News of the World
Yesterday, 05:42 AM
USA
Quote:LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A suspected biological laboratory raided by Metro police and the FBI may be connected to a similar incident in California, where officials found infectious agents such as HIV and malaria, the 8 News Now Investigators have learned.
Police and the FBI searched the home on Saturday, Jan. 31, finding a “possible biological laboratory,” including “refrigerators with vials containing unknown liquids,” police said.
Shortly before 6 a.m., a Metro SWAT team served a search warrant at the home on Sugar Springs Drive near Washington Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard to search for a possible “biological laboratory” inside the home. A second location was also searched, but no lab was located.
An LLC tied to the home’s county records matches the name of a company that is part of an ongoing federal case in California involving a biological laboratory there, the 8 News Now Investigators first reported. In that case, a Chinese citizen, David He, faces federal charges for allegedly manufacturing and distributing misbranded medical devices, according to federal prosecutors.
As part of that investigation, local and federal officials raided the suspected biolab in Reedley, California, in Fresno County.
“Inside the Reedley Biolab, officials observed blood, tissue and other bodily fluid samples and serums; and thousands of vials of unlabeled fluids and suspected biological material,’ raising the concern that they contained pathogens,” according to a federal report from the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. Some of these vials were labeled with the names of pathogens in English or Mandarin.”
Investigators also located “pathogen-labeled containers” with labels such as “dengue fever,” “HIV,” and “malaria,” the report said, along with 1,000 mice.
The man connected to the Reedley biolab remained in federal custody ahead of a spring trial. His name is listed as the registered agent of the Las Vegas-based company that owns the Sugar Springs Drive property. The LLC purchased the home in 2022.
Two other people connected to the LLC are tied to a Spring Valley business address. The company appears to have a warehouse location in Las Vegas as well, according to documents.
In court documents, He previously told a judge he no longer runs the companies, though he remained listed in Nevada business records as of Sunday. There was no indication as of Sunday that he was charged with a crime connected to Saturday’s raid.
During a joint news conference with the FBI on Saturday, Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill noted one person was in custody connected to the raid; however, no case appeared filed in state or federal court as of Sunday.
And it might be linked to this old article...
Quote:June 3 (UPI) -- The Justice Department on Tuesday announced charges against two Chinese scholars accused of smuggling a dangerous biological pathogen with agroterrorism potential into the United States.
The scholars, Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, are facing charges of conspiracy, goods smuggling, making false statements and visa fraud.
"The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals -- including a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party -- are of the gravest national security concerns," U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. said in a statement.
"These two aliens have been charged with smuggling a fungus that has been described as a 'potential agroterrorism weapon' into the heartland of America, where they apparently intended to use a University of Michigan laboratory to further their scheme."
The biological pathogen the couple are alleged to have smuggled into the United States has been identified as fusarium graminearum, a fungus that causes head blight, which poses significant threat to wheat, barley, maize and rice.
What the couple intended to do with the noxious fungus was not apparent, but the complaint filed against them states that Jian, an alleged member of the CCP and a scholar at the University of Michigan, is accused of receiving funding from Beijing for her work on the pathogen and that Liu, her boyfriend, conducts research on the same fungus at a Chinese university.
According to the complaint, Liu lied about smuggling fusarium graminearum into the United States through the Detroit Metropolitan Airport with the intent to conduct research on it at a laboratory at his girlfriend's school.
Federal prosecutors said that Liu has admitted to smuggling the pathogen into the country.
"These individuals exploited their access to laboratory facilities at a local university to engage in the smuggling of biological pathogens, an act that posed an imminent threat to public safety," Cheyvoryea Gibson, special agent in charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office, said in a statement.
The pair were arrested by the FBI, and Jian was to appear in federal court in Detroit on Tuesday afternoon.
The University of Michigan released a statement in response to the charges, stating they "strongly condemn any actions that seek to harm, threaten national security or undermine the university's critical public mission."
"It is important to note that the university has received no funding from the Chinese government in relation to research conducted by the accused individuals," the school added.
"We have and will continue to cooperate with federal law enforcement in its ongoing investigation and prosecution."
The charges were announced a week after Secretary of State Marco Rubio said they were working to "aggressively revoke" visas of Chinese students, without citing a reason.
Chinese academics stealing technology and intellectual property was a large concern for the first Trump administration, whose Justice Department had launched a controversial program to specifically prosecute Chinese accused of corporate espionage -- a program the Biden administration shuttered under criticism that it fueled intolerance and bias.
"This case is a sobering reminder that the CCP is working around the clock to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate American institutions and target our food supply, which would have grave consequences... putting American lives and our economy at serious risk," FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement on X.
Quote:TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Investigators found signs of forced entry at the Arizona home of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother, a person familiar with the investigation said Tuesday, as the host asked for prayers to help bring back the 84-year-old, who is believed to have been taken against her will.
The host described her mother, Nancy Guthrie, as “a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant” in a social media post late Monday. She asked supporters to “raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment. Bring her home.”
The Pima County sheriff and the Tucson FBI chief held a news conference Tuesday and urged the public to offer tips, but they revealed few new details about the investigation. The sheriff said they don’t have credible information indicating Guthrie’s disappearance was targeted.
Sheriff Chris Nanos has said Guthrie needs daily medication and could die without it. Asked whether officials were looking for her alive, he said, “We hope we are.”
DNA samples have been gathered and submitted for analysis as part of the investigation. “We’ve gotten some back, but nothing to indicate any suspects,” Nanos said.
Motive still a mystery
The person who spoke to The Associated Press said investigators found specific evidence in the home showing there was a nighttime kidnapping. Several of Guthrie’s personal items, including her cellphone, wallet and car, were still there after she disappeared.
Investigators are reviewing surveillance video from nearby homes and working to analyze data from cellphone towers. Police are also reviewing information from license plate cameras in the area, according to the person, who was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the case and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
The motive remains a mystery. Investigators do not believe at this point that the abduction was part of a robbery, home invasion or kidnapping-for-ransom plot, the person said.
Quote:Olympic hopeful Katie Uhlaender reacted to the ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport after she made a case to join Team USA for the Milan Cortina Winter Games.
The CAS said it had no jurisdiction to consider her case against Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton (BCS) coach Joe Cecchini and the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) over the results of the IBSF North American Cup Race and Skeleton qualification for a spot in the Winter Olympics.
Uhlaender appeared on Fox News Channel’s "America’s Newsroom" and told anchor Dana Perino that she didn’t necessarily disagree with the ruling but she is now at a crossroads.
"I don’t know that I disagree that it was out of their jurisdiction to be fair. The dispute happened prior to the 10-day window," she said. "What I want to happen is – something. I don’t know what the solution is at this point because I’ve exhausted all of these pathways within the system and from what I could understand, it will be up to the IOC and potentially the IBSF to allocate an extra spot for extreme circumstances. But we don’t know who should ask for that or exactly how to do it. This is where I’d ask (Vice President) Vance for help."
Uhlaender sought qualification after she missed out on the chance to qualify when Team Canada withdrew athletes from the North American Cup race in early January, reducing the number of points that the event could award. The point reduction made it impossible for Uhlaender to earn enough to qualify.
An investigation by the IBSF found that Team Canada intentionally manipulated the points at the competition in Lake Placid, New York. However, the IBSF also did not revise any of the results or deliver any penalties as a result. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) sent a letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) petitioning to have Uhlaender granted a spot. Fifteen other countries have joined that petition.
"This is all within the rules. There’s nothing wrong with those things. And people can be strategic in the races that they participate. And she was doing that, and other nations were doing that, because you want to put your best foot forward," Cecchini said. "This is a system flaw, if anything. But we were within the rules."
Cecchini also took aim directly at Uhlaender, saying she isn’t a "top-tier athlete."
"I don’t really wanna speak negatively about Katie, but Katie was not on the World Cup team. She wasn’t a top-tier athlete in that program anymore. She was at the end of her career. I would personally would rather race against Katie. She’s not as competitive as the other athletes," he said. "It’s probably really unfair to say and not really where I want to go with this, but that’s where we are with that."
Uhlaender said on Fox News Channel that Cecchini wasn’t really addressing the issue at heart.
Quote:Former Cy Young Award finalist Emmanuel Clase is suspected of throwing rigged pitches to aid gamblers four times more than originally thought, a report said, citing a court document filed Thursday.
The three-time all-star and AL saves leader for the Cleveland Guardians was accused by federal prosecutors of throwing suspicious pitches in nine games over a three-year span when his indictment was unsealed in November.
However, the lawyer for teammate and alleged co-conspirator Luis Ortiz said the feds have accused Clase of manipulating his pitches in 39 other games as he asked for the cases to be severed over “markedly different levels of culpability,” ESPN reported.
Christos N. Georgalis, the lawyer for Ortiz, said his client will not receive a fair trial unless that happens.
ESPN said it had yet to receive a comment from Clase’s lawyer and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, which is prosecuting the case. MLB declined to comment further on the case, ESPN reported, but said previously that it was co-operating with prosecutors.
Co-accused’s lawyer wants cases split
Ortiz is accused of rigging pitches in two games in June 2025, while Clase is accused of conspiring with bettors between 2023 and 2025, according to the indictment.
They have both pleaded not guilty to wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to influence sporting events by bribery with the top charges worth up to 20 years in prison.
The filing asked for the case to be split due to the difference in scale of the alleged crimes, while highlighting that the indictment does not contain evidence that Ortiz communicated directly with bettors.
A jury presented “with 26 months of alleged criminal conduct by Mr. Clase — including suspect pitches during 48 games, dozens of communications with (a bettor), cash transfers and co-ordination of illegal wagers” could find Ortiz guilty by association, Georgalis said in the filing, via ESPN.
Quote:California’s already sky-high gas prices are expected to surge after Valero abruptly shuttered its Benicia refinery amid a spiraling “oil crisis,” a new report claims.
The Benicia refinery began shutting down on Saturday, four months earlier than planned, a former Valero manager told the California Globe Tuesday.
Thermal imaging showed the facility went cold as the Crimson Pipeline – which transports crude oil from Southern to Northern California – was also taken offline.
“We are in an unprecedented oil crisis,” oil expert Mike Ariza told the publication.
Valero Energy Corp. announced its plans last spring to pull the plug on its 145,000-barrel-per-day refinery by April, a move that is expected to send fuel prices skyrocketing and hobble the state’s refining capacity.
Californians already pay the second-highest gas price in the nation behind only Hawaii. In January, the average price was $4.23 per gallon, according to the American Automobile Association.
Refineries are fleeing the Golden State as regulations drive operating costs 26 to 37% higher than the national average. Chevron moved its operations from the Bay Area to Texas, while Phillips 66 powered down its 140,000-barrel-per-day Los Angeles refinery in October.
Ariza warned that as refineries go dark, more Californians will also skip town, noting that the oil and gas industry supports 536,770 jobs and pumps $338 billion into the state’s economy, the outlet reported.
He said Valero’s accelerated shutdown comes after the company scrapped its crude oil contracts back in October.
“Now, Valero is not even seeking to try and sell the refinery,” Ariza told the outlet in December.
“Even after the state tried to convince Valero to remain open, they elected to shut down. And instead of shutting down in April, they shutdown in January. All due to the state’s egregious regulations and unprecedented unjustified fines.”
Quote:Melania Trump welcomed to the White House on Wednesday freed Israeli hostages Keith Siegel and wife Aviva, who played a role in her newly released film.
And she had strong words for a reporter who tried to question her about Ghislaine Maxwell.
“We are here celebrating the release and the lives of these two incredible people so let’s honor that,” Trump said.
The first lady kept the focus of the event on her work and denied she was promoting her self-titled documentary even though she and the former Hamas captives mentioned the movie that hit theaters on Friday in their remarks.
In her “Melania” film, she met with Aviva to discuss Keith’s captivity and helped to eventually free him.
“It was emotional meeting,” Trump said of her sitdown with Avivia, “and it is captured on camera and available to see by the film, Melania.”
She praised Aviva’s dedication to her husband. “Aviva was a warrior. She is a warrior. She was fighting very hard for Keith. And I know he suffered a lot.” And told Keith: “I’m happy to see you healthy at home with your children, with your grandchildren, with your family.”
Both Keith and Aviva mentioned the film when they thanked Melania Trump for her support.
“I want to thank you for being a caring, compassionate person and for supporting and helping Aviva,” he said.
“I also want to end by congratulating you on the release of your movie. So much looking forward to seeing it, and so grateful for you deciding to have Aviva be a part of your movie. Thank you.”
Aviva added in her thanks: “I knew how important it was for you to go back home and talk to President Trump and sharing your feelings. So I want to thank you for that, and I want to thank you for putting me in your special Melania film.”
The first lady denied her meeting with the couple was a business promotion when pressed by a reporter.
“This is not promotion,” she said. “We are here celebrating the release of the hostages of Aviva and Keith. They were in Washington, DC, and they called me. They called me. They said they would like to come over to thank me and to give hugs, and that’s why we’re doing it. It’s nothing to do with promotion.”
Keith and Aviva Siegel were two of the roughly 250 people captured during the Oct. 7th attack and spent 484 days in captivity in Gaza.
Aviva was released during a cease-fire in November 2023. She met with Melania Trump after President Trump won the 2024 election – an event that was documented in the first lady’s self-titled documentary.
Quote:A City Council staffer who has been in ICE custody since mid-January was denied bond by an immigration judge Monday after federal lawyers successfully argued he posed a danger to society, according to a report.
Data analyst and Venezuelan national Rafael Andres Rubio Bohorquez will remain in a Hudson Valley facility for now after he was detained by federal agents when he showed up to a Jan. 12 court check-in on Long Island.
Department of Homeland Security attorneys argued during the hearing that Rubio Bohorquez should stay locked up, citing a 2023 arrest for allegedly punching his roommate’s face and breaking his nose during a fight, The City reported.
While the charges against Rubio Bohorquez were later dropped and sealed, a DHS lawyer argued he lied about his criminal history on paperwork seeking asylum and Temporary Protected Status, the outlet reported.
A lawyer for the staffer, Roger Asmar, argued Rubio Bohorquez didn’t think he was required to mention the arrest because the charges were erased.
Video of the altercation also showed Rubio Bohorquez didn’t sock the roommate, who was also arrested during the scuffle, Asmar claimed, according to The City.
“I don’t see any reason my client shouldn’t be released,” he said – though Conroy shot back, “He’s failed to demonstrate he’s not a danger.”
An email to Asmar was not immediately returned.
Elected officials, including Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Council Speaker Julie Menin, have rallied to the defense of Rubio Bohorquez, who started working for the legislative body in January 2025.
City officials have argued he had permission to be in the United States at least until October 2026 – despite President Trump ending a Biden-era legal protection program for Venezuelans.
Quote:WASHINGTON — A US Senate panel launched a probe Wednesday of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration, citing “serious concerns” about the “rescission of executive orders related to antisemitism and boycotts of Israel.”
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.) wrote a letter to Mamdani asking whether the scrapping of the orders would hamper the enforcement of civil rights law — thus risking the revocation of $2.2 billion in federal funds.
“Antisemitism is not an abstract concern in New York City; it is a lived reality for millions of students and residents, and its consequences are very serious,” Cassidy told Mamdani in the letter reviewed by The Post.
“Decisions by your administration that weaken established safeguards for Jewish students in New York and are out of alignment with federal executive orders warrant careful scrutiny,” he said.
“Jewish students deserve clear assurance that their safety and civil rights will not be compromised by your administration’s actions.”
A January survey found that a majority of Jewish voters (53%) in the Big Apple felt threatened by the Democratic socialist mayor’s statements and similar remarks by his allies.
Mamdani voided every executive order signed by former New York City Mayor Eric Adams since the day his predecessor was indicted on federal corruption charges in September 2024.
That included a June 8, 2025, order that “created the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism to identify and develop efforts to eliminate antisemitism and anti-Jewish hate crime,” and the Dec. 2 order that year opposed boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) policies regarding Israel.
Mamdani called Israel an apartheid state and backed the controversial BDS movement before taking office.
Cassidy in his letter said the former order used the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.
Quote:WASHINGTON — Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is demanding a public congressional hearing about her and her husband Bill’s relationships with deceased sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and his convicted accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell — despite both having already agreed to closed-door depositions.
The Clintons caved on Monday to avoid a vote to hold them in contempt of Congress for refusing to appear for depositions as part of the House Oversight Committee’s Epstein investigation.
But by Friday, the former first lady accused Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) of having “moved the goalposts” regarding the subpoenas — which were issued last August — “and turned accountability into an exercise in distraction.”
“For six months, we engaged Republicans on the Oversight Committee in good faith. We told them what we know, under oath,” Hillary Clinton wrote on X. “So let’s stop the games.”
“If you want this fight, @RepJamesComer, let’s have it—in public,” she added. “You love to talk about transparency. There’s nothing more transparent than a public hearing, cameras on. We will be there.”
Former first son Hunter Biden pulled the same move with the Oversight panel before sitting for a deposition in February 2024.
Former Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz replied to the post, “I’m with her,” referencing the slogan from the Democrat’s failed 2016 presidential campaign, suggesting some Republicans may be open to the hearing.
But a House Oversight panel spokeswoman fired back: “The Clintons are going to Clinton and try to spin the facts since no one is buying their claims.”
“The only ones moving the goalposts are, as usual, the Clintons and their attorneys. The Clintons were issued bipartisan subpoenas for depositions—not a hearing,” the spokeswoman said.
“In the wake of facing contempt of Congress proceedings, the Clintons’ attorney finally agreed to filmed, transcribed depositions on February 26 and 27,” she added.
President Trump voiced unease on Wednesday about Bill Clinton having to sit for a deposition.
Asked by “NBC Nightly News” anchor Tom Llamas if he was concerned that he might face a similar threat after leaving office, Trump replied: “I think they might say that. But they’ve already brought me. … I’ve been indicted many, many times.”
“These depositions are in accordance with House and Committee rules. All witnesses appearing for interviews as part of our Epstein investigation are being treated fairly and consistently.”
That included former Attorney General Bill Barr and ex-Labor Secretary and South Florida US Attorney Alex Acosta, who both sat for filmed depositions with the committee.
“It bothers me that they’re going after Bill Clinton. I like Bill Clinton,” he also said. “I liked his behavior towards me. I thought he got me. He understood me.”
The Clintons provided written declarations through their attorneys to the Oversight Committee last month denying any knowledge of Epstein or Maxwell’s sickening sex crimes against young girls.
INDIA
Quote:President Donald Trump said Monday the United States plans to lower tariffs on goods from India to 18 percent, down from 25 percent, after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to halt purchases of Russian oil, a move Trump cast as both an economic reset and a step toward ending the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The announcement followed a call between the two leaders and comes after months of pressure from Trump on India to reduce its reliance on discounted Russian crude. Since Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, India has sharply increased oil imports from Moscow as Western nations moved to isolate the Kremlin through sanctions.
Trump said the agreement would also see India reduce import taxes and non‑tariff barriers on U.S. goods to zero and commit to buying roughly $500 billion worth of American products, including energy, technology and agricultural exports.
Trump Links Trade Deal to Push to End Ukraine War
Trump explicitly tied the tariff reduction and India’s shift away from Russian oil to his broader effort to bring an end to the war in Ukraine, which has now dragged on for nearly four years.
“This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social announcing the deal.
The president has repeatedly argued that curbing Russia’s oil revenue is the most effective way to pressure Moscow into negotiations, a view that aligns with his heavy reliance on tariffs as a foreign policy tool. Since returning to office, he has frequently imposed import taxes without going through Congress to advance economic and diplomatic objectives.
At the same time, Trump has struggled to fulfill a campaign pledge to quickly end the conflict and has been reluctant to directly confront Russian President Vladimir Putin, drawing criticism from allies who favor a harder line against Moscow.
Modi Welcomes Tariff Cut, Praises Trump’s Leadership
Modi responded positively to the announcement, saying he was “delighted” by the planned tariff reduction and praising Trump’s leadership.
“President Trump’s leadership is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity,” Modi wrote in a post on X. “I look forward to working closely with him to take our partnership to unprecedented heights.”
Trump and Modi have long portrayed their relationship as warm, but it has become more complicated in recent years amid the war and disputes over trade imbalances and market access.
EUROPE
Quote:Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, once asked Jeffrey Epstein to “marry me” and made a crude remark about her daughter’s sex life, newly released emails show.
The former Duchess of York, known widely as Fergie, heaped praise on the late pedophile in various chummy exchanges over the years, the latest Epstein files drop shows — even taking her daughters to see him soon after he left jail for sex offenses against an underage girl.
“You are a legend. I really don’t have the words to describe, my love, gratitude for your generosity and kindness,” she wrote in one 2010 email, when he was already a convicted pedophile.
“Xx I am at your service. Just marry me.”
In another email exchange a year earlier, Ferguson gushed over Epstein as she updated him on potential business opportunities for her brands and books.
“In just one week, after your lunch, it seems the energy has lifted”, she wrote in the missive.
“I have never been more touched by a friends [sic] kindness than your compliment to me infront of my girls,” the mom of two continued.
“Thank you Jeffrey for being the brother I have always wished for.”
Meanwhile, the former Duchess of York’s two daughters — Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie — were also referenced in various email exchanges.
“ny [New York]?” Epstein wrote in a 2010 email to Prince Andrew’s ex-wife.
“Not sure yet. Just waiting for Eugenie to come back from a shagging weekend!!” Ferguson fired back, using the British slang term for sex.
Eugenie, who is now 35, was just shy of turning 20 when the emails between her mom and Epstein were sent.
Separate emails from 2009 suggested, too, that Epstein had joined Ferguson and her two daughters for lunch.
Quote:British police are reviewing explosive new allegations that Jeffrey Epstein sent a woman to the UK to have sex with then-Prince Andrew in his Royal Lodge.
The unidentified accuser claimed she was trafficked to have sex with the ex-royal at his now-former residence when she was in her 20s — and even got a tour of Buckingham Palace after.
“We are aware of reports about a woman said to have been taken to an address in Windsor in 2010 for sexual purposes,” a Thames Valley Police spokesperson confirmed Tuesday.
“We are assessing the information in line with our established procedures. We take any reports of sexual crimes extremely seriously and encourage anyone with information to come forward.
“At this time, these allegations have not been reported to Thames Valley Police by either the lawyer or their client.”
UK police previously investigated claims that Andrew had sex with longtime accuser Virginia Giuffre in London, which the royal has always vehemently denied.
The latest allegations are the first time an Epstein accuser has claimed to have had sex with Andrew at a royal residence.
“We’re talking about at least one woman who was sent by Jeffrey Epstein over to Prince Andrew,” Brad Edwards, the woman’s lawyer, told the BBC.
“And she even had, after a night with Prince Andrew, a tour of Buckingham Palace.”
Pressure is ramping up for Andrew to testify in front of a US congressional committee over his links to Epstein, and Vice President JD Vance appeared to endorse the idea of Andrew giving evidence.
Quote:Already-struggling UK Leader Keir Starmer is facing mounting pressure to step down over the latest scandal involving his former ambassador to America’s shocking close links to Jeffrey Epstein.
The prime minister, whose popularity was already at a near-record low since his 2024 election, faced revolt even from his own party over the fresh revelations about former diplomat Peter Mandelson, who was even seen in his underwear with an unknown woman in photos in the latest Epstein files.
Starmer went into a desperate damage-control mode Thursday, accusing his one-time close ally of “deceit” — even though Mandelson’s friendship with the now-deceased pedophile was well known when Starmer gave him the cushy role as the UK’s ambassador to Washington in December 2024.
“I was lied to, lied to,” Starmer said — while conceding that he knew Mandelson was still close with Epstein after he was convicted of sex offenses in 2008.
“I am sorry. Sorry for what was done to you, sorry that so many people with power failed you, sorry for having believed Mandelson’s lies and appointing him,” Starmer said in a groveling apology to Epstein’s victims.
“None of us knew the depth and the darkness of that relationship,” Starmer insisted, saying he was also filled with “anger and frustration” at the escalating revelations of the close ties, which seemingly involved the once-powerful minister leaking government documents to the perverted moneyman.
Nigel Farage — whose anti-immigration Reform UK party is currently leading in the polls — called the Mandelson controversy the “biggest scandal” in British politics for over 100 years.
Members of Starmer’s own Labour Party have also gone on the attack, with one Welsh Labour MP telling the BBC: “Starmer has to go.”
“I’m personally not sure I could trust myself to back the prime minister in a confidence vote,” another MP told the Guardian.
A former minister warned that the scandal was enough to take down the party, urging Labour leaders to drop Starmer.
“It’s time for a fresh start, the sooner the better,” the former minister told the Guardian
Quote:The son of Norway’s crown princess pleaded not guilty to rape charges as he went on trial Tuesday for multiple alleged offenses, opening weeks of proceedings in a case that has cast a shadow on the royal family’s image.
Marius Borg Høiby, 29, is the eldest son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a previous relationship and the stepson of the heir to the throne, Crown Prince Haakon. Høiby has no royal title or official duties.
Høiby stood for 24 minutes while prosecutor Sturla Henriksbø read out the 38 counts against him at the Oslo district court, asking him if he pleaded guilty. He replied “no” to each of the most serious charges, including the four counts of rape.
The charges also include abuse in a close relationship against one former partner, acts of violence against another and transporting 7.7 pounds of marijuana. Others include making death threats and traffic violations.
Høiby pleaded guilty to several driving offenses, to an aggravated drugs offense and breaking a restraining order, and “partly” to threats and aggravated assault. Wearing glasses, a brown sweater and beige trousers, he spoke quietly and conferred regularly with his lawyer. A court official moved the microphone to better pick up his answers.
Prosecutors have said that Høiby could face up to 10 years in prison, if convicted in the trial, which is scheduled to last until March 19. Seven alleged victims are expected to testify.
“There is equality before the law,” Henriksbø told the court. “The defendant is the son of the crown princess. He is part of the royal family. He shall nevertheless be treated in the same way as any other person who is charged with the same offenses.”
UKRAINE WAR
Even Russia needs its own Disneyworld...and claim Winnie the Pooh is Russian. 
Quote:When you wish upon a czar.
Move over, Mickey and Minnie — one Moscow politician is plotting to turn his war-mongering and economically failing country into the “Happiest Place on Earth” by building an all-Russian version of Disneyland.
Airat Gibatdinov, a member of Russia’s Council Committee on Culture, is proposing the Kremlin build its own version of the iconic US-based theme park populated with Soviet-era cartoon characters, Russian outlet TASS reported.
He believes that Russian cartoons are ‘Putin’ on better shows than foreign cartoons.
“Our beloved Cheburashka, Crocodile Gena, Winnie the Pooh, Carlson, the characters from ‘Well, Just You Wait!’ and ‘Prostokvashino’ have become a cultural universe truly capable of competing with Western franchises,” Gibatdinov told TASS.
Cheburashka and Gena the Crocodile are Russian cartoon characters created by the Soviet Jewish children’s author Eduard Uspensky in 1966. They became household names in Russia and the subject of animated television series and movies.
Gibatdinov mused naming Russia’s Disney after the character, calling it Cheburlandia.
The Soviet-era cartoon character, Cheburashka, which has large fuzzy brown ears and a circular head, is an animal “unknown to science.”
It has enjoyed a cultural resurgence in Russia after the release of its self titled 3D-animated movie in 2023 and sequel released in December 2025. Both films broke Russian box office records.
Quote:Poland temporarily restricted civilian air traffic over part of its airspace after what were likely balloons entered the NATO member from neighboring Belarus, Warsaw has said.
The objects entered Polish airspace overnight Friday two days after a similar incident caused the closure of airspace in the northeast of the country.
Newsweek has contacted the Belarusian foreign ministry for comment.
...
What To Know
Poland’s armed forces said on X that overnight Friday that objects had entered Polish airspace from Belarus and there was a “high probability” that they were balloons.
Military radar systems monitored their flight and to ensure safety, civil aviation restrictions over the Podlaskie province in the northeast of the country were introduced, but no threat to Polish airspace safety was recorded.
The statement did not say that any aircraft had been deployed, which has happened during Russian drone strikes on Ukraine that have threatened to encroach on Polish airspace.
The Polish armed forces said it was another in a series of hybrid incidents in the eastern area of Poland, whose armed forces remained ready to respond.
Earlier in January, Poland had summoned the Belarusian chargé d'affaires over a previous airspace breach by objects thought to be smuggling balloons, Polish media reported.
On January 17, the NATO member had recorded an increase in smuggling balloons filled with illegal cigarettes near the Belarusian border. Polish police said on December 26 several dozen flying objects, most likely smuggling balloons, had crossed into the country from Belarus on Christmas Eve.
NATO announced in September it would beef up its air presence along the alliance eastern edge after around 20 Russian drones crossed over into Poland on September 10.
Moscow denied it had targeted the country, but Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the incident marked "the closest we have been to open conflict since World War II."
Quote:Russia has launched a ballistic missile and drone assault on Ukrainian infrastructure, Kyiv has said, in what marks the end of a brief pause on strikes following a request by President Donald Trump.
Dozens of missiles and hundreds of drones were reported over Ukraine overnight Monday, in a barrage that precedes talks in the United Arab Emirates aimed at ending the war.
Energy sites across the country were struck in what private energy company DTEK called "the most powerful blow" so far this year. The attack came as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte arrived in Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian defense ministry for comment.
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What To Know
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Moscow had fired around 450 long-range drones and 70 missiles overnight Monday as it targeted the country's power grid in freezing temperatures.
The strikes were launched as temperatures dropped to -20C (-4F). Tower blocks in the capital were left without heating and a power plant in the eastern city of Kharkiv was damaged beyond repair.
At least 10 people were injured in Russia’s attack on at least five regions and was aimed at denying civilians light, heating and running water amid the coldest winter in years, Zelensky said.
Ukraine's air force said on Telegram that Moscow launched four Zircon/Onix anti-ship missiles, 32 Iskander-M/S-300 ballistic missiles, seven Kh-22/Kh-32 cruise missiles, and 28 Kh-101/Iskander-K cruise missiles.
Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 38 missiles and 412 drones but at least 27 missiles and 31 drones made it through, striking 27 locations, according to the Ukrainian statement.
Air defenses in Kyiv were activated after midnight as Russian drones approached the city and explosions were reported shortly afterward, according to public broadcaster Suspilne.
Explosions continued throughout the night and Ukraine's Air Force warned of a ballistic missile attack on the capital. Air raid sirens sounded in several regions of Ukraine on Tuesday morning after Russia launched missiles toward Chernihiv, Kyiv and Zhytomyr oblasts.
Russian forces damaged thermal power plants operated by DTEK, Ukraine's largest private energy company, with strikes causing power outages on the left bank of the Dnipro River in Kyiv's eastern districts, according to the company.
Quote:Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would most likely win an election in the country after the war, the governor of Ukraine's southern Mykolaiv region has said, as fresh U.S.-led talks on a ceasefire kicked off on Wednesday and Russia renewed strikes Ukrainian cities.
Zelensky is the "best candidate for the future president," Vitaliy Kim, a long-term ally of the president, told Newsweek on Tuesday, insisting a return to peacetime would allow the Ukrainian leader, who gained office in 2019, to focus on reforms he had planned before Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
Kim's comments came just hours after Russia hit Ukraine's largest cities, including Kyiv and Kharkiv, with a bombardment of drone and missile strikes—the year's largest attack so far.
The attacks targeted the country's power facilities, leaving tens of thousands without electricity and heating on Tuesday and Wednesday amid freezing -25C (-13F) temperatures. Three people were also killed in the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia during persistent attacks across both days, the regional governor said.
The strikes on civilian areas came immediately after what appeared to be a pause in Russian attacks brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump last week. Last Thursday, Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed "not to fire into Kyiv and various towns for a week."
The Kremlin said Trump had "made a personal request to Putin" to not strike the Ukrainian capital until February 1, a shorter timeline, but did not elaborate further. Moscow resumed strikes on February 2.
Trump, when probed on whether he was disappointed by Russia restarting attacks, said Putin had "kept his word."
Kim declined to comment on what the latest round of trilateral peace talks could achieve, but said Ukraine was exhausted by nearly four years of grueling war against Moscow. The country is "looking forward" to a peace deal, Kim said.
Ukraine has ruled out the prospect of elections taking place during the war, while under the country is still under martial law.
But as Trump has called for elections in Ukraine, and at times criticized Zelensky's standing in office, including calling him a "dictator," the Ukrainian leader has said his government could set up ballots if the U.S. and other backers could ensure voters' safety.
Zelensky's elected time in office expired last year. Russia has painted Zelensky as illegitimate, while Trump has repeatedly accused the Ukrainian leader of "using war" to avoid elections. Zelensky has remained popular, although corruption scandals touching his inner circle have fueled discontent with the government and pulled down his approval rating, according to recent polls.
Quote:The Russian Foreign Ministry warned Wednesday that it was ready to take decisive action to stop threats against the country, following the expiration of the New START Treaty on nuclear weapons between it and the U.S.
In statements shared with Russia's TASS News Agency, the ministry said that Russian officials had not heard from the U.S. ahead of the lapse set for Thursday, which would lift caps on the two largest atomic arsenals for the first time in over 50 years.
"As you know, on September 22, 2025, we proposed to the Americans to extend the key quantitative limits for one year as voluntary self-restrictions," Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said Wednesday. "However, we have not yet received an official response from the Americans."
A U.S. State Department official told Newsweek that President Donald Trump would make a decision on his own timeline.
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What To Know
Russian officials said Wednesday that they would proceed in a balanced manner and act responsibly once not bound by the New START Treaty, adding that the country was moving forward without a response from the U.S. The lack of response was branded "erroneous and regrettable," TASS reported.
Despite this, Russia said it remained open to finding new political and diplomatic solutions.
Earlier Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that he did not have an announcement on the treaty's expiration but added that Trump was open to talks with Russia and China.
What Is The U.S.-Russia Nuclear Treaty, New START?
New START was signed by President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev 15 years ago. The treaty restricted each side to no more than 1,550 nuclear warheads on no more than 700 missiles and bombers—deployed and ready for use.
The deal was originally supposed to expire in 2021, but Trump extended it toward the end of his first term in the White House in 2020.
In February 2023, Putin said he was ending Moscow's participation because he could not allow U.S. inspectors to visit nuclear sites when Washington and NATO allies were opposed to his 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin said it would still honor the caps set out in the treaty.
Quote:President Donald Trump said Thursday that he wanted to seek a new nuclear treaty rather than extend the New START Treaty with Russia expiring the same day.
Trump's post on Truth Social, which touted his efforts to bolster the U.S. military, came as Reuters reported that he wants to include China in any new deal.
"Rather than extend 'NEW START' (A badly negotiated deal by the United States that, aside from everything else, is being grossly violated), we should have our Nuclear Experts work on a new, improved, and modernized Treaty that can last long into the future," Trump said, in part.
On Wednesday, Russia warned that it was prepared to move forward without the limitations set by the treaty first signed by President Barack Obama, after not hearing back from the U.S.
...
What To Know
Trump's post on Thursday seeking a new treaty came after Russia indicated it wanted to temporarily extend New START while negotiations continued.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had discussed the issue with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, during a phone call on Wednesday, saying that Russia “will act in a balanced and responsible manner based on thorough analysis of the security situation,” per Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov.
For its part, China has said it regrets the expiration of the Russia-U.S. treaty and has called for dialogue between the two countries. Chinese officials, however, have tried to distance themselves from a three-country deal.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said on Wednesday that Trump wanted to work with China and Russia moving forward.
Quote:WASHINGTON — Russia and Ukraine agreed to release 157 of each others’ prisoners of war on Thursday after another round of talks with the US, a move that some analysts say was a largely symbolic show of commitment to peace.
The talks began on Wednesday, with Kyiv agreeing to move forward with the diplomatic discussions despite Russia breaking President Trump’s requested weeklong cease-fire on Ukrainian heating and power infrastructure as frigid temperatures sweep the country.
“Negotiations took place while Russia continues its relentless attacks on Ukrainian cities, pushing the people toward the edge of survival,” Ukrainian ambassador to the US Olga Stefanishyna exclusively told The Post. “Yet Ukraine remains steadfast in its pursuit of peace and is ready to seize every opportunity.”
The diplomat welcomed the return of prisoners as “good news,” noting that “many of those freed endured captivity and mistreatment since 2022.”
“We are grateful to the American side for helping make this possible. Return of our people is priceless,” she said.
The Thursday exchange was the first to happen in more than four months — but some officials and analysts say if Russia is attempting to show progress, they should start by respecting even a temporary cease-fire.
“Prisoner exchanges are always valuable, but additional things that can be done to show good faith towards ending the war beyond prisoner exchanges, like a permanent or extended hiatus against strikes on energy infrastructure,” Atlantic Council senior fellow and former Pentagon official Alex Plitsas said Thursday.
Shortly after the talks began early Wednesday, Russian forces hit a crowded market in eastern Ukraine, killing at least seven people and leaving another 15 wounded, Donetsk region’s Governor Vadym Filashkin said.
The attacks followed another major assault on Ukraine’s energy grid, with Moscow firing more than 500 drones and missiles across five different regions on Tuesday.
Trump on Feb. 29 said he had convinced Putin to agree to a weeklong cease-fire on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure. While the Kremlin initially appeared to respect the request, it unleashed the massive drone and missile attack on the energy sector just four days later.
Stefanishyna suggested that a Russian sanctions-related bill greenlit by Trump but still languishing in Congress could “compel Putin and his inner circle to engage seriously with peace efforts led by the United States.”
“The Kremlin and [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin have shown that force is the language they understand best,” she said. “To respond effectively, we must step up pressure on the aggressor and limit their ability to wage war.”
Meanwhile, Moscow painted the talks with a brighter interpretation, with Kremlin henchman Kirill Dmitriev declaring the exchange resulted in “positive advancement” — and claiming suggestions to the contrary came from “warmongers” who are “trying to thwart it,” Russia’s state-run TASS news website reported.
MIDDLE EAST
Quote:OPEC+ agreed to keep its oil output unchanged for March at a meeting, the producer group said on Sunday, even after crude prices hit six-month highs on concern the US could launch a military strike on OPEC member Iran.
The meeting of eight OPEC+ members comes as Brent crude closed near $70 a barrel on Friday, close to the six-month high of $71.89 it hit on Thursday, despite speculation that a supply glut in 2026 would push prices down.
The eight producers — Saudi Arabia, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Iraq, Algeria and Oman — raised production quotas by about 2.9 million barrels per day from April through December, roughly 3% of global demand.
In November, they froze further planned increases for January through March because of seasonally weaker consumption.
Sunday’s brief meeting reaffirmed that decision for March, after earlier gatherings did the same for January and February.
Sunday’s statement made no mention of what OPEC+ could decide for specific months beyond March, and the lack of forward guidance is significant, said Jorge Leon, a former OPEC official who now works as head of geopolitical analysis at Rystad Energy.
“With rising uncertainty around Iran and U.S. tensions, the group is keeping all options firmly on the table,” he said.
“OPEC’s own numbers point to a lower call on OPEC+ crude in the second quarter, which could limit the scope for production increases,” Leon added.
OPEC+ includes the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, plus Russia and other allies. The full OPEC+ pumps about half of the world’s oil.
A separate OPEC+ panel called the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee also met on Sunday. The JMMC does not have decision-making authority on production policy.
Quote:WASHINGTON — Iran’s ruling clerics knew a nationwide revolt was coming — and plotted a brutal, premeditated crackdown months in advance, according to explosive new audio recordings and secret regime documents released Tuesday by the most prominent Iranian opposition group in the US.
The National Council of Resistance of Iran, whose intelligence first identified Iran’s nuclear program in 2002, said the Tehran regime coldly mapped out a mass slaughter of protesters — including orders to cut off the internet, unleash live fire on crowds, embed undercover agents in demonstrations and manipulate protest chants to weaken the uprising.
“This was not panic. This was a plan,” NCRI US Deputy Director Alireza Jafarzadeh told reporters at a briefing in Washington. “They anticipated a national uprising — and prepared to crush it.”
Protests erupted in more than 400 cities across all 31 provinces, sweeping in students, workers, women, ethnic minorities and entire families — a scale NCRI called “unprecedented” under the Islamic Republic.
Crowds chanted “Death to Khamenei” and “Death to the dictator,” directly challenging Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in scenes that, Jafarzadeh said, “terrified the regime.” Even Khamenei recently admitted the unrest threatened the regime’s survival, calling it an attempted coup.
“This uprising caught the mullahs by surprise,” Jafarzadeh said. “It shook the foundations of their rule.”
The opposition group unveiled a 129-page “Comprehensive Tehran Security Plan,” drafted by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Sarallah Garrison in fall 2024 — months before the protests erupted.
The plan, parts of which The Post has reviewed, details identifying “high-risk” citizens and families likely to protest, at what point to deploy IRGC forces, when to impose internet blackouts and isolate protesters and how to escalate the crackdown from police control to military suppression.
It also laid out the main reason behind civilians’ distaste for the radical Islamist regime, indicating Khamenei knew well in advance that his people disapproved of his leadership bringing on sanctions for his pursuit of nuclear weapons and support of proxy terrorist groups — and why.
“What currently causes the greatest public dissatisfaction is people’s concern and frustration over the repeated fluctuations in the exchange rate, and consequently the disruption of prices in the market, which has affected other areas such as cultural, social, political, sports and so forth,” the document said.
Another top-secret Interior Ministry directive outlined a four-stage crisis response, including pre-authorized orders to slow or completely shut down internet access once unrest reached a critical stage to isolate protesters and prevent the world from observing the scenes.
Quote:U.S. Central Command said a U.S. Navy fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that was approaching the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, marking the latest confrontation between U.S. and Iranian forces in the region.
In an emailed statement Tuesday to Newsweek, Central Command spokesperson Navy Captain Tim Hawkins said the drone “aggressively approached” the carrier with “unclear intent” and continued flying toward the ship despite de‑escalatory measures taken by U.S. forces operating in international waters. The military said the shootdown occurred within hours of a separate incident involving Iranian forces and a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.
The drone, identified as a Shahed‑139, was destroyed by an F‑35C fighter jet launched from the Abraham Lincoln, which Central Command said was operating about 500 miles from Iran’s southern coast. No U.S. personnel were injured, and no equipment was damaged in the incident, the military said.
The incident was also reported on by Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency, which cited an unnamed source as stating that a drone identified as a Shahed-129 had "been engaged in identification, monitoring and imaging in its regular and legal mission in the open waters, and this is considered a routine and legal action."
"The drone successfully sent its surveillance and reconnaissance images to the center, but then lost contact," the source said, according to Tasnim. "However, the reason for this loss of contact is being investigated and details will be announced once it is confirmed."
Newsweek reached out to the Iranian Mission to the United Nations for comment.
Later the same day, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps harassed the U.S.-flagged, U.S.-crewed merchant vessel Stena Imperative, according to Central Command. The military said two Iranian boats and an Iranian Mohajer drone approached the ship at high speed and threatened to board and seize the tanker.
Central Command told Newsweek, "During a separate incident hours later in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces harassed a U.S.-flagged, U.S.-crewed merchant vessel lawfully transiting the international sea passage. Two IRGC boats and an Iranian Mohajer drone approached M/V Stena Imperative at high speeds and threatened to board and seize the tanker."
The statement continued, "Guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74) was operating in the area and immediately responded to the scene to escort M/V Stena Imperative with defensive air support from the U.S. Air Force. The situation de-escalated as a result, and the U.S.-flagged tanker is proceeding safely."
Turkey had been working behind the scenes to host the talks later this week as U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff traveled through the region. A Turkish official later said the location of the discussions had not been finalized but that Turkey stood ready to support the diplomatic effort.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Tuesday that those talks are still on.
“President Trump is always wanting to pursue diplomacy first, but obviously it takes two to tango,” Leavitt said after the incidents. She added, “As always, though, of course, the president has a range of options on the table with respect to Iran.”
Quote:US Central Command showed off the workings of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln on Thursday as tensions with Iran continue to escalate.
Time-lapse video aboard the nuclear-powered warship shows scores of sailors and CENTCOM personnel launching American jets from the Lincoln, which had recently intercepted an Iranian drone flying in its direction.
“Sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln are trained to work as a team to launch and recover safely and on time, every time,” CENTCOM touted on X.
The USS Lincoln is part of the “massive Armada” President Trump is building up in the Middle East as negotiations with Iran continue to heat up over its nuclear program and violent crackdown on protesters.
The nuclear-powered vessel arrived in the region earlier this year accompanied by its strike force, bringing additional F-35C and F-18 jet fighters that can target deep inside Iran.
The Lincoln saw its first test of the latest conflict on Tuesday when it shot down an Iranian suicide drone over the Arabian Sea after it “aggressively approached” the US warship.
“Continued Iranian harassment and threats in international waters and airspace will not be tolerated,” CENTCOM said.
“Iran’s unnecessary aggression near US forces, regional partners and commercial vessels increases risks of collision, miscalculation, and regional destabilization,” the military added.
Quote:President Trump said Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei should be “very worried” ahead of on-again, off-again diplomatic talks on Friday.
“We’ve had [protesters’] back and, look, their country’s a mess right now because of us,” Trump told NBC news, referring to the administration’s efforts to wipe out Tehran’s nuclear program.
The US will attend Friday talks with Iranian leaders in Oman — not Turkey — after Tehran demanded major changes to the venue and content of the discussion.
The update came after Axios had earlier reported the Trump administration had refused to bend to Tehran’s demand to change the venue, seen as a last-minute tactic to steer the discussion away from its troubling ballistic missile supply and brutality on protesters, citing unnamed US officials.
As the US moved roughly 10 warships to the waters near Iran following Tehran’s brutal crackdown on protesters last month, Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had agreed to meet Iranian officials for de-escalatory talks in Istanbul on Friday.
Throughout the week, Iran had been attempting to steer the talks to only involve the prospect of a nuclear deal — which they were suddenly amenable to discussing after Trump destroyed their nuclear weapons facilities in strikes last summer as part of Operation Midnight Hammer.
American officials ultimately to bowed to Iran’s demands, accepting the change of venue after unnamed Arab world leaders urged the administration to move forward with the talks.
“They asked us to hold the meeting and to listen to what the Iranians have to say. We told the Arabs that we would hold the meeting if they insist. But we are very skeptical about the chances of success,” a senior US official told Axios.
Earlier on Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed doubt over whether the talks would produce meaningful results for the president’s priority issues, but said Witkoff was “ready to go” if Tehran agreed to show up in Turkey as originally planned.
Quote:After years of talks, Israel is set to establish an international airport in southern Israel, in a major economic boost for the Negev region, the government announced on Thursday.
The new airport, which will be located in the area of the Ziklag archaeological site, about 17 miles northwest of Beersheva between the cities of Netivot and Rahat, is expected to be formally approved by the Cabinet on Sunday, a joint statement by the Prime Minister’s Office, Transport Ministry, and Finance Ministry said.
The site, which is in the area infiltrated by Hamas-led terrorists during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack, is slightly west of a location previously under consideration at Moshav Nevatim.
“The establishment of a supplementary international airport is a national necessity in light of the continued growth in the number of passengers traveling to and from Israel,” the government said in a statement. “The decision to build the first airport in the south is significant news for Israel’s aviation sector and even greater news for the entire Negev.”
Construction of the airport, which is expected to take a decade, “will create thousands of new jobs, strengthen the local economy, and is part of an expanded process the government is leading to reduce gaps and effectively end the concept of the periphery,” the statement continued.
The future airport is intended to alleviate congestion at Israel’s main international gateway, Ben-Gurion International Airport, approximately 55 miles, or an hour’s drive, away.
Ben-Gurion Airport, centrally located east of Tel Aviv, has an annual passenger capacity of 40 million.
Some 24 million passengers traveled through the airport in the record-breaking year for tourism in Israel in 2019, including more than 4.5 million tourists.
“This is a historic decision that strengthens Israel’s skies, the economy, and the Negev,” Transport Minister Miri Regev said. “A complementary international airport in the south is a powerful growth engine that will generate employment, open new opportunities, and connect the Negev to Israel’s centers of activity and to the world.”
Quote:Amid the recent start of phase two of the U.S.-brokered cease-fire between Hamas and the Jewish state, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claims that Hamas has violated the deal through its misuse of ambulances, hospitals and schools to regain control of the northern Gaza Strip.
The IDF provided Fox News Digital with exclusive video footage of what it alleges is Hamas operatives using an ambulance to transport terrorists and weapons from the “inner yard of the Yemen Al-Saeed Hospital” to various checkpoints in northern Gaza.
“You see an armed suspect going into the ambulance with a Kalashnikov. The ambulance is connecting the dots for us. We passed the information to the American headquarters of the footage of the militants,” an IDF official said of the video shared with Fox News Digital.
The first phase of the agreement required that Hamas return all hostages held in Gaza.
The second core part involves the disarming of Hamas, the U.S. and EU-designated terrorist movement.
An IDF spokesperson told Fox News Digital, “There are disturbing developments over the last few weeks. We see the return of Hamas to the front line, to the yellow line.”
The yellow line separates IDF-controlled territory in Gaza, which is estimated to be 53%, from the enclave area not under Israeli control.
“Hamas has returned to schools, hospitals and kindergartens and is turning them into military bases. A Hamas commander is in charge of each school in Jabalia in northern Gaza,” the IDF official claimed.
They continued, “We have seen Hamas with Kalashnikovs and, over the past few weeks, Hamas has been using ambulances. We have tracked over several weeks that Hamas uses ambulances to do checks in Jabalia. It is a big change. We see the confidence of Hamas using ambulances. It is a symbol for Hamas that it is gaining confidence and rebuilding itself, a sign of a potential raid on our bases in the future.”
The city of Jabalia was the scene of intense combat for the IDF during the over two-year war with Hamas.
In May 2024, Fox News Digital reported the IDF secured the bodies of seven hostages from Jabalia.
Hamas turned the “civilian area into a fortified combat compound,” the IDF said at the time about Jabalia.
When asked about the number of Hamas fighters in Jabalia in January 2026, the IDF official told Fox News Digital, “There are 3,000 Hamas operatives in Jabalia. 75,000 citizens have returned to Jabalia.”
The official said, “In the Jabalia refugee camp there are still functioning tunnels. We are working on destroying tunnels inside of the yellow line and are at an advanced stage of clearing tunnels.”
Fox News Digital has reported extensively during the war on Hamas’ use of hospitals as military centers.
The IDF operation against Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza resulted in the capture of roughly 100 suspected Hamas terrorists.
Shortly before the cease-fire came into effect in Oct. 2025, the IDF showed international reporters a Hamas terrorist tunnel adjacent to the Jordanian Field Hospital in Gaza City.
Quote:The Hamas terrorist who murdered surveillance soldier Corporal Noa Marciano while she was held captive in Gaza has been eliminated, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced Wednesday.
The strike on a group of terrorists, including Muhammad Issam Hassan al-Habil, had reportedly followed a Hamas attack overnight that wounded IDF troops in northern Gaza, in violation of the ceasefire agreement.
Al-Habil, a key Hamas cell commander, was killed in the airstrike in Gaza City’s Shati refugee camp, the IDF said in a statement.
“In response to the blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement overnight, earlier today (Wednesday), the IDF and ISA struck and eliminated the terrorist Muhammad Issam Hassan al-Habil, head of a Hamas terrorist cell,” the IDF confirmed.
The IDF also said that via Israeli Security Agency (ISA) questioning, al-Habil had brutally murdered Marciano, 19, while in Hamas captivity.
The IDF soldier had been abducted from the Nahal Oz outpost during the terrorist organization’s October 7th massacre.
She was wounded in an IDF airstrike on Nov. 9, 2023, while being held by Hamas and was later taken to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
At the time, Hamas claimed Marciano died in an Israeli airstrike.
Her body was eventually recovered by Israeli forces in November 2023 and returned to Israel for burial in Modi’in, where she had lived with her family.
Following the announcement of al-Habil’s death, Marciano’s mother, Adi Marciano, said the family had been promised that everyone involved in her daughter’s murder would be brought to justice, according to The Times of Israel.
“There is no real comfort in this,” she said.
“But there is knowledge that justice was done, even if only partially. Nothing will bring Noa back to us.”
“This elimination brings closure for the Marciano family, and to the IDF and ISA,” the IDF said.
“The IDF and ISA will continue to operate against any terrorist involved in the brutal Oct. 7 massacre and against any attempts by terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip to carry out terror attacks against IDF troops and Israeli civilians.”
LATIN AMERICA
Quote:American Airlines announced Thursday it plans to reinstate nonstop service between the U.S. and Venezuela, signaling a broader thaw in commercial and travel ties between the two nations.
The carrier said it is ready to resume its daily service to the country once it gets government approval.
This would make it the first U.S. carrier to announce plans to reconnect Venezuela with nonstop service to the U.S.
The Texas-based airline said it will share additional details about its return to service in the coming months and that it is working closely with federal authorities “on all necessary permissions and security assessments” prior to doing so.
America’s announcement comes as President Trump announced that the commercial airspace over Venezuela would reopen following the Federal Aviation Administration’s emergency notice earlier this month to block civil flight operations of U.S. aircraft in Venezuela airspace.
The notice was issued as the U.S. conducted strikes in Venezuela and captured dictator Nicolás Maduro.
The Trump administration has said that the U.S. would run Venezuela until a peaceful transition could occur and is working to restore diplomatic relations with Caracas, Venezuela.
“I just spoke to the president of Venezuela and informed her that we’re going to be opening up all commercial airspace over Venezuela,” Trump said Thursday during a Cabinet meeting. “American citizens will be very shortly able to go to Venezuela, and they’ll be safe there and be safe. It’s under very strong control.”
Trump said that he’s instructed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the U.S. military to open the airspace over Venezuela by the end of Thursday.
American first suspended service in the country in 2019 due to the deteriorating security situation, pilot safety concerns, and rising political tensions. It was one of many major carriers that decided to stop operating flights in the country. American, according to reports, was the last of them to stop operations there.
Quote:Venezuela is set to release hundreds of political prisoners and close down a notorious facility as part of an amnesty bill being championed by acting President Delcy Rodriguez.
“May this law serve to heal the wounds left by the political confrontation fueled by violence and extremism, may it serve to redirect justice in our country,” Rodriguez said in a televised statement.
The country’s new boss also announced that she would be shutting down Helicoide, a Caracas prison known for torture and human rights abuses. She said that the facility would become a sports and cultural center.
There are an estimated 711 political prisoners across Venezuela, according to the prisoners’ rights group Foro Penal.
It’s unclear how many prisoners would be granted amnesty, but Rodriguez said that it would cover the “entire period of political violence from 1999 to the present.”
Relatives of prisoners held inside Helicoide gathered outside the facility and livestreamed Rodriguez’s speech, crying and chanting “freedom! freedom!” the Associated Press reported.
The US has pressured Venezuela to increase civil liberties after its daring raid that captured dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday that the Trump administration seeks a “democratic [Venezuela] in which all elements of society are represented in free and fair elections.”
In response to concerns raised by senators that the US, though having removed Maduro, is still cooperating with his repressive regime — Rodriguez was his vice president — Rubio said that political change in Venezuela would take time to accomplish.
“I get it, we all want like something immediately, but this is not a frozen dinner you put in a microwave and in two and a half minutes it comes out ready to eat, and these are complex things,” he told the senators.
Exiled Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said in a statement that Rodriguez’s moves were made under “pressure from the US government.”
Quote:India will begin purchasing oil from Venezuela to replace some of the petrol it purchases from Russia a month after President Trump threatened to increase the 50% tariffs the US has already imposed.
The president signaled on Saturday that Delhi — the world’s third-biggest oil importer — would be open to renew business in Latin America after India stopped buying oil from Caracas last year due to US sanctions.
“We’ve already made that deal, the concept of the deal,” Trump told reporters.
The president did not elaborate further on what an oil deal between the US, Venezuela and India would entail.
While the president initially claimed that the deal would stop India from buying crude from Iran, Delhi had already stopped buying from Tehran in 2019 due to US sanctions.
Instead, India served as the top buyer of Russian oil, reaping in crude at a discount as Moscow faced heavy sanctions from the West over its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Trump had repeatedly warned India to stop purchasing Russian oil, slapping 50% tariffs on the country. He threatened to raise the rate again last month if India did not curb its purchases.
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
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Give me a free copy of your completed game if you include at least 3 of my scripts!
Just some scripts I've already published on the board...
KyoGemBoost XP VX & ACE, RandomEnkounters XP, KSkillShop XP, Kolloseum States XP, KEvents XP, KScenario XP & Gosu, KyoPrizeShop XP Mangostan, Kuests XP, KyoDiscounts XP VX, ACE & MV, KChest XP VX & ACE 2016, KTelePort XP, KSkillMax XP & VX & ACE, Gem Roulette XP VX & VX Ace, KRespawnPoint XP, VX & VX Ace, GiveAway XP VX & ACE, Klearance XP VX & ACE, KUnits XP VX, ACE & Gosu 2017, KLevel XP, KRumors XP & ACE, KMonsterPals XP VX & ACE, KStatsRefill XP VX & ACE, KLotto XP VX & ACE, KItemDesc XP & VX, KPocket XP & VX, OpenChest XP VX & ACE
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
My Original Stories (available in English and Spanish)
List of Compiled Binary Executables I have published...
HiddenChest & Roole
Give me a free copy of your completed game if you include at least 3 of my scripts!
Just some scripts I've already published on the board...
KyoGemBoost XP VX & ACE, RandomEnkounters XP, KSkillShop XP, Kolloseum States XP, KEvents XP, KScenario XP & Gosu, KyoPrizeShop XP Mangostan, Kuests XP, KyoDiscounts XP VX, ACE & MV, KChest XP VX & ACE 2016, KTelePort XP, KSkillMax XP & VX & ACE, Gem Roulette XP VX & VX Ace, KRespawnPoint XP, VX & VX Ace, GiveAway XP VX & ACE, Klearance XP VX & ACE, KUnits XP VX, ACE & Gosu 2017, KLevel XP, KRumors XP & ACE, KMonsterPals XP VX & ACE, KStatsRefill XP VX & ACE, KLotto XP VX & ACE, KItemDesc XP & VX, KPocket XP & VX, OpenChest XP VX & ACE
