Category: World

Terrifying photos show Blackstone employees barricading their office door with piles of furniture as gunman Shane Tamura rampaged through the Midtown building that houses their headquarters Monday night.

Workers in business attire were seen stacking dozens of gray couches up against their office door inside 345 Park Avenue — which also houses the NFL headquarters — until the furniture barricade reached the ceiling, according to the photos obtained by ABC7.

Panicked workers even began pulling apart wood desks to add more furniture to the barrier, the pics provided by a Blackstone employee showed.

A police officer and at least four other people were shot and killed — and several others injured — by Tamura, who stormed into the swanky skyscraper where the NFL also has its headquarters.

The 27-year-old maniac barged into the 44-story building armed with a Palmetto State Armory AR-15 and opened fire at around 6:30 p.m. during the evening rush, law enforcement sources told The Post.

Tamura then turned the gun on himself, cops said.

Source : https://nypost.com/2025/07/28/us-news/345-park-ave-workers-barricade-office-door-during-shane-tamuras-deadly-nyc-shooting/

International criminal gangs have exploited instability in Sahel countries to build flourishing drug and human trafficking networks, while Russian promises of bringing order have so far failed.

The bus station in Agadez is very busy. The Nigerien desert city is one of the most important regional hubs. Here, on the northern edge of the Sahel, trade routes between West Africa and the Maghreb have converged for centuries.

And the boundaries between legally traded goods and smuggled goods have always been blurred. In particular the smuggling of people from sub-Saharan Africa who set off for Europe without papers is – at least unofficially – considered the city’s main source of income.

Bamadou also wanted to make his way to Europe with the help of smugglers. However, the young man from Guinea gave up after a short time. He is now stranded in Agadez and warns other migrants about the increasingly brutal criminal gangs in the desert.

“Sometimes they come with baseball bats and just start beating people. Several people even died in a migrant convoy in March. Three Senegalese, two South Americans and from Guinea,” he tells DW.

New policy leads to smuggling boom

In 2015, under pressure from the European Union, Niger’s government passed a far-reaching anti-smuggling law, sent heavily armed patrols into the desert, and arrested hundreds of smugglers within a few months.

But following the military coup in 2023, the new rulers abolished the law.

“The new military leadership went through with it just one day after signing a new military agreement with Russia,” says Ulf Laessing, head of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation’s regional program in neighboring Mali. Laessing believes Russian influence was behind the move.

The effects of the new Nigerien policy were swift: Just a few weeks after the law was abolished, the smuggling business in Agadez was back in full swing according to the mayor – and is still growing.

Partners in Moscow rather than Brussels

The picture is similar among Niger’s neighbors. In Burkina Faso and Mali, new military governments moved closer to Moscow than Brussels. Over the same time, the regional smuggling industry saw rapid expansion in these countries, particularly in the drugs sector.

For example, authorities in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger seized about 13 kilograms (28.7 pounds) of drugs per year between 2015 and 2020. By 2022, the figure exploded to around 1.5 tonnes ― an increase of more than 11,000%, according to reports from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

Cocaine glut in the desert

The latest data from 2024 shows over a tonne of cocaine was seized during a single check on the border between Senegal and Mali.

“An absolute record,” says Amado Philip de Andres from the UNODC in Dakar, Senegal. According to de Andres, the Sahel’s location has long made it a strategic place of interest for drug smugglers.

The region lies between producers in Latin America and consumers in Europe, which has seen soaring demand for the drug. Criminal networks have historically exploited political instability in the Sahel, but de Andres says smuggling activities have recently reached a new dimension in terms of quality.

“We are seeing increasingly sophisticated technologies. There are underwater vehicles that have half a tonne of drugs on board,” he tells DW.

Most of the time, the cocaine travels towards Europe through the Sahel overland along routes controlled by rapidly growing local drug networks.

“The really big fish in the cocaine business still come from Latin America. But the middle level is now increasingly coming from West and Central Africa,” de Andres adds.

The criminal networks have now acquired significant financial power in the Sahel and are laundering their dirty money in major projects throughout the region.

System of corruption and military toughness

This comes against a backdrop of corrupt officials and security forces, particularly at the local level. As a result of Europe’s dwindling influence, programs to combat corruption and good governance in the Sahel have expired or been put on hold in recent years.

“Drug trafficking is giving criminal groups more and more influence over border officials and politicians with leadership positions at local level,” says de Andres.

Russian promises of military force to ensure more order in the Sahel and combat criminal networks are falling far short of expectations.

“You have to bear in mind that France alone had more than 5,000 soldiers here. Even they couldn’t pacify the region. The Russians have perhaps 1,500 in Mali and another 400 in Burkina Faso and Niger,” Laessing tells DW.

Instead, according to Laessing, the presence of the Russian mercenary outfit Africa Corps has had the opposite effect.

“A brutality is attributed to them that has fueled the conflicts even further,” he says.

On the road to narco-terrorism?

The dynamics between smugglers and jihadists are also changing due to the success of the drug networks.

The term “narco-terrorism” is increasingly used in the Sahel. According to the latest Global Terrorism Index, almost half of all victims of terrorism across the world come from the region.

Initially, the jihadists tended to be indirect beneficiaries of the drug trade, charging customs duties for trucks or taking money to escort convoys.

Now, observers say, some terrorist groups are trying to enter the lucrative business directly. In other regions, the Afghan Taliban have long been active in the opium trade and the Islamic State (IS) in Syria also produced synthetic drugs on a large scale.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/how-the-sahel-became-a-smuggling-hotspot/a-73414085

Imran Khan has lashed out at Army chief Asim Munir, saying the general was disgracing the military and sacrificing national interest to maintain his hold on power.

Imran Khan, Pakistan’s imprisoned former Prime Minister, lashed out at Army chief Asim Munir, saying that the general was disgracing the military and sacrificing national interest to maintain his hold on power.

In a recent post on social media, Khan said, “The country is being run under Munir’s law, and the ISI is giving it protection… He is prepared to sacrifice every national interest to maintain his hold on power. This army chief is disgracing the military just as Yahya Khan once did.”

Khan invoked the legacy of former army chief General Yahya Khan, whose regime led to the Bangladesh Liberation War and the birth of Bangladesh, as he ramps up criticism against the current government. His comments come ahead of his party’s campaign against the “puppet government”, starting next month.

“At this time, the Senate, the National Assembly, the Prime Minister, and the President are all unconstitutional. A sham constitutional court was created, which reduced our seats in parliament,” Khan, who has been in jail for two years in multiple cases, added.

In an unprecedented move, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s seats were simply handed over to others. The constitutional courts, which are meant to deliver justice, are now filled with Munir’s minions, Khan alleged.

The former PM also accused Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja of perpetrating a historic electoral fraud.

“A judge of the Islamabad High Court is not hearing my appeals for seven months because he, too, receives instructions from Munir. At this time, Munir’s law prevails in our country, as if he owns Pakistan,” he said.

Khan stated that the judiciary, state institutions, and democracy are being eroded. “Military courts have been declared legal, an act that is essentially a vote of no confidence by the judiciary against itself. My wife, Bushra Bibi, is being used as a weapon to break me, but let me make this clear: I would rather die than accept Munir’s monarchy,” he added.

He said that a nation is doomed when incompetent individuals are “forcibly imposed upon institutions”. Talking about the torture inflicted on him, Khan said he was kept in solitary confinement for 22 hours a day and denied books, newspapers, and television.

Khan said he has told his sons to take the matter to international courts based on fundamental human rights.

Source : https://www.news18.com/world/imran-slams-pakistan-army-chief-munir-sacrificing-national-interest-to-stay-in-power-ws-kl-9469279.html

With the political leaders of francophone Africa increasingly turning their backs on their former colonial rulers, French corporations have been forced to rethink doing business with Africa without Paris’ support.

The disruption is now in full swing, with more and more African countries, particularly in the Sahel region of northern and western Africa, rejecting the so-called Francafrique policy by their former colonial power, France.

The term refers to a complex and controversial network of political, economic, social and military ties between France and its former African colonies, describing a kind of special relationship characterized by ongoing French influence in these nations.

Often described as neocolonial, France’s Africa policy is under massive political and popular pressure, and the fight against it is openly challenging Paris’ military, diplomatic and economic footprint in Africa.

The Sahel region stretches from the Sahara Desert in the north to the savannas in the south, encompassing several countries, including Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Chad.

Antoine Glaser is a French journalist and former director of Paris-based magazine Africa Intelligence — a leading publication focused on Africa with editions in English and French.

He said French companies with operations in the region enjoyed “preferential treatment,” especially during the Cold War era due to the Francafrique policy.

“They thought they were at home in Africa,” he told DW, and ignored more recent realities such as the fact that Africa has “gone global and France didn’t see China coming.”

One such stark reality, he added, is Chinese companies now have a 25% market share in French-speaking Africa, while France’s share has tumbled to “between 6% and 7%.”

Moreover, French multinational nuclear fuel cycle corporation Orano announced last September that it would suspend production at its Arlit uranium mine in northern Niger due to financial difficulties faced by its Nigerien subsidiary, Somair.

The decision came as border closures between Niger and Benin, triggered by the July 2023 coup, had blocked all uranium exports, Orano said in a statement, adding: “In spite of efforts to find alternative possibilities to export the uranium produced by Somair and to relaunch commercial activities, all the proposals made to the Nigerien authorities have remained unanswered.”

In June 2024, Orano also lost its mining license for the Imouraren uranium deposit due to a decision by the military government, which revoked the license following a period of tensions and ultimatum.

Situated about 160 kilometers (100 miles) from Agadez — the largest town in central Niger — the Imouraren mine holds one of the world’s largest uranium deposits. Mining was launched by French nuclear group Areva, rebranded as Orano in 2018, which mothballed the mine in 2015 due to unfavorable market conditions.

Since then, tensions have illustrated the fragility of a system in which military and diplomatic presence supported economic interests.

Paris seeking new relationships

Beyond the uranium sector, France’s whole model of influence is being destabilized, affecting sectors like infrastructure, telecommunication, energy and public works — all symbols of France’s presence that are now being regularly challenged.

In February 2023, French President Emmanuel Macron presented a new strategy, entitled “Our Future The Africa-France Partnership,” and offering new forms of partnerships.

Unveiled by Macron ahead of his tour of Central Africa, the strategy advocates abandoning old paradigms and puts a new emphasis on economic and trade relations rather than focusing on security issues. The central idea of this new model is based on a transition from “a logic of aid to a logic of solidarity investments and partnerships,” and is meant to be a “symbiotic relationship” beneficial to all parties.

What France used to consider as its “backyard” for a long time is disappearing amid wider change in the Sahel region.

In addition, Africa as a whole is no longer France’s exclusive business playground. Countries like Turkey, Russia, China and even Germany are advancing their positions, forcing French companies to readjust their business policy if they are to survive in an increasingly competitive environment.

A French corporate consultant, speaking on condition of anonymity, told DW that in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, the real French presence was “already marginal before recent tensions” with their colonial motherland.

In the mining industry, he said, the main players are now often from Australia or Canada, like Toronto-based mining giant Barrick Mining Corporation. “The perception that France is omnipresent is stronger than the reality,” he said.

He also noted that behind “official posturing,” a strategy was becoming clearer: “Maintain a presence, but through more indirect means.”

French companies would now seek to maintain market share “without provoking rejection” by launching joint ventures, local partnerships or the creation of project companies under local law.

“There is now a dynamic in which these companies are adapting through cooperating more with local partners, setting up shared structures. It’s a way of staying active while avoiding head-on visibility,” he added.

Competition growing in Africa

Yves Ekoue Amaizo, the director at the Afrocentricity Think Tank, thinks the gradual withdrawal of French companies also opens the door to new alliances, because African countries would now have “the capacity and the partners to replace these companies.”

“China, Turkey and other immediate players are already involved. But this means accepting new, often opaque conditions, and managing a context of risks [such as] political instability, terrorism and legal uncertainties,” he told DW.

While withdrawal seems inevitable for some French multinational corporations, others are still betting on rebalancing their business strategies.

According to a report in the offshore industry magazine Offshore Technology, energy giant TotalEnergies, for example, is trying to find a new footing in English- and Portuguese-speaking countries, including Kenya, South Africa, Namibia and Angola.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/as-frances-africa-policy-collapses-how-do-companies-adjust/a-73388353

Malaysian Premier Anwar Ibrahim will host peace talks between Thailand and Cambodia in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, even as border clashes continued on Sunday with both sides blaming each other.

The leaders of Thailand and Cambodia will meet in Malaysia on Monday in an attempt to negotiate an end to four days of deadly border clashes, officials confirmed on Sunday.

The talks between acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet in Kuala Lumpur will be mediated by Malaysian premier Anwar Ibrahim in his capacity as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

“They have asked me to try and negotiate a peace settlement,” said Anwar on Sunday. “I’m discussing the parameters, the conditions, but what is important is [an] immediate ceasefire.”

A Thai government spokesman confirmed Phumtham’s participation in the talks in order “to discuss peace efforts in the region.”

Cambodia’s Hun Manet said earlier Sunday that his country had agreed to pursue an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire.”

At least 34 people have been killed and around 200,000 displaced in fighting between the two South-East Asian neighbors over contested border temples this week, with artillery exchanges continuing on Sunday.

Trump calls for peace talks, threatens tariffs

US President Donald Trump claimed credit for the planned peace talks, saying on Sunday ahead of a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Turnbery, Scotland:

“I spoke to both of the prime ministers and I think, by the time I got off, I think they want to settle now.”

Previously, Trump had threatened to impose tariffs on the two countries if they failed to stop fighting and agree to trade deals.

“After speaking to both Parties, Ceasefire, Peace, and Prosperity seems to be a natural,” he wrote on social media on Saturday after speaking to both heads of government. “We … do not want to make any Deal, with either Country, if they are fighting. I am trying to simplify a complex situation!”

Thailand-Cambodia clashes continue on Sunday

The two sides continued to exchange artillery fire on Sunday, with a Cambodian Defense Ministry spokeswoman saying Thai forces began attacking areas around the village of Samraong at 4.50 a.m. local time (2150 GMT on Saturday), followed by a “large-scale incursion” involving tanks and ground troops in several areas.

“Such actions undermine all efforts toward peaceful resolution and expose Thailand’s clear intent to escalate rather than de-escalate the conflict,” she said.

But a Thai army spokesman said Cambodian forces began firing artillery around 4.00 a.m. and accused them of firing shells into civilian homes in Thailand’s eastern Surin province.

“Any cessation of hostilities cannot be reached while Cambodia is severely lacking in good faith and repeatedly violating the basic principles of human rights and humanitarian law,” Thailand’s Foreign Ministry said, confirming the death of a Thai soldier.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/thailand-and-cambodia-to-hold-peace-talks/a-73430957

A regional passenger train derailed in southern Germany, killing at least three people and injuring dozens of others. DW has the latest.

A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD boy has been attacked by a 13ft shark who ripped off part of his leg.

The child was playing with a group of 10 friends in shark infested waters when the beast grabbed hold of his body.

Horrified witnesses recalled seeing the boy jump from a fisherman’s dock in Taiohae Bay, Nuku Hiva moments before being attacked.

The child was snagged on his right forearm, left hand and had one of his calves ripped off.

He was quickly treated at the scene before being rushed to a local hospital in French Polynesia.

Doctors decided his injuries were so severe that he was airlifted to the larger Taaone Hospital shortly after arriving.

A firefighter who helped the child said: “I’m 35 years old and this is the first time I’ve seen this. These were long and deep wounds.

“It’s probably related to the fish carcasses that fishermen throw in this area. There are many sharks, such as blacktips, hammerheads, and lemon sharks.”

Another shark attack victim was left with similar wounds after her calf was torn off in a Fourth of July mauling.

Tabatha Sullivent was one of four people injured in a shark attack on South Padre Island off the southern coast of Texas.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14830903/boy-mauled-shark-leg-torn/

POLICE have revealed the identity of the suspect in the knife attack at a Walmart store in Michigan.

Bradford Gille, 42, is accused of a stabbing rampage that left 11 people injured on Saturday afternoon in Traverse City.

Police said they will be seeking to file terrorism charges against him as well as 11 counts of assault with intent to murder.

Gille, from Afton, allegedly arrived at the store and started randomly slashing and stabbing at shoppers using a pocket knife.

It was the life-saving and heroic actions of bystanders that helped quickly get him into police custody, authorities said.

“I cannot commend everyone that was involved enough,” Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael Shea said.

“When you stop and look from the time of call to the time of actual custody, the individual was detained within one minute.

“That is remarkable. When you look at it in that mitigated Lord knows how many additional victims.”

Further information has been released about those injured in the attack who are being treated at the Munson Medical Center.

Shea said that they were a mix of men and women ranging from the ages of 21 and 84.

One of those injured was a store employee, Shea confirmed.

The attack began near the checkout counter with people being targeted at random – victims were “not predetermined” Shea said.

From the hospital, Chief Medical Officer Dr Tom Schermerhorn told reporters that the majority of victims are in a fair condition.

One was treated and has already been released and two are in a serious condition, he said.

“Over the past 12 hours, we’ve seen encouraging signs of recovery among our patients,” the hospital said in an update.

‘SLASHED AT THROATS’

Meanwhile, eyewitnesses have described how the horror unfolded.

Delivery driver Steven Carter was loading his truck with customer groceries in the parking lot when he saw a man slash at a woman’s throat with a knife.

“At first, it was disbelief. I thought maybe it was like a terror attack,” he said.

“And then it was dear, disbelief, shock.”

He called the response of bystanders “amazing” saying that the attacker was soon surrounded by a group of heroic shoppers.

Around six people including one armed with a gun confronted the man telling him to “drop the knife,” Carter recalled.

He told them “I don’t care, I don’t care,” while backing away from the group until he was tackled to the ground.

“It was just amazing. And it all happened fast. Like he was totally subdued on the ground by the time police arrived,” Carter said.

Tiffany DeFell, 36, who was also in the parking lot at the time of the attack said, “It was really scary. Me and my sister were just freaking out.”

“This is something you see out of the movies. It’s not what you expect to see where you’re living.”

No motive for the attack has been given as the investigation continues.

The authorities have told the public they believe the suspect acted alone and there is no further danger.

Meanwhile, Walmart has given no update on when the store will reopen but has called such violence “unacceptable”.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14832017/cops-identify-michigan-walmart-knife-attack-suspect/

THREE bodies have been recovered after a plane crashed into the sea off the coast of California.

The private plane plummeted into the water in Pacific Grove at around 10:40pm on Saturday night.

The twin-engine Beech 95-B55 Baron with three people aboard took off from the San Carlos airport at 10:11 p.m. and was last seen at 10:37 p.m. near Monterey, according to flight tracking data from FlightAware.com.

It is believed to have ran into trouble shortly after take off with data from the Aviation Safety Network showing that it “crashed into the sea during a night-time approach to Monterey Airport.”

“On approach the aircraft entered a descending left-hand turn. During the turn the aircraft climbed again before entering a high-speed descent until it crashed into the sea about 22:38 hours,” per the aviation outlet.

Steve Eugene Clatterbuck, 60, James Vincent, 36, and Jamie Lee Tabscott, 44, have been identified as the victims by Monterey County cops.

Emergency crews responded late on Saturday evening after witnesses reported hearing an aircraft engine revving and a splash in the water, per KSBW TV.

People on shore reported seeing debris wash up from the crashed plane, including an oxygen tank and chunks of metal.

Coast Guard boat and helicopter crews were launched to search for the victims, with assistance from local law enforcement and fire agencies.

The first victim was tragically discovered recovered on Sunday morning, according to KION.

After a huge search mission, two other bodies were found in the afternoon, the Coast Guard told KSBW.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.

Responders received a lost radar alert as well a flurry of 911 calls from horrified locals who reported concerning sounds from ocean near Asilomar.

On Facebook, one local said: “I’m dog sitting for my daughter in Pacific Grove. I’m laying in bed around 10PM and I hear a low flying airplane overhead.

“I’m wondering to myself ‘it sounds like it might hit her house’. Then I hear a sudden splat and it goes silent.”

Another told KION News that a loud noise woke him up and it “sounded like a plane doing stunts over my roof – I thought I was dreaming”.

Flight data appears to show that the aircraft did a loop above homes in Pacific Grove before back-tracking on itself to go back towards the sea – a possible last-minute maneuver by the pilot to save lives.

Emergency officials believe the aircraft plummeted into the sea between 200 meters and a quarter of a mile off the coastline.

It is not yet known what caused the crash but the National Transportation Safety Board will start to assess the debris for possible answers.

The U.S. Sun has reached out to the Pacific Grove Police Department and the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office for an update.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14831082/missing-people-plane-crash-monterey-california-pacific-grove/

THIS is the moment more than 150 terrified passengers scrambled to evacuate a flight after a “possible landing gear incident” started a fire.

Dramatic footage shows smoke billowing from the American Airlines plane as it stood on the runway at Denver International Airport.

The incident happened on Saturday afternoon as the Boeing 737 MAX 8 suffered a “maintenance issue” as it was due to take off for Miami.

Panicked passengers were filmed fleeing the smoking plane on its inflatable slides as smoke continued to engulf the scene.

Video footage shows people escaping the jet as the terrifying ordeal unfolded.

“Flight 2023, you got a lot of smoke,” an air traffic controller tells the pilot in cockpit audio from Live ATC, 9News has reported.

“There was some flames. Looks like the smoke is dying down a bit,” they add.

But then the controller says: “You are actually on fire.”

According to CNN, the 173 passengers and six crew members were spooked when they heard a loud bang and spotted flames.

They were then evacuated from the flight.

The problem was sparked by a mix of of blown tires and the plane’s deceleration during braking, according to the airline.

Denver Fire Department rushed out to extinguish the blaze.

An American Airlines spokesperson said: “All customers and crew deplaned safely, and the aircraft was taken out of service to be inspected by our maintenance team.

“We thank our team members for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for their experience.”

One person was taken to hospital with minor injuries and five were evaluated at the scene, CNN has reported.

The incident is reported to have caused widespread panic among the plane’s terrified passengers.

Shay Armistead, 17, told the broadcaster that the incident was “kind of traumatizing”.

“The plane started vibrating and shaking really bad,” she said.

“We started tilting to the left side of the runway, and then we heard the sound of the wind from them lifting up the brakes of the plane and slamming on them really hard.”

The evacuation process took around 10 to 15 minutes, she added.

It comes after a flight from Hollywood Burbank Airport was forced “nose dive” on its way to Las Vegas – causing passengers to fly out of their seats.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14829908/terrified-passengers-plane-engulfed-smoke/

BANK of America is set to award Americans $300 in free cash if they are quick to take action.

By following two simple steps before the July deadline, customers will automatically receive the cash bonus in their accounts.

However, the offer is only available for a few more days as it expires on July 31 so there is not much time left.

The second largest bank in the country is awarding the cash bonus to new customers who sign up to the Bank of America Advantage Plus banking.

It is an online-only offer that can only be redeemed through the bank’s promotions page.

First you should open up a new eligible Bank of America personal checking account via the promotions page by the July 31 deadline.

It is worth noting that the BoA Advantage SafeBalance banking for Family Banking accounts are not eligible.

But the following three accounts are:

• Bank of America Advantage SafeBalance Banking
• Bank of America Advantage Plus Banking
• Bank of America Advantage Relationship Banking

More eligibility information can be found online but the bank warns: “You are not eligible for this offer if you were an owner or co-owner of a Bank of America personal checking account within the last twelve (12) months.”

Appropriately enough for a man who was once famed for his drug use, Ozzy Osbourne went out on a high.

Sources close to the Osbourne family tell Page Six that Prince of Darkness had the best possible exit, thanks to his final concert just days before his death.

The rock god had been battling chronic conditions for decades, but, we’re told, had been noticably flagging in recent months.

But insiders say Black Sabbath’s Back To The Beginning show on July 5 made him a much younger man for his last days of his life.

“It energized him — it filled him with life,” a longtime pal of the metal monarch said of the show, “He’d really been slowing down, and then after the show he was really back to be being himself. It’s a beautiful ending.”

The show at Aston Park Stadium — which was the first time the original Sabbath lineup had played together since 2005 — was just a couple of miles from where the band formed in 1969.

Osbourne, who had been battling Parkinson’s among other illnesses since the early 2000s, sat in a special black-and-purple throne for the performance, but sang hits including “War Pigs,” “N.I.B.,” “Iron Man,” and “Paranoid” from his chair.

Osbourne, who had been battling Parkinson’s among other illnesses since the early 2000s, sat in a special black-and-purple throne for the performance, but sang hits including “War Pigs,” “N.I.B.,” “Iron Man,” and “Paranoid” from his chair.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/07/25/entertainment/ozzy-osbourne-spent-his-last-days-re-energized-by-final-concert/

Trouble in paradise?

Kris Jenner and her longtime boyfriend, Corey Gamble, appeared to have an argument while attending Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” show in Las Vegas Saturday.

Jenner was snapped walking away from Gamble in the VIP section after what an eyewitness described as a “visibly tense” exchange. The eyewitness said her daughter Khloé Kardashian appeared to try to “reassure” a “frustrated” Gamble afterward with calming hand motions.

Jenner’s rep didn’t immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.

The Kardashian matriarch attended the concert with Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King, Tyler Perry, King’s daughter, Kirby Bumpus, Gamble and Kardashian.

Aside from the apparent tense moment with Gamble, she clearly had a great time in videos she posted on Instagram.

“WOW! Such an incredible night in Vegas at the final night of @beyonce’s spectacular Cowboy Carter tour!! And such magic to see Destiny’s Child @destinyschild and of course the iconic @jayz!! 🤩🤩,” she captioned a montage of concert highlights, including the epic Destiny’s Child reunion.

She also shared a video of the group holding hands and dancing to Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em,” though Gamble was not present in the video.

Jenner, 69, and Gamble, 44, were snapped in another tense exchange last month while leaving Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s wedding in Venice, Italy.

Lip reader Nicola Hickling claimed to the Daily Mail that the conversation was regarding Jenner’s adamant demand to ride alone in a water taxi instead of sharing the transportation with other guests.

Hickling claimed Gamble told one of the porters, “We’re happy to travel on our own. It’s what Kris would like to do.”

The comment seemed to prompt an annoyed Jenner to get involved.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/07/27/celebrity-news/kris-jenner-and-corey-gamble-caught-in-tense-exchange-at-beyonces-cowboy-carter-show/

Ukrainian drones targeted St. Petersburg on Sunday, Russian authorities said, forcing the airport to close for five hours as Vladimir Putin marked Russia’s Navy Day in the city, despite the earlier cancellation of its naval parade due to security concerns.
St. Petersburg usually holds a large-scale, televised navy parade on Navy Day, which features a flotilla of warships and military vessels sailing down the Neva River and is attended by Putin.

Last year, Russia suspected a Ukrainian plan to attack the city’s parade, according to state television.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Sunday that this year’s parade had been cancelled for security reasons, following first reports of its cancellation in early July.
Putin arrived at the city’s historic naval headquarters on Sunday by patrol speed boat, from where he followed drills involving more than 150 vessels and 15,000 military personnel in the Pacific and Arctic Oceans and Baltic and Caspian Seas.
“Today we are marking this holiday in a working setting, we are inspecting the combat readiness of the fleet,” Putin said in a video address.

The Russian Defence Ministry said air defence units downed a total of 291 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones on Sunday, below a record 524 drones downed in attacks on May 7, ahead of Russia’s Victory Day parade on May 9.
Alexander Drozdenko, governor of the Leningrad region surrounding St. Petersburg, said that over ten drones were downed over the area, and falling debris injured a woman. At 0840 GMT on Sunday Drozdenko said that the attack was repelled.
St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo airport was closed during the attack, with 57 flights delayed and 22 diverted to other airports, according to a statement. Pulkovo resumed operations later on Sunday.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/ukrainian-drones-target-st-petersburg-putin-attends-scaled-down-navy-day-2025-07-27/

The U.S. struck a framework trade agreement with the European Union on Sunday, imposing a 15% import tariff on most EU goods – half the threatened rate – and averting a bigger trade war between the two allies that account for almost a third of global trade.
U.S. President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the deal at Trump’s luxury golf course in western Scotland after an hour-long meeting that pushed the hard-fought deal over the line, following months of negotiations.

“I think this is the biggest deal ever made,” Trump told reporters, lauding EU plans to invest some $600 billion in the United States and dramatically increase its purchases of U.S. energy and military equipment.
Trump said the deal, which tops a $550 billion deal signed with Japan last week, would expand ties between the trans-Atlantic powers after years of what he called unfair treatment of U.S. exporters.
Von der Leyen, describing Trump as a tough negotiator, said the 15% tariff applied “across the board”, later telling reporters it was “the best we could get.”
“We have a trade deal between the two largest economies in the world, and it’s a big deal. It’s a huge deal. It will bring stability. It will bring predictability,” she said.

The agreement mirrors key parts of the framework accord reached by the U.S. with Japan, but like that deal, it leaves many questions open, including tariff rates on spirits, a highly charged topic for many on both sides of the Atlantic.
The deal, which Trump said calls for $750 billion of EU purchases of U.S. energy in coming years and “hundreds of billions of dollars” of arms purchases, likely spells good news for a host of EU companies, including Airbus (AIR.PA), Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE), and Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO), if all the details hold.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed the deal, saying it averted a trade conflict that would have hit Germany’s export-driven economy and its large auto sector hard. German carmakers, VW, Mercedes and BMW were some of the hardest hit by the 27.5% U.S. tariff on car and parts imports now in place.

The baseline 15% tariff will still be seen by many in Europe as too high, compared with Europe’s initial hopes to secure a zero-for-zero tariff deal.
Bernd Lange, the German Social Democrat who heads the European Parliament’s trade committee, said the tariffs were imbalanced and the hefty EU investment earmarked for the U.S. would likely come at the bloc’s own expense.
Trump retains the ability to increase the tariffs in the future if European countries do not live up to their investment commitments, a senior U.S. administration official told reporters on Sunday evening.
The euro rose around 0.2% against the dollar, sterling and yen within an hour of the deal’s being announced.

Carsten Nickel, deputy director of research at Teneo, said Sunday’s accord was “merely a high-level, political agreement” that could not replace a carefully hammered out trade deal: “This, in turn, creates the risk of different interpretations along the way, as seen immediately after the conclusion of the U.S.-Japan deal.”
While the tariff applies to most goods, including semiconductors and pharmaceuticals, there are exceptions.
The U.S. will keep in place a 50% tariff on steel and aluminum. Von der Leyen suggested the tariff could be replaced with a quota system; a senior administration official said EU leaders had asked that the two sides continue to talk about the issue.
Von der Leyen said there would be no tariffs from either side on aircraft and aircraft parts, certain chemicals, certain generic drugs, semiconductor equipment, some agricultural products, natural resources and critical raw materials.
“We will keep working to add more products to this list,” von der Leyen said, adding that spirits were still under discussion.
A U.S. official said the tariff rate on commercial aircraft would remain at zero for now, and the parties would decide together what to do after a U.S. review is completed, adding there is a “reasonably good chance” they could agree to a lower tariff than 15%. No timing was given for when that probe would be completed.
The deal will be sold as a triumph for Trump, who is seeking to reorder the global economy and reduce decades-old U.S. trade deficits, and has already reached similar framework accords with Britain, Japan, Indonesia and Vietnam, although his administration has not hit its goal of “90 deals in 90 days.”
U.S. officials said the EU had agreed to lower non-tariff barriers for automobiles and some agricultural products, though EU officials suggested the details of those standards were still under discussion.
“Remember, their economy is $20 trillion … they are five times bigger than Japan,” a senior U.S. official told reporters during a briefing. “So the opportunity of opening their market is enormous for our farmers, our fishermen, our ranchers, all our industrial products, all our businesses.”
Trump has periodically railed against the EU, saying it was “formed to screw the United States” on trade. He has fumed for years about the U.S. merchandise trade deficit with the EU, which in 2024 reached $235 billion, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/us-eu-avert-trade-war-with-15-tariff-deal-2025-07-27/

A horrifically emaciated Palestinian child held up by news outlets as the face of starvation in Gaza actually suffers from genetic and other disorders, which much of the coverage glossed over, according to critics.

The heart-rending photo of Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq made the rounds on outlets including the New York Times, NBC News, The Guardian, BBC and others as evidence that Israel’s war against Hamas has led to the starvation of children in the Palestinian enclave.

But pro-Israel group HonestReporting first spotted something the outlets either didn’t notice or outright ignored: the boy’s older brother, Joud, standing in the background looking like he was in much better condition.

In a video segment, CNN said Muhammad’s own mother revealed that he suffers from a “muscle disorder” for which he receives specialized nutrition and physical therapy, saying he was “happy” and able to “sit upright” when they were provided.

Pro-Israel journalist David Collier said little Muhammad has “cerebral palsy, hypoxemia, and was born with a serious genetic disorder,” citing a May 2025 medical report from Gaza.

In viral photos, taken on July 22 by Turkey’s state-owned Anadolu news agency, Muhammad’s spine protrudes from his tiny back as his mother cradles him in her arms.

The BBC interviewed the image’s photographer, Ahmed Jihad Ibrahim al-Arini, who suggested the photo was representative of the widespread starvation that has taken hold in the Gaza Strip.

The Guardian captioned a photo of Muhammad as “facing life-threatening malnutrition,” while the
UK’s Daily Express described it as “a horrifying image encapsulating the ‘maelstrom of human misery’ gripping Gaza.”

The Israeli Foreign Ministry says it has allowed around 4,500 aid trucks into Gaza since lifting a blockade in May, and that 700 more are waiting to be picked up by the UN.

A UN report earlier this month asserted that that 9% of children screened at health clinics across Gaza are suffering from severe malnutrition — a sharp rise from the 6% found in June.

The Hamas-controlled health ministry claims that 20 children have died from malnutrition related causes in the last three weeks.

The United Nations has also accused Israel of choking the flow of aid and making Israeli and US-backed aid efforts dangerous for civilians.

Source : https://nypost.com/2025/07/27/world-news/viral-images-of-starving-gaza-boy-dont-tell-the-whole-story-because-he-suffers-from-genetic-disorders-critics-say/

The city health department has launched an investigation after a cluster of Legionnaire’s disease cases were identified in Harlem over the weekend — with officials urging New Yorkers to take precautions.

Five cases of the potentially fatal pneumonia-like illness were diagnosed in the Manhattan neighborhood in recent days, although no deaths have been reported, the department said.

“Any New Yorkers with flu-like symptoms should contact a health care provider as soon as possible,” Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr. Toni Eyssallenne said in a statement.

“Legionnaire’s disease can be effectively treated if diagnosed early,” Eyssallenne said. “But New Yorkers at higher risk, like adults aged 50 and older, those who smoke or have chronic lung conditions should be especially mindful of their symptoms and seek care as soon as symptoms begin.”

Although potentially lethal if not treated in time, Legionnaire’s disease is not contagious and can be treated with antibiotics if caught in time, the department said.

The disease is typically transferred through water supplies contaminated with Legionella bacteria that can pop up in plumbing systems, and can find favorable conditions in cooling towers, whirlpool spas, hot tubs, humidifiers and condensers in large air conditioning systems, health officials said.

Last month officials in Sydney, Australia reported a death from a Legionnaire’s case there.

Source : https://nypost.com/2025/07/27/us-news/cluster-of-legionnaires-disease-cases-found-in-nyc-as-health-officials-on-alert/

Four years after a stricken cargo ship caused the largest plastic spill ever recorded, volunteers on Sri Lanka’s beaches are still sifting kilograms of tiny, toxic plastic pellets from the sand.

Billions of plastic nurdles, as they are called, are thought to have washed up after the X-Press Pearl disaster in 2021, along with tonnes of engine fuel, acid, caustic soda, lead, copper slag, lithium batteries and epoxy resin – all toxic to aquatic life.

The immediate damage was obvious: the nurdles inundated the shoreline, turning it white, while dead turtles, dolphins and fish began washing up.

But scientists are now flagging fears the damage to the environment could be much more enduring than previously thought.

So far, hundreds of millions of nurdles may have been cleared away – but the remaining, lentil-sized microplastic granules have become increasingly difficult to find as they disappear deeper into the sand.

Worse, those pieces of plastic now appear to be becoming even more toxic, new research suggests.

“They seem to be accumulating pollution from the ocean,” said David Megson, of Manchester Metropolitan University. “Like a lovely big chemical sponge.”

Nurdles are the raw materials that are melted to make plastic products and it is not unusual for large amounts to be transported in the global plastic supply chain.

The problems onboard the X-Press Pearl started soon after setting sail from Dubai Port bound for Port Klang in Malaysia, when the crew noticed that a container carrying nitric acid was leaking, corroding the metal box. But they were denied permission to unload the smoking, leaking container at ports in Qatar and India.

The container had been leaking acid at a rate of about a litre an hour for at least eight days when it sailed into Sri Lankan waters late at night on 19 May 2021.

It had requested emergency berthing – but by the morning the Singapore-flagged vessel was alight.

Despite firefighting efforts from the crew, the Sri Lankan authorities and salvors, the fire spread throughout the ship.

Two weeks later, it sank, spilling its cargo and fuel into the sea around nine nautical miles off the country’s south-west coast, between the capital Colombo and Negombo to the north.

What happened next “was just like out of a war movie”, says Muditha Katuwawala, an environmentalist and founder of the Pearl Protectors, a local NGO that volunteered to help the clean-up operation, which was run largely by Sri Lankan state authorities with funding from the ship’s owners.

“We started seeing turtles getting washed up with similar sorts of traits… the skin had burn marks [and] was peeling off. The nose and eyes were red and puffed up, and we saw dolphins washing up and… their skin was peeling off and red,” Mr Katuwawala said.

The nurdles on the beaches were “like snow,” he says, adding that “it was horrifying”.

The clean-up began in earnest. At the start, Mr Katuwawala and his fellow volunteers “were collecting like 300-400 kilos of nurdles” each day.

Over time, it dropped to three to four kilograms in a couple of hours.

“The nurdles were getting more dispersed, it was harder to see them as they got buried in the sand over time.”

It was decided the cost-benefit ratio was no longer worth the effort of mobilising volunteers. The groups stood down, leaving the task to state-organised local clean-up groups.

At the same time, scientists were getting concerned about the possibility the plastic pellets – already harmful to animals which eat them accidentally – may be getting more toxic, contaminated from the spill, or from other pollution sources.

Over the ensuing years, they have collected samples which could help trace the effect over time.

In November 2024, the BBC and Watershed Investigations sent more than 20 of those samples to a team of forensic chemists specialising in environmental pollution from Manchester Metropolitan University.

They found the most heavily contaminated nurdles were those burnt in the fire, which leach metals toxic to aquatic life, like arsenic, lead, cadmium, copper, cobalt and nickel.

The team also found the pellets “still going round appear to be sucking up more pollution from the environment” and were becoming “more toxic”, according to Mr Megson.

“They will be ingested [and] will pass pollution on to marine organisms,” he says.

Tests carried out on fish caught near the site of the disaster – as well as the nearby Negombo lagoon – found some contained the same pollutants that were present in the ship’s cargo and on the nurdles.

Some of the fish contained levels of hazardous metals – some of which were found in the disaster – which exceeded safe limits.

Researchers say the disaster cannot be discounted as the source of contamination, although it also can’t be directly proven to be the source, as it’s not known if these fish ate nurdles, how many they ingested, or if the pollution came from other sources.

“But placed on top of everything else that is in that system, there’s a really good likelihood that it’s causing harm to the environment and also potentially harm to people and humans that are eating and relying on that marine ecosystem for a source of their food,” Mr Megson adds.

Local fishermen do draw the link to the disaster.

“There’s no fish since then. We’ve never had the same amount of fish that we used to catch,” fisherman Jude Sulanta explains.

“Our lives have turned upside down. From the stretch where the ship sank up until here you don’t get many new, young fish at all.”

The ship’s owner, X-Press Feeders Ltd, says to date it has worked diligently to ensure the best response to the disaster and spent more than $130m (£96m) to remove the wreck and debris at sea.

It says it has also paid more than $20m to the Sri Lankan government for clean-up operations on the coast and to compensate fishermen.

It says, however, that the Sri Lankan government has assumed responsibility for all shoreside clean-up activities and it is disappointed by the delays in that process and the ongoing impacts this is having.

The Sri Lankan government says the amount paid by the ship’s owner – which was capped by an interim UK maritime court order – is not enough to cover the long-term damage, and it is pursuing legal action to overturn the cap and secure further compensation.

On Thursday, Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court ordered the company to pay $1bn as an initial payment to cover long-term economic and environmental damage it says the country suffered as a result of the disaster – but the cap remains in place. The Supreme Court doesn’t have jurisdiction over Singapore, where X-Press Feeders Ltd has its headquarters.

X-Press Feeders said it was extremely disappointed with the judgment and that they are reviewing it with their legal advisers, insurers and other relevant stakeholders to best assess their next course of action.

Prof Prashanthi Guneeardena – an environmental economist at University of Sri Jayawardenapura who chaired an expert committee of scientists to assess the damage – puts the cost of the disaster at closer to more than $6bn, taking into account things like the loss of wildlife, as well as impact on tourism, fishing and harm to local residents from the toxic cloud released when the ship burned.

“Large quantities of dioxin and furan have been added to the atmosphere and these are carcinogens. And then we have calculated it may kill about 70 people in our country,” says Prof Guneeardena.

The ship owner rejects this assessment.

It quotes the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF), an organisation which is funded by the shipping industry to assess marine spills. It says the report was “unparticularised, inaccurate, and lacked credible scientific basis”.

The ship owner has also said itself and its crew have “followed the internationally accepted procedures in dealing with the acid leak, while maintaining all safety and emergency protocols”.

Colombo Port Authority has also denied any responsibility, saying it did not know of the issues until the ship arrived in its waters.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly8y5kmrllo

The Keeladi village in India’s southern Tamil Nadu state has unearthed archeological finds that have sparked a political and historical battle.

Amid coconut groves, a series of 15ft (4.5m) deep trenches reveal ancient artefacts buried in layers of soil – fragments of terracotta pots, and traces of long-lost brick structures.

Experts from the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology estimate the artefacts to be 2,000 to 2,500 years old, with the oldest dating back to around 580 BCE. They say these findings challenge and reshape existing narratives about early civilisation in the Indian subcontinent.

With politicians, historians, and epigraphists weighing in, Keeladi has moved beyond archaeology, becoming a symbol of state pride and identity amid competing historical narratives.

Yet history enthusiasts say it remains one of modern India’s most compelling and accessible discoveries – offering a rare opportunity to deepen our understanding of a shared past.

Keeladi, a village 12km (7 miles) from Madurai on the banks of the Vaigai river, was one of 100 sites shortlisted for excavation by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) archaeologist Amarnath Ramakrishnan in 2013.

He selected a 100-acre site there because of its proximity to ancient Madurai and the earlier discovery of red-and-black pottery ware by a schoolteacher in 1975.

Since 2014, 10 excavation rounds at Keeladi have uncovered over 15,000 artefacts – burial urns, coins, beads, terracotta pipes and more – from just four of the 100 marked acres. Many are now displayed in a nearby museum.

Ajay Kumar, leading the state archaeology team at Keeladi, says the key finds are elaborate brick structures and water systems – evidence of a 2,500-year-old urban settlement.

“This was a literate, urban society where people had separate spaces for habitation, burial practices and industrial work,” Mr Kumar says, noting it’s the first large, well-defined ancient urban settlement found in southern India.

Since the Indus Valley Civilisation’s discovery in the early 1900s, most efforts to trace civilisation’s origins in the subcontinent have focused on northern and central India.

So, the Keeladi finds have sparked excitement across Tamil Nadu and beyond.

William Daniel, a teacher from neighbouring Kerala, said the discoveries made him feel proud about his heritage.

“It gives people from the south [of India] something to feel proud about, that our civilisation is just as ancient and important as the one in the north [of India],” he says.

The politics surrounding Keeladi reflects a deep-rooted north-south divide – underscoring how understanding the present requires grappling with the past.

India’s first major civilisation – the Indus Valley – emerged in the north and central regions between 3300 and 1300 BCE. After its decline, a second urban phase, the Vedic period, rose in the Gangetic plains, lasting until the 6th Century BCE.

This phase saw major cities, powerful kingdoms and the rise of Vedic culture – a foundation for Hinduism. As a result, urbanisation in ancient India is often viewed as a northern phenomenon, with a dominant narrative that the northern Aryans “civilised” the Dravidian south.

This is especially evident in the mainstream understanding of the spread of literacy.

It is believed that the Ashokan Brahmi script – found on Mauryan king Ashoka’s rock edicts in northern and central India, dating back to the 3rd Century BCE – is the predecessor of most scripts in South and Southeast Asia.

Epigraphists like Iravatham Mahadevan and Y Subbarayalu have long held the view that the Tamil Brahmi script – the Tamil language spoken in Tamil Nadu and written in the Brahmi script – was an offshoot of the Ashokan Brahmi script.

But now, archaeologists from the Tamil Nadu state department say that the excavations at Keeladi are challenging this narrative.

“We have found graffiti in the Tamil Brahmi script dating back to the 6th Century BCE, which shows that it is older than the Ashokan Brahmi script. We believe that both scripts developed independently and, perhaps, emerged from the Indus Valley script,” Mr Kumar says.

Epigraphist S Rajavelu, former professor of marine archaeology at the Tamil University, agrees with Mr Kumar and says other excavation sites in the state too have unearthed graffiti in the Tamil Brahmi script dating back to the 5th and 4th Century BCE.

But some experts say that more research and evidence are needed to conclusively prove the antiquity of the Tamil Brahmi script.

Another claim by the state department of archaeology that has ruffled feathers is that the graffiti found on artefacts in Keeladi is similar to that found in the Indus Valley sites.

“People from the Indus Valley may have migrated to the south, leading to a period of urbanisation taking place in Keeladi at the same time it was taking place in the Gangetic plains,” Mr Kumar says, adding that further excavations are needed to fully grasp the settlement’s scale.

But Ajit Kumar, a professor of archaeology at Nalanda University in Bihar, says that this wouldn’t have been possible.

“Considering the rudimentary state of travel back then, people from the Indus Valley would not have been able to migrate to the south in such large numbers to set up civilisation,” he says. He believes the finds in Keeladi can be likened to a small “settlement”.

While archaeologists debate the findings, politicians are already drawing links between Keeladi and the Indus Valley – some even claim the two existed at the same time or that the Indus Valley was part of an early southern Indian, or Dravidian, civilisation.

The controversy over ASI archaeologist Mr Ramakrishnan’s transfer – who led the Keeladi excavations – has intensified the site’s political tensions.

In 2017, after two excavation rounds, the ASI transferred Mr Ramakrishnan, citing protocol. The Tamil Nadu government accused the federal agency of deliberately hindering the digs to undermine Tamil pride.

The ASI’s request in 2023 for Mr Ramakrishnan to revise his Keeladi report – citing a lack of scientific rigour – has intensified the controversy. He refused, insisting his findings followed standard archaeological methods.

In June, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin called the federal government’s refusal to publish Mr Ramakrishnan’s report an “onslaught on Tamil culture and pride”. State minister Thangam Thennarasu accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led federal government of deliberately suppressing information to erase Tamilian history.

India’s Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has now clarified that Mr Ramakrishnan’s report has not been rejected by the ASI but is “under review,” with expert feedback yet to be finalised.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyq443xypjo

TRAVIS KELCE is in “great shape” going into the new season.

That’s the verdict of Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.

The Chiefs’ All-Pro tight end is looking to help the franchise bounce back to win the Super Bowl this season after losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in February.

And Reid believes the 35-year-old has had a productive off-season to that end.

He told reporters: “He’s svelte right now.

“He looks like he’s 20. He’s doing a good job. He’s in great shape.

“And I’m not sure he didn’t come in first during the whole conditioning thing, he was right up front.

“You can see he’s been working out.

“You saw him yesterday on the long run where he had the burst.

“He’s done a nice job. He’s worked hard to get to this spot.”

Kelce admitted he was looking to lose weight for this offseason when speaking to reporters last month.

He said: “Each year is different man, you gotta rebuild it.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/sport/14827578/andy-reid-praise-travis-kelce-chiefs-offseason/

VLADIMIR Putin has again refused to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky as he ordered his troops to unleash another deadly blitz on civilians.

At least six Ukrainians were killed in the horror Russian strikes which targeted a high rise building and left a shopping mall up in flames.

The sickening strikes hit a Novodvoryansky residential complex in Dnipro city, killing one man and injuring a woman in a huge explosion.

Ukraine’s second city Kharkiv was struck with aerial bombs, drones and missiles in three hours of hell.

Kamianske was also invaded by a swarm of 35 drones with the Epicentre shopping centre being impacted and sending civilians fleeing.

Ukraine struck back with a long-range kamikaze drone dramatically exploding into the strategic Signal plant in Russia’s Stavropol region.

The terrifying night of strikes came just after Zelensky issued a challenge to Putin urging him to finally discuss a peace deal in person.

It would be the first meeting of the pair since Russia’s illegal invasion in 2022.

US President Donald Trump even told reporters on Friday that the pair would definitely meet soon.

He said: “It’s going to happen, but it should have happened 3 months ago.”

But the Kremlin was quick to dismiss both Western leaders as Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov officially said a meeting won’t take place unless a peace deal is ready to be finalised.

This isn’t likely to happen until the end of August at the earliest, he added.

Peskov said: “A summit meeting [involving Putin] can and should put an end to the settlement and formalise the modalities and agreements that are to be worked out in the course of expert work.

“It is impossible to do the opposite. Is it possible to complete such a complex process in 30 days? Obviously, it is unlikely.”

Any hopes for a breakthrough continue to appear bleak as warned the enemies remain “diametrically opposed” last week.

Zelensky has previously proposed a four-way summit which also involves the US and Turkey.

The US has also said an unconditional, 30-day ceasefire could be put in place to help pave the way for a long-standing deal.

Moscow has rejected both proposals.

Many experts believe that a scheming Putin is holding out as long as he can so his forces can seize more land in Ukraine.

Vlad can then go to the negotiating table in a stronger position.

Despite his refusal to stop the bloodshed, pressure is still mounting on the tyrant to end the war in Ukraine.

President Trump issued a blistering 50-day ultimatum to Russia earlier this month saying he must agree to a ceasefire of face crippling sanctions.

He vented his frustration with Putin, declaring he was “disappointed” but “not done” with the Russian tyrant.

There are now growing fears that Putin is preparing for an even deadlier chapter in his war.

According to German Major General Christian Freuding, Moscow is plotting a mass drone assault involving 2,000 Shahed drones, in a bid to overwhelm Ukraine’s already strained air defences.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14826698/putin-zelensky-war-ukraine-blitz/

A ROYAL Caribbean crew member stabbed his female colleague before jumping overboard to his death, police say.

The body of a 35-year-old South African man was recovered from the water just minutes after he is said to have attacked a 28-year-old woman.

Both crew members were working on the luxury Icon of the Seas cruise late on Thursday night when a “personal dispute” erupted onboard.

The man repeatedly stabbed the woman, also from South Africa, shortly before 7:30pm, the Royal Bahamas Police Force told NBC News.

He then tried to flee the ship by jumping overboard into the waters off the coast of San Salvador Island in the Bahamas.

Panicked passengers, who were unaware of the initial attack, desperately tried to help save the man by throwing life rings into the water, reports say.

He was found dead just 30 minutes later by onboard medical staff.

According to reports, the cruise ship immediately slowed down and turned back after the first alarm was sounded.

Data shows the ship’s course change northeast of San Salvador Island, roughly 200 miles east of Nassau.

Decks were cordoned off while rescue efforts got underway.

Pictures show the recovery team just moments after finding the South African and dragging him from the water onto a speedboat.

The woman was later found with multiple stab wounds to her upper body, according to police.

She was given urgent help and is now in a stable condition.

A Royal Caribbean spokesperson said: “One of the crew members was injured, was attended to by the onboard medical team, and she is now in stable condition.

“Unfortunately, the other crew member is deceased after he went overboard and was recovered in a search and rescue operation.”

The cause of the horror incident was “a personal dispute,” they added.

Investigations are still ongoing to piece together the deadly events.

An autopsy to determine the man’s exact cause of death is yet to be completed, according to police.

Neither of the crew members have been identified.

The Icon of the Seas is the world’s largest cruise ship standing at 1,196ft long and 219ft wide.

It has 20 decks and employs 2,350 international crew members.

It comes after a a Brit tourist died on a cruise ship travelling through a popular Greek island.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14826169/crew-cruise-stabs-colleague-caribbean-death/

BRIT tourists have been suffering seizures, foaming at the mouth and left permanently scarred after inhaling toxic drugs on the streets of Ibiza.

Armed with industrial-sized canisters of nitrous oxide, determined dealers roam the infamous San Antonio party strip – targeting Brits as “easy prey”.

But the Class C drug can cause a range of health issues – and in some cases can even be fatal.

In the UK, the gas is most commonly sold in small canisters which deliver a single dose – enough to fill one balloon.

But dealers in San Antonio are armed with huge canisters that pump out up to 80 hits – and come in boxes of six.

At the going rate of five euros a balloon, the street value of a six-pack of canisters is around £2,000 – and they’re strewn across the town.

When The Sun visited the notorious strip, our reporter was hounded and followed down the street by dealers.

Katie Mae, a bartender at Irish pub Shenanigans on the town’s main strip, said laughing gas is “the worst of them all”.

The 21-year-old told The Sun: “I’ll lecture anyone I see taking it – I’ve seen the worst things from laughing gas.

“I’ve seen young lads having seizures on the street and foaming at the mouths, but their friends are high so do nothing to help.

“One girl I saw inhaled gas straight from the canister, and it froze one side of her face.

“It was all cut up and she would have been scarred for life.”

After working on the strip for three seasons, Katie said: “The consequences aren’t talked about anywhere near enough.

“People don’t take it seriously as a drug – but it’s one of the worst.”

One British bar worker living in San Antonio told us she used to sell laughing gas here, but stopped after one of her customers “nearly died”.

The Brit said she got “freaked out” when a young lad fell backwards and smashed his head on the road in the midst of a balloon high.

She told us: “I used to sell laughing gas for about a year-and-a-half because it was easy money.

“You’d sell each balloon for five euros and buy the canisters for cheap. There’s loads of shops around here that sell them.

“But as soon as that happened I stopped. It really freaked me out.

“And the gas is not good stuff – it freezes your insides.”

Another Brit staff member at the bar described the situation as an “epidemic”.

The streets around San Antonio’s so-called West End, which includes the main strip and most of the bars, are littered with brightly-coloured rubber confetti.

Angelica Giraldo, a shopworker at Xanadu Supermarket near the strip, said the mess left behind by party-goers has ruined certain areas.

She said: “Lots of the tourists who come to San Antonio seem just to want to take drugs and to party rather than enjoy the island.

“I don’t really see the other stuff – but the rubbish from the balloons is very clear. You see them all over the road, it’s very ugly.”

Angelica, 40, has lived in Ibiza all her life and noticed a sharp rise in laughing gas in recent years.

She said: “It is everywhere now. And it causes lots of accidents.

“People take it while driving, but it makes them go crazy and they crash. This happens a lot.”

Selling the gas for recreational use is illegal in Spain – but that doesn’t stop a crew of drug dealers openly pushing it every night.

Walking around the West End, tourists are hounded constantly by – and see youngsters as an easy sell.

The dealers loiter amongst the outdoor bar seating and persistently hassle drinkers to encourage them to buy balloons – and many do.

Bartender Katie claimed the dealers have an app to alert each other if police are patrolling a certain area.

On one occasion, The Sun saw Civil Guards officers walking down the strip with a confiscated canister, and another cop was seen searching a young man for drugs.

The Sun approached cops on the street – but they all refused to talk about the issue.

While laughing gas is the most obvious drug in San Antonio due to the brightly-coloured balloons, almost any party drug you can think of is readily available.

Walking along the sea-front, dealers call out “hey, dude, yo, what do you need?” to almost every passerby.

Anything other than a stern refusal sees them opening up a pouch stuffed full of drugs, and flashing you bags of coloured powders or pills.

Ricardo, who runs Jungle Bistró Ibiza in the old town district with his wife, said he is glad that most of the anti-social behaviour is limited to San Antonio’s West End.

And he said it is “easy” for the dealers to sell to young Brits.

The restaurant manager said: “A lot of them are British, they come to San Antonio just for the parties.

“It is easy to sell to them. I don’t want any of that over in this part of town. We mainly have families around here”

San Antonio Town Council said: “The process is also underway to incorporate ten new officers into the Local Police force, increasing its staff from 59 to 69.

“This will ensure a more effective service tailored to the municipality’s current needs.

“A new position of intrusion and community coexistence officer has also been created, and a private security service will be put out to tender with the aim of reducing vandalism and uncivil behaviour in selected areas.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14826473/laughing-gas-party-island-tourists-seizures-scarred/

Protesters in the Malaysian capital carried placards saying “Turun Anwar” – “step down Anwar” in Malay – while police kept a close eye.

Thousands of Malaysians took to the capital’s streets on Saturday (Jul 26) to protest rising living costs and a perceived lack of reform by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government.

The rally organised by opposition parties marked the first major protest in Southeast Asia’s sixth-largest economy since Anwar was propelled to power after general elections in 2022.

Protesters gathered at various points around the city centre before converging on the central Merdeka (Independence) Square in drizzling rain, carrying placards saying “Turun Anwar” – “Step down Anwar” in Malay – while police kept a close eye.

“He (Anwar) has already governed the country for three years and has yet to fulfil the promises he made,” said protester Fauzi Mahmud, 35, from Selangor just outside the capital.

Anwar “has been to many countries to bring investments, but we have yet to see anything,” Fauzi told AFP, referring to the premier’s recent trips, including to Russia and Europe.

“The cost of living is still high,” the engineer said.

Speaking at the rally, political veteran and Anwar’s one-time mentor, now sworn political rival, Mahathir Mohamad told the crowd: “It’s been three years, what have the people got? I think he (Anwar) enjoys seeing us suffer.”

“Enough, please, step down,” said Mahathir, who last month celebrated his 100th birthday and is one of the world’s longest-living politicians.

Police and city officials estimated that between 18,000 and 50,000 protesters took part in the rally.

Anwar was appointed prime minister on a reformist ticket and promised to tackle graft, nepotism and cronyism within the Southeast Asian nation’s fractured political system.

“GOODIES FOR THE PEOPLE”

Days ahead of the rally, the premier laid out a string of populist measures aimed at addressing concerns, including a RM100 (US$23.70) cash handout for all adult citizens and a promise to cut fuel prices.

Anwar on Wednesday also added that about 18 million Malaysian motorists would be eligible to purchase subsidised medium-octane fuel at RM1.99 per litre, compared to the current price of RM2.05.

Political analysts viewed the announcements as a strategic move to appease increasing public frustration and dissuade people from joining Saturday’s march.

Norhamizah Mohamed, 48, from Besut on the northeast coast said she came to protest to ensure that “Anwar does what he promised in the election manifesto”.

“It’s not that we don’t like him, but we don’t like the way he is running the country.”

“Only after we had decided to do this protest he announced the goodies for the people,” she told AFP.

Saturday’s protest also comes as political parties gradually gear up for elections, which by law have to be held no later than mid-February 2028.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/malaysia-turun-anwar-ibrahim-anti-government-protests-5260006

Australia’s government said on Saturday (Jul 26) it signed a treaty with Britain to bolster cooperation over the next 50 years on the AUKUS nuclear submarine partnership.

The AUKUS pact, agreed upon by Australia, Britain and the United States in 2021, aims to provide Australia with nuclear-powered attack submarines from the next decade to counter China’s ambitions in the Indo-Pacific. US President Donald Trump’s administration announced a formal review of the pact this year.

Defence Minister Richard Marles said in a statement that the bilateral treaty was signed with Britain’s Defence Secretary John Healey on Saturday after a meeting in the city of Geelong, in Victoria state.

“The Geelong Treaty will enable comprehensive cooperation on the design, build, operation, sustainment and disposal of our SSN-AUKUS submarines,” the statement said.

The treaty was a “commitment for the next 50 years of UK-Australian bilateral defence cooperation under AUKUS Pillar I”, it said, adding that it built on the “strong foundation” of trilateral AUKUS cooperation.

Britain’s ministry of defence said this week that the bilateral treaty would underpin the two allies’ submarine programmes and was expected to be worth up to 20 billion pounds (US$27.1 billion) for Britain in exports over the next 25 years.

AUKUS is Australia’s biggest-ever defence project, with Canberra committing to spend A$368 billion over three decades on the programme, which includes billions of dollars of investment in the US production base.

Australia, which this month paid A$800 million to the US in the second instalment under AUKUS, has maintained it is confident the pact will proceed.

The defence and foreign ministers of Australia and Britain held talks on Friday in Sydney on boosting cooperation, coinciding with Australia’s largest war games.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/australia-britain-aukus-nuclear-submarine-partnership-treat-5259956

Israel’s military says it has “recently” made an airdrop of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, following weeks of international pressure and a growing hunger crisis in the Palestinian territory.

In a statement early on Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the airdrop “included seven packages of aid containing flour, sugar, and canned food”.

Israel earlier said it was prepared to open humanitarian corridors to allow UN convoys into Gaza.

This came amid calls for Israel to let more aid into Gaza and amid warnings of mass starvation following months of limited supply to the territory’s two million people. Israel denied what it called “the false claim of deliberate starvation” in Gaza.

In its statement, the IDF said the airdrop “was carried out in co-ordination with international organisations and led by Cogat”, referring to the Israeli military body which oversees the entry of aid into Gaza.

The military also posted a video purportedly showing a plane dropping the aid. The footage has not been independently verified.

Palestinian officials are yet to comment on the reported airdrop into Gaza.

Late on Saturday, the IDF said it had “begun a series of actions aimed at improving the humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip”, and was “prepared to implement humanitarian pauses in densely populated areas”.

It also stated that it had resumed supplying power to a desalination plant in Gaza, which it said would “serve about 900,000 residents”.

Israel cut off all supplies to Gaza from the start of March, and resumed with new restrictions in May.

Along with the US, it backed the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and allowed it to operate in Gaza.

There have been almost daily reports of Palestinians being killed while seeking aid since the GHF began operations in late May. Witnesses have told the BBC most have been shot by Israeli forces. Israel has said that its troops fire warning shots and has disputed reported death tolls. It accuses Hamas of instigating chaos near the aid points.

The UN, aid groups and some of Israel’s allies have blamed the country for a growing food crisis in Gaza, and called for the unrestricted entry and delivery of aid as the Hamas-run health ministry said dozens of people were dying from malnutrition. On Saturday it put the toll from the last few days at 125, including 85 children.

The World Health Organization (WHO) chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, described the crisis as “man-made mass starvation”.

The IDF said that responsibility for food distribution to the population in Gaza “lies with the UN and international aid organisations” and added they must “ensure that the aid does not reach Hamas”.

Israel’s apparent concessions on Saturday followed its acceptance of a Jordanian and UAE plan, backed by the UK, to air drop aid into Gaza. Aid agencies however said such moves would do little to mitigate the hunger of Gazans.

The head of the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency Unrwa, Philippe Lazzarini, said air drops were “expensive, inefficient, and can even kill starving civilians” if they did not go according to plan.

Lazzarini said his organisation had “the equivalent of 6,000 trucks” in Jordan and Egypt waiting to enter Gaza, and urged Israel “lift the siege, open the gates and guarantee safe movements and dignified access to people in need”.

The BBC spoke to several Gazans on Saturday who worried air drops could cause “serious harm”.

One man living in the north of the strip told BBC Arabic’s Middle East Daily that the process was “unsafe” and “caused numerous tragedies” when similar relief efforts were attempted last year.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn437jjygl9o

Greece is battling five major wildfires across the country, with officials evacuating residents in a hard-hit region just 30km (18.6 miles) north of capital city Athens.

The smell of burning wood carried as far as central Athens, as Greece requested European Union assistance to fight the spreading blaze.

The ongoing emergency comes amid a severe heatwave. Temperatures are forecast to reach up to 44C (111.2F) on Sunday, with the extreme heat expected to persist through most of the weekend.

“We have injured firefighters, human lives were put at risk, properties have been burned, and forest areas have been destroyed,” Greece’s Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Giannis Kefalogiannis said.

Greece is battling five major wildfires across the country, with officials evacuating residents in a hard-hit region just 30km (18.6 miles) north of capital city Athens.

The smell of burning wood carried as far as central Athens, as Greece requested European Union assistance to fight the spreading blaze.

The ongoing emergency comes amid a severe heatwave. Temperatures are forecast to reach up to 44C (111.2F) on Sunday, with the extreme heat expected to persist through most of the weekend.

“We have injured firefighters, human lives were put at risk, properties have been burned, and forest areas have been destroyed,” Greece’s Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Giannis Kefalogiannis said.

In Kythira, a third wildfire is engulfing a large part of the island, with residents describing scenes of “total destruction”. Several settlements have been evacuated, and the coastguard, assisted by private boats, rescued 139 people from Limnionas beach, transporting them safely to Kapsali port.

In Messinia, a fourth wildfire broke out in the Polithea area of Trifylia on Saturday morning and intensified later in the day.

Five emergency alerts have been sent via Greece’s 112 system urging people to leave multiple villages. Strong winds are making firefighting efforts difficult, with 84 firefighters, 30 vehicles and seven aircraft tackling the blaze.

Meanwhile, in Crete’s Chania region, a fifth wildfire is raging in Temenia. The fire started in two separate spots and quickly spread, destroying at least two homes.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgv313e381o

There’s a new supermodel in town. She’s striking, stylish… and not real.

In August’s print edition of Vogue, a Guess advert features a flawless blonde model showing off a striped maxi dress and a floral playsuit from the brand’s summer collection.

In small print in one corner, the ad reveals that she was created using AI.

While Vogue says the AI model was not an editorial decision, it is the first time an AI-generated person has featured in the magazine.

The advert has been met with controversy and raises questions about what this means for real models who have fought for greater diversity, and for consumers – particularly young people – already struggling with unrealistic beauty standards.

Seraphinne Vallora is the company behind Guess’s controversial advert.

Its founders, Valentina Gonzalez and Andreea Petrescu, tell the BBC they were approached by Guess’s co-founder, Paul Marciano, on Instagram and were asked to create an AI model as part of the brand’s summer campaign.

“We created 10 draft models for him and he selected one brunette woman and one blonde that we went ahead and developed further,” Gonzalez says.

She explains there’s often a misconception that AI image generation is simple, saying it is actually a complex process.

The company has five employees who create AI models, and it can take up to a month from idea inception to the completed product. The pair say they charge anywhere up to low six figures for a client like Guess.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday participated Saturday in the 60th Independence Day celebrations of the Maldives, concluding a two-day visit to the island nation. During the trip, Modi also announced financial assistance and formally launched talks on a proposed free trade agreement.

The two-day visit was seen as crucial to India’s ambition to control the seas and shipping routes of the Indian Ocean in a race with its regional rival China. It signaled a thaw in diplomatic tensions that followed the election of pro-China Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu in 2023.

Modi joined a distinguished gathering at Republic Square in the capital, Malé, where a military parade and cultural performances marked the anniversary of the Maldives gaining independence from British rule in 1965.

On Friday, following talks with Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, Modi announced a credit line of $565 million to support development projects in the Maldives.

The visit coincided with the anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two nations in 1965. It also saw the start of talks on a free trade agreement. The two leaders oversaw the exchange of signed agreements to cooperate in sectors such as fisheries, health, tourism and digital development. Modi also handed over dozens of heavy vehicles donated by India to strengthen the Maldives’ defense forces.

The Maldives — an archipelago nation strategically located in the Indian Ocean — is a focal point in the growing geopolitical rivalry between India and China.

Tensions grew when Muizzu, who favored closer ties with China, was elected in 2023 after defeating the India-friendly incumbent Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. Leading up to the election, Muizzu had promised to expel Indian soldiers deployed in the Maldives to help with humanitarian assistance. Last year New Delhi replaced dozens of its soldiers in the Maldives with civilian experts.

Measures by Modi to promote tourism in India’s Lakshadweep archipelago, off the southwestern coast of the Indian mainland, also sparked anger from Maldivians, who saw it as a move to lure Indian tourists away from their country. Indian celebrities then called for a tourism boycott of the Maldives.

Tensions escalated last year when President Muizzu visited China before India, a move widely interpreted in New Delhi as a diplomatic snub. On his return, Muizzu outlined plans to reduce the Maldives’ reliance on India for medical services, pharmaceuticals, and essential imports such as food staples.

Relations started to improve after Muizzu attended Modi’s swearing-in ceremony for a third five-year term last year. Muizzu has since toned down his anti-Indian rhetoric, and official contacts with New Delhi have intensified amid growing concern about the Maldives’ economy.

During a visit by Muizzu to India last October, India pledged financial support to the Maldives, which has been struggling with debt. This included $100 million in short-term government loans and agreeing to a $400 million currency swap to help stabilize the Maldivian economy.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/india-maldives-modi-muizzu-independence-day-51111c1e2b1d2beba8fee72c6004fd92

At least 11 people were stabbed in a bloody scene inside a Michigan Walmart Saturday night — causing terrified shoppers and employees to flee — before a brave armed citizen helped detain the knife-wielding maniac, according to police, witnesses and harrowing video.

The terror unfolded around 5 p.m. when the alleged 42-year-old male attacker began randomly stabbing shoppers with a “standard” folding knife in various sections of the big-box chain store in Traverse City, about 255 miles northwest of Detroit, Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael Shea said.

“Based on the information that we have at this time, they were random acts,” Shea told reporters at a press conference Saturday night, adding that the violent knifing is “very uncommon” for the city.

“Eleven [victims] is too many, but thank God it wasn’t more.”

Six of the victims are in critical condition, with the other five in serious condition.

Shea said the disturbing episode started near the store’s checkout counter.

“The whole store started screaming and running,” employee Tasha Nash told Channel2 Now.

“There was a guy with a knife — he stabbed six people. I saw someone stabbed in the eye.”

The knife-wielding monster was ultimately taken down by a pair of brave shoppers, including one who was armed, before authorities arrived and took him into custody, according to police and witnesses.

Video of the chaotic scene showed the unidentified suspect surrounded by shouting bystanders, including the armed good Samaritan.

Photos from Channel 2 Now show the sadistic suspect being placed into a Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office vehicle after the attack.

A shopper, who arrived at the superstore moments after the violent rampage, said she was shocked by the number of first responders on the scene.

“We were getting ready to go into Walmart as this was happening,” one witness wrote on X shortly after investigators asked the public to avoid the area.

“Of course, we weren’t allowed to go in. I have never seen so many police cars, ambulances, fire trucks, rescue vehicles and crime scene vehicles! They sent the employees home and told all of the customers to leave. Wow.”

The 11 victims were rushed to Munson Medical Center, northern Michigan’s largest hospital, where they are being treated, Munson Healthcare announced on Facebook just before 7 p.m.

“Munson Healthcare is aware of the tragic incident that occurred earlier today at the Walmart in Traverse City,” the agency said.

“Our thoughts are with all of those affected by this event, and we are grateful to the first responders and law enforcement for their swift action. As a result, our Emergency Department is currently experiencing a higher-than-usual volume of patients.”

Police have not released the name of the alleged stabber or a motive behind the nightmarish ordeal, but said the vicious suspect appears to be a Michigan resident

“Violence like this is unacceptable. Our thoughts are with those who were injured, and we’re thankful for the swift action of first responders,” a Walmart spokesperson told The Post early Sunday.

“I’m in touch with law enforcement about the horrible news out of Traverse City,” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said on X.

“Our thoughts are with the victims and the community reeling from this brutal act of violence. I am grateful to the first responders for their swift response to apprehend the suspect.”

Source : https://nypost.com/2025/07/26/us-news/mass-stabbing-at-traverse-city-michigan-walmart/

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard fired back at former President Barack Obama, accusing him of deflecting from his administration’s “absolute failure” to vet intelligence reports used to fuel narratives of Russian collusion with the 2016 Trump campaign.

“The treasonous conspiracy that we have now released to the American people — the complicity, the deflection, and the silence of politicians, of the mainstream media, and of those directly implicated into this speaks volumes,” Gabbard said on Fox & Friends Saturday.

On Tuesday, President Trump called for criminal charges against Obama, 63, for allegedly ordering an intelligence report saying Russia meddled to help him win the White House in 2016.

Trump was referring to documents Gabbard declassified last week.

Obama’s office responded, calling the claims an attempt at distracting from the scandal over the administration’s handling of the Epstein files.

“Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response,” Patrick Rodenbush, a spokesman for Obama said.

“But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one. These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction,” he said, referring to the mounting pressure on Trump to release the Epstein files.

“Nothing in the document issued last week undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes.”

Gabbard lashed out at Obama’s answer during her Fox appearance.

“President Obama’s very carefully worded response that came from his office, again, deflects away from addressing any of the truth that was revealed,” she said.

Source : https://nypost.com/2025/07/26/us-news/tulsi-gabbard-fires-back-at-obama-absolute-failure/

Following the 12-day war, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, spends most days snoozing and getting “high,” an outrageous post from the Mossad’s Farsi social media account mysteriously claimed.

“How can a leader lead when they sleep half the day and spend the other half high on substances?” the post asked.

The statement came from a bizarre new premium X account that launched in recent weeks, claiming to be the official Farsi-language spokesperson — the official dialect of Iran — for the cunning Israeli intelligence agency, with regular posts trolling the Iranian regime.

“Using drugs and speaking to spirits are not appropriate traits for someone leading a nation,” the account said in another recent post.

This isn’t the way the Mossad typically communicates with the public — but according to two intelligence experts interviewed by JFeed, the strange Mossad account does appear to be authentic.

“It’s a new battlefield tool,” said Zvi Yehezkeli, a leading Arab affairs commentator for i24News, who said Iranians have become so disillusioned with the regime and Mossad operates differently there than in other countries.

“Some of the information it has shared could only have come from Mossad,” agreed Beny Sabti, an Iran expert at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies and a former IDF Persian-language officer.

Claims of Ali Khamenei’s drug use have been floated before.

An Iranian academic said in a 2022 television interview on Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated television in Turkey that the Iranian Supreme Leader often uses drugs.

“Many viewers do not know this, but Khamenei himself uses drugs,” Nour Mohamed Omara said on Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated television in Turkey in 2022.

“He has a special village in Balochistan, where the drugs used by the leader are produced. This village is run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and no one is allowed in.”

Source : https://nypost.com/2025/07/26/world-news/iranian-supreme-leader-sleeps-and-gets-high-on-substances-all-day-mossad-linked-social-media-account-claims/

As regards Operation Sindoor, he said weapons manufactured under the ‘Make in India’ initiative played a great role during the cross-border military offensive in destroying enemy targets and made enemies lose sleep.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday described the recently concluded FTA between India and UK as ‘historic,’ and said the trade pact showed the world’s trust in the country.

As regards Operation Sindoor, he said weapons manufactured under the ‘Make in India’ initiative played a great role during the cross-border military offensive in destroying enemy targets and made enemies lose sleep.

The PM inaugurated, laid foundation stones and dedicated projects worth Rs 4,900 crore here and underscored the NDA government’s commitment towards Tamil Nadu’s growth.

In his address after inaugurating the projects, PM Modi said he was blessed to directly land in Tamil Nadu after completing his foreign tour during which the India-UK Free Trade Agreement was signed before his visit to the Maldives.

The trade pact with Britain was ‘historic.’ “India and Britain signed a FTA. This shows the growing trust of the world and our self-confidence. We will make Viksit (developed) Bharat and Viksit Tamil Nadu with this self-confidence,” PM Modi said.

“FTA with Britain adds pace to our vision of Viksit Bharat, Viksit TN,” the PM, clad in a traditional veshti (dhoti), shirt and an ‘angavastram’ worn around the neck, said. He landed here directly after wrapping up his official tour of the Maldives.

Promising a developed India and Tamil Nadu, he said, “infrastructure and energy are the backbone of any state’s development; our focus on infrastructure and energy in last 11 years shows our commitment to TN’s growth.” The NDA government has constructed Atal Sethu, Sonmarg Tunnel, Bogibeel bridge in different parts of the country and these created thousands of job opportunities.

As regards the railways, he said it is the lifeline of industrial growth.

The projects he inaugurated on Saturday are related to airport, highways, railways, port and power in Tamil Nadu and he said that infrastructure.

The inaugurated projects include a new state-of-the-art Tuticorin airport terminal building, developed at an estimated cost of around Rs 450 crore.

As regards railway projects, it includes the electrification of the 90 km Madurai-Bodinayakkanur line, commissioned at a cost of Rs 99 Crore and the Rs 650 crore worth doubling of the 21 km Nagercoil Town-Kanniyakumari section.

The PM dedicated to the nation, two strategically significant highway projects– 4-laning of 50 km Sethiyathope-Cholapuram stretch of NH-36, developed at a cost Rs 2,350 crore and 6-laning of the 5.16 km NH-138 Tuticorin Port Road, built at around Rs 200 crore.

He inaugurated the North Cargo Berth-III with a cargo handling capacity of 6.96 MMTPA at V O Chidambaranar Port established at a cost of Rs 285 crore.

On the occasion, he invoked legendary freedom fighters from the region–VO Chidambaram Pillai, king Veerapandia Kattabomman and chieftain Veeran Azhagu Muthukon.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/historic-trade-deal-with-uk-shows-worlds-trust-in-india-pm-modi-8956885

A tropical storm was blowing across the Philippines’ mountainous north Friday, worsening more than a week of bad weather that has caused at least 25 deaths and prompted evacuations in villages hit by flooding and landslides.

The storm was Typhoon Co-may when it blew Thursday night into the town of Agno in Pangasinan province with maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers (74 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 165 kph (102 mph). It was weakening as it advanced northeastward and had sustained winds of 85 kph (53 mph) Friday afternoon.

Co-may was intensifying seasonal monsoon rains that had swamped a large swath of the country for more than a week.

Disaster-response officials have received reports of at least 25 deaths since last weekend, mostly due to flash floods, toppled trees, landslides and electrocution. Eight other people were reported missing, they said.

There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries directly caused by Co-may, locally called Emong, the fifth weather disturbance to hit the Philippines since the rainy season started in last month. More than a dozen more tropical storms were expected to batter the Southeast Asian country the rest of the year, forecasters said.

The government shut down schools in metropolitan Manila for the third day Friday and suspended classes in 35 provinces in the main northern region of Luzon. More than 80 towns and cities, mostly in Luzon, have declared a state of calamity, a designation that speeds emergency funds and freezes the prices of commodities, including rice.

The days of stormy weather have forced 278,000 people to leave their homes for safety in emergency shelters or relatives’ homes. Nearly 3,000 houses have been damaged, the government’s disaster response agency said.

Travel by sea and air has been restricted in northern provinces being pounded or in the typhoon’s path.

Thousands of army forces, police, coast guard personnel. firefighters and civilian volunteers have been deployed to help rescue people in villages swamped in floodwaters or isolated due to roads blocked by landslides, fallen trees and boulders.

The United States said it will provide $250,000 in funding to the U.N. World Food Programme to help the Philippine government’s response. “We are tracking the devastation caused by the storms and floods and are deeply concerned for all those affected,” U.S. Ambassador MaryKay Carlson said.

After returning from his White House meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visited emergency shelters Thursday in Rizal province to help distribute food packs to displaced residents. He later convened an emergency meeting with disaster-response officials, where he underscored the need for the government and the people to adapt to and brace for climate change and the larger number of and more unpredictable natural calamities it’s setting off.

“Everything has changed,” Marcos said. “Let’s not say, `The storm may come, what will happen?’ because the storm will really come.”

Source : https://apnews.com/article/typhoon-comay-philippines-9b0c191c63112a109b60b420b5917010

A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from ending birthright citizenship for the children of parents who are in the U.S. illegally, issuing the third court ruling blocking the birthright order nationwide since a key Supreme Court decision in June.

U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin, joining another district court as well as an appellate panel of judges, found that a nationwide injunction granted to more than a dozen states remains in force under an exception to the Supreme Court ruling. That decision restricted the power of lower-court judges to issue nationwide injunctions.

The states have argued Trump’s birthright citizenship order is blatantly unconstitutional and threatens millions of dollars for health insurance services that are contingent on citizenship status. The issue is expected to move quickly back to the nation’s highest court.

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement the administration looked forward to “being vindicated on appeal.”

New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin, who helped lead the lawsuit before Sorokin, said in a statement he was “thrilled the district court again barred President Trump’s flagrantly unconstitutional birthright citizenship order from taking effect anywhere.”

“American-born babies are American, just as they have been at every other time in our Nation’s history,” he added. “The President cannot change that legal rule with the stroke of a pen.”

Lawyers for the government had argued Sorokin should narrow the reach of his earlier ruling granting a preliminary injunction, saying it should be “tailored to the States’ purported financial injuries.”

Sorokin said a patchwork approach to the birthright order would not protect the states in part because a substantial number of people move between states. He also blasted the Trump administration, saying it had failed to explain how a narrower injunction would work.

“That is, they have never addressed what renders a proposal feasible or workable, how the defendant agencies might implement it without imposing material administrative or financial burdens on the plaintiffs, or how it squares with other relevant federal statutes,” the judge wrote. “In fact, they have characterized such questions as irrelevant to the task the Court is now undertaking. The defendants’ position in this regard defies both law and logic.”

Sorokin acknowledged his order would not be the last word on birthright citizenship. Trump and his administration “are entitled to pursue their interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment, and no doubt the Supreme Court will ultimately settle the question,” Sorokin wrote. “But in the meantime, for purposes of this lawsuit at this juncture, the Executive Order is unconstitutional.”

The administration has not yet appealed any of the recent court rulings. Trump’s efforts to deny citizenship to children born to parents who are in the country illegally or temporarily will remain blocked unless and until the Supreme Court says otherwise.

A federal judge in New Hampshire issued a ruling earlier this month prohibiting Trump’s executive order from taking effect nationwide in a new class-action lawsuit. U.S. District Judge Joseph LaPlante in New Hampshire had paused his own decision to allow for the Trump administration to appeal, but with no appeal filed, his order went into effect.

On Wednesday, a San Francisco-based appeals court found the president’s executive order unconstitutional and affirmed a lower court’s nationwide block.

A Maryland-based judge said last week that she would do the same if an appeals court signed off.

The justices ruled last month that lower courts generally can’t issue nationwide injunctions, but it didn’t rule out other court orders that could have nationwide effects, including in class-action lawsuits and those brought by states. The Supreme Court did not decide whether the underlying citizenship order is constitutional.

Plaintiffs in the Boston case earlier argued that the principle of birthright citizenship is “enshrined in the Constitution,” and that Trump does not have the authority to issue the order, which they called a “flagrantly unlawful attempt to strip hundreds of thousands of American-born children of their citizenship based on their parentage.”

They also argue that Trump’s order halting automatic citizenship for babies born to people in the U.S. illegally or temporarily would cost states funding they rely on to “provide essential services” — from foster care to health care for low-income children, to “early interventions for infants, toddlers, and students with disabilities.”

Source : https://apnews.com/article/immigration-birthright-citizenship-trump-3d94d355e1892baab810c9efddd1fd92

Notorious sex criminal Ghislaine Maxwell answered questions from Justice Department officials about “100 different people” linked to late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, an attorney for the disgraced socialite claimed Friday following two days of interrogation led by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche during which she was reportedly granted limited immunity.

David Oscar Markus told reporters that his client, currently serving a 20-year sentence after being convicted in Manhattan of federal sex trafficking and conspiracy charges in December 2021, was “asked about every possible thing you could imagine – everything.”

“This was the first opportunity she’s ever been given to answer questions about what happened,” Markus added. “The truth will come out about what happened with Mr. Epstein and she’s the person who’s answering those questions.”

Blanche had “every single question” answered during the sitdown, Maxwell’s attorney also said, with the British-born convict declining to plead the Fifth Amendment.

“If she lies they could charge her with lying,” Markus noted.

“They did charge her with lying,” a reporter challenged him, referring to two perjury counts that Markus noted were dropped by the feds after her conviction.

“No one is above the law — and no lead is off-limits,” Blanche posted on X Tuesday in announcing he would speak with Maxwell.

Maxwell, 63, is appealing her conviction and sentencing, and legal observers have speculated her willingness to answer questions is tied to a potential clemency grant by President Trump.

Her attorney described the commander in chief Friday as “the ultimate dealmaker” and claimed his client had “been treated unfairly for the past five years” and “didn’t get a fair trial.”

“We hope he exercises that power in a right and just way,” Markus added.

Trump, 79, told reporters after landing in Glasgow, Scotland that “I don’t know anything about the conversation” between Blanche and Maxwell because “I haven’t really been following it.”

“This is no time to be talking about pardons,” the president added after saying hours earlier while leaving the White House that “I haven’t thought” about the idea.

Maxwell reportedly initiated the sitdowns with the DOJ and answered questions for roughly nine hours, according to ABC News.

The proffer immunity granted to Maxwell allowed her to answer questions without her responses later being used against her in a criminal case, sources told the outlet.

Proffer immunity is typically granted to individuals prosecutors want cooperation from in a criminal case.

In 2022, the Department of Justice expressed doubts that Maxwell could be truthful, writing in court filings that she displayed a “significant pattern of dishonest conduct” and failed to take responsibility for her heinous crimes.

Court papers the prior year revealed that prosecutors never seriously entertained the prospect of offering the women dubbed “Epstein’s madam” a plea agreement after the financier was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell while awaiting his own federal trial on Aug. 10, 2019.

According to Markus, Epstein’s attorneys had been informed that “no potential co-conspirators would be prosecuted” as part of his talks with government lawyers following his July 2019 arrest on sex trafficking charges.

“I don’t think President Trump knows that the Justice Department took the position that that promise should not be upheld,” he claimed.

In February, Attorney General Pam Bondi teased a full disclosure of federal investigatory files on Epstein during a Fox News interview — including a purported “client list” of high-powered associates — but no such reveal came.

On July 6, the DOJ and FBI put out a two-page memo disclosing that there was “no credible evidence” that 66-year-old had a “client list” or “blackmailed prominent individuals” in his sickening sexual exploitation of girls — some as young as 14 years old.

“We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties,” the memo also stated.

Epstein counted influential politicians and businessmen as his associates — including former President Bill Clinton, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Trump.

The 47th president had a falling out with Epstein in 2004 — and reportedly later banned him from Mar-a-Lago for acting inappropriately with a club member’s daughter.

Source : https://nypost.com/2025/07/25/us-news/ghislaine-maxwell-gave-doj-info-about-100-different-people-linked-to-jeffrey-epstein-lawyer-says/

Two flight attendants were injured after a commercial Southwest Airlines jet suddenly dropped 475 feet to avoid a “midair collision” shortly after takeoff at a Los Angeles-area airport Friday, with one frightened passenger saying the aircraft “was just in a freefall.”

Southwest Flight 1496 dove from 14,100 feet to 13,625 feet just six minutes after taking off from Hollywood Burbank Airport, according to FlightRadar24 data.

The pilot told concerned flyers that the drastic maneuver was carried out to avoid “a midair collision,” passenger Steve Ulasewicz told ABC News.

“The plane was just in a free fall. It was pandemonium,” he told NBC 4 Los Angeles.

Passengers screamed as the plane dropped for what felt like 10 seconds, according to Ulasewicz.

Comedian Jimmy Dore was on the flight, relaying that he and several other flyers were tossed about the cabin during the startling descent.

“Pilot had to dive aggressively to avoid midair collision over Burbank airport,” he wrote on X after landing in Sin City.

“Myself & Plenty of people flew out of their seats & bumped heads on ceiling, a flight attendant needed medical attention,” the California-based funnyman, 60, said.

Dore’s manager was also on the plane and was floored by the near-catastrophe.

“We’re driving home,” Stef Zamoramo said in a video posted on X from the cabin.

Tracking data showed that the plane — moving at 450 mph — proceeded to climb 20 seconds after the initial and sharp decline.

Southwest said two flight attendants were injured during the desperate life-saving swerve, but no passengers were injured.

Another plane, a Hawker Hunter aircraft, was near the Southwest plane at approximately 14,633 feet, according to ABC News.

The pilots of the Hawker Hunter reported having the Boeing 737 in sight, but were not properly instructed by air traffic control, ABC News reported, citing sources.

Multiple Hawker Hunters — a British-designed, fixed-wing military-style aircraft — were being operated in the area, according to the outlet.

Southwest said in a statement that its pilots were responding to two onboard traffic alerts and that the descent action was to “comply” with those warnings.

The pilot told passengers in an onboard update after the scare that the plane used software to make the evasive move, Ulasewicz told NBC.

Source : https://nypost.com/2025/07/25/us-news/southwest-flight-plummets-nearly-500-feet-in-a-freefall-to-avoid-midair-collision-leaving-2-flight-attendants-injured/

Far-left Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez flouted House ethics rules by accepting more than $3,700 in rented apparel and other gifts for her notorious appearance at the 2021 Met Gala — including a glitzy gown emblazoned with “Tax The Rich” in blood-red letters and a free ticket for her then-boyfriend Riley Roberts — but paying under $1,000 for the goodies.

The House Ethics Committee faulted the Bronx and Queens “Squad” member for not complying with its regulation on gifts and improperly giving Roberts a free ride to the $35,000-per-ticket annual charity event hosted by Vogue grande dame Anna Wintour — but said it wouldn’t sanction AOC further.

Fair-market value to rent the Brother Vellies couture dress designed by Aurora James with a retail price tag of more than $18,000 — as well as luxury shoes, jewelry, a floral hairpiece, and a handbag — amounted to $3,724.04, according to the 10-member panel.

Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign stiffed vendors on the payments for months, and the congresswoman ultimately forked over just $990.76, the bulk of which was paid with personal funds.

The lefty pol’s reps also disputed costs listed on the initial invoice and tried to drive them down by offering comparisons to similar gowns listed on the website Rent the Runway.

“Representative Ocasio-Cortez’s attempt to apply a retail rental cost to a handmade couture gown was unrealistic,” the report stated flatly.

The 26-page report also found “most payments were not made until after repeated attempts at collection from unpaid vendors, threatened legal action, or following the initiation of OCC’s [Office of Congressional Conduct] review.”

The OCC’s initial review in 2022 had spurred the Ethics Committee to issue subpoenas, but a designer and publicist sat instead for voluntary interviews with the House panel.

The more-than-three-year investigation “did not find evidence” that Ocasio-Cortez intentionally underpaid for any goods or services” — but placed some blame on members of her staff, including ex-campaign manager Rebecca Rodriguez.

In one notable interaction, Rodriguez — who had been fired by 2023 — asked a publicist why an initial invoice for the gown amounted to $1,300. The amount was later reduced to $300.

Another $477.73 bill to a hairstylist went unpaid by Rodriguez for almost half a year, leading the stylist to threaten “to file a complaint with the NY Dept of Labor against Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for Congress.”

“[T]he Committee determined that no sanction was merited, provided Representative Ocasio-Cortez: (1) donates the $250 value of Mr. Roberts’ Met Gala meal to the Costume Institute and (2) pays Brother Vellies an additional $2,733.28 for the fair market value of the goods that she received in connection with her 2021 Met Gala attendance,” concluded the report, which the ethics panel unanimously voted to adopt in a closed-door session Tuesday.

Mike Casca, AOC’s chief of staff, said in a statement: “The Congresswoman appreciates the Committee finding that she made efforts to ensure her compliance with House Rules and sought to act consistently with her ethical requirements as a Member of the House. She accepts the ruling and will remedy the remaining amounts, as she’s done at each step in this process.”

House rules bar lawmakers from accepting gifts, with tickets to “charity” balls or “widely-attended” events for oneself and a spouse or child among the exceptions.

However, Wintour personally invited Ocasio-Cortez and Roberts to the soiree “as guests of Vogue” — rather than the Metropolitan Museum of Art or its Costume Institute — and directed a designer at Brother Vellies “to make a dress from scratch” for the occasion, putting the lawmaker in the crosshairs of the ethics committee.

In July 2021, with the gala just four months away, the designer claimed the demand by Wintour was “insane” because the designer fashioned shoes or handbags and “do[es]n’t make clothes.”

Staff instructed vendors to “keep costs down” but there were “multiple occasions where the Congresswoman and her team were met with responses from collaborators and involved companies to the effect of ‘Met Gala attendees don’t normally pay for this,’” AOC’s counsel said.

The rented shoes were valued at $635 and rented for $160. The Brother Vellies handbag had a retail price of $995 and a rental value of $157. Jewelry was rented for $78, and a paper hibiscus flower was bought for $35.

Source : https://nypost.com/2025/07/25/us-news/aoc-broke-house-rules-to-attend-met-gala-with-beau-riley-roberts-told-to-pay-additional-2700-for-tax-the-rich-gown-other-accessories/

Matcha mania is sweeping the world. The bright green Japanese tea can be found in everything from Starbucks’ lattes in the UK to Krispy Kreme doughnuts in Singapore.

The global matcha craze is being driven by social media, with influencers sharing brewing tips, reviews and recipes. The “Matcha Tok” hashtag has clocked up tens of millions of views.

Matcha’s growing popularity is also linked to Japan’s post-pandemic tourism boom, with the country’s weak currency making it an attractive destination as well as boosting demand for Japanese goods.

In the midst of the hype, demand for the powder is soaring. US-based tea importer Lauren Purvis tells the BBC her customers are seeing what was once a month’s supply of matcha running out in days.

“Some cafes are even asking for a kilo a day. They’re desperate to keep up,” says Ms Purvis, who runs Mizuba Tea Co.

But that surging demand, combined with smaller tea crops due to heatwaves and US tariffs on Japan, is also pushing up matcha prices.

Traditionally, Matcha – which is sought for its health benefits, caffeine and flavour – is the product of a centuries-old and highly-specialised process.

It is made from green tea leaves called tencha, which are kept under shade for weeks while they’re still growing. This step is crucial for developing the tea’s signature “umami” flavour – a savoury taste that complements its natural sweetness.

The leaves are harvested, dried and ground into powder using stone mills, which can produce just 40g (1.4oz) of matcha an hour.

But in recent months growers have struggled, as record-breaking heatwaves have hit crops.

In the Kyoto region, where about a quarter of Japan’s tencha comes from, hot weather has led to poor harvests even as demand soars.

The country also faces a shortage of farmers as its population ages and not enough younger people go into the industry.

Shops in Uji, a city in Kyoto famous for matcha, often see their shelves emptied by tourists as soon as their doors open.

As a result, many retailers have set limits on how much customers can buy.

Kyoto-based Camellia Tea Ceremony allows customers to purchase only one tin of matcha each as visitor numbers doubled over the last year, says director Atsuko Mori.

Tea master Rie Takeda says she also has to closely monitor her stocks of matcha, as orders that would previously arrive in just days can now take more than a week.

She works for Chazen, a tea ceremony chain based in Tokyo, which hosts traditional rituals serving matcha to guests.

Shortages mean tea prices at Chazen’s outlets have risen by around 30% this year.

“[The demand] is good,” Ms Takeda said through a translator. “It’s a gateway for more people to know about Japanese culture.”

It has also attracted more growers.

Matcha production nearly tripled between 2010 and 2023, according to Japan’s agricultural ministry.

It also says green tea exports, including matcha, also rose 25% last year to 36.4bn yen (£180m; $250m).

Almost one in three people in the Gaza Strip are going for days without eating, the UN’s food aid programme has warned.

“Malnutrition is surging with 90,000 women and children in urgent need of treatment,” the World Food Programme (WFP) said in a statement.

Warnings of starvation in Gaza have intensified this week. Nine more people died of malnutrition on Friday, according to the Palestinian territory’s Hamas-run health ministry – bringing the total such deaths since the war began to 122.

Israel, which controls the entry of all supplies into Gaza, says there is no restriction on aid getting into the territory and blames Hamas for any malnutrition.

On Friday, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer suggested the UK would play a role in dropping aid into Gaza by air after more than a third of MPs signed a letter calling on the government to recognise a Palestinian state.

This came after an Israeli security official had said that airdrops of aid into Gaza could be allowed in the coming days – something aid agencies have previously cautioned is an inefficient way to get supplies into Gaza.

“News that Israel will allow countries to airdrop aid into Gaza has come far too late – but we will do everything we can to get aid in via this route,” Sir Starmer wrote in The Mirror.

Sir Keir also said the UK was “urgently accelerating efforts” to evacuate children who need critical medical assistance to the UK for treatment.

While local media reported the United Arab Emirates and Jordan would carry out the latest drops, a senior Jordanian official told the BBC that its military was yet to receive permission from Israel to do so.

The UN has described the move as a “distraction to inaction” by the Israeli government.

The move came amid mounting international concern about humanitarian conditions in Gaza.

On Friday, Germany, France and the UK called on Israel to “immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid” into the territory.

In a joint statement, they called for an immediate end to the “humanitarian catastrophe that we are witnessing in Gaza,” and to the war itself, adding that Israel must “uphold its obligations under international humanitarian law”.

“Withholding essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable,” read the statement.

The UN Secretary General António Guterres said he could not “explain the level of indifference and inaction we see by too many in the international community – the lack of compassion, the lack of truth, the lack of humanity”.

Addressing the Amnesty International global assembly, he said more than 1,000 Palestinians had been killed while trying to access food since 27 May – when the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began distributing supplies as an alternative to the UN-led system.

A US security contractor who worked for the GHF in May and June 2025 told the BBC on Friday that he had “without question… witnessed war crimes” during that time.

Anthony Aguilar said he saw the IDF and US contractors using live ammunition, artillery, mortar rounds, and tank fire on civilians at food distribution sites.

The retired soldier said: “In my entire career, I have never witnessed the level of brutality and use of indiscriminate and unnecessary force against a civilian population until I was in Gaza at the hands of the IDF and US contractors.”

In its response, the GHF said the claims – which came from “a disgruntled former contractor who was terminated for misconduct a month ago” – were “categorically false”.

Meanwhile, the future of talks to secure a new ceasefire and hostage-release deal remains uncertain, after the US and Israel withdrew their negotiating teams from Qatar.

US President Donald Trump said Hamas “didn’t really want to make a deal”.

“I think they want to die,” he said.

Hamas has expressed surprise about the US remarks.

A senior Hamas official also told the BBC’s Gaza correspondent that mediators had informed the group negotiations had not collapsed, and said the Israeli delegation was expected to return to Doha next week.

Israel launched a war in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

More than 59,000 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Israel imposed a total blockade of aid deliveries at the start of March and resumed its military offensive against Hamas two weeks later, collapsing a two-month ceasefire. It said it wanted to put pressure on the group to release its remaining Israeli hostages.

Although the blockade was partially eased after almost two months amid warnings of a looming famine from global experts, the shortages of food, medicine and fuel have worsened.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgjg81qqwvo

KYIV – During a pivotal push by Ukraine to retake territory from Russia in late September 2022, Elon Musk gave an order that disrupted the counteroffensive and dented Kyiv’s trust in Starlink, the satellite internet service the billionaire provided early in the war to help Ukraine’s military maintain battlefield connectivity.
According to three people familiar with the command, Musk told a senior engineer at the California offices of SpaceX, the Musk venture that controls Starlink, to cut coverage in areas including Kherson, a strategic region north of the Black Sea that Ukraine was trying to reclaim.
“We have to do this,” Michael Nicolls, the Starlink engineer, told colleagues upon receiving the order, one of these people said. Staffers complied, the three people told Reuters, deactivating at least a hundred Starlink terminals, their hexagon-shaped cells going dark on an internal map of the company’s coverage. The move also affected other areas seized by Russia, including some of Donetsk province further east.

Upon Musk’s order, Ukrainian troops suddenly faced a communications blackout, according to a Ukrainian military official, an advisor to the armed forces, and two others who experienced Starlink failure near the front lines. Soldiers panicked, drones surveilling Russian forces went dark, and long-range artillery units, reliant on Starlink to aim their fire, struggled to hit targets.
As a result, the Ukrainian military official and the military advisor said, troops failed to surround a Russian position in the town of Beryslav, east of Kherson, the administrative center of the region of the same name. “The encirclement stalled entirely,” said the military official in an interview. “It failed.”
Ultimately, Ukraine’s counteroffensive succeeded in reclaiming Beryslav, the city of Kherson and some additional territory Russia had occupied. But Musk’s order, which hasn’t previously been reported, is the first known instance of the billionaire actively shutting off Starlink coverage over a battlefield during the conflict. The decision shocked some Starlink employees and effectively reshaped the front line of the fighting, enabling Musk to take “the outcome of a war into his own hands,” another one of the three people said.

The account of the command counters Musk’s narrative of how he has handled Starlink service in Ukraine amid the war. As recently as March, in a post on X, his social media site, Musk wrote: “We would never do such a thing.”
Musk and Nicolls didn’t respond to requests from Reuters for comment.
A SpaceX spokesperson said by email that the news agency’s reporting is “inaccurate” and referred reporters to an X post earlier this year in which the company said: “Starlink is fully committed to providing service to Ukraine.” The spokesperson didn’t specify any inaccuracies in this report or answer a lengthy list of questions regarding the incident, Starlink’s role in the Ukraine war, or other details regarding its business.
The office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and the country’s Ministry of Defence didn’t respond to requests for comment. Starlink still provides service to Ukraine, and the Ukrainian military relies on it for some connectivity. Zelenskiy as recently as this year has publicly expressed gratitude to Musk for Starlink.

“Elon Musk’s current global dominance exemplifies the dangers of concentrated power in unregulated domains”

It isn’t clear what prompted Musk’s command, when exactly he gave it, or precisely how long the outage lasted. The three people familiar with the order said they believed it stemmed from concerns Musk expressed later that Ukrainian advances could provoke nuclear retaliation from Russia. One of the people said the shutoff transpired on September 30, 2022. The two others said it was around then, but didn’t recall the exact date. Some senior U.S. officials shared Musk’s concerns that Russia would make good on threats to escalate, one former White House staffer told Reuters.

Musk’s order was an early glimpse of the power the magnate now wields in geopolitics and global security because of Starlink, a fast-growing satellite internet service that barely existed early this decade and now provides connectivity even in remote areas of the world. Even before his brief role as financial backer and advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump, the success of Starlink – and the unrivaled connectivity it offers across the planet – had given Musk increasing influence with political leaders, governments and militaries worldwide.

Coverage Cutoff

The shutoff of Starlink over parts of Ukraine in fall 2022 affected connectivity in some regions, including Kherson and Donetsk, still occupied by Russian forces today.

Musk’s sway in military affairs in Washington and beyond – through Starlink’s dominance in satellite communications and SpaceX’s clout in space launches – has reached a dimension previously limited to sovereign governments, alarming some regulators and lawmakers. “Elon Musk’s current global dominance exemplifies the dangers of concentrated power in unregulated domains,” Martha Lane Fox, a member of Britain’s upper house of parliament, said during a debate earlier this year. The parliamentarian is a businesswoman and former board member at Twitter, the social media site that Musk acquired in 2022 and rebranded as X.
“Its control,” Lane Fox said of Starlink, “rests solely with Musk, allowing his whims to dictate access to vital infrastructure.”

Musk’s political influence, and his massive business with the U.S. federal government, are now being put to the test. Since leaving his role advising Trump, Musk has publicly feuded with the president, announced plans to create a new political party, and criticized a signature spending bill that he said will expand the budget deficit and destroy jobs. Trump, for his part, has threatened to end government contracts and subsidies for Musk’s companies, including lucrative new defense projects.
Whatever the reason for Musk’s decision, the shutoff over Kherson and other regions surprised some involved with the Ukraine war – from troops on the ground to U.S. military and foreign policy officials, who after Russia’s full-scale invasion that February had worked to secure Starlink service for Ukrainian forces. Panicked calls by Ukrainian officials during the outage to seek information from Pentagon counterparts, five people familiar with the incident said, were met with few explanations for what could have caused it.
The U.S. Department of Defense declined to comment. Reuters couldn’t determine whether White House or Pentagon officials after the shutdown had any exchanges with Musk over the outage.
The Kherson episode is distinct from an earlier report of an incident that purportedly occurred that same September, involving Crimea just to the south, and raised concerns about Musk’s ability to influence the conflict in Ukraine.
In his 2023 biography of Musk, author Walter Isaacson reported that the tycoon had ordered Starlink to disable coverage in Crimea, which Russia had annexed from Ukraine after a 2014 invasion that the international community condemned as illegal. Musk, Isaacson wrote, believed a planned Ukrainian attack on Russian vessels in the Crimean port of Sevastopol could prompt nuclear retaliation.

After the book was published, Musk denied a shutdown, saying that there had never been coverage in Crimea to begin with. He said he had, rather, rejected a Ukrainian request to provide service ahead of Kyiv’s planned attack. Isaacson later conceded his account was flawed. A spokesperson at Isaacson’s publisher declined to comment or make him available for an interview.
SpaceX also said in 2023 that it had taken unspecified steps to prevent Ukraine from using Starlink for certain activities, including drone attacks. “Our intent was never to have them use it for offensive purposes,” Gwynne Shotwell, the company’s president, said at a conference in Washington in February of that year. “There are things that we can do, and have done” to prevent it, she added, without providing further detail.
Reuters couldn’t determine if the shutdown affecting Kherson was among the steps she was referring to. Shotwell didn’t respond to requests for comment for this article.
Following the start of the Kherson shutdown, word of an outage emerged in some media reports. At the time, it wasn’t clear to those who lost connectivity whether a technical problem, sabotage or some other factor was responsible. Early in the war, Russia had orchestrated a large cyberattack that disrupted service of another satellite operator, Western officials have said, creating suspicions around any outage and leaving a void quickly filled by Starlink. Russia has denied it conducts offensive cyberattacks.
As of April 2025, according to Ukrainian government social media posts, Kyiv has received more than 50,000 Starlink terminals. Easily transported and deployed, the pizza-box-sized devices communicate with thousands of SpaceX satellites now circling the globe. An initial batch of terminals was provided to Ukraine by SpaceX itself. Further terminals have arrived from donors including Poland, the United States and Germany.

This account of the outage, and the growing dependence on Musk by governments and militaries worldwide, is based on interviews with more than three dozen people with knowledge of SpaceX’s operations and the company’s technology. These people included current and former employees, U.S. and European military officials, and senior politicians and diplomats.
The reporting puts a spotlight on Musk’s control of services now critical to countries including the U.S., which has about $22 billion in contracts with SpaceX. Underscoring the point himself during his recent dispute with Trump, Musk threatened to decommission a SpaceX spacecraft the U.S. now relies upon to transport astronauts and critical cargo.
His threat, later retracted, unnerved attorneys at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, who felt forced to explore whether Musk’s warning could be considered a notice of contract termination, according to two people familiar with the matter. NASA didn’t respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
“There needs to be some contractual assurances” that Musk won’t cut off services to the U.S. government, said Lori Garver, a former deputy administrator of the agency. “We will need to consider how comfortable the U.S. will be at putting SpaceX in the critical path on national security.”
As countries increasingly rely on tech companies for everything from cyber defense to data storage, the question of dependence on one or a few dominant service providers will apply to other nations, too. “Governments have to think through what that means,” said Marcus Willett, former deputy head of Britain’s Government Communications Headquarters intelligence agency and now a senior adviser to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a London-based think tank.

“WE NEED ASSURANCES”

SpaceX is the first company to establish an extensive network of communication satellites in low-Earth orbit, a region of space that is closer to the planet than areas where such satellites historically reside. The proximity of satellites that now make up the company’s constellation allows Starlink to offer space-based wireless connectivity that is faster than any previously available.
Starlink on Thursday suffered a rare global outage of several hours, the company said, because of an internal software problem. A Ukrainian military commander in a social media post said “Starlink is down across the entire front,” updating the post two and a half hours later to say connectivity had returned.
With more than 7,900 satellites now in orbit, SpaceX has become the world’s largest satellite operator. Its devices, which relay signals among each other to create a network that communicates with the ground, account for about two-thirds of all active satellites in space, according to Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian.
Starlink began rolling out service in 2020 and now has more than six million customers in over 140 countries, territories and markets, according to a June Starlink social media post. Novaspace, a consulting firm near Paris, estimates that Starlink in 2025 will generate about $9.8 billion in revenue for SpaceX, or about 60% of the company’s income. SpaceX is privately held and doesn’t disclose financial information, but Musk recently said he expects the rocket company to post revenues of about $15.5 billion this year.

Rivals are scrambling to get in on the market.
OneWeb, a European service owned by Eutelsat, a French company, is the furthest along, boasting about 650 satellites in low-Earth orbit. Amazon this year launched its first satellites for Project Kuiper, a $10 billion effort to compete. China is developing multiple networks, including a state-backed venture known as SpaceSail.
Still, Starlink has made much of its first-mover advantage. Its terminals, priced as low as a few hundred dollars for standard models, are known for being affordable and easy to use. “There is no existing system right now to replace Starlink,” said Grace Khanuja, an analyst at Novaspace, the consultancy near Paris.
Compared to the geostationary satellites historically used for communications, the sheer number of SpaceX satellites helps make Starlink less vulnerable to jamming and attacks. Its far reach makes it valuable in remote and hostile terrain – from battlefields to airspace to high seas. In Ukraine, it has facilitated activities including communications, intelligence and drone piloting.

Some Western militaries not engaged in conflict are also using the service. Britain’s armed forces, for instance, three years ago began using Starlink for “welfare purposes,” including personal communications for troops, the Ministry of Defence said in response to a freedom of information request. The ministry said it has fewer than 1,000 Starlink terminals and doesn’t employ them for sensitive military communications. Spain’s navy is also using Starlink, but only for recreation and leisure of troops, a spokesperson said.
“That will change,” said Chris Moore, a retired air vice-marshal in the British military, speaking about high-speed space-based connectivity. Moore also worked as a OneWeb executive and is now a defense industry consultant. Satellites in low-Earth orbit, he said, offer too many advantages for militaries to ignore, especially for modern developments such as drone warfare, a signature element of the Ukraine conflict.

Some leaders are leery.
In Taiwan, ever wary of conflict with China, officials have expressed concern about Musk’s extensive business interests on the mainland, including a major factory for Tesla, the electric vehicle company he controls. Eager for communications backups in the event of war, Taiwan is developing its own low-Earth orbit satellite network. Taiwanese officials have said the government could partner with Amazon’s Kuiper, too.
Spokespersons for the Taiwanese government said it welcomes international satellite providers but that Starlink hasn’t applied for a license in Taiwan. They didn’t respond to questions about Taipei’s relationship with Musk.
In Italy, the government is evaluating whether to employ Starlink for secure communications among the government, defense and other officials. But some officials, including President Sergio Mattarella, remain unconvinced by SpaceX’s assurances that its service would be secure and free from meddling by Musk. “More than Musk’s word, we need assurances that we can’t be shut down, and especially that he can’t access the data,” said a person familiar with the views of the president, who is an influential figure with the armed forces.

Poland, a major donor to Ukraine, told Reuters it employs Starlink as well as other military and commercial satellite systems. A mix of providers, Polish officials have said, offers the most security, even if at high cost.
“In peacetime, you want the best product at the best price,” Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said in response to a question from Reuters at a press conference in April. “In wartime, you want redundancy. You want security. You want duplicated systems, so that if one fails, you can still use the other.”

“THERE WAS NOT A CONNECTION”

Even before the conflict began, documents reviewed by Reuters show, SpaceX had already been in discussions with the U.S. government about providing Starlink in Ukraine. Rollout began after Russian troops crossed the border on February 24, 2022.
Two days later, Mykhailo Fedorov, a deputy prime minister in Ukraine, requested Musk’s help. “We ask you to provide Ukraine with Starlink stations,” he wrote on Twitter.
Musk responded in 10 hours. “Starlink service is now active in Ukraine,” he tweeted. “More terminals en route.”

Poland was also instrumental in the early days of the war, shipping thousands of terminals to Ukraine shortly after the invasion. Warsaw this year said it has purchased about 25,000 Starlink terminals for the effort – roughly half the total now in Ukraine – and that it is paying the subscription costs to keep them connected. So far, it has spent about $89 million on Starlink for Ukraine.
The equipment has made a critical difference for Ukraine.
Day-to-day bureaucracy has also benefited. Early in the conflict, Ukraine stored state data in the cloud and relied on Starlink to access it, helping keep some government operations running. “We wouldn’t be anywhere without Starlink,” said Vadym Prystaiko, Ukraine’s ambassador to Britain until 2023. “The whole state was preserved.”
On the battlefield, Ukraine quickly deployed Starlink to enable front-line troops to communicate with commanders. The service also allowed drone operators to transmit surveillance video streams and locate and attack Russian targets. Reuters couldn’t establish just when such attacks may have become a concern for Musk or SpaceX.

By September 2022, a major Ukrainian counteroffensive was underway. Kyiv’s forces were pushing back into territories, including Kherson, that Russia had captured. The drive threatened Russian supply lines, prompting Moscow to threaten the West, including oblique references to Starlink.
That month, in a statement to the United Nations, Russia noted the use of “elements of civilian, including commercial, infrastructure in outer space for military purposes.” It warned that “quasi-civilian infrastructure may become a legitimate target for retaliation.”
It isn’t clear whether Russia has tried to attack any Starlink facilities. Musk has said, however, that Moscow has repeatedly sought to block its connectivity. “SpaceX is spending significant resources combating Russian jamming efforts,” Musk wrote on X last year. “This is a tough problem.”
The Kremlin declined to comment on whether it has sought to interfere with Starlink. The Ministry of Defence didn’t respond to a request for comment. Starlink isn’t licensed for either civilian or military use in Russia.
As Ukraine’s counterattack intensified, Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 21, 2022, ordered a partial mobilization of reservists, Russia’s first since World War II. He also threatened to use nuclear weapons if Russia’s own “territorial integrity” were at risk.
Around this time, Musk engaged in weeks of backchannel conversations with senior officials in the administration of President Joe Biden, according to three former U.S. government officials and one of the people familiar with Musk’s order to stop service. During those conversations, the former White House staffer told Reuters, U.S. intelligence and security officials expressed concern that Putin could follow through on his threats. Musk, this person added, worried too, and asked U.S. officials if they knew where and how Ukraine used Starlink on the battlefield.
Soon after, he ordered the shutdown.
Reuters couldn’t ascertain the full geographic extent of the outage, but the three people familiar with the stoppage said that it covered regions that had recently been taken by Russia. Starlink coverage prior to the order, they said, had been active up to what had been Ukraine’s border with Russia before the full-scale invasion.
Taras Tymochko, a Ukrainian military signals specialist stationed in the Kherson region at the time, said an outage disrupted communications for troops, including colleagues on the front, for several hours. “If you were using Starlink to provide surveillance of the front line, you pretty much would be blind,” said Tymochko, who is now a consultant to Come Back Alive, a non-governmental organization that procures military equipment for Ukraine’s armed forces.

Maryna Tsirkun, a drone expert at Aerorozvidka, an aerial reconnaissance organization that works closely with the Ukrainian military, was also in southern Ukraine at the time. Starlink signals failed as Ukrainian troops began to push toward terrain seized by Russia, she told Reuters. “When we started to proceed there was not a connection,” she said. The outage she and colleagues experienced lasted several days.
On October 3, Musk angered Zelenskiy and other Ukrainian officials by tweeting a suggestion that locals in regions annexed by Russia vote on whether they should remain a part of Ukraine. A day later, Musk tweeted his concern about the conflict spiraling. “I still very much support Ukraine,” he tweeted, “but am convinced that massive escalation of the war will cause great harm to Ukraine and possibly the world.”
Three days later, following one media report about a Starlink outage, Musk tweeted that “what’s happening on the battlefield, that’s classified.” He added that SpaceX by the end of 2022 was on track to spend $100 million on Ukraine. Although the Polish and U.S. governments by then had begun donations of their own, the billionaire complained about the cost of the equipment and services SpaceX was providing.
SpaceX “cannot fund the existing system indefinitely,” Musk wrote in a mid-October post. The next day, in another tweet, he reversed course. “To hell with it,” he wrote, “we’ll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free.”
After the outage, Kyiv worked to charm Musk.
In November 2022, Fedorov, the government minister, publicly expressed trust in the service. Months later – just after Shotwell, the SpaceX president, said the company had taken steps to prevent Ukraine from using Starlink for drone attacks – Fedorov in an interview with a Ukrainian news site recognized Starlink’s ability to “geofence” coverage, selectively limiting signals in some areas.
By February 2023, however, Starlink was fully functional in Ukraine, he said. “All the Starlink terminals in Ukraine work properly,” Fedorov told Ukrainska Pravda, the news site. Fedorov, who recently assumed the title of first deputy prime minister, didn’t respond to a request for comment about Ukraine’s use of Starlink in the war.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/investigations/musk-ordered-shutdown-starlink-satellite-service-ukraine-retook-territory-russia-2025-07-25/

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is preparing to send $608 million to states to construct immigrant detention centers as part of the Trump administration’s push to expand capacity to hold migrants.
FEMA is starting a “detention support grant program” to cover the cost of states building temporary facilities, according to an agency announcement. States have until August 8 to apply for the funds, according to the post.

The Trump administration has been encouraging states to build their own facilities to detain migrants. This program provides a way for the administration to help states pay for it.
The funds will be distributed by FEMA in partnership with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, according to the post.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, said on Friday morning the state would apply for FEMA reimbursement to pay for its new immigrant detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz.” DHS officials said this summer the facility will cost an estimated $450 million annually.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-states-get-608-million-fema-build-migrant-detention-centers-2025-07-25/

In early July, the top official at the U.S. embassy in South Africa reached out to Washington asking for clarification on a contentious U.S. policy: could non-whites apply for a refugee program geared toward white South Africans if they met other requirements?
President Donald Trump’s February executive order establishing the program specified that it was for “Afrikaners in South Africa who are victims of unjust racial discrimination,” referring to an ethnic group descended mostly from Dutch settlers.

In a diplomatic cable sent July 8, embassy Charge d’Affairs David Greene asked whether the embassy could process claims from other minority groups claiming race-based discrimination such as “coloured” South Africans who speak Afrikaans. In South Africa the term coloured refers to mixed-raced people, a classification created by the apartheid regime still in use today.
The answer came back days later in an email from Spencer Chretien, the highest-ranking official in the State Department’s refugee and migration bureau, saying the program is intended for white people.
Reuters was unable to independently verify the precise language in the email which was described to the news agency by three sources familiar with its contents.

The State Department, responding to a request for comment on July 18, did not specifically comment on the email or the cable but described the scope of the policy as wider than the guidance in Chretien’s email.
The department said U.S. policy is to consider both Afrikaners and other racial minorities for resettlement, echoing guidance posted on its website in May saying that applicants “must be of Afrikaner ethnicity or be a member of a racial minority in South Africa.”
Chretien declined to comment through a State Department spokesperson. Greene did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.
The internal back-and-forth between the embassy and the State Department – which hasn’t been previously reported – illustrates the confusion in how to implement a policy designed to help white Afrikaners in a racially diverse country that includes mixed-race people who speak Afrikaans, as well as whites who speak English.

So far the State Department has resettled 88 South Africans under the program, including the initial group of 59 who arrived in May. Another 15 are expected to arrive by the end of August, one of the sources said.
Trump, a Republican who recaptured the White House pledging a wide-ranging immigration crackdown, placed an indefinite freeze on refugee admissions from around the world after taking office, saying the U.S. would only admit refugees who “can fully and appropriately assimilate.”
Weeks later, he issued an executive order that called for the U.S. to resettle Afrikaners, describing them as victims of “violence against racially disfavored landowners,” allegations that echoed far-right claims but which have been contested by South Africa’s government.
Since the executive order, U.S. diplomats working to implement the program have been deliberating internally about which racial groups could be considered eligible, one of the sources said.

In the July 8 cable, Greene laid out a summary of the different ethnic and racial groups in the country before seeking guidance on eligibility. In addition to Afrikaners and mixed-race South Africans, Greene mentioned indigenous South Africans known as the Khoisan people.
He said that members of the Jewish community had also expressed interest, but that in South Africa they are considered a religious minority and not a racial group.
“In the absence of other guidance, [the U.S. embassy] intends to give consideration to well-founded claims of persecution based on race for other racial minorities,” Greene wrote.
At least one family identified as coloured has already traveled to the U.S. as refugees, two people familiar with the matter said.
The cable forced the administration to clarify its position on whether the policy is for whites only, and if it does include other aggrieved minorities, who would qualify, two of the people familiar with the matter said.
Chretien, a conservative who wrote op-eds promoting the Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025” plan to overhaul the federal government, is the senior official at the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.
During the apartheid era, which ended with the first democratic elections in 1994, South Africa maintained a racially segregated society with separate schools, neighborhoods and public facilities for people classified as Black, coloured, white or Asian.
Blacks make up 81% of South Africa’s population, according to 2022 census data. Coloured South Africans make up 8%, and Indians 3%. Afrikaners and other white South Africans constitute 7% of the population but own three-quarters of the privately held land in the country.
When asked about the program in May, Trump said he was not giving Afrikaners preferential treatment because they are white.
“They happen to be white, but whether they are white or Black makes no difference to me,” he said.
In response to a request for comment, a White House official said the administration’s policy reflected Trump’s executive order.
“We will prioritize refugee admissions for South African citizens, including Afrikaners and other racial minorities in South Africa, who have been targeted by the discriminatory laws of the South African government,” the official said.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/us-diplomats-asked-if-non-whites-qualify-trump-refugee-program-south-africans-2025-07-25/

“Cambodia asked for an immediate ceasefire – unconditionally – and we also call for the peaceful solution of the dispute,” said Phnom Penh’s UN ambassador.

Thailand and Cambodia clashed for a third day on Saturday (Jul 26), as the death toll from their bloodiest fighting in years rose to 33.

A long-running border dispute erupted into intense conflict involving jets, artillery, tanks and ground troops on Thursday, prompting the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis on Friday.

After the closed meeting in New York, Cambodia’s UN ambassador Chhea Keo said his country wanted a ceasefire.

“Cambodia asked for an immediate ceasefire – unconditionally – and we also call for the peaceful solution of the dispute,” Keo told reporters.

Both sides blamed each other for starting the latest clashes.

In its statement to the UN Security Council, Cambodia accused Thailand of attacking areas of historical and cultural significance, including the Preah Vihear temple – something Bangkok has denied.

The UNESCO-recognised temple has been at the heart of a long dispute between Cambodia and Thailand.

“This flagrant act of aggression has dangerously escalated an already volatile situation and poses a serious threat to regional peace and security,” Keo said in his statement.

According to Cambodia’s defence ministry on Saturday, 13 people were now confirmed killed in the fighting – eight civilians and five soldiers – with 71 people wounded.

In Thailand, the army said five soldiers were killed on Friday, taking the toll there to 20 – 14 civilians and six military.

The death toll across the two countries is now higher than the 28 killed in the last major round of fighting between 2008 and 2011.

Both sides reported a clash around 5am on Saturday, with Cambodia accusing Thai forces of firing “five heavy artillery shells” into locations in Pursat province, which borders Thailand’s Trat province.

THAI ACTIONS NOT SELF-DEFENCE: CAMBODIA

The fighting marks a dramatic escalation in a long-running dispute between the neighbours over their shared 800km frontier.

A UN court ruling in 2013 settled the matter for over a decade, but the current crisis erupted in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a new clash.

Cambodia fired rockets and shells into Thailand on Thursday, and the Thais scrambled F-16 jets to hit military targets across the border. Cambodia has also accused Thai forces of using cluster munitions.

“The deployment of F-16 fighter jets, tanks and the extensive use of cluster munitions and heavy artillery are manifestations of the invasion and aggression,” Cambodia’s UN ambassador said.

“This is clearly not self-defence, as claimed by Thailand.”

Responding to accusations that Cambodia attacked Thailand first, Keo asked how a small country with no air force could attack a much larger country with an army three times its size, saying: “We do not do that.”

DIALOGUE, NOT VIOLENCE: THAILAND

In its statement at the UN, Thailand’s ambassador Cherdchai Chairvaivid said dialogue, not violence, must prevail.

He said that in response to the “unprovoked firing” by Cambodian troops, Thai forces were “compelled to take proportionate and appropriate measures in self-defence, consistent with international law’.

Thailand had accused Cambodia of targeting civilian infrastructure, including a hospital hit by shells and a petrol station hit by at least one rocket.

Cherdchai added that in responding to Cambodia’s actions, Thailand had made “every effort” to avoid civilian harm.

Cluster munitions were “used exclusively to target military objectives”, he said.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/thailand-cambodia-clashes-ceasefire-talks-5259536

Sweden’s historical business transactions with North Korea, particularly a 1974 order for 1,000 Volvo 144 models and equipment worth $73 million, continue to intrigue. North Korea has failed to pay for this order for 52 years, leading to a total debt of approximately $330 million due to accumulating interest.

In a world where the West continues to have a complicated relationship with North Korea, Sweden’s “business dealings” with Pyongyang over 50 years ago continues to spark people’s interest. This strange transaction – order for 1,000 Volvo 144 models and other mechanical equipment worth $73 million – involves debt that has been unpaid for 52 years and continues to grow with interest.
The “huge trade contracts” took place in 1974, when the North Korean regime placed an order for 1,000 Volvo 144 models and other mechanical equipment worth $73 million with Swedish companies. Back then Swedish businesses considered North Korea as a promising new market as the country was rebuilding its economy afteer the Korean war.
“At the time, [North Korea] wasn’t doing so badly,” Jonathan D. Pollack, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, told the NPR. “After the Korean War, their economy was rebuilt, it became a functioning industrial state, still very aid-dependent — but it wouldn’t have seemed like such a bad bet, under the circumstances.”

Pyongyang, however, never paid for the order. In the past 5 decades, the total with interest has increased to approximately $330 million.
The incident, which was reported in 2016, keeps appearing up on the internet, along with images of the cars, sparking people’s interest in this strange transaction.
Here is a tweet from the Swedish Embassy that was posted in 2016.

According to reports, North Korea still uses these cars, and most of the time for special purposes.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/viral/how-north-korea-ordered-1000-volvo-cars-from-sweden-and-never-paid-throwback-viral-story-article-152348517

Pakistan’s foreign minister Ishaq Dar claimed linking TRF to Lashkar is incorrect and emphasised that Pakistan has dismantled the group years ago.

Pakistan’s foreign minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar defended Islamabad’s stance on the proscribed terror group The Resistance Front, shortly after the United States listed the outfit as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO). The Resistance Front – which India and the United States believe is an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba – claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.

“It is obviously a sovereign decision of the United States to designate the TRF. We have no issue. And we welcome, if they have any evidence, that they are involved,” said Dar at an event in Washington DC. Dar met US secretary of state Marco Rubio earlier on Friday.

“Linking the TRF to the Lashkar-e-Taiba is wrong. That outfit was dismantled years ago by Pakistan. The actors were prosecuted, arrested and jailed, and the entire outfit was destroyed,” said Dar, repeating a claim often made by Pakistan’s government.

Earlier, Dar told Pakistan’s Parliament that Islamabad had blocked mention of the TRF in a UN Security Council Resolution which condemned the Pahalgam attacks.

“We opposed the mention of TRF in the UNSC statement. I got calls from global capitals, but Pakistan will not accept. TRF was deleted, and Pakistan prevailed,” said Dar in April.

Dar added at the time that Pakistan would require further proof about the TRF’s activities.

Dar defended that stance in response to a query from HT at a public event on Friday. Pakistan’s foreign minister said no evidence was available at the time against the TRF to justify its inclusion in a UNSC statement.

India declared TRF a terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in January 2023. The South Asia Terrorism Portal indicates that TRF emerged in 2019 via social media announcements, and since then, it has taken responsibility for several attacks across Jammu and Kashmir, including a grenade attack in Srinagar, injuring seven civilians and targeted killings in 2021.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pakistan-has-no-objection-to-america-listing-trf-as-terror-group-foreign-minister-ishaq-dar-101753492078515.html 

HULK Hogan’s wife is set to inherit nearly a third of his vast fortune at least in the wake of his death, possibly creating a major rift with his ex-wives and estranged daughter.

Hogan and his third wife, Sky Daily, 49, have only been married for two years, but Florida law guarantees her 30% of his estate, whether or not he updated his will or trust before his sudden death on Thursday at 71.

In addition to investments and cash accounts, Hogan owned an $11.5 million mansion in Clearwater, Florida and multiple businesses, and he set up a revocable trust and a personal trust before he died, The U.S. Sun has learned.

Florida estate expert and paralegal, June Frederiksen, at the Schofner Law Firm, explained that the WWE wrestler, movie star, and local business owner likely had “very in-depth estate planning.”

“You set up a trust to protect your assets, so you run everything through the trust,” the expert explained.

The trust is meant to avoid his estate ending up in court, having to figure out where assets need to go and if creditors can collect from it.

But whether or not his new wife, Sky, was included in his trusts, she still stands to inherit a large portion of his wealth.

“He married Sky two years ago, so he probably updated the trust so she would get a spousal elective share,” Fredricksen said.

“Even if Sky was left out of his estate and he didn’t update his trust since they married, she would still get a spousal elective share, which she is entitled to 30% in Florida.”

June said someone in the trusts will be named the trustee and they will do whatever the trusts direct for the distribution of Hulk’s assets.

Things can get dicey, however, if his trusts weren’t fully up to date.

For example, if there were assets that were not rolled into his trusts, or importantly, if someone contests what is directed in the trusts, there may not be a way to avoid estate court.

What’s more, Fredricksen said, if his estate battle does end up in court, then the assets become “susceptible to creditors, and I’m sure he had some creditors.”

Hulk had notoriously fallen out with his daughter Brooke Hogan.

The two have been estranged for several years, and the WWE star never met his twin grandchildren, Oliver and Molly Gene, who were born in January of this year.

“If Brooke is left out of the will, she can contest it,” and the battle would wind up in probate court, the legal expert explained.

INSIDE HULK’S FORTUNE

Hulk’s estimated net worth is $25 million, according to Celebrity Networth.

As The U.S. Sun exclusively revealed, Hulk owns a massive Clearwater property worth about $11.5 million.

He owned several businesses in Florida, with Hogan’s Beach Shop in 2013 which is still going strong, as well as the restaurant Hogan’s Hangout, which is also still open, in Clearwater Beach.

The wrestler also owned Real American Beer, which launched last year.

Hulk has also appeared in a slew of movies beyond his legendary run with the WWE.

SKY’S HEARTBREAKING TRIBUTE

Sky Hogan shared an emotional statement following the sudden passing of her husband on Thursday.

In her Instagram post, she expressed her devastation and reflected on his health struggles.

“My heart is in pieces,” she began. “I wasn’t ready for this. He had been dealing with some health issues, but I truly believed we would overcome them. I had so much faith in his strength. I thought we still had more time.”

She continued, “This loss is sudden and impossible to process. To the world, he was a legend… but to me, he was my Terry. The man I loved. My partner. My heart.”

HULK HOGAN’S FINAL DAYS

Hogan had been battling significant health challenges in the months leading up to his death.

He underwent neck surgery in May, which required a return to the hospital in June after complications.

By mid-year, reports surfaced claiming Hogan was unable to feel his legs or walk without the aid of a cane, with some rumors suggesting he was on his deathbed.

However, these claims were denied or downplayed by those close to him.

On Thursday morning, Hogan suffered cardiac arrest at his $11.5 million mansion in Clearwater, Florida.

Paramedics arrived following a frantic 911 call and spent 30 minutes attempting to revive him.

He was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

HULK’S FAMILY

Hogan was married twice before meeting Sky.

His first marriage was to Linda Claridge, with whom he shared two children: Brooke, 35, and Nick, 32.

The family starred in the reality series Hogan Knows Best, which aired from 2005 to 2007.

Hogan and Claridge were married for 26 years before divorcing in 2009.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/sport/14824590/hulk-hogan-will-family-feud-new-wife-sky-fortune/

Gunmen attacked a vehicle with people returning from a weekly market in the Bokkos area, killing 14. Residents have called for increased security in rural areas.

Unidentified gunmen killed 14 people in a vehicle that was returning from a weekly market in Bokkos, central Nigeria. The attack happened at around midday on Thursday, and the victims include women and children, according to local residents and a Red Cross official, who spoke to AFP.

Farmasum Fuddang, chair of the Bokkos cultural development forum, said attackers had intercepted the vehicle and opened fire.

“Victims included women and little babies,” Fuddang said in a statement.

Nurudeen Hussaini Magaji, a Red Cross official, confirmed the death toll on Friday morning. “Amongst the dead were males, females and children,” he said.

Locals call for more security in Plateau state

The area in central Plateau state has seen an increase in violent conflicts over the years. Land in the rural area, used by farmers and herders, is limited and has been the center of deadly competition by armed gangs.

The government’s presence in the area is sparse, and conflicts have killed hundreds of people in recent years. Following Thursday’s attack, there were calls for stronger security.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/nigeria-gunmen-kill-14-returning-from-weekly-market/a-73419530

The leaders of the UK, France and Germany have jointly urged Israel to allow full humanitarian access to Gaza, urging an immediate ceasefire. Earlier, Paris said it plans to recognize Palestinian statehood.

The United States lifted sanctions designations on several allies of Myanmar’s ruling generals on Thursday, two weeks after the head of the ruling junta praised President Donald Trump and called for an easing of sanctions in a letter responding to a tariff warning.
Human Rights Watch called the move “extremely worrying” and said it suggested a major shift was underway in U.S. policy towards Myanmar’s military, which overthrew a democratically elected government in 2021 and has been implicated in crimes against humanity and genocide.

A notice from the U.S. Treasury Department said KT Services & Logistics and its founder, Jonathan Myo Kyaw Thaung; the MCM Group and its owner Aung Hlaing Oo; and Suntac Technologies and its owner Sit Taing Aung; and another individual, Tin Latt Min, were being removed from the U.S. sanctions list.
KT Services & Logistics and Jonathan Myo Kyaw Thaung were added to the sanctions list in January 2022 under the Biden administration in a step timed to mark the first anniversary of the military seizure of power in Myanmar that plunged the country into chaos.
Sit Taing Aung and Aung Hlaing Oo were placed on the sanctions list the same year for operating in Myanmar’s defence sector. Tin Latt Min, identified as another close associate of the military rulers, was placed on the list in 2024 to mark the third anniversary of the coup.

The Treasury Department did not explain the reason for the move, and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On July 11, Myanmar’s ruling military general, Min Aung Hlaing, asked Trump in a letter for a reduction in the 40% tariff rate on his country’s exports to the U.S. and said he was ready to send a negotiating team to Washington if needed.
“The senior general acknowledged the president’s strong leadership in guiding his country towards national prosperity with the spirit of a true patriot,” state media said at the time.
In his response to a letter from Trump notifying Myanmar of the tariff to take effect on August 1, Min Aung Hlaing proposed a reduced rate of 10% to 20%, with Myanmar slashing its levy on U.S. imports to a range of zero to 10%.
Min Aung Hlaing also asked Trump “to reconsider easing and lifting the economic sanctions imposed on Myanmar, as they hinder the shared interests and prosperity of both countries and their peoples.”

Myanmar is one of the world’s main sources of sought-after rare earth minerals used in high-tech defense and consumer applications. Securing supplies of the minerals is a major focus for the Trump administration in its strategic competition with China, which is responsible for 90% of rare earth processing capacity.
Most of Myanmar’s rare earth mines are in areas controlled by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), an ethnic group fighting the junta, and are processed in China.
John Sifton, Asia advocacy director of Human Rights Watch, called the U.S. move “shocking” and its motivation unclear.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/us-lifts-sanctions-myanmar-junta-allies-after-general-praises-trump-2025-07-25/

The United States will sell “so much” beef to Australia, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday after Canberra relaxed import restrictions, adding that other countries that refused U.S. beef products were on notice.
Australia on Thursday said it would loosen biosecurity rules for U.S. beef, something analysts predicted would not significantly increase U.S. shipments because Australia is a major beef producer and exporter whose prices are much lower.

“We are going to sell so much to Australia because this is undeniable and irrefutable Proof that U.S. Beef is the Safest and Best in the entire World,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
“The other Countries that refuse our magnificent Beef are ON NOTICE,” the post continued.
Trump has attempted to renegotiate trade deals with numerous countries he says have taken advantage of the United States – a characterisation many economists dispute.
“For decades, Australia imposed unjustified barriers on U.S. beef,” U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement, calling Australia’s decision a “major milestone in lowering trade barriers and securing market access for U.S. farmers and ranchers.”

Australia is not a significant importer of beef but the United States is and a production slump is forcing it to step up purchases.
Last year, Australia shipped almost 400,000 metric tons of beef worth $2.9 billion to the United States, with just 269 tons of U.S. product moving the other way.
Australian officials say the relaxation of restrictions was not part of any trade negotiations but the result of a years-long assessment of U.S. biosecurity practices.
Canberra has restricted U.S. beef imports since 2003 due to concerns about bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease. Since 2019, it has allowed in meat from animals born, raised and slaughtered in the U.S. but few suppliers were able to prove that their cattle had not been in Canada and Mexico.
On Wednesday, Australia’s agriculture ministry said U.S. cattle traceability and control systems had improved enough that Australia could accept beef from cattle born in Canada or Mexico and slaughtered in the United States.

The decision has caused some concern in Australia, where biosecurity is seen as essential to prevent diseases and pests from ravaging the farm sector.
“We need to know if (the government) is sacrificing our high biosecurity standards just so Prime Minister Anthony Albanese can obtain a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump,” shadow agriculture minister David Littleproud said in a statement.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/trump-says-us-will-sell-so-much-beef-australia-2025-07-25/

The recent truce between the Congolese government and the M23 rebel group — along with an earlier DRC-Rwanda peace deal — was expected to usher in new era of regional stability. Yet even the signatories show little hope.

The US, UN and the African Union (AU) were among the first to welcome the July 19 truce between the Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 rebel group which had been championed by the US and Qatar.

The Doha Declaration of Principles , building on a peace deal Congo and Rwanda signed in Washington on June 27, was meant to serve as another “meaningful step toward advancing lasting peace and stability in the Great Lakes region,” according to the US Department of State.

Rwanda’s willingness to sign, and its passive observation of, the Doha agreement was seen as tacit admittance to its role in the long-standing conflict, although Kigali continues to deny its support of the M23.

Is the DRC a no-go zone?

Just one day after the signing in Doha, the US updated its security advisory for Congo and especially its capital, Kinshasa, advising US nationals in the country to “exercise increased awareness, avoid large gatherings, and monitor local news and security updates.”

The list of recommended actions include the provision of “enough food and water should you need to stay home for several days” and having “essential items (clothing, medications, travel documents) packed in a bag that you can carry.”

The advisory resembles the kind of advice US authorities issue residents to prepare for major natural disasters.

Reagan Miviri, a conflict analyst and lawyer working with the Congo Research Group in Kinshasa — an independent, nonprofit research project — understands the importance of the US State Department’s latest travel advisory.

“The crisis in eastern Congo is also visible in Kinshasa in some ways,” she told DW. “Actors in the US [who] are worried about what could happen in Kinshasa … probably know much more than we do, so perhaps they have other information we don’t have.”

According to Lidewyde Berckmoes, an associate professor and senior researcher at the African Studies Center Leiden in the Netherlands, many parts of Congo still actively remain under the control of the M23, which is unlikely to change despite this deal.

“This region has seen many violent rebel movements, who have been there since the 1990s. There are many places where there’s a lot of tension, and where authority is contested,” Berkmoes, whose work is focused on Africa’s Great Lakes region, told DW.

M23 expansion course continues

On the ground, the reality of a state of war effectively continues to dictate daily lives in various parts of the country — especially eastern Congo’s North and South Kivu provinces. Mere days after the DRC-M23 truce was signed, fresh reports of M23 rebels seizing new ground surfaced.

According to UN-backed Radio Okapi in Congo, at least 19 civilians were killed by M23 fighters as part of that expansion, in particular around the village of Bukera.

This latest escalation is in clear breach of the Doha ceasefire deal, which calls on all sides in the conflict to stop efforts to expand their territorial gains — among various other stipulations.

A truce with an ambiguous message

Human rights activist Philemon Ruzinge believes the Doha deal will ultimately be of little consequence, despite whatever concessions Kinshasa may make to keep the peace.

“The agreement of principles is supposed to be … so important towards a lasting peace agreement,” he told DW, adding that the ongoing actions of M23 rebels leave little hope for it to work in the long run.

According to Ruzinge, M23 leaders feel they can continue to enjoy free reign over northeastern Congo on account of the text of the agreement “containing no withdrawal clause” and deliberately being worded in an ambiguous manner.

This view was only further solidified by the M23 itself, whose delegation leader at the signing in Doha, Benjamin Mbonimpa, reiterated that the group “will not retreat, not even by one meter.”

“We will stay where we are,” Mbonimpa said.

Rebels trying to leverage political control

Researcher Berckmoes believes Mbonimpa’s attitude is indicative of the overall M23 position. “I don’t think M23 will let themselves be sidelined. Rather, I expect that they are looking for ways to have an important say as part of the government.”

Conflict analyst Miviri agrees, pointing out that “M23 are saying that they are not leaving.” She added that this should be taken at face value. “M23 will do whatever it pleases.”

That view is also shared by people in North Kivu province. Complaints by civil society groups about a lack of government intervention are mounting. In the province’s beleaguered capital, Goma, democracy activist Justin Murutsi told DW: “The state has a security mandate for the population. But when there are killings like this and no word from the state, it shows that there’s a serious institutional vacuum.”

“The signing of the Declaration of Principles gives us a little hope, because it clearly shows that the government has accepted the rebels’ demands and conditions,” said Julien, a resident of the city who believes M23 will remain in control of large parts of the region.

Skepticism seems to outweigh hope

Political scientist Christian Moleka in Kinshasa wonders whether the parties the conflict are interested in peace. “Do the various parties even have the will to achieve lasting peace?” he told DW. “Are the follow-up mechanisms really going to work better than in the past, to support the full implementation of these various provisions?”

Berckmoes had similar reservations, stressing there has been “series of agreements in the past, which have not been upheld.” She added that for a sustainable peace plan to succeed, various parties and factions all have to be included in all negotiations — not just M23 but “all 160 groups” vying for control. To that end, Berckmoes believes “there’s still a long way to go.”

Miviri took an even more sober stance: “Before speaking of a lasting peace agreement, it just has to first happen. And I’m not seeing it happen, even now.”

Amid skepticism, criticism and the surge in violence since the Doha signing, there have also been a few hopeful voices — among them, the US senior adviser for Africa, Massad Boulos.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/dr-congo-little-hope-for-robust-truce-with-m23-rebel-group/a-73395388

The initial bill, which Ukraine’s parliament passed on Wednesday, would have given the government more oversight of anti-corruption bodies. Zelenskyy reversed course after protests and backlash from the European Union.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced he would send a new anti-corruption bill to Parliament on Thursday after a previous attempt sparked protests at home, and condemnation from the European Union.

The previous iteration of the bill gave the government more powers to focus on the work of anti-corruption watchdogs.

What did Zelenskyy say about the new text of the bill?

“I have just approved the text of a draft law that guarantees real strengthening of the rule of law in Ukraine, independence of anti-corruption bodies and reliable protection of the rule of law from any Russian influence or interference,” Zelenskyy posted on X, vowing to send the new bill to parliament on Thursday.

“It is important that we respect the position of all Ukrainians and are grateful to everyone who stands with Ukraine,” he added.

What was the reaction from Ukrainians to the earlier legislation?

The move from the Ukrainian president to remove the independence of two anti-corruption bodies earlier in the week had sparked nationwide protests — the country’s first large-scale unrest since Russia’s full scale invasion began in February 2022 — and criticism from the European Union.

Thousands took to the streets across Ukraine this week to protest against the Ukrainian government amid the scandal.

Protesters highlighted what they saw as a “return” to the era of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, who was forced to flee to Russia during the Euromaidan Revolution in 2014.

The EU has been a key supporter of Kyiv since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but Brussels has also said reforms are essential for closer European integration.

How did the controversy impact EU-Ukraine ties?

Tackling corruption is crucial for Ukraine’s ambitions to join the EU while also acquiring billions of dollars in Western aid as it continues to fend off Russia’s invasion.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos expressed concern on Wednesday over the earlier legislation, describing it as “a serious step back.”

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/ukraine-zelenskyy-backs-new-anti-graft-bill-after-backlash/a-73400802

Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai warned Friday (Jul 25) that cross-border clashes with Cambodia that have uprooted more than 130,000 people “could develop into war”, as the countries traded deadly strikes for a second day.

A long-running border dispute erupted into intense fighting with jets, artillery, tanks and ground troops on Thursday, and the United Nations Security Council is set to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis later Friday.

A steady thump of artillery strikes could be heard from the Cambodian side of the border, where the province of Oddar Meanchey reported one civilian – a 70-year-old man – had been killed and five more wounded.

More than 138,000 people have been evacuated from Thailand’s border regions, its health ministry said, reporting 15 fatalities – 14 civilians and a soldier – with a further 46 wounded, including 15 troops.

“We have tried to compromise as we are neighbours, but we have now instructed the Thai military to act immediately in case of urgency,” said Wechayachai.

“If the situation escalates, it could develop into war, though for now, it remains limited to clashes,” he told reporters in Bangkok.

In the Cambodian town of Samraong, 20km from the border, AFP journalists saw families speeding away in vehicles with their children and belongings as gunfire erupted.

“I live very close to the border. We are scared because they began shooting again at about 6am (7am, Singapore time),” Pro Bak, 41, told AFP.

He was taking his wife and children to a Buddhist temple to seek refuge.

“I don’t know when we could return home,” he said.

AFP journalists also saw soldiers rushing to man rocket launchers and speeding off towards the frontier.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, whose country currently holds the chair of regional bloc ASEAN, said he held talks with both countries leaders on Thursday and called for a ceasefire and dialogue.

“I welcome the positive signals and willingness shown by both Bangkok and Phnom Penh to consider this path forward,” he said in a Facebook post late on Thursday.

But despite Anwar’s optimism, fighting resumed in three areas around 4am on Friday, the Thai army said.

Cambodian forces carried out bombardments with heavy weapons, field artillery, and BM-21 rocket systems, the army said, and Thai troops responded “with appropriate supporting fire”.

CALLS FOR CALM

The fighting marks a dramatic escalation in a long-running dispute between the neighbours – both popular destinations for millions of foreign tourists – over their shared 800km frontier.

Dozens of kilometres in several areas are contested and fighting broke out between 2008 and 2011, leaving at least 28 people dead and tens of thousands displaced.

A UN court ruling in 2013 settled the matter for over a decade, but the current crisis erupted in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a new clash.

Fighting on Thursday was focused on six locations, according to the Thai army, including around two ancient temples.

Ground troops backed up by tanks battled for control of territory, while Cambodia fired rockets and shells into Thailand and the Thais scrambled F-16 jets to hit military targets across the border.

Both sides blamed each other for firing first, while Thailand accused Cambodia of targeting civilian infrastructure, including a hospital hit by shells and a petrol station hit by at least one rocket.

Thursday’s clashes came hours after Thailand expelled the Cambodian ambassador and recalled its own envoy after five members of a Thai military patrol were wounded by a landmine.

Cambodia downgraded ties to “the lowest level” on Thursday, pulling out all but one of its diplomats and expelling their Thai equivalents from Phnom Penh.

At the request of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, the UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Friday to discuss the deadly clashes, diplomatic sources told AFP.

The United States urged an “immediate” end to the conflict, while Cambodia’s former colonial ruler France made a similar call.

The EU and China – a close ally of Phnom Penh – said they were “deeply concerned” about the clashes, calling for dialogue.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/thailand-cambodia-border-civilians-flee-clashes-5257761

Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale is filled with gems.

The once-a-year blowout is a one-stop shop for rarely discounted labels, including jewelry from Monica Vinader — a label beloved by everyone from princesses to pop stars.

Shop all our favorites below before they fly off the shelves — including designs similar to those we’ve spotted on Kate Middleton, Ariana Grande and Kendall Jenner. (Plus, for more can’t-miss markdowns, don’t forget to peruse our official guide to the best of the sale.)

Monica Vinader Nura Baroque Pearl Pendant Necklace

What do Kate Middleton and Ariana Grande have in common? Both own pearl pieces from Monica Vinader’s Nura collection.

Monica Vinader Tapered Small Hoop Earrings

Dakota Johnson, Nina Dobrev, Selena Gomez and more stars often wear styles from Vinader’s collaboration with celeb stylist Kate Young. While the special drop isn’t included in the sale, this design looks strikingly similar to the sculptural hoops stars love.

Monica Vinader Alta Capture Pearl Charm Bracelet

Kendall Jenner rocked a version of this luxe-looking bracelet on repeat during summer 2021.

Monica Vinader Siren Muse Huggie Hoop Earrings

In search of something a bit more budget-friendly? These classic hoops are similar to the many Monica Vinader designs stars Selena Gomez owns.

Monica Vinader Lab Grown Diamond Bezel Tennis Necklace

Another shining star of the sale? Over $700 (!) on this luxe lab grown diamond tennis necklace.

Monica Vinader Deco Paper Clip Chain Necklace

Olivia Rodrigo stacked several paperclip necklaces from the label for the 2022 Super Bowl.

Monica Vinader Large Essential Two Tone Hoop Earrings

Plenty of famous folks rock Monica Vinader’s hoops, from Bella Hadid to Zoe Saldaña. And if you can’t decide between silver and gold, why not rock both at once with this nifty $100-off pair?

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale FAQs answered

When is the 2025 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale?

This year’s sale goes live online and in-person beginning with early access on Tuesday, July 8 for Nordy Club members, and will be available to the general public Saturday, July 12 through Sunday, August 3.

How can I get early access?

Check your Nordy Club status — you may qualify for early access through one of the tiers below:

• Icon status: July 8
• Ambassador status: July 9
• Influencer status: July 10
• Everyone else: July 12

What’s on sale, and is it worth shopping?

Page Six editors — and readers alike — love to take advantage of Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale to score major discounts on luxury labels, celebrity-loved accessories, beauty sets and much more. We’re keeping an eye out for brand favorites like Frye, Madewell, Jo Malone, Tom Ford and Farm Rio. This year’s sale will see 65+ new brand names featured in the catalog, including Alice + Olivia, Florence by Mills and many more, as well as the introduction of Anniversary Big Deals — offering select products up to 50% off.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/07/24/style/save-on-monica-vinader-jewelry-at-nordstroms-anniversary-sale/

She was singing in the key of P.

Jessica Simpson has joined the pantheon of greats who’ve peed their pants on stage, we hear, after she accidentally let loose live on the “Today” show on Wednesday.

The pop singer performed a medley as part of the NBC breakfast show’s summer concert series, and she’s such a pro that viewers wouldn’t have known anything was amiss.

But Page Six hears that after the “Newlyweds” star returned backstage after her performance, she… spilled… to people in the greenroom.

Those high notes can be hazardous, it seems.

It’s pretty common, in fact. Greats including Pattie Labelle, Fergie, Joe Jonas, Ed Sheeran and Hugh Jackman have all had onstage bathroom mishaps.

Jackman, for example, once said on Rachael Ray’s show that he’d been appearing in “Beauty and the Beast” early in his career, and had been drinking a ton of water to treat headaches.

“I go down to the stage, getting ready for my first number…and I’m like I really need to go again,” he said, “[The routine is] the most cardiovascular song I’ve ever done: literally I’m picking up Belle and as I pick her up, I stopped singing and right in that moment I realized the muscles you need to release in order to sing are the ones you do not want to release if you need to go.”

Anything to make a big splash in showbusiness!

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/07/24/entertainment/jessica-simpson-peed-her-pants-live-on-the-today-show/ 

Hulk Hogan, the mustachioed, headscarf-wearing, bicep-busting icon of professional wrestling who turned the sport into a massive business and stretched his influence into TV, pop culture and conservative politics during a long and scandal-plagued second act, died Thursday in Florida at age 71.

Hogan was pronounced dead at a hospital less than 90 minutes after medics in Clearwater arrived at his home to answer a morning call about a cardiac arrest, police said.

“There were no signs of foul play or suspicious activity,” Maj. Nate Burnside told reporters.

Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, was perhaps the biggest star in WWE’s long history. He was the main draw for the first WrestleMania in 1985 and was a fixture for years, facing everyone from Andre The Giant and Randy Savage to The Rock and even WWE co-founder Vince McMahon.

But outside the the ring, Hogan also found trouble. WWE in 2015 cut ties with him for three years, even removing him from its Hall of Fame, after it was reported that he was recorded using racial slurs about Blacks. He apologized and said his words were “unacceptable.”

Hogan won at least six WWE championships and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005 and reinstated there in 2018. WWE matches are now held in professional sports stadiums, and millions of fans have watched the company’s weekly live television program, “Raw,” which debuted in January on Netflix.

“He was a trailblazer, the first performer who transitioned from being a wrestling star into a global phenomenon,” McMahon said of Hogan.

Hogan’s own brand of passion

“Hulkamania,” as the energy he created was called, started running wild in the mid-1980s and pushed professional wrestling into the mainstream. He was a flag-waving American hero with the horseshoe mustache, red and yellow gear and massive arms he called his “24-inch pythons.” Crowds were hysterical when he ripped off his T-shirt in the ring — a trademark move — revealing a tan, sculpted body.

Hogan was also a celebrity outside the wrestling world, appearing in numerous movies and television shows, including a reality show about his life on VH1, “Hogan Knows Best.”

In recent years, Hogan added his celebrity to politics. At the 2024 Republican National Convention, he merged classic WWE maneuvers with then-candidate Donald Trump’s rhetoric to passionately endorse him for president.

“Let Trumpamania run wild brother! Let Trumpamania rule again! Let Trumpamania make America great again!” Hogan shouted into the raucous crowd.

He ripped off a T-shirt emblazoned with a picture of himself on a motorcycle to reveal a bright red Trump-Vance campaign shirt underneath. Trump stood to applaud the move.

“We lost a great friend today, the “Hulkster,”” Trump said Thursday on Truth Social. “Hulk Hogan was MAGA all the way — Strong, tough, smart, but with the biggest heart.”

Hogan lately began to invest in alternatives to theatrical, professional wrestling, announcing plans in April to serve as the first commissioner for the Real American Freestyle organization, which describes itself as the “first unscripted pro wrestling” league in the world. The first event is Aug. 30 at Cleveland State University.

“The idea was so exciting that I get a chance to be involved with all these young people and help guide them in any way, especially to make them huge stars and create a future for them,” Hogan said. “People might be surprised, but wrestling is wrestling, brother.”

The league released a statement, saying it is now part of Hogan’s legacy “and we intend to honor it.”

Broken leg and a new attitude

Hogan was born in Georgia but lived much of his life in the Tampa, Florida, area. He recalled skipping school to watch wrestlers at the Sportatorium, a professional wrestling studio in Tampa.

“I had been running my mouth, telling everybody I’m going to be a wrestler, and in a small town, the word gets out,” Hogan told the Tampa Bay Times in 2021. “And so when I went down there, they were laying low for me. They exercised me till I was ready to faint.”

The result: a broken leg and a subsequent warning from his dad.

“Don’t you ever let anybody hurt you again,” Hogan recalled his father saying. “So I went back four or five months later with a whole new attitude. The rest is history.”

Hogan first became champion in what was then the World Wrestling Federation in 1984, and pro wrestling took off from there. His popularity helped lead to the creation of the annual WrestleMania event in 1985, when he teamed up with Mr. T to beat “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff in the main event.

He slammed and beat Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III in 1987, and the WWF gained momentum. His feud with the late “Macho Man” Randy Savage – perhaps his greatest rival — carried pro wrestling even further.

Hogan was a central figure in what is known as the Monday Night Wars. The WWE and World Championship Wrestling were battling for ratings supremacy in 1996. Hogan tilted things in WCW’s favor with the birth of the Hollywood Hogan character and the formation of the New World Order, a villainous stable that put WCW ahead in the ratings.

He returned to the WWE in 2002 and became a champion again. His match with The Rock at WrestleMania X8, a loss during which fans cheered for his “bad guy” character, was seen as a passing of the torch.

Hogan was perhaps as well known for his larger-than-life personality as he was his in-ring exploits. He was beloved for his “promos” — hype sessions he used to draw fans into matches. He often would play off his interviewer, “Mean” Gene Okerlund, starting his interviews off with, “Well, lemme tell ya something, Mean Gene!”

Outside the ring

He crossed over into movies and television as well. He was Thunderlips in the movie “Rocky III” in 1982.

In 2016, a Florida jury awarded Hogan $115 million in a lawsuit against Gawker Media and then added $25 million in punitive damages. Hogan sued after Gawker in 2012 obtained and posted video of him having sex with his former best friend’s wife. He said the post violated his privacy.

Hogan ended up settling the case for millions less after Gawker filed for bankruptcy.

There was other fallout. The litigation led to the discovery that Hogan had used racial slurs on the tape.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/hulk-hogan-obit-wrestling-professional-wwe-fame-cc767794b616e155079b9f374c769ad0

A former top White House official blamed ex-Attorney General Merrick Garland for the Biden administration’s failure to do a deep dive into files related to notorious pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Neera Tanden, a senior adviser to former President Joe Biden who became director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, threw Garland under the bus Wednesday when asked, “Why didn’t the Biden administration do anything” about the so-called Epstein files by “Bulwark Podcast” host Tim Miller.

“Any time I say anything about Epstein, they’re like, ‘Why didn’t Joe Biden’s — why didn’t Joe Biden release the files?’ And this is what I say: Have you met Merrick Garland?” Tanden responded.

“[T]he Joe Biden White House had nothing to do with enforcement on any topic,” she continued, charging that “because of the abuses of the Trump administration, the White House didn’t engage in any particular enforcement matter.”

“We barely did engage on policy with the Department of Justice. They were so arms-length to us.”

Tanden claimed the Biden White House had “no idea” what — if anything — Garland was doing related to the Epstein files, but that she believes the former attorney general couldn’t tolerate being potentially viewed as biased if he were to open more criminal cases related to Epstein’s underage sex trafficking endeavors.

“I can’t really tell you why Merrick Garland didn’t do it. I would say that he was hypersensitive about any perceptions of unfairness to a point where I think, you know, I’m not sure justice was always even done,” Tanden said.

“And I can imagine he thought, you know, after he’s doing [Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot cases] and all the conservative blowback on that — maybe he wouldn’t even look into Ghislaine Maxwell — but someone should ask him,” she added.

“I wish he had looked into it.”

A House Oversight panel subcommittee on Wednesday voted to subpoena Garland, a slew of other former top Justice Department officials, former President Bill Clinton and ex-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton related to a congressional investigation into Maxwell – an Epstein accomplice who was convicted of sex trafficking conspiracy charges in 2022.

Source : https://nypost.com/2025/07/24/us-news/former-top-biden-white-house-official-blames-merrick-garland-for-failure-to-look-into-the-epstein-files-he-was-hypersensitive/

France will officially recognise a Palestinian state in September, President Emmanuel Macron has said, which will make it the first G7 nation to do so.

In a post on X, Macron said the formal announcement would be made at a session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

“The urgent need today is for the war in Gaza to end and for the civilian population to be rescued. Peace is possible. We need an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and massive humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza,” he wrote.

Palestinian officials welcomed Macron’s decision, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the move “rewards terror” following Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack in Israel.

The US “strongly rejects” Macron’s announcement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, calling the decision “reckless”.

The G7 is a group of major industrialised nations, which alongside France includes the US, the UK, Italy, Germany, Canada and Japan.

In his Thursday post on X, Macron wrote: “True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognise the State of Palestine.

“We must also guarantee the demilitarisation of Hamas, and secure and rebuild Gaza.

“Finally, we must build the State of Palestine, ensure its viability, and ensure that by accepting its demilitarisation and fully recognising Israel, it contributes to the security of all in the Middle East. There is no alternative.”

Macron also attached a letter to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas confirming his decision.

Responding to Macron’s announcement, Abbas’ deputy Hussein al-Sheikh said, “This position reflects France’s commitment to international law and its support for the Palestinian people’s rights to self-determination and the establishment of our independent state”, according to the AFP news agency.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu wrote in a post on X: “We strongly condemn President Macron’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state next to Tel Aviv in the wake of the 7 October massacre.

“A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel – not to live in peace beside it. Let’s be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel,” Netanyahu added.

Hamas said France’s decision was a “positive step in the right direction” and urged all countries of the world “to follow France’s lead”.

Currently, the State of Palestine is recognised by more than 140 of the 193 member states of the UN.

A few European Union countries, including Spain and Ireland, are among them.

But Israel’s main supporter, the US, and its allies including the UK have not recognised a Palestinian state.

In a statement on Thursday, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he will hold an “emergency call” with French and German leaders on Friday to discuss “what we can do urgently to stop the killing”.

Statehood is an “inalienable right of the Palestinian people”, Sir Keir said, adding that a ceasefire would “put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution”.

Sir Keir’s statement came as he faces growing pressure, including from his own MPs, for the UK to follow France’s lead.

On Friday, a majority of MPs on the foreign affairs committee, which scrutinises UK foreign policy, called for the immediate recognition of the state of Palestine, adding it should make the move “while there is still a state to recognise”.

“An inalienable right should not be made conditional,” a committee report said.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry praised France’s decision, saying it “reaffirms the international community’s consensus on the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state”.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the attack on southern Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 59,106 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s health ministry.

Much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble since then.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg5g4p3245o

On Thursday, simmering tensions between Thailand and Cambodia exploded into a deadly battle at the border.

At least 12 Thai nationals, most of whom are civilians, have been killed, Thai authorities have said.

How many people – if any – have lost their lives on the Cambodian side is not known.

Each side is blaming each other for causing the escalation, which reportedly began with gunfire over the border.

Thailand has accused Cambodia of then firing rockets, while Bangkok carried out air strikes on Cambodian military targets.

So how did we get here – and where is it going?

LITTLE People, Big World star Matt Roloff dropped $1.4 million to build a dream home for his fiancee Caryn Chandler before their sudden split, The U.S. Sun has learned.

Matt, 63, announced his breakup with his fiancee Caryn, 58, after eight years together.

Last year, Matt completed construction on a stunning mansion on Roloff Farms that he built for his fiancee.

The U.S. Sun can exclusively reveal Matt dropped a whopping $1,461,520 on the construction.

According to public records, he spent $397,500 in 2023 and $1,064,020 in 2024 on improvements to the property.

He began building the single-family residence in 2023 and completed construction in 2024.

The home boasts three bedrooms, three bathrooms and is 3,949 square feet.

HOME SWEET HOME

Matt has provided updates on the construction over social media.

In October 2023, Matt showed off his kitchen in the house, as he installed low countertops and a sink for him to be able to reach.

He also revealed the house has a standard kitchen for his fiancee, who is not a little person.

In January 2024, Matt showed off the front of the home, as the exterior features brick, aluminum siding that resembles wood, and large windows.

“Hi everyone… soon i’ll take a bunch of new photos to show you our new house here on the farm… but in the meantime check out this amazing low maintenance siding accent we used,” he captioned the video.

The inside of the home features light hardwood floors and a stone fireplace.

The living room has wood beams on the ceiling and floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the property.

Matt and Caryn were also able to watch the gorgeous sunset on a patio as well.

The home has stone columns throughout.

Matt built Caryn a home on the farm because she didn’t want to move into the big house, which is the home he shared with his ex-wife Amy and their four children.

Caryn explained of her decision on Little People, Big World, “It’s probably not a good decision for so many reasons.

“If we were to have Thanksgiving here, you know, the kids would come in and have that baggage of Amy cooking in there and now I’m trying… it’s really just the emotions behind it.

“People can get over that stuff, but we don’t have to do that. You have options. Having this giant house, it almost feels unfair, right? It should go to a family with kids.”

SAD SPLIT

Matt met Caryn when she worked as a manager for Roloff Farms.

They began dating in 2017, years after his divorce from wife Amy, 62.

They got engaged in April 2023.

Matt announced their split earlier this week in an Instagram post that read, “Hi everyone, I have some tough news to share… Caryn and I have decided to part ways and end our engagement.

“Life’s a continued journey and this is the right step for us at this time. We remain amicable and will always appreciate the many wonderful memories we have shared.

“Your support means the world to me and I’m committed to moving forward with positivity and trust in the path ahead.”

The U.S. Sun exclusively reported Caryn was the one to end the relationship.

A source claimed to The U.S. Sun, “The family has been blindsided. They did not see this coming.

“Matt and Caryn seemed normal and happy earlier this month on the farm. Things were great.

“The split was instigated by Karen, but publicly, they are saying it was mutual after having issues for a while.

The insider added, “It’s a really difficult time for them both, and there will be a lot they have to figure out in the coming weeks and months.

“They had been talking about the wedding for so long, it was pushed back more than once, but they still hadn’t set a date.”

The pair was reportedly meant to tie the knot last May, but they were forced to postpone the plans after Matt’s mother’s health issues.

MOVING ON

Little People, Big World was canceled by TLC after 25 seasons, The U.S. Sun reported in November 2024.

The cancellation came after Matt’s son Zach and daughter-in-law Tori revealed they would not be returning to the series.

Tori said on an episode of their podcast Raising Heights, “Let’s just talk about the elephant in the room. Are we coming back to Little People, Big World?”

Zach, who had been on the show for two decades, responded, “We are not. We made that pretty clear the last cycle.”

Tori added, “But I don’t think it’s been officially announced to people like we are not coming back to Little People, Big World. We are done. That part in our lives, that chapter has closed.”

The show would be difficult to film without the stars, as the only characters who remained were Matt and Caryn, and his ex-wife Amy and her husband Chris Marek.

Matt and Amy’s other children, Jeremy, Molly, and Jacob, along with their spouses, have not appeared on recent seasons.

As for the farm, it has been on and off the market for years, sparking a family feud with Matt’s sons Zach and Jeremy, who wanted to purchase the property.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/14801366/little-people-matt-roloff-dropped-million-home-caryn-split/

A NEW front in Vladimir Putin’s bloody war erupted as Ukraine and Russia traded deadly Black Sea strikes after peace talks collapsed.

The tit-for-tat attacks were the fiercest in months and marked a chilling escalation in a war showing no signs of ending.

In the Russian resort city of Sochi – Putin’s glittering showcase to the world and personal playground – massive Ukrainian drones tore through vital infrastructure.

Explosions rocked oil depots, ignited railway warehouses, and tore apart road links in Sirius Federal Territory, where elite schools, luxury developments, and whispers of Putin’s own children echo.

In an embarrassing blow to the Kremlin, a Russian S-400 missile system misfired during the chaos, smashing into a residential block and killing at least two civilians.

One woman was among the dead, and another 11 people were wounded.

Tourists at Sochi’s five-star beachside hotels were seen cowering in underground car parks as their luxury summer breaks were shattered by war.

This was the first major Ukrainian strike on Sochi in almost two years – and the symbolism couldn’t be clearer.

The city is home to Russia’s most elite gymnastics academy run by Alina Kabaeva, Putin’s long-time secret lover.

It’s also just a stone’s throw from the palace Mad Vlad is building after razing his last one – and only a mile from the Sirius school where he once held private talks with Donald Trump.

Ukraine used Lyutyi‑196 long-range drones in the daring raid that lit up the night sky with fireballs.

The Lukoil-Yugnefteprodukt oil depot exploded in flames as local officials scrambled to control the chaos.

Sochi airport was also shut down, delaying more than 100 flights.

While Sochi burned, the heart of Odesa bled.

The historic Ukrainian port city, often described as the soul of the nation, suffered yet another hellish night under a hail of Russian drones.

A nine-storey residential building was torn apart from the fifth to eighth floors, and the city’s beloved Privoz Market – a cultural landmark since 1827 – was engulfed in flames.

Regional governor Oleh Kiper said: “There is damage to architectural monuments in the historic centre of Odesa, which is under UNESCO protection.”

Russia also launched drone strikes on Mykolaiv and a missile assault on Cherkasy, injuring seven people and a child.

Fires raged across Ukrainian industrial sites as sirens screamed through the night.

All this, just hours after peace talks in Istanbul collapsed into bitter recriminations.

Kremlin negotiator Vladimir Medinsky admitted the two sides were “quite far from each other”.

Ukraine’s Rustem Umerov demanded an immediate ceasefire and face-to-face negotiations.

He warned: “We emphasise that the ceasefire must be real.

“It must include a complete halt to strikes on civilian and critically important infrastructure.”

‘Prepping for nuclear war’

As the bloodshed on the ground escalates, Putin’s propaganda machine turns even more apocalyptic.

Leading Russian media outlets – or Kremlin mouthpieces – have begun preparing their citizens for nuclear war.

Newspapers such as Komsomolskaya Pravda ran chilling features warning that war with the West could come before the end of the decade, fuelled by what they claim is Nato aggression.

Accusing the West of wanting to “dismember” Russia to access its resources, Russian military analyst Andrei Klintsevich warned: “The aim is to provoke Russia… and launch direct confrontation.”

He called for a nuclear test in the Arctic – the first since the Cold War – in a move meant to terrify Western powers.

The warnings coincided with threats from Putin’s infamous crony Dmitry Medvedev, who claimed World War Three has already begun, and urged Russia to bomb the West.

Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, raged that Nato and the West are effectively already at war with Russia as he pushed the Kremlin’s view that his country is the victim.

That’s despite it being Russia who invaded Ukraine and is continuing to wage a bloody war.

The Kremlin’s fury was further stoked after US General Christopher Donahue declared Nato could capture Kalinigrad – the strategic fortress Russia clings to in the heart of Europe – “faster than we’ve ever done before.”

It comes after Trump threw his own firepower to the mix.

He pledged to arm Ukraine with advanced defence systems and slap Russia with brutal 100 per cent tariffs – unless Putin strikes a peace deal within 50 days.

Meanwhile, Volodymyr Zelensky has found himself facing a new kind of battle – not with Putin, but with his own people.

The Ukrainian leader is under intense fire after signing a controversial anti-corruption bill that critics say hands him near-absolute power over previously independent watchdogs.

Thousands poured into the streets of Kyiv in the biggest anti-government protest since the war began.

“We chose Europe, not autocracy,” read one handmade placard.

Another one read: “My father did not die for this.”

Zelensky insisted the law was needed to purge Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies of Russian infiltration, claiming: “We all share a common enemy: the Russian occupiers…

“Those who work against Ukraine must not feel comfortable or immune to the inevitability of punishment.”

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14806248/battle-black-sea-russia-ukraine-war-peace-talks-ceasefire/

TRIBUTES have poured in for a college tennis player who died while running a half marathon.

Toby Atwood’s death at age 21 was announced by Thiel College in a heartbreaking statement.

A GoFundMe page was set up to help the family with funeral expenses.

She was the No. 1 singles player on Thiel’s tennis team and a co-captain.

The college called her a standout in the classroom and on the court.

Toby was a business administration and accounting double major with a 4.0 GPA.

She received numerous awards, including for excellence in athletics, academics and leadership.

Vice president for student life and athletics Michael McKinney said, “Her presence touched the lives of so many, and she will be deeply missed.

“During this heartbreaking time, we mourn for Toby and extend our heartfelt sympathy to her family, friends, classmates, teammates, coach, instructors, and all who knew her.”

Atwood collapsed while running the Presque Isle Half Marathon in Erie, Pennsylvania last Sunday.

She posted on Instagram in May celebrating running her first half marathon.

And fans congratulated her by saying she “ran right through” the finish line.

Atwood was also a member of the college’s Zeta Tau Alpha women’s fraternity.

A statement read, “Toby was a light in everyone’s life.

“There was never a dull moment with her and she was always there for the people she loved when they needed it.

“Toby truly left her mark while she was with us.

“She was seen as a leader, role model and mentor.

“She was strong, resilient, and never afraid to speak her mind.

“There will forever be a hole in our hearts and our chapter without her.

“She has touched the lives of so many.”

As of Thursday morning, more than $24,000 has been raised via GoFundMe.

Her page read, “Toby was one of those rare souls whose presence alone could light up an entire room.

“Always glowing with joy and positivity, she radiated warmth and happiness to everyone she encountered.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/sport/14804572/toby-atwood-college-tennis-player-dead-half-marathon/

A DAD has died surrounded by over a hundred empty beer bottles after he only drank booze for an entire month.

Thaweesak Namwongsa, 44, reportedly suffered a seizure and tragically passed away before paramedics could save him.

Namwongsa was discovered by his 16-year-old son who lived with him after his parents divorced.

The teen revealed his dad had shunned food and was only drinking only beer in the month before his death.

He told police he had tried to cook hot meals for his father every day, but he simply refused to eat anything.

Then one day when the teenager came home from school he found Namwongsa unconscious after suffering a seizure.

Rescue workers from the Siam Rayong Foundation were called to a house in the Ban Chang district of Rayong, Thailand but by the time they arrived the dad-of-one had died.

Paramedics recalled finding over 100 empty beer bottles neatly arranged on the bedroom floor.

A narrow path had been laid out between them to allow the man to get in and out of his bed.

His son said the man started to drink heavily after becoming divorced.

It is suspected that this emotional strain could have led him to replace food with beer.

Namwongsa’s cause of death is yet to be confirmed.

An autopsy is set to be performed on the body later this week.

Officials do believe the excessive alcohol consumption is likely to have contributed.

It comes as at least six people died and dozens more were left fighting for their lives after drinking ‘rotgut’ booze infused with toxic chemicals in Bangkok.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14807801/dad-dead-beer-thailand/

There are four evaluations Kohberger has to complete

KILLER Bryan Kohberger has been pictured looking gaunt with a blank stare after he was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences.

The creepy new mug shot was released on Thursday as the convicted murderer was transferred out of jail, but it’ll be two weeks before he’s locked behind bars at the lone maximum security prison in Idaho.

Kohberger, 30, was sentenced to spend the rest of his days in prison for the murders of University of Idaho students Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin.

In his new mugshot, his pupils are dilated as he gazes at the camera with an empty look in his eyes.

He’s wearing the same orange prison uniform that he wore during his sentencing on Wednesday, which had two “Ls” for size large on the collar of the shirt.

However, Kohberger is not reporting directly to prison after Judge Steven Hippler handed him his sentence.

The killer is set to undergo two weeks of evaluations first, according to the Idaho Department of Corrections.

Officials utilize the tests to determine where the criminals will live.

“Once in IDOC custody, the person goes through a reception and diagnostic process to evaluate their needs and determine appropriate housing placement,” an IDOC spokesperson told People.

The process in the Reception and Diagnostic Unit can take up to two weeks, officials said.

“We wait until a person completes RDU to determine their classification or housing placement,” the spokesperson explained.

The RDU is at the Idaho State Correctional Institution south of Boise, where prisoners are photographed, fingerprinted, evaluated, and classified, according to the IDOC website.

Prisoners receive a physical exam, a psychological evaluation, an educational assessment, and a substance abuse evaluation.

Officials also use the RDU process to create a case plan to address the inmate’s needs.

After the process, Kohberger’s information will be reviewed by a committee that classifies the inmate in one of five levels: community custody, minimum custody, minimum restricted custody, medium custody, and close custody.

Once offenders are in prison, they can move up and down in classification.

“From RDU, inmates are transferred to the facility
that is most appropriate for their level of custody and has a bed available,” according to IDOC.

After the evaluations, Kohberger will likely be assigned to the only maximum security prison in Idaho, but he could also be sent to an out-of-state facility due to the high-profile nature of the case.

IDOC told People that out-of-state placements are determined on a case-by-case basis.

JAIL TIME SO FAR

Kohberger has spent over 900 days in jail so far, between his time in Latah County Jail and Ada County Jail.

He was extradited to Idaho following his arrest on quadruple murder charges at his parents’ Pennsylvania home on December 30, 2022.

The killer waited behind bars for the start of his murder trial in August 2025, but suddenly decided to plead guilty to four counts of murder and one count of burglary.

In pleading guilty on July 2, Kohberger avoided being executed and waived his right to appeal.

He confessed to brutally murdering the four friends as they slept in their off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, on November 13, 2022.

A motive for the murders hasn’t been determined and likely won’t be after Kohberger refused to speak during his sentencing hearing.

The murderer only uttered “I respectfully decline” after he was asked by the judge if he had anything to say.

He remained silent and emotionless as the victims’ friends and family shared powerful impact statements during the three-hour hearing.

Then the judge secured the decision to keep Kohberger away from society for the rest of his life.

“Truth be told, I’m unable to come up with anything redeeming about Mr. Kohberger,” Hippler said.

“His actions have made him the worst of the worst.”

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14808720/bryan-kohberger-mugshot-prison-murder-jail-sentence-idaho/

In a post on X, PM Modi said he had “a very good meeting with His Majesty King Charles III” during the meeting at his Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, eastern England.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on King Charles III at his residence on Thursday during which he presented a tree sapling as part of his “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” environmental initiative.

In a post on X, PM Modi said he had “a very good meeting with His Majesty King Charles III” during the meeting at his Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, eastern England.

PM Modi said both also covered aspects such as Yoga and Ayurveda as well as the India-UK Free Trade Agreement, known as Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

“We discussed different aspects of India-UK relations, including the ground covered in trade and investment in the wake of CETA and Vision 2035. Other subjects of discussion included education, health and wellness, particularly Yoga and Ayurveda, which are subjects His Majesty is very passionate about. We also talked about environmental protection and sustainability,” he said.

The sapling he presented to the King will be planted on the estate during planting season in the autumn, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told reporters during a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) briefing around the Prime Minister’s visit.

“This afternoon, the King received the Prime Minister of the Republic of India, Narendra Modi, at Sandringham House,” Buckingham Palace said in a social media statement along with an image of Modi with King Charles.

“During their time together, His Majesty was given a tree to be planted this Autumn, inspired by the environmental initiative launched by the Prime Minister, ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’, which encourages people to plant a tree in tribute to their mothers,” the statement said.

King Charles and PM Modi are known to share a common holistic environmental vision and topics such as Yoga and Ayurveda were expected to have been covered during their meeting.

According to official sources, the tree presented to the King is known as Davidia involucrata ‘Sonoma’, commonly known as the Sonoma dove tree or handkerchief tree, is an ornamental tree celebrated for its early and abundant flowering.

Unlike the species form of Davidia involucrata, which often takes 10 to 20 years to bloom, ‘Sonoma’ is a precocious cultivar that typically begins flowering within two to three years of planting.

Its most iconic feature is the pair of large, fluttering white bracts that resemble handkerchiefs or doves suspended from the branches, creating a spectacular visual display in late spring.

The royal audience came towards the end of a packed prime ministerial schedule during which PM Modi and Starmer held wide-ranging bilateral talks and oversaw the signing of the historic India-UK Free Trade Agreement at Chequers – the British Prime Minister’s official country residence in Buckinghamshire, near London.

“At Chequers, PM Keir Starmer and I saw an exhibition which gave a glimpse of the strong economic linkages between India and the UK. With the signing of CETA, these linkages will rise manifold,” Prime Minister Modi said in a social media post.

“Interacted with business leaders at Chequers. The signing of the India-UK CETA has opened up new avenues for trade and investment. It marks a pivotal step in strengthening our economic partnership,” he said.

He also highlighted how both nations are connected by a “shared passion for cricket” during an interaction with players from Buckinghamshire Street Cricket Hubs.

“Great to see sport fostering people-to-people ties between our nations. Also gave my young friends a bat signed by the Indian cricket team which won the T20 World Cup,” PM Modi said.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/pm-modi-presents-ek-ped-maa-ke-naam-to-king-charles-iii-for-royal-estate-8944825

World IVF Day: Sperm freezing is gaining popularity as men recognise the importance of preserving fertility amidst changing lifestyles and delayed parenthood.

When famous cyclist Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer at just 25, his doctors advised him to freeze his sperm before surgery and chemotherapy. After surviving cancer and when he wanted to start a family, the seven-time Tour de France winner became the father of three children through IVF thanks to the sperm he froze before treatment.

In recent times, more men are opting for sperm freezing or semen freezing early to preserve fertility, while couples are embracing IVF as a planned path to parenthood — free from the stigma it once carried. With changing lifestyles, late marriages, and growing awareness about reproductive health, fertility preservation is becoming a lifestyle decision, say experts on World IVF Day 2025.

For years, the fertility conversation is almost always about women, egg freezing, biological clocks and hormone tests. But the truth is that men aren’t immune to the ticking clock either, and sperm freezing, or cryopreservation, is slowly coming into the spotlight.

What is sperm freezing?

Sperm freezing, also known as sperm cryopreservation, is the process of preserving sperm cells for future use. It is done in single visit, where a man provides a semen sample, which is then processed in a laboratory. A special protective solution is added to prevent damage, and the sperm is stored in liquid nitrogen at -196°C. This keeps the sperm viable for years, allowing it to be used later for fertility treatments like IVF or IUI.

Why is sperm freezing gaining popularity among men today?

Is it mostly fertility concerns, lifestyle choices, or medical reasons? “It is a mix of all three,” Dr Jyoti Gupta, Senior Consultant – Reproductive Medicine at Motherhood Hospital, tells Health Shots.

“While medical reasons such as upcoming cancer treatments or surgeries remain common, persistent low sperm count, lifestyle and fertility planning are becoming significant factors. Men are marrying later, focusing on careers, or facing unpredictable life events. For those in high-risk jobs or undergoing gender reassignment, sperm freezing offers control over future parenthood,” adds Dr Gupta.

According to medical experts in the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) space, there have even been successful pregnancies with sperm that had been frozen for over 20 years.

“Today’s men are delaying marriage and parenthood, focusing on careers, traveling, or just figuring out life first. Fertility isn’t the first thing on anyone’s mind at 25, but sperm quality does decline with age,” explains gynaecologist and IVF expert Dr Vaishali Sharma.

She highlights some of the main reasons men freeze sperm:

• Medical treatments like cancer therapy or testicular surgery.

• Lifestyle — extended work hours, stress, and environmental toxins can harm the sperm health.

• Preplanned backup for IVF cycles or family planning later in life.

• “Why not?” mindset. Some men just like having the reassurance that they’ve preserved their fertility and hence, possibility of father while they’re young.

“People are realizing that you don’t have to wait for a crisis or a diagnosis. The best time is when you’re healthy and in your prime.

If you’re between 20 and 35, your sperm is likely at its peak quality — with better motility and fewer DNA defects. After 40, sperm DNA fragmentation increases, and conception might take longer,” adds Dr Sharma.

The Ukrainian and Russian delegations concluded negotiations in Istanbul in less than an hour. According to reports, another prisoner exchange has been agreed upon.

The ruling is the first in a series of attempts by US President Trump to release information related to the Epstein case. Meanwhile, a panel of lawmakers voted to subpoena the Justice Department for its files on Epstein.

A US judge has denied a bid by US President Donald Trump’s administration to unseal grand jury transcripts concerning the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in Florida in the 2000s.

US District Judge Robin Rosenberg found on Wednesday that the US Justice Department’s request failed to fall into any of the exceptions to rules requiring grand jury material be kept secret.

Wednesday’s ruling has no impact on two other pending requests by the Justice Department seeking to obtain transcripts of grand jury proceedings related to later federal investigations of Epstein in New York, CNBC reported. The proceedings in question led to Epstein’s criminal indictment, as well as the indictment of his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.

House panel votes to subpoena Justice Department for Epstein files

A House subcommittee, meanwhile, voted on Wednesday to subpoena the Department of Justice for files in the sex trafficking investigation into Epstein.

It came after Democrats successfully pushed Republican lawmakers to defy Trump and the party leadership and to support the action. Three Republicans on the panel voted with Democrats for the subpoena, sending it through on an 8-2 vote tally.

The motion passed just hours before the House was scheduled to end its July work session and depart Washington for a monthlong break.

Clay Higgins, the Republican subcommittee chairman, said that work was beginning to draft the subpoena but that it would take some time for both sides to work out the final language.

The move by Democrats showed how they were piling pressure to force Republicans to act on the Epstein files.

Why does Trump want to reveal more information on the Epstein case?

Trump is facing the biggest internal challenge in his second term in the White House as of yet as a result of the Epstein case.

His supporters from the MAGA (Make America Great Again) campaign have lashed out at the US president after the Justice Department closed the case two weeks ago, announcing there was no more information to share.

The July 7 memo declared that there was no Epstein “client list,” despite claims from Attorney General Pam Bondi that she was reviewing it. The memo affirmed that the disgraced sex offender did in fact die by suicide in his prison cell.

MAGA supporters have been told by their leaders for years that the “deep state” was hiding information in the Epstein case to protect Democratic Party figures they accuse of being Epstein’s clients. Some MAGA leaders have even fanned conspiracy theories suggesting Epstein did not die by suicide but was murdered by orders made by said clients.

Such conspiracies fueled a furious backlash from Trump’s MAGA supporters regarding the Justice Department’s decision to close the case, prompting the US president to authorize Bondi to release “credible” information on the case. Trump has also asked courts to unseal grand jury transcripts concerning Epstein.

What are Trump’s ties to Epstein?

All of this is happening against the backdrop of an increasing amount of reporting on Trump’s 15-year friendship with the late sex offender. Several pictures of the pair partying together document this relationship, which disintegrated in 2004 when they fell out over a property deal. At the time, Trump denounced his former ally.

The White House has been furiously refuting a report by the Wall Street Journal that suggests the US president had contributed a “bawdy” letter with his signature for Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003.

Trump has sued the publication and its owner Rupert Murdoch over the report.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/us-judge-denies-bid-to-unseal-epstein-grand-jury-transcripts/a-73389622

Little more than half a year into 2025, mankind has already hit Earth Overshoot Day, consuming resources at a rate that far outpaces the capacity to restore them. Are there ways to slow things down?

July 24 marks the day where humanity has used up nature’s entire budget of ecological resources for the year. That’s according to the international sustainability organization Global Footprint Networkand York University in Toronto, Canada.

The day, which is observed annually, comes just over a week earlier than last year’s date— mainly due to the fact that oceans can absorb less CO2 than previously reported.

We are overconsuming by depleting nature’s capital faster than it can replenish, which is visible in deforestation, loss of biodiversity and the accumulation of carbon emissions in the atmosphere. And it is part of a trend that started back in the early 1970s.

Mathis Wackernagel, co-founder of the Global Footprint Network, told DW that using too many resources is driving many “environmental ills,” and that regularly using more than the planet can naturally reproduce has a cumulative effect.

“Even if we keep it at the same level, we increase the ecological debt that the world endures,” he said, adding that the ensuing “debt is measurable.”

Overconsumption is a global problem

Qatar, Luxembourg and Singapore were first in hitting their respective country overshoot days back in February. The US was not far behind. If everyone on the planet consumed like people in the US, resources would be depleted by March 13. Germany and Poland land on May 3, China and Spain on May 23, South Africa on July 2.

Wackernagel said high income “typically leads to higher resource consumption,” but added that it is not the only driver.

Qatar, with a desert climate with low annual rainfall and intensely hot, humid summers, relies heavily on air conditioning powered by fossil fuel energy.

“They have easy access to fossil fuels, so fossil fuel use is cheap and that has a big footprint,” he said, adding the country also uses up a lot of resources for the energy intensive process of desalinating seawater.

Uruguay, on the other hand, is not projected to start overconsuming until December 17. It has successfully turned to renewable energy to power its grid, relying mainly on hydroelectricity, wind and biomass.

Sticking to what Earth can replenish

And then there are the countries that stay within bounds of the planet’s capacity such as India, Kenya and Nigeria, among others. In order to stay within our means, the world’s ecological footprint would have to equal the available biocapacity per person on our planet, which currently stands at about 1.5 global hectares.

Biocapacity is defined as land and ocean areas that provide resources such as food and timber, can accommodate urban infrastructure and absorb excess CO2. Anything higher than the global available biocapacity per person is overexploiting resources.

Germany has about the same amount of biocapacity per person as the global average, but uses about three times more, Wackernagel said.

While India, the world’s most populous country, uses more than the country itself can renew in a year, globally speaking “the level of consumption is less than one planet,” he said, adding that one planet should not be the goal. “There are also other species, so we should probably be below one planet to be robust.”

Decades of overusing are taking a toll

Wackernagel said we are taking resources “far beyond what Earth can regenerate” yet have a collective understanding that what we are doing is fine. “But we’re fooling ourselves.”

Paul Shrivastava, co-president of think tank Club of Rome, said it’s time to rethink how we understand economies. “We need to change from that extractive mindset of the economy to a regenerative one,” he told DW.

“Mining is a kind of extraction. Oil is a kind of extraction. Once we take it out of the earth, we don’t give anything back,” he added.

Wackernagel said it’s not about what we need to give up, but rather how we can prepare ourselves for the future and what will be valuable then.

Rather than adjusting economies to reduce overshooting, people are trying to squeeze the last bit out of the toothpaste tube, Wackernagel said.

“In the United States, where I live, I could see that many of the themes around the elections last year were very overshoot related. For example, the fear of not having enough energy,” he said. However, the government has failed to address the problem of overshooting and instead pushed to “drill more holes and get more fossil fuels” out of the ground.

How to push back Overshoot Day?

The Global Footprint Network has outlined a number of solutions in five key areas to push back the date of Earth Overshoot Day.

The energy sector is by far the biggest factor at play: Placing a price on carbon emissions that reflects the true cost of carbon pollution on the planet would help move the date by 63 days.

Smart cities with integrated transport systems, advanced energy management and foresight through sensors to regulate energy in buildings could add another 29 days to the calendar.

Replacing coal and gas-fired power plants with renewable energy such as solar and wind and generating 75% of electricity from low-carbon sources would move the date by another 26 days.

Halving food waste would provide another 13 extra days and replacing 50% of global meat consumption with plant-based alternatives would add seven days from CO2 emissions and land use alone. Just one meatless day per week would add around two days.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/global-footprint-network-overconsumption-depleting-resources-fossil-fuels-economic-solutions/a-73320452

THE father of NFL rookie Travis Hunter has been arrested for allegedly violating his probation.

A warrant was issued for Travis Hunter Sr., 39, after his probation officer lost track of him for 11 minutes on June 28.

Hunter Sr. was arrested and jailed in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Tuesday, police records show.

He had been monitored as he was on a three-year probation following gun and drug charges in 2023.

After Hunter Sr. generated a “bracelet gone” alarm between 8:07 pm and 8:18 pm on June 28, he told his probation officer that he had been in his room while the tracking device was in his living room.

A few days later, he changed his story and said he lost the bracelet.

Hunter Jr., 22, is an NFL rookie and the winner of the 2024 Heisman Trophy.

The young athlete just started his first training camp with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

He was the second overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft.

The football star has turned off comments on his Instagram account following his dad’s second arrest.

Hunter Sr. was arrested in November 2023 after a traffic stop because his license plate wasn’t visible, court records said.

Cops then found he was driving without a license, and his car allegedly contained drugs and a loaded gun, court records said.

The dad was charged with illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon after he was previously convicted of selling heroin in 2018.

Last year, Hunter Sr. reached a plea deal to plead guilty to drug possession and the gun charge.

He was sentenced to three years of probation, including a year of community control supervision.

Hunter Sr. also spent 90 days in jail and was released on December 5, just over a week before Hunter Jr.’s Heisman ceremony.

While Hunter Sr. didn’t attend, Hunter Jr. thanked his dad for his support when he accepted the award.

“I want to say something to my father,” Hunter Jr. said at the New York event.

“He’s not here and wasn’t able to make it but I know you’re watching on TV.

“Dad, I love you. For all the stuff you went through man,” he continued.

“Now look at your oldest son. I did it for you, man.”

Hunter Sr. told the Palm Beach Post why he didn’t go to the ceremony.

“I don’t want to go,” he said.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/sport/14797133/travis-hunter-dad-arrest-nfl-jacksonville-jaguars-probation/

RUSSIAN media is preparing its citizens for a nuclear war with the West in the near future.

Several media outlets in Moscow – part of Putin’s propaganda machine – have been actively publishing articles discussing a nuclear armageddon between Russia and the West.

Komsomolskaya Pravda (KP) newspaper uses Russian “experts” to explain how such a conflict could happen – ramping up the nuclear war rhetoric.

Readers are told that Britain and Europe want to engage in a conflict with Russia.

This could happen by the end of the decade when “European forces reach full operational readiness”, the newspaper reports.

It comes after a senior US army general threatened to launch a “faster than ever” attack on a Russian WW3 flashpoint.

The newspaper argues multiple Western politicians and military figures have threatened war.

And it threatens to launch an attack on the West – claiming “there is no place in Europe [Russia] cannot hit”.

Andrei Klintsevich, head of the Centre for the Study of Military and Political Conflicts, told the newspaper: “They need a big war to dismember Russia into small independent states and get free access to our resources.”

Lintsevich accused the West of mobilising its military-industrial complex, mining borders, and building defences.

The aim is to provoke Russia, accuse Moscow of “aggression”, and launch direct confrontation, he told the paper.

He demanded that Russia now stage a nuclear weapons test in the Arctic – the first since the end of the Cold War – to deter the West.

Independent news outlet Agentsvo said the report in KP – said to be Putin’s favourite newspaper – was “intended to prepare Russian public opinion for a potential war with Nato”.

“Russia would have to respond — not only diplomatically. Missile strikes would be inevitable, as securing a land corridor through Odesa and Mykolaiv would require considerable time and force,” explained the newspaper.

General Christopher Donahue, commander of the United States Army Europe and Africa, said Nato could capture Kaliningrad – Moscow’s strategic military fortress in the heart of Europe.

Wedged between Poland and Lithuania, the region of Kaliningrad is heavily militarised by the Russians.

It is cut off from the rest of Putin’s empire, but could be used by the tyrant to launch an attack on Europe.

Using the strategic exclave, the Russians could also take over the Suwalki Gap – a hard-to-defend strip of land less than 60 miles wide that links the rest of the Nato countries to the Baltic nations.

Donahue had argued that Nato could destroy the heavily militarised Kaliningrad “in a timeframe that is unheard of and faster than we’ve ever been able to do” in the event of Russian threats against allied states.

“Donahue’s words confirm that they are preparing to seize Kaliningrad,” said Klintsevich.

“The Swedish island of Gotland is already being turned into a powerful warship — with air defence systems, anti-ship missiles, and more being deployed there. Estonia and Finland are forming a joint group.”

He warned Russians: “Under a made-up pretext, they’ll block Kaliningrad’s air and sea routes.

“Our protests and ultimatums will be ignored, forcing our troops to fight their way through the Suwałki Gap [a 60-mile wide strip of land connecting NATO states Lithuania and Poland, flanked by Russia – Kaliningrad – and its ally Belarus].

“In such a case, Europe would launch a ground operation in Kaliningrad using large numbers of rockets, artillery, and drones,” said the newspaper.

“The Alliance believes that occupying Kaliningrad would cut Russia off from the Baltic once and for all,” said military expert Alexander Zimovsky.

Another flashpoint starting a new war in Europe could be ex-Soviet state Moldova, says KP.

Russia’s foreign intelligence service SVR has warned that Nato “is rapidly turning Moldova into a military staging ground.

Another trigger point for World War Three could be the north, claimed Sergey Sudakov, of the Russian Academy of Military Sciences.

The most likely threat is Finland, which recently joined NATO.

They have “solid military infrastructure, which the alliance could use for attacks on St Petersburg, Karelia, and Murmansk,” said Zimovsky.

KP stressed: “While a Kaliningrad conflict might be settled, an assault on St Petersburg would risk triggering World War Three.”

The Kremlin has ramped up its nuclear rhetoric after the threats from the US commander – with Putin’s henchmen accusing the US of “unleashing World War Three”.

Terrifying secret plans setting out how London would deal with a nuke attack have been obtained by The Sun.

The chilling documents lay bare the grim reality of how Londoners would face nuclear Armageddon in great detail.

The tirade from Moscow comes as the Kremlin pushes on with its war against Ukraine – launching nightly bombing raids to wreak havoc.

Meanwhile, Trump agreed to sell defence systems to Ukraine and slap brutal 100 per cent tariffs on Russia if Moscow does not reach a peace agreement with Ukraine within 50 days.

It comes after ex-Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said that WW3 has already begun and that his boss Putin should bomb the West.

Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, raged that Nato and the West are effectively already at war with Russia as he pushed the Kremlin’s view that his country is the victim.

That’s despite it being Russia who invaded Ukraine and is continuing to wage a bloody war.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14800065/russia-preparing-nuclear-war-west/

Cardi B is being sued for assault and battery after she allegedly struck a woman with a microphone during her performance in Las Vegas two years ago.

The woman — identified as Jane Doe — claims in the lawsuit that the “I Like It” rapper had asked the audience at Drai’s Beachclub to throw water at her to help her cool off, TMZ reported Wednesday.

Doe alleges that several people answered the pop star’s request, but Cardi chucked the mic at her when she did so.

The microphone, meanwhile, was auctioned off for $99,000, which Doe claims “exacerbated [her] emotional distress.”

The “Up” singer, 32, was not charged when the incident occurred.

Reps for Cardi weren’t immediately available to Page Six for comment.

Shortly before Cardi lost her cool, she was seen in a video encouraging the crowd to “splash” water “in [her] p—y.”

“That s–t feels good,” she said, as the DJ encouraged fans to “splash her down.”

Seconds later, the woman, who accused the hitmaker of assault, threw a cup full of water at Cardi.

After the mic was thrown, security escorted the woman out of the venue.

Cardi later addressed her heated moment, saying, “I don’t want to look [like] that ghetto bitch.”

“I said splash my p—y, not my face, bitch.”

Cardi hasn’t shied away from calling out fans in the past, including after they accused her of copying Nicki Minaj’s style.

She also told fans to “shut the f–k up” after several claimed that she got back together with her estranged husband, Offset, in 2023.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/07/23/celebrity-news/cardi-b-sued-by-woman-allegedly-hit-in-mic-throwing-incident/

Paramedics fought for hours to save Ozzy Osbourne before the Black Sabbath frontman’s death on Tuesday, according to a new report.

A Thames Valley air ambulance landed in a field close to the rocker’s mansion at 10:30 that morning, the Daily Mail claimed.

The outlet alleged medics tried and failed to save the singer’s life for two hours.

A spokesperson for the organization told Daily Mail, “We can confirm that our helicopter was dispatched to provide advanced critical care at an incident near Chalfont St Giles yesterday.”

Locals told the outlet that they worried “something serious was happening” when they saw the chopper.

One noted, “We immediately feared it may be for him as he was known to be in fragile health.”

Osbourne’s family members’s reps have yet to respond to Page Six’s requests for comment.

The Grammy winner’s loved ones released a statement Tuesday revealing Osbourne’s death “with more sadness than mere words can convey.”

They wrote that the Prince of Darkness was “with his family and surrounded by love” in his final moments.

He is survived by wife Sharon Osbourne and their three kids — daughter Aimee, 41, daughter Kelly, 40, and son Jack, 39.

Additionally, Ozzy was the father of son Elliot, daughter Jessica and son Louis from his first marriage to Thelma Riley.

The songwriter’s cause of death has yet to be revealed.

Ozzy suffered from a myriad of health issues prior to his passing, from Parkinson’s disease to limited mobility from a 2003 accident exacerbated by a 2019 fall.

The musician retired from touring in 2023 but did perform a farewell Black Sabbath show with bandmates Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Geezer Butler earlier this month.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/07/23/celebrity-news/medics-worked-on-ozzy-osbourne-for-hours-in-desperate-battle-to-save-rocker-report/

The devil is back.

Meryl Streep was spotted on set of “The Devil Wears Prada 2” for the first time Wednesday, reprising her role as the iconic Miranda Priestly.

Streep was snapped filming in New York City, rocking her character’s signature icy white long pixie cut. The actress looked chic in a long tan trench coat, a purple blouse tucked into a belted brown leather skirt and matching brown heels.

A pair of stylish black sunglasses completed her look as the Runway magazine editor-in-chief.

“The Devil Wears Prada 2” — the long-awaited sequel to the 2006 hit “The Devil Wears Prada” starring Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci — follows Priestly as she navigates her career amid the decline of traditional magazine publishing, according to Variety.

The sequel has her facing off against Blunt’s character, Emily, who’s now a high-powered executive for a luxury group with advertising dollars that Priestly needs.

Hathaway, Blunt and Tucci are all returning to the sequel alongside Streep. Newcomers include Kenneth Branagh (who will play Priestly’s husband), Lucy Liu, Justin Theroux and B.J. Novak.

It’s set to hit theaters May 1, 2026.

Hathaway sent fans into a frenzy Monday, when she shared a TikTok getting ready to film “The Devil Wears Prada 2” in a cerulean blue sweater — a clear call back to the famous shade of knitwear from the original 2006 movie.

Page Six sources also think “Cerulean” is the code name the film is using to film in NYC.

Hathaway, 42, has been spotted filming in NYC for the movie, rocking one stylish look after another as her character, Andy Sachs.

Standout pieces have included a colorful patchwork Gabriela Hearst maxi dress, a denim zippered coverall from Re/Done’s 2022 collaboration with Ford and a vintage pinstriped Jean Paul Gaultier vest-and-trouser combo.

Back in 2021, Streep admitted she didn’t enjoy filming “The Devil Wears Prada” due to her embodying the icy character — which is, of course, rumored to be based on Vogue bigwig Anna Wintour — off set as well.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/07/23/style/meryl-streep-seen-as-miranda-priestly-for-the-first-time-on-the-set-of-the-devil-wears-prada-2/

Talks between top South Korean and U.S. officials to negotiate over U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs have been postponed due to a scheduling conflict for U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, South Korea’s finance ministry said on Thursday.
The two sides will reschedule the so-called 2+2 meeting between Bessent and South Korean Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol, as well as the top trade envoys of both countries, as soon as possible, the ministry said.

Koo was set to board a flight for Washington on Thursday to attend the meeting on Friday in the hope of hammering out a deal that would spare Asia’s fourth-largest economy from Trump’s punishing 25% tariffs set to take effect on August 1.
The sudden announcement by the finance ministry an hour before Koo’s departure cast fresh doubts about whether Seoul would be able to pull off an agreement to avert U.S. import duties that could hit some of its major exporting industries.
“It might be difficult to reschedule 2+2 again before August 1st, so the best we can do is for the trade chief Yeo to request an extension of the tariff exemption,” said Heo Yoon, international trade professor at Sogang University, referring to Minister for Trade Yeo Han-koo

The benchmark KOSPI (.KS11), stock index trimmed early gains to trade up 0.7% as of 0134 GMT, as auto and auto parts makers fell on news of the postponed talks, with Hyundai Motor (005380.KS), dropping as much as 1.8%.
Washington gave no further details for postponing Friday’s meeting, the finance ministry said, though U.S. officials are embroiled in a flurry of different negotiations.
Bessent was set to meet China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng in Sweden for a new round of trade talks ahead of the August 12 deadline set for Beijing. Washington is also moving towards a deal with the European Union.
Trade minister Yeo and Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan, who have travelled to Washington this week, have been meeting with U.S. officials as scheduled, the South Korean government said.
Yeo will hold a meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, the industry ministry said.

PRESSURE TO MATCH JAPAN DEAL

Pressure on South Korea heightened this week after Japan clinched a deal with the United States, which Trump said would see Tokyo allowing greater market access for American products including autos and some agricultural products.
The agreement includes a commitment by Japan for a $550 billion package of U.S.-bound investment and loans.
The two major Asian security allies of the United States compete in areas such as autos and steel, and Japan’s deal was seen by investors as a benchmark for the type of agreement Seoul should try to squeeze out in negotiations, analysts have said.
The involvement of a range of ministerial-level officials from Seoul in broad discussions with U.S. officials in recent days suggested the two sides were at work on a trade package that could potentially involve a range of sectors, including South Korea’s sensitive farm markets.

South Korean officials have said access to U.S. markets is key to industrial cooperation between the allies that would help rebuild American manufacturing industries.
Seoul is set to propose to Washington an investment package plan worth at least $100 billion which would involve major South Korean conglomerates like Samsung and Hyundai Motor Group, Yonhap News Agency reported.
President Lee Jae Myung met Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung and LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo this month and discussed their U.S. investments, Lee’s office said.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/us-south-korea-trade-talks-postponed-over-bessent-schedule-tariff-deadline-looms-2025-07-24/

A new AI tool has the potential to turbocharge our understanding of all human history, researchers say.

Artificial intelligence has already been used to fill in gaps in ancient Roman scrolls, but a new system goes much further.

It can fill in missing words from ancient Roman inscriptions carved on monuments and everyday objects, as well as dating and placing them geographically.

AI often introduces errors in its analysis of even simple modern texts, so there are concerns that relying too much on this technology might distort rather than enhance our understanding of history.

But historian Prof Dame Mary Beard of Cambridge University has described the technology as potentially “transformative” to our study of past events.

She said that the system, called Aeneas, after a Greek and Roman mythological figure, could accelerate the rate at which historians piece together the past from ancient texts.

“Breakthroughs in this very difficult field have tended to rely on the memory, the subjective judgement and the hunch/guesswork of individual scholars, supported by traditional, encyclopaedic databases. Aeneas opens up entirely new horizons.”

Ancient inscriptions are usually incomplete, of unknown origin and date, and often all three. Historians and classicists attempt to fill in the blanks by drawing on texts that are similar in wording, grammar, appearance and cultural setting, known as ‘parallels’. Ancient inscriptions tend to be formulaic so historians can often infer what the missing part of a sentence goes on to say.

The process is painstaking and can take months and years but opens new vistas in our understanding of the past, according to Dr Thea Sommerschield, an historian at Nottingham University, who co-led the research.

“Inscriptions are the earliest forms of writing. They are so precious to historians because they offer first-hand evidence for ancient histories, languages and societies.

“But they degrade over the centuries and interpreting them is like solving a gigantic jigsaw puzzle with tens of thousands of pieces, of which 90 per cent are lost.”

It’s not the first time AI has been used to join up the missing dots in Roman history.

Earlier this year, another team of scientists digitally “unwrapped” a badly burnt scroll from the Roman town of Herculaneum using a combination of X-ray imaging and AI, revealing rows and columns of text.

Dr Sommerschield developed Aeneas along with her co-research leader Dr Yannis Assael, an AI specialist at Google DeepMind. It automates the process of contextualising based on parallels, in the blink of an eye.

Aeneas draws on a vast database of of 176,000 Roman inscriptions including images and uses a carefully designed AI system to pull up a range of relevant historical parallels, to support the work of historians, according to Dr Assael.

“What the historian can’t do is assess these parallels in a matter of seconds across tens of thousands of inscriptions, and that is where AI can come in as an assistant.”

The team tested out the system in dating a famous Roman text at the Temple of Augustus in Ankara in Turkey, known as the queen of inscriptions because of its importance to our understanding of Roman history. The Res Gestae Divi Augusti was composed by the first Roman Emperor, Augustus, giving an account of his life and accomplishments. Its date is hotly contested among historians.

Aeneas was able to narrow down the options to two possible ranges, the most likely being between 10 and 20 CE and a second slightly less likely range from 10 to 1 BCE. This showed the system’s accuracy as most historians agree on these two as the most likely possibilities.

In tests of the system with 23 historians the team found that an historian working with Aeneas came up with more accurate results than either Aeneas on its own or an historian on their own.

“The feedback was that Aeneas was not only allowing the historians to accelerate their work but it also revealed parallels that they had previously not identified,” according to Dr Sommerschield.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c04dwqr5lkvo

Shehbaz Sharif took to his official social media account and praised Bangladesh cricket team and also commended the Pakistani cricket team for their spirited performance.

In a bizarre incident, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was brutally trolled on social media after Pakistan cricket team’s humiliating defeat against Bangladesh. Shehbaz Sharif took to his official social media account and praised Bangladesh cricket team and also commended the Pakistani cricket team for their spirited performance. However, the internet users brutally trolled the Prime Minister asking details about their former Prime Minister and star cricketer Imran Khan, who was jailed in 2023. Earlier, there were also news of him being killed inside the jail making rounds on social media.

Shehbaz Sharif’s X Post

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sahrif said, “Congratulations to Bangladesh on winning the 2025 T20I Series with Pakistan. I also commend our cricket team for their spirited performance. Wins and losses are part of the game, and that is the true spirit of sportsmanship. May these sporting ties between our two countries continue to unite our peoples and strengthen our bonds of friendship.”

While the message struck a tone of diplomacy and sportsmanship, it didn’t sit well with the social media users. The internet users started trolling the Pakistani Prime Minister. AI was also pulled into the drama as one of the users asked Perplexity, “Where is Imran Khan?”

To which the chatbot replied, “Imran Khan is currently in prison in Pakistan— he’s been behind bars since August 2023, mainly facing corruption and other legal charges that his supporters say are politically motivated. Despite his imprisonment, he’s still active through public statements and his political party PTI continues to rally for his release.”

Another user said, “Got humiliated now even from Bangladesh?” One of the users said, “Beggars Lost from Stinkers…”

A user also said, “Pakistan cricket has mastered the art of losing with a smile and a speech. Maybe next time, send the press release before the match — save everyone the suspense. At this rate, even Zimbabwe’s B team is double-checking their passports.”

A user also gave credit to the Indian Army for PM’s tweet. He said, “Thanks to Indian Army that Pak PM is making that post, before 1971 this was not possible.”

PAK vs BAN, T20I Series Results

Bangladesh is leading the 3-match series against Pakistan 2-0. They defeated Pakistan in the first two matches and clinched the three match T20I series played in Bangladesh. In a dismal performance, Pakistan managed to score only 110, while batting first in the first match. Bangladesh chased the score in just 15.3 overs. Man of the Match was awarded to Parvez Hossain Emon for his unbeaten 56 runs.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/viral/where-is-imran-khan-netizens-react-after-pm-shehbaz-sharif-congratulates-pakistan-cricket-team-despite-t20i-series-loss-against-bangladesh

China reacted to the development, calling it a positive move and assured that Beijing will maintain communication and consultation with India to further ease travel between the two countries.

In a major development aimed at reviving cross-border travel and people-to-people ties, Indian government has announced the resumption of tourist visa services for Chinese citizens starting July 24, 2025. China reacted to the development, calling it a positive move and assured that Beijing will maintain communication and consultation with India to further ease travel between the two countries.

The announcement, shared via the official social media account of the Indian Embassy in China, outlines the step-by-step procedure for Chinese nationals to apply for a tourist visa to visit India.

Online Application & Appointment Required

As per the notification, applicants must first complete an online visa application form via the designated webpage link and schedule an appointment online. Once the form is filled and printed, the applicant must appear in person with their passport, completed visa form, and other necessary documents at the relevant Indian Visa Application Center based on their region.

The Indian Visa Application Centers in China are located at the following addresses:

Columbia University said on Wednesday it will pay over $200 million to the U.S. government in a settlement with President Donald Trump’s administration to resolve federal probes and have most of its suspended federal funding restored.
Trump has targeted several universities since returning to office in January over the pro-Palestinian student protest movement that roiled college campuses last year. He welcomed the agreement between his administration and Columbia in a post on social media late on Wednesday.

In March, the Trump administration said it was penalizing Columbia over how it handled last year’s protests by canceling $400 million in federal funding. It contended that Columbia’s response to alleged antisemitism and harassment of Jewish and Israeli members of the university community was insufficient.
“Under today’s agreement, a vast majority of the federal grants which were terminated or paused in March 2025 – will be reinstated and Columbia’s access to billions of dollars in current and future grants will be restored,” the university said in a statement.
Columbia said it also agreed to settle investigations brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for $21 million and that its deal with the Trump administration preserved its “autonomy and authority over faculty hiring, admissions, and academic decision-making.”

After the government canceled funding, the school acquiesced later in March to a series of demands that included scrutiny of departments offering courses on the Middle East and other concessions that were widely condemned by U.S. academics.
Last week, Columbia adopted a controversial definition of antisemitism that equates it with opposition to Zionism. The school said it would no longer engage with pro-Palestinian group Columbia University Apartheid Divest.
“Imagine selling your students out just so you can pay Trump $221 million dollars and keep funding genocide,” the pro-Palestinian group said on Wednesday, calling the settlement a bribe.
Israel denies genocide accusations in Gaza and casts its military action as “self-defense” after a deadly October 2023 attack by Palestinian Hamas militants.

Campus protesters demanded an end to U.S. support for Israel’s devastating military assault on Gaza and a commitment that the university will cease investing any of its $14.8 billion endowment in weapons makers and companies that support Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon said Columbia agreed “to discipline student offenders for severe disruptions of campus operations, make structural changes to their Faculty Senate, bring viewpoint diversity to their Middle Eastern studies programs, eliminate race preferences from their hiring and admissions practices, and end DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) programs.”
The government has labeled pro-Palestinian protesters as antisemitic. Protesters, including some Jewish groups, say the government has wrongly conflated their criticism of Israel’s actions with antisemitism and their advocacy for Palestinian rights with support for extremism.

Wednesday’s announcement came a day after Columbia disciplined dozens of students over a May pro-Palestinian protest in which demonstrators seized its main library.
The agreement asks Columbia to “undertake a comprehensive review of its international admissions processes and policies,” according to the deal’s terms.
Columbia is required to designate within 30 days an administrator answerable to the university president and responsible for overseeing the deal’s compliance.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/us/columbia-university-pay-over-200-million-resolve-trump-probes-2025-07-23/

A landmark decision by a top UN court has cleared the way for countries to sue each other over climate change, including over historic emissions of planet-warming gases.

But the judge at the International Court of Justice in the Hague, Netherlands on Wednesday said that untangling who caused which part of climate change could be difficult.

The ruling is non-binding but legal experts say it could have wide-ranging consequences.

It will be seen as a victory for countries that are very vulnerable to climate change, who came to court after feeling frustrated about lack of global progress in tackling the problem.

The unprecedented case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) was the brainchild of a group of young law students from low-lying Pacific islands on the frontlines of climate change, who came up with the idea in 2019.

One of those students, Siosiua Veikune from Tonga, was in the Hague to hear the decision.

“I’m lost for words. This is so exciting. There’s a ton of emotions rushing through us. This is a win we take proudly back home to our communities,” he told BBC News.

“Tonight I’ll sleep easier. The ICJ has recognised what we have lived through – our suffering, our resilience and our right to our future,” said Flora Vano, from the Pacific Island Vanuatu, which is considered the country most vulnerable to extreme weather globally.

“This is a victory not just for us but for every frontline community fighting to be heard.”

The ICJ is considered the world’s highest court and it has global jurisdiction. Lawyers have told BBC News that the opinion could be used as early as next week, including in national courts outside of the ICJ.

Campaigners and climate lawyers hope the landmark decision will now pave the way for compensation from countries that have historically burned the most fossil fuels and are therefore the most responsible for global warming.

Many poorer countries had backed the case out of frustration, claiming that developed nations are failing to keep existing promises to tackle the growing problem.

But developed countries, including the UK, argued that existing climate agreements, including the landmark UN Paris deal of 2015, are sufficient and no further legal obligations should be imposed.

On Wednesday the court rejected that argument.

Judge Iwasawa Yuji also said that if countries do not develop the most ambitious possible plans to tackle climate change this would constitute a breach of their promises in the Paris Agreement.

He added that broader international law applies, which means that countries which are not signed up to the Paris Agreement – or want to leave, like the US – are still required to protect the environment, including the climate system.

The court’s opinion is advisory, but previous ICJ decisions have been implemented by governments, including when the UK agreed to hand back the Chagos Islands to Mauritius last year.

“The ruling is a watershed legal moment,” said Joie Chowdhury, Senior Attorney at the Centre for International Environmental Law (CIEL).

“With today’s authoritative historic ruling, the International Court of Justice has broken with business-as-usual and delivered a historic affirmation: those suffering the impacts of climate devastation have a right to remedy for climate harm, including through compensation,” she added.

A spokesperson for the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said it was “taking time” to look at the opinion before commenting in detail, but added:

“Tackling climate change is and will remain an urgent UK and global priority. Our position remains that this is best achieved through international commitment to the UN’s existing climate treaties and mechanisms.”

The court ruled that developing nations have a right to seek damages for the impacts of climate change such as destroyed buildings and infrastructure.

It added that where it is not possible to restore part of a country then its government may want to seek compensation.

This could be for a specific extreme weather event if it can be proved that climate change caused it, but the Judge said this would need to be determined on a case by case basis.

“This is a huge win for climate vulnerable states. It’s a huge win for Vanuatu, which led this case and is going to change the face of climate advocacy,” said barrister Jennifer Robinson at Doughty Street Chambers, who represented Vanuatu and the Marshall Islands.

It is not clear how much an individual country could have to pay in damages if any claim was successful.

But previous analysis published in Nature, estimated that between 2000 and 2019 there were $2.8 trillion losses from climate change – or $16 million per hour.

During the evidence sessions in December, the court heard from dozens of Pacific Islanders who have been displaced as a result of rising sea level, caused by climate change.

The Marshall Islands highlighted that the costs for their island to adapt to climate change are $9 billion.

“That is $9 billion the Marshall Islands does not have. Climate change is a problem they have not caused, but they are forced to consider relocating their capital,” said Ms Robinson.

As well as compensation, the court also ruled that governments were responsible for the climate impact of companies operating in their countries.

It said specifically that subsidising the fossil fuel industry or approving new oil and gas licenses could be in breach of a country’s obligations.

Developing countries are already exploring bringing new cases seeking compensation for historic contributions to climate change against richer, high emitting nations citing the ICJ opinion, according to lawyers the BBC spoke to.

If a country wants to bring a case back to the ICJ to make a ruling on compensation then it can only do so against countries which have agreed to its jurisdiction, which includes the likes of the UK, but not US or China.

But a case can be brought in any court globally, whether that be domestic or international, citing the ICJ opinion, explained Joie Chowdhury from CIEL.

So instead a country may choose to take their case not to the ICJ but a court where those countries are bound e.g. federal courts in the US.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce379k4v3pwo

Former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and his wife Megan Kerrigan Byron’s neighbors find his alleged infidelity “disgusting” but believe the family deserves “privacy” as they navigate overnight fame and heartbreak.

Those who live in the pair’s Kennebunk, Maine, neighborhood told the Daily Mail Thursday — just over a week after Andy’s alleged affair with an employee was exposed at a Coldplay concert — that “everyone has seen” the viral “kiss cam” video.

“The family do not want to talk about it,” one angry local explained before asking the outlet to leave the exclusive street next to the Webhannet Golf Club.

According to the Daily Mail, Megan fled the duo’s $1.4 million home in Northborough, Mass., and has been hiding out at their $2.4 million Maine mansion while holding crisis talks about her marriage.

Multiple family members were seen going in and out of the four-bedroom, four-bathroom, 4,169-square-foot property over the weekend, including her older sister, Maura, per the outlet.

It’s unclear whether Andy, 50, came to speak to Megan, also 50, following the incident.

Last Wednesday, while at the Coldplay concert in Boston, Andy and Kristin Cabot, a top HR executive at Astronomer, were caught canoodling on the big screen.

“Whoa, look at these two,” frontman Chris Martin exclaimed into the mic.

However, once the couple noticed they were on the jumbotron, Andy let out a “f–king hell, it’s me” and immediately ducked out of view, while Cabot, who acknowledged that “this is awkward,” hid her face in embarrassment.

“Either they’re having an affair, or they’re just very shy,” the musician joked as the audience erupted in laughter.

A TikTok of the moment spread like wildfire online, prompting Megan to remove her married name from her Facebook page before deleting her account altogether.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/07/23/celebrity-news/neighbors-slam-disgusting-andy-byron-as-astronomer-ceos-wife-hides-out-in-maine/

Market focus was on the yen on Wednesday, which traded choppily as traders weighed speculation about the future of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba against U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of a trade deal with Japan.
The yen initially hit its strongest level since July 11 at 146.20 per dollar on the trade news but flipped to losses after reports Ishiba intends to step down next month following a bruising upper house election defeat.

Ishiba said the reports he had already decided to resign were “completely unfounded”, and the yen recovered somewhat and was last steady on the day at 146.83 to the dollar.
The trade deal – which lowers tariffs on auto imports and spares Tokyo from punishing new levies – affects the yen both because of what it means for the economy and also the Bank of Japan, which has been cautiously raising interest rates.
“A trade deal does allow more potential for the Bank of Japan to hike interest rates this year,” said Jane Foley, head of FX strategy at Rabobank. “That’s a yen positive and clearly makes a move back to 150 (yen per dollar) harder.”

“When there was trade and political uncertainty, clearly they weren’t going to do anything. Of course we haven’t sidestepped all the political uncertainty, and that’s going to stop the BOJ from making any hasty decisions, but no one was expecting anything hasty anyway.”
Moves in other currencies were pretty muted due to the uncertainty around tariffs, as well as doubts about how currencies would react even if there were there any greater certainty.
The U.S. dollar has been one of the biggest losers since Trump announced sweeping tariffs on trading partners on April 2, weakness which continued as those duties were suspended to allow further negotiations, but which has petered out somewhat this month.
The euro was last down 0.1% on the day at $1.1744 but still near a four-year high it touched at the start of the month. Sterling was up a touch at $1.1354.

In contrast to the euro, European equities rallied on hopes the trade deal with Japan could pave the way for more deals, including with Europe.
Trump said negotiators from the European Union would be in Washington on Wednesday.
The European Central Bank meets on Thursday, but is unlikely to have a dramatic effect on the currency and is expected to hold rates steady.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/yen-wobbles-traders-process-trade-deal-political-uncertainty-2025-07-22/

U.S. President Donald Trump accused former President Barack Obama of “treason” on Tuesday, accusing him, without providing evidence, of leading an effort to falsely tie him to Russia and undermine his 2016 presidential campaign.
A spokesperson for Obama denounced Trump’s claims, saying “these bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction.”

While Trump has frequently attacked Obama by name, the Republican president has not, since returning to office in January, gone this far in pointing the finger at his Democratic predecessor with allegations of criminal action.

During remarks in the Oval Office, Trump leaped on comments from his intelligence chief, Tulsi Gabbard, on Friday in which she threatened to refer Obama administration officials to the Justice Department for prosecution over an intelligence assessment of Russian interference in the 2016 election.
She declassified documents and said the information she was releasing showed a “treasonous conspiracy” in 2016 by top Obama administration officials to undermine Trump, claims that Democrats called false and politically motivated.
“It’s there, he’s guilty. This was treason,” Trump said on Tuesday, though he offered no proof of his claims. “They tried to steal the election, they tried to obfuscate the election. They did things that nobody’s ever imagined, even in other countries.”

An assessment by the U.S. intelligence community published in January 2017 concluded that Russia, using social media disinformation, hacking and Russian bot farms, sought to damage Democrat Hillary Clinton’s campaign and bolster Trump. The assessment determined that the actual impact was likely limited and showed no evidence that Moscow‘s efforts actually changed voting outcomes.
A 2020 bipartisan report by the Senate intelligence committee had found that Russia used Republican political operative Paul Manafort, the WikiLeaks website and others to try to influence the 2016 election to help Trump’s campaign.
“Nothing in the document issued last week (by Gabbard) undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes,” Obama spokesperson Patrick Rodenbush said in a statement.

TRUMP UNDER PRESSURE

Trump, who has a history of promoting false conspiracy theories, has frequently denounced the assessments as a “hoax.” In recent days, Trump reposted on his Truth Social account a fake video showing Obama being arrested in handcuffs in the Oval Office.
Trump has been seeking to divert attention to other issues after coming under pressure from his conservative base to release more information about Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Backers of conspiracy theories about Epstein have urged Trump, who socialized with the disgraced financier during the 1990s and early 2000s, to release investigative files related to the case.
Trump, asked in the Oval Office about Epstein, quickly pivoted into an attack on Obama and Clinton.

“The witch hunt that you should be talking about is they caught President Obama absolutely cold,” Trump said.
Trump suggested action would be taken against Obama and his former officials, calling the Russia investigation a treasonous act and the former president guilty of “trying to lead a coup.”
“It’s time to start, after what they did to me, and whether it’s right or wrong, it’s time to go after people. Obama has been caught directly,” he said.
Democratic Representative Jim Himes responded on X: “This is a lie. And if he’s confused, the President should ask @SecRubio, who helped lead the bipartisan Senate investigation that unanimously concluded that there was no evidence of politicization in the intelligence community’s behavior around the 2016 election.”
Former Republican Senator Marco Rubio is now Trump’s secretary of state.
Since returning to office, Trump has castigated his political opponents whom he claims weaponized the federal government against him and his allies for the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters and his handling of classified materials after he left office in 2021.

ATTACKS ON PREDECESSORS

Obama has long been a target of Trump. In 2011 he accused then-President Obama of not being born in the United States, prompting Obama to release a copy of his birth certificate.
In recent months, Trump has rarely held back in his rhetorical broadsides against his two Democratic predecessors in a way all but unprecedented in modern times.
He launched an investigation after accusing former President Joe Biden and his staff, without evidence, of a “conspiracy” to use an autopen, an automated device that replicates a person’s signature, to sign sensitive documents on the president’s behalf. Biden has rejected the claim as false and “ridiculous.”
Gabbard’s charge that Obama conspired to subvert Trump’s 2016 election by manufacturing intelligence on Russia’s interference is contradicted by a CIA review ordered by Director John Ratcliffe and published on July 2, a 2018 bipartisan Senate report and declassified documents that Gabbard herself released last week.
The documents show that Gabbard conflated two separate U.S. intelligence findings in alleging that Obama and his national security aides changed an assessment that Russia probably was not trying to influence the election through cyber means.
One finding was that Russia was not trying to hack U.S. election infrastructure to change vote counts and the second was that Moscow probably was using cyber means to influence the U.S. political environment through information and propaganda operations, including by stealing and leaking data from Democratic Party servers.
The January 2017 U.S. intelligence assessment ordered by Obama built on that second finding: that Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized influence operations to sway the 2016 vote to Trump.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-accuses-obama-treason-escalating-attacks-over-2016-russia-probe-2025-07-22/

Sri Lanka’s central bank held its benchmark interest rate steady at 7.75 per cent on Wednesday, pausing after May’s surprise cut, to monitor the impact of U.S. tariffs and the effects of earlier monetary easing on the economy.

The decision was widely expected, with most analysts in a Reuters poll predicting a hold amid stable inflation and a steady economic recovery.

“There may be further room for easing but we will closely monitor developments and see if it is warranted,” Central Bank Governor P. Weerasinghe told reporters at a post-policy briefing in Colombo.

“We feel this monetary policy is appropriate and will steer inflation towards our 5 per cent target.”

Supported by a $2.9 billion programme from the International Monetary Fund, the country is gradually recovering from its worst financial crisis in decades, triggered by a record dollar shortage three years ago.

The inflation rate was minus 0.6 per cent in June but the central bank expects it to turn positive this quarter, ending almost a year of deflation.

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) had trimmed its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points in May in a surprise move to support growth.

The economy expanded 5 per cent in 2024, and Weerasinghe said growth will be above 3 per cent this year.

“If the recovery in headline and core inflation remains gradual, there can still be space for another 25 bps cut in the rest of the year,” said Thilina Panduwawala, head of research at Frontier Research.

Ten of 13 analysts and economists polled by Reuters had expected the CBSL to hold rates steady at its July meeting, citing benign inflation, stable growth, and uncertainty over U.S. trade policy.

The United States initially imposed 44 per cent tariffs on Sri Lankan goods but lowered them to 30 per cent earlier this month.

Colombo resumed talks with Washington last week in a bid to reduce the duties further before they take effect on August 1.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/sri-lanka-central-bank-holds-rates-tariff-uncertainty-5253176

Trump made the remarks while hosting Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the White House, where he praised the “fantastic military relationship” with Manila as the U.S. looks to counter China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday said a trip to China might be “not too distant,” raising prospects that the leaders of the world’s two largest economies may meet soon to help reset relations after moving to climb down from a trade war.

Trump made the remarks while hosting Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the White House, where he praised the “fantastic military relationship” with Manila as the U.S. looks to counter China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

Yet, Trump still said the U.S. is “getting along with China very well. We have a very good relationship.” He added that Beijing has resumed shipping to the U.S. “record numbers” of much-needed rare earth magnets, which are used in iPhones and other high-tech products like electric vehicles.

Widely speculated about since Trump returned to the White House, a summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping would be expected to stabilize — even for a short while — a difficult relationship defined by mistrust and competition.

Beijing believes a leader-level summit is necessary to steady U.S.-China relations and that Trump must be wooed because he has the final say on America’s policy toward China, despite more hawkish voices in his Cabinet, observers say.

The question, however, is when.

Danny Russel, a distinguished fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said Trump has consistently shown his hunger for a visit to China and that Beijing has used that to bolster leverage.

“As soon as the leadership in Beijing is satisfied that Trump will be on his best behavior and will accept terms for a deal that they think are favorable, they will give a green light to the visit,” Russel said.

Sun Yun, director of the China program at the Washington-based think tank Stimson Center, said a visit “is in the making” with two sides likely to strike a trade deal.

What Trump said might mean the visit would not be in September but “potentially November, but still depends on whether they play ball on trade and other things we want,” Sun said.

Trump’s campaign to impose tariffs on other countries kicked off a high-stake trade war with Beijing. China raised tariffs on U.S. goods to 125% in response to Trump’s hiking the tax on Chinese goods to 145%.

Both sides also imposed on each other harsh trade restrictions on critical products: China on rare earths, and the U.S. on computing chips and jet engine technology.

Trade tensions, however, eased following two rounds of high-level talks in Geneva and London, when the two sides agreed to lower tariffs — pending a more permanent deal by mid-August — and pull back on trade restrictions.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday on Fox Business’ “Mornings with Maria” that he will be meeting with his Chinese counterparts in Stockholm next week to work on “what is likely an extension” of the Aug. 12 deadline.

“I think trade is in a very good place with China,” Bessent told host Maria Bartiromo. “Hopefully, we can see the Chinese pull back on some of this glut of manufacturing that they’re doing and concentrate on building a consumer economy.”

He said he also expects to bring up China’s purchases of Russian and Iranian oil and Beijing’s role in aiding Moscow in its war against Ukraine.

Beijing has not announced any travel plans for Vice Premier He Lifeng, who led trade negotiations in both Geneva and London on behalf of the Chinese government, but it is not unusual for China to make such announcements closer to a travel date.

In a possible friendly gesture, Beijing on Tuesday said it suspended an antitrust investigation into chemical maker DuPont’s operations in China. China’s State Administration for Market Regulation made the announcement in a one-line statement but gave no explanation for the decision.

DuPont said in a statement that it is “pleased” with China’s action.

Chinese regulators launched the investigation in April against DuPont China Group, a subsidiary of the chemical giant, as part of Beijing’s broad, retaliatory response to Trump’s sky-high tariffs.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/donald-trump-says-china-trip-not-too-distant-as-trade-tensions-ease-8928822

DONALD Trump has said it is “appropriate” for the Department of Justice to meet and quiz Epstein’s ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.

It comes after a leading Trump official announced his intention to seek a meeting with the disgraced financier’s close associate.

When asked about the DOJ questioning Maxwell, the US President told reporters on Tuesday: “I don’t know about it, but I think it’s something that sounds appropriate to do.”

He added: “I didn’t know that they were going to do it. I don’t really follow that too much. It’s sort of a witch hunt.”

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche revealed earlier on Tuesday his plans to meet with the disgraced British socialite.

He posted on X: “Justice demands courage.

“For the first time, the Department of Justice is reaching out to Ghislaine Maxwell to ask: what do you know?”

He added that he had contacted Maxwell’s counsel on the direction of Attorney General Pam Bondi.

“I intend to meet with her soon. No one is above the law—and no lead is off-limits,” he wrote.

Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence after being found guilty of child sex trafficking and other crimes.

But her family has suggested that “government misconduct” could be used as new evidence to challenge her imprisonment.

Her brother Ian Maxwell, 68, hopes to get her out of jail using new evidence.

He recently told the Daily Mail that he fears for his sister’s life.

A statement from Blanche posted on Bondi’s X account reads: “President Trump has told us to release all credible evidence. If Ghislane Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say.

“Therefore, at the direction of Attorney General Bondi, I have communicated with counsel for Ms. Maxwell to determine whether she would be willing to speak with prosecutors from the Department.

“I anticipate meeting with Ms. Maxwell in the coming days.

“Until now, no administration on behalf of the Department had inquired about her willingness to meet with the government. That changes now.”

Maxwell’s attorney David Oscar Markus told Axios that discussions with the government are underway.

The House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee also voted on Tuesday to subpoena Ghislaine Maxwell.

A committee spokesperson said: “Since Ms. Maxwell is in federal prison, the Committee will work with the Department of Justice and Bureau of Prisons to identify a date when Committee can depose her.”

Since Epstein’s death, speculatIion has been rife that he blackmailed prominent figures involved with his heinous crimes.

It comes after the final footage of Jeffrey Epstein alive was finally released six years after his death.

He was in prison at the time as he waited for a major trial over sex-trafficking charges.

The disgraced financier was found hanged in jail on the 10 August, 2019.

But ever since his death there has been speculation and conspiracy theories that others were involved.

The Department of Justice (DoJ) announced this month that Epstein died by suicide – despite rife conspiracy theories to the contrary.

One key claim centres around a rumoured client list of individuals – although the Trump administration has now denied this list exists.

Maxwell’s brother told the Daily Mail: “There’s such overcrowding in Tallahassee that higher-category prisoners are being placed there and it’s becoming a facility that is more dangerous – we’ve got to get her out of there.

“Normally she spends a lot of time in the prison library helping other prisoners with things like form filling, but she has to go from A to B and isn’t always surrounded by guards.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14786360/epstein-trump-official-meet-ghislaine-maxwell/

The smell hanging in the air is the first sign there’s something unusual about the farmhouse on the outskirts of one of Pakistan’s largest cities, Lahore.

Once inside, the cause becomes clear: the property is home to 26 lions, tigers and cubs – and belongs to Fayyaz.

The rain, he says, has turned the ground into mud.

But the animals are “happy here”, he insists. “When they see us, they come over, they eat… they’re not aggressive.”

Almost instantly, one of the lions roars.

“That one is aggressive, it’s his nature,” Fayyaz says.

Fayyaz loves big cats. From this facility – thought to be the largest of its kind in private hands nationwide – the 38-year-old has sold cubs and breeding pairs for the last 10 years. He is widely considered to be one of the biggest lion dealers in Pakistan.

For decades these animals – lions, tigers, pumas, cheetahs and jaguars – have been a sign of power, status and even political fealty in the country. The tiger, for example, is a symbol of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.

More recently, with the dawn of short video social media apps like TikTok and Instagram, there’s been a surge in ownership, with lions now sometimes even brought along to wedding events.

But in the wake of a pet lion escaping and attacking a woman and her two children as they walked down the street in Lahore, the government has launched a crackdown – one which is already impacting people like Fayyaz.

Among the new rules, owners must pay a one-time registration fee of 50,000 Pakistani rupees ($176; £129) per animal and farms are to keep a maximum of 10 big cats from no more than two species. The sites must also be open to the public for visits.

Violating new laws could result in a fine of up to 200,000 Pakistani rupees and, for the worst offenders, up to seven years in prison.

At another property on the outskirts of Lahore, five lion cubs – their coats muddied – pace around a cage.

“But where are the parents?” a wildlife official asks himself.

Nearby, there are several empty cages. Wildlife officials are here after receiving a tip-off that a man was holding lions and cubs without a licence, and was breeding them for sale illegally. By the time they arrived, the owner was missing, leaving his caretaker holding the bag.

“I was only hired two weeks ago,” he complains, as he was placed in the back of a truck and taken away for questioning.

The officials suspect the owner may have taken the cubs’ parents away and hidden them.

The rescued cubs have now been transferred to a public zoo in Lahore, and isolated for medical checks.

But in a country where big cats have been sold for decades, officials worry the raids are barely scratching the surface. They believe there are in fact hundreds, if not thousands, of undeclared big cats in the state of Punjab alone.

“This is going to take at least six months,” Mubeen Ellahi, the director general of Wildlife & Parks, tells the BBC. He expects 30-40% of the lions in Punjab will not be voluntarily declared.

There is also another complication. Mubeen explains inbreeding has become a common practice in Pakistan, and some big cats may have to be euthanised. “They have a lot of health problems. We are still considering the policy,” he added.

He pointed to another incident in December last year, when another lion escaped in Lahore, and was then shot and killed.

Back at Fayyaz’s property, he is considering what to do next.

An official told the BBC they’re dissatisfied with the size of the cages, and that the farm needs to convert itself into a zoo. Fayyaz now has three months to comply.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1e0xjlq73zo

Syrian government forces have been accused of carrying out a massacre at a hospital during sectarian clashes which erupted just over a week ago.

The BBC has visited Suweida’s National Hospital, where staff claim patients were killed inside wards.

The stench hit me before anything else.

In the car park of the main hospital in Suweida city, dozens of decomposing corpses are lined up in white plastic body bags.

Some are open to the elements, revealing bloated and mutilated remains of those who were killed here.

The tarmac beneath my feet is greasy and slippery with blood.

In the sweltering sun, the smell is overwhelming.

“It was a massacre,” Dr Wissam Massoud, a neurosurgeon at the hospital, tells me.

“The soldiers came here saying they wanted to bring peace, but they killed scores of patients, from the very young to the very old.”

Earlier this week, Dr Massoud sent me a video which he said was in the immediate aftermath of the government raid.

In it, a woman shows you around the hospital. On the ground in the wards are dozens of dead patients still bundled up in their bloodied bed sheets.

Everyone here, doctors, nurses, volunteers say the same thing.

That last Wednesday evening, it was Syrian government troops targeting the Druze religious community who came to the hospital and carried out the killings.

Kiness Abu Motab, a volunteer at the hospital, said of the victims: “What is their crime? Just for being a minority in a democratic country?”

“They are criminals. They are monsters. We don’t trust them at all,” Osama Malak an English teacher in the city told me outside the hospital gates.

“They shot an eight-year-old disabled boy in the head,” he said.

“According to international law, hospitals should be protected. But they attacked us even in the hospitals.

“They entered the hospital. They started shooting everybody. They shot the patients in their beds as they slept.”

All sides in this conflict have been accusing each other of committing atrocities.

Both Bedouin and Druze fighters as well as the Syrian army have been accused of killing civilians and extra judicial killings.

There is not yet a clear picture of what happened at the hospital. Some here estimate the number of people to be killed last Wednesday at more than 300 but that figure cannot be verified.

On Tuesday night the Syrian defence ministry said in a statement that it was aware of reports of “shocking violations” by people wearing military fatigues in the country’s predominantly Druze city of Suweida.

Earlier this week, Raed Saleh, the Syrian Minister for Disaster Management and Emergency Response, told me that any allegations of atrocities committed by all sides would be fully investigated.

Access to Suweida city has been heavily restricted, meaning gathering first hand evidence has been difficult.

The city is in effect under siege, with Syrian government forces restricting who is allowed in and out.

To get in, we had to pass through numerous checkpoints.

As we entered the city, we passed burned out shops and buildings, and cars that had been crushed by tanks.

Suweida city had clearly seen a serious battle between Druze and Bedouin fighters.

It was at that point that the Syrian government first intervened to try and enforce a ceasefire.

Although numerous Druze villages in Suweida province have been recaptured by government forces, the city, home to more than 70,000 people, remains under full Druze control.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly84jn000do

The US has said it will leave the United Nations’ culture and education agency Unesco, accusing it of supporting “woke, divisive cultural and social causes”.

Unesco’s Director General Audrey Azoulay described the decision as “regrettable” but “anticipated”.

The move is the latest step in the Trump administration’s efforts to cut ties with international bodies, after removing the US from the World Health Organization and Paris Climate Agreement, as well as cutting funding for foreign relief efforts.

Unesco has 194 member states around the world, and is best known for listing world heritage sites. The US’ decision will take effect from December 2026.

The state department said Unesco’s “globalist, ideological agenda for international development” was “at odds with our America First foreign policy”.

It also described the inclusion of the Palestinians in Unesco in 2011, as “highly problematic, contrary to US policy, and contributed to the proliferation of anti-Israel rhetoric within the organization”.

Those claims “contradict the reality of Unesco’s efforts, particularly in the field of Holocaust education and the fight against antisemitism,” the organisation’s head Audrey Azoulay said.

“This decision contradicts the fundamental principles of multilateralism, and may affect first and foremost our many partners in the United States of America— communities seeking site inscription on the World Heritage List, Creative City status, and University Chairs,” she added.

The Unesco head said the agency had been preparing for Washington’s move, diversifying its sources of funding. Currently, she said, Unesco was getting about 8% of its budget from the US.

In 2017, during his first presidency, Trump pulled the US out of Unesco but the decision was later reversed under Joe Biden’s administration.

During the Obama administration, in 2011, the US halted $60m in funds that had been earmarked for Unesco.

A state department spokesperson at the time said former President Barack Obama’s hand was forced due to a US law that prohibited the transfer of funds after Unesco granted the Palestinian Authority full membership.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0rvkwgg5exo

An algal bloom catastrophe which has turned usually pristine South Australian waters toxic green and suffocated masses of marine life is a “natural disaster”, the state premier has declared.

The algal bloom – a rapid increase in the population of algae in water systems – has been spreading since March and is now twice the size of the country’s capital territory.

The federal government has unveiled an assistance package of A$14m ($9m; £6.7m) but refused to designate the event a natural disaster – a term usually used for cyclones, floods and bushfires and which would trigger a greater response.

Authorities say more than 400 species of marine life have died and local industries are suffering.

Algal bloom is naturally occurring but is caused by ocean warming, marine heatwaves, and nutrient pollution – all exacerbated by climate change.

“This is a natural disaster and should be acknowledged as such… I think politicians can do themselves a disservice when they get caught up in technicalities,” South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Tuesday.

He announced his government would match the federal government’s A$14m in funding, with money to go towards research, clean up, and industry support measures.

Greens Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young is among those openly criticising the federal government, accusing them of underplaying the situation.

“If this toxic algal bloom was wreaking havoc on Bondi Beach or on the north shore in Sydney, the prime minister would have already been on the beach with a response,” she said.

However, federal Environment Minister Murray Watt on Monday said while the bloom and its impacts were “incredibly disturbing”, the catastrophe did not meet the definition of a natural disaster under the country’s laws.

The bloom – which now stretches from Coorong to the Yorke Peninsula, an area about double the size of the Australian Capital Territory – is decimating the local environment and lining the coastline with dead wildlife.

“It is like a horror movie for fish,” Brad Martin – from OzFish, a non-profit organisation that protects fishing habitats – told the BBC in May.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y7nze38p5o