is discussing fees of around 3%, while Washington wants no fees at all.
The senior Iranian source said the text of an agreement already on the table envisioned Iran having control of ships heading into the Gulf through the strait, and one of the main sticking points was what role Iran would also have over ships heading in the opposite direction.
In ​comments to Iran’s official IRNA news agency, Iranian Deputy ​Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the arrangement ⁠was “designed in such a way that commercial ships will pass through Iranian territorial waters, both on the inbound and outbound legs.”
He said talks with Oman had “reached fundamental understandings” and added: “This progress is on the verge of being finalised.”
Gharibabadi also said Iran had received messages from the United States indicating that it was “fully prepared to return ​to its commitments” under a mid-June memorandum of understanding with Iran that provided for immediate cessation of military operations.
He said this was a condition for ​reopening of the strait, while adding ⁠that no talks with the United States had been held in recent days.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-iran-having-very-good-discussions-trump-says-2026-08-05/

FBI Director Kash Patel says he has forged new law enforcement partnerships with China and Russia, two longtime U.S. rivals, over the past year in hopes of gaining allies in combating transnational crime including fentanyl, cyber fraud and child sexual exploitation.
The partnerships have involved personnel exchanges in which Chinese law enforcement officials have visited the United States and FBI agents have traveled ​to China to work on cases together and share intelligence. Separately, FBI and Chinese officers have carried out joint raids and arrests under the arrangement.

Patel returned from a trip to Beijing in late July, and a similar trip to Russia has been ‌tentatively planned for October, according to FBI officials.
In exclusive interviews with Reuters, Patel described the FBI’s initiatives with what he called “non-traditional partners” as selective and limited to specific types of transnational crimes such as global child pornography networks and cyber scam centers that prey on Americans.
The partnerships, known internally as “working groups,” represent a major break with the past and have raised concerns within the broader counterintelligence community about the risks posed by sharing sensitive domestic security information with authoritarian regimes working to undermine the United States economically and militarily around the world.

In May, the FBI, China’s Ministry of Public Security and Dubai police worked together in “Operation Sand Dollar,” a major raid on a cyber scam center in Dubai that led to ​300 arrests, $300 million seized and thousands of trafficked workers freed, the FBI said. In at least one case, a suspect inside China who was accused of “serious violent crimes” was repatriated to the United States, according to Chinese state media.
U.S. officials have long portrayed Russia and China as ​exporters of crime instead of potential allies in combating it, not to mention sources of espionage aimed at American interests worldwide.
Patel, appointed by President Donald Trump, said such risks can be managed.
“They are both new and dynamic relationships, and ⁠we are extremely mindful of their adversarial approach on many matters,” Patel said. “They are not going to stop, but if we can go and have wins for America, then we must engage.”

FBI, CHINA EXCHANGE POLICE OFFICIALS

The current relationship began with Trump’s visit to China in May 2025 and was followed by ​two trips by Patel to China. Patel said the cooperation has expanded across four working groups: cyber fraud, violent crimes against children, counternarcotics and a fugitive task force.
As part of the partnership, Patel has brought officials from China’s Ministry of Public Security, or MPS, to multiple FBI facilities in the United States to share ​intelligence and investigative information.
“Every month, they send their working-level MPS officers here, and the following month we go there,” Patel said. “They are speaking with us daily, which has also never happened before.”
Asked about joint law enforcement operations, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington said, “We have always believed that dialogue and negotiation are the right way forward, and that military means offer no solution.”

Patel said information exchanges are narrow in scope and limited to the four types of transnational crime where intelligence sharing is reciprocal. Patel said these new FBI partners would not replace longtime U.S. allies such as the “Five Eyes” intelligence partnership with Canada, Australia, Britain and New Zealand.
“Five Eyes will always be our most important ​intelligence relationship. No one is trying to replace that,” Patel said. “Unlike military and traditional intelligence agencies, we have a unique lane to drive this dynamic change with law enforcement, which is an apolitical mission.”
During his trip to Asia last month, Patel met with Chinese Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong and ​Vice Minister Xu Datong to deepen what Chinese state media described as “practical cooperation” on a range of criminal activities.

‘OUR ENEMIES, PERIOD’

The cooperation between U.S. law enforcement and leading global adversaries is a major break from the past, and reflects Trump’s personal approach to diplomacy with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“China and Russia ‌are our enemies, ⁠period,” said Jeff Crocker, a former FBI supervisory agent who retired in 2024. “They are actively trying to harm our country physically, economically and militarily.”
Crocker said there are enormous risks related to giving Chinese officials access to the American intelligence community, diplomatic personnel and U.S. government facilities and contractors. Chinese and Russian agents would use any access to U.S. facilities as an opportunity to infiltrate them, Crocker said.
“So this is great cover for them,” Crocker said.
Patel said counterintelligence operations and countermeasures are deployed for any foreign visitor to FBI facilities. Three former FBI employees told Reuters this usually involves electronic and physical surveillance, particularly for people from countries considered the most dangerous U.S. adversaries.
“We know exactly who is coming here, and we vet them,” Patel said.
The Kremlin and the Russian Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES COLLABORATION

Patel said there have been months of behind-the-scenes law enforcement collaboration with Russia targeting violent criminal networks.
“This stuff doesn’t ​happen overnight,” Patel said. “We’ve been at this for 15 months.”
An internal memo ​viewed by Reuters credited the FBI’s cooperation with China’s Ministry of ⁠Public Security in multiple operations against Chinese pharmaceutical companies this year.
The memo said this led to the arrests of nine people, the shutdown of two chemical production facilities and three associated websites, and the seizure of fentanyl precursor chemicals “likely otherwise destined for the United States.” The memo did not specify where these arrests and seizures occurred.
Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution think tank in Washington, said fentanyl overdoses have been declining rapidly ​in the United States since the winter of 2022, likely due to cooperation with China and other factors such as the wide availability of the life-saving drug Naloxone.
“It could be that the people who were already ​vulnerable had already died,” Felbab-Brown said.
“I think ⁠that the cooperation is useful, should be fostered, and that it contributed to some extent,” Felbab-Brown said, referring to the decline in U.S. overdoses. “But how much is really hard to know, and there are a lot of complexities to it.”

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/china/under-patel-fbi-forges-unprecedented-law-enforcement-ties-with-china-russia-2026-08-05/

– Google parent company Alphabet (GOOGL.O), on Wednesday announced a leadership overhaul of its AI division, with AI chief Demis Hassabis leaving his main managerial role and several leaders of its Gemini model, including veteran engineer Jeff Dean, ​departing the company.
The shakeup comes during a pivotal juncture for Google DeepMind: the flagship version of its latest Gemini model remains unreleased despite a planned June launch, sparking investor and industry concerns that Google is ‌falling behind its rivals Anthropic and OpenAI, each of which scooped up a star Google AI staffer this summer.

Shares of Alphabet fell 4% after the news.
Hassabis, a Nobel Prize recipient, will take the newly created title of Alphabet’s chief scientist and transition from being Google DeepMind CEO to being its chairman, he said in a memo to staff. He cited the closeness of artificial general intelligence (AGI), an advanced state of AI in which computers in essence become as smart as humans, as the impetus for his role change.

“(Hassabis) and I have been long discussing a role that allows ​him to put his full attention on actively shaping the future of AGI,” Alphabet chief Sundar Pichai said in a separate company-wide memo. “It’s work that is vitally important to Alphabet and humanity, and I can’t imagine ​a better person than Demis to do it.”

Koray Kavukcuoglu, the unit’s chief technology officer, will assume day-to-day responsibilities. He will hold the title of senior vice president, rather than CEO, ⁠of the business unit, in addition to his parallel role as Alphabet’s chief AI architect.
Dean, Sanjay Ghemawat, Oriol Vinyals and Quoc Le — some of Google’s most famous and lauded AI and engineering leaders — left the company to launch a startup called Discovery ​Loop, which will focus on researching breakthroughs in machine learning, science and engineering. The startup is structured as a public benefit corporation.
Alphabet did not provide any details on what precipitated the moves or their coincident timing.
As Reuters detailed in a report last ​year, some people who have worked with Hassabis said he put scientific pursuits often ahead of making money for Google. The London-born scientist targeted a Nobel Prize as a business objective for DeepMind, three people familiar with the effort said. He worked against other efforts, insiders previously said, that could have meant new revenue for Alphabet or a better footing in the AI race. Allies inside Google rejected the notion that he was too focused on long-term science or gave short shrift to the business.

Senior leaders in Google Cloud, the company’s main AI revenue ​engine, cheered Kavukcuoglu’s takeover on Wednesday as welcome news for advancing commercialization efforts, according to a source with direct knowledge.
Kavukcuoglu had already been more directly involved than Hassabis in collaborations between DeepMind and Cloud, and his appointment as head of the ​AI lab was expected to steer Gemini towards a more product-oriented direction, the source said.
Hassabis will explore research and strategy related to societal impacts of AGI and will have few direct reports, an Alphabet spokesperson told Reuters.
In his company memo, Hassabis touted the “great progress” ‌on Google’s AI ⁠models including an unreleased upgrade called Gemini 4.
He also said in his memo that he would spend more time with Isomorphic Labs, a drug discovery company that spun out of DeepMind, which he founded and remains CEO.

“I’ve always believed the No. 1 application of AI should be to improve human health,” he said. “It’s time for AI to prove its unequivocal value to the world, and what better way to demonstrate that than to help finally cure diseases like cancer.”

Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/google-shakes-up-ai-leadership-deepmind-chief-shifts-role-2026-08-05/

A mass shooting was reported in Caswell County, North Carolina, on Wednesday morning, leaving multiple people dead and at least one person injured.

A mass shooting unfolded in Caswell County, North Carolina, on Wednesday morning, prompting a large law enforcement response.

The Caswell County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were dispatched just before 8 AM to 352 Brooks Road in Prospect Hill, about 50 miles northwest of Raleigh. Upon arrival, officers found multiple people with gunshot wounds.

State investigators said one victim was transported to Duke University Hospital with a gunshot wound, while multiple other people were killed. Authorities said the incident meets the definition of a mass shooting.

Caswell County Sheriff Tony Durden requested assistance from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), whose crime scene investigators are processing evidence and conducting interviews. Officials said there is no threat to the general public, adding that the incident is contained to the Brooks Road address.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/world/us/us-news/north-carolina-mass-shooting-multiple-people-shot-dead-in-prospect-hill-caswell-county-article-155313744

Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy claimed that foreign intelligence agencies, particularly Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), now operate with what he called “an open hand” in Bangladesh.

Sajeeb Wazed Joy, the son of ousted Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina and a senior Awami League leader, has warned that Bangladesh has descended into what he called a “failed state” and could become a breeding ground for regional terrorism unless the international community intervenes.

Speaking virtually from Maryland in the United States during an address at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in New Delhi on Wednesday, Joy claimed that foreign intelligence agencies, particularly Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), now operate with what he called “an open hand” in the country.

He alleged that hundreds of convicted terrorists – men previously arrested and jailed under the Awami League government – have since been released from prison. He further claimed that banned groups such as Hizb ut-Tahrir now march openly and that individuals linked to al-Qaeda have addressed public rallies.

“What should concern India most is that Bangladesh has become another Pakistan on India’s eastern side. You have another Pakistan today on your eastern front… al-Qaeda operatives are speaking at public rallies. This is what is happening in Bangladesh, and this does not portend well for India or the world at large,” he told the gathering, framing this as a direct security concern for New Delhi.

“In the future, the next generation of global terrorists is going to come from Bangladesh unless this is stopped,” he added, and appealed directly to the Indian media to give the issue sustained coverage rather than treating it as an occasional headline.

Joy’s remarks come roughly six months after Bangladesh’s parliamentary elections, in which the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Tarique Rahman, won a decisive majority and formed a government following the end of Muhammad Yunus’s interim administration.

The Awami League, which Yunus’s caretaker government had banned from political activity and barred from contesting the election, remains excluded from the political process – a point Joy raised repeatedly to argue that the vote could not be considered fully representative.

Beyond the security warning, Joy raised several other grievances. He disputed the death count from the July-August 2024 protests that led to Hasina’s ouster, noting a gap of roughly 600 between United Nations estimates (around 1,400) and the government’s figure (around 800), and said the UN had not responded to repeated requests from Awami League lawyers for the names behind the higher count.

He also criticised what he called an “Indemnity Bill,” passed under the Yunus administration and since ratified by the BNP government, which he said grants blanket immunity to protesters – including for killings of police officers, civilians and Awami League members – while leaving no path to prosecute those deaths.

Joy also alleged that thousands of Awami League members and sympathisers, including elderly former officials, have been held in custody for extended periods without trial or bail, some dying in custody under circumstances he described as extrajudicial killings.

He said party members continue to be targeted and killed outside prison “every few weeks” without police action. He additionally claimed that journalists, editors and media owners perceived as sympathetic to the Awami League have remained jailed for over two years, and alleged that intelligence officials visited Indian media houses ahead of Wednesday’s event to discourage coverage.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/sheikh-hasinas-son-sajeeb-wazed-joy-warns-bangladesh-risks-becoming-another-pakistan-11872286?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

Pezeshkian defended his leader, insisting he had held productive meetings with him and had been met with “kindness and very sound logic.”

Amid reports of a rift between Iran’s top leadership, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has claimed that establishing communication with the country’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has become “very difficult at the moment”. The 56-year-old cleric, who was wounded in the US-Israeli strike that launched the Middle East war, has not appeared in public since succeeding his father and the former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the same attack.

Pezeshkian maintained that despite his absence from the public eye, Mojtaba Khamenei continues to play an important role in Iran’s retaliation.

What Pezeshkian Said

“It is very difficult to communicate with him at the moment, but in any case, his presence is a very great source of strength for us so that we can continue,” Pezeshkian said, according to news agency AFP.

The younger Khamenei has communicated through written statements, but his low profile at a time when Iran is in conflict with the United States has led to speculation about his relations with other top officials. He notably did not appear at his father’s funeral ceremonies last month.

Pezeshkian defended his leader, however, insisting he had held productive meetings with him and had been met with “kindness and very sound logic.”

“Unfortunately, the current situation allows some malicious people to describe him differently and to present a different image of him,” he said.

Reports of Rift

Pezeshkian’s remarks came amid reports claiming that Khamenei has issued a “final ultimatum” to the president and has thrown his support behind Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander Ahmad Vahidi on key decisions regarding the negotiations and the conflict.

Israeli broadcaster Channel 14, citing sources familiar with developments in Tehran, reported that Khamenei has effectively stripped President Pezeshkian of his primary political leverage by refusing to discourage another resignation attempt.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/contact-hard-but-irans-president-masoud-pezeshkian-on-supreme-leader-mojtaba-khameneis-role-in-war-11872250?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

The attack took place around 8.45 pm local time at Shakib Al Hasan’s ancestral residence in the Keshabmor area of Magura town. The house was also vandalised.

A petrol bomb was thrown at the ancestral home of former Bangladesh cricket captain and former Awami League MP Shakib Al Hasan on Wednesday night, hours after he appeared virtually at a press conference alongside the country’s former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in India.

The attack took place around 8:45 pm local time at Shakib Al Hasan’s ancestral residence in the Keshabmor area of Magura town. The house was also vandalised.

The incident came shortly after Sheikh Hasina addressed a virtual press conference organised at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in New Delhi.

“Torching residences : the cost of attending Awami League press conference. Neo fascism engulfs Bangladesh,” the Awami League said in a statement.

Torching residences : the cost of attending Awami League press conference
Neo fascism engulfs Bangladesh

A grisly petrol bomb attack took place at the residence of Bangladesh’s celebrated cricket icon Sakib Al hasan, hours after the world famous star cricketer appeared at a… pic.twitter.com/Uqmwwih3XG

— Bangladesh Awami League (@albd1971) August 5, 2026

“A grisly petrol bomb attack took place at the residence of Bangladesh’s celebrated cricket icon Sakib Al hasan, hours after the world famous star cricketer appeared at a press conference with honourable party president Sheikh Hasina. Ahead of the press conference, BNP, Islamist Jamaat and NCP all publicly threatened national media outlets to weaponise judiciary to sue in case of reports of the press conferences. This calculated attack is yet another testament to ongoing genocidal campaign against awmai league activists in the name of democracy building project, hallmarks of fascism,” the statement added.

Speaking virtually, Sheikh Hasina declared that she was determined to return to Bangladesh in December, saying she was prepared to face arrest or even death in what she described as an effort to restore democracy.

“My return is not about power, it’s about putting Bangladesh back on track of development, secularism and prosperity,” she said.

The 78-year-old former prime minister acknowledged the risks awaiting her if she returned.

“I know, they may put me in jail or kill me,” she said, adding, “I will go back home to be with my people. I have decided to go and I will go to Bangladesh.”

Hasina has been living in India since August 5, 2024, when she fled Dhaka following the collapse of her government after months of anti-government protests.

Last November, a special tribunal in Dhaka sentenced her to death in absentia over alleged “crimes against humanity” linked to her government’s crackdown on the student-led protests of 2024. Since the verdict, Bangladesh has repeatedly sought her extradition from India.

“Fear has entered homes, work places and educational campuses; this is not the Bangladesh we built. I call upon the international community to stand with the people of Bangladesh in their struggle for democracy and justice,” Sheikh Hasina said.

According to Hasina, organised groups had deliberately transformed the protests into a violent political campaign.

“I was forced away from my country but I am never separated from my people,” she said.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/petrol-bomb-thrown-at-shakib-al-hasans-house-after-sheikh-hasinas-delhi-presser-11871282?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

A SPRAWLING desert ranch dubbed Jeffrey Epstein’s “last refuge” is at the center of a new legal war over files that could expose further horrors linked to the convicted sex offender.

New Mexico has sued the Justice Department, accusing federal officials of blocking access to evidence needed for its criminal investigation into alleged abuse, trafficking and other sex crimes.

The probe centers on Zorro Ranch, Epstein’s isolated property south of Santa Fe, New Mexico, where survivors have alleged they were abused over several decades.

It follows a disturbing anonymous claim that two “foreign girls” were strangled and buried in the hills near the estate.

The 2019 email was allegedly written by a former ranch employee and later forwarded to the FBI.

Its claims have not been proven, but the message was included among the Epstein records released by the federal government and helped fuel demands for the property to be searched.

The allegation originated in an email purportedly sent in November 2019 by someone claiming to have previously worked at the ranch.

The writer claimed two “foreign girls” were strangled during “rough, fetish sex” and buried on the orders of “Jeffrey and Madam G,” apparently referring to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

The message alleged their bodies were hidden “somewhere in the hills outside the Zorro.”

Its claims have not been substantiated, and authorities have not announced the discovery of any human remains.

The sender also claimed to possess seven videos taken from Epstein’s home and offered to provide them on a flash drive in exchange for one bitcoin.

Conservative radio host Eddy Aragon said he forwarded the message to the FBI after receiving it and did not accept the offer.

“It felt very legitimate to me,” Aragon previously told The U.S. Sun. “That’s why I forwarded it.”

The lawsuit reveals that New Mexico formally sought the burial-related file from then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on February 13.

Exactly one month later, Attorney General Raúl Torrez wrote to then-US Attorney General Pam Bondi demanding five additional Epstein records.

According to the complaint, they include accounts from Epstein survivors who said they were brought to New Mexico and grand jury testimony from an FBI witness about abuse in the state.

Torrez told federal officials that complete versions of the records were “essential” to moving the investigation forward.

He even offered to send a New Mexico team to Justice Department headquarters in Washington to inspect the materials in person under any required security measures.

The lawsuit says no response arrived by the state’s March 27 deadline.

The New Mexico Department of Justice reopened its investigation into the ranch in February after reviewing previously sealed FBI records.

State investigators then searched Zorro Ranch on March 9 with help from New Mexico State Police and a fire department K-9 team.

It was the first law-enforcement search of the sprawling property during the renewed criminal probe, according to state officials.

Former ranch workers have since reportedly been questioned about visitors, activity at the estate and what they witnessed while working for Epstein.

One former employee said investigators were asking detailed questions about high-profile guests, including Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and their movements around the property.

Those questioned were being treated as potential witnesses rather than suspects and were reportedly instructed not to destroy records from their time at the ranch.

Andrew has strongly denied wrongdoing.

Torrez has now filed a federal lawsuit against Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and the US Department of Justice.

The case was lodged Wednesday in the US District Court for the District of Columbia.

Torrez is demanding access to unredacted investigative files that he says could reveal victims, witnesses and other people tied to Epstein’s activities in New Mexico.

The complaint alleges federal officials are unlawfully obstructing the state’s power to investigate crimes committed within its borders.

The state says it is investigating potential felonies that include homicide, kidnapping, human trafficking and sexual offenses.

Its formal request highlighted nine Epstein records that allegedly show patterns of criminal conduct involving Epstein, Maxwell and their associates in New Mexico.

The lawsuit says one federal prosecution memo describes an alleged sexual assault at Zorro Ranch involving a woman other than Maxwell.

Another FBI summary reportedly recounts a survivor saying her first assault occurred in New Mexico while Epstein and another person were in the room.

New Mexico argues that redactions are concealing the identities of people in Epstein’s “inner circle,” ranch visitors and employees who may have witnessed or participated in abuse.

The complaint says publicly released Epstein files contain more than 13,000 references to Zorro Ranch and another 5,000 mentions of New Mexico.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/16798999/epsteins-zorro-ranch-new-lawsuit-claim-victim-bodies-buried/

Gianni Infantino has apologised for “errors” he made in controversial plans to sell off stakes in competitions to private investors, but will remain Fifa president after receiving the backing of senior executives in a meeting in Morocco.

Infantino summoned members of the management board to Fifa’s Africa office in Rabat on Wednesday following mounting criticism of his aborted proposals, with world football’s governing body releasing a statement of support four hours after the meeting ended.

European football’s governing body Uefa said at the weekend that it has lost confidence in Infantino, calling the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal a “shabby, back room, opaque deal”.

Much criticism has come from within Fifa, including secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, who was at Wednesday’s meeting. In an internal memo sent to Fifa staff on Tuesday, he wrote that the situation is “a sad and reproachable series of events”.

However, in a statement following the meeting, Grafstrom and the management board “reaffirmed their full support” for Infantino as president.

Infantino and Grafstrom also sent a signed letter – seen by the BBC – to Fifa’s vice-presidents, council and 211 member associations saying they “sincerely apologise” for their errors and “commit to them not happening again”.

The two were pictured attending a Women’s Africa Cup of Nations match together in Rabat after the meeting.

Infantino had offered all associations $40m (£30m) if they backed a proposal for private investment in its tournaments, including the men’s and women’s World Cups, through a new subsidiary, FFE.

Fifa said that during Wednesday’s meeting “mistakes” regarding FFE were “acknowledged”, saying it was “not the intention” for the Fifa council and members association to “feel excluded from the process and that the process should have been handled differently”.

The governing body added it “acknowledged that errors were also made after the proposal was leaked to media” – with the Times breaking the story of Infantino’s plan on 28 July.

However, the statement also said the organisation “will no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process and will take all necessary measures to protect and safeguard its name and reputation”.

Earlier, Fifa denied a story in the Times that Infantino had promised Morocco it will host the 2030 World Cup final in exchange for its support.

Fifa said it was a “false and misleading” claim and that a decision on where to hold the final, with the tournament also hosted by Spain and Portugal, will be made “in due course”.

The bloodthirsty Iranian regime has executed at least 56 people on dubious national security charges since March, according to the United Nations — which blasted Iran for the “deeply troubling” practice.

Twenty-seven of the 56 were linked to the widespread January protests against the country’s despotic regime and brutal treatment of its citizens.

Another roughly 100 people are believed to currently be awaiting execution on similar charges, according to the BBC.

The barbaric executions — which are often carried out in public — are part of a widespread tactic “to instill fear among the population and suppress dissent,” UN human rights chief Volker Türk said in a recent scathing statement.

“Such punishment has no place in our world,” Türk said.

The new proposal follows a recent legal setback to the Trump administration after a US federal appeals court declined to pause a lower court ruling striking down its proposed US$100,000 fee on new H-1B visas.

The Donald Trump administration in the United States is planning to make the extension of H-1B and L-1 visas more expensive, a move that could increase costs for large US companies that depend on foreign skilled workers, including thousands of Indian professionals. A final rule is expected in July to expand the “9-11 Response and Biometric Entry-Exit Fee’ to petitions seeking work visa extensions, according to the Department of Homeland Security’s regulatory agenda.

Under the current rule in the US, employers with over 50 employees, over half of whom hold H-1B or L-1 visas, need to shell out an additional $4,000 for H-1B petitions and $4,500 for L-1 petitions only when filing an initial petition or when an employee changes employers.

“DHS is amending and clarifying the regulations to specify that the 9-11 Response Fees will apply to all H-1B and L-1 extension petitions,” the rule states.

$100,000 H-1B Visa Fee

The new proposal follows a recent legal setback to the Trump administration after a US federal appeals court declined to pause a lower court ruling striking down its proposed US$100,000 fee on new H-1B visas.

As workers with the H-1B visas typically require visa extensions after their initial three-year stay, the proposed changes could increase immigration-related costs for companies that rely heavily on foreign talent, including Indian professionals.

The proposal also affects multinational companies like Google and Meta that use L-1 visas to transfer executives, managers, and employees with specialised knowledge to their US operations.

Indian Workers Likely Affected

The move is likely to affect Indian professionals working in the US, who account for the vast majority of H-1B extensions granted each year.

According to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data, a total of 406,685 H-1B petitions were approved in fiscal year 2025.

Of these, 71 per cent approvals, amounting to 291,542 petitions, were for continuing employment rather than first-time entrants into the program.

Indian nationals accounted for 226,359 of those approvals, representing 77.6 per cent of all H-1B renewals, followed by China with 31,581 approvals.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/team-trump-in-us-plans-to-make-h-1b-visa-extensions-costlier-how-it-may-affect-indians-11867115?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

Aug 4 – U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly campaigned for his second term as a champion of free expression, vowing in his January 2025 inaugural address to stop what he described as years of “government censorship.”
Since then, a wave of court rulings has concluded his administration has done the opposite. ​Reuters identified 75 federal-judge rulings finding Trump’s government infringed on First-Amendment rights including freedoms of speech, religion, and the press.

The unprecedented pushback on constitutional grounds has included repeated findings that the administration chilled or squelched the speech of citizens and groups ‌opposing the Republican’s agenda.
“The President’s palpable misunderstanding that the government simply cannot seek retribution for speech he disdains poses a great threat to Americans’ freedom of speech,” Boston-based U.S. District Judge William Young wrote.
The judge, appointed by Republican President Ronald Reagan, ruled in September that the administration illegally detained, deported and revoked visas of foreign students and faculty because of their pro-Palestinian advocacy. Other judges found federal agencies terminated grants awarded to universities including Harvard for refusing to align with his ideological agenda; retaliated against law firms based on their legal advocacy; and used excessive force at protests.

Trump administration officials have repeatedly called federal judges ruling against them “activists” who are interfering with the president’s executive authority. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson ​criticized the First-Amendment rulings in a statement, saying “the federal judiciary has repeatedly endangered and obstructed the election choices of the American people with its unlawful rulings.”

LOSING STREAK

The 75 cases that produced lower-court rulings against the Trump administration were among 93 total cases during his ​second term in which judges addressed First-Amendment arguments, Reuters found. Trump’s losing streak mostly came from judges appointed by Democratic presidents, but Republican appointees delivered decisions in 10 cases.
By comparison, during Democratic President Joe Biden’s presidential ⁠term, Reuters identified just 27 cases in which lower-court judges weighed First-Amendment challenges to his agenda. Judges ruled against his administration in 13 of those. Most of the lower-court rulings against the Biden administration involved its vaccine mandates, which were challenged on religious-freedom grounds.

Reuters tallied the First-Amendment cases by ​searching federal court records and Westlaw, a legal research service. Both Reuters and Westlaw are owned by Thomson Reuters. When similar lawsuits were consolidated by a court or when a judge issued multiple rulings in the same lawsuit, Reuters counted them as one case. The review focused on civil lawsuits ​filed against the Trump administration and excluded cases by self-represented litigants.
Some of the rulings are preliminary, meaning that the judge acted on a request for speedy action before hearing the full merits of the case.
The lawsuits were frequently filed by Trump’s ideological foes or by media organizations, such as when the New York Times and Associated Press asked judges to halt restrictions on their ability to cover the White House or the Pentagon. The AP and the New York Times won at the lower court level, though some of the rulings are on hold pending appeal.

The Trump administration launched appeals in about two-thirds of the cases while electing to let other rulings stand. It chose not ​to challenge rulings that, for instance, prevented it from interfering with what academics can discuss in classrooms and from slashing longstanding grants awarded to legal and medical organizations that have opposed the administration’s agenda.
In appeals of 15 of the 75 rulings that went against Trump, his administration successfully persuaded courts either to ​put a district court judge’s First-Amendment ruling on hold or overturn it entirely.
In significant victories for the administration, two appeals courts this year have overturned lower-court rulings that had led to the release of pro-Palestinian campus activists who had attended Columbia University, Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi. The appellate judges found the lower courts had no ‌jurisdiction to hear those ⁠cases, without ruling on the lawsuits’ merits. Khalil’s lawyers have said he plans to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
In one appeal the administration did win on the merits, the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in February overturned a ruling that had blocked the Trump administration from stripping hundreds of thousands of federal workers of the ability to engage in union bargaining with U.S. agencies.
The unions argued that Trump took that action in order to retaliate against them challenging his administration’s policies, in violation of the First Amendment. But a three-judge panel said Trump would have taken the same action whether or not he intended to punish unions for their advocacy.
Other appeals courts have been less receptive. In May, the 9th Circuit agreed, with a lower-court judge that terminating federal grants awarded to University of California researchers – as part of Trump’s anti-DEI push – constituted viewpoint discrimination.

RAILING AGAINST ‘CENSORSHIP’

Trump rode to his second-term win after ​railing against an “online censorship regime” that he said the Biden administration imposed ​when it required media companies to suppress alleged misinformation during the ⁠COVID-19 pandemic and after the 2020 election. He echoed themes from his first presidential campaign, including opposition to what he called “cancel culture,” as some conservatives complained that social and professional pressures discouraged the expression of their political views.
Hours after his 2025 inauguration, Trump signed an executive order titled “Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship,” which directed that no federal agency or employee would unconstitutionally abridge Americans’ speech rights.
Critics say that promise was almost immediately ​undercut by a flurry of other executive orders and policies seeking to exact retribution against foes or targeting viewpoints the president opposed.
Among those early orders were those directing an end to federal funding his administration deemed ​as supporting “gender ideology” or diversity, equity and ⁠inclusion (DEI), two subjects at the heart of many of the lawsuits alleging First-Amendment violations by the administration.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/trump-vowed-bring-free-speech-back-judges-75-cases-ruled-that-he-has-stifled-it-2026-08-04/

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are evaluating chipmaking equipment from China’s Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment (AMEC) for possible ​use at their Chinese factories, three people familiar with the matter said, as the South Korean firms hedge against the risk of tighter U.S. export ‌controls.
The memory chipmakers began testing AMEC etching equipment about two years ago, when uncertainty was mounting over whether Washington would continue allowing them to import U.S. chipmaking tools into China, two of the sources said.

While the evaluations have yet to result in decisions on wider deployment, they offer the Shanghai-based company a rare chance to secure validation from some of the world’s leading chipmakers.
More broadly, the trials underscore ​a paradox at the heart of U.S. technology controls: measures designed to constrain Beijing’s semiconductor ambitions are creating opportunities for Chinese rivals to gain a foothold ​in foreign-owned fabs operating in China.
All sources declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.
Samsung (005930.KS), said in a statement ⁠to Reuters that it has not tested AMEC equipment for use at its China factory and had not considered doing so.

SK Hynix (000660.KS), declined to comment. AMEC and the Bureau ​of Industry and Security (BIS), which enforces the U.S. government’s export controls, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

TIGHTENING EXPORT CONTROLS

The U.S. Commerce Department designated Samsung and SK Hynix’s Chinese ​factories as “validated end users” (VEU) in 2023, allowing imports of certain controlled U.S. equipment without obtaining individual licences.
Washington revoked the VEU authorization in 2025 and later granted an annual license to the chipmakers to bring in chip manufacturing equipment to their facilities in China for 2026.
Even so, both companies remain wary that future restrictions could extend beyond new equipment to the servicing, repair or replacement of Western tools already ​installed at their Chinese plants, the sources said.

As a result, the chipmakers are keeping Chinese suppliers in reserve as a potential way to maintain and upgrade existing production lines, ​rather than expand manufacturing capacity in China, the sources added.
Samsung operates its NAND flash memory chip plant in Xian, and SK Hynix has NAND facilities in Dalian and a DRAM memory chip plant ‌in Wuxi.
Their ⁠China factories rely heavily on etching tools supplied by U.S. firms including Applied Materials (AMAT.O), and Lam Research (LRCX.O),

STAMP OF APPROVAL

For AMEC and China’s emerging crop of semiconductor-equipment makers, winning approval from Samsung or SK Hynix would amount to a powerful commercial endorsement.
While Chinese equipment makers continue to trail overseas rivals in advanced lithography and some inspection systems, they have narrowed the gap in areas such as etching, deposition, cleaning and planarisation, often at significantly lower cost.

Chinese tools can cost 20% to 30% less than comparable equipment from established foreign suppliers, according ​to Dan Hutcheson, vice chair of research ​firm TechInsights.
AMEC equipment is already used by ⁠leading Chinese chipmakers, including NAND producer Yangtze Memory Technologies Co (YMTC), giving Samsung and SK Hynix greater confidence that some systems are mature enough for testing, the sources said.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/china/samsung-sk-hynix-test-chinese-chip-tools-hedge-against-us-risks-2026-08-05/

The Trump administration is drafting a ban on U.S. imports of new models of Chinese data center components, four people ​familiar with the matter told Reuters, as it seeks to protect the infrastructure that undergirds the AI boom.
The Federal Communications Commission, which oversees the U.S. ‌telecom industry, is working on the measure to bar imports of new Chinese optical transceivers, which allow data to travel over fiber-optic cables at the speed of light within data centers. Officials hope to publish it this year, when it would take effect.

The move, not previously reported, aims to prevent Chinese firms from stealing data, installing malware or disrupting service at U.S. data centers, which house the chips to train and run ​AI models.
The FCC could still modify or shelve the restriction, the sources stressed, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. But it is the latest example ​of the Trump administration trying to limit Chinese technological incursions into cutting-edge U.S. industries before they become embedded in the supply chain.
“Transceivers definitely ⁠pose a risk,” said Divyansh Kaushik, an AI policy expert at Washington, D.C., advisory firm Beacon Global Strategies. “As the data center buildout scales up, you want to make sure the ​data center supply chain is secure from the get-go,” he added.

Shares of U.S.-based transceiver makers seen as beneficiaries of the measure rose following the news. Lumentum (LITE.O), Coherent (COHR.N), and Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI.O), jumped ​7%, 11%, and 18%, respectively.

CHINA WILL RESPOND IF NECESSARY: EMBASSY

The White House and the FCC did not respond to requests for comment. The Chinese embassy in Washington said Beijing urges the United States to “heed the objective and rational voices of the business communities in both countries” and “stop smearing Chinese companies and threatening them with sanctions.”
“China will take all necessary measures in response to any action that causes material harm to its ​interests,” it added.
A U.S. ban on new models of Chinese data center devices would likely hit China’s Zhongji Innolight (300308.SZ), one of the biggest global sellers of transceivers, which was added ​to the Pentagon’s list of alleged Chinese military-backed companies in June. The list can be a harbinger of tougher action. Innolight did not respond to requests for comment.

A ban could also raise costs ‌for American cloud ⁠firms such as Amazon Web Services (AMZN.O), as it may force them to transition to other producers such as U.S.-based Coherent and Lumentum.
China hawks in the administration are keen to avoid another situation like Huawei, where telecom equipment made by the heavily sanctioned Chinese firm was so deeply embedded in U.S. infrastructure that efforts to remove it were slow, expensive and incomplete.
The FCC has historically been independent, but in June the U.S. Supreme Court backed President Donald Trump’s firing of a Democratic Federal Trade Commission member, expanding his powers over the government, including certain regulatory agencies.
Innolight has ​a leading 27% share of the global ​data center transceiver market, according to Counterpoint ⁠Research. Coherent and Lumentum sell competitive technology but lack the scale to replace Chinese vendors, according to a report by the Foundation for American Innovation. Innolight generates 90% of its revenue outside China, the report added.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/trump-administration-drafting-ban-chinese-data-center-devices-sources-say-2026-08-04/

The U.S. Army has used up much of its global stockpile of highly accurate long-range missiles during its five-month war with Iran, ​according to three people familiar with the data, raising concerns about the military’s readiness for future conflicts.
The missiles are principally the Army’s surface-to-surface weapons, known as Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM). The U.S. ‌has used “virtually all” of these weapons, according to two of the sources.

The degree to which the military is running out of ATACMS and Precision Strike Missiles has not been previously reported.
The long-range munitions – which cost more than $1 million each – are an important part of the military’s arsenal, allowing accurate strikes from a safe distance. U.S.-supplied ATACMS have played a key role in the war in Ukraine, allowing Ukrainian forces to attack targets inside Russia. The PrSM is a newer, more advanced generation that will replace the ATACMS, which have a shorter range.
The dramatic rundown in precision, long-range missiles means U.S. President Donald Trump may ​have to rely more on riskier, piloted bombing missions if he relaunches large-scale attacks on Iran.

The sources declined to say how many of each munition the U.S. had left.
Trump launched the Iran war jointly with Israel in February, predicting ​that the conflict would last a short time.
But as the war drags on, the three people familiar with the matter expressed worry that the falling missile supplies could limit the U.S. ability ⁠to deter adversaries, including Russia and China.
A fourth person familiar with the matter said that despite the high usage of precision weapons, the U.S. can resupply. Central Command — which oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East — has been able to reload from U.S. military ​supplies around the world, the person said.
The sources interviewed for this story spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Asked for comment on the stockpile data, the White House issued a statement from Trump, saying the U.S. had “far more munitions than anyone in the world” and “far ​more than we need.”

“Our defense companies are, at this moment, making more munitions than they have ever made before, in addition to expanding their plants and equipment at record levels,” Trump said.
Analysts agree that certain munitions, including artillery shells and several types of missiles, are being produced at record levels but caution that supplies might fall short of what is needed for a prolonged war.
Lockheed Martin, which makes the ATACMS and PrSMs, along with the anti-ballistic missile THAAD system, did not immediately respond to questions about Trump’s statements or about supply levels. Raytheon, which makes Tomahawk missiles and Patriot interceptors, two ​important U.S. weapons, also did not immediately respond.
Responding to a request for comment, chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said: “America’s military is the most powerful in the world and has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the President’s choosing. We ​have executed multiple successful operations across combatant commands while ensuring the U.S. military possesses a deep arsenal of capabilities to protect our people and our interests.”

The supply figures have circulated inside the federal government over the last week during tense conversations inside the Trump administration about how ‌much longer the ⁠U.S. can continue striking Iran without drawing down the stockpile to levels that would limit the military’s ability to respond to crises elsewhere.

WARNINGS OVER WEAPONS SUPPLIES

One of the sources said the drawdown of the ATACMS and PrSM stockpiles reflected a decision by the Trump administration to avoid riskier ways of attacking Iranian targets, such as by using piloted aircraft to drop bombs.
Because these weapons allow the military to attack targets from a distance, analysts say they would be valuable in a war against an adversary with strong air defenses, such as China. They have been used to strike targets inside Iran, according to a March report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
According to the report, PrSM stockpiles were low to start with, since it is a relatively new munition, but the U.S. military ​has ordered a large number of them for 2027. The Army ​has said that ATACMS are being phased out and ⁠that production is shifting to the newer PrSM missiles.
Military leaders have for weeks warned the president that stockpiles of defensive weapons — including Patriot interceptors, which are effective against ballistic missiles — were dwindling, said two of the sources. Last week, several media outlets reported Trump had decided not to launch another massive offensive inside Iran in part because his military advisers had warned about the U.S. stockpile.
A U.S. ​official disputed those accounts, saying Trump chose not to move forward with another attack because of pressure from Gulf states.
The Middle East conflict has sparked intense debate about Trump’s authority to ​prosecute hostilities against Iran without congressional ⁠authorization. No request for a declaration of war or an authorization to use military force has been submitted to Congress.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/us-has-used-virtually-all-its-long-range-precision-missiles-during-iran-war-2026-08-04/

A NEW wildfire has triggered evacuation concerns in California as firefighters battle another fast-moving blaze.

It comes as hundreds of buildings have already been destroyed in neighbouring Washington, where cops have now made an arson arrest.

The Gann Fire has ripped through at least 100 acres near New Hogan Lake in Calaveras County, with Cal Fire warning the blaze is racing uphill through grass and brush.

Extra firefighting resources have been called in as residents remain under an advisory and are urged to stay alert for further instructions.

Although no evacuation orders have been issued in California, the latest blaze comes as a far larger wildfire disaster continues to unfold in Washington state.

At least 700 homes, businesses and other structures have been destroyed in and around Spokane, Washington‘s second-largest city, while around 67,000 people have been ordered to evacuate.

Images from the disaster zone showed buildings engulfed in flames as thick black smoke billowed over neighbourhoods.

In many areas, homes were burned to the ground, leaving only chimneys standing among the smoking ruins.

Despite the widespread destruction, officials said there have so far been no reports of injuries or people unaccounted for, though they warned it remains early in the emergency response.

Patients at Spokane’s US Veterans Affairs hospital were among those forced to evacuate, while authorities opened a shelter at the city’s convention centre, where around 400 displaced residents were staying.

Firefighters continue to battle the three major blazes – the Old Trails Fire, Fairview Fire and Meadowview Fire – as dry conditions and powerful winds hamper efforts to bring them under control.

“We are not out of danger,” US Senator Maria Cantwell said during a news conference with federal, state and local officials.

“The next couple of days will be challenging.”

As the firefight continues, investigators announced a major breakthrough after arresting a man accused of starting the largest of the three fires.

Aaron F. Farinacci, 37, of Spokane, was arrested on Monday and booked on suspicion of first-degree arson in connection with the Old Trails Fire.

Authorities have not announced possible causes for the Fairview or Meadowview fires.

The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation began after a community member reported seeing a nervous-looking man bent down beside the road near dry grass close to where the fire later erupted.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/16789791/evacuation-order-california-gann-fire-washington-spokane-wildfires/

DEPRAVED murderer Bryan Kohberger may have wanted to emulate infamous serial killer Ted Bundy — and is now struggling with losing control behind bars, a violent crime expert has claimed.

Kohberger, 31, admitted to the brutal slayings of four University of Idaho students on November 13, 2022, as part of a plea agreement that spared him the death penalty.

But despite sitting silently through hours of emotional victim impact statements and admitting to the murders, Kohberger has now made a dramatic U-turn and is seeking to withdraw his plea and face trial.

The move comes as the Netflix documentary The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare reaches number one on the streaming platform.

The one question that still hasn’t been answered is why he targeted victims Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20.

The U.S. Sun spoke with Dr. Gary Brucato, a clinical psychologist, researcher and author who helped profile the person responsible for the murders before Kohberger was identified and arrested.

Brucato, who specializes in early psychotic illness, violent crime and mass or serial murder, believes Kohberger’s actions may have been influenced by notorious killers such as Ted Bundy.

Bundy, a rapist and necrophile, kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and murdered dozens of young women and girls across the US between 1974 and 1978.

Dr. Brucato believes Kohberger’s crimes had a sexual component, despite there being no evidence that he sexually assaulted any of the victims.

He said the killings may have been driven by a desire to imagine himself as “a powerful, virile figure” acting out a psychologically exciting scenario, possibly inspired by violent offenders he had studied.

“I have a very strong sense that Kohberger was so much like a serial offender rather than a mass murderer, where you do something once and either take your own life or get incarcerated and that’s the end of it.

“I think this is somebody who was sort of trying to master it and lost control the first time he did it.

“I think it’s possible that if he hadn’t been caught, [he] might have thought about doing it again.”

Prosecutors alleged Kohberger entered the King Road home intending to attack specific targets, but encountered more people than expected, including Ethan.

Digital forensics experts previously hired to examine the case have said Kohberger had researched Bundy, along with Danny Rolling, known as the Gainesville Ripper, and other serial killers.

His reported porn search history also included terms such as “raped,” “forced,” “passed out,” “sleeping” and “voyeur.”

Dr. Brucato believes Kohberger’s alleged fascination with notorious killers may reveal a desire for recognition and control — traits often seen in offenders who seek to build a notorious legacy.

While there is no public evidence that Kohberger stalked the victims in the traditional sense, prosecutors alleged he had visited the King Road home area before the murders, including cellphone data that placed his phone near the residence on multiple occasions.

Dr. Brucato said, “I was fascinated by the alibi that was given by Kohberger because he claimed that he was looking at the stars at Wawawai Park.

“First of all, on a psychological level, this notion of studying something that you can never touch the way an astronomer studies a star, but he can’t touch it.”

Dr. Brucato suggested Kohberger may have approached his victims in a similar way — observing and studying them from a distance.

He also pointed out that Wawawai Park is near the site where the remains of Joyce LePage, a Washington State University student whose 1971 disappearance has been considered by some as a possible Bundy case, were discovered.

Bundy was never charged or confirmed as LePage’s killer.

The documentary also explores the suggestion that Kohberger, who appeared to have no close friends and struggled with romantic relationships, may have identified with the incel movement (involuntary celibate).

The term refers to people who say they are unable to find a romantic or sexual partner, and some online incel communities have become known for promoting misogynistic and extremist views.

However, Dr. Brucato doesn’t believe Kohberger fully fits that profile.

“I had an issue with that from the beginning, because Kohberger, we know, was somebody who did have some date experiences,” he said. “He was just extremely weird on them.

“For example, the date that he reportedly had where he told the woman that he wanted to tickle her or that she had, you know, nice birthing hips.

“He was a sort of weird person, more than somebody who couldn’t get a date.

“And so I don’t think of him so much as an involuntary celibate.

“I think of him more as a person whose detached, peculiar mechanical quality and his desire to render relationships predictable, almost like a scientist thinks, weirded people out.”

Dr. Brucato also recalled how Kohberger had few contacts saved in his phone, which included impersonal labels like “girl I ran with” and “second girl I ran with.”

“I think that this is precisely the kind of person who would have been frustrated that he couldn’t make a science out of women and other people, and how to get people to like him and so forth,” he said.

Dr. Brucato believes Kohberger’s frustration at being unable to shape how others saw him may have contributed to his decision to become violent.

Bundy famously pleaded not guilty and represented himself during his trial, turning the courtroom into a stage as he fought to control his own narrative.

Dr. Brucato believes Kohberger has felt powerless since he was sentenced to life behind bars, and is the reason behind him suddenly seeking a trial.

He said, “If he is found guilty, what will he do? Probably write a book or start telling the story to manipulate the public that way.

“I think ultimately, one way or another, he always seems to be the puppet master.”

He went on, “I’m sure he feels extremely out of control in prison.

“I know he’s been upset over silly things like not getting the bananas he wants and things like that. And I’m sure he’s probably being picked on.”

But Kohberger will have a legal mountain to climb to try and get a trial.

Ada County District Judge Steven Hippler previously asked him in court, “I want to make sure that your plea is given voluntarily.

“I want to make sure that you actually committed the crimes to which you’re pleading guilty, because I don’t want you to plead guilty to a crime you didn’t commit.”

Hippler then asked, “Are you pleading guilty because you are guilty?” before reading out the murder charges tied to each victim.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/16787426/bryan-kohberger-murder-motive-ted-bundy-appeal/

THE heartbroken father of four children fatally poisoned by their mom and grandmother has described the murders as a ‘horrendous, spiteful act’ as chilling new details have been revealed.

Police revealed on Tuesday that Sarah Myers, 44, and her mother, Amy Steadman, 64, carefully plotted the killings in the hours before taking their own lives.

After a press conference, the children’s father, Brady Harmon, told The U.S. Sun that he cannot comprehend the “sick” and “sadistic” actions investigators say led to the deaths of his children.

The young victims – 10-year-old twins Gavin and Gracelynn, 11-year-old Hudson, and 13-year-old Harper – were found dead alongside Steadman and Myers in the grandmother’s apartment in Mechanicville, New York, on June 23.

Police claimed the mom and grandmother gave the children a cocktail of drugs in an attempt to poison them before one of them stabbed Gavin with a knife.

They allegedly killed the kids in an attempt to stop Harmon from spending the summer with them.

Investigators found a heartbreaking message from Gracelynn who was in pain and asked for help from the killer duo – who ignored her desperate plea as she battled through severe stomach pain.

They carried out the murders before taking their own lives on June 10 and the six decomposing bodies were found days later after a neighbor called for a welfare check.

Harmon exclusively told The U.S. Sun, “I cannot understand what would go through those sick, sadistic, twisted minds to carry out this horrendous, spiteful act on harming my children because I have access to them for 60 days.

“You stab Gavin. Gracelynn is trying to communicate and say, ‘I need help,’ and you guys give them nothing.

“Just more pain. More fear. That’s a father’s worst fear.”

He previously said he had spent years fighting to rebuild a relationship with his children and was days away from finally bringing them to Utah for a court-approved 60-day summer visit.

According to investigators, text messages between Myers and Steadman showed they planned to poison the children between 10:30 am and noon, hours before Myers was due to have a scheduled call with Harmon.

But when the children did not succumb to the deadly plan as quickly as expected, one of the women sent a chilling message, “It’s not working, we need another option.”

Police said internet searches recovered from Steadman’s phone included medication reactions and the effects of insulin on non-diabetics.

Later chilling searches included, “Where’s the most fatal place to be stabbed” and “Find the carotid artery in the neck.”

One of the most haunting pieces of evidence released by police was a text allegedly sent by Gracelynn after becoming ill, reading: “Why would you do that? You both won’t let me puke.”

Later that evening, Steadman sent a further haunting message to Myers claiming, “Gracie is aware.”

Investigators believe Gavin survived the poisoning attempt and was then stabbed to death with a knife, with police saying he suffered defensive wounds.

Authorities also recovered a handwritten note in which Steadman claimed the killings were intended to “protect” the children from Harmon ahead of his court-ordered parenting time.

Myers also made allegations of abuse against Harmon, which he has denied.

Police said they found no evidence supporting the allegations made against him and he has never been charged.

The couple had been involved in a custody dispute but had reached an agreement that allowed Harmon to spend the summer with the children.

He previously told The U.S. Sun that his last FaceTime call with the kids was on June 7, when he said they appeared happy.

Harmon said that when he tried to contact Myers again days later, she told him the children were sick and they would speak the following day — but he never heard from them again.

Weeks after losing his four children, Harmon said the pain remains overwhelming.

“Even over a month later, it’s still not easier,” he said.

“And I don’t think it ever will be.”

Referencing the abuse allegations, he claimed there was no evidence and branded Myers a “narcissist.”

He added, “I didn’t do anything.”

Harmon, who has an older daughter from a previous relationship and has since remarried, also pointed to previous concerns raised about Myers’ care of the children.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/16793060/mechanicsville-poison-plot-dad-reacts-mom-grandma-kids/

Andy Burnham is “looking into” the possibility of holding a public inquiry into the UK activities of the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to victims minister Alex Davies-Jones.

Speaking to BBC Newsnight, Davies-Jones said that the prime minister had agreed to meet Epstein’s victims.

She said the government is also reviewing whether the alleged actions of former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed could also be part of an inquiry.

Davies-Jones resigned from former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s government in May, later accusing his government of failing to listen to Epstein’s survivors. She was reappointed as victims minister when Burnham took office.

Speaking on the programme, she said she had discussed holding a public inquiry into the alleged behaviour of Epstein and Al Fayed with the prime minister and cabinet secretary Dame Antonia Romeo during her re-appointment.

Asked whether an inquiry was now possible, Davies-Jones said: “We are looking at this, we are reviewing what is possible. Again, same with Harrods survivors.”

She added: “I have been assured that the prime minister is taking this very seriously.

“He will meet with those victims and he is looking at what is possible, now he has access to all of the information as prime minister to see what action we can take.”

After resigning in May, Davies-Jones told the Commons in June that people whose lives were devastated by Epstein’s abuse have too often been reduced to a footnote.

Asked what assurances or guarantees she had asked from Burnham in relation to the survivors when he re-appointed her to government, the minister said: “I did have those discussions with the prime minister before he became the prime minister.”

“He agreed to meet with the Epstein victims,” she continued, adding that Burnham “has assured me that he will meet them now he’s prime minister and will work with us to look at systemic change across the system for all victims.”

BBC Newsnight understands that as Burnham was finalising plans to become prime minister, he was sent a document by leading Labour campaigners on Violence Against Women and Girls.

It contained a key suggestion: to hold a full public inquiry into the UK activities of Epstein, the alleged behaviour of the late Harrods boss Mohamed Al Fayed and into allegations in a BBC Panorama and Times investigation that West Ham co-owner David Sullivan preyed on women.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2jpqzwzj1o

Perez Hilton has been “safely recovered” from his Miami home and transported to a local hospital after the celebrity blogger shared what appeared to be a video in which he self-harms.

Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to Page Six Tuesday night they’d received “multiple calls” of “an individual livestreaming acts of self-harm on social media” and dispatched deputies to investigate.

Officers spoke with Hilton’s family members who were on the scene and ultimately decided to “tactfully disengage” while continuing to “monitor the situation” after confirming Hilton, 48, was alone inside.

“The individual has been safely recovered and transported by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue to a local hospital, where he is receiving medical attention,” the Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement obtained by Page Six.

“The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Crisis Response Unit and Licensed Mental Health Professionals are also on scene providing support and resources to the individual’s family.”

Hilton’s representatives, Golden Artists Entertainment Co-CEOs Dante Rusciolelli and Rebekah Kochan told Page Six in a statement they “are aware of the concerning content circulating online” involving their client.

“At this time, we have not been able to make direct contact with him, despite our ongoing efforts to reach him,” they added. “Our primary concern is Perez’s health and well-being, as well as the well-being of his family. Until we have confirmed information, we will not speculate or comment further.”

Rusciolelli and Kochan said they appreciate everyone’s concern and ask for the public to respect Hilton’s privacy at this time.

Page Six has reached out to representatives for Hilton for additional comment and details.

The blogger, born Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr., is father to three children welcomed via surrogacy.

In March, Hilton was hospitalized for three weeks after taking flu medication on an empty stomach.

“My stupidity landed me in the hospital for 21 days. It was the worst and best thing that’s ever happened to me,” he said in a YouTube video shared that month describing the “crazy saga.”

Hilton said he’d “had the flu for about a week” but failed to “take any of my medication with food.” He said he “developed an ulcer and then a perforation and then sepsis” as a result.

The gossip blogger recounted his entire hospital stay and noted that it instilled in him a desire to be more present for his family.

“I’m going to have dinner with my kids and my mom every night from now on,” he pledged.

In a health update in April, Hilton revealed he needed “emergency surgery” for a “massive” blood clot.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2026/08/04/celebrity-news/perez-hilton-livestreams-apparent-self-harming-video-cops-respond/

Fresh attacks on commercial shipping and Iranian demands to charge fees in the Strait of Hormuz are threatening the progress of a potential breakthrough deal with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

A commercial ship sailing near Oman was struck by an unidentified projectile in the latest attack early Tuesday, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), while another vessel was reportedly targeted nearby in a separate incident as authorities investigate.

The flare-up came as Houthi rebels were blamed for sinking an Indian commercial vessel in the Red Sea on Tuesday, underscoring that key global shipping lanes remain under threat even as diplomats race to secure a wider agreement with Tehran.

“The continued incidents of attacks on commercial shipping in the region are deeply worrisome,” India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement confirming the attack.

Despite the renewed violence, Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted Tuesday that negotiations are moving in the right direction.

“There’s oil moving right now through the straits. You know there are ships moving through the straits. There’s oil moving right now through the straits. So the straits are open, nonetheless,” Rubio said.

“I think that there’s a conversation and negotiation that we are involved in between Oman and Iran on how more ships can be able to go through there safely in the short term as we move towards these longer-term talks about denuclearization.”

“And suffice it to say, there’s been progress made in those talks, but not finality yet.”

Rubio’s remarks echoed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s prediction earlier Tuesday that Washington and Tehran could reach an agreement as soon as Tuesday or Wednesday to expand commercial shipping through the strategic waterway.

“We are in talks with the Iranians,” Bessent said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” “There is a chance we may have a deal today or tomorrow to open the strait and move towards a more normalized position in this conflict.”

Bessent’s comments sent oil prices sliding, with crude dropping below $77 a barrel as traders bet the waterway could soon reopen.

But negotiations remain complicated by Iran’s insistence that it should play a central role in managing traffic through the strait. Tehran has claimed it would charge ships fees for using the waterway as part of an arrangement, the New York Times reported on Tuesday.

Trump administration officials firmly rejected that idea, calling the report “not accurate” and arguing the strait is an international waterway and warning they would not permit Iran to impose what amounts to tolls on global commerce.

“Any temporary routes will be without any impediments — meaning no approvals or permissions and no tolls or charges,” a US official told The Post. “The Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway and no party controls the lanes or the ability to transit through them.”

President Trump on Monday referred to the negotiations over the strait as “the last chance for them to sign a good document” before “decapitation,” referring to possible strikes to take out Iranian leadership.

He made the remarks after calling off what he described as strikes on Iran that would have rivaled “World War II” — with the understanding that Iran was ready to make a deal.

Source : https://nypost.com/2026/08/04/world-news/more-commercial-ships-attacked-in-middle-east-threatening-strait-of-hormuz-deal-with-iran/

Iran’s response came after Trump and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested that Washington was close to securing a deal to restore navigation through strategic waterway.

Iran on Wednesday rejected United States President Donald Trump’s claim that the Strait of Hormuz could reopen within days under a new agreement, asserting that negotiations with Oman are being conducted without American participation and are instead focused on establishing a new maritime framework that safeguards Tehran’s sovereignty, according to Press TV.

Iranian officials said the discussions have made steady progress, with diplomatic sources indicating that an agreement could be reached as early as Wednesday.

What The US Claimed About Iran Deal

Iran’s response came after Trump and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested that Washington was close to securing a deal to restore navigation through the strategic waterway.

“We are in talks with the Iranians, and I think there is a chance we may have a deal today or tomorrow to open the strait and move towards a more normalised position in this conflict,” Bessent said, while speaking to CNBC.

President Donald Trump also stated that negotiations with Iran were progressing and hinted that the waterway could reopen quickly.

Iran Dismisses US Timeline On Hormuz

However, according to Iran’s state-backed Press TV, an informed source dismissed the US timeline, saying the ongoing negotiations were exclusively between Tehran and Muscat and aimed at creating an “intermediate corridor” that would replace both the existing Iran-controlled northern route and the US-backed southern route.

The proposed arrangement, the report said, would be designed to protect Iran’s sovereignty, national interests and security while establishing a new framework for maritime traffic through the Strait.

Rejecting Washington’s assertions, the source was quoted as saying, “Trump has violated his commitments, and Iran is moving forward with its plan to establish arrangements in the Strait independently of US threats, and it will succeed.”

The source further added, “Iran does not shape its interests and priorities based on schedule or demands of Trump.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency described the technical and political discussions with Oman as “constructive.”

“Technical and political discussions have so far been constructive. Iran is working with Oman to develop frameworks for future maritime traffic management in this strategic chokepoint, with final results to be publicised once finalised,” IRNA quoted Iranian officials as saying.

Iran, Oman Near Hormuz Deal?

Separately, Al Jazeera, citing diplomatic sources in Tehran, reported that negotiations had made positive progress despite some unresolved issues. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei also expressed optimism over the talks, while acknowledging that differences remain.

According to the report, diplomatic sources believe an agreement between Iran and Oman is now within reach and could potentially be concluded by the end of Wednesday, although they accused unnamed “disrupting actors” of attempting to derail the negotiations.

What Iran Stands To Gain

The emerging proposal would significantly expand Iran’s oversight of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

Under the reported arrangement, Iran would exercise full sovereign authority over all inbound commercial shipping, while Oman would oversee outbound vessels only after notifying Iranian authorities, allowing Tehran to retain visibility over vessel movements and the ability to intervene when required.

Source : https://www.news18.com/world/iran-rejects-us-claims-of-hormuz-reopening-tomorrow-pushes-new-maritime-corridor-with-oman-10253006.html

Israel is not being directly briefed by the US on developments in talks with Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz and is receiving most information through indirect channels.

Israeli officials have questioned the latest push for a diplomatic breakthrough between the US and Iran, saying President Donald Trump and his advisers are seeking a deal “at any cost”, according to Israeli media outlet Channel 12.

A senior Israeli official, speaking to Channel 12, described the uncertainty surrounding Trump’s approach, saying: “The distance between peace and war with Trump is the distance between the letters T, R and U on the keyboard.”

According to the Israeli media outlet, Israel is not being directly briefed by Washington on developments in talks with Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz and is receiving most information through indirect channels.

Trump wants iran deal ‘at any cost’

Israeli officials reportedly mocked the latest diplomatic developments, saying any agreement could regulate operations in the strategic waterway and allow Washington and Tehran to return to a previous understanding.

“Today is ‘World Peace Day’. The diplomatic track has returned with full force. Trump wants a deal, his advisers want a deal at any cost — and the Iranians understand this,” Israeli officials were quoted as saying.

Despite the diplomatic efforts, the officials said Israel remains on high alert, with the Israel Defense Forces continuing communication with the US Central Command (CENTCOM).

“Right now, the diplomatic path appears to be the direction, but we’ll see what happens,” the official said.

The comments come as Iran and Oman have reportedly made progress towards a possible agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy route.

Under a proposed arrangement, ships would enter the Persian Gulf through an Iranian-controlled route and exit through a route managed by Oman, with fees potentially charged for security and maritime services, regional officials told The Associated Press.

Source : https://www.news18.com/world/peace-war-gap-is-keyboard-distance-israeli-official-says-trump-wants-iran-deal-at-any-cost-ws-l-10252910.html

Wildfires raging on the outskirts of Spokane, Washington, for a third day have destroyed at least 700 buildings and forced tens of thousands of people ​to flee their homes in and around the state’s second-most populous city, officials said on Monday.
The cluster of three blazes ranked as the top firefighting priority in the ‌U.S. as a whole, including the drought-parched Pacific Northwest, where dozens of major wildfires have burned for weeks, degrading air quality across a wide region.

The Spokane-area fires have blackened more than 8,000 acres (3,200 hectares) since erupting on Saturday on the northern fringe of the city, home to about 230,000 residents west of the Rocky Mountain foothills near the Idaho border.
Video footage from the fire zone showed a miles-long column of smoke creeping through treetops as airplane tankers swooped overhead, dropping scarlet-colored fire-retardant slurries onto the ​blaze.
Enormous palls of smoke billowed into the sky north of the city, as flames devoured forest land 6 miles (10 km) from Spokane’s downtown.

‘GO NOW’

Kami Fehlig, 58, was one of hundreds of ​area residents who fled for their lives before wind-driven flames engulfed their homes over the weekend.

Picking through charred ruins of her house in search of keepsakes, ⁠Fehlig paused on Monday to recount how she and her husband watched in disbelief as fire jumped the narrow Spokane River and swept toward their parkside neighborhood in the city’s northwest on Saturday.
“About 30 ​minutes before it jumped the river, my husband and I were seeing how bad it was, and we told the kids, ‘We don’t want to scare you, but we think you should start preparing to grab some ​things.'”
The couple and their two daughters, both in their 20s, packed themselves into their cars with the family dog and what few belongings they could carry in their arms – a wedding album, pet supplies, baby books, Fehlig recalled. Moments later, the power went out, and the family sped away to safety.
“It was, ‘Go now, go now,'” she said.

Only later did they learn that their house, as well as the family’s chicken coop, had burned to the ground, along with much ​of their surrounding community.
“This particular neighborhood has been pretty wiped out,” Fehlig said.
As of Monday, some 64,000 people were under immediate evacuation orders, up from 4,000 a day earlier, according to Benjamin Cossel, a spokesperson ​for the incident command center.
At least 700 structures have gone up in flames, mostly in residential areas, and aerial infrared surveys showed that possibly another 400 buildings, including homes, had been damaged or destroyed, Cossel said.
The cause of ‌the blazes ⁠was under investigation.

BRACING FOR FATALITIES

No injuries or fatalities have been reported so far, Cossel told Reuters, adding, “There’s a high probability that will change in the coming days” as flames subside and search teams are able to reach devastated communities still inaccessible due to extreme fire activity.

An unspecified number of people have been reported missing as flames spread out of wooded areas into neighborhoods and commercially developed areas, “turning from a wildfire to an urban conflagration,” he said.
Roughly 1,100 firefighters were battling the Spokane blazes as of Monday, Cossel said, a fraction of the more than 29,200 personnel assigned to wildfires nationwide, most heavily concentrated in Oregon, Washington state ​and Idaho, according to the National Interagency Fire ​Center in Boise.
The agency reported more than 100 ⁠large new wildfires on Sunday across 15 states, the bulk of them in the Northwest, stretching resources thin across the region.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/wildfires-near-spokane-destroy-more-than-700-buildings-force-64000-flee-2026-08-03/

A cyclosporiasis outbreak that has grown into the largest on record in the United States has caused its ‌first known deaths, two people in Michigan, the state’s health department said on Monday.
Cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness caused by the Cyclospora parasite, is generally not life-threatening. Michigan, citing medical records, said the two who died had significant underlying health conditions that may have been affected by the disease and related dehydration.

An FDA investigation linked the outbreak, now in nine states, to iceberg lettuce sourced from privately held Taylor Farms ​operations in central Mexico and served at Yum Brands-owned Taco Bell (YUM.N). The lettuce has been recalled, but authorities are still seeking other potential sources.
Epidemiologists suspect multiple ​outbreaks, and it was not immediately clear whether the people who died were sickened from Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce served at Taco ⁠Bell restaurants, or from another yet to be identified source.
U.S. cyclosporiasis cases have climbed to record levels this year with the current outbreak among the largest caused by ​foodborne illness in recent U.S. history.

It has also hurt consumer confidence, lowering lettuce sales and visits to restaurant chains such as Sweetgreen (SG.N), and Chipotle (CMG.N).
The U.S. CDC, whose surveillance lags state ​reporting by several weeks, has recorded 6,707 laboratory-confirmed cases nationwide as of July 28, along with more than 11,500 suspected cases not yet confirmed through laboratory testing. State counts run higher because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention excludes probable cases.

MICHIGAN HARDEST HIT

Michigan, the hardest-hit state, has recorded 11,234 cases as of Monday, up 461 from Friday, with 193 hospitalized, health department data shows.
The ​large number of cases, gaps in reporting and people’s difficulty recalling what they ate have made it harder for investigators to determine which foods, beyond Taylor Farms lettuce, ​may have contributed to the outbreak, local Michigan health officials said.

“We have one clear implicated food, but it doesn’t explain everything,” said Susan Ringler Cerniglia, spokesperson for the Washtenaw County Health Department, ‌where 875 ⁠cases have been reported.
Mixed messaging from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services had also complicated the response, she said. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said the outbreak is under control.

“Leadership is saying things that don’t really fit with what the data is telling us, and that’s very, very problematic,” Ringler Cerniglia said. “The secretary is saying this is under control and it’s all good while you have case counts exploding.”
HHS said on Monday it was aware of the deaths.

Michigan’s Wayne County, which includes Detroit, ​has the highest number of cases at ​1,379, state data showed.
Cases have been ⁠rising steadily across the United States in recent weeks, according to the CDC. Symptoms include severe diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration, nausea and other gastrointestinal issues.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/michigan-reports-two-deaths-ongoing-cyclosporiasis-outbreak-2026-08-03/

Hundreds of migrants set up camp on a beach in Spain’s North African ​enclave of Ceuta on Monday as local authorities struggled to cope with the thousands still in the tiny territory after a massive border rush ‌last week.
Spain estimates that about 69,500 migrants have returned to Morocco over the past four days, exceeding initial estimates of around 50,000 arrivals in Ceuta on Thursday. The official death toll on the Spanish side of the border stands at 72, with 11 deaths on the Moroccan side.

Many said they left as shop closures had left them without food, they encountered hostility from locals ​and they were unable to travel on to the Spanish mainland.
Ceuta and Spain’s other North African enclave, Melilla, sit on Morocco’s Mediterranean coast and ​periodically face attempted crossings by migrants seeking to reach Europe.
Reuters video showed scores of migrants, most of them from sub-Saharan Africa, ⁠lying on the sand of El Trampolin beach. Many were wrapped in towels to shield from the wind, while army and police vehicles patrolled the road behind ​them.
Ceuta’s leader Juan Jesus Vivas told broadcaster Telecinco between 3,000 and 5,000 migrants remained in the enclave, adding that its two migrant reception centres — one for adults ​and another for minors — had “collapsed”.

Local official Alberto Gaitan said the city was processing 862 migrant minors, who enjoy special legal protections from deportation.

DIPLOMATIC FALLOUT

The crisis has fuelled anti-immigration rhetoric throughout Europe and sparked diplomatic tensions within the European Union over border policy, with Spain accusing some partners of an unhelpful and polarising response.
Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on Monday that Spain had ​previously supported other EU countries during migration crises and now expected reciprocal backing.
The bloc has called an emergency video conference meeting of interior ministers to discuss the crisis ​on Tuesday.
Albares sharply criticised Italy’s government, accusing it of helping amplify misinformation.

He said Morocco had immediately offered police support and had not attached conditions to its cooperation, allowing for the ‌rapid return ⁠of most of those who crossed.

But Ceuta’s Vivas was critical of Rabat, saying there was a widespread perception within Ceuta that it had allowed — if not orchestrated — the crisis.
“Morocco has shown us that it isn’t reliable. There’s no alternative but to put in place whatever means are necessary to ensure it cannot do this again,” Vivas told newspaper El Pais.
Morocco’s Interior Ministry on Sunday blamed the surge on misinformation on social media, human trafficking networks and misinterpretation of a Spanish court ruling banning immediate ​returns of migrants intercepted at sea. That ​was in line with Madrid’s official ⁠view.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/spains-ceuta-overwhelmed-as-thousands-remain-after-migrant-border-rush-2026-08-03/

TikTok has agreed to settle three lawsuits brought by young people who accuse social media companies of designing their platforms to be addictive and harming their ​mental health, a plaintiffs’ lawyer said Monday.
The terms of the settlements are confidential and ‌subject to the finalization of written settlement agreements with TikTok, according to Joseph VanZandt, a lawyer for the plaintiffs.

TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The cases are among thousands of similar lawsuits consolidated in ​California state court. The plaintiffs’ claims against Meta Platforms, Google’s (GOOGL.O), YouTube and Snap Inc’s (SNAP.N), Snapchat ​will continue. A trial is scheduled in October.
The three cases, brought by plaintiffs ⁠identified only by their initials because they are minors, were selected as bellwether, or test, ​trials from among about 3,300 lawsuits before Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carolyn Kuhl, who is overseeing ​consolidated claims that social media platforms are addictive and harm young users.
The companies have denied the allegations and say they take extensive steps to keep teens and young users safe on their platforms.

Attorneys often use bellwether verdicts ​to gauge how juries may view similar claims, helping them assess the potential value of remaining ​cases and guide settlement negotiations.
The plaintiffs who are settling with TikTok are S.J., a 15-year-old girl from Illinois who ‌has ⁠alleged the social media platforms caused her to suffer from self-harm, anxiety, depression, addiction and an eating disorder; P.M.Y., a 15-year-old from New Jersey who has alleged addiction, depression and self-harm; and K.D.B., an 18-year-old from Mississippi who alleged that over-use of the platforms caused anxiety, depression, addiction, self-harm and ​an eating disorder, according to ​VanZandt.
The settlements ⁠come after another bellwether case ended before trial in July, when a teenage plaintiff dropped his claims against Meta after the other defendants settled.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/tiktok-settling-three-teen-social-media-lawsuits-ahead-trial-2026-08-03/

Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams said he remained optimistic that inflation pressures are on track to ease gradually, ​but if they don’t the U.S. central bank will not hesitate to respond with rate hikes to ensure price pressures return to target.
If energy prices and trade ‌tariffs have peaked and the economy remains on a solid footing, “I think that some of the big drivers that pushed up inflation” over the last year and half or so “will not be at play as much, and then some of the disinflationary forces that we’ve been seeing” should reassert themselves, Williams said in an interview with Reuters on Friday.

Williams said “I am quite honestly focused quite a bit on, what are we seeing in the core inflation ​data over the next several months, and is that consistent with a kind of a run rate of inflation moving towards 2% and really on a disinflationary path consistent ​with us achieving our 2% inflation goal on a sustained basis by 2028.” He added, “my forecast personally is for inflation to come down in ⁠the second half of this year and come down further next year.”
Williams reiterated the current stance of interest rate policy is “well positioned” to bring inflation back to target.
But Williams noted that “if ​the economy is not on a trajectory that will bring inflation back down to 2% … it would absolutely be appropriate to act to get us on a trajectory that does bring inflation back ​to 2%.”

Inflation stands well above 2% and has not been at or below target in more than five years.
Last week, the policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee meeting left the federal funds target rate range unchanged at between 3.50% and 3.75%. Williams said he “strongly … supported the decision of the committee” to hold rates steady.

MARKET FRICTION

Heading into last week’s meeting, financial markets speculated whether the Fed might raise rates given how high inflation is versus the target ​and how long it has been above the target.
The inflation measure the Fed uses for its 2% target rose 3.7% in June on a year-over-year basis. It still faces upward pressure from supply ​shocks triggered by things like the Iran war and President Donald Trump’s tariffs, as well as demand pressures from things like hefty business investments in artificial intelligence.

Three Fed officials dissented at the meeting, and all said ‌in statements released ⁠on Friday that the Fed needs to boost the cost of short-term borrowing to get inflation down.
“Inflation has remained stubbornly above 2% for more than five years, and I am not confident it will return to our objective on its own,” Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack said.
Long-term bond yields have been rising, with investors worried inflation pressures will stay high. Futures traders have priced in a decent chance the Fed will raise rates by year end.
Williams acknowledged there is ample uncertainty around the outlook right now and that the renewal of conflict in the Middle East makes it unclear ​when energy prices might fade. But he said ​once there is a resolution and shipping ⁠traffic resumes, improvement could be swift.

“I don’t anticipate, at least based on what’s happening so far in my base case, that we’re going to see … continued inflationary push in the second half of the year or the next year from the from the conflict in the Middle East, but ​that’s something that obviously could change depending on circumstances,” Williams said.
Asked if the Fed would feel bound to set monetary policy based on ​market levels, he responded “absolutely ⁠not,” although the central bank closely watches financial markets.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/feds-williams-expects-inflation-ease-says-fed-will-act-if-it-doesnt-2026-08-03/

Iran is betting it can outlast Washington by turning the Middle East’s trade routes, shipping lanes and energy infrastructure into pressure points that steadily raise the cost of confrontation, according to Gulf officials and analysts.
Rather than seeking a ​decisive military victory, Tehran is pursuing a strategy of calibrated escalation aimed at widening the conflict without triggering full-scale war.

The goal, they say, is to convince the United States and its allies that ‌containing the crisis is more costly than accommodating Iran’s demands over the Strait of Hormuz.
The message from Tehran is that unless Washington accepts a new status quo that gives Iran a greater role in Hormuz, the conflict could spread beyond the Gulf.
By putting multiple maritime chokepoints and energy assets at risk, Iran believes it can strengthen its hand in any future negotiations.
“Iran, from the beginning, has tried to out-escalate the United States by stretching out its escalation options so that it always has something new to bring every week — a new ​geography, a new type of weapon, a new type of target,” Michael Knights of the Washington Institute told Reuters.

“The bigger advantage they have is not that they can hurt America or Israel,” Knights added. “Their ​big advantage is that they can hurt the regional states and the global economy.”

EXPANDING THREATS BEYOND HORMUZ

Having demonstrated its ability to disrupt traffic through Hormuz, through which about a ⁠fifth of global oil consumption flowed before the war, Tehran has signalled that no maritime chokepoint is off limits.
Threats to the Red Sea and Saudi energy infrastructure suggest a broader effort to raise the cost of protecting global commerce ​while testing Washington’s tolerance for disruption.
Iran’s approach reflects what one Gulf source described as a belief among Revolutionary Guards commanders that “they can get more”.
They see an opportunity in what they regard as President Donald Trump’s reluctance to become deeply entangled ​in another Middle East conflict ahead of November’s midterm elections.

“The Iranians…believe that by widening the war and increasing the pressure, he will eventually give in,” the Gulf source said. “Trump thinks he can hit the Iranians hard and bring them to the negotiating table, but they won’t bend.”

ESCALATE TO FORCE CONCESSIONS

That calculation underpins Tehran’s negotiating strategy.
Trump said talks with Iran would take place on Monday after earlier saying he had called off an imminent attack in hopes of securing a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran, however, said it ​was not currently holding talks with the United States.
A senior Iranian source said Tehran’s leadership has concluded that earlier attempts at flexibility only yielded greater pressure from Washington, reinforcing the view that leverage must be established before meaningful negotiations ​can begin.
In Tehran’s assessment, the source said, Trump interprets concessions as weakness and responds only to pressure.

Michael Singh, senior fellow at the Washington Institute, said Tehran believes it still holds the initiative, partly because the Trump administration appears uncertain how far it ‌is willing to ⁠go militarily.
“The Iranians are trying to press their advantage,” he added. “They’re interested in establishing sovereignty over the strait and exercising selective control over the waterway.”
Alan Eyre, a former U.S. diplomat and Iran expert, said Tehran is pursuing a strategy of deterrence aimed at forcing Washington to lift its blockade and halt military strikes. “They don’t want the U.S. to dictate the pace of events,” he said.
At the centre of the dispute is the future governance of Hormuz. Oman has presented Iran with a Gulf-backed proposal for managing the waterway, including voluntary user fees, according to regional sources.
Tehran, however, is seeking administrative authority over the strait and the ability to levy service charges on vessels. Washington has rejected any fees, insisting Hormuz ​remain an international waterway free from Iranian control.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/how-iran-is-widening-its-pressure-campaign-force-us-concessions-2026-08-03/

PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has accused the ruling PML-N of rigging the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir elections and warned the Shehbaz Sharif government of a political showdown.

Pakistan’s ruling coalition appears headed for fresh turbulence after Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government over the recently concluded Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) elections, accusing the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of widespread rigging, violence and intimidation.

In a strongly worded address to party workers, Bilawal declared, “Your countdown has begun,” signalling what many within Pakistan’s political circles view as the most serious confrontation yet between the coalition partners.

Bilawal’s aggressive posture has significantly strained relations between the PPP and the PML-N, raising fresh questions over the stability of the Shehbaz Sharif government.

Sections of Pakistan’s military establishment are closely monitoring the evolving political situation. They further claimed that powerful quarters within the establishment are weighing political alternatives should the coalition come under greater strain. According to the sources, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi is emerging as a possible consensus figure in the event of a major political realignment.

Bilawal rejected the PoK election results, describing the polls as “rigged, bloody and murderous”, and accused the PML-N government of attempting to suppress the PPP through violence and intimidation.

The PPP chief alleged that party workers were killed during the election campaign and claimed that a PPP Member of the National Assembly was shot. He also accused the ruling party of using force to influence the electoral outcome.

Despite alleging widespread irregularities, Bilawal said the PPP had secured nine seats in the elections and vowed to reclaim what he described as the party’s “stolen seats” in Mirpur and Muzaffarabad.

“PPP never leaves the battlefield,” Bilawal said, asserting that the party would continue its struggle for the rights of the people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

He announced a major public rally in Bagh on August 10 and called upon party workers and supporters to intensify their campaign in the region. Bilawal also urged voters in Muzaffarabad to “defeat the conspiracy” of the ruling PML-N in the remaining electoral contests.

Source : https://www.news18.com/world/your-countdown-has-begun-bilawal-escalates-attack-on-pakistan-pm-shehbaz-after-pok-polls-10250227.html

US President Donald Trump accused Iran’s leadership of being “duplicitous” over talks, claiming Tehran sought meetings while denying negotiations. He said the US Navy controls the Strait of Hormuz and warned that nothing would enter Iran without Washington’s approval unless a deal or “total surrender” was reached. Trump reiterated that Iran “will never have a nuclear weapon.”

US President Donald Trump on August 3 (IST) accused Iran’s leadership of being “unbelievably duplicitous” over talks, claiming Tehran had sought a meeting with the United States while publicly denying that discussions were taking place.

In a post on his Truth Social handle, Trump said Iranian officials had asked for a meeting and that talks had begun, with further discussions scheduled in the near future. However, he alleged that Iran was simultaneously claiming that it was not engaged in negotiations and was only dealing with Oman.

Iranian Leadership is unbelievably duplicitous! They ask for a meeting, some would say “beg,” talks begin, with more scheduled in the immediate future, and they say, openly and proudly, that they’re not having any discussions, that nothing is being talked about, and they’re only… pic.twitter.com/iKJP56f5ya

— Commentary Donald J. Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) August 3, 2026

Trump also addressed the strategic Strait of Hormuz, rejecting Iranian assertions about control over the crucial waterway. He claimed that the strait was already “completely controlled” by the US Navy and referred to the American blockade as the “United States Wall of Steel.”

The US President further warned that nothing would enter Iran unless Washington allowed it, asserting that the situation would continue until a deal was reached or Iran agreed to what he termed “total surrender.”

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/world/trump-says-iran-will-never-have-a-nuclear-weapon-accuses-leadership-of-duplicitous-approach

Three years ago, Ariana Grande made a plea for people not to comment about her body.

Responding in a TikTok video to comments about her weight and figure, the pop star and actress told fans there were “many different ways to look healthy and beautiful”.

Three years on, and the social media speculation about her body and her health has continued. After “endless, ongoing public scrutiny”, the star’s spokesperson released a statement saying she “will be taking a step back from visibility” at the end of her current tour.

“She looks forward to finishing the tour and ending it on a high note, both healthily and happily,” the statement stressed, “and then taking a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances, which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny.”

It follows the release of her eighth studio album Petal and the graphic video for its title track on Friday.

The song refers to the pressures of fame, and the video shows Grande as a starlet who tries out for a group of talent scouts, dressing as a variety of different pop star personas. None are deemed good enough.

The men initially inform her that it “couldn’t hurt” to lose some weight, among other things, before they tell the final persona that they miss “the way you used to be”.

She then murders them all with a chainsaw.

“I wrote [this album] from a place that I don’t usually, which was like an unfiltered rage,” she has said.

Whatever the message, the appearance is the thing that has attracted the most attention, and with many on social media saying the scrutiny comes from genuine concern. The comments and screengrabs flooded social media over the weekend.

‘Specimen in a petri dish’

The top comment under the Petal video on YouTube said: “It’s not about wanting the old Ariana back. It’s about wanting her to be healthy.”

One fan wrote on X that she “has become so thin that people are genuinely concerned”.

Her loyal fans sent their support, making #Weloveyouariana trend on social media. Some criticised those who were focusing on her body. “No-one has the right to comment on anyone else’s body or appearance,” a user wrote.

Music journalist Sophie Williams told BBC Radio 5 Live that the “constant commentary around her has really, really elevated over the weekend as she’s been promoting new music”.

“So we’re led to think in part that that [commentary] has brought us to this decision,” she said.

Grande is scheduled to continue the Eternal Sunshine Tour in Chicago this week before 10 dates at London’s O2 arena, where the tour will finish on 1 September.

Her “step back” means she will no longer star in Stephen Sondheim’s stage musical Sunday in the Park with George opposite her Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey at London’s Barbican in 2027.

Grande has lived for more than 15 years – half her life – in the spotlight.

“I’ve been doing this in front of the public and been a specimen in a petri dish since I was 16 or 17, so I have heard it all,” Grande told an interviewer during the press tour for the first Wicked film in 2024.

“I’ve heard every version of it, of what’s wrong with me. And then you fix it, and then it’s wrong for different reasons. But that’s everything from – even just the simplest thing – your appearance, you know?

“It’s hard to protect yourself from that noise.”

Grande began singing at the age of eight and made her name as a teenage actress in Nickelodeon sitcom Victorious and its spin-off, Sam & Cat.

Since releasing her debut single in 2011, she has scored 10 US number one hits and earned 20 Grammy Award nominations, winning three times.

She has also made a successful move into acting, earning an Oscar nomination in 2025 for Wicked.

But she has also experienced some difficult times.

In 2017, 22 people were killed in a suicide bomb attack outside her concert at Manchester Arena.

The following year, she said she was dealing with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and that she wanted to “not be afraid” but added: “The truth is, it’s scary. It’s scary going anywhere. You look at places differently.”

When her ex-boyfriend, rapper Mac Miller, died in 2018, she later spoke about her “all-consuming” grief.

Her relationships and break-ups have never been far from the headlines, including with comedian Pete Davidson, estate agent Dalton Gomez, her married Wicked co-star Ethan Slater, and former backing dancer Ricky Alvarez.

In another new song, Oh Well, she says an unnamed ex or exes can “all go to hell”.

Elsewhere, she has also spoken about having depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and has called for mandatory therapy for child stars.

This summer, she launched the Brighter Days Ahead Foundation, a mental health initiative to support groups including the crew and performers on her current tour.

“A lot of people perhaps forget that she’s been famous for nearly 15 years, and she has a unique story in that she sadly lived out a lot of trauma in the public eye,” Williams says.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3ek7g857q4o

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for “united action” on border security after the chaotic influx of tens of thousands of migrants from Morocco into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta last week.

Spain ⁠estimates that about 69,500 migrants ​have now returned to Morocco, exceeding initial estimates of 50,000. The official death toll on the Spanish side of the border stands at 72, with 11 deaths on the Moroccan side.

On Tuesday, EU interior ministers will have emergency talks by video conference to discuss the issue.

The scenes in Ceuta have strained relations among some of the EU’s 27 member states.

In a letter to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, von der Leyen praised his “swift handling” of the crisis.

But she added: “From this incident, it is clear that we must do more to further strengthen our borders at critical points.”

In response to the Ceuta crossings, Italy temporarily suspended the Schengen arrangement with Spain.

The Schengen agreement eliminates border checks and now encompasses more than 450 million people and 29 countries in Europe.

Finland and Denmark backed Italy’s move, while Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš urged a temporary suspension of Spain’s Schengen membership.

In response, Sánchez said he had “serious concerns” about some European governments and pointed out that Ceuta was not part of the Schengen area.

While most had shown “support and solidarity”, he said other European governments had chosen to attack Spain, “driven by prejudice, fake news, ignorance, or political interest”.

In her letter to the Spanish PM, von der Leyen warned that “the protection of all our external borders is a shared European responsibility”, while calling for “vigilant monitoring and the use of physical barriers where needed”.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyvl84zmgyro

The In-N-Out gunman who killed two people and wounded seven others during a rifle-wielding mass shooting in Idaho was a college dropout who previously railed against crime in chilling X posts, The Post can exclusively reveal.

Years before Chad Williams, 24, showed up at the new Twin Falls fast food joint, he expressed horror at the randomness of an armed carjacking in his hometown of Waddell, Arizona.

“Last month a man pointed an AK-47 at the door of a house only streets away from my childhood home,” he wrote in the Nov. 14, 2024 post.

“He would have killed you or me for walking out of our front door at the wrong time over a truck he would sell for just $8,000.”

Williams, whose X bio said that he was a “former foster care youth” and that he participated in Boys State — a leadership program for top students — in 2019, stopped posting in July 2025.

He mostly commented on news of the day, and often wrote about crime and immigration — supporting tougher enforcement.

Williams expressed concern about random violence in New York City, and blamed Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

“Bragg downgraded 60% of felony cases last year, including violent crimes…New Yorkers don’t feel safe in their own city,” reads a message he re-shared on X in November 2024.

“Meanwhile, in Trump’s case, he elevated 34 charges to felonies…It’s time for DAs that prioritize public safety over politics,” it said.

Williams also posted about protecting the First and Second Amendments.

“Thank you to [Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna] for cosponsoring HR 9534, the National Constitutional Carry Act. No one should have to beg the government to exercise a constitutionally protected right anywhere in the country,” read another post he re-shared.

“Free Speech is the bedrock of Democracy and must be protected at all costs,” another said.

Chillingly, Williams wrote about using guns to commit crimes during an argument over gun laws with other X users.

“Many crimes have been solved because of a traceable firearm. Obviously many haven’t. This is a reason [for the government to register firearms] other than ‘it’s only for disarming populations’ as you stated. Is it a good reason to surveil the general population? Not particularly, and another infringement,” he wrote in the tense July 2025 thread.

Despite having a clear interest for politics and national events, Williams – who turned his gun on himself following the harrowing shooting this weekend – only attended the College of Southern Idaho for a year, from August of 2022 through December of 2023, the school confirmed to Idaho News 6 on Monday.

Records show he was in student government – until the rest of the council unanimously voted to impeach him in February 2023 meeting after he skipped multiple meetings.

Elijah Moseley, who served on the student government, told the outlet that Williams’ removal was made for “procedural” reasons, but didn’t elaborate.

It wasn’t immediately clear what the gunman studied during his short stint at the CSI, but he did not graduate with any credentials, CSI President Dean Fisher reportedly said – and noted that the school was cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation into the In-N-Out shooting.

Williams, who appeared to be armed with an AR-style rifle, began opening fire inside the In-N-Out at around 2 p.m. Saturday, before the shooting spilled into the parking lot, Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said during a Sunday news conference.

Video taken from the chaotic scene showed him firing the rifle at the driver’s-side window of a blue Tesla while two Good Samaritans – Jordan Salinas, 35, and off-duty police officer Austin “AJ” Scott – began to fire back at him, driving Williams away and “preventing further casualties,” Hicks said.

A 23-year-old In-N-Out worker, Ashley Garibay, and customer Cristopher Claunch, 59 – who had been thrilled to visit the restaurant for the first time after its July 24 opening – were killed.

Two of the seven wounded people have been released from the hospital, while three are in stable condition and two remain in critical condition, Idaho News 6 reported.

Source : https://nypost.com/2026/08/03/us-news/in-n-out-gunman-chad-williams-railed-against-crime-in-chilling-posts-before-idaho-mass-shooting/

President Trump bristled Monday at Big Oil’s huge windfall amid the war in Iran, arguing that the country’s largest oil companies should give some of their record profits to the American public.

“I don’t like it,” Trump said in the Oval Office, when asked about the eye-popping earnings reported by ExxonMobil and Chevron last week.

ExxonMobil reported making $14.5 billion in the second-quarter of 2026 – double what it made over the same period of time last year – and the $12 billion Chevron raked in was the most the company has made in a single quarter in six years.

Their soaring earnings came as the Iran war pushed oil prices at times to above $100 a barrel – and gasoline skyrocketed up to an average of $4.56 per gallon this spring.

“They’re making too much money, okay, based on a shortage,” Trump fumed.

“I don’t like it, and I should be the last one to say it because I’m a big free enterprise guy,” he continued. “Nobody bigger.”

The president continued, “Chevron, too much money. ExxonMobil, too much money.”

“When you look at one company where they made 12 times what they made the year before, they ought to give some of that back to the public, and they better cut the retail price, the consumer price,” he argued.

“I’ll say it loud and clear. I’m not happy about it,” Trump declared.

The president predicted that gasoline prices “drop through the floor” when the US is “finished with Iran.” The current price at the pump for a gallon of regular ($4.09) is nearly $1 higher than it was at the same time last year.

Earlier Monday, Trump criticized Chevron CEO Mike Wirth on social media after the oil executive touted his company’s efforts to ramp-up oil and gas production amid a “somewhat fragile and uncertain” energy market in an interview with Fox Business’s “Sunday Morning Futures” host Maria Bartiromo.

Source : https://nypost.com/2026/08/03/us-news/trump-lashes-out-at-big-oil-for-making-too-much-money-during-iran-war-they-ought-to-give-some-of-that-back/

Ukrainian drone strikes killed at least five people across Russia, also hitting industrial sites and a further warehouse belonging to Russia’s e-commerce giant Wildberries, local officials said.

Wildberries, Russia’s largest online marketplace, is sometimes described as the country’s answer to Amazon. In under two weeks, Ukraine has struck over a dozen of the retailer’s depots, part of Kyiv’s aerial campaign aimed at undermining Moscow’s war effort, hurting its economy and making people feel the consequences of the Kremlin’s all-out invasion of Ukraine.

Russian air defenses overnight shot down 635 Ukrainian drones, including over occupied Crimea and the Black and Azov Seas, according to the Defense Ministry in Moscow. The ministry did not say how many were launched or struck targets.

Meanwhile, Russia attacked Ukraine with 133 drones during the night, 24 of which hit targets, according to the Ukrainian air force. Later on Sunday, separate Russian attacks on the Ukrainian cities of Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv killed at least two people, according to local officials.

Ukraine’s campaign against Wildberries

Ukrainian drones targeted a Wildberries warehouse in the Samara region, some 800 kilometers (500 miles) from the Russian-Ukrainian border, according to local Gov. Vyacheslav Fedorishchev. He said a fire had broken out but there were no casualties.

Kyiv’s campaign against Wildberries first hit the company’s sites in Elektrostal, just east of Moscow, and in the Tambov region July 18. Strikes followed on facilities across western and southern Russia, as well as Russian-held Crimea. At least nine people have been killed and scores wounded.

Two people were killed as a Ukrainian drone struck a residential building in the Saratov region east of Samara, local. Gov. Roman Busargin said.

He added that the strikes damaged civil infrastructure in Engels, where the deaths took place, and the regional capital, Saratov.

Both cities have been frequent targets for Ukrainian attacks in recent years. Engels hosts a military airbase, while Saratov is home to a large oil refinery.

In Russia’s Bashkortostan region further north, local Gov. Radiy Khabirov said that air defence had repelled a large-scale drone strike on “industrial facilities” in the city of Ufa. He did not specify what exactly was struck, but said that a blaze was being put out.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-wildberries-warehouses-drones-d2c705445dad07fced4fb8c1e3d314c5