Category: World

Two people were injured in a shooting near RiverCentre in Saint Paul, with victims suffering gunshot wounds to the face and leg. Police are investigating the incident, but no suspects or exact details about where it began have been confirmed yet.

Gunfire broke out near Saint Paul RiverCentre in downtown Saint Paul on Monday evening, leaving two people injured and prompting a large police response. According to initial reports, the shooting occurred around 5:40 PM near W. Kellogg Boulevard and 7th Street West. Officers recovered multiple spent shell casings and found blood at the intersection, with investigators linking the scene to an earlier incident believed to have occurred near Rice Park.

Authorities said two victims were transported to the hospital by private vehicles. One person suffered a gunshot wound to the face, while another was injured in the leg, based on early radio dispatch information.

Officials are still working to determine exactly where the shooting began, though early indications suggest it may have started closer to the RiverCentre parking ramp area. A Minnesota State Patrol helicopter was deployed to search for suspects but has since cleared the area.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/world/us/us-news/st-paul-shooting-gunfire-erupts-near-saint-paul-rivercentre-two-people-injured-minnesota-article-154247123

Britney Spears pleaded guilty through her lawyer Monday to a lesser charge that will allow her to avoid jail time after California prosecutors accused her of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

The 44-year-old pop star, who recently completed a stint at a rehabilitation facility, didn’t appear in Ventura County court. But her lawyer, Michael A. Goldstein, pleaded guilty on her behalf to what’s commonly called a “wet reckless.” That allowed her to be sentenced to one day in jail that the judge said she served when she was booked, one year of probation, a required DUI class and state-mandated fines.

The plea offer was standard for defendants with no DUI history, no crash or injury on the road, and a low blood-alcohol level, the county district attorney’s office said. And it’s especially common for defendants who have shown motivation to address their problems and seek treatment, as Spears did when she voluntarily checked in to a substance abuse treatment center last month.

“I don’t think anybody’s happy about pleading guilty to anything, but under the circumstances, to get this behind her, I think everybody is pleased with the result,” Goldstein said after the hearing. “We appreciate the district attorney recognizing the positive steps that Britney is taking to help herself.”

Goldstein said Spears returned home after recently completing her rehab stint, and that reports that she left early were “absolutely false.” Asked what’s next for her, he replied, “I don’t know, I’m sure a lot.”

During the brief hearing, Spears received summary probation, which is informal and doesn’t involve mandatory meetings with a probation officer. She temporarily yielded her Fourth Amendment search and seizure rights if she is pulled over, meaning she must automatically yield to searches and sobriety tests. At Goldstein’s request, the judge ruled this would not apply to her home.

District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said after the hearing that Spears had taken “full responsibility,” but he emphasized that DUI is a “serious crime” and said it was essential that she follow the requirements agreed to in court, which include continued substance abuse treatment, weekly visits with a therapist and monthly visits with a psychiatrist.

“We do not want Miss Spears to reoffend,” Nasarenko said.

She was charged Thursday with one misdemeanor DUI count, which meant she was not required to appear in court for her arraignment. But her representatives hadn’t said whether she would appear, and the hearing drew an unusually heavy media turnout for Ventura, a seaside city of about 110,000 people roughly 70 miles (113 kilometers) northwest of downtown LA.

After her March 4 arrest, a representative called her actions inexcusable and said that ideally, the arrest would lead to overdue change in her life.

She was pulled over for driving her black BMW quickly and erratically on U.S. 101, the California Highway Patrol said. She appeared to be impaired, took a series of field sobriety tests, was arrested and was taken to jail, the CHP said.

Authorities said in the criminal complaint that Spears had alcohol and drugs in her system, but they didn’t specify which drugs or list her blood alcohol content.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/britney-spears-dui-court-1a007047d5fecf20002ba17ae0f2278e

Donald Trump once again loomed large over the European Union’s latest attempts to demonstrate unity, despite leaders not specifically mentioning the US president by name.

Increasing US indifference to European security is “the elephant in the room”, French President Macron told the European Political Community (EPC) summit on Monday.

Europe has an “over-reliance on the US security umbrella”, Macron also said at the gathering of European leaders in Armenia.

Meanwhile UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer admitted that Europe’s alliances “are not where we want them to be” – comments apparently aimed at the US. He again urged the bloc to move at pace in bolstering its defences.

EPC gatherings are supposed to be less formal than their more rigid multilateral counterparts.

The aim of this latest one, at a sports complex in Yerevan, was to discuss energy security, the protection of democracy and continued support for Ukraine.

It was also an acknowledgement of the westward-looking political ambitions of the host country, which is hosting its first-ever direct meeting with the EU on Tuesday.

Nearby Russia has already expressed its discontentment.

Trump’s own irritation at European defence spending levels isn’t new.

But fuelling a sense of urgency at the event was the US president’s announced removal of 5,000 troops and long-range missiles from bases in Germany.

The missiles were placed there by his predecessor Joe Biden to deter future Russian aggression.

Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz wasn’t present in Yerevan, but his suggestion that Trump’s war on Iran lacked strategy is making Europe’s already steep political challenges with the White House seem vertical.

Berlin has tried to cool the row with the US president, who has since said Merz was “doing a terrible job”.

Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte – no stranger to a charm offensive directed towards the US leader – said they “had heard” his frustrations.

But the hurdles for the EPC don’t stop at Trump. They are also navigating the endless economic ripples from the US-Israeli war on Iran and subsequent blocking of the Strait of Hormuz.

There is also Russia’s continued invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Kyiv’s allies to maintain pressure on the Kremlin.

“This summer will be a moment when Vladimir Putin decides what to do next,” he argued. “We must push him towards diplomacy. They can’t afford military equipment, it shows they are not strong now.”

Also telling was how Starmer is making less of a secret of his desire to deepen the UK’s co-operation, even alignment, with the EU.

The UK is currently negotiating joining a EU-led £78bn (€90bn) loan scheme to support Ukraine.

It has long been one of Ukraine’s most loyal supporters in its defence against invading Russian forces, but it’s now increasingly doing so through a European framework.

“It’s of great benefit to Ukraine, but also the jobs it’ll create in the United Kingdom,” claimed the prime minister, who wouldn’t be drawn on the reported EU demands that Britain pay it £1bn ($1.3bn) a year in exchange for a relationship reset.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0pyle4jeeo

A blast at a fireworks factory in China’s Hunan province has killed 21 people and left 61 wounded, according to state media.

The explosion at the Huasheng Fireworks plant happened at around 16:40 local time (08:40 GMT) on Monday, in the city of Liuyang, leading rescuers to evacuate everyone within a 3km (1.9mi) radius of the plant.

Authorities deployed nearly 500 personnel to conduct search and rescue operations and treat the injured, while robots were used to help find those trapped within the building.

Police, who are investigating the cause of the blast, have taken “control measures” against the person in charge of the fireworks company, Chinese state media reported.

Authorities said that two gunpowder warehouses within the factory area posed a high risk amid rescue efforts, state media reported.

Rescue teams had to evacuate everyone within a 3km (1.9mi) radius of the fireworks plant. They also implemented measures like humidifying the area to “prevent secondary accidents during the rescue”.

The impact of the blast was so destructive that windows of a residential building near the factory were also shattered, a CCTV reporter noted in a televised broadcast from the scene.

The ages of the injured range from their 20s to 60s, and some suffered bone injuries after being hit by flying debris, said the CCTV report.

President Xi Jinping has urged all-out efforts to search for people who are still unaccounted for and save the injured. Xi also called for an investigation into the accident to hold those responsible to account, state media reported.

Speaking to Beijing News, a resident who lives about 1km away from the factory said villagers now have to take detours after stones were blasted onto the road.

“The glass windows in our homes were shattered, aluminum window frames were deformed, and even the stainless-steel doors were twisted out of shape,” she said.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c70vqwengxno

A rare inter-Korean sports clash will take place in South Korea this month. For the first time in 8 years, a North Korean sports team will play in the South.

A North Korean women’s soccer club will visit South Korea for a face-off between the rival neighbors, making it the first sports team since 2018 to play on the South’s soil, the Unification Ministry in Seoul said on Monday.

North Korea’s Naegohyang Women’s FC is set to play against the South Korean Suwon FC ​Women ‌on May 20 in the semi-finals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Champions ⁠League.

What do we know about the rare game?

Pyongyang has sent ​a list of a delegation of 27 players ⁠and ​12 staff ​who would visit ​South Korea ‌for the semi-final ​of ⁠Asia’s top-tier women’s football club competition, ​the ministry said.

It did not give further details on the exact date of the team’s arrival, but the French AFP news agency reported they would arrive on May 17.

The winning club would play the league’s final against either Australia’s Melbourne City or Japan’s Tokyo Verdy Beleza on May 23.

“The losing team in the semi-final will return home on Thursday, May 21, with no third-place playoff scheduled,” the South Korean Unification Ministry said in a press statement.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/north-korea-womens-soccer-club-to-make-rare-south-korea-visit/a-77026239

 

Nigeria is set to reintegrate more than 700 former Boko Haram fighters into society under a government deradicalization program. Authorities say this is key to ending the insurgency — but communities are skeptical.

Communities in Nigeria’s northeast, particularly in Borno state, are grappling with a difficult question: Can those who once took up arms against them truly return — and be accepted?

Nigerian officials hope to reintegrate more than 700 former Boko Haram fighters into civilian life under its deradicalization program, Operation Safe Corridor. Authorities say the initiative is key to ending a decade-long conflict. But in communities that have borne the brunt of extremist violence, the policy is reopening wounds that have yet to heal.

The program has been running for years, but each new wave of reintegration continues to spark debate.

What is Nigeria’s Operation Safe Corridor?

Operation Safe Corridor, launched in 2016, is Nigeria’s deradicalization program for former Boko Haram fighters who surrender to the military.

Authorities say it is aimed at encouraging defections and reducing recruitment. Participants undergo screening, deradicalization, psychological counselling and vocational training before being cleared for reintegration.

Over 2,000 individuals have passed through the initiative, according to Nigerian authorities. Officials say only those assessed as “low risk” are released back into society.

Usman Tar, former commissioner for information and internal security in Borno state, which this year saw renewed a violence, told local media: “When they return, there is a screening by the Department of State Services and they’re screened by the community leaders.”

Authorities say the scheme is working.

“We did not receive any negative report from anybody from any one of them,” Abdullahi Sabi Ishaq, special assistant on security to the Borno state government, told local media.

“They were accepted by the community, and we hope this one will also be accepted.”

Concerns for violence-weary Nigerian communities

But on the ground, acceptance is far from guaranteed.

In Borno state, some residents like Muhammad Sharif told DW the idea of living alongside former fighters is very unsettling. He suggests former fighters should be relocated away from communities they once attacked and describes the arrangement as “improper.”

“If you forgive somebody and you want to integrate him, take him to another local government where the offended people will not see that person at their midst. They will not bring us peace,” he told DW.

Abraham Philip said communities are still dealing from trauma, even as the government pushes ahead with the program.

“Yes, peace is taking place also but destruction is also taking place,” he told DW, referencing recent attacks, including the Monday Market, the post office and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) bomb blast in Maiduguri.

Philip says communities have questions for the government, because “a lot of things have been happening. There are some people saying these are the results of the reintegration that has been taking place.”

Could reintegrated Boko Haram members relapse?

Others say the issue is not just about reintegration — but whether former fighters have truly changed. For Maiduguri resident Usman Abubakar, the distinction between theory and reality is key.

“In principle, it is a very good idea,” he said.

But he adds: “We have had instances where repentant Boko Haram threatened to go back to the bushes when the promises the state government made to them were not fulfilled. That is why I don’t want to call them repentant. I want to call them surrendered because you cannot see their mind.”

Some Nigerians outside the conflict-affected northeast also remain divided. In Abuja, civil servant Hauwa Ajeje told DW: “It’s going to be a vicious cycle. We’ll be recycling the same individuals.”

Raphael Ogbaji, a student at the University of Abuja, had a more optimistic take: “If they have chosen the path of peace and the path of repentance, why not give them the benefit of the doubt? Every human being can change.”

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/pushback-in-nigeria-over-ex-boko-haram-fighter-reintegration/a-77031419

Authorities have determined that buckshot from the gun of the man charged with trying to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in an attempt to kill President Donald Trump struck a Secret Service agent, according to the federal prosecutor overseeing the investigation.

Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, said last week there was no evidence the agent was hit by friendly fire during the incident at a Washington hotel on April 25, but she went beyond that Sunday in saying a shot from one of Cole Tomas Allen’s weapons hit the officer’s bullet-resistant vest.

“We now can establish that a pellet that came from the buckshot from the defendant’s Mossberg pump-action shotgun was intertwined with the fiber of the vest of the Secret Service officer,” she told CNN’s “State of the Union.” “It is definitively his bullet.”

Allen, who remains behind bars for now pending his trial, was injured during the attack but was not shot. The officer survived.

His attorneys on Sunday filed a document with the court saying they learned he was no longer on suicide watch and sought to withdraw a motion formally seeking to remove him from such supervision.

On Thursday, Pirro posted a video on social media showing the moment that authorities say a man with guns and knives attempted to storm the media gala. Questions have lingered about whose bullet struck the officer as the suspect ran through security with a long gun toward the ballroom packed with journalists, administration officials and others.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/allen-white-house-correspondents-dinner-agent-shot-99d9a340efe4436e8127c36c58fa0a39

Ukraine on Sunday launched a wave of strikes against Russian oil targets, hitting a key loading port on the Baltic Sea and two tankers that Ukraine alleges were illegally used to transport Russian crude.

A nighttime drone strike sparked a blaze at Russia’s largest oil exporting port on the Baltic Sea, the port of Primorsk, according to Russian regional Gov. Alexander Drozdenko.

The port, operated by Russia’s state oil firm Transneft, is capable of handling hundreds of thousands of barrels per day. Primorsk, which was targeted multiple times in March, lies over 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from Ukraine, between the Russian-Finnish border and Russia’s second-largest city of St. Petersburg.

Local Gov. Drozdenko said that the drone strike did not cause an oil spill, but gave no immediate further comment regarding casualties or damage.

But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian forces destroyed several military and other targets, while also inflicting significant damage on oil port infrastructure.

“One more Russian carrier of Kalibr missiles is out of action. Major General Yevhen Khmara reported on the successful destruction of targets in the Primorsk port,” Zelenskyy wrote in a Telegram post on Sunday.

According to Zelenskyy, Ukrainian drones also hit a Karakurt missile ship, a patrol boat, and a tanker belonging to Russia’s so-called shadow oil fleet, used to evade Western sanctions and price caps on Russian energy.

In a separate post earlier on Sunday, Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian forces had struck two more “shadow fleet” tankers near the entrance of the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.

“These tankers were actively used to transport oil. Now they won’t,” he said. He added the operation was led by the chief of Ukraine’s general staff, Andrii Hnatov.

Moscow did not immediately acknowledge Zelenskyy’s claims regarding either strike.

Kyiv has recently stepped up its attacks on Russia’s oil export infrastructure. Ukrainian officials argue that oil revenue directly funds Moscow’s full-scale invasion of the country, now in its fifth year.

Drone strikes kill civilians near Odesa and Moscow

Elsewhere, two people were killed and three others wounded as Russian drones struck Ukraine’s southern Odesa region overnight into Sunday, Ukraine’s Emergency Service reported. It said the attack damaged three residential buildings.

The drones also hit port infrastructure, causing a fire that was later extinguished by emergency teams, the emergency service reported.

Nighttime Russian strikes also wounded six people in the Dnipropetrovsk region in central Ukraine, the agency said. A passenger bus transporting 40 children was damaged, but no one inside was injured, it added.

In Russia, a Ukrainian drone strike west of Moscow killed a 77-year-old man, local Gov. Andrei Vorobyov reported on the Telegram messenger app. He said the fatal attack occurred near the town of Volokolamsk, some 120 kilometers (75 miles) from central Moscow.

Vorobyov added that six drones were shot down in the Moscow region, which surrounds but does not include the Russian capital. At least five more drones were downed on the approach to Moscow itself, according to mayor Sergei Sobyanin.

Separately, in Russia’s western Smolensk region, a man, woman and child were injured after Ukrainian drone debris flew into an apartment block, according to local Gov. Vasiliy Anokhin.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-drones-strike-attack-oil-port-b686081ec3f3a9da07d380413067cfd6

They are still there. There is no evading the simple fact. Everywhere the people walk. Wherever they drive. Whenever they switch on the television. The faces of assassinated leaders, and those of new rulers, dominate the public space.

Protests have come and gone. A war. Then a ceasefire. But the regime of the Islamic Republic has endured.

In fact, according to Iranians the BBC has spoken to inside the country, far from being weakened the regime is more deeply embedded. And it is in a vengeful mood.

Sana and Diako – not their real names – are a young couple living in Tehran. They are middle class, educated, the kind of people who want to see the end of hardline religious rule.

To tell their story it is necessary to exclude so many of the details that might give you an idea of their characters and lives. This is because such details can be used by the regime to track people who dare speak freely to the foreign media.

The journalist assisting the BBC in Iran met Sana and Diako near a park where families were walking with their children, making the most of this period of ceasefire.

Diako wants to believe that life will get better. “Things will change,” he says. “It’s already changed.”

Sana laughs as he says this.

“Changed?” she asks. “It’s fallen into the hands of the Revolutionary Guards. The country is a mess.” Sana has felt her own emotions change since the US and Israel attacked Iran.

“At the beginning, I did not want the war to happen… [But] through the middle of the war, as long as they were targeting key figures, I was genuinely overjoyed with every one of their deaths.”

But as the war dragged on, it dawned on Sana, as it did for the Trump White House, that the loss of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior figures did not usher in a new regime more amenable to compromise.

“So many of their people are still standing. What I had imagined did not come true. Everything got worse. And we are left with the Islamic Republic. I am gutted that they won this war.”

It is impossible to tell the scale of support for the regime across Iranian society. There are regular public displays of solidarity organised by its supporters. By contrast opposition rallies are banned.

Our trusted sources in Iran spoke with opposition activists, human rights lawyers and independent journalists and found a mood of foreboding. There is a recurring fear: once the war is finally over the state will escalate its campaign of internal repression.

According to the Washington-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), more than 53,000 were arrested during the anti-regime protests last January, and before the outbreak of the war. Since the war began, many thousands more are believed to have been detained.

There has also been a record number of executions of political detainees – 21 people hanged during the war. It is the highest number in such a short period for over 30 years. Nine of those hanged were connected to the January protests, 10 were for alleged membership of opposition groups, and two were accused of spying.

Susan – whose name we have changed – is a lawyer working with detainees and says conditions in prison have become much harsher. “Before the war, harsh treatment was reserved for those who were leading the protests, who had Molotov cocktails, or who were armed. But during the war, that harshness has intensified significantly,” she says.

Her personal story illustrates how the conflict is dividing some families. Her parents are openly pro-regime and she worries they might be targeted if the government was to be overthrown. When she expressed this fear to her brother, who is anti-regime, his reply was chilling: “Since they want to be martyred, why deny them that right?”

Susan wants the war to end but is certain that people like her will come under even greater pressure. And she is fearful for the fate of detainees. “I think that if the war ends, the regime will probably take out its rage from this war on the prisoners. I think we’re living on borrowed time.”

Human rights activists reported four executions so far this year of people accused of links to the Mossad, Israel’s foreign intelligence service.

Independent journalists are among those who fear being targeted by accusations that they are helping the United States or Israel. There have been numerous arrests of people accused of sending material to foreign media seen as hostile to the state.

One journalist – we are calling him Armin – who spoke to our Tehran colleague told of how just reporting the facts of the war was enough to be arrested, with potentially fatal ramifications.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyp6xxyvzyo

Nigeria joins other international voices warning against rising anti-migrant sentiment targeting Africans in South Africa.

Nigeria has summoned South Africa’s acting high commissioner to a meeting at the foreign ministry on Monday, citing growing anti-African migrant protests.

The move comes just over a week after Ghana’s foreign ministry held talks with South Africa’s acting high commissioner in Accra to protest several alleged “xenophobic incidents” involving Ghanaians.

Meanwhile, news outlet City Press reports that South African trucks and citizens could be prevented from entering neighboring Mozambique on Monday, as protests were expected at Ressano Garcia in retaliation for xenophobic marches, statements and attacks against immigrants in South Africa.

The developments come only days after South Africa’s police ministry vowed to crack down on anyone carrying out xenophobic attacks against Ghanaians and other foreign nationals, or found participating in or inciting xenophobic acts.

Xenophobia not new in South Africa

Xenophobia has long been an issue in South Africa, and in recent months more anti-migrant protests have been reported, some of which included violence against foreign shopkeepers.

The focus of the anti-migrant incidents has been Black Africans, with more than two thirds of South Africa’s estimated three million foreign residents coming from neighboring Southern African countries.

With an unemployment rate of more than 30%, campaigners for migrant rights say migrants have been scapegoated in South Africa for the country’s economic woes.

Ferial Haffajee, the associate editor of South Africa’s Daily Maverick, wrote that “political entrepreneurs” had been abusing the situation.

“Populist political entrepreneurs who leverage social media and the social harm of widespread unemployment and inequality to drive campaigns that build their followings. This can later be parsed into political leadership positions and a high life,” she wrote.

Some mainstream South African political parties, including Action SA and Inkatha Freedom Party, have also joined demonstrations, which they say were to protest undocumented migrants.

International concern over anti-migrant violence

Nigeria and Ghana are not the only countries to raise concern about the trend.

On April 27, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement released by his spokesman that he was “deeply concerned by reports of xenophobic attacks and acts of harassment and intimidation against migrants and foreign nationals.”

“Violence, vigilantism and all forms of incitement to hatred have no place in an inclusive, democratic society governed by the rule of law and respect for human rights,” he said.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/nigeria-summons-south-africa-envoy-over-xenophobic-incidents/a-77023858

NEW York City’s former mayor has been rushed to hospital in a critical condition.

Rudy Giuliani, 81, was honored by Donald Trump shortly after his health scare as the US president called his longtime ally “a true warrior, and the best mayor in the history of New York City”.

A statement from Rudy’s spokesperson, Ted Goodman, on Sunday night said: “Rudy Giuliani is currently in the hospital, where he remains in critical but stable condition.

“Giuliani is a fighter who has faced every challenge in his life with unwavering strength, and he’s fighting with that same level of strength as we speak.

“We do ask that you join us in prayer for America’s Mayor-Rudy Giuliani.”

Giuliani served as New York City’s mayor from 1994 to 2001.

President Donald Trump later posted on Truth Social: “Our fabulous Rudy Giuliani, a True Warrior, and the Best Mayor in the History of New York City, BY FAR, has been hospitalized, and is in critical condition.”

It comes less than a year after Rudy was seriously injured in a horror car crash.

The former mayor was involved in an accident in New Hampshire and was rushed to hospital with a fractured vertebrae and multiple injuries.

His head of security, Michael Ragusa, revealed Giuliani had stopped to help a woman before the crash.

“Mayor Giuliani was flagged down by a woman who was a victim of domestic violence prior to the accident,” he said.

“He rendered assistance and contacted 911, remaining on scene until responding officers arrived to ensure her safety.”

Ragusa explained the crash happened moments later.

“The accident occurred after he re-entered his vehicle, which was then hit from behind at high speed.”

As well as the spinal injury, Giuliani suffered cuts, bruises, and injuries to his left arm and lower leg.

He was taken to a local trauma centre, where his medical team were quickly brought in to oversee his care.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/16308742/rudy-giuliani-rushed-hospital-team-asks-prayers/

 

THE daughter of a mom who vanished in the middle of the night 50 years ago believes the police have enough evidence to charge her own father with murder.

Patricia “Patty” Otto, then 24, disappeared on August 31, 1976, after having a violent argument with her husband, Ralph.

Her daughters, Natalie Meredith, who died aged 34, and Suzanne Timms, 52, said they grew up being told that their mom had left to seek a new life.

At the time, Ralph told the police that Patricia abandoned them, but two months into the investigation, he hired a hit man in a failed attempt to kill Idaho Police Captain Duane Ailor, after accusing him of harassment.

He served four years in prison for attempted murder before dying in 1983.

Ralph was never convicted of murdering his wife, but now Suzanne said that a cold case investigator with Idaho Police believes he killed Patricia and has told her they have enough evidence to charge him posthumously with her murder.

Suzanne, a director of nursing, from Walla Walla, Washington, said: “My dad never faced justice, but I do believe his own daughters asking him if he killed their mother affected him.

“I believed in my heart, my whole life, she was never coming back, but I would tell people mom left.

“Now knowing my dad is guilty, if they convict, it doesn’t change that I still love my father dearly.

“I have forgiven him for what he had done. I understand that we all make mistakes in the heat of the moment.

“He drank himself to death; he had tortured himself after my mom’s disappearance.”

On the night of August 31, 1976, Suzanne said her mom put her and her sister in a downstairs bedroom for the night instead of their usual bedroom across the hall from Patricia and Ralph.

In the middle of the night, Suzanne said she was awoken by crashing, so she walked up the stairs and saw her mom and dad fighting.

“I saw my dad hit mom, she hit him back, and that is when he grabbed her by the neck and dragged her out of my sight,” Suzanne said.

“I remember going to bed and telling Natalie we need to help, but she told me to go back to sleep.

“The next morning, my dad woke us up in a hurry to get us out of the house.

“He told us that we didn’t have a mom anymore, and she wasn’t coming home.

“For years, I thought my mom left us, that she didn’t want to be a mom anymore.”

Ralph had told family and the police that Patricia had abandoned them, but the police began an investigation into her disappearance.

He claimed that the police were harassing him, so he hired a hit man – which turned out to be an undercover officer – to kill Captain Duane Ailor.

Ralph was convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to prison, where he served four years.

Suzanne said: “What innocent person hires a hit man to kill the person who is trying to find your mother?

“I felt like everyone was lying to me; nobody was telling us the truth about anything.

“I wasn’t getting any answers about my mom, and if someone told us something, they were lies – it was pretty rough.”

Ralph died in police custody in 1983, but was never charged or convicted of Patricia’s disappearance.

When Suzanne was 18, she requested the police report, which made her realize “what everyone knew” – that her dad was guilty.

She said: “My father never looked for her, he would never wonder where she was at – it was so obvious to me he was guilty.

“I felt extremely naïve, I felt misled my whole life.”

In June 2021, Suzanne was lying in bed next to her husband, Gary, 42, when she saw an image of Jane Doe, who was found dead two years after her mom’s disappearance, on July 28, 1978, on Facebook that felt like “looking in the mirror”.

The unidentified woman, known as the Finley Creek Jane Doe, was wearing red polyester pants and a white blouse, which was similar to what Patty had last been seen wearing. Despite these details, the case was labeled a homicide and closed in 1990.

Although Patricia Otto is officially listed as ruled out, discrepancies exist in the dental comparisons with Finley Creek Jane Doe, leaving the possibility unresolved.

“When I saw the photo, I felt a chill. I sat straight up in bed thinking it was me. It was my face, I was in a missing person poster,” Suzanne said.

“I read the details, and it describes a short, Caucasian blonde female with red pants and a white blouse found two years after my mother disappeared, and I’m like, ‘This isn’t my face, this is my mother’s face!’

“I sent the task force a photo of my mother, Jane Doe and me, and they told me that she was ruled out as the victim years ago.”

Suzanne found a newspaper article about the Finley Creek Jane Doe, and one of the men named as finding the body was her husband’s grandad and father.

Within a week, her father-in-law went to the site of the Finley Creek Jane Doe and confirmed that it was the site where the woman’s body was found.

Suzanne said: “They were told it was an elderly woman who went berry hunting and came off the path, so they never thought about the case again.”

Suzanne believes that the Finley Creek Jane Doe is her mother, but she has no body to confirm this.

Oregon State Police closed the case in 1990, sending the remains of Finley Creek Jane Doe to be cremated. A few remains were never found, including her hands, an arm and a pelvic bone.

But now a cold case investigator in Idaho has told Suzanne they have enough evidence to charge and convict her father posthumously with Patricia’s murder.

Despite this, Suzanne doesn’t feel she will get closure until she finds out who Jane Doe is.

She said: “If someone tells you your mother is dead, you need to have proof of that.

“I don’t understand why the police in Oregon can’t give me any closure.

“It has been 50 years, after everything I have lost, all I am searching for is answers.”

Captain Jeff Klone, from Lewiston Police Department, said: “This case is still considered active and not closed by the Lewiston Police Department.

“While the case began in 1976, we have never considered it unsolvable or inactive.

“We continue to follow up on any leads, new information and partner with other agencies and resources in an effort to bring a resolution in this case including partnering with the Idaho State Police Cold Case Working Group to work on this case.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/16304139/patricia-otto-murder-husband-evidence/

A multi-victim shooting has been reported at a campground near Arcadia Lake in Edmond, Oklahoma, with emergency responders on the scene.

A multi-victim shooting—reported at a campground near Arcadia Lake—has triggered a large-scale emergency response in Edmond, Oklahoma. What followed was a flood of fragmented information. Numbers. Locations. Movement. Not all of it aligned.

Initial dispatch information indicated at least five victims, with officers already on scene providing assistance. But subsequent updates from local monitoring sources suggested the number could be higher—possibly up to nine individuals shot. That figure has not been officially confirmed.

President Donald Trump said the United States would start helping to free ships stranded in the Gulf by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran ​from Monday, as a tanker reported being hit by unknown projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump gave few details of the plan to aid ships and their crews ‌that have been “locked up” in the vital waterway and are running low on food and other supplies.

“We have told these Countries that we will guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways, so that they can freely and ably get on with their business,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social site on Sunday.

Hundreds of ships and as many as 20,000 seafarers have been unable to transit the strait during the conflict, the International Maritime Organization says.
U.S. Central Command said it would ​support the effort with 15,000 military personnel, more than 100 land and sea-based aircraft, along with warships and drones.
“Our support for this defensive mission is essential to regional security and the ​global economy as we also maintain the naval blockade,” Admiral Brad Cooper, the CENTCOM commander, said in a statement.
Soon after Trump’s comments, the United Kingdom Maritime ⁠Trade Operations agency said a tanker had reported being hit by unknown projectiles in the strait.

The agency said all crew were reported safe in the incident, which occurred 78 nautical miles north of Fujairah, ​in the United Arab Emirates, but few details were immediately available.
Iran has been blocking nearly all shipping from the Gulf apart from its own for more than two months, sending energy prices soaring.
Some vessels attempting to ​transit the strait have reported being fired on, and Iran seized several other ships. Last month, the U.S. imposed its own blockade of ships from Iranian ports.
The Trump administration has been seeking help from other countries to form an international coalition to secure shipping in the strait. CENTCOM said the latest effort would combine “diplomatic action with military coordination.”
It was not immediately clear which countries the U.S. operation would aid or how the operation would work. It will not necessarily include U.S. Navy ​ships escorting commercial ships, Axios reporter Barak Ravid said in a post on X.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump threatened that any interference with the U.S. operation would “have to be ​dealt with forcefully.”

IRAN REVIEWING U.S. RESPONSE ON PEACE PROPOSAL

Equity markets edged higher on Monday while crude oil prices were little moved, having surged back above $100 a barrel last week amid uncertainty over when and how the conflict will ‌be resolved.
On Sunday, ⁠Iran said it had received a U.S. response to its latest offer for peace talks a day after Trump said he would probably reject the Iranian proposal because “they have not paid a big enough price.”
Trump, responding to shouted questions from reporters, said on Sunday evening talks were going “very well”, without elaborating.
Iranian state media said Washington had conveyed its response to Iran’s 14-point proposal via Pakistan, and that Tehran was now reviewing it. There was no immediate confirmation from Washington or Islamabad of the U.S. response.

“At this stage, we do not have nuclear negotiations,” state media quoted Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei as saying.
The comment was an ​apparent reference to Iran’s proposal to set aside talks ​on nuclear issues until after the war ⁠has ended and the foes have agreed to lift opposing blockades of Gulf shipping.
The United States and Israel suspended their bombing campaign against Iran four weeks ago, and U.S. and Iranian officials held one round of talks. But attempts to set up further meetings have so far failed.

IRAN’S PROPOSAL VS WASHINGTON’S DEMANDS

The proposal to ​delay talks on nuclear issues until a later phase would appear at odds with Washington’s repeated demand that Iran accept stringent restrictions on its nuclear ​program before the war can ⁠end.
Washington wants Tehran to give up its stockpile of more than 400 kg (900 pounds) of highly enriched uranium, which the United States says could be used to make a bomb.
Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful, although it is willing to discuss some curbs in return for the lifting of sanctions. It had accepted such curbs in a 2015 deal that Trump abandoned.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/trump-says-us-help-ships-stranded-strait-hormuz-tanker-hit-by-projectiles-2026-05-04/

Three people have died and three are ill after a Netherlands-based cruise ship was hit by a suspected ​outbreak of hantavirus, a rodent-borne virus that can cause fatal respiratory illness, authorities ‌and media reports said on Sunday.
Netherlands-based Oceanwide Expeditions said in a news release it was “managing a serious medical situation” on a polar expedition ship, the MV Hondius, which was off Cape Verde, an island nation in ​the Atlantic west of Africa.

The cruise departed from Argentina about three weeks ago ​with around 150 passengers and stopped in the Antarctic and other locations on ⁠its way to Cape Verde, according to media reports.
A Dutch Foreign Ministry spokesperson confirmed that ​two Dutch passengers had died, but gave no further details.
The World Health Organization said in an ​X post that one of the sick passengers was in intensive care in South Africa. Sky News reported the passenger is British, citing South Africa’s Department of Health.
WHO said it was investigating the outbreak. Lab tests have ​confirmed hantavirus in one of the six people, the agency said.

Oceanwide Expeditions said Cape Verde ​authorities had not given permission for passengers requiring medical care to disembark, and Dutch authorities were seeking to ‌organize ⁠repatriation of two symptomatic passengers along with the body of a deceased passenger.
Hantavirus can be spread when droppings and urine of rodents become airborne, such as when people sweep out sheds where mice have been living. WHO said the virus can be spread between people in rare ​cases.
The illness begins with ​flu-like symptoms and can ⁠lead to heart and lung failure, with around 40% of cases resulting in death, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
There are ​no specific drugs to treat hantavirus, so treatment focuses on supportive care, ​including putting ⁠patients on ventilators in severe cases.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/three-passengers-dead-one-case-hantavirus-confirmed-atlantic-cruise-ship-who-2026-05-03/

Chinese robotics startup Linkerbot, the global market leader in highly dexterous robotic hands for humanoids, will seek a $6 billion valuation ​in its next financing round, double the valuation in a just-closed funding, the company said.
Beijing-based Linkerbot completed what it called a “series B+” funding ‌round last week that valued it at $3 billion. It did not say when the next funding round will be launched or whether it was targeting the previously undisclosed $6 billion valuation in a private investment round or in an initial public offering.

Prominent early backers of the two-year-old unicorn include Alibaba’s (9988.HK), Ant Group and Sequoia spin-off HongShan Group, while the state-backed Zhongguancun Science Park Fund, Bank ​of China Asset Management and Fosun Capital participated in the latest round, the company said in a statement on Thursday.
Linkerbot currently holds over 80% ​of the global market share in high-degree-of-freedom (DoF) robotic hands, and plans to scale production “soon” to 10,000 units a month from almost ⁠5,000 currently, CEO Alex Zhou told Reuters in an interview.
Investor interest in China’s humanoid robotics industry has surged this year after market leaders such as Unitree demonstrated ​their products’ staggering technical advances during a widely watched TV performance and the Beijing humanoid robot half-marathon last month. Unitree filed for a Shanghai IPO in March, seeking a valuation of ​up to $7 billion.

Unlike competing humanoid makers such as X Square Robot that focus on training robotic hands for household chores, Linkerbot specialises in high-value human craftsmanship.
“We aren’t just making hands. Our goal is to replicate the entire library of human dexterous skills within our hardware,” Zhou said, referring to the firm’s LinkerSkillNet platform, which he claims is the world’s largest real-world dexterous manipulation dataset.
The platform ​is a multimodal data collection system that converts human skills into standardised, reusable capabilities for robotic hands, containing over 500 skills so far.
“The hand is the most ​complex part of the whole humanoid robot. Elon Musk described on several occasions that the part was taking more than half of their whole engineering effort for Tesla’s Optimus,” said Georg ‌Stieler, head ⁠of robotics and automation at technology consultancy Stieler.

Musk promised that the latest Optimus model, to be launched this spring, will have “the manual dexterity of a human”.

TECHNICAL FRONTIER

Inspired by his childhood fondness for Doraemon, the Japanese cartoon robotic cat who holds an infinite array of gadgets in his pocket, CEO Zhou envisions his robots playing the piano, giving massages or even doing dentistry: skills he says are a “value-add that is at least triple that of basic labour”.
Linkerbot’s hands can already rapidly turn screws, grasp deformable ​soft objects, thread a needle and engage ​in high-precision manufacturing. The company supplies ⁠some of China’s leading humanoid robot makers as well as some foreign industrial giants, which the company declined to disclose due to NDAs.
Its basic O6 light-weight model can carry a 50 kg load despite weighing only 370 g, performance Zhou said ​was a key advantage for industrial applications where miniaturisation and strength are required.

The company manufactures key components like joint modules, ​motors and reducers in-house, ⁠and uses specialised polymers that are self-lubricating and corrosion-resistant, Zhou said.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/china-robot-hand-building-unicorn-linkerbot-targets-6-billion-valuation-2026-05-04/

Australia and Japan agreed on Monday to deepen cooperation on energy and ​critical minerals, as Japan Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese during ‌a three-day visit to the country.
After signing a landmark defence deal last month, the two nations agreed to strengthen energy, food and critical minerals supply chains.

“Australia and ​Japan are taking action to protect our economies from future ​economic shocks and uncertainty,” Albanese said in a statement.

“By working ⁠together, we will achieve more secure and resilient supply chains that ​will benefit Australian and Japanese businesses and consumers now and into the ​future.”
Australia provides approximately one-third of Japan’s energy supply, and is the country’s largest market for liquefied natural gas.
Both nations have been attempting to shore up energy supply ​as tensions in the Middle East strangle trade. Japanese firms have also ​been closely watching developments in the Australian LNG industry, from the risk of strikes at a major ‌gas ⁠facility and rising political pressure to increase taxes on exports.

“Like Japan, we are very concerned by disruptions to the supply of liquid fuels and refined petroleum products,” Albanese said on Monday.
Australia also plans to provide ​support of up ​to A$1.3 ⁠billion ($937 million) to critical mineral projects with Japanese involvement, creating the potential to supply Japan with resources including ​gallium, nickel, graphite, rare earths and fluorite.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/japan-pm-takaichi-set-talks-with-australias-albanese-energy-security-2026-05-04/

Greg Abel moved to assure Berkshire Hathaway (BRKa.N), shareholders that he will invest wisely and manage the conglomerate’s massive cash stake without the burdens of bureaucracy, as he seeks to ​win over those cautiously hoping he is a worthy successor to Warren Buffett.
Abel, 63, spoke at Berkshire’s annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, four months after succeeding arguably the world’s most famous investor as ‌chief executive officer.

He must earn the trust of investors now enamored with technology and artificial intelligence, rather than Berkshire’s collection of insurers, retailers and hard-asset businesses in energy, industrials and manufacturing.
“As a conglomerate, we live by the fact that we hate bureaucracy,” Abel said in response to a prerecorded question from Buffett, who also sat in a front-row seat. “We do not intend to be beholden to anyone. We start with that.”
Abel also assured shareholders he would not break up Berkshire, saying it operated effectively and its bench of expertise was strong. “We want Berkshire to endure,” he said. ​Abel also said he is constantly evaluating opportunities to add to Berkshire’s existing portfolio, whether that is acquiring public or private companies or a piece of a company.

Attendance was down significantly from when Buffett and Vice Chairman ​Charlie Munger, who died in 2023, presided over meetings filled with their lively insights and banter about Berkshire, the economy, markets and life.
Buffett and Munger drew capacity crowds in the downtown ⁠arena where the meeting took place, but several thousand of the approximately 18,000 seats were empty when Abel took the stage.
He acknowledged his predecessors’ lives and careers by symbolically retiring jerseys bearing their names, which will hang in the arena’s ​rafters.

BUFFETT SAYS ABEL DOES MORE THAN HE DID

Buffett, for his part, assured the audience that “Greg is doing everything I did and then some,” reprising comments he made last year when he announced his retirement as CEO.
The 95-year-old also praised Apple (AAPL.O), one of Berkshire’s ​most successful investments, and its departing chief executive, Tim Cook. Buffett remains Berkshire’s chairman.

In an interview with CNBC on the meeting’s sidelines, Buffett fretted about a gambling mentality that has taken hold of some investors.
“We’ve never had more people in a gambling mood than now,” he said. “That doesn’t mean investing is terrible, but it does mean that prices for an awful lot of things will look awfully silly.”
Though Berkshire is often considered a microcosm of the U.S. economy, its shares have lagged the Standard & Poor’s 500 (.SPX), by 39 percentage points since Buffett announced at last ​year’s meeting that he would step down.
Short-term thinking is a problem for a $1.02 trillion buy-and-hold behemoth such as Berkshire, but Abel said Berkshire has a “unique opportunity” to build on its businesses and redeploy capital.
“We can create long-term value for shareholders,” he ​said.

OPERATING PROFIT RISES DESPITE SLUGGISH CONSUMER

Before the meeting, Berkshire said first-quarter operating profit totaled $11.35 billion, up 18% from a year earlier, when its insurance businesses suffered losses from southern California wildfires.
Several retail businesses struggled with uncertain economic conditions and lower consumer confidence. Some big operations, including ‌the BNSF railroad, ⁠posted higher profit. While Berkshire reported improved first-quarter performance from the conglomerate’s insurance businesses, Abel told investors that the sector faces competitive headwinds.
Berkshire’s lagging stock price in part reflects Abel’s and Buffett’s decisions not to hastily deploy more of its cash, which reached a record $380.2 billion at the end of March. Berkshire saw some value in its own stock, repurchasing $234 million in the first quarter, its first buybacks since May 2024.
At the end of the meeting, Berkshire shareholders overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to publish a report discussing how the conglomerate oversees its more than 387,000 employees at nearly 200 businesses.
“Greg has a formidable challenge, replacing the greatest investor who ever lived,” said Paul Lountzis, a money manager attending his 34th Berkshire annual meeting.

KNOW WHEN TO SAY ‘NO’

Abel adhered to ​Buffett’s mantra of patience, saying he would like to hold ​investments “forever” and not plow into any without understanding their ⁠economic prospects and risks.
“It doesn’t mean you need to deploy all your capital and spend all your money,” he said.
He agreed with Berkshire’s longtime insurance chief, Ajit Jain, who also answered questions from the stage, that it was important to say “no” if an investment did not look right.
“It is very difficult to sit there and do nothing,” Jain said, “while everyone else is ​being wined and dined by brokers and taken to London.”
Abel praised a recent Oregon appeals court ruling that, for now, spared Berkshire’s PacifiCorp unit from billions of dollars of ​potential liabilities for wildfires in 2020 ⁠that the utility maintains it did not cause.
“We’re back to first base” on the legal side, he said, meaning the threat has lessened.
Tariffs remain an issue, with Abel saying Berkshire operating businesses have “a lot to sort out” in collecting refunds, while Katie Farmer, chief executive of the Berkshire-owned BNSF railroad, said customers still face uncertainty even after having “adapted and adjusted” to rising tariffs.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/berkshire-shareholders-head-greg-abels-first-annual-meeting-with-buffett-2026-05-02/

NOT every big-name celebrity has scored an invite to the Met Gala, and some have been blacklisted entirely for shocking reasons.

Anna Wintour, the long-running chair of the prestigious gala, has a strict guest list, and even the most elite aren’t guaranteed entry.

While she’s only publicly confirmed one person’s permanent ban from the event, there is a list of others who are forbidden from attending.

Below are five stars who are not permitted to attend this year’s Met Gala, held on Monday, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and what led to the decision.

Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj might be a 12-time Grammy Award-nominated rapper, among other accolades, but that doesn’t grant her a pass into this year’s gala.

Last month, Naughty But Nice‘s Rob Shuter revealed that Nicki wasn’t invited to the event following her repeated politically charged rants and public appearances.

“Nicki’s invitations didn’t just slow down — they vanished,” an industry insider told the podcaster.

“Hollywood stopped returning her calls. This isn’t subtle anymore. She’s been shut out,” they added.

The source claimed that Nicki’s surprise appearance at Turning Points USA’s AmericaFest in Phoenix in December was the last straw for the rap star.

She boasted about President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance on stage, which rubbed Anna, a long-time Democratic Party advocate, the wrong way.

Nicki is also said to have been ousted because of her longstanding feud with Roc Nation and its founder, JAY-Z, whose wife, Beyoncé, serves as the 2026 gala’s co-chair.

Tim Gunn

Former Project Runway judge Tim Gunn also won’t be making an appearance at the gala anytime soon.

In 2016, the TV personality revealed he’d been banned from fashion‘s biggest night after making an ill-received comment about Anna to a reporter.

“It is very true. It is a crazy story, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s a very matter-of-fact story,” Tim said in an interview with E!.

“I was asked what is the most unforgettable thing I’ve ever seen in fashion and I said, ‘It’s easy. It was watching Anna Wintour being carried down five flights of stairs by two bodyguards—two big hulking men—from a fashion show.’”

The fashion icon said that “all hell broke loose” once Anna caught wind of his comment, and they’ve been in an “open war” ever since.

Lili Reinhart

While Lili Reinhart last attended the Met Gala in 2022, she doesn’t expect to score another invite.

Shortly after the gala, the Riverdale actress took to her Instagram Stories to slam Kim Kardashian‘s drastic weight loss measures to fit into her historic gown.

The Kardashians star famously donned the dress Marilyn Monroe wore to serenade John F. Kennedy on his 45th birthday.

She admitted she stuck to a strict diet to rapidly lose 16 pounds, a method that Lili clearly didn’t support.

“To openly admit to starving yourself for the sake of the Met Gala. When you know very well that millions of young men and women are looking up to you and listening to your every word.

“The ignorance is otherworldly disgusting,” the Hustlers star wrote in her post.

“Please stop supporting these stupid, harmful celebrities whose entire image revolves around their bodies. I am not generally an angry person but I swear to god, the toxicity of this industry sometimes really gets to me,” Lili added.

While reflecting later on her experience at the gala in an interview with W Magazine, Lili acknowledged that her comments might have led to her being banned indefinitely.

“I don’t think I’ll be invited back…I said a certain something about a certain person in a certain dress,” she told the outlet.

Rachel Zoe

Rachel Zoe was axed from the Met Gala invite list years ago after making a shocking comparison of herself to Anna.

During a sit-down with the New York Times in 2007, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star claimed she was “more influential” than the Vogue editor-in-chief because of her celebrity status.

“Anna Wintour is one of my heroes, but they say that I’m more influential,” Rachel told the publication.

“As great as it is, Vogue won’t change a designer’s business. But if an unknown brand is worn by a certain person in a tabloid, it will be the biggest designer within a week.”

Despite the apparent diss, it appears the TV personality wasn’t banned from the gala forever, as she strutted down the red carpet in 2012.

President Donald Trump

As mentioned earlier, there’s only one person whom Anna has publicly nixed from ever attending the Met Gala, and that is President Trump.

During an October 2017 appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden, Anna revealed that the president is the one celebrity she would never invite back.

Before his presidential run, Trump was a regular attendee of the gala between 2003 and 2012.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/16299080/met-gala-banned-celebrities-nicki-minaj-tim-gunn/

US HOSPITALS are on alert for mass infections, including deadly viruses, ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Infectious disease experts in New York and New Jersey, where eight soccer matches are being held, have been in training for the influx of visitors for years.

Up to 10 million people from around the world are expected to descend to watch 48 teams play soccer this summer.

While many are looking forward to the competition, doctors are warning that the “huge migration event” poses serious health risks.

On top of standard medical emergencies and mass casualty incidents, the sheer number of people coming from across the globe heightens the risk of the spread of highly infectious and sometimes deadly diseases.

These include measles, hepatitis A, typhoid, malaria, SARS and even more life-threatening diseases like cholera and Ebola.

Greater New York alone is expected to see over 1.2million visitors this summer with people not only going to the MetLife Stadium, but also attending viewing parties in places like Central Park.

“The whole health care system in New York City will be a bit on alert for all of these events,” Dr. Vikramjit Mukherjee, chief of critical care and the special pathogens program at Bellevue Hospital told Health Beat.

“We’re looking at it as if it’s a huge global migration event.”

“Because of what we’ve seen in the last few years — Ebola, Covid, and mpox — we feel that we will be the ones who will be affected first for the next outbreak, and therefore have an additional responsibility of keeping prepared,” Mukherjee added.

He explained that hundreds of health care professionals have been undergoing rigorous drills which include actors and even commercial planes ahead of the tournament.

They are training not just to know what to do and how to treat different patients, but also to spot signs and symptoms of these “high consequence” diseases.

While health officials want people to be vigilant, they also want soccer fans to feel safe.

Dr. Gregory Sugalski, chair of emergency medicine at Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey, the closest Level 1 trauma center to the MetLife Stadium, has a two word message for visitors.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/health/16305646/hospitals-fifa-world-cup-infectious-diseases-soccer-games/

AN entire pickleball team has been killed in a devastating high-speed plane crash as they made their way to a tournament.

The small plane carrying the Amarillo Pickleball Club from Amarillo, Texas, was travelling to a game when its aircraft crash-landed in Wimberley, southwest of Austin around 11pm on Thursday, officials have said.

All five people on board were pronounced dead at the scene, Sgt. Billy Ray from the Texas Department of Public Safety said.

The Amarillo Pickleball Club confirmed that Seren Wilson, Brooke Skypala, Stacy Hedrick, Glen Appling, and Hayden Dillard were all killed in the crash.

“Today, the Club has received terrible news that we all must mourn in the loss of five members of our Amarillo pickleball family,” the club said in a statement.

“Please keep their precious families in your thoughts and prayers.”

The AHS Tennis Booster Club has paid tribute to Amarillo High School graduate and Sandie Tennis alumni Seren whose death has left the club heartbroken.

“She was a constant supporter of Sandie Tennis and someone who poured so much into this program and the players,” it said in a statement on Facebook.

“Seren loved big and her presence, encouragement, and spirit will be deeply missed by so many.”

Officials have said that an initial investigation shows the aircraft “was traveling at a high rate of speed at the time of impact” and burst into flames after hitting the ground.

They added that “there is no indication of a mid-air collision.”

Shocking aerial images from the scene of the crash show the devastation caused by the impact of the crash with the plane reduced to a mangled wreck that’s almost entirely broken up.

Nearby residents reported hearing the crash and “feeling everything vibrate.”

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/16304987/plane-crash-kills-entire-pickleball-team-amarillo-club-texas/

THE first wife of an infamous con artist who was killed by his own step-daughter has revealed the hell of living in a warped world of lies and deceit.

John Meehan’s prolific scams only came truly to light after his death with a podcast and Netflix show Dirty John chronicling his most high-profile con on second wife Debra Newell.

But first wife Tonia Bales’ book – When You See It – now recounts the nightmare of her own marriage to Meehan, who was dubbed Dirty John by friends because of his questionable past.

In an exclusive interview with The U.S. Sun, she has admitted that despite knowing of Meehan’s manipulation, lies, and being a victim of his threats, she didn’t tell his second wife for fear of retaliation.

“I wanted to warn them,” she said. “But I also knew I couldn’t put myself back in that situation. I couldn’t go around the country following this guy warning every woman, even if I very much wanted to do that.”

Bales was 23-years-old when she first encountered fraudster Meehan while studying to be an anesthetist.

She said the trickster presented himself as a driven, religious, and caring man, perfectly mirroring her beliefs and ambitions at the start of her healthcare career.

“I thought we had a lot in common,” Bales, who married Meehan after two years of dating in 1990, told The U.S. Sun.

“But what John actually was doing was essentially studying me — asking questions, learning what I valued, and then becoming exactly that. That’s how this kind of person works.

“I wasn’t out looking for a relationship, I was just out with friends. But he worked his way into my life, and I eventually fell for him.”

She said it was a stable relationship at first but cracks began to show during wedding planning when Meehan insisted his family should not be invited, claiming they were toxic and would disrupt the ceremony.

Bales briefly met his father and one sister, but only for a matter of minutes and said she suspected nothing.

“It actually made me feel for him,” she said. “I thought I was marrying someone who had survived something difficult. I was rooting for him.”

But Bales claimed that behind the surface, things were not what they seemed.

“I had no idea whom I had married,” Bales admitted.

By the time their second child was born, Bales said she’d been told by a woman that Meehan was under investigation by the drug enforcement authority in Indiana who didn’t want him practicing anesthesia – the profession he had taken up after nursing.

Soon after, Meehan revealed he was having an affair and abruptly asked for a divorce.

“I was completely blindsided,” she said, claiming he began to threaten her life despite being the one pushing for a divorce.

“We had just had a baby. Everything changed overnight. He said to me ‘enjoy the time you have left on this earth. It’s going to come when you least expect it.’”

Bales began looking through his belongings. What she found confirmed her growing suspicions — and revealed a far darker reality.

In his basement office, she claims there were notes in another woman’s handwriting with directions to a hotel. In a box she found anesthesia drugs, as well as fentanyl and sedatives, that “absolutely should not have been outside a hospital.”

Further digging revealed evidence of Meehan allegedly sending drugs to his brother, with coded communication suggesting illegal activity involving narcotics.

“I was devastated,” she said. “But at the same time, I realized I never actually had a marriage. It was built on something false from the beginning.”

When Bales reached out to his family seeking answers, Meehan’s mother revealed he had lied about his age and also had that drug charge against him in California.

Meehan had been arrested for selling cocaine in California in the 1980s where he avoided a lengthy prison sentence by acting as an informant, a betrayal that ultimately forced Meehan to flee the state and move to Ohio to reset his identity.

“He warned me not to contact them,” Bales said of speaking to Meehan’s family. “So when I did, everything changed.”

“He could switch so quickly,” she said. “It was confusing and frightening.”

Fearing for the safety of her young family, Bales obtained a protection order and the police tapped her phone to record threats Meehan was making.

“My life became frightening every minute,” she said. “I was a single mother, waking up before dawn, going to work, trying to function while constantly feeling unsafe.

“I would put my children in the car in the garage and start the engine with the door closed,” she said. “I told myself that if anything happened, I would just drive. That’s how afraid I was.”

She filed for divorce, yet the process – despite the overwhelming evidence of her soon to be ex-husband violating their marital pact – was tortuous.

Meehan allegedly used the legal system to prolong proceedings, filing motions and forcing repeated delays.

“It took 18 months,” said Bales. “And even then, it felt like it never fully ended.”

Bales says it was another way for him to “maintain control.”

“Even without direct contact,” she said, “he found ways to stay in my life.”

As her marriage crumbled, her focus remained on protecting her young children.

“They could feel it,” she said. “They knew he wasn’t around, that visits were being canceled. Kids notice more than you think.”

After the divorce in 2001, Meehan’s descent into anarchy continued.

He was arrested in Ohio on drug-related charges a year later, fled authorities, committing additional offenses – including trying to escape cops by jumping out of an ambulance and running into a JCPenney store, jumping on top of an elevator and kicking an officer in the face before being recaptured.

He was sentenced to six years in prison in Michigan on charges of resisting arrest and possession of drugs, but was released in 2004 after serving 17 months.

Reports at the time connected him to multiple incidents across different states involving fraud, stalking, and harassment.

Cops also identified a troubling pattern of meeting women on dating platforms or in professional settings, before building trust that turned into control and manipulation.

Years later, Bales learned he had remarried in 2014 — this time in a whirlwind romance to Newell.

“It wasn’t random,” she said. “It was calculated.”

It all came to a violent end in August 2016 two days after Meehan was released from jail for violating a restraining order from Newell’s family.

Meehan tracked down his estranged stepdaughter, Terra Newell, and attacked her outside her home with a knife. During the struggle, she fought back and stabbed him multiple times in self-defense. Authorities determined she acted in justifiable self-defense.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/16266990/dirty-john-meehan-tonia-bales-book/

The Eta Aquarid meteor shower soon will light the sky with debris from Halley’s comet. But a bright moon will spoil the fun this year, making the display harder to glimpse.

The shower will peak Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. Viewers from the Southern Hemisphere typically see 50 meteors per hour during the peak, but the interfering moon could cut that number by half. In the north, skywatchers will likely see fewer than 10 per hour.

“For us in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s not going to be as impressive,” said Teri Gee, manager of the Barlow Planetarium in Wisconsin. “The farther south you are, the better you’ll see it.”

Meteor showers happen when the Earth charges through trails of debris left behind from comets or asteroids. Those bits collide with Earth’s atmosphere at extremely high speeds, producing streaks of light that are also known as shooting stars.

On any given night, a handful of stray meteors are visible under dark skies. Meteor showers yield a more exciting show and happen at predictable times every year.

Most meteor showers are caused by leftovers from comets, and the Eta Aquarids feature debris from one of the most well-known. Halley’s comet passes by Earth about every 76 years on its trip around the sun. It’ll next swing by in 2061.

To glimpse these meteors, it’s best to go outside just before dawn. Venture away from city lights and tall buildings to get a clear view of the sky. In this case, it might also help to find a spot that blocks the luminous waning gibbous moon, which will be 84% full.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/meteor-shower-2026-halleys-comet-5b8458cd296a51e1f6472701e5fdf028

 

After being asked all week about the possibility of becoming the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner, Cherie DeVaux was nearly speechless when Golden Tempo charged from the back of the pack Saturday to make history for her.

“I’m just glad I don’t have to answer that question anymore,” DeVaux said to a rousing round of applause.

DeVaux joined Jena Antonucci, with Arcangelo in the 2023 Belmont, as the only women to train the winner of a Triple Crown race. She was just the 18th woman to saddle a horse in the Derby in its 152-year history, and the gravity of the situation came into focus for her days earlier when she saw a young girl on the backstretch and realized the impact she is making.

“It really is an honor to be able to be that person for other women or other little girls to look up to,” DeVaux said. “You can dream big, and you can pivot. You can come from one place and make yourself a part of history.”

DeVaux credits growing up with seven brothers and two sisters for her toughness. After winning the Derby on her first try eight years after starting her own stable, she thanked her husband for inspiring her to give it a chance.

“I didn’t believe,” DeVaux said. “I started my career here 22 years ago as a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed exercise rider. And I would not believe that I would be sitting up here today. Never in my life did I think I would.”

It came with a lot of hard work. DeVaux fielded questions this week about Golden Tempo’s cracked heels, and she downplayed concerns. She put a lot of time into getting the colt into form, trying blinkers and other things to get the son of Curlin to focus.

Jockey Jose Ortiz even described Golden Tempo as lazy. But Ortiz showed what he and the horse could do Saturday, winning the Derby for the first time in his 11th try — and doing so in impressive fashion.

Ortiz navigated past 17 other horses around the final turn and made a hard charge down the stretch. With a crowd of more than 100,000 watching and roaring at Churchill Downs, Golden Tempo passed morning line favorite Renegade — ridden by brother Irad — just before the wire to win the 1 1/4-mile race in 2:02.27 at odds of 23-1.

Their parents were there to witness it.

“I get to ride it almost every year, but to get to win it, it’s just special,” said Ortiz, who also won the Kentucky Oaks on Friday aboard Always a Runner. “I just wish my grandpa was here, but I know he’s looking from heaven. Just very happy that I get my goal, my life dream goal achieved.”

Golden Tempo paid $48.24 to win, $19.14 to place and $11.90 to show. Renegade paid $7.14 to place and $5.46 to show. Ocelli — who didn’t get into the field until Thursday when Brad Cox’s Fulleffort was ruled out — paid $36.34 to show after going off at 70-1.

“He gave me a really good run and proud of his effort,” Ocelli jockey Tyler Gaffalione said. “We were just not able to get the job done but hats off to the winner and runner-up. They ran huge races.”

The 152nd Kentucky Derby went on with just 18 horses following a scary incident before the race. Great White was a late scratch by track veterinarians after flipping and throwing his jockey.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/kentucky-derby-winner-14da4af938ae3a3201f4d17a80d052c0

Twins Michelle and Lavinia Osbourne have always shared a special connection.

But when Lavinia clicked on an email with results of an at-home DNA test in September 2022, she was filled with a sense of dread.

“Maybe subconsciously I knew,” she says.

Her test results revealed something astonishing: non-identical twins Lavinia and Michelle don’t have the same father.

They were conceived naturally, grown together in the same womb, and born to the same mother within minutes of each other – but they are half-sisters.

Michelle and Lavinia, 49, exist because of an incredibly rare biological process called heteropaternal superfecundation. For it to happen, a woman must produce more than one egg during the same cycle, the eggs must be successfully fertilised by sperm from different men, and the resulting embryos must survive the pregnancy.

Only around 20 cases have ever been identified worldwide. After months of researching their story for the BBC Radio 4 series, The Gift, I’ve found that Lavinia and Michelle are the only set of twins with different fathers ever to be documented in the UK.

For Lavinia, the revelation was devastating. She and Michelle had shared a difficult childhood where they were passed around between homes and carers. The only stability the non-identical twins had was each other.

“She was the one thing that belonged to me, the one thing that I was certain about, the one thing that I was sure of,” Lavinia says. “And then she wasn’t.”

But when Lavinia rang her twin to share the news, Michelle felt differently.

“I wasn’t surprised,” Michelle says. “I’m still in amazement that this can actually happen – it’s super weird, super odd, super rare – but it makes sense.”

Michelle and Lavinia’s mother was a vulnerable 19-year-old when she gave birth to them in Nottingham in 1976.

“She had suffered abuse at the hands of [her] stepfather,” Michelle says. “My mother was in and out of foster care and children’s homes throughout her childhood.”

Whenever the twin sisters asked who their dad was, their mum always said he was someone called James. “He wasn’t in our life,” Michelle continues.

Their mother was absent for much of their lives, too. When they were five years old, she got a place to study at university in London, and left her children behind in Nottingham with her best friend’s mother, who the twins called “grandma”.

“Grandma was strict – not very emotional, not very cuddly. The one constant I had was Michelle,” Lavinia says.

As long as she had her twin, Michelle says, she felt safe.

“It was her and I against the world.”

Aged 10, the girls joined their mother in London. But within a few years, Lavinia and Michelle were sent away again, to live in one of their mother’s old foster homes. They couldn’t understand why their mum wanted to maintain a distance from them.

“Physically and emotionally, she was always out of reach,” says Lavinia.

After being absent for most of their childhood, James came back into their lives when the twins were in their mid-teens. Lavinia managed to track him down – and while she thought she recognised herself in him, Michelle never felt sure he was her dad. Deep down, there were niggling doubts.

By late 2021, their mother had early-onset dementia, and was no longer able to answer their questions. Michelle saw a photograph of James, and became more convinced than ever that he couldn’t be her father.

“I just thought, you don’t even look anything like me,” Michelle says. “So I bought myself a kit.”

If you take a DNA test, you reveal truths about your family as well as yourself. But Michelle wasn’t thinking of how her results might affect Lavinia when she sent her sample off to be analysed. The results arrived on 14 February 2022 – the same day Michelle and Lavinia’s mother died.

James’s last name didn’t feature in Michelle’s paternal line – he wasn’t her father.

After weeks of investigation, Michelle discovered that her father was Alex, the brother of a woman who had been friends with their mother. Michelle contacted some of Alex’s family, who warned her he had struggled with alcoholism and drug addiction for years, and was living on the streets.

Michelle and Lavinia met up with a woman called Olivine, who Michelle believed was a new first cousin to both her and her twin. Michelle felt an instant connection.

“I just knew she was blood,” she says. But Lavinia didn’t feel the same. And when Olivine took out photographs of her family, Lavinia didn’t see herself in their faces.

Lavinia decided to also do a DNA test. She didn’t expect to get a different result to Michelle, but she had to do something about her growing feelings of unease that Alex’s family was not her own.

“I just wanted confirmation,” she says.

When she opened her results and saw the mind-boggling truth that her twin was her half sister, Lavinia was distraught – and furious.

“I was angry with Michelle for having me go through this, because I just didn’t want this reality.”

And there were more revelations to come. When Lavinia looked closely at her results, she saw that James wasn’t her father either.

Lavinia had no interest in finding out who her dad was, but Michelle was determined to get answers. Combing through her twin’s results, Michelle found Arthur, Lavinia’s biological father. The twins drove to meet him at his home in West London.

“He was a little bit nervous, but he’s got an exuberant character – like me,” says Lavinia. At the end of their meeting, she kissed Arthur on the cheek.

“I just felt compelled, drawn to do it.”

Lavinia and Arthur have been close ever since, seeing each other several times a month, often alongside Michelle.

“I feel like I’ve found a place to belong, and that place is with my dad,” Lavinia says. He has told Michelle that she, too, can call him Dad.

At a later meeting, the twins asked Arthur what he knew about how they came to be conceived.

“He said, ‘Your mother knocked on my door. She was very upset. She was crying’,” Michelle says. “She went to him because she wasn’t safe, and she was in shock.”

Michelle and Lavinia’s mother is not here to tell us exactly what happened, but Arthur says she turned to him in a time of need.

Michelle was also able to meet her own biological father, Alex, through other newly discovered family members.

“He was clearly under the influence of drugs,” Michelle says.

The resemblance between them was undeniable.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx21k6rzpdpo

A 39-year-old man has been arrested in Austria in connection with a case in which rat poison was found in jars of baby food, police say.

Two weeks ago, a jar of carrot and potato purée was found to contain the poison in the eastern state of Burgenland, prompting manufacturer HiPP to recall an entire range of its products.

A total of five contaminated jars were safely recovered in Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia before they could be consumed.

Austria’s Die Presse newspaper reported that an email demanding €2m (£1.73m) had not been noticed by HiPP until after the ransom deadline expired.

The German firm’s CEO told the newspaper the message, which gave the company six days to pay the money, was sent on 27 March to an email address that is checked every two to three weeks.

The arrest was announced on Saturday by police in Burgenland. Spokesman Helmut Marban told the BBC no further details regarding the suspect or the circumstances of his arrest could be disclosed, as the investigation was ongoing.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2pmdj2v39o

 

A shooting incident outside Chai Sutta Bar Café on 120 Street in Surrey, Canada, has gone viral after a video of the late-night firing surfaced on social media.

A disturbing video showing a late-night shooting incident outside a café in Surrey, British Columbia, has gone viral on social media, causing widespread concern among local residents and the broader Indian-Canadian community. The incident is reported to have taken place at Chai Sutta Bar Café, located on 120 Street in Surrey. The café sits right next to Kaps Cafe, which is associated with popular Indian comedian and actor Kapil Sharma.

According to witnesses and social media reports, the shooting occurred late at night, with the video quickly spreading across platforms and drawing thousands of views within hours. Many viewers expressed shock and worry about the safety of the area, which is known for its vibrant South Asian businesses and restaurants.Shortly after the video surfaced, a threatening message began circulating online.

The suspect, who faces a preliminary court hearing on Monday morning, was found with two axes engraved with “Alexia”, “Mossad” and Sieg Heil, which is a verbal salute used by Nazis.

A 33-year-old man suspected of being a far-right extremist is in custody in the Netherlands after a foiled plot to kill two Dutch princesses, Princess Catharina-Amalia and her younger sister Princess Alexia.

The suspect, who faces a preliminary court hearing on Monday morning, was found with two axes engraved with “Alexia”, “Mossad” and Sieg Heil, which is a verbal salute used by Nazis.

Authorities also revealed that he had a handwritten note with the words “Amalia”, “Alexia” and “bloodbath” when he was arrested in The Hague in February.

However, a motive for the plan has still not been revealed by the authorities.

Despite the security concerns, the Dutch royal family pressed ahead with their Koningsdag or King’s Day celebrations on Monday, joining street festivities, greeting well-wishers, and taking to the ice. The national holiday marks the 59th birthday of King Willem-Alexander.

This is not the first time Princess Catharina-Amalia’s safety has been called into question. Back in 2020, she was forced to go into hiding after a man directed a series of messages threatening her with rape and violence.

Two years later, she was compelled to vacate her student accommodation in Amsterdam over safety concerns, retreating to the heavily fortified royal palace in The Hague.

Queen Maxima captured the toll this took on her daughter at the time and said, “She can’t live in Amsterdam and she can’t really go outside [the palace]. It has enormous consequences on her life.”

The threats didn’t end there. Fearing she had been marked as a kidnapping target by drug cartels, Princess Catharina-Amalia, who is fluent in Spanish, eventually fled the Netherlands altogether, spending a year living in Madrid.

Intercepted communications between gang members had placed both her and Mark Rutte, who was serving as Dutch prime minister at the time, in the crosshairs as potential targets.

About Europe’s Formidable Drug Lord – Ridouan Taghi

Ridouan Taghi, once regarded as the most formidable drug lord in Europe, dismissed any suggestion of a plot against the princess before ultimately receiving a life sentence for five murders at the conclusion of the Marengo Trial in 2024.

Yet the shadow of violence loomed large even before his sentencing. Taghi is believed to have orchestrated three killings tied to the trial proceedings. Among the victims were a lawyer, a television journalist, and the brother of a key prosecution witness.

The succession of contract killings fuelled growing alarm that Taghi continued to orchestrate his criminal network from behind bars and that the Netherlands had descended into narco-state territory, held hostage by the brutal power struggles of organised crime.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/bloodbath-dutch-princesses-catharina-amalia-alexia-targeted-in-chilling-nazi-murder-plot-11440580?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

An Iranian proposal that Trump has so far rejected would open shipping in the Hormuz & end the US blockade, leaving talks on Iran’s nuclear programme for later.

`Iran said on Saturday that it was up to the United States whether to pursue a negotiated settlement or to return to open war, but that Tehran was ready for either outcome, after President Donald Trump said he was “not satisfied” with a new Iranian negotiating proposal, as peace talks remain frozen despite a weeks-long ceasefire.

“Now the ball is in the United States’ court to choose the path of diplomacy or the continuation of a confrontational approach,” deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi told diplomats in Tehran, according to state broadcaster IRIB.

“Iran, with the aim of securing its national interests and security, is prepared for both paths,” he said.

An Iranian proposal that Trump has so far rejected would open shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and end the US blockade of Iran, while leaving talks on Iran’s nuclear programme for later, a separate senior Iranian said on Saturday.

Trump said that “on a human basis,” he did not prefer the military course of action against Iran and told leaders in the US Congress that he did not need their permission to extend the war beyond a deadline set by law for that day because the ceasefire had “terminated” hostilities.

“Do we want to go and just blast the hell out of them and finish them forever? Or do we want to try and make a deal?” he told reporters at the White House when asked about his options.

Later on Friday, during a speech in Florida, Trump said the United States would not end its confrontation with Iran early “and then have the problem arise in three more years.”

Trump under pressure over Hormuz

While saying repeatedly he is in no hurry, Trump is under domestic pressure to break Iran’s hold on the strait, which has choked off 20% of the world’s oil and gas supplies and pushed up U.S. gasoline prices.

Trump’s Republican Party faces the risk of a voter backlash over higher prices when the country votes in midterm congressional elections in November.

The United States and Israel suspended their bombing campaign against Iran four weeks ago, but appear no closer to a deal to end a war that has caused the biggest disruption ever to global energy supplies, roiled global markets and raised worries about the possibility of a wider global economic downturn.

Iran has been blocking nearly all shipping from the Gulf apart from its own for more than two months. Last month the U.S. imposed its own blockade of ships from Iranian ports.

Washington has repeatedly said it will not end the war, which has led to the deaths of thousands of people, without a deal that prevents Iran from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon, the primary aim Trump cited when he launched strikes in February in the midst of nuclear talks. Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful.

Speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential diplomacy, the senior Iranian official said Tehran believed its latest proposal to shelve nuclear talks for a later stage was a significant shift aimed at facilitating an agreement.

Under the proposal, the war would end with a guarantee that Israel and the United States would not attack again. Iran would open the strait, and the United States would lift its blockade.

Future talks would then be held on curbs to Iran’s nuclear program in return for the lifting of sanctions, with Iran demanding Washington recognise its right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes, even if it agrees to suspend it.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/after-trump-dismissed-another-proposal-iran-says-ball-is-in-us-court-ready-for-negotiated-settlement-or-war-101777772489265.html

Major airlines and the U.S. government scrambled to help stranded passengers and employees after bankrupt discount carrier Spirit Airlines (FLYYQ.PK), ceased operations on Saturday, the industry’s first ​casualty linked to the Iran war.
The collapse overnight of the carrier following a doubling in jet fuel prices during the two-month-old Iran war will cost thousands of ‌jobs. It is a blow to President Donald Trump, who had proposed $500 million to save Spirit despite opposition from some of his closest advisers and many Republicans in Congress.

Spirit’s demise highlights the unintended consequences of the U.S.-Israel war against Iran, despite an uneasy ceasefire. While Spirit was already struggling to turn a profit before the fuel shock, global carriers are contending with surging jet fuel prices as Iran continues to halt nearly all traffic through ​the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. Navy blockades Iranian ports.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told a news conference that creditors had rejected the deal despite intense efforts by the Trump ​administration to keep Spirit alive. The collapse will result in the loss of about 15,000 jobs of Spirit employees and contractors, the airline said.

Some ⁠of Spirit’s largest creditors, including Ken Griffin’s Citadel, a major hedge fund and one of the airline’s top bondholders, opposed the government‑backed rescue, arguing the terms would dilute the value of ​their claims by placing federal financing ahead of existing debt.

FOND TRIBUTES ON SOCIAL MEDIA

No U.S. carrier of Spirit’s size – it accounted for 5% of U.S. flights last year – has liquidated in two ​decades. Spirit helped keep fares lower in markets where it competed against major carriers.
On social media platform X on Saturday morning, where travelers often go to vent about delayed or canceled flights, many sent nostalgic posts about the budget airline’s closure.
“Goodbye SpiritAirlines. Those of us in the “D” (Detroit), or previously known as your Second Hub of #DTW, will miss ya,” said @IUTruthtellers2.
Others on X posted stories of their experiences flying on Spirit, including the hashtag “RIP” ​in their messages.

At the Orlando International Airport, a digital departure display sign was filled with bright red notifications of canceled Spirit flights that had destinations everywhere from Nashville to San Juan, ​Puerto Rico.

United Airlines (UAL.O) , Delta Air Lines (DAL.N), JetBlue (JBLU.O), and Southwest (LUV.N), are all capping ticket prices for Spirit customers who now need to rebook canceled flights and customers must provide a Spirit flight confirmation number to qualify. Rival ‌airlines are ⁠also offering free seats to help Spirit employees get home.
“This is the airline industry stepping up,” Duffy said.
Duffy noted that U.S. low-cost carriers have sought $2.5 billion in government aid to address higher fuel costs, but he did not think a government bailout was necessary “at this point.”

AIRLINE COLLAPSED OVERNIGHT

Duffy took a swipe at the former administration of President Joe Biden, arguing that its blocking of a merger in 2024 between JetBlue and Spirit paved the way for the airline’s collapse. Spirit had filed for bankruptcy protection twice within a year and had not made a profit since 2019.

Spirit ​built its brand around affordable fares for budget-conscious ​travelers ready to eschew add-ons such as ⁠checked bags and seat assignments. That demand tapered off after the pandemic as passengers preferred to opt for comfort and experience-based travel, leaving ultra-low-cost carriers struggling to adapt.
Spirit’s shutdown will benefit rivals such as JetBlue and Frontier Airlines (ULCC.O), also reeling from the cost shock. Spirit had 4,119 ​domestic flights scheduled between May 1 and May 15, offering 809,638 seats, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.
Trump said on Friday ​that the White House ⁠had given Spirit and its creditors a final rescue proposal after talks hit an impasse over a $500 million financing package that would have helped the airline keep operating through bankruptcy.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/us/airlines-scramble-help-stranded-spirit-passengers-after-budget-carrier-collapses-2026-05-02/

A planned drawdown of 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany should spur Europe to strengthen its own defences, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Saturday, ​but two top U.S. Republican lawmakers expressed concern, saying the troops should not leave Europe.
The Pentagon announced the drawdown from Germany, its largest European base, on Friday, ‌as a rift over the Iran war and tariff tensions placed further strain on relations between the U.S. and Europe.

“We’re going to cut way down and we’re cutting a lot further than 5,000,” U.S. President Donald Trump said in remarks to reporters in Florida on Saturday when asked about the plan.
As part of the U.S. decision, a Biden-era plan to deploy a U.S. battalion with long-range Tomahawk missiles to Germany has also been dropped – a blow to Berlin, which had pushed for the move as a ​powerful deterrent against Russia.
Republican lawmakers Senator Roger Wicker and Representative Mike Rogers, the chairs of the Senate and House armed services committees, said they were “very concerned.” They said the troops should not ​be moved from Europe, but moved east.

“Prematurely reducing America’s forward presence in Europe before those capabilities are fully realized risks undermining deterrence and sending the wrong ⁠signal to (Russian President) Vladimir Putin,” they said in a joint statement.

NATO WORKING WITH WASHINGTON ON DETAILS

Pistorius said the partial withdrawal was expected and would affect a current U.S. presence of almost 40,000 soldiers stationed ​in Germany.
“We Europeans must take on more responsibility for our own security,” Pistorius said, adding, “Germany is on the right track” by expanding its armed forces, speeding up military procurement and building infrastructure.
Trump called for a reduced military ​presence in Germany as far back as his first term and has repeatedly urged Europe to take responsibility for its defence. However, he stepped up the threat earlier this week after sparring with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has questioned Washington’s exit strategy in the Middle East.

The Pentagon said the troop withdrawal was expected to be completed over the next six to 12 months. It did not say which bases would be affected, nor whether the troops would return to the U.S. ​or be redeployed within Europe or elsewhere.
A NATO spokesperson said the alliance was working with the U.S. to understand the details of the decision.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, whose country is seeking assurances of ​continued U.S. support on NATO’s eastern flank amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, also expressed concern about the latest setback to the alliance.
“The greatest threat to the transatlantic community are not its external enemies, but the ongoing disintegration of our alliance. ‌We must all ⁠do what it takes to reverse this disastrous trend,” Tusk wrote on X on Saturday.
The Pentagon’s plans were the latest blow to Germany from Washington this weekend, after Trump said he would ratchet up tariffs on EU auto imports to 25%, accusing the EU of not upholding a trade deal – in a move that threatens to cost the German economy billions.
A foreign policy official from Chancellor Merz’s CDU party said the two announcements should be viewed in light of pressure on Trump both at home and abroad, amid weak opinion polling and pressure over unresolved conflicts in Ukraine, Venezuela and Iran.
“Against this backdrop, both the troop withdrawal and the trade ​policy seem less like the expression of a ​coherent strategy and more like a political reflex ⁠and a reaction born of frustration,” Peter Beyer told Reuters.

LONG-RANGE FIRES BATTALION CANCELLED

NATO members have pledged to take on more responsibility for their own defence but with tight budgets and vast gaps in military capability, it will take years for the region to meet its own security needs.
Germany wants to boost the number ​of active-duty Bundeswehr soldiers from a current 185,000 to 260,000, though critics of the defence minister have called for more in response to a widely ​perceived growing threat from Russia.
The ⁠U.S. military presence in Germany, which began as an occupation force after World War Two, peaked during the 1960s when hundreds of thousands of American military personnel were stationed there to counter the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
The presence includes the giant Ramstein airbase and Landstuhl hospital, both of which have been used by the U.S. to support its war in Iran, as well as previous conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-troop-drawback-underlines-european-defence-responsibility-german-minister-2026-05-02/

President Donald Trump said on Friday the U.S. Navy was acting “like pirates” in carrying out Washington’s naval blockade ​of Iranian ports during the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran.
Trump ‌made the comments while describing the seizure by U.S. forces of a ship a few days ago.

“We took over the ship, we took over ​the cargo, we took over the oil. It’s a very ​profitable business,” Trump said in remarks on Friday evening. “We’re ⁠like pirates. We’re sort of like pirates but we are not ​playing games.”

Some of Tehran’s vessels have been seized by the U.S. after leaving ​Iranian ports, along with sanctioned container ships and Iranian tankers in Asian waters.

Iran has blocked nearly all ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz apart from its ​own since the start of the war. Trump has imposed ​a separate blockade of Iranian ports.
The U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on February ‌28. ⁠Iran responded with its own strikes on Israel and Gulf states that host U.S. bases. U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed thousands and displaced millions.
The war has raised oil prices ​and led to the ​blockade of ⁠the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-says-us-navy-acting-like-pirates-carry-out-naval-blockade-iranian-ports-2026-05-02/

Six months after finally giving birth to her first child, following a years-long struggle to conceive, Chrissy Walters was told her daughter would likely grow up without her.

Walters had suffered a major bleed while at home in Toowoomba – a small city two hours inland of Brisbane – and several hospital visits, doctor appointments and biopsies later, the then 39-year-old was handed an advanced cervical cancer diagnosis.

“I just said to [my husband] Neil… there has been a huge mistake,” Walters recalls.

She’s now spent more than a decade undergoing treatments – both debilitating and incredibly invasive – but the cancer has spread to other parts of her body. Her doctors say her diagnosis is now terminal.

“I would never wish [this] on my worst enemy,” she says.

Her daughter, now 12, has grown up with the disease omnipresent in her life – Walters says the family was having frank conversations about dying when she was as young as three.

But in 2026, her daughter has reached the age when Australia begins vaccinating children in its bid to eliminate the disease that will eventually take her mother’s life.

The country is on track to do that within a decade, and is now racing other nations to become the first in the world to eliminate a form of cancer.

A two-pronged approach to elimination

It’s a scene familiar to many who’ve attended an Australian high school: a long line of fidgety 12 and 13-year-olds take their seat on a plastic chair, one by one, assured by a nurse that the needle will only hurt for a moment.

Minutes later, they head back to class, sporting a circular plaster on their upper arm.

There are three vaccinations offered to high school students as part of the National Immunisation Programme, including the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.

Though HPV can have no symptoms, and even disappear without treatment, some high-risk strains can develop into cervical cancer, the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide.

Fortunately, it is also one of the few causes of cancer people can be vaccinated against.

A global leader in cervical cancer control, Professor Karen Canfell has seen the impact of the disease both in and beyond Australia. The epidemiologist tells the BBC it feels like “everyone has a mother or a sister or a grandmother that’s been impacted by cervical cancer”.

But in 2006, in a lab at the University of Queensland, there was a breakthrough.

After decades of research, Australian scientists had developed a pioneering new jab, named Gardasil, which could prevent HPV – and it had been approved by the medicines regulator. One year later, Australia became the first country in the world to roll out a national vaccination programme.

The vaccine gave global health experts hope for a future without the cancer, with modelling designed by Canfell and the World Health Organisation (WHO) charting a path to elimination.

“Public health innovations in Australia sort of gave a general exemplar for WHO to follow,” says Canfell.

Along with its broad vaccination programme – which in 2013 was expanded to include boys, who can be carriers of the virus – it also has a high-grade screening scheme.

In 2017, Australia was one of the first countries to transition from a pap smear to a more sensitive HPV-based cervical screening, which is only required every five years.

The nation was also one of the first to offer women the option of collecting a sample themselves – which the government has described as a “game-changer”, particularly for those apprehensive about pelvic exams, or people with time and healthcare access barriers.

Is Australia on track?

In practical terms, eliminating cervical cancer as a public health issue in Australia does not mean it would become a thing of the past entirely – scientists define elimination as fewer than four cases of cervical cancer per 100,000 people.

Assessors have published a report stating the country is on track to meet its target of eliminating the cancer by 2035 – and it may even get there early.

Since 1982, when records began, incidence and mortality rates for cervical cancer in Australia have both halved.

Most promisingly, the most recent data from 2021 shows, for the first time, there were no cervical cancer cases diagnosed in women under the age of 25.

“It’s not all women of all ages yet, but you can see that concept of elimination being realised,” Canfell said.

Australia currently has about 6.3 new cases per 100,000 women. Vaccination of girls under 15 hovers just over 80%, and 85% of women in the most critical age group have been screened for cervical cancer.

But Canfell warns the progress report does show a slight decline in vaccination rates – particularly among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, who continue to face greater barriers to healthcare access and worse health outcomes than the broader population.

Rates of cervical cancer are twice as high for Indigenous women, and they’re also more than three times as likely to die from the disease.

“They’re often detected at a later stage of cancer than non-Indigenous women,” says Dr Natalie Strobel, an epidemiologist specialising in disease prevention in Indigenous communities.

Research has indicated that, on the current trajectory, cervical cancer will be eliminated for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women 12 years later than the national 2035 target.

Strobel and her research partner Jocelyn Jones also say vaccine hesitancy in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, the rising cost of medical services and children missing school – and thus, the vaccine – are other factors which could hinder Australia reaching its goal.

“There’s not a lot of a concerted effort to get them back in if they’ve missed it… The onus is very much on families to get their child caught up on that vaccine,” Jones explains, adding that many don’t realise it is free.

Expense is also a barrier to Australia’s success being replicated in low and middle-income nations, who might not have the resources or the healthcare systems to support the push to elimination, researchers say.

Canfell and her team have tried to convince governments cervical cancer elimination is a worthwhile investment, which will save them money in the long run.

Beyond saving lives and having an “incredible societal impact”, women can remain part of the workforce and economic productivity is increased. At risk of sounding insensitive, there is evidence of a “return on investment”, Canfell says.

Australia – through public money and philanthropy – is now helping its neighbours, countries like Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea, pursue elimination too.

However global cuts to foreign aid – which supports HPV vaccination in low-income nations – have had significant impact; in March 2025, US President Donald Trump announced he would end support for Gavi, an alliance that buys critical jabs for developing countries.

“To say the obvious thing, we are obviously lucky to be in a high-income country where we have a form of universal healthcare and access for all,” Canfell says.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd6w15vgp7lo

The US Defence Department plans to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, amid a spat between President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the war with Iran.

The decision comes a day after Trump criticised Merz, who suggested the US had been “humiliated” by Iranian negotiators.

In social media posts on Thursday, Trump said Merz was “doing a terrible job” and had “problems of all kinds”, including on immigration and energy. Trump has also suggested pulling US troops from Italy and Spain.

The US has a significant military presence in Germany, with more than 36,000 active duty troops assigned to bases across the country as of last December.

In a statement, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the order had come from Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.

“This decision follows a thorough review of the Department’s force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theater requirements and conditions on the ground,” he said.

“We expect the withdrawal to be completed over the next six to twelve months.”

Trump, a longtime critic of the Nato alliance, has been lashing out at allies over their refusal to participate in operations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Asked on Thursday whether he would also consider pulling US troops from Italy and Spain, Trump responded: “I probably will – look, why shouldn’t I?”

“Italy has not been of any help to us and Spain has been horrible,” he added, criticising them for their response to the war in Iran.

“In all cases they said, ‘I don’t want to get involved.'”

Merz told university students earlier this week that “the Americans clearly have no strategy” and he could not see “what strategic exit” they might choose.

“The Iranians are obviously very skilled at negotiating, or rather, very skilful at not negotiating, letting the Americans travel to Islamabad and then leave again without any result,” he said.

He added that the “entire nation” was being “humiliated” by the Iranian leadership.

In response, Trump took to his platform Truth Social, where he said Merz thought it was “OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon” and “doesn’t know what he’s talking about”.

“No wonder Germany is doing so poorly, both Economically, and otherwise!” the post read.

The BBC has contacted the German embassy in Washington for comment.

The US military deployment in Germany is by far its biggest in Europe, with about 12,000 troops in Italy and a further 10,000 in the UK.

Many are stationed at Ramstein Air Base outside the south-western German city of Kaiserslautern.

Trump has previously proposed US troop reductions in Germany, but they have so far not come in to effect.

Only Japan hosts a larger US troop presence.

In 2020, a proposal to move 12,000 US troops from Germany either to other Nato countries in Europe or back to the US was blocked by Congress and then reversed by President Joe Biden.

At the time, Trump had accused Germany of being “delinquent” because its military spending was well below Nato’s target of 2% of economic output (GDP).

But that has changed dramatically under the Merz government.

Germany is projected to spend €105.8bn (£91bn) in 2027 – with total defence expenditure next year set to reach 3.1% of GDP.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0729d374mxo

THIS is the shocking moment a defenceless nun is brutally attacked by a man in the heart of Jerusalem.

Harrowing CCTV footage shows the unsuspecting nun walking alone when a man suddenly sprints towards her from behind and violently shoves her with full force.

The nun, who was wearing a tunic, is hurled to the floor and viciously kicked in broad daylight.

She is seen writhing in pain and clutching her head as the attacker walks away then suddenly strides back towards her.

He begins to repeatedly kick the stricken woman as she lies helplessly on the ground.

The assault only stops when a bystander rushes in to intervene.

The attack took place in front of the Cenacle on Mount Zion – a deeply significant religious site for both Christians and Jews.

Some Christians believe Jesus held the Last Supper at this location.

Police confirmed a suspect has now been arrested.

“The suspect, a 36-year-old male, was identified and subsequently arrested by police,” the force said, adding it viewed with “utmost severity” any violent act “driven by potentially racist motives and directed toward members of the clergy”.

Officers said the man was detained “on suspicion of assault, with all potential motives under examination”.

The assault comes amid wider tensions, following a separate incident earlier this month in which Israeli soldiers were removed from combat duty after destroying a statue of Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon.

The act drew widespread condemnation.

The Israeli military said it viewed the incident with “great severity”, adding the soldier’s conduct was “wholly inconsistent with the values expected”.

Footage released by police showed the nun visibly bruised, while the attacker appeared to be wearing tzitzit – a garment associated with observant Jewish men.

The Times of Israel reported that the arrested suspect was Jewish.

The victim – a 48-year-old nun – has been left deeply shaken by the ordeal.

Father Olivier Poquillon said: “Yesterday, around 17.45 … she felt someone come up behind her and throw her with full force onto a rock.

“While the sister was on the ground, the man began to kick her repeatedly.”

He had earlier blasted the incident as a “gratuitous assault”, describing it as an “act of sectarian violence” and warning that “the scourge of hatred is a common challenge”.

‘Pending the judicial follow-up, we thank the people who came to the aid of our sister during the attack she fell victim to, the diplomats, the academics, and all those who provided their support,’ he wrote.

The French Consulate in Jerusalem also issued a statement “strongly condemning” the attack.

Israel’s foreign ministry branded the assault a “shameful act”, insisting the country remains committed “to safeguarding freedom of religion and freedom of worship for all faiths”.

The Faculty of Humanities at Hebrew University said it was not an isolated case, warning of a “troubling pattern” of hostility towards Christians.

A European diplomatic source echoed those fears, claiming anti-Christian abuse – including insults and spitting at clergy – has become a daily occurrence.

Wadie Abunassar, coordinator of the Holy Land Christian Forum, said attacks targeting Christians are on the rise – but warned perpetrators often escape serious consequences.

He said he felt “great anger on the system and great sadness because I feel that this will not end anytime soon”.

“Many times in such cases there are no arrests and if there are arrests, sometimes after one or two days, [suspects] are released,” he added.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/16302705/nun-kicked-jerusalem-jesus-statue-fury/

KYLIE Jenner has been sued by another member of her cleaning staff who made alarming claims about their working conditions.

A second housekeeper has filed a lawsuit against The Kardashians star, alleging she suffered cruel treatment while working at her Los Angeles mansion.

Just days earlier, one of Kylie‘s housekeepers claimed in a lawsuit exclusively obtained by The U.S. Sun that her co-workers “harassed” and “discriminated” against her while on the job.

Now, another housekeeper has spoken out, alleging that Kylie, 28, didn’t intervene, despite her sneaking a letter to the makeup mogul pleading for help.

According to documents obtained by the Los Angeles Times, Juana Delgado Soto has taken legal action against Kylie, Kylie Jenner Inc., staff supervisor Itzel Sibrian, Tri Star Services, and La Maison Family Services.

The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, alleges racial discrimination, harassment, failure to pay wages, failure to prevent or remedy harassment and discrimination, among other claims.

According to the lawsuit, Juana began working for the Kylie Cosmetics founder in May 2019.

She claimed that she was forbidden meal and rest breaks for the first few years of her employment, and that the alleged abuse escalated in late 2023, when Itzel became her direct supervisor.

Juana said that she filed a complaint with Human Resources in 2024, after she was mocked for her accent, immigration status, and race, and was called stupid.

As a result, Itzel was temporarily removed from her role, though she was later reinstated.

Juana claimed in the lawsuit that Itzel retaliated against her for making the complaint by reducing her hourly pay, changing her schedule, and assigning her an unreasonable amount of work.

Additionally, the housekeeper alleged that Itzel refused to let her leave early on her birthday and threatened to fire her if she didn’t stay late.

“No one cares about your birthday. Kylie is having a dinner,” Itzel allegedly told Juana per her lawsuit, which she said caused her to miss her own surprise party.

She also alleged she was denied adequate time off to grieve her brother’s sudden death, was told to “report to work immediately,” and was harassed when she requested time off for the funeral.

Juana further claimed that she attempted to reach out to Kylie for help by placing a letter on her massage bed immediately before the TV star’s pampering session.

“I need to express just how terribly I am mentally abused,” the letter stated, according to the lawsuit.

“I really apologize for letting you know about all these situations, I know you wouldn’t allow this to happen, if you were aware of it.”

However, she said this caused more problems with her co-workers.

Juana claimed the next day she was threatened with termination and instructed to never contact Kylie again.

“Defendants told her she was no longer allowed to look at Kylie, smile at Kylie and if she saw Kylie she would have to ‘disappear,’” the lawsuit alleged.

She also alleged that after she left the letter to Kylie, her supervisors forced her to leave the premises when the model was there.

They also allegedly restricted her access to the bathroom, made her clean the doghouse, and prohibited her from drinking “Kylie’s water” at the residence.

Juana resigned from her position in August 2025 by sending a text to her supervisors.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/16302400/kylie-jenner-housekeeper-lawsuit-forbidden-looking-water/

THE family of two victims in the devastating plane crash that killed Nascar legend Greg Biffle is suing his estate for $30 million after accusing him of being responsible for the tragedy.

Dennis Dutton and his son Jack both died on December 18 after Biffle’s Cessna C550 private plane burst into flames on impact while attempting to land shortly following takeoff at Statesville Regional Airport.

Seven people, including race star Biffle, his wife Cristina, and their children Emma and Ryder, died in the incident.

But fresh from the shock revelations that authorities are investigating claims that members of Biffle’s “inner circle” plotted to raid his finances, comes a new twist.

According to two wrongful death filings, the Duttons want substantial damages of $15 million each for the deaths of Dennis and Jack.

They claim responsibility for the horrific incident ultimately lies with Biffle, whose company GB Aviation Leasing LLC owned the plane, arguing he was responsible for ensuring its safety and proper operation.

Central to the lawsuits are claims that the aircraft was not adequately maintained and that key safety obligations were neglected.

A National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report released in January confirmed that Dennis, a retired airline pilot, was flying the plane alongside his son.

The Duttons’ lawsuits claim that the failures contributed to unsafe flying conditions and caused the fatal crash.

They also argue that the tragedy could have been prevented if proper procedures and oversight had been followed.

Biffle’s first wife, Nicole, with whom they shared 14-year-old Emma, is also suing for wrongful death and is demanding $10 million.

This latest development is another twist in a story that has stunned the Nascar community.

Biffle’s house was ransacked the month after the crash, with $30,000 in cash, racing memorabilia, and two Glock handguns taken.

But in a stunning turn of events, a search warrant application filed by an Iredell County sheriff’s detective indicates that investigators suspect a warped plan was hatched and carried out following the tragedy.

The warrant claims multiple instances of fraud were discovered across bank and financial accounts belonging to Biffle and his wife, pointing to a coordinated effort spanning several states that resulted in the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“It is the belief of this affiant that a plan has been in place by friends of Gregory Biffle and strategically executed after the death of the Biffle family,” an Iredell County sheriff’s detective wrote in a search warrant application that was filed in court on March 10, per The Charlotte Observer.

Reports indicate the pilot may have encountered issues early in the flight, prompting an emergency situation.

But despite efforts to regain control, the plane ultimately went down, sending shockwaves through both the aviation and racing communities.

“Dennis had about four decades of experience in the cockpit,” former neighbor Jonathan Donahue told The U.S. Sun.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/sport/16303150/greg-biffle-estate-wrongful-death-lawsuits-jack-dennis-dutton-plane-crash/

NEW York City will be on high alert in the coming days for the annual Met Gala, which is set to bring in big names like Jeff Bezos, Sabrina Carpenter and Angela Bassett.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art will be equipped with high-stakes security, including snipers and hostage negotiators, to mitigate any threat that could possibly disrupt the major fashion event.

The Met Gala, which is set to take place on Monday, can become a prime target for protestors.

In recent years, the event has been targeted by demonstrators protesting against the Gaza conflict, and with the ongoing Iran war, there is potential for more protestors.

The high-profile event has already been hit with a protest as officials discovered over 300 bottles of fake urine hidden inside the museum, SWNS reported.

The stunt came as backlash continues to grow that Bezos, the man behind Amazon, and his wife were made honorary co-chairs and lead sponsors of the Met Gala.

The fake urine stunt was reportedly organized by the UK campaign group Everyone Hates Elon, highlighting the e-commerce company’s “treatment of its workers.”

Workers have supposedly “reported being forced to urinate in bottles because they are not allowed time to take toilet breaks,” per SWNS.

Michael Alcazar, a former NYPD detective, revealed the details of the Met’s security in 2025, including the heavy police presence in the area.

While the event gears up to welcome big names in Hollywood, including Teyana Taylor, Zoë Kravitz and Cara Delevingne, security operations will be tight near the venue on 5th Avenue, Alcazar said.

“The NYPD has to be prepared for every eventuality,” he told The U.S. Sun.

Cops will be armed and patrolling the streets, while snipers will be stationed on the tops of buildings.

The ex-cop said a “frozen zone” will surround the Met, which could span as far as a mile, with barricaded areas.

“The NYPD is good at locking down an area,” he assured.

“No one will be allowed in there unless you’re attending the gala.”

At the event in 2025, a woman was physically stopped from entering the hotel where celebrities get ready for the event.

A shouting match ensued when she allegedly tried to blow past security guards just hours before the event began.

She told police she was staying at the hotel and after a brief discussion, she was allowed in.

Drones were also reportedly set to be deployed with cops utilizing license plate recognition software to keep an eye out for any vehicles that should not be in the area, Alcazar said.

“The area will be saturated with video surveillance, so we’re going to remove vehicles that are parked or don’t belong in the area,” he explained.

“We’re going to limit access so that vehicles can’t just drive up on the sidewalk on the streets.

“We’re going to have barrier trucks and concrete barriers to ensure the safety of all attendees and citizens of New York City.”

With the area on lockdown, some subway stations could close and taxis and Ubers could be rerouted.

Alcazar also revealed that arrest teams will be on standby patrolling the area to assist cops on the ground.

“Their sole purpose is to be activated if they have to make an arrest for disorderly groups or criminal element,” he said.

Authorities will have an arrest area set up, designated to process anyone who creates a disruption, with buses on standby to take disrupters to a central booking unit.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/16302367/met-gala-security-snipers-cops-hostage-negotiators-protestors/

AN update has been issued by officials investigating the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, who has been missing for three months.

Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today co-host Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing on February 1 after she was abducted from her home in Arizona.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department, which is leading the investigation, told The U.S. Sun that the search for the missing woman remains “active and ongoing.”

“Anyone with information related to the Nancy Guthrie case is encouraged to come forward,” a department spokesperson said in a statement to The U.S. Sun on Friday.

“Please contact 88-CRIME or the FBI tip line at 1-800-225-5324.”

The request for information comes days after a private lab in Florida shipped off DNA samples from the crime scene to the FBI after a retired agent said he believed the blood pattern on Guthrie’s front porch suggested there was a single abductor.

Officials discovered a trail of blood outside her Arizona home and the back door propped open.

A glove with a DNA profile was later found at the scene.

The FBI also received a hair sample from the crime scene 11 weeks into the investigation, but experts have said it could take weeks or months to get any information from it with more advanced testing.

“The Pima County Sheriff’s Department continues to work closely with the FBI as investigators follow up on leads, review information, and pursue the facts surrounding this case,” a department spokesperson told The U.S. Sun.

Officials are still not sure who was behind Guthrie’s abduction, but they had a slight breakthrough in the case with footage showing a man outside Guthrie’s door shortly after 2am on February 1.

The man was armed, wearing a backpack and gloves and disguised himself in a ski mask. He was also seen tearing plants from the property and attempting to cover the camera.

Guthrie was last seen by her daughter Annie Guthrie and Annie’s husband Tommaso Cioni, who have been ruled out as suspects, after they dropped her off at her home just before 10pm on January 31.

Guthrie’s doorbell camera was disconnected around 1:47am and her pacemaker app disconnected from her phone, which was found at her home, at 2:28am.

Multiple ransom letters have been sent out to media outlets, but after deadlines passed, it remained unclear whether or not the letters’ author(s) were part of Guthrie’s abduction.

Two ransom notes were sent to TMZ in early April, with one saying Guthrie was dead and another claiming to know the location of Guthrie’s body as well as who her kidnapper was.

Harvey Levin, TMZ’s founder, said the letter requested half a bitcoin in exchange for the information.

Guthrie’s three children have issued several pleas on social media, asking for the alleged abductor to provide proof that they have their mother.

We need you to reach out, and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward. But first, we have to know that you have our mom,” Camron Guthrie, Nancy’s son, said in a video on February 6.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has looked into several leads, including looking into possible incidents in the days leading up to Guthrie’s disappearance.

Investigators said in March they were looking into January 11, 21 days before Guthrie was reported missing, for a possible connection.

“We do believe that something occurred on Jan. 11, and that’s with the FBI’s analysis of the equipment and digital stuff they’ve done,” Sheriff Chris Nanos said, according to Arizona CBS affiliate KOLD.

The Guthrie family also made reference to January 11, asking for locals to come forward with any camera footage, observations or notes from that day that could pertain to the case.

Nanos and the department have come under fire for allegedly botching the investigation, with one whistleblower telling NewsNation, “From what I understand, that the people that were there on the scene were not tenured homicide detectives.”

“They didn’t have a lot of experience in homicide at that point, to include the supervisor who, from my understanding, never investigated a homicide before being installed as the supervisor for the homicide unit,” the source said.

Officials were also looking into January 24, a weekend date like January 11.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/16303322/nancy-guthrie-missing-update-sheriff-fbi-information-plea/

The Japanese leader will hold talks with Vietnamese President To Lam as both sides aim to boost bilateral ties amid a drop in Japanese investment in Vietnam.

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will meet top Vietnamese leaders in Hanoi on Saturday (May 2), with Japanese media saying she will make a speech touting a “free and open” Indo-Pacific region.

The trip is Takaichi’s first to Vietnam since becoming prime minister in October and she aims to deepen bilateral cooperation on energy security, supply chain resilience and technological innovation, according to Vietnamese state media reports.

She will meet Saturday with Prime Minister Le Minh Hung as well as top leader To Lam, the Communist Party boss who last month also became president.

Japan is Vietnam’s largest provider of official development assistance and a key investor and trading partner, with two-way trade surpassing US$50 billion for the first time last year.

Both countries share concerns about China’s territorial claims in the East and South China Seas, and both have sought to hedge against US-driven trade disruptions by broadening economic and security ties.

But Hanoi aims to stay on good terms with all global powers through its traditional “bamboo diplomacy” approach, while Tokyo has seen its already frosty relations with Beijing deteriorate markedly in recent months.

Takaichi drew a sharp rebuke from Beijing in November when she suggested that close US ally Japan might intervene militarily to thwart any Chinese attempt to take Taiwan.

China, which regards democratic Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to annex it, summoned Japan’s ambassador, warned Chinese citizens against visiting Japan and imposed trade restrictions.

Beijing has also slammed Takaichi’s calls for a “free and open Indo-Pacific”, saying they are a veiled attempt to promote bloc confrontation.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/japan-sanae-takaichi-lam-hanoi-talks-6095596

Grammy-winning rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michel of the Fugees has reported to federal prison to begin a 14-year sentence following a conviction over illegally funneling millions of dollars in foreign contributions to former President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign.

Michel reported to prison Thursday, a spokesperson said, with federal records listing him as an inmate at a low-security correctional institution in Arizona.

“Today is a painful day for Pras, for his family, and for everyone who believes in a fair system of justice. Pras honors the legal process as he reports to begin his sentence,” said Erica Dumas, a spokesperson for Michel, adding that his legal team is still contesting his charges.

“This chapter is difficult, but it is not his final one,” Dumas said.

Michel, 53, was convicted in 2023 on 10 counts, including conspiracy and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government. He was sentenced late last year.

Prosecutors said he obtained over $120 million from Malaysian billionaire Low Taek Jho — also known as Jho Low — and steered some of that money through straw donors to Obama’s campaign. Michel also tried to end a U.S. Justice Department investigation of Low, tampered with two witnesses and perjured himself at trial, prosecutors said. Low has maintained his innocence.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/fugees-pras-michel-conviction-29c1ca6e453c092e2fab8efb16779205

A federal appeals court has restricted access to one of the most common means of abortion in the U.S. by blocking the mailing of mifepristone prescriptions.

Friday’s unanimous ruling from a three-judge panel of the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is requiring that the abortion pill be distributed only in person and at clinics, overruling regulations set by the federal Food and Drug Administration.

The ruling, which is likely to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, is the biggest jolt to abortion policy in the U.S. since the 2022 Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade and allowed states to enforce abortion bans.

In the ruling, Judge Kyle Duncan, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, agreed with the state of Louisiana’s contention that allowing the drug to be mailed there makes moot the state’s ban on abortion at all stages of pregnancy.

“Every abortion facilitated by FDA’s action cancels Louisiana’s ban on medical abortions and undermines its policy that ‘every unborn child is human being from the moment of conception and is, therefore, a legal person,’” the ruling states.

Mifepristone is involved in most abortions in the US

Mifepristone was approved in 2000 as a safe and effective way to end early pregnancies. It is typically used in combination with a second drug, misoprostol.

Surveys have found that the majority of abortions in the U.S. are provided via pills and that about 1 in 4 abortions nationally are prescribed via telehealth.

One survey of abortion providers last year estimated that more women in states where abortion is banned obtained abortions that way than by traveling to other states.

Some Democratic-led states have laws that seek to protect providers who prescribe via telehealth to patients in places with bans.

That rise in prominence is why abortion opponents have targeted the pills in legislation and litigation.

Ruling goes against how courts usually view FDA decisions

There is little precedent for a federal court overruling the scientific regulations of the FDA, and it wasn’t immediately clear how quickly or completely the decision would impact mailing of the drug throughout the country.

Judges have long deferred to the agency’s judgments on the safety and appropriate regulation of drugs.

FDA officials under Trump have repeatedly stated that the agency is conducting a new review of mifepristone’s safety, at the direction of the president.

The judges, all nominated by Republican presidents, noted in their ruling that the FDA “could not say when that review might be complete and admitted it was still collecting data.”

Because of rare cases of excessive bleeding, the FDA initially imposed strict limits on who could prescribe and distribute the pill — only specially certified physicians and only after an in-person appointment where the person would receive the pill.

Both those requirements were dropped during the COVID-19 years. At the time, FDA officials under President Joe Biden said that after more than 20 years of monitoring mifepristone use, and reviewing dozens of studies involving thousands of women, it was clear that women could safely use the pill without direct supervision.

GenBioPro, which makes generic mifepristone, said in a statement the court’s decision “ignores the FDA’s rigorous science and decades of safe use of mifepristone in a case pursued by extremist abortion opponents.”

The impact isn’t just in states with bans

In a court filing, Louisiana’s attorney general and a woman who said she was coerced into taking abortion pills requested that the FDA rules be rolled back to when the pills were allowed to be prescribed and dispensed only in person.

A Louisiana-based federal judge last month ruled that those allowances undermined the state’s abortion ban but stopped short of undoing the regulations immediately.

Friday’s ruling is in effect as the case works its way through the courts and extends beyond Louisiana and states with abortion bans.

Telehealth prescriptions have become common even in states where abortion is allowed — and the ruling blocks them there, too.

“This is going to affect patients’ access to abortion and miscarriage care in every state in the nation,” said Julia Kaye, an ACLU lawyer. “When telemedicine is restricted, rural communities, people with low incomes, people with disabilities, survivors of intimate partner violence and communities of color suffer the most.”

The National Right to Life Committee said the ruling “restores a critical layer of oversight” in women’s health.

“Women deserve better than an abortion-by-mail system that prioritizes ideology over safety,” said Carol Tobias, the group’s president.

Next step could be an appeal to the nation’s top court

Danco Laboratories, another mifepristone manufacturer and a defendant in the lawsuit, asked the appeals court Friday after the ruling to put its order on hold for one week to give the company time to “seek relief” from the Supreme Court. If the court does not grant the request, the company said it will file an emergency appeal with the high court.

The conservative-majority Supreme Court overturned abortion as a nationwide right in 2022 but unanimously preserved access to mifepristone two years later.

That 2024 decision sidestepped the core issues, however, by ruling that the anti-abortion doctors behind the case didn’t have legal standing to sue.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pills-mail-louisiana-ruling-40d60a9bf6212480e527480757b603c3

A small plane carrying pickleball players crashed among trees in Texas Hill Country, killing all five people aboard, authorities said Friday.

The crash happened around 11 p.m. Thursday in Wimberley, a city about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of Austin, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.

“The pilot and four passengers on board were pronounced deceased on scene,” Sgt. Billy Ray told reporters.

Names of the victims were not immediately released by authorities, though the Amarillo Pickleball Club in Amarillo, Texas, said they were members who were flying to a tournament.

An unidentified woman wiped her eyes and fanned her face with her hands as she stood behind yellow police tape near the crash site Friday afternoon. A man consoled her.

The plane, a Cessna 421C, took off from Amarillo and was headed to New Braunfels National Airport, according to the flight history. Aerial photos posted online by the Austin American-Statesman showed the aircraft destroyed in a wooded area.

Ray said federal authorities were leading the investigation.

Stacey Rohr, who lives nearby, said she was in bed when she heard a crash and “felt everything vibrate.”

“It was so close I felt like it was the back of my place up in flames,” said Rohr, who immediately called her landlord.

The players were heading to a pickleball tournament at the Cranky Pickle in New Braunfels, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northeast of San Antonio, said Martin Robertson, head pro at the venue.

He said they canceled the tournament Friday and plan to say a prayer before they start Saturday and honor the players who died.

“We’re very heavy hearted, heartbroken from this,” he said. “The pickleball community is very tight knit. Everybody knows everybody.”

Dan Dyer, president of the Amarillo Pickleball Club, said he’d played many games with four of the five people who were killed.

“I’ve handed them medals. They were excellent players. They were out to win some games,” Dyer said. “Every weekend there are dozens of tournaments. Some people get the bug; others don’t. But once they do, they’ll travel for a tournament.”

Dyer said a second plane was traveling to the event from Amarillo at the same time. Authorities said it landed safely at the airport in New Braunfels.

“I haven’t heard anything from him,” the pilot of the second plane said, according to Air Traffic Control audio.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/texas-small-plane-crash-57cd22e7f5d91eb68a04a43a66b4ab5a

Brew-tally expensive.

Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol is getting roasted for being “out of touch” after defending the company’s $9 cup of coffee – insisting the steep price reflects a “premium experience” offered to customers.

The coffee giant’s chief – who earlier this year was granted access to the company jet for personal travel – said that customers across all income levels are willing and happy to shell out big money for a chance to interact with baristas or score a “great seat” inside the chain.

“What we’re seeing is people, you know, they want to have a special experience, and regardless of what your income level is, in some cases, a $9 experience does feel like you’re splurging,” Niccol told The Wall Street Journal’s “What’s News AM” podcast.

“And then, what that means is we have to make it worthwhile, right? And then in other cases, people believe, ‘Well this is a really affordable premium experience.’ Because they’re saying like, ‘Well it’s less than $10 and I get a really premium experience,’” he continued.

“So, regardless of where you’re stationed in those income cohorts, we want to make that experience worth your while. And what we know is what’s definitely something that drives that value is to be able to have a great seat, having a great moment of connection with a barista.”

When podcast host Luke Vargas pressed on whether a “K-shaped” economy – where the wealthy recover while everyone else struggles post-pandemic – was hitting Starbucks‘ bottom line, Niccol said it wasn’t impacting the company’s business or revenue.

He even bragged how the coffee chain is “doing really well” with younger generations.

“We’re doing really well with Gen Z and millennials, and then really had strong performances across all income cohorts,” Niccol said, adding customers have described Starbucks visits as a form of escapism.

“It can start with as little as $3 for a traditional cup of coffee. And then obviously you can build your way into all sorts of customized drinks that people love that move that ticket up…. The way we’re going to play the value game is you’re going to feel like it was worth it.”

He insisted customers value the experience over discounts or flashy one-off promotions.

Source : https://nypost.com/2026/05/01/us-news/starbucks-ceo-roasted-as-out-of-touch-over-defense-of-9-coffee-affordable-premium-experience/

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman now has an OPEC challenge to deal with on top of the largest ever disruption to global oil supplies.
The Iran war ​has not only hobbled Gulf crude exports but has meant Saudi Arabia and other members of the group of oil-producing countries are unable to tap the spare capacity usually deployed in ‌times of crisis.

This week’s sudden departure of OPEC’s fourth-largest producer last year, the United Arab Emirates, taking with it spare capacity second only to the kingdom’s, poses a formidable test for the first royal Saudi oil minister whose style has shifted from painstaking diplomacy to increasingly unilateral decision making, said two delegates from the broader OPEC+ group, an alliance with Russia and a number of other producers.

“The UAE has been chafing inside OPEC for years and never got a fair hearing over its…quota. So now the chickens have come home to ​roost,” said Jim Krane, a fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute.
Also known as ABS, Prince Abdulaziz’s OPEC+ power stems from Saudi Arabia’s massive oil and spare capacity. Unlike past energy ministers, he is a royal ​backed by his half-brother, de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
ABS waged and won a price war with Russia in 2020 when Moscow initially refused to cut ⁠production as demand plummeted, later telling a Saudi documentary: “It was an issue of to be or not to be – who is the boss of this sector.”

He also repeatedly defied former U.S. President Joe Biden’s calls for production hikes. ​In 2022, OPEC granted ABS, now 66, unprecedented powers, trusting him as chairman to call meetings at any time.
Now, his demand for market discipline is set to meet a new reality. Should the Strait of Hormuz reopen and Gulf ​oil production normalise, an unconstrained UAE, which accounted for 12% of OPEC production last year, represents a variable the Saudi prince can no longer control.
The Saudi government communications office, the Saudi energy ministry and the UAE’s energy and foreign ministries did not reply to requests for comment.

LITTLE ROOM FOR DEBATE

During the pandemic-driven oil market crash of 2020, ABS insisted on a unanimous agreement for historic OPEC+ production cuts, driving days of marathon negotiations until a diplomatic compromise involving the United States shouldering a share of lone holdout Mexico’s ​output curbs was reached.

But that gruelling commitment to unity has since hardened, the two OPEC+ delegates said.
Saudi officials now typically inform ministers from smaller OPEC+ producers of the final agreement the day before meetings take place, the pair ​said. At one recent meeting, calls went first to Russia’s Alexander Novak, then representatives of the other six countries committed to voluntary cuts, lasting less than half an hour in total, one of the delegates added.
Several delegates have acknowledged that Saudi Arabia ‌bears the ⁠brunt of output cuts. Still, the source added that the lack of consultation on major decisions was an annoying departure from past practice, while noting that OPEC+ had also marginalised the role of its technical expert assessments in late 2022, effectively pushing decisions directly to ministers, with little room for debate.

“We appreciate what His Royal Highness is doing for the oil price,” the delegate said, however, speaking on condition of anonymity.
While the recent events have prompted questions over OPEC’s survival and its alliance with Russia, one of the delegates and another source familiar with the group’s thinking told Reuters that the crisis would ultimately strengthen cohesion, making for smoother decision-making.

RIVALRY

Saudi Arabia and the UAE’s geopolitical rivalry burst open at ​the turn of the year when fighting broke out ​in Yemen between opposing factions supported by Riyadh and ⁠Abu Dhabi.
A long-simmering oil dispute within OPEC had already come to the boil in 2021, when Abu Dhabi demanded a higher output quota. A deal securing a 300,000 barrel-a-day boost was only secured after grievances were aired publicly.
“It is unreasonable to accept further injustice and sacrifice – we have been patient,” UAE Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei told Sky ​News Arabia at the time.
A frustrated ABS told Al Arabiya that “a bit of rationality and a bit of compromise saves OPEC+”, adding that he had “never seen such ​a demand” in his 34 years ⁠of attending OPEC meetings.
The UAE’s quota had risen by about 500,000 bpd, or 0.5% of global demand since 2019, more than that of the group’s other members. That included a boost to the UAE’s target in June 2023, when Angola and Nigeria saw theirs cut. Angola quit months later in anger.
The Saudis had made the concessions as the UAE committed to spending $150 billion on an expansion plan to build more capacity, but on Tuesday it left the group anyway.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/newsmaker-saudi-oil-princes-iron-grip-faces-ultimate-test-with-uaes-shock-opec-2026-05-01/

U.S. President Donald Trump declared that a ceasefire had “terminated” hostilities against ​Iran, as he sought to bolster his argument that he does not need lawmakers’ permission to continue the conflict.
In a letter to ‌congressional leaders on Friday, the deadline to come to Congress about the war, Trump said there has been no exchange of fire with Iran since the ceasefire. “The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated,” he said.

Under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, a U.S. president can wage military action for only 60 days before ending it, asking Congress for ​authorization or seeking a 30-day extension due to “unavoidable military necessity regarding the safety of United States Armed Forces” while withdrawing forces.
On Friday, Iranian ​state news agency IRNA said Tehran had sent its latest proposal for negotiations with the U.S. to Pakistani mediators. Trump ⁠swiftly rejected it.
The president formally notified Congress of the conflict 48 hours after the first airstrikes two months ago, starting the 60-day clock that ends ​May 1.

As the date approached, congressional aides and analysts said they expected the Republican president to sidestep the deadline. A senior Trump administration official had said on Thursday ​the administration’s view was that the war powers law deadline did not apply.
Trump said he considered the war powers law unconstitutional. Both Republican and Democratic presidents have contended the measure violated the Constitution because it sets limits on the president’s powers as commander-in-chief. Legal experts say the matter has not been decided by the courts.
“We had a ceasefire, so that ​gives you additional time,” Trump said before leaving Washington for Florida.

NO WAY OUT: DEMOCRATIC SENATOR

Congressional Democrats, who have tried repeatedly to pass war powers legislation ​that would force Trump to end the war or come to Congress for authorization, dismissed that characterization, saying there was nothing in the 1973 law allowing for a ceasefire.

They ‌also said ⁠that the continuing deployment of U.S. ships blockading Iranian oil exports was evidence of continuing hostility, not a ceasefire.
“After sixty days of conflict, President Trump still does not have a strategy or way out for this poorly planned war,” Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement calling the deadline “a clear legal threshold” for Trump to act.
In his letter to Congress, Trump acknowledged that the conflict may not be ​resolved. He said Iran still poses ​a “significant” threat to the United States ⁠and its armed forces.

PARTY LOYALTY AS ELECTIONS LOOM

Trump’s fellow Republicans, who hold slim majorities in the Senate and House of Representatives and rarely break from Trump, have voted almost unanimously to block every resolution seeking to end the conflict.
The Iran ​war has killed thousands, caused billions of dollars in damage and roiled world markets, disrupting energy shipments and boosting a ​wide range of consumer ⁠prices.
Polls show the war is unpopular among Americans, six months before November elections that will determine who controls Congress next year.
The U.S. Constitution says only Congress, not the president, can declare war, but that restriction does not apply to short-term operations or to counter an immediate threat.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/white-house-says-iran-war-terminated-war-powers-deadline-arrives-2026-05-01/

A new AI-powered technology is locating sperm cells in men who were told they had none – and giving couples who have been trying for years another chance at having children.

It was early November 2025 when Penelope received a call whilst driving home from work in New Jersey in the US. It was her doctor, phoning with news she had been longing for. After an agonising two and a half years of trying, Penelope was finally pregnant.

After many tests, Penelope and her husband Samuel had learned that he had Klinefelter syndrome, a genetic condition that affects males who are born with an extra X chromosome, often not diagnosed until adulthood. Most people with Klinefelter syndrome produce little or no sperm in their ejaculate, a condition known as azoospermia. About 10% of infertile men experience azoospermia.

Bursting with joy and disbelief, Penelope waited until Samuel (both their names have been changed to protect their identity for privacy reasons) returned home that evening to share the news.

“His face was just a wave of emotion,” she says. “He cried… just to finally get to that point, because it took so much effort, time and research. And the fact that we only had one embryo, and it worked, we were just over the Moon.”

Their pregnancy was only made possible thanks to a new technique, known as the Star (Sperm Track and Recovery) system, developed by Columbia University to trace sperm in men with azoospermia. The system uses artificial intelligence to help identify and locate the few “hidden” sperm that men with this condition can have.

“I was scared. I thought that I wasn’t going to be able to have my own kid, which is a really big part of my life,” says Samuel, who was told he had a 20% chance of having a biological child. “And that was a big slap in the face.”

Infertility affects millions of people worldwide, with around one in every six people of reproductive age experiencing problems with getting pregnant at least once in their lifetime. Male infertility is a contributing factor in up to 50% of cases and 1% of all men are azoospermic.

This means potentially millions of men worldwide have sperm counts so low that their individual spermatozoa are so hard to find that they are considered to be azoospermic. But the power of AI to find these hidden sperm could offer hope to those hoping to become parents.

” You’re trying to find that really rare sperm in a sea of all this other debris and cell fragments – Zev Williams

The interruption to supplies of fertiliser and its key ingredients due to the war in Iran could cost up to 10 billion meals a week globally and will hit poorest countries hardest, according to the boss of one of the world’s biggest fertiliser producers.

Svein Tore Holsether, chief executive of Yara, told the BBC that hostilities in the Gulf, which have blocked shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, are jeopardising global food production.

Reduced crop yields as a result of lower fertiliser use could lead to a bidding war for food, he warned.

He urged European nations to consider carefully the impact of a price war on the “most vulnerable” in other countries.

Although the UK is very unlikely to face food shortages, the increased costs facing food producers are expected to start showing up on weekly food bills in the next few months.

“We’re up to half a million tons of nitrogen fertiliser not being produced in the world right now because of the situation we are in,” Holsether said.

“What does that mean for food production? I would get to up to 10 billion meals that will not be produced every week as a result of the lack of fertilisers.”

Not applying nitrogen fertiliser would reduce crop yields for some crops by as much as 50% in the first season, Holsether said.

“The fertiliser market is very global so these parts are moving across the planet, but the main destinations would be Asia, South East Asia, Africa, Latin America where you would see the most immediate impact from this.”

Parts of the world where there is already under-fertilisation, such as several countries in sub Saharan Africa, could see an even larger impact on crop yields, he added, saying “significant drops” there were possible.

Planting seasons vary across the world. In the UK it is peak planting season, while in Asia farmers are getting started.

The consequences of fertiliser shortages in Asia will not appear in food prices until the end of the year, when harvests that should have been planted this spring come in smaller than they should, or not at all, according to analysts.

Professor Paul Teng, a senior fellow in food security in Singapore, said some countries might have enough fertiliser for the immediate planting season “but if the crisis drags on any longer, we will be seeing impact on crops such as rice in the coming months”.

Farmers around the world are facing a daunting series of challenges, Holsether said, as the prices they can command for the food they produce have not yet adjusted to cover the higher bills they are facing.

“They’re faced with higher energy costs, diesel for a tractor is increasing, other inputs for the farmers are increasing, fertiliser cost is increasing, but yet the crop prices haven’t increased to the same extent yet,” he said.

Bidding war

According to the United Nations, around a third of the world’s fertilisers – such as urea, potash, ammonia and phosphates – normally pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

The price of fertiliser has soared by 80% since the beginning of the US and Israel’s war on Iran.

A continuation of the conflict could result in a bidding war for food between richer and poorer nations, Holsether added.

“If there’s a bidding war on food and one that Europe is robust enough to handle, what we need to keep in mind in Europe is, OK, in that situation, who are we buying the food away from?

“That is a situation where the most vulnerable people pay the highest price for this in developing nations where they cannot afford to follow that.”

That had implications for “food affordability, food scarcity and hunger” the Yara boss said.

In the UK, the Food and Drink Federation recently forecast that food inflation could reach 10% by December.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpwp50v4ye7o

The detained former Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been moved to house arrest, the country’s state media has reported.

The 80-year-old Nobel laureate has been held in detention – probably in a military prison in the capital Nay Pyi Taw – since she was removed from office in a military coup in 2021.

A statement by military leader Min Aung Hlaing, who led the coup, said he had “commuted her remaining sentence to be served at the designated residence”.

Aung San Suu Kyi came to power in 2015 after Myanmar’s then rulers introduced democratic reforms. Before that, she spent decades of military rule as a pro-democracy activist, and was previously held for more than 15 years under house arrest.

State media broadcast a picture of her sitting with two uniformed personnel.

Her son Kim Aris said he was sceptical about the announcement and that he did not even have proof that she was alive. He said the picture was “meaningless” as it was taken in 2022.

“I hope this is true. I still haven’t seen any real evidence to show that she has been moved,” he told the BBC.

“So, until I’m allowed communication with her, or somebody can independently verify her condition and her whereabouts, then I won’t believe anything.”

Prior to the announcement, nothing was known about her health or living conditions, and Kim Aris said in December he had not heard from her in years.

Her legal team told Reuters they had had no direct notification about her house arrest.

Little has been seen – and nothing heard – from Aung San Suu Kyi since she was arrested on the day the armed forces ousted her elected government more than five years ago.

Her lawyers have not seen her for more than three years; her family has had no contact with her for more than two.

The only image of her seen before Thursday was at a court appearance in May 2021, at the start of a series of trials by the military on charges which have been widely dismissed as fabricated.

Since then, her 33-year sentence has been reduced several times.

Her sudden appearance in state media suggests the military authorities may be preparing for further changes in her status – possibly her partial or complete release.

The coup leader Min Aung Hlaing is eager to end his regime’s international isolation, and appears more confident after a string of battlefield wins against armed opposition groups.

The military junta also held an election earlier this year restoring a notionally democratic government, but which leaves the same military leaders in charge.

“The military regime that rules Myanmar is very much on a [public relations] offensive at the moment,” Sean Turnell, the former economic adviser to Aung San Suu Kyi, told the BBC’s Newsday programme.

He added that Myanmar’s military was “trying to convince the world that it’s a legitimate government”, and the reports of Aung San Suu Kyi’s relocation to house arrest were “part and parcel of that”.

While Turnell said he was “really hopeful” the reports were true, he has “got a lot of doubts”.

Turnell, an Australian economist, was detained alongside Myanmar’s democratically elected leaders for more than a year after the 2021 military coup.

During that time, he was kept in the same prison as Aung San Suu Kyi, where conditions were “medieval” and “just really really awful”, Turnell recalled, adding that the food and medical care were “bad” and the cells were “open to the elements”.

With Aung San Suu Kyi now 80 years old, those are “terrible conditions for her”, Turnell said.

During her earlier confinement, Aung San Suu Kyi’s dignified, non-violent resistance won her admirers across Myanmar and around the world, and she famously made speeches to supporters from her family home. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz72j8eex4eo

The public should be “alert and vigilant” but not “alarmed” following an increase to the terrorism threat level in the UK, the security minister has said.

The UK’s threat level was lifted from “substantial” to “severe” on Thursday for the first time in more than four years, following the stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green, north London, on Wednesday.

Dan Jarvis said the increase to the threat level was “not solely as a result of that attack”, but had also been “driven by an increase in broader Islamist and extreme right-wing” threats.

The stabbings, which have been declared terror by the Metropolitan Police, are the latest in a string of incidents targeting the UK Jewish community.

The “severe” threat level means that a terrorist attack is considered highly likely in the next six months.

Jarvis said the public should be reassured that the intelligence services, the police and government were “working round the clock to keep the public safe”.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the raising of the threat level “will be a source of concern to many, particularly amongst our Jewish community, who have suffered so much”.

But she insisted the government “will do everything in our power to rid society of the evil of antisemitism”, noting an earlier announcement increasing funding for policing and security around Jewish sites.

“As the threat level rises, I urge everyone to be vigilant, as they go about their daily lives, and report any concerns they have to the police,” Mahmood added.

The head of the Met’s counter-terrorism unit told reporters outside New Scotland Yard shortly after the level was raised that the UK had been “experiencing a gradual terrorist threat for some time”.

Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said: “Our casework is increasing across a number of ideologies, and within that, we are seeing an elevated threat to Jewish and Israeli individuals and institutions in the UK.

“We’re also working against an unpredictable global situation that has consequences closer to home, including physical threats by state linked actors.”

Taylor said police will be reviewing “all events across the country”.

Essa Suleiman, 45, remains in police custody having been arrested on the suspicion of attempting to murder Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Shine, 76, in Wednesday’s attack.

The Metropolitan Police said he had been referred to Prevent – a key part of the UK’s counter-terrorism strategy – in 2020 but the case was shelved later the same year.

Police also believe the suspect may have been involved in an earlier incident in south-east London on Tuesday.

It comes after a spate of incidents in recent months targeting the UK Jewish community.

Two Jewish people were killed in October last year and three left in a serious condition after a car ramming and stabbing attack outside a synagogue in Manchester. One of the men was killed by a bullet fired by police.

Earlier this year in March – near to the scene of Wednesday’s stabbings – four Jewish charity-owned Hatzola ambulances were set on fire in the car park of a synagogue in Golders Green.

In recent weeks the Finchley Reform Synagogue in north London was attacked and days later a bottle containing a type of accelerant was thrown through the window of Kenton United Synagogue.

The decision to raise the threat level to the second-highest threat level was taken by security and intelligence experts from the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) and independently of ministers, the government said.

The UK was last placed on a “severe” terrorism threat level in November 2021, after a bomb ignited outside Liverpool Women’s Hospital and the murder of MP Sir David Amess the previous month.

There are five terror threat levels in the UK:

• Critical: an attack is highly likely in the near future
• Severe: an attack is highly likely
• Substantial: an attack is likely
• Moderate: an attack is possible, but not likely
• Low: an attack is highly unlikely

Meanwhile, London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan said there will be extra police on the capital’s streets – including armed officers.

“I want to reassure all Londoners and visitors that we are doing everything possible to protect our city and keep all of our communities safe,” he sadi.

The raised level also comes against a backdrop of “increased state-linked physical threats which is encouraging acts of violence, including against the Jewish community”, the government added.

Some of the prior incidents have been linked to groups with ties to foreign regimes. Police have not made any such links with Wednesday’s attack.

Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley referred to a rise in “racist and antisemitic hate crime” while speaking in Golders Green on Wednesday.

He said police were aware that some people were being encouraged or paid to commit acts of violence by foreign organisations and hostile states – though he said he could not comment on any live investigations.

Elsewhere on Thursday, angry protesters jeered and heckled Sir Keir Starmer when he visited Golders Green to meet Jewish volunteer organisations and first responders on Thursday.

The prime minister said he understood the “high levels of anxiety and concern”, adding: “That anxiety has been there for a very long time, and the appalling terrorist attack yesterday made it worse.”

The government announced the extra £25m in funding for increased police patrols and security in Jewish communities. Funding will also be used to put further protections in place around synagogues, schools and community centres.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq6p4pz6p62o

A UTAH judge ordered Taylor Frankie Paul and her ex Dakota Mortensen to stay away from each other for three years during a court hearing on Thursday.

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star faced off against the father of her two-year-old son in court after they both filed protective orders against each other following domestic violence allegations.

After the 90-minute hearing, the judge ordered that Taylor and Dakota’s temporary protective orders be extended to three years, with both being forbidden from coming within 100 feet of the other.

If either party fails to abide by the order’s conditions, “an arrest can be made, and charges can be filed,” the judge solemnly warned Taylor and Dakota.

The judge did not yet rule on changing Taylor’s supervised visits with their son, Ever, and said he wanted to wait until May 11 to make any modifications to their current custody arrangement.

He said the parenting time for Taylor will remain at eight hours of supervised visits a week, though he did note that he was open to removing the supervision requirement.

Both Taylor and Dakota will return to court on June 1.

Before he announced his ruling, the judge ordered Dakota and Taylor: “You have to figure out how to function as co-parents.

“You’re linked together for the remainder of your lives.

“You’re modeling how you deal with conflict to a two-year-old. This is going to affect the child.

“This is a legacy of violence from generation to generation.”

The judge slammed Dakota for filming their physical fights, claiming his motivation was “preservation of evidence” and not the welfare of their child.

He said Dakota’s behavior is “calculating,” while Taylor’s aggression is “reactive.”

The judge also accused Dakota of “manipulating” and “controlling” Taylor.

After the hearing, Taylor’s attorney Eric M. Swinyard, released a statement to The U.S. Sun.

“Today’s hearing was a significant step forward as the Court entered protective orders requiring that Taylor’s ex-partner stays far away from her.

“Taylor was incredibly candid with the Court that she is not perfect and owned her faults, which is in direct contrast to how the other party presented their argument, despite evidence and input from law enforcement that showed otherwise.

“Taylor feels solidarity with the many survivors who have endured similar hardships behind closed doors and shared only part of their stories, and she remains grateful for the outpouring of support she continues to receive,” the statement concluded.

There were a slew of court filings entered before Thursday’s hearing, including letters of support from fellow Taylor’s Mormon Wives co-star Jessi Draper and from her sister, Aspen May.

During the hearing, Dakota’s attorney outlined several alleged domestic violence incidents against Taylor, including one from the night that Taylor was charged for domestic violence back in May 2023.

The attorney also claimed Taylor had threatened to ruin his career.

Taylor’s attorney rebutted Dakota’s request for a protective order.

He also claimed his client had gone through two miscarriages ahead of the 2023 arrest, and he said that alcohol was involved during that incident – but drinking is “no longer a factor.”

Taylor’s attorney claimed in May 2025, Dakota kicked her repeatedly while she was on the ground during an explosive fight.

He also claimed Dakota leaked a damning cellphone video to a media outlet, which ultimately led ABC execs to pull her season of The Bachelorette from air just days before the scheduled premiere.

Taylor’s attorney said Jessi claimed in her affidavit that Dakota planned to leak the 2023 video of Taylor’s violent behavior as an act of revenge.

The latest trouble began on March 19, when Dakota filed a protective order against the mother of their two-year-old son, whose birthday happened to be that same day.

The judge ruled that Taylor would be barred from seeing Ever until a new ruling was made on April 7.

Hours before the April 7 hearing, Taylor filed her own protective order against Dakota with new allegations of abuse during a February incident.

During that hearing, Taylor’s attorneys presented photos of bruising to support her claims that Dakota slammed her head into a truck dashboard during the February altercation.

Taylor also alleged that Dakota struck her knee and elbow and requested sex immediately following the fight.

Additionally, she cited a May 2025 incident where she claimed Dakota refused to leave her home and kicked her.

Following these filings, a judge granted Taylor a temporary protective order, requiring Dakota to stay at least 100 feet away from her.

Dakota has provided a vastly different account of the February incidents to the Draper City Police.

He alleged that on February 22, Taylor attacked him while he was in bed with their son, scratching his neck and face.

During the following day’s altercation, Dakota claimed Taylor mounted him, grabbed his throat, and screamed in his face, prompting him to shove her away in self-defense, an action Dakota claimed resulted in her head hitting the dashboard.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/tv/16298931/taylor-frankie-paul-dakota-three-year-protective-order/

 

JEFFREY Epstein’s suicide note has been kept secret for nearly seven years – locked in a New York Court house, it has been reported.

The bombshell note was discovered by a cellmate after Epstein was found unresponsive in his Manhattan jail cell with a strip of cloth around his neck.

Epstein survived the incident but was found dead just 18 days later.

The note was later sealed by a federal judge as part of the cellmate’s own criminal case, according to documents seen by the New York Times.

According to the cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, the note said it was “time to say goodbye”.

The outlet has not seen the note was told by the Justice Department that the agency had not seen it.

It comes after the DoJ released a tranche of files related to the disgraced financier earlier this year.

A two-page document in the records reportedly describes how the scrawled message became tangled up in Tartaglione’s legal case.

The document said Tartaglione’s lawyers verified the note, but it does not explain how.

Wild conspiracy theories have swirled since Epstein’s death, aged 66, which was ruled a suicide by hanging.

A “homemade noose” was found next to the body, the medical examiner said.

Revelations of security lapses inside the now-closed Manhattan Correctional Center sparked rumours the paedo was murdered.

Revelations of the suicide note mean investigators looking into Epstein’s death lacked what could have been a key piece of evidence.

When questioned by jail officers about red marks on his neck after the July incident, Epstein claimed he was attacked by Tartaglione. He said he was not suicidal.

A guard wrote: “Epstein had indicated that his cellmate had attempted to kill him and had been harassing him.”

Epstein was awaiting trial over a slew of sex trafficking charges at the time.

Tartaglione, a former cop, was behind bars serving four consecutive life sentences for murdering four people.

But prison records show that a week after Epstein accused his cellmate of an attack, he U-turned and said they “never had any issues”.

Tartaglione told the outlet he found the note tucked into a graphic novel after Epstein was moved to a different part of the jail.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/16298345/jeffrey-epstein-suicide-note-paedo-goodbye/

THE record-breaking 75-day-long partial government shutdown is nearing its end after the House passed a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security on Thursday.

The bill secured paychecks for TSA agents, Coast Guard officers and workers of other agencies under DHS just in time for the busy summer travel season.

The bill to fund the department will now head to Trump’s desk for his signature.

The House abruptly passed the package, which includes no funding for federal immigration enforcement in a major win for Democrats, in a voice vote, CNN reported.

In a voice vote, the names of lawmakers and the tally of votes are not recorded.

Instead, a presiding officer states the question and asks those who are in favor of it to reply “yea” in unison and those against it respond “nay.”

The presiding officer then announces a result based on their best judgment.

The decision to host a voice vote appears to have ruffled feathers in the Republican party as some House leaders had been adamant about not caving in.

“I think it’s asinine that we’re funding the government this way,” Texas Representative Chip Roy said before the vote, per CNN.

While the Senate and House went back and forth for weeks trying to pass a funding bill, travel chaos ensued with bottlenecking wait times throughout US airports as hundreds of TSA agents quit or stopped showing up for work.

The DHS warned that more than 1,000 TSA officers left their roles.

Affected employees’ health insurance coverage continued for the duration of the shutdown.

It began on February 14, leaving TSA agents without pay for weeks until the President Donald Trump ordered funds to be redirected to them on March 27.

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin warned almost a month later that TSA was just weeks away from running out of money.

The passage came after the Senate conducted a voice vote on April 2 as members of Congress traveled around during their two-week break.

Texas Representative Keith Self slammed Senators for passing the bill in “the dead of night” before “leaving town” for a two-week break for Easter and Passover.

Only five senators were in the chamber during the voice vote, with no one there to object, Self said on X.

The vote was initially rejected by the House, with House Speaker Mike Johnson who blasted it as a “joke.”

“They have taken hostage the funding process of government so they can impose their radical agenda on the American people and we can’t have any part of it,” the house speaker said.

“This gambit that was done last night is a joke,” he raged, adding that the reason the House couldn’t accept the bill was because “we’re not going to risk not funding the agencies that keep Americans safe.”

He added, “The Department of Homeland Security is the third largest department of the federal government. It has ten agencies beneath it, it’s not just TSA, it’s also FEMA, the Coast Guard, all these agencies that keep us safe.

“We must fund them. This not a game.”

The episode highlighted deep divisions in Washington over border security and enforcement powers, while also underscoring the repeated reliance on short-term funding patches to keep DHS operating.

Politicians were also slammed for traveling during the break as the shutdown continued.

Congressional delegates, including Missouri Representative Jason Smith and Michigan Representative Bill Huizenga, were seen in photographs published by TMZ taking a trip to Scotland.

The outlet also shared a snap of Senator Lindsey Graham in Disney World.

He told TMZ he was in Florida for a meeting with Trump officials and went to Orlando to meet up with some friends afterwards.

“I voted seven times to fully fund the government. Call a Democrat,” he said.

Robert Garcia, a California Representative was spotted at a Las Vegas Casino while Texas Senator Ted Cruz was seen onboard a flight at Ft. Lauderdale Airport.

House Speaker Johnson revealed at the time Republicans were drafting their own version of a bill that would fund DHS through May 22, but later appeared ready to accept the Senate’s plan.

Congress struggled to pass a funding bill after Democrats raised concerns about ICE policies following the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.

The two American citizens were killed in January by federal ICE agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Despite the backlash and legislative standoff, funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol was ultimately approved under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was signed into law in July.

The bill also allocates new spending on defense and immigration enforcement and includes budget cuts on a variety of programs such as Medicaid.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/16295817/dhs-funding-bill-passed-tsa-lines/

Vivian Kubrick, the daughter of legendary director Stanley Kubrick, unleashed a blistering social media tirade against Erika Kirk.

Kubrick called out Kirk’s pre-recorded video address that was played for Turning Point USA’s “Make Heaven Crowded” tour at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas.

She called Kirk’s speech “ghastly,” “inauthentic,” and deeply unsettling in a post that quickly stirred backlash online.

“I HAVE NEVER WITNESSED SUCH A GHASTLY INAUTHENTIC PHONY PERFORMANCE IN MY LIFE AS THIS SPEECH BY ERIKA,” Kubrick wrote, adding that despite her upbringing in the entertainment world, she had “been around a lot of phonies” but felt compelled to speak out.

She went further, accusing Kirk of being “a threat to my country,” suggesting she resembled “a military or intelligence operative,” and labeling her “definitely some kind of sociopath.”

Kubrick described a visceral reaction to Kirk’s public appearances, saying, “there’s something seriously wrong with this woman – every cell in my body shudders listening to her voice and watching her face.”

Kubrick also referenced past moments that she found disturbing, including Kirk’s remarks at her husband’s memorial, where she said, “that young man … I FORGIVE HIM!”

She additionally pointed to a video Kirk shared of herself lying across her late husband’s body, calling it “way beyond wildly inappropriate” and “horribly sinister.”

The filmmaker’s daughter then turned her attention to Turning Point USA, the group co-founded by Charlie Kirk, urging political leaders to cut ties.

“MR PRESIDENT – If we’re to win the midterms, you need to ‘kill’ @TPUSA and let some honest to God, authentic, super smart young patriots rally the American youth,” she wrote, adding that no one could replace Charlie Kirk within the organization.

Her remarks surfaced amid heightened attention on Erika Kirk, who recently addressed supporters via a pre-recorded video instead of appearing in person at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, as part of Turning Point USA’s “Make Heaven Crowded” tour.

Kirk told the audience she was taking time to be with her family following recent events.

Days earlier, she had attended the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, where a man attempted to storm the event with guns and knives and was later charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump.

In a separate social media video released Wednesday, Kirk spoke about what she described as an “epidemic of dehumanization” in the United States.

During her Plano address, she delivered a sermon-style message reflecting on her husband’s death and her own resilience, drawing parallels to the biblical period between Jesus Christ’s burial and Easter Sunday.

Source : https://nypost.com/2026/04/30/us-news/daughter-of-director-stanley-kubrick-goes-after-erika-kirk-on-x/

It was a real snoozefest.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris put a saxophonist to sleep on stage Wednesday during a rant against the Trump administration at an awards dinner.

Overtaken by fatigue, or boredom, the drowsy horn player drifted off right as Harris warned that “people would take to the streets if they tried to cancel elections,” video from the Public Counsel’s William O. Douglas Award Dinner in Beverly Hills, Calif., obtained by TMZ, showed.

The footage, taken by an audience member, showed the musician had his eyes closed and head down for nearly a minute, all while sitting just a few feet from the failed 2024 Democratic presidential nominee onstage.

“They have had an agenda that has been in place for decades to get to this very moment and beyond, which is to make it so difficult for the people to vote that they won’t,” Harris raged, as the saxophonist snored.

She continued, “Because they know the people are not stupid and see the corrupt, incompetent, callous administration that is in the White House right now, and they are so damn scared of losing the midterms.”

The jazz player roused himself awake, it appears, just in time to play Harris off the stage.

The former vice president had received the William O. Douglas Award from the lefty nonprofit law firm and was having an onstage discussion with Emmy-award-winning actress Uzo Aduba.

Source : https://nypost.com/2026/04/30/us-news/saxophonist-falls-asleep-onstage-during-kamala-harris-awards-dinner-anti-trump-rant/

A former JPMorgan staffer who sources identified as Chirayu Rana has been accused of making fabricated sexual-harassment claims against a high-ranking executive at the bank after an internal investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing, The Post has learned.

Multiple sources told The Post that 35-year-old Rana, now a principal at investment firm Bregal Sagemount, is the man who brought the bombshell lawsuit against Lorna Hajdini earlier this week.

Rana’s suit, filed on Monday under the pseudonym John Doe, accused the 37-year-old executive director of turning him into her “sex slave” by drugging him with Rohypnol and Viagra and threatening to slash his bonus if he did not comply.

The Daily Mail broke the story on Wednesday evening, citing lurid details from a now-retracted court document that has since been withdrawn for “corrections.”

The British tabloid, quoting the now-deleted court papers, reported that Hajdini, executive director on JPMorgan’s leveraged finance team, even turned up unannounced at Rana’s apartment and forced him to have sex.

Hajdini hit back in a statement issued to The Post via her lawyers: “Lorna categorically denies the allegations. She never engaged in any inappropriate conduct with this individual of any kind and has never even been to the location where the alleged sexual assault supposedly took place.”

Rana, who did not reply to The Post’s multiple requests for comment, claimed that the alleged coercion began shortly after he joined JPMorgan’s leveraged-finance team in the spring of 2024.

He filed an internal complaint in May 2025, alleging race- and gender-based harassment and abuse of power before trying to negotiate a payoff that ran into “millions” to leave the company, sources said.

The suit also named JPMorgan Chase as a defendant, accusing the bank of retaliation and failing to investigate properly.

Daniel J. Kaiser, the attorney listed on the New York County Supreme Court docket as representing “John Doe”, did not return The Post’s calls seeking comment.

JPMorgan strongly denied all of the claims.

A bank spokesperson, who refused to be drawn on the identity of Doe, said a thorough internal probe by the bank’s HR department and in-house lawyers, which included a review of team phone records and emails, found no evidence to support them.

“Following an investigation, we don’t believe there’s any merit to these claims,” the spokesperson said. “While numerous employees cooperated with the investigation, the complainant refused to participate and has declined to provide facts that would be central to support his allegations.”

The Post also has learned that Rana did not report to Hajdini. The two were simply colleagues on the leveraged finance team, which works on large corporate acquisitions, mergers, and buyouts.

People familiar with the matter said Hajdini reported to managing director Brandon Graffeo, while Rana was supervised by another managing director, Jon Wolter. It means she would have no sway over the size of his annual bonus.

One colleague described Rana, a former basketball player and Rutgers graduate, as “socially awkward” but someone who “met the requirements” to remain at the bank.

Friends of Hajdini, who is still working at JPMorgan, said she is viewed internally as “a top performer.”

“He has tarnished her with a complete fabrication,” said one ally, who was not authorized to speak to the media.

Hajdini’s own LinkedIn profile shows that the NYU Stern School of Business graduate and wine enthusiast spends her spare time outside of work volunteering for Minds Matter, a non-profit that helps underprivileged youngsters achieve their dream of going to college.

Source : https://nypost.com/2026/04/30/business/bombshell-jpmorgan-sex-harassment-suit-that-went-viral-branded-complete-fabrication-as-john-doe-accuser-unmasked/

The body of a missing Republican Oklahoma state Senate candidate was found inside a truck in a rural area, according to authorities and reports.

Barry Christian, a 54-year-old candidate for District 38 in western Oklahoma, was discovered dead on Thursday after he mysteriously vanished just two days prior, his campaign said in a news release obtained by KOCO.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation confirmed to the outlet that Christian’s 2024 charcoal gray Ram truck was found just off Highway 30, south of Erick, with a body inside.

The truck was located by a ravine near the Sandy Sanders Wildlife Management Area. Because of where the vehicle is located, officials are unable to remove his body, delaying identification, the outlet reported.

A large campaign sign for Christian, however, was photographed eerily tossed onto the prairie land as authorities scoured the area.

The circumstances surrounding his death are unclear. The OSBI did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.

Christian was reported missing on Tuesday after he failed to show up to a scheduled meeting. He was last seen driving his Ram truck, according to the Harmon County Sheriff’s Office.

He last posted on Facebook on Saturday, asking his district’s residents to attend a meet-and-greet at the Mangum Oklahoma Rattlesnake Festival to discuss “issues that matter most to our community.”

A campaign site for Christian described him as the “conservative choice” for District 38, pledging to “proudly stand with President Trump” and “fight for the traditional conservative values that make America great” if elected.

In a statement to KOCO, Christian’s daughter, Brooklyn, said her family’s world is “upside down” after the devastating discovery.

“Please pray for our family and friends. Our world is upside down right now. We are still not sure of everything that happened, so please act with grace and treat my dad’s legacy with dignity,” Brooklyn said.

Source : https://nypost.com/2026/04/30/us-news/missing-republican-oklahoma-senate-candidate-found-dead-in-rural-area/

Iran’s supreme leader defiantly vowed Thursday to protect the Islamic Republic’s nuclear and missile capabilities, which U.S. President Donald Trump has sought to curtail through airstrikes and as part of a wider deal to cement the war’s shaky ceasefire.

In a statement read by a state television anchor, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said the only place Americans belonged in the Persian Gulf is “at the bottom of its waters” and that a “new chapter” was being written in the region’s history. Khamenei has not been seen in public since taking over as supreme leader following the killing of his father in the war’s opening airstrikes.

His remarks come as Iran’s economy is reeling and its oil industry is being squeezed by a U.S. Navy blockade halting its tankers from getting out to sea. The world economy is also under pressure as Iran maintains its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of all crude oil is transported. On Thursday, the global benchmark for oil, Brent crude, traded as high as $126 a barrel.

That shock to oil supplies and prices is putting pressure on Trump, who is floating a new plan to reopen the critical passageway used by the U.S.’s Gulf allies to export their oil and gas.

Under the plan, the U.S. would continue its blockade on Iranian ports, while coordinating with allies to impose higher costs on Iran’s attempts to subvert the free flow of energy, according to a senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.

In a cable sent Tuesday, the U.S. State Department instructed American diplomats around the world — except those in Belarus, China, Cuba and Russia — to seek their host government’s support for the Trump administration’s call for assistance in establishing a “maritime freedom construct” that would ensure free and unimpeded access to shipping through the strait.

“This commitment reflects broad international consensus on the need for coordinated action to counter Iranian maritime provocations and ensure navigational rights and freedoms in the Strait of Hormuz,” said the cable, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday.

The initiative, being led by the State Department and the Pentagon’s Central Command, “is a fundamentally defensive response to protect the rights of all countries to navigate international waters freely and safely and to hold Iran accountable for its aggressive and illegal actions to impede the free flow of commerce,” the cable said.

At the same time, Trump has also floated possible changes to U.S. troop presence in allied countries in Europe. The day after the president announced his administration was conducting a review on potentially reducing the U.S. troop presence in Germany, he was asked by a reporter whether he’d weigh pulling U.S. forces out of Italy and Spain — which have sparred with the United States over use of bases for Iran-related operations.

“Why shouldn’t I,” Trump answered. “Italy has not been of any help to us, and Spain has been horrible, absolutely horrible.”

Ceasefire shaken as strait remains shut

The U.S. blockade — which as of Thursday has turned back some 44 commercial vessels, according to U.S. Central Command — is designed to prevent Iran from selling its oil, depriving it of crucial revenue while also potentially creating a situation where Tehran has to shut off production because it has nowhere to store oil.

A recent Iranian proposal would push negotiations on the country’s nuclear program to a later date. Trump said one of the major reasons he went to war was to deny Iran the ability to develop nuclear weapons. Iran has long maintained its program is peaceful, though it enriched uranium at near-weapons-grade levels of 60%.

Pakistan on Thursday said it was still facilitating indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran aimed at easing tensions, but that Islamabad would also welcome direct communication between the two sides, even by phone.

“If the two parties can engage in real-time conversations, that could ease the sticking points,” said Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Tahir Andrabi at a weekly news briefing. He declined to share details of any Iranian or U.S. proposals.

Speaking to mark Persian Gulf Day in Iran, Khamenei’s remarks signaled that nuclear issues and Iran’s ballistic missile program wouldn’t be traded away.

“Ninety million proud and honorable Iranians inside and outside the country regard all of Iran’s identity-based, spiritual, human, scientific, industrial and technological capacities — from nanotechnology and biotechnology to nuclear and missile capabilities — as national,” Khamenei said.

Khamenei referred to America as the “Great Satan,” a long hurled insult by Iranian leaders toward the U.S. since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Khamenei signals strait will remain shut

In his remarks, Khamenei seemed to signal Iran would maintain its control over the waterway, which sits in the territorial waters of Iran and Oman. Iran had been charging some ships reportedly $2 million apiece to travel through the strait.

He said that Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz will make the Gulf more secure, and that Tehran’s “legal rules and new management” of the strait will benefit all the region’s nations.

However, the world considered the strait an international waterway, open to all without paying tolls. Gulf Arab nations, chief among them the United Arab Emirates, have decried Iran’s control of the strait as akin to piracy.

Crackdown intensifies in Iran

Iran announced Thursday it hanged a 21-year-old man over charges stemming from the nationwide protests in January, the judiciary’s Mizan news agency reported.

The agency identified the executed man as Sasan Azadvar, from Isfahan. It said he was hanged for the crime of “effectively cooperating with the enemy by attacking police officers” during the protests.

Activists and rights groups say a crackdown on dissent, including a wave of executions, has further intensified since the U.S.-Israel war with Iran.

U.N. Human Rights Chief Volker Turk said on Wednesday at least 21 people have been executed since the start of the war.

Iran routinely holds closed-door trials in which defendants are unable to challenge the accusations they face, rights groups say, warning that several other people remain at risk of execution.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-gulf-khamenei-5cbf26dc89ce5e868e414320178f4c1b

 

President Donald Trump said Thursday he’s nominating radiologist and former Fox News Channel contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier for surgeon general after Dr. Casey Means’ path forward stalled in the Senate over questions about her experience and her stance on vaccines.

In a social media post, Trump said he would nominate Saphier, whom he called “a STAR physician who has spent her career guiding women facing breast cancer through their diagnosis and treatment.” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. complimented the nomination, calling Saphier “a long-time warrior for the MAHA movement.”

But at least in one instance, she hasn’t been in lockstep with Trump’s thoughts on health policy, telling The Associated Press in September that his cautions about pregnant women taking Tylenol were oversimplistic and “patronizing.”

Means’ withdrawal came after her tense exchanges with lawmakers of both parties threw into question whether she could secure enough votes to advance out of the Senate health committee.

In an interview Thursday, Means said her nomination fell apart after a “yearlong smear campaign against me,” which she said was a larger effort to impugn the MAHA movement and its focus on reforming food and healthcare.

She said she will continue to “help with progress on this movement how I can.”

Means pitched ideas popular with MAHA

In nominating Means last May, Trump sought to hire a close Kennedy ally as the nation’s doctor. The 38-year-old Means, a Stanford-educated physician who became disillusioned with the health care system and pivoted to a career as an author and entrepreneur, promotes ideas popular with the MAHA movement, including that Americans are overmedicalized and that diet and lifestyle changes should be at the center of efforts to end widespread chronic disease.

But Means, who did not finish her surgical residency program and doesn’t currently have an active medical license, also had faced scrutiny for her lack of experience and potential conflicts. On top of those concerns, senators grilled her in February about Kennedy’s effort to pull back vaccine recommendations — leading to some contentious moments as Means toed the line between support for vaccines and calling them a decision best made by patients and their doctors.

In her confirmation hearing, Means was repeatedly asked about the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine, which the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stopped recommending for all children late last year in a move criticized by scientific and medical groups nationwide and currently blocked during a lawsuit. Means has raised doubts about the birth dose, posting on social media in 2024 that giving the vaccine to a newborn whose parents don’t have hepatitis B was “absolute insanity.”

Means’ nomination had languished since the late February confirmation hearing, even as activists from the MAHA movement orchestrated a push to support her bid by surging phone calls to Republican senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine. They had both indicated reservations with the pick.

Means told The Associated Press her understanding was that Murkowski wasn’t going to vote for her, and Collins had serious reservations.

“I think there was some talking past each other,” Means said of her conversations with the senators, noting they seemed focused on vaccines when she “wasn’t coming in with any agenda to impact the vaccine conversation.”

In post Thursday, Trump called Means “a strong MAHA Warrior” and also criticized the “intransigence and political games” from GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, the chair of the Senate health committee, who is facing a tough reelection this year and who interrogated Means about vaccines during the hearing.

Means’ brother, Calley Means, a health adviser to the Trump administration, blamed Cassidy in a social media post, claiming his “constant delay tactics” sank the nomination because he didn’t bring Means’ nomination to a committee vote. Kennedy later piled on with his own post claiming Cassidy “did the dirty work for entrenched interests seeking to stall the MAHA movement.” Cassidy didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Now Trump will try to fill the post a third time

Means is the second U.S. surgeon general pick whose nomination has been withdrawn in Trump’s second term. Trump withdrew his first nominee, Fox News medical contributor Janette Nesheiwat, after questions were raised about her academic credentials.

Saphier is director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth, according to her profile on the New York-based institution’s website. She has a doctor of medicine degree from Ross University School of Medicine in Barbados along with fellowships at the Mayo Clinic, the profile said.

Like Means, Saphier has questioned whether every child needs to get the hepatitis B vaccine at birth.

“I don’t necessarily think it’s necessary,” she said on a podcast in September. “My opinion is if a woman recently tested negative for hepatitis B and they’re living a low-risk lifestyle, no IV drug use, not a sex worker, they don’t have a hepatitis B positive person living in the home, then the newborn probably doesn’t need this vaccine and we can have a conversation about whether or not they should get the vaccine later in life.”

She also has criticized COVID vaccine booster requirements, arguing on a radio show in September that they were not always rooted in evidence.

Saphier used the phrase “Make America Healthy Again” years before Kennedy popularized it. It was the title of a book she wrote in 2020 that criticized government handling of health care and the Affordable Care Act.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/trump-surgeon-general-means-saphier-cebadfb452fb577b6cd5254e2e55d86b

Hundreds of protesters clashed with ​Australian emergency services workers in a remote town following the arrest of a man suspected of murdering a five-year-old ‌Indigenous girl, police said on Friday.
Jefferson Lewis, a 47-year-old man who police say they believe abducted and killed the girl, was found by locals and beaten unconscious on Thursday night before police apprehended him, Northern Territory Police Commissioner Martin Dole said at a news conference.

“He presented himself to one of the ​town camps in Alice Springs last night. As a result of presenting himself, members of that town camp decided ​to inflict vigilante justice upon Jefferson,” he said.
The girl, now referred to by her family as Kumanjayi ⁠Little Baby in line with Indigenous customs, went missing from her home on the outskirts of Alice Springs late on Saturday.
Her body ​was located on Thursday by one of hundreds of people searching the dense bushland around the town, a popular tourist destination in ​Australia’s Northern Territory.
Lewis, who was identified as a suspect by police earlier in the week, has past convictions for physical assaults and was recently released from prison.

SUSPECT MOVED TO DARWIN FOR OWN SAFETY

A crowd of around 400 people later gathered outside Alice Springs Hospital where Lewis was being treated, attempting to ​force their way inside, Dole said in a separate interview with public broadcaster ABC.
Footage from the ABC showed Indigenous people calling for ​payback, which refers to traditional, mostly physical, punishment in Aboriginal societies.
Police fired tear gas to disperse the angry crowd, who threw projectiles and lit ‌fires, injuring ⁠a number of police officers and medical workers, and damaging police vehicles, ambulances and fire trucks.
“There is absolutely no excuse for violence against emergency services that are just doing their job,” Dole said.
“I just call for calm across the community today … I’d like to think that what we saw last night is an aberration.”
Lewis was moved to the territory capital Darwin in the early hours of Friday ​morning for his own safety, Dole ​said. He is likely to ⁠be charged in the coming days.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he understood “people’s anger and frustration” but urged the community to come together.
Following the violent clash, a day-long ban will apply to takeaway alcohol and ​more police will be arriving from Darwin, Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said.
Alcohol restrictions are ​enforced in the ⁠town on certain days during the week in an effort to reduce crime.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/hundreds-protesters-clash-with-australian-police-after-death-indigenous-girl-2026-04-30/

U.S. President Donald Trump ​on Thursday signed into law legislation funding Department of Homeland Security agencies including the Secret Service and Transportation Security Administration, ending a ‌partial shutdown that has gripped DHS operations for nearly 11 weeks.
The logjam was broken when the Republican-controlled House of Representatives unanimously passed a Senate-approved bill that conservatives had refused to consider over the past month.

The House signed off on the legislation as officials warned that current funding was about to run dry, threatening chaos at airports and posing potential vulnerabilities to national security. It ​represented a victory for Trump and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who had pressed House Republicans to pass the bill without modifications.
The legislation, which the ​Senate passed unanimously twice on March 27 and April 2, will fund DHS agencies that are not involved in Trump’s immigration ⁠crackdown through September 30, the end of fiscal year 2026. Those agencies include FEMA, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

Calls for action ​on the broader DHS bill had intensified after Saturday’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, where prosecutors say a man tried to assassinate Trump. The ​White House budget office has also warned that the homeland security operations affected would be unable to pay workers in May, which begins on Friday.
House Republican hardliners and other conservatives opposed the DHS bill because its language omitted funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol, following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by immigration officers in Minneapolis.
“We threw a fit, ​and we had to. We held the homeland bill, the underlying funding bill, because we had to ensure that they could not isolate and eliminate those two ​critical agencies,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, who blamed Democrats for the bill’s lack of immigration enforcement funding.

Republican leaders managed to ease those objections on Wednesday by passing a $70 billion Senate-passed ‌budget blueprint to ⁠provide new money for ICE and Border Patrol, which allowed congressional committees to begin writing separate funding legislation for those agencies. Republicans hope to pass that legislation in May by using a special “budget reconciliation” procedure that allows them to circumvent Democratic opposition in the Senate.
“Now that that box is checked, we are allowed then to proceed and go through with the rest of it,” Johnson said.
The two immigration enforcement agencies received over $130 billion in funding last year through the same procedure – a huge ​boost that Trump requested to carry out ​his massive migrant deportation campaign.
Funding for ⁠most of DHS ran out on February 14, as Democrats pressed Republicans and the White House to accept new constraints on ICE and Border Patrol. Democrats insisted that immigration enforcement be subject to the same operational rules as police forces across the ​United States, including a requirement that judicial warrants be obtained before agents can enter private homes. But weeks of negotiations ​ended in stalemate.
Johnson eased ⁠concerns about DHS funding by ignoring calls from hardline conservatives who wanted the Senate bill modified to eliminate language specifying that it did not fund ICE and Border Patrol. Modified legislation would have had to return to the Senate for approval, risking the chance that Democrats might object.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/house-republicans-undecided-dhs-funding-secret-service-tsa-pressure-action-2026-04-30/

Iran said on Thursday it would respond with “long and painful strikes” on U.S. positions if Washington renewed attacks and ​restated its claim to the Strait of Hormuz, complicating U.S. plans for a coalition to reopen the waterway.
Two months into the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, the vital sea channel remains closed, choking off 20% of the ‌world’s oil and gas supplies. That has sent global energy prices surging and heightened concerns about the risks of an economic downturn.

Efforts to resolve the conflict have hit an impasse, with a ceasefire in place since April 8 but Iran still blocking the strait in response to a U.S. naval blockade of Iran’s oil exports, Tehran’s economic lifeline.
U.S. President Donald Trump was scheduled to receive a briefing on Thursday on plans for a series of fresh military strikes to compel Iran to negotiate an end to the conflict, a U.S. official told Reuters.
Such options have long been part of ​U.S. planning but reports of the proposed briefing, first issued by news site Axios late on Wednesday, initially spurred big gains in oil prices, with the benchmark Brent crude contract hitting more than $126 a barrel at one point. It ​later slipped back to around $114.

Efforts to resolve the conflict have hit an impasse, with a ceasefire in place since April 8 but Iran still blocking the strait in response to a U.S. naval blockade of Iran’s oil exports, Tehran’s economic lifeline.
U.S. President Donald Trump was scheduled to receive a briefing on Thursday on plans for a series of fresh military strikes to compel Iran to negotiate an end to the conflict, a U.S. official told Reuters.
Such options have long been part of ​U.S. planning but reports of the proposed briefing, first issued by news site Axios late on Wednesday, initially spurred big gains in oil prices, with the benchmark Brent crude contract hitting more than $126 a barrel at one point. It ​later slipped back to around $114.

Trump reiterated to reporters on Thursday that Iran would not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon and that the price of gasoline – a key concern for his Republican Party ahead of the November midterm elections – would “drop like a rock” as soon as the war ended.
While repeating allegations of serious rights violations by Iran, Trump said he was “OK” with it playing in the upcoming soccer World Cup in the United States, after FIFA president Gianni Infantino insisted the country would take part.

IRAN WARNS OF ‘LONG ​AND PAINFUL STRIKES’

A senior official of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said any new U.S. attack on Iran, even if limited, would usher in “long and painful strikes” on U.S. regional positions, while Aerospace Force Commander Majid Mousavi was quoted by Iranian media as saying: “We’ve ​seen what happened to your regional bases, we will see the same thing happen to your warships.”
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said in a written message to Iranians that Tehran would eliminate “the enemies’ abuses of the waterway” under new management of the strait, indicating that ‌Tehran intended to ⁠maintain its hold over it.

“Foreigners who come from thousands of kilometres away … have no place there except at the bottom of its waters,” he said.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that if the disruption caused by the closure dragged on through mid-year, global growth would fall, inflation would rise and tens of millions more people would be pushed into poverty and extreme hunger.
“The longer this vital artery is choked, the harder it will be to reverse the damage,” he told reporters in New York.
Trump faces a formal U.S. deadline on Friday to end the war or make the case to Congress for extending it under the 1973 War Powers Resolution.
The date looks set to pass without altering the course of the conflict after a senior administration official said late on ​Thursday that, for the purposes of the resolution, hostilities had terminated ​due to the April ceasefire between Tehran and Washington.
Trump ⁠reiterated on Thursday that Iran’s economy was “a disaster,” but analysts said that if he expects Iran to blink first in a game of economic chicken, he may be waiting a while.
The conflict has aggravated Iran’s dire economic problems, risking calamity after the war, but it looks able to survive a standoff in the Gulf for now, despite a U.S. blockade that has cut off ​energy exports.

RANGE OF OPTIONS

As well as blocking almost all but its own shipping through the strait during the war, Iran launched drones and missiles at Israel and at U.S. ​bases, infrastructure and U.S.-linked companies in Gulf ⁠states.
Axios said that another plan to be shared with Trump during the briefing involved using ground forces to take over part of the strait to reopen it to commercial shipping. Trump is also considering extending the U.S. blockade or declaring a unilateral victory, officials have said.
In a sign the U.S. was also envisaging a scenario where hostilities cease, a State Department cable due to be delivered orally to partner nations by May 1 invited them to join a new coalition, called the Maritime Freedom Construct, to enable ships to navigate the strait.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-seeks-international-help-reopen-strait-hormuz-crude-prices-surge-2026-04-30/

The scaled back parade comes amid increasing Ukrainian attacks deep into mainland Russia, including the capital Moscow. The last time a Victory Day parade was held without weaponry display was in 2007.

Russia is this year planning to celebrate its World War II victory over Nazi Germany with parades that do not include the standard display of weaponry, for the first time in nearly two decades.

The Kremlin on Wednesday made the announcement, citing an increased threat of Ukrainian attacks.

What is Russia’s Victory day parade?

Moscow’s May 9 parade in the capital’s Red Square is among the biggest annual celebrations in Russia.

Traditionally under President Vladimir Putin, the day is an excuse to show off weapons in the military’s arsenal, ranging from tanks to intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Putin has been using the parade to mobilize support for his war. But in recent months, Kyiv has upped its attacks, striking deep within mainland Russia and damaging several ports and oil refineries.

Last year’s military parade marked 80 years since the end of WWII and therefore was held at a larger than usual stage, hosting some heavyweights including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Why is Russia scaling back its Victory Day parade?

The display of military hardware on May 9 has been canceled because of the “operational situation,” the Defense Ministry said late on Tuesday.

Asked by reporters about ​the decision, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday: “The Kyiv regime, which is losing ground on the battlefield every day, has ​now launched full-scale ‌terrorist activity. And therefore… all measures are being taken to minimize the danger.”

Peskov also noted that this year is not a significant anniversary, unlike last year.

John ​Foreman, a former British defense attache to Moscow, told the Reuters news agency that 11,000 troops and about 150 military ​vehicles — including tanks, which had been absent in the two previous years — took part in the 2025 parade.

Analysts and Kremlin critics such as Foreman suggest the decision was made to avoid exposing Russian military assets as easy targets for potential Ukrainian drone attacks. They also added that it signaled Moscow was preserving its assets for the fighting.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/russia-to-hold-victory-day-parade-without-weaponry-display/a-76986067

With Tuareg-led rebels saying the ruling junta in Mali will fall “sooner or later” and demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops, the French Foreign Ministry has called on French nationals to leave the country.

France has urged its nationals in Mali to leave the country “as soon as possible” amid continuing attacks by Tuareg-led rebel forces who have claimed that the ruling junta will “fall sooner or later” and demanded that Russian forces also withdraw from “all of Mali.”

The French Foreign Ministry said the security situation in the former French colony remains “volatile” following a coordinated assault by Tuareg-dominated separatists allied with the al-Qaeda-linked Jihadist Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM).

In the largest attacks in Mali in nearly 15 years, the rebel alliance, the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), has captured the strategic northern desert town of Kidal and killed Defense Minister Sadio Camara, seen as the mastermind behind the military government’s pivot away from the West and towards Russia in recent years.

Mali: Russian Africa Corps admits losses

Russian troops from Moscow’s Africa Corps, who have provided security for the junta, admitted they have “sustained losses” but provided no further details.

“Our objective is for Russia to withdraw permanently from Azawad and beyond,” said FLA spokesman Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, referring to the northern part of Mali in which the rebels would like to declare an independent state.

“We have no particular problem with Russia, nor with any other country,” he said. “Our problem is with the regime that governs [in the capital] Bamako.”

Nevertheless, he said the Russian troops were still viewed negatively for their role in “supporting people who committed serious crimes and massacres.”

In Moscow, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that Africa Corps fighters had been forced to withdraw from Kidal, with Ramadane saying they had been escorted out of town.

“The Russians found themselves in danger; there was no way out,” he said. “When they realized they could not hold out against our forces and our firepower, they requested this withdrawal.”

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/mali-france-urges-citizens-to-leave-amid-tuareg-advance/a-76986837

Former FBI Director James Comey surrendered to authorities to face charges alleging that an image he briefly shared on social media posed a threat to the life of US President Donald Trump.

The case stems from a 2025 Instagram post shared by Comey, which contained a photo of seashells on a beach arranged to read “86 47”. “Eighty-six” is a slang term for “get rid of”, and prosecutors allege it encourages violence against Trump, the 47th president.

Comey denied any wrongdoing, saying he did not know what the numbers meant, and accused the prosecution of political motivation.

This marks the second time the justice department has brought criminal charges against Comey, a longtime critic of Trump.

Comey did not enter a plea or speak during his brief appearance at a Virginia court on Wednesday afternoon.

His attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald, said the former director would seek dismissal on grounds of selective and vindictive prosecution – arguing he was targeted for speaking out against Trump.

Judge William Fitzpatrick read the charges against Comey. He nodded as he was read his rights and later smiled back at his family when he was leaving, the BBC’s US partner CBS News reported.

Judge Fitzpatrick denied the justice department’s efforts to set conditions of release for Comey, saying they were not necessary, according to CBS.

Prosecutors have charged Comey with knowingly and wilfully making a threat to take the life of – and to inflict bodily harm – on the president, and also, knowingly transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to kill him.

Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

In a video statement on Tuesday, Comey said he was determined to fight the charges.

“This won’t be the end of it – but I’m still innocent, I’m still not afraid and I still believe in the independent federal judiciary.”

Comey’s original post from May 2025 contained an image of the seashells on a beach that spelled out “86 47”, with the caption, “Cool shell formation on my beach walk”.

Following a public outcry, Comey deleted the image and posted a follow-up note on Instagram.

“I posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assume were a political message,” he wrote. “I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence. It never occurred to me, but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”

Talking to reporters about the charges against Comey on Wednesday, Trump called him a “crooked man”.

“If anybody knows anything about crime, they know 86,” Trump said. “It’s a mob term for kill him. The mob uses that term to say when they want to kill them, they say 86 the son of a gun.”

When asked if he believed Comey’s social media post was a threat to him, the president replied: “Probably.”

“People like Comey have created tremendous danger, I think, for politicians and others,” Trump said

Some legal experts – and lawmakers – have questioned the strength of the charges.

Republican Senator Thom Tillis told reporters on Wednesday that he hoped “there’s more to it than just the picture in the sand”.

“Otherwise, I just think it’s another example where we’re going to regret this because we’re setting a fairly low bar,” he said.

Jimmy Gurulé, a former federal prosecutor and former assistant US Attorney General appointed by President George W Bush, said the new indictment was “an embarrassment to the American criminal justice system”.

On Wednesday, when asked whether the case will result in conviction, Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche told reporters that it had been investigated “for the past year”.

“If there’s a prosecutor in this country that speaks about what a jury will do, they are not living up to their oath,” he said.

Blanche rejected the suggestion that there were political motives behind the case.

“People should be very wary of threatening the life of President Trump because that is a crime. Full stop,” he said.

In his second term, President Trump has publicly implied that justice department officials should investigate his political adversaries.

Comey was fired by Trump during his first term, after the former FBI director opened an investigation into Russian interference in the US 2016 presidential election.

Since then, Trump has repeatedly called for his prosecution – Tuesday’s charges are the administration’s second attempt to do so.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c70vzj1nrddo

Two Jewish men have been stabbed in Golders Green, north London, in what has been declared a terrorist incident by police.

The men, named locally as Shilome Rand, 34, and Moshe Shine, 76, were treated at the scene. They are now in a stable condition in hospital, the Metropolitan Police said.

A 45-year-old man, a British national born in Somalia, was Tasered by police before being arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, the force said. The suspect remains in custody.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the “antisemitic attack” – the latest in a string in the UK – was “utterly appalling”, adding: “Attacks on our Jewish community are attacks on Britain.”

The Met said its officers responded at 11:16 BST on Wednesday after receiving reports that people had been stabbed in Highfield Avenue, which runs off Golders Green Road.

The suspect also attempted to stab the attending officers, the Met said, but none were injured.

Video shared on social media appears to show the moment of the arrest. Two officers can be seen approaching the man before one Tasers him and he falls to the ground.

The man appears to then hold a sharp object to his chest with both hands, and the officers and a bystander attempt to wrest it from him. The officers can be seen kicking the man in the head several times in the struggle.

The Met released footage of the incident from the officers’ body-worn cameras, in which they can be heard shouting repeatedly for the suspect to “get down on the ground” before he is Tasered, and then “drop the knife”.

“The suspect refused to show his hands, was violent and continued to pose a clear threat,” the force said, adding that the suspect “continued to try to attack and stab” the officers as they were detaining him.

Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley paid tribute to the officers’ courage, saying: “These were not armed officers and they feared he was carrying an explosive device.”

The suspect had a history of serious violence and mental health issues, he added in a statement at the scene on Wednesday afternoon.

The Met later said officers were carrying out a search at an address in south-east London. Detectives believe the same suspect was involved in an earlier incident in the area.

Police were called at 08:50 BST on Tuesday to an address on Great Dover Street in Southwark, after the suspect was reportedly involved in an altercation with the property’s occupant.

The occupant suffered “minor injuries” and attending officers were unable to locate the suspect, who had left.

Eyewitness Daniela had been shopping in Golders Green on Wednesday morning when she heard people screaming: “He’s got a knife, run.”

The 29-year-old told the BBC that she took shelter in a nearby bookshop and saw the suspect run past in the direction of the North Circular Road.

“At that point, no one was on the street – everyone had run,” she said. “We were a group of mums with buggies. The shop owner locked the door. We were speechless.”

CCTV footage appears to show a man lunging at a person standing near a bus stop. In another clip, a man wearing similar clothing can be seen jogging down a street before chasing a passerby.

Sir Keir thanked Shomrim, the Jewish security group whose responders initially detained the suspect, as well as the volunteer-led ambulance service Hatzola and the police, for “acting swiftly”.

Shomrim said it dispatched volunteers after receiving a call concerning a man running along Golders Green Road “armed with a knife and attempting to stab Jewish members of the public”.

Ben Grossnass, a co-ordinator for the charity, told the BBC that its volunteers “were the first on scene”.

The head of Counter Terrorism Policing, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, later formally declared the attack a terrorist incident.

The Met commissioner said his “first thoughts” were with the victims, who had been attacked “whilst going about their daily lives, which they should be able to do freely and safely”.

Sir Mark added: “Whilst I can’t comment on live investigations, we know that some individuals are being encouraged, persuaded or paid to commit acts of violence on behalf of foreign organisations and hostile states.”

While the Met Police chief spoke, he was heckled by bystanders, who shouted “shame on you” and “you’ve failed”, and called for his resignation. The local MP, Sarah Sackman, was also heckled.

Sackman, a justice minister, said she understood the anger of the hecklers and insisted tackling antisemitism was “a fight we need to have society-wide”.

She told BBC Newsnight that the attack demonstrated that “the threats to Jewish people in this country are very real”, adding that “we can’t guarantee that everybody is kept safe”.

The minister, who is Jewish herself, said: “When I take my children to synagogue in my local area, I find myself holding and gripping their hand a little bit tighter. I know I’m not alone in that.”

Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, who represents Britain’s largest Jewish community, said the incident “proves that if you are visibly Jewish, you’re not safe and far more needs to be done”.

“This must be a moment that demands meaningful action from every institution, every community, every leader and every decent person in our country,” he said.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that words were “not enough to confront this scourge” of attacks in London.

There have been a spate of incidents in recent months targeting Jewish communities, including an arson attack on community ambulances and incidents at two London synagogues.

London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan said he was “angry”, “appalled” and “disgusted” that Jewish people were “living their lives frightened”.

King Charles III was “naturally deeply concerned” by Wednesday’s attack, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said.

“His thoughts and prayers are with the two individuals who were injured and offers his heartfelt gratitude to those who so selflessly rushed to their aid,” they added.

Asked whether the government was doing enough to keep British Jews safe, Sir Keir said he wanted to “look at enhanced security” and increase funding that was already in place for protecting Jewish communities.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clypz81pg9go

Pakistan’s oil import bill had surged from $300 million before the conflict to $800 million, the prime minister said.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said that the US-Iran war has dealt a serious blow to Pakistan’s economic progress made over the past two years, as he asserted that his government will continue its efforts to help ease tensions between the two warring sides and restore peace in West Asia.

Speaking during a Cabinet meeting here, Shehbaz said Pakistan’s oil import bill had surged from $300 million before the conflict to $800 million, placing additional pressure on the economy. He also noted a reduction in petroleum consumption during the current week compared to the previous one.

Shehbaz said a task force is monitoring the situation daily, according to an official statement.

He said collective efforts are needed to tackle the challenges.

Apprising the Cabinet about the progress made in the US-Iran talks and Pakistan’s efforts to ease tensions in the region, Shehbaz said Islamabad made sincere efforts to promote regional stability.

He highlighted that marathon talks between Iran and the US held in Islamabad on April 11 lasted for 21 hours and marked a significant diplomatic breakthrough.

Shehbaz said Pakistan made sincere and coordinated efforts for the success of the negotiations, with contributions from Field Marshal Asim Munir, Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and other senior officials.

As a result of these efforts, he noted, the ceasefire between Iran and the United States was extended and continues to hold.

The prime minister informed the cabinet that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Pakistan with his delegation and held multiple rounds of talks, including a two-hour session with him.

He said Araghchi assured that Iran would respond positively after consultations with its leadership.

“Before the Iranian foreign minister visited Russia, I spoke with him on the phone, in which he assured me that all his meetings in Oman were held with sincerity of intent, and after consultation with his leadership…he will give a positive response soon,” he said while talking about Araghchi’s whirlwind visits to Islamabad, Muscat and Moscow over the weekend.

He expressed hope that the conflict would end soon.

Pakistan plans to host a second round of talks between the United States and Iran.

The Iranian minister made two brief visits to Pakistan within 48 hours over the weekend, meeting with Field Marshal Munir and PM Shehbaz to discuss the regional situation.

Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/pakistan-facing-major-economic-fallout-due-to-iran-war-says-pm-sharif-11428071?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

The leaders also discussed the war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year following Russia’s invasion of its neighbour in 2022.

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with US counterpart Donald Trump, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Wednesday, adding the two leaders discussed the Middle East war and Ukraine.

The call lasted more than 90 minutes and was “frank and businesslike”, Ushakov told reporters, including from AFP, during a phone briefing.

The presidents “paid particular attention to the situation regarding Iran and in the Persian Gulf”, Ushakov said.

“Vladimir Putin considers Donald Trump’s decision to extend the ceasefire with Iran to be the right one, as this should give negotiations a chance and, overall, help to stabilise the situation.”

But Putin also “highlighted the inevitable and extremely damaging consequences not only for Iran and its neighbours, but also for the entire international community, should the US and Israel resort to military action once again,” Ushakov said.

He added Russia was “firmly committed to providing every possible assistance to diplomatic efforts” on the Middle East war, and said the call was held at Moscow’s initiative.

The leaders also discussed the war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year following Russia’s invasion of its neighbour in 2022.

“At Trump’s request, Vladimir Putin described the current situation along the line of contact, where our troops are holding the strategic initiative and pushing back the enemy’s positions,” Ushakov told reporters.

“Both Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump expressed essentially similar assessments of the behaviour of the Kyiv regime led by (Volodymyr) Zelensky, which, incited and with the support of the Europeans, is pursuing a policy of prolonging the conflict.”

Russia’s assault on Ukraine has devastated swathes of Ukrainian territory, killed thousands of civilians and forced millions to flee their homes.

Putin said he was ready “to declare a ceasefire for the duration of Victory Day celebrations. Trump actively supported this initiative, noting that the holiday marks our shared victory,” Ushakov said.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/us-israel-iran-war-ukraine-russia-war-trump-putin-discuss-iran-war-and-ukraine-in-over-90-minute-call-11428010?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

The accident happened when a long-distance train slammed into the last, women-only carriage of a stationary commuter train near the Bekasi Timur station.

The death toll from a train crash outside the Indonesian capital Jakarta rose to 16, all women, after an injured passenger passed away in hospital, officials said on Wednesday (Apr 29).

A long-distance train slammed into the last, women-only carriage of a stationary commuter train near the Bekasi Timur station late Monday, prompting a nearly 12-hour rescue effort with crews prying open mangled carriages.

Jakarta police spokesperson Budi Hermanto told AFP on Wednesday that a 25-year-old woman died in the morning, bringing the toll to 16.

Ninety people were injured in the incident, Budi said. Forty-four were discharged after receiving hospital treatment.

The national search and rescue agency said all the victims were women.

The commuter train had been standing at a level crossing after an incident involving a taxi at a level crossing, when the long-distance train crashed into the back of it, officials have said.

All the victims were on the commuter train.

The transport ministry has opened an investigation into the taxi company, minister Dudy Purwagandhi told reporters on Wednesday.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/indonesia-train-crash-death-toll-bekasi-taxi-6088581

Israeli military said Shambari was the head of the operations department in the military intelligence of the Palestinian armed militant group Hamas.

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) on Wednesday said Iyad Ahmed Abd al-Rahman Shambari was the head of the operations department in the military intelligence of the Palestinian armed militant group Hamas.

al-Rahman Shambari was a key planner of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel which led to Israel-Hamas war after Israel carried out a ground operation in Gaza Strip, killing over thousands of Hamas terrorists along with civilians.

The ceasefire has largely halted the Gaza war that began after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

But violence has persisted, with at least 818 Palestinians killed since the truce began, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which is under Hamas authority and whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations.

Meanwhile, Gaza’s civil defence agency, told news agency AFP, that four people were killed and six others injured when a drone fired two missiles at a car in Gaza City’s western Al-Rimal neighbourhood.

See more

צה״ל ושב”כ חיסלו את ראש מחלקת המבצעים במטה המודיעין הצבאי של ארגון הטרור חמאס

כוחות צה״ל בפיקוד הדרום ושב״כ תקפו אתמול (ג׳) בצפון רצועת עזה וחיסלו את המחבל איאד אחמד עבד אלרחמן שמבארי, ראש מחלקת המבצעים במטה המודיעין הצבאי של ארגון הטרור חמאס.

שמבארי שימש בשנים האחרונות כראש… pic.twitter.com/m0XOUlOweF

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 29, 2026

Source : https://www.news18.com/world/israel-eliminates-hamas-military-intelligence-ops-head-shambari-linked-to-october-7-plot-10063760.html 

The group vowed to extend “full support with its ability and energy” to the Afghan Taliban against what it described as Pakistan’s “civil-military hybrid regime”

Al-Qaeda has issued a sharply worded statement criticising Pakistan’s civil-military leadership and signalling support for the Afghan Taliban amid heightened tensions between Islamabad and Kabul.

In a two-page message attributed to its general leadership and circulated via the As-Sahab media wing on encrypted platforms through Shahada News Agency, the group vowed to extend “full support with its ability and energy” to the Afghan Taliban against what it described as Pakistan’s “civil-military hybrid regime”.

The statement warned Pakistan to stay away from Afghanistan and accused its leadership of aligning with Western powers. It also framed global geopolitics as part of a broader “Zionist–Crusader system,” a recurring narrative in the group’s ideology.

Al-Qaeda further portrayed the Taliban government in Afghanistan as part of a wider ideological shift in the region, while accusing Pakistan of acting against Afghan interests despite decades of shared militant history, including references to the anti-Soviet jihad.

The group also appealed directly to the people of Pakistan, including members of the security forces, urging them to disobey state orders and support what it described as “jihadist objectives.” The statement called on Pakistanis to “repay some of their kindness,” referencing past conflicts and framing support for its cause as a religious duty.

Security analysts say such messaging appears aimed at exploiting domestic grievances and anti-government sentiment in Pakistan, while also attempting to widen ideological support for militant groups in the region. The appeal to internal dissent, including within the military ranks, signals a continued effort by the group to destabilise Pakistan internally.

Source : https://www.news18.com/world/al-qaeda-targets-pakistans-military-leadership-warns-against-afghanistan-policy-exclusive-ws-l-10063405.html

Prosecutors said Wednesday that singer D4vd killed 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez by stabbing her multiple times then dismembered her body using chain saws in his garage.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office shared what they said the evidence in the case would show in a court filing that provided the first detailed allegations of the killing and efforts to cut apart Rivas Hernandez’s body and get rid of evidence.

The court filing said D4vd, whose legal name is David Burke, met Rivas Hernandez when she was 11, began sexually abusing her when she was 13 and he was 18, and killed her when she threatened to reveal their inappropriate relationship.

“Knowing he had to silence the victim before she ruined his music career as she had threatened, very soon after her arrival at his home, defendant stabbed the victim to death multiple times and stood by while she bled out,” the filing said.

Burke has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and other counts. His lawyers have said he is innocent and did not cause Rivas Hernandez’s death.

Her body was found decomposing in a Tesla towed from the Hollywood Hills in September of last year.

Prosecutors said they had obtained text messages that showed their sexual relationship, including child sexual abuse images of her on his phone.

“The messages reveal the victim’s jealousy over defendant’s relationships with other women, as defendant led her to believe they had a future together,” the document says. “She became extremely upset and threatened to disclose damaging information about her relationship with defendant to end his career and destroy his life.”

The filing said he sent a rideshare car to pick her up on the night of April 23, 2025, from her hometown of Lake Elsinore some 80 miles (129 km) outside of Los Angeles. The two exchanged messages until she arrived at his Hollywood home, after which her phone went silent permanently.

They allege he sent her a late-night message asking where she was in an attempt to cover up the killing.

The court filing is intended to outline the evidence that prosecutors plan to present at a preliminary evidentiary hearing beginning May 26, when a judge will determine whether there is probable cause to go to trial. The defense has not publicly provided its version of events.

The document says Burke bought two chain saws online used them to cut apart her body in an inflatable pool in his garage, where the girl’s DNA was later found.

“Defendant took horrifying measures to destroy and discard the victim’s body,” prosecutors said in the brief.

Burke drove to Lake Cachuma in Santa Barbara County about 110 miles (177 kilometers) northwest of his home to get rid of evidence three times, the document alleges. Her passport was found there in January.

On April 24, the day after her death, he gave a radio interview and had a record-release party promoting his debut full-length album, “Withered,” which was released the following day, prosecutors said in the filing.

Prosecutors allege he kept her body in his Tesla, and lied to friends and business associates who asked about the smell.

The body of Rivas Hernandez had so degraded that examiners couldn’t even determine her eye color. She had braces at the time of her death, and a tattoo that read “Shhh ….” on the inside of a finger as well as his name, according to the report. Two fingers were missing — as were parts of her arms and legs.

Prosecutors had not previously described how they believed Rivas Hernandez was killed or given details on their relationship. An autopsy report said she was killed by penetrating wounds.

Prosecutors said the parents of Rivas Hernandez reported her missing from her home in Lake Elsinore in February 2024. After the February report, Riverside County Sheriff’s detectives contacted Burke, but he told them he had only met her once and did not know she was a minor.

After she returned home that February, her parents took away her cellphone but Burke drove to her hometown and paid a friend of Rivas Hernandez $1,000 to give her a phone so they could communicate.

She was reported missing again in April 2024. The document said that year, she spent much of her time at Burke’s home in the Hollywood Hills and traveled with him to Las Vegas, London, and Texas to meet his family.

The defense attorneys asked Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo at a hearing Wednesday to seal the document, but she declined. They had no comment outside court.

Burke was arrested on April 16 and pleaded to first-degree murder, lewd and lascivious acts with a person under 14 and mutilating a dead body. He is eligible for the death penalty, but prosecutors said they have not decided whether to seek it.

The singer began making music for YouTube videos he created of the video game Fortnite when he was a teenager.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/d4vd-celeste-rivas-hernandez-la-death-5f0f75063da762ad8b73951851b1f0d6

The United States’ war in Iran has ​cost $25 billion so far, a senior Pentagon official said on Wednesday, providing the first official estimate of the military’s ‌price tag for the conflict.
With just six months before midterm elections in which President Donald Trump’s Republicans may face an uphill battle to keep their House majority, Democrats are riding high in public opinion polls as they attempt to link the unpopular Iran war with affordability.

Jules Hurst, who is performing the duties of the ​comptroller, told lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee that most of that money was for munitions.
Hurst did not detail ​what that cost estimate included and whether it took into account the projected costs of rebuilding and repairing ⁠base infrastructure in the Middle East damaged in the conflict.
Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, responded to ​Hurst: “I’m glad you answered that question. Because we’ve been asking for a hell of a long time, and no one’s given us the ​number.”
The $25 billion cost is equal to the entire budget of NASA for this year.

But it is unclear how the Pentagon arrived at the $25 billion amount given that a source had told Reuters last month that President Donald Trump’s administration estimated that the first six days of the war had cost the United States at ​least $11.3 billion.

WHAT WOULD YOU PAY?

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers that the cost was justified given the U.S. goal of ensuring Iran will ​not have a nuclear weapon.

“What would you pay to ensure Iran does not get a nuclear bomb? What would you pay?” Hegseth asked.
Hegseth sought to defend ‌the ⁠Iran war more broadly in fiery remarks, saying it was not a quagmire and attacking Democratic lawmakers as “feckless” for criticizing the unpopular conflict.
“You call it a quagmire, handing propaganda to our enemies? Shame on you for that statement,” Hegseth said in response to Garamendi, and slammed “reckless, feckless, and defeatist” Congressional Democrats.

The United States started carrying out strikes against Iran on February 28 and the two sides are currently maintaining a fragile ​ceasefire. The Pentagon has poured tens of ​thousands of additional forces into ⁠the Middle East, including keeping three aircraft carriers in the region.
Thirteen U.S. troops have been killed in the conflict and hundreds wounded.
Few issues resonate with U.S. voters more deeply than price increases, and the latest ​inflationary upswing is unsettling Republican insiders worried about their party’s prospects before November elections that will determine control ​of the House ⁠and possibly the Senate.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-war-iran-has-cost-25-billion-so-far-says-pentagon-official-2026-04-29/

Donald Trump discussed how to mitigate the impact of a possible months-long U.S. blockade of Iran’s ports with oil companies, a White House official said on Wednesday, as the U.S. renewed its calls for other ​nations to help open the Strait of Hormuz.
Tuesday’s talks with oil executives followed a deadlock in efforts to resolve the conflict, which has led the United States to try to squeeze Iran’s oil ‌exports with a naval blockade aimed at forcing it to reopen the Strait to shipping.

As Washington and Tehran traded public threats, mediator Pakistan was trying to avoid escalation while the two sides exchange messages on a potential deal, a Pakistani source told Reuters on Wednesday.
Trump has said Iran can call if it wants to talk and, in a post on Truth Social earlier on Wednesday, said Tehran “couldn’t get its act together.”
He and the oil executives “discussed the steps President Trump has taken to alleviate global oil markets and steps we could take ​to continue the current blockade for months if needed and minimize impact on American consumers,” the White House official said.

Oil prices rose more than 6% on Wednesday, with the Brent contract hitting a one-month high on prospects ​of a lengthy blockade.
The war has cost the U.S. military $25 billion so far, a senior Pentagon official said, providing the first official estimate of the price tag for ⁠the conflict.
Iran has pledged to continue disrupting traffic through the Strait as long as it is threatened, which may mean more Middle East oil supply disruptions from a conflict that has killed thousands and brought global economic upheaval.
With talks ​stalled, Trump is set to receive a briefing on Thursday on new plans for potential military action from the leader of the U.S. Central Command, Axios said.
Tehran warned on Wednesday of “unprecedented military action” against continued U.S. blockading of Iran-linked vessels. ​Trump has said Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, while Tehran says its nuclear ambitions are peaceful.

“They don’t know how to sign a non-nuclear deal. They’d better get smart soon!” Trump said in the social media post, without explaining what such a deal would entail.
The post featured a mock-up image of him wearing dark glasses and wielding a machinegun, captioned, “No more Mr. Nice Guy.”
The United States is asking other countries to join a new international coalition that would enable ships to navigate the Strait of Hormuz after traffic through the ​waterway stalled, according to an internal State Dept cable seen by Reuters.
The proposed coalition, dubbed the “Maritime Freedom Construct”, would share information, coordinate diplomatically and help enforce sanctions, the cable showed.
France, Britain and other countries have held talks on contributing ​to such a coalition but said they are only willing to help open the Strait, a chokepoint for global energy supplies, after hostilities cease.

URANIUM DISPUTE, ECONOMY UNDER PRESSURE

Iran wants U.S. acknowledgment of its right to enrich uranium for what it says are peaceful, ‌civilian purposes. It ⁠has a stockpile of about 440 kg (970 lbs) of uranium enriched to 60%, which could be used for several nuclear weapons if further enriched.
Iran’s parliament speaker and top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said Trump was trying to divide Iranians and force Iran to surrender through the blockade.
“The solution for confronting the enemy’s new conspiracy is only one thing: maintaining unity, which has been the bane of all the enemy’s conspiracies,” Qalibaf said in an audio message on messaging app Telegram.
Iran has executed at least 21 people since the start of the war with the United States and Israel two months ago, and arrested more than 4,000 on charges related to national security, U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk said on ​Wednesday.
In a sign of the toll the war is taking ​on Iran’s economy, its currency fell to a record ⁠low on Wednesday, the Iranian Students’ News Agency said. Inflation stood at 65.8% for the month to April 20, the central bank said.

IRAN WANTS FORMAL END TO CONFLICT FIRST

Iran’s latest offer for resolving the war, suspended since April 8 under a ceasefire deal, would set aside discussion of its nuclear program until the conflict is formally ended and shipping issues ​resolved.
That did not meet Trump’s demand to tackle the nuclear issue at the outset.
The Pakistani source said the United States had shared “observations” on the Iranian proposal and ​it was now up to Iran ⁠to respond. “(The) Iranians asked for time till the end of the week,” the source told Reuters.
U.S. intelligence agencies, tasked by senior administration officials, are studying how Iran would respond if Trump were to declare a unilateral victory, two U.S. officials and a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/trump-urges-iran-sign-deal-after-report-suggests-us-may-extend-blockade-2026-04-29/

King Charles’ courting of President Donald Trump on his state visit will not repair the recent fraying of U.S.-British relations but underscores how London is playing a ​longer game in trying to preserve the historic alliance.
Britain has routinely deployed the royal family to charm the mercurial U.S. president, hosting him for a lavish ‌state visit last September and dispatching King Charles and Queen Camilla to Washington this week for the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence from British rule.

Trump has repeatedly mocked and criticised British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in recent weeks over his refusal to back the Iran war, but diplomats and commentators said Charles’ task was not so much to smooth political ties as to remind the American public and their politicians of the depth and ​longevity of the relationship.
Nigel Sheinwald, Britain’s ambassador to Washington between 2007 and 2012, said the king had used a rare and well-received address to Congress to highlight the ​web of bilateral ties across culture, security, defence and technology.
“(He will) hope that some of it will have an enduring impact on his audiences, ⁠which are much wider than the administration and will go on much longer than the administration”, Sheinwald told Reuters.

WORST RELATIONS SINCE SUEZ

The 77-year-old monarch’s four-day visit comes against the backdrop of the worst ​relations between the two countries since the Suez Crisis in 1956, and amid broader strains between the Trump administration and its European allies.
Trump earlier this year threatened to seize Greenland – which is part ​of the kingdom of Denmark – and more recently has harshly criticised NATO allies for not sending their navies to help open the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively shut.
In Tuesday’s address to Congress, the highlight of his visit which ends on Thursday, Charles praised the U.S.-UK alliance while delivering several subtle rebukes to Trump, warning against the perils of becoming ever more inward-looking and promoting the need for peace and compassion in public ​life.
“The king is a masterful diplomat,” said one senior government official.

In Australia, where Charles is also head of state, a column in the Sydney Morning Herald praised the “persuasive and incredibly sly” address ​for telling Trump what his many critics think he needed to hear.
But Mark Lyall Grant, Britain’s former national security adviser and a career diplomat, said that while the events involving Trump were important, the broader ‌mission of the ⁠king and queen was to address the American people on a trip that also includes stops in New York and Virginia.
“Just as there have been difficult relations at the political level in the past, the king symbolises the British state, and this visit therefore reminds the people of America, in particular, of what that relationship is and what it means to both countries,” he said.
Britain has long vaunted its close ties with the U.S. but the increasingly visible strains during Trump’s second presidency – almost a decade after the UK voted to leave the European Union – have sparked a ​bout of introspection about how it should navigate ​a much more volatile world.

NOT SPECIAL ANYMORE

Christian ⁠Turner, Britain’s current ambassador to Washington, told a recent private event he did not like the term “special relationship” that was coined by wartime leader Winston Churchill because it harked back to the past.
The Foreign Office said the comments, reported by the Financial Times, were not government policy.
Critics of the ​government have also argued that while Trump’s tone may sometimes be offensive, he is not wrong to say that Britain, like other European ​nations, must spend more on ⁠defence if it wants to be taken seriously by global partners.
Diplomats and commentators said the deployment of royal “soft power” would not provide cover for Starmer’s centre-left Labour government for long, but that it would help keep channels open while the prime minister works to get back onto a better footing with the right-wing U.S. president.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/kings-visit-us-shows-uk-playing-long-game-fixing-strained-ties-2026-04-29/

Elon Musk accused a lawyer for OpenAI of repeatedly trying to trick him during a tense cross-examination at ​a trial that may determine the future of the artificial intelligence company that built ChatGPT.
Musk’s lawsuit alleges OpenAI ditched its mission to build artificial intelligence for the public ‌good, and he is seeking billions of dollars and a change in management and direction for OpenAI, which says Musk knew exactly what was going on and was angry he was not made CEO.

William Savitt, a lawyer for OpenAI, told Musk his questions about the tax benefits of his $38 million in donations to OpenAI and the company’s corporate structure were meant to be simple, and that Musk’s responses should be as well.
“Your questions are not simple. They’re designed to trick ​me,” Musk, the CEO of Tesla (TSLA.O), and SpaceX, told a nine-person jury in Oakland, California, federal court.
The heated exchange came after Musk, over two days of questioning by his own lawyer, ​accused OpenAI, its co-founder and Chief Executive Sam Altman, and its President Greg Brockman of promising to build a nonprofit to develop AI responsibly, before pivoting ⁠to create a for-profit entity in 2019 to enrich themselves.

OpenAI has argued that Musk, who helped finance the company’s early growth, is driven by a compulsion to control it and bitterness over its ​success after he left the board in 2018. It has said he is seeking to bolster his own AI company, SpaceX unit xAI, which lags OpenAI in user adoption.
The company also contends Musk pushed OpenAI ​to become a for-profit business, wanted to become CEO, and that safety was not a priority for him when he was with the company.
Savitt asked Musk about an email he sent Altman in 2015 suggesting OpenAI be structured as a for-profit corporation with a parallel nonprofit, part of an effort to show Musk was supportive of a for-profit entity. Musk said the emails did not indicate his definitive position.
“Discussions and brainstorming are not a deal,” said Musk, wearing ​a dark suit over a white shirt and glancing at the jury occasionally as he spoke.

Seated in the courtroom audience, Altman and Brockman – who took notes with a red-ink pen on a yellow legal ​pad – listened intently as the exchanges between Musk and Savitt grew increasingly heated.
Musk repeatedly asked Savitt to stop interrupting him. Musk answered one of Savitt’s questions by saying, “You tell me.” Savitt responded, “I get to ask the questions, ‌Mr. Musk.”
Musk is ⁠expected to return to the stand for more cross-examination on Thursday.

MUSK SAYS ALTMAN OFFER ‘FELT LIKE A BRIBE’

The trial highlights the depth of the rupture between Musk and Altman. The pair co-founded OpenAI in 2015 to create a benevolent steward of the technology and fend off rivals such as Alphabet’s (GOOGL.O), Google. Musk testified he left OpenAI in 2018 to focus on Tesla and SpaceX.
Microsoft (MSFT.O), also a defendant, invested $10 billion in OpenAI in 2023, a deal Musk said fueled his concerns that OpenAI was abandoning its mission.
Jurors saw text messages Musk and Altman exchanged after news broke of Microsoft’s potential investment. Musk told Altman the move felt ​like a “bait and switch.” Altman responded, “I agree this ​feels bad.”

JURY SEES ALTMAN’S TEXTS TO MUSK

Earlier on ⁠Wednesday, jurors saw an email Musk sent to Altman and Brockman in 2017, referring to himself as a “fool” for providing them funding for what he believed was a nonprofit venture.
“What they really wanted to do was create a for-profit where they had as much shareholder ownership as possible,” Musk said under ​questioning by his lawyer, Steven Molo.
OpenAI has said it created a for-profit entity to allow it to accept private investments to help buy computing ​power and pay top scientists.
On ⁠cross-examination, Savitt highlighted instances in which Altman appeared to keep Musk apprised of OpenAI’s plans to create a for-profit entity and pursue investment from Microsoft.
Savitt asked Musk if he had responded to an April 3, 2019, text message Altman sent him asking, “Do you have a few mins to talk about the Microsoft/openai investment?” Musk said he did not recall if he responded.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/elon-musk-return-witness-stand-trial-over-openais-future-2026-04-29/

Barack Obama’s tacky, hyperpartisan post-presidency is welcome insofar as it serves to remind the public of his tacky, hyperpartisan leadership style.

“Although we don’t yet have the details about the motives behind last night’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. . . ,” began Obama’s Sunday evening statement about the gunman who showed up in Washington the night before.

Except by the time Obama got around to acknowledging the attack, the entire world knew why Cole Tomas Allen had attempted to storm the ballroom where President Trump and much of his administration were breaking bread with their ancestral enemies in the Fourth Estate.

“I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes,” wrote Allen in his manifesto.

A few lines later, he explained he would murder hotel guests and employees alike if he needed to in order to succeed in assassinating administration officials.

Obama lied about Allen’s motives to elide his side’s slide toward political extremism and violence. And he did so because he is an immensely cynical political operator.

Spin ‘doctor’

Voters ought to be keenly aware of his true identity as the former president hits the campaign trail on behalf of his party in advance of November.

After all, the truth has always taken a backseat to 44’s whims.

To this day, the Affordable Care Act remains the signature legislative achievement of his presidency; it was sold using the slogan, “If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor.”

In 2013, one year after Obama’s re-election, left-leaning PolitiFact named that mantra its lie of the year, tsk-tsking the commander in chief not only for his erroneous claim, but making “matters worse” by falsely insisting he had “been misunderstood all along.”

Insult to injury, then.

A year later, Obama used his bully pulpit to fan the flames of the civil unrest in Ferguson, Mo., where Michael Brown had been shot by Officer Darren Wilson in August.

The race riots that broke out in the immediate aftermath of the incident inflicted tremendous damage on the city, with many local businesses never recovering.

After a grand jury declined to indict Wilson that November, however, Obama insisted it was “understandable” that Americans were “deeply disappointed” or “even angry” with the decision before lecturing local authorities “to show care and restraint in managing peaceful protests that may occur” — as if they hadn’t already.

A dozen buildings were burned to the ground that evening, and 20-year-old DeAndre Joshua was found dead in his car the next day; no one remembers his name.

Just a few short months later, Obama’s own Department of Justice cleared Wilson and debunked the oft-repeated lie that Brown had already surrendered, hands raised above his head, when Wilson shot him.

Oops.

Obama’s commitment to advancing his own narrative at any cost was on display yet again after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

His initial, three-sentence statement on the deadliest day for Jewry since the Holocaust didn’t come until Oct. 9, and was followed up a couple weeks later by an essay devoted almost entirely to scolding Israel while parroting Hamas’ accusations against it.

Where others saw a moment that demanded moral clarity, Obama saw an opportunity to muddy the waters, as is his custom.

Divide & conquer

More recently, the former president has emerged as one of the country’s leading advocates of partisan gerrymandering — for Democrats, of course.

In an exceedingly haughty statement issued last summer, Obama managed to at once claim the moral high ground, condemn Republican gerrymanders, and endorse Gov. Gavin Newsom’s carve-up of California.

Then this spring, he threw his support behind Virginia Democrats’ effort to leave purple Old Dominion with just one Republican-leaning congressional district.

Source : https://nypost.com/2026/04/28/opinion/obamas-gaffe-about-the-whcd-shooter-is-just-the-latest-in-the-former-presidents-legacy-of-lies/

President Donald Trump’s approval ​rating sank to the lowest level of his current term, as Americans increasingly soured on his handling of the cost ‌of living and an unpopular war with Iran, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.
The four-day poll completed on Monday showed 34% of Americans approve of Trump’s performance in the White House, down from 36% in a prior Reuters/Ipsos survey, which was conducted from April 15 to 20.

The majority of responses were gathered prior to the Saturday ​night shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, where Trump was due to speak. It remains to be seen if ​the incident, in which a gunman was stopped before he could enter a hall where Trump was dining, ⁠might affect people’s views of the U.S. leader. Federal prosecutors have charged the accused shooter with attempting to assassinate the president.
Trump’s standing with the ​U.S. public has trended lower since taking office in January 2025, when 47% of Americans gave him a thumbs-up.
His popularity has taken a beating ​since the U.S. and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28 that has led to a surge in gasoline prices. Only 22% of poll respondents approved of Trump’s performance on the cost of living, down from 25% in the prior Reuters/Ipsos poll.

SURGING GAS PRICES WEIGH ON VOTERS

U.S. gasoline prices have surged more than ​40% to roughly $4.18 a gallon since the U.S. and Israel launched surprise attacks on Iran on February 28, triggering a response that shut ​down a fifth of the global oil trade.
The price hikes are weighing heavily on American households and fueling concern among Trump’s Republicans that they could lose control ‌of ⁠the U.S. Congress in the November midterm elections.
While a solid majority of Republicans – 78% – still say they back Trump, 41% of the party say they disapprove of his handling of the cost of living, the Reuters/Ipsos poll found.
Independent registered voters, a group that could be decisive in the midterms, favored Democrats by 14 points, 34% to 20%, when asked who would get their vote in congressional elections. One in four said they ​were still undecided.

Trump won the 2024 ​presidential election on promises to bring ⁠down prices after several years of high inflation vexed his predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden. Now Trump’s approval rating on the economy – at 27% – is well below any reading he had during his 2017-2021 administration, and ​also lower than Biden’s weakest economy rating.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-approval-sinks-record-low-war-with-iran-drives-cost-of-living-concerns-2026-04-28/

The United Arab Emirates said Tuesday it will leave OPEC effective May 1, stripping the oil cartel of its third-largest producer and further weakening its leverage over global oil supplies and prices.

The UAE’s decision had been rumored as a possibility for some time, as it pushed back in recent years against OPEC production quotas it felt had been too low — meaning it wasn’t able to sell as much oil to the world as it had wanted.

“Having invested heavily in expanding energy production capacity in recent years, the bigger picture is that the UAE has been itching to pump more oil,” Capital Economics wrote in an analysis. “The ties binding OPEC members together have loosened,” it said, particularly after Qatar withdrew from the cartel in 2019.

Regional politics are also likely at play. The UAE has had increasingly frosty relations with Saudi Arabia, OPEC’s largest producer, over political and economic matters in the Mideast, even after both came under attack by fellow OPEC member Iran during the war.

The UAE’s withdrawal from OPEC won’t necessarily have any immediate effects in markets. That’s because world oil supplies are sharply constrained by the war in Iran, which has closed off the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which one-fifth of global oil supplies — including much of the UAE’s — is transported. On Tuesday, Brent crude, the international benchmark, traded above $111 a barrel, or more than 50% above its prewar price.

OPEC accounts for roughly 40% of the world’s oil output, but its market power had been waning in recent years as the United States ramped up production. While Saudi Arabia had been producing more than 10 million barrels of oil a day before the war, the U.S. pumps more than 13 million barrels a day.

U.S. President Donald Trump has been a steady critic of the cartel during his two terms in the White House.

The UAE, which joined OPEC through its emirate of Abu Dhabi in 1967, had been producing around 3.4 million barrels of crude a day just before the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran began on Feb. 28. Analysts say it has capacity to produce roughly 5 million barrels a day.

In its announcement on Tuesday, made via its state-run WAM news agency, the UAE said it also would leave the wider OPEC+ group, which Russia had led to try to stabilize oil prices.

“This decision reflects the UAE’s long-term strategic and economic vision and evolving energy profile, including accelerated investment in domestic energy production,” the UAE said, adding that it would bring “additional production to market in a gradual and measured manner, aligned with demand and market conditions.”

The UAE’s withdrawal removes one of OPEC’s few members with the ability to quickly increase production, said Jorge Leon, head of geopolitical analysis at Rystad Energy.

“A structurally weaker OPEC, with less spare capacity concentrated within the group, will find it increasingly difficult to calibrate supply and stabilize prices,” he said.

Saudi Arabia, UAE increasingly at odds

Saudi Arabia and the UAE increasingly have competed over economic issues and regional politics, particularly in the Red Sea area. The two countries had jointly fought against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels in 2015. However, that coalition broke down into recriminations in late December, when Saudi Arabia bombed what it described as a weapons shipment bound for Yemeni separatists backed by the UAE.

As tensions rose in recent months, Saudi broadcasters long based in Dubai, the economic hub of the UAE, have pulled back to the kingdom.

“This exit of OPEC fits into the UAE need for flexibility with key energy consumers as well — including a future relationship with China and a more competitive relationship with Saudi Arabia,” said Karen Young, a senior research scholar at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy.

While Saudi Arabia and OPEC had no immediate reaction, Emirati Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei insisted his country’s decision did not stem from any dispute with its Gulf neighbor.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/opec-united-arab-emirates-leaving-cartel-4966108c3fafacb67181152216deda14

An Indian billionaire’s son has offered to help Colombia get rid of a problem it has grappled with for years – a herd of hippos linked to notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar.

Escobar, who was shot dead by police in 1993, illegally imported exotic animals, including a male and a female hippopotamus – dubbed the “cocaine hippos”.

Their population grew and Colombia tried various methods of control – including castration – to no avail. It has decided to cull some 80 of the animals.

Anant Ambani – son of Asia’s richest man Mukesh Ambani – says he is “willing to receive and care for” the animals at his private Vantara zoo in India’s Gujarat state. Colombia has not commented on the offer.

In a letter to Colombia’s environment minister, the CEO of Ambani’s zoo said they were ready to give the herd “lifelong care” in India.

The letter, published on the zoo’s Instagram account, said “at the heart of this proposal is Vantara’s belief that every life matters and that we have a shared responsibility to protect life wherever possible”.

Escobar kept the hippos at his ranch, Hacienda Nápoles – a luxury estate situated about 250km (155 miles) north-west of the capital Bogotá.

After his death, the pair were allowed to roam free and multiplied along the basin of Colombia’s main river, the Magdalena.

Efforts failed to contain the herd’s growth, with a lack of predators and the fertile and swampy Antioquia region providing perfect conditions for the native African animal to thrive.

Colombian environmentalists say the hippos, believed to be the biggest herd outside Africa, are an invasive species and have pushed away the native fauna.

Fishing communities along the Magdalena River have come under attack by hippos – one of the largest land animals, with adult males weighing up to three tonnes.

Vantara zoo is home to 2,000 species, including elephants, tigers and other animals.

Spread over 3,500 acres, it is located in Jamnagar, not far from Mukesh Ambani’s oil refinery – which is the largest in the world.

It was one of the venues for Anant Ambani’s lavish pre-wedding events that made global headlines in 2024.

The private zoo has drawn criticism from wildlife activists and conservationists for numerous reasons including the unsuitability of the region’s hot and dry climate for some of the animals.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr7prm4ke8do

ABC execs are ready to pull Jimmy Kimmel’s show again over the late-night host’s controversial comments about Melania Trump.

And insiders tell The U.S. Sun that this time it could be for good.

ABC affiliates around the country have already been ordered to drop promotional clips for the show after the first lady hit back at Kimmel for branding her an “expectant widow” on April 23.

The scandal also comes at a crucial time for the network’s advertising revenue, meaning Disney could take the “easy way out” by pulling him, our sources say.

An ABC insider exclusively told The U.S. Sun: “Stations which carry ABC around the country were told to pull Kimmel’s slated promos from their lineups this week.

“The move to pull Kimmel completely seems imminent.”

Making ABC’s delicate situation even more precarious, the insider explained that sweeps begin this Thursday.

Sweeps are when TV viewing data is collected each quarter to set ad local and national advertising rates.

A second source, who is a veteran industry insider, said sweeps usher in an “all-out race for ratings” – making the timing for pulling Kimmel disastrous.

The insider predicts ABC parent company Disney will eventually “cave to the administration’s demands” to avoid an exodus of advertisers during this critical window.

“Pulling Kimmel is the easy way out for Disney.”

The U.S. Sun reached out to ABC for comment.

The latest scandal began last Friday when Kimmel made a crass joke about the First Lady.

“Of course, our first lady, Melania, is here. Look at her, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow,” he said.

The first lady slammed Kimmel’s comments in a rare public intervention in the aftermath of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting on Saturday night.

Melania responded on Monday with a forceful statement on X, branding Kimmel’s rhetoric “corrosive” and “hateful”.

She accused him of being a “coward” who hides behind ABC leadership and called on the network to “take a stand” against his behavior.

The President later joined the fray on Truth Social, declaring that “Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired” by Disney and ABC.

Senior advisor Marc Beckman echoed these sentiments, suggesting Kimmel’s presence on air is no longer acceptable given the sensitivity of the assassination attempt.

The late-night host immediately felt the aftershocks of those comments on Monday when one of his guests was pulled at the last minute.

Mentalist Oz Pearlman, who was performing at the WHCD when the shooting began, was removed from Kimmel’s guest lineup Monday.

He was replaced by Pod Save America cohost Jon Lovett, according to Entertainment Weekly.

And now, the FCC, or Federal Communications Commission, has ordered a review of all station licenses owned by ABC.

If Kimmel is pulled entirely, it would be the second time in seven months that the host’s job was in jeopardy after his comments on Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

Kimmel said the “MAGA gang” was “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them” and of trying to “score political points from it.”

It would be the second major debacle for ABC under CEO Josh D’Amaro, who took the helm last month just as the company made the decision to pull Taylor Frankie Paul’s The Bachelorette.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/tv/16285029/jimmy-kimmel-live-pulled-off-abc-melania-trump/

THE deranged roommate of a murdered doctoral student has been described as an unpleasant housemate who would have sudden outbursts of rage, the victim’s brother revealed.

Zubaer Ahmed told The U.S. Sun his brother, Zamil Limon, filed a complaint against his housemate, Hisham Abugharbieh, about two weeks before the unhinged 26-year-old allegedly killed his studious sibling.

“He often mentioned about Hisham previously that he is very unpleasant, unsocial, and he often does not come out of his room,” Ahmed, Limon’s younger brother, told The U.S. Sun from his home in Bangladesh.

“That’s what he shared with me. He has anger issues. He often [had] outbursts from anger, from silly mistakes, silly issues as well.”

Ahmed added that two weeks before his brother went missing, Limon and his other roommate, Rashid, filed a complaint with the complex authority at Avalon Heights, where the two shared an apartment with Abugharbieh.

The younger brother said he did not have additional information regarding the specifics of the complaint but said no action was taken.

Avalon Heights did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The U.S. Sun.

Ahmed blasted the off-campus housing facility’s seeming lack of properly vetting their residents, underscoring Abugharbieh’s criminal history.

“His roommate [Hisham] has some criminal record past. He has a case [for] domestic violence from his own brother.

“And his own brother requested police or court to save them from his brother.”

The suspect’s brother, Ahmad, broke his silence over the weekend and acknowledged that his elder relative should not have been living with housemates.

“I didn’t know he had a roommate. He should’ve lived on his own or been homeless,” Ahmad told CBS News.

In 2023, Abugharbieh was charged with two battery charges in relation to an incident involving his brother, who ultimately decided to drop the crimes.

“I dropped them because I thought it was going to cost me a lot of money,” Ahmad said, adding, “I regretted that choice immediately after.”

Ahmad was granted a protective order against his older brother that same year.

In his protective order filing, Ahmad alleged that his brother “repeatedly punched him in the head, ripped his shirt and made him bleed” and caused bruises on his face.

On another occasion, Ahmad alleged that his brother tore up the family’s entire living room after a short argument with their mother.

Ahmed, Limon’s brother, said it was deeply frustrating to know that Abugharbieh’s criminal record seemingly went unnoticed by the housing authority at Avalon Heights.

“We international students do not have that much time, or students in general have not much capability to check background of every roommate,” Ahmed told The U.S. Sun.

“So, it’s often [the] duty of complex authority to provide information or background of who they are living with.”

Hisham Abugharbieh was arrested in dramatic fashion on Friday at his family’s home in Tampa, Florida, after authorities alleged he killed his roommate Limon and the victim’s friend, Nahida Bristy, both 27.

Aerial footage captured a bare Abugharbieh exiting his family’s home in nothing but a blue towel wrapped around his waist as a heavily-armed SWAT team was stationed outside.

Limon and Bristy, who were close friends and international doctoral students at the University of South Florida, were last seen minutes apart on April 16.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said Limon, who was pursuing a degree in geography, environmental science, and policy, was last seen leaving his home at around 9am.

Around the same time, witnesses told authorities that they saw Bristy, who was pursuing a degree in chemical engineering, on campus at the National & Environmental Science building.

Ahmed, Limon’s younger brother, believes his older sibling met up with Bristy before they went missing.

Sheriff’s officials said Limon’s residence was about a 10-minute drive from the NES building where Bristy was last seen.

Ahmed told The U.S. Sun that although his brother and Bristy were not officially dating they were very close and had conversations about a future together.

“They were close friends for sure, but you have to understand from [a] Bangladesh perspective, they are close friends and they have feelings for each other for certain time,” Ahmed added.

“And they are talking to each other whether they can have a future together, but they are not officially dating.

“My brother spoke about Nahida, like she is one of his close friends at USF and she is very kind and always put a smile on his face always.

“She has a lot of extracurricular activities like she can cook well, she can sing and so on. We got a very positive vibe from him about Nahida.”

Limon’s remains were located on Friday morning under the Howard Frankland Bridge.

Court documents reveal Limon died from multiple stab wounds.

A second set of human remains were found in the waterways of Tampa Bay near the Howard Frankland Bridge on Sunday.

The remains have not been identified.

Prosecutors said Abugharbieh allegedly asked ChatGPT questions about how to dispose of a body in the days leading up to Bristy and Limon’s disappearances.

On April 13, Abugharbieh allegedly asked the AI chatbot what would happen if someone was “put in a black garbage bag and throw in dumpster.”

The AI chatbot responded that it “sounds dangerous,” prompting Abugharbieh to allegedly ask, “How would they find out,” according to court documents.

Abugharbieh was charged with two counts of premeditated first-degree murder with a weapon.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/16286141/usf-students-zamil-limon-nahida-bristy-family-speaks/

As politicians gear up for the 2027 elections, millions of Nigerians face a worsening security situation. Analysts say President Tinubu’s recent cabinet reshuffle aims to rebuild public trust.

An alleged coup plot against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, economic hardship, and overstretched security forces are deepening concerns and raising fresh questions about governance, accountability, and the future of Nigeria’s democracy.

Nearly three years into Tinubu’s term, analysts say his administration is grappling with overlapping crises — from a high‑profile treason case to persistent violence by armed groups across multiple regions.

Lagos‑based media executive and political analyst Ayodele Adio told DW that the government’s inability to deliver on key promises has eroded public trust.

“Either they are incompetent, poorly prepared, or have the wrong people leading various agencies and ministries,” he said. According to him, many Nigerians now view the government as lacking legitimacy — “a dangerous trend for any democracy.”

Alleged coup plot rattles Nigeria’s establishment

The most dramatic political development in recent weeks is the filing of treason charges against six former and serving security officials accused of plotting to overthrow the government. Court documents list a retired army major general and a serving police inspector among those charged, while a former state governor remains at large.

Authorities describe the case as the most serious treason prosecution since Nigeria’s return to civilian rule in 1999. It comes amid awave of coups in West and Central Africa, heightening concerns about internal divisions within Nigeria’s security establishment.

Although the government insists democratic institutions remain stable, the allegations have reignited fears about elite discontent within the security establishment and deepened concerns about internal fragility.

Security analyst Femi Aratokun says the broader security climate remains troubling. “The body language of the government does not suggest meaningful improvement,” he told DW. “Many people worry that political tensions or a failing global security strategy are affecting Nigeria.”

As the treason trial unfolds and military operations continue, analysts say the key test for President Tinubu will be whether his administration can move beyond crisis management — restoring confidence not only in Nigeria’s economy, but in the state’s ability to protect its people and uphold civilian rule in an increasingly volatile region.

Political realignments in Nigeria ahead of 2027

The tense security environment is already shaping political dynamics ahead of the 2027 general elections. Last week, President Tinubu dismissed his finance minister, with further cabinet changes expected.

Adio says the timing is unsurprising. “It’s political season. The president is using cabinet reshuffles to send signals — dropping non‑performing ministers and showing the public he is listening to their cries.”

Opposition parties are reorganizing, forming new alliances, and positioning high‑profile figures for potential presidential bids. Tinubu has urged political actors to respect the Electoral Act and avoid inflaming tensions, while critics accuse his government of prioritizing political survival over structural reform.

For many Nigerians, insecurity and economic hardship are increasingly intertwined. Attacks on transport routes and farming communities have pushed up food prices, while kidnappings and violence continue to disrupt trade.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/nigerias-leader-battles-security-political-crises/a-76903098

The Mumbai Crime Branch probe traced the MD supply chain from Sangli and Surat to the UAE and Turkey, where Dola allegedly directed operations through associates.

Salim Dola, a close associate of fugitive don Dawood Ibrahim and an alleged key banned drug producer, has been extradited to India from Istanbul, where he was detained in a joint operation by Turkiye’s National Intelligence Organisation and local police. In Delhi, the fugitive is being kept at the Narcotics Control Bureau’s RK Puram office and will later be handed over to the Mumbai police.

A Dongri resident, Dola had been running a multi-state narcotics network from abroad after fleeing India nearly a decade ago. His role came into focus during a targeted investigation into the proceeds of drug sales allegedly handled by Faisal Javed Shaikh and Alfiya Faisal Shaikh, who are believed to have procured mephedrone (MD) drugs from Dola.

The Mumbai Crime Branch probe traced the MD supply chain from Sangli and Surat to the UAE and Turkey, where Dola allegedly directed operations through associates. Last year, authorities, with the help of the Interpol framework, deported Dola’s son Taher and his nephew Mustafa Mohammad Kubbawala from the UAE, weakening his network.

Who Is Salim Dola

Born in 1966 into a middle-class family in the Byculla area of Mumbai, Dola entered the city’s underworld at a young age. He befriended don Chhota Shakeel, who was, at the time, a member of Dawood Ibrahim’s D-company.

Initially, Dola was involved in the smuggling of gutkha (tobacco) across Mumbai and Delhi. Gradually, he ventured into the drug trade and began trafficking marijuana (ganja).

In 2012, the Narcotics Control Bureau arrested him with a consignment of 80 kilograms of marijuana. After spending nearly five years in jail, he was acquitted by the court.

After he was released from prison, Dola met the fugitive drug supplier, Kailash Rajput. It was at this juncture that he stepped into the world of synthetic drugs. With the assistance of Kailash Rajput, Dola began manufacturing a synthetic drug known as “Button.” This drug is formulated using dangerous opioids –such as Fentanyl –and is sold in the form of tablets or pills.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/who-is-salim-dola-dawood-ibrahims-close-aide-extradited-to-india-in-drug-case-11419257?pfrom=home-ndtvworld_world_top_scroll

Investigators said the manifesto made clear that Allen intended to target top government officials attending the dinner, except for Patel. “Administration officials (not including Patel): they are the targets,” the 1,052-word document stated.

A manifesto sent by the suspected gunman, Cole Tomas Allen, before the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting over the weekend outlined his intent to target the US President Donald Trump and his other senior officials, with a noticeable exception of one important member– FBI director Kash Patel.

But why exactly was Patel “spared”? That’s the question being probed by authorities, who are examining multiple theories, ranging from ideology to operational strategy, down to religion, according to a report by The New York Post.

One of the theories under investigation is that Allen, who had anti-Christian sentiments, excluded Patel because he is a Hindu by faith.

“[Allen] was pretty anti-Christian and Kash is Hindu,” a source told The Post.

Other Theories Under Probe

Sources said the other reason why Patel was specifically excluded was that Allen purportedly wanted to avoid targeting law enforcement while focusing squarely on Trump, against whom he ranted in the manifesto.

“Anything would really just be speculation, but he took the time to go through why he wasn’t targeting all of the law-enforcement agencies, so I think it’s probably related to that,” a source told The Post.

Another source claimed Allen “specifically said he didn’t want to target law enforcement.” That’s why Patel was exempted from his list.

However, the report said the theories are still under investigation to understand the true motives of the gunman.

What The Manifesto Said

Authorities said Allen emailed family members and a former employer shortly before launching the attack, attaching a document titled “Apology and Explanation.”

In the message, Allen wrote, “My sincerest apologies for all the trouble I’ve caused”, adding that he did not expect forgiveness for what he was about to do.

The document then shifted to justification. “What my representatives do reflects on me. And I am no longer willing to permit… crimes,” he wrote, outlining a political rationale for his actions.

Investigators said the manifesto made clear that Allen intended to target top government officials attending the dinner. “Administration officials (not including Patel): they are the targets, prioritised from highest-ranking to lowest,” the 1,052-word document stated.

The manifesto also outlined what Allen described as “rules of engagement”, indicating that Secret Service personnel would be targeted only if necessary and that other groups, including hotel staff and guests, were not primary targets.

Despite that, the document acknowledged the risk of broader harm. Allen wrote that he “would still go through most everyone… if it were absolutely necessary”, a statement prosecutors said underscored the potential scale of the threat.

Officials said Allen apologised in the document to people he “put in danger simply by being near,” even as he outlined his intended targets.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/white-house-correspondents-dinner-shooting-kash-patel-not-on-cole-allens-kill-list-because-hes-hindu-what-report-said-11418490?pfrom=home-ndtvworld_world_top_scroll