News of the World
05-06-2026, 10:23 AM
MIDDLE EAST WAR
Quote:Beijing has ordered Chinese companies to defy U.S. sanctions over refineries linked to Iranian oil, in a challenge to U.S. efforts to extract further concessions from Iran in negotiations for a lasting ceasefire.
The unprecedented move sets the stage for a potential showdown just days before President Donald Trump’s highly anticipated state visit to Beijing.
China has regularly condemned unilateral sanctions by the U.S. and others, criticizing them as a form of "long-arm jurisdiction" used to enforce domestic laws extraterritorially. However, the Ministry of Commerce’s Saturday announcement marked the first time Beijing has explicitly directed its firms to defy such measures.
The ministry invoked a sanctions-blocking mechanism introduced in 2021 to safeguard Chinese firms from foreign laws viewed as unjust. It cited the need to "safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens, legal persons or other organizations."
The move followed a U.S. Treasury Department warning that it would bring to bear "the full range of available tools," including secondary sanctions, against any entities found to have done business with so-called "teapot refineries" that import Iranian oil.
Primarily located in Shandong province, teapot refineries are small, privately owned facilities that process the bulk of China’s sanctioned crude from Russia and Iran, often shipped by vessels in the so-called "shadow fleet," providing those governments with critical revenue streams.
Since March 2025, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has designated five such refineries: Shandong Jincheng Petrochemical Group Co., Hebei Xinhai Chemical Group Co., Shandong Shengxing Chemical Co., Shandong Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical Co. and Hengli Petrochemical Refining Co.
U.S. officials on both sides of the aisle have recently stepped up calls for tougher action on these refineries, seen as a key sanctions gap that blunts enforcement.
Quote:The Trump administration has been cracking down on a handful of Iranian residents who have ties to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and have even allegedly been involved in gun-running while living lavish lifestyles in LA. That may leave the impression that this community might not support attempts to overthrow the Islamic Republic.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
In reality, California’s Persian community is overwhelmingly opposed to the regime.
A survey done recently by the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans found that barely 3% of Iranian-Americans favor the current regime, while an additional 8% would welcome a reformed Islamic Republic.
Among regime opponents, 11% would like to see a constitutional monarchy, while 55% would like a parliamentary democracy.
That suggests that any attempt from the outside to put Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late Shah, on the throne would likely be opposed by many Iranian-Americans.
“A lot of people who support the Shah have never lived under him,” suggests 81-year-old Kamron Jabbari, a prominent publisher of books about Iranian culture, who came to the US at age 19.
To be sure, some pro-regime Iranian “nepo babies” live here, and have done so with an abandon that would get them whipped or worse back in the home country.
This includes Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, the niece of the late Revolutionary Guard General Qassem Soleimani, a man with American blood, and other blood, on his hands. Afshar and her own daughter backed the oppressive regime even as they lived the high life. The great-niece even showed herself off in skimpy outfits forbidden in Iran on social media while extolling the puritanical regime back home.
But these revelations do not cancel out the fact that most Iranian-Americans despise the regime. After all, the bulk of Iranians here, notes a new Chapman report from geographer Ali Modarres, came either shortly before or after the Islamic Revolution of 1979. They have no more reason to back the mullahs than Cuban Americans in Miami favor the communist regime in Havana.
This is very true of the Iranians here California, many of whom are active opponents of the regime. Our state, notes Modarres, is home to the largest Persian community in America, accounting for over 45% of the estimated 500,000 Iranians in the country.
Quote:US forces Monday sank six small Iranian boats deployed to harass vessels stuck in the Strait of Hormuz, shortly before President Trump warned that the Islamic Republic will be “blown off the face of the Earth” if it interferes with efforts to reopen the crucial waterway.
Adm. Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command (CENTCOM), told reporters in a press call that while Iran historically has deployed “between 20 and 40 small boats” to threaten commercial shipping in the strait, “Today, we saw just six and eliminated them quickly.”
“We have an enormous amount of capability and firepower concentrated in and around the strait, including AH-64 Apache and MH 60 Seahawk helicopters,” said Cooper, emphasizing that Iran’s military capability has been “dramatically degraded.”
Monday’s strikes occurred after Trump’s announcement Sunday evening of “Project Freedom,” a US initiative to move maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz since it has been backed up for months from the start of Operation Epic Fury Feb. 28.
Iran has warned it would resist any effort to force open the strait and insisted that any ships attempting to move through the waterway must coordinate with Tehran first, prompting Trump to tell Fox News that the Middle Eastern regime would be “blown off the face of the Earth” if it attacks US-flagged vessels.
“We have more weapons and ammunition at a much higher grade than we had before,” Trump told Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst. “We have the best equipment. We have stuff all over the world. We have these bases all over the world. They’re all stocked up with equipment. We can use all of that stuff, and we will, if we need it.”
The president claimed that Iran has become “much more malleable” regarding peace talks that have stagnated since mid-April.
Cooper did not say whether America’s strikes on Iran’s fast-attack boats and Tehran’s claims that it fired at US warships constitute a collapse of the fragile cease-fire secured last month.
Quote:Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Tuesday rejected rumors that Iran is using trained dolphins armed with explosives to block the Strait of Hormuz — but left the public wondering whether the US might have such a fantastical capability.
“It’s still pretty low-level kinetics at this point in time, and I can’t confirm or deny whether we have kamikaze dolphins — but I can confirm they don’t,” he said.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine chuckled at the notion.
“I haven’t heard the kamikaze dolphin thing. It’s like sharks with laser beams, right?” he said, referring to a plot point in the 1997 secret agent satire “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.”
The conversation came after a Wall Street Journal report last week suggested Iran has at least explored reviving Soviet-era programs that trained dolphins for military use — including potentially equipping them to carry mines toward enemy ships in the narrow, heavily trafficked strait.
Iran bought dolphins trained to kill for the Soviet navy in 2000, the BBC reported at the time. The animals were trained to attack the Islamic Republic’s enemies with harpoons attached to their backs, the outlet reported.
They were also trained to undertake kamikaze strikes against enemy ships by carrying mines.
US officials have long warned that the regime leans on unconventional tactics — from naval mines to fast-attack boats — to threaten shipping through the critical oil chokepoint.
Quote:President Trump claimed in an interview Monday evening that US hostilities with Iran could last another two or three weeks while refusing to say whether a cease-fire between the two countries remained in effect.
“We’ve taken out much of what we’d have to do, probably another two weeks, two weeks, maybe three weeks,” Trump told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt. “And time is not of the essence for us.”
Soon after the US and Israel began attacking Iran on Feb. 28, Trump estimated the war would last “four weeks or so.” This past Saturday marked the conclusion of nine weeks of fighting, though a nominal cease-fire has been in place since April 8.
“One way or the other, we win,” Trump added. “We either make the right deal, or we win very easily. From the military standpoint, we’ve already won that. You know, you’ve heard me say it a million times, and other people say it. They had 159 ships, Hugh. Now, they have none. They’re all at the bottom of the sea. Today, we took out eight of their, you know, they’re reduced to these small, little, fast ships.”
Earlier Monday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported two American-flagged merchant ships successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz on the first day of a Trump administration initiative to force shipping traffic through the vital waterway. Adm. Brett Cooper, the commander of CENTCOM, added on a press call that the American military sank six small boats that were targeting commercial vessels.
In response, Iran fired nearly two dozen missiles and drones toward the United Arab Emirates. The UAE’s defense ministry said it had intercepted 15 missiles and four drones, with authorities in the eastern emirate of Fujairah reporting one drone sparked a fire at a key oil facility, wounding three Indian nationals. The British military also reported two cargo vessels ablaze off the UAE’s coast.
Quote:Iran attacked major oil facilities in the United Arab Emirates for a second day in a row on Tuesday — as the regime tries to disrupt a pipeline that is the biggest alternative to the Strait of Hormuz.
The attacks on the UAE appear centered around the terminus of the Habshan-Fujairah oil pipeline, also known as the Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline (ADCOP).
The 235-mile pipeline, which opened in 2012, carries about more than 1 million barrels of oil per day and serves as a key transport route for crude in the region outside of the Strait of Hormuz.
The pipeline has notably seen an increase in use after crude stopped being transported by sea through the strait, with the conduit averaging 1.62 million barrels per day in March, Kpler analyst Johannes Rauball told Reuters.
Should the pipeline be severely damaged, it would eliminate one of the top alternatives for oil producers in the Gulf attempting to avoid the disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Taking out the pipeline would give Iran more control over the flow of crude in the region while also dealing a serious blow to the UAE, which is one of America and Israel’s top allies in the region.
The attack on the UAE also came just days after the country exited OPEC, the multi-nation body that exerts great control over the oil markets.
The UAE had served as the fourth-largest producer of OPEC, which Iran is also a member of.
“Air defense systems are currently responding to a missile threat,” UAE said Tuesday as it warned civilians to take shelter.
The assault on Monday saw Iran fire 15 missiles and drones at the UAE’s ships and facilities around the Strait of Hormuz, Abu Dhabi officials said.
It was the first such attack since the cease-fire with Iran went into effect, with Tehran taking aim at the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, the largest commercial storage hub for refined crude in the Middle East.
Quote:Israel is coordinating with the US to carry out a “short campaign” against Iran if the cease-fire falls apart over escalations in the Strait of Hormuz, officials said.
The Jewish state is making preparations for a new round of airstrikes on Iran aimed at senior officials and key energy infrastructure, an Israeli source told CNN.
“The intention would be to carry out a short campaign aimed at pressuring Iran into further concessions in negotiations,” the source claimed.
The targets would be similar to the ones that the US and Israel had ready before the cease-fire went into effect in April, which saw President Trump warn that he would blow up Iran’s power plants, bridges and leadership.
With peace talks stagnating and the US and Iran trading fire in the Strait of Hormuz, Trump has reportedly grown frustrated and is now daring the Islamic republic to either concede or restart the war.
The president, however, has remained optimistic that a deal can be secured and insisted that the recent attacks in the strait do not violate the cease-fire with Iran.
The president has repeatedly declined to say what exactly Iran could do that would constitute a cease-fire violation.
“You’ll find out, because I’ll let you know,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
Trump’s remarks echoes that of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who said the cease-fire was still active.
Quote:President Trump announced the pause of “Project Freedom” in the Strait of Hormuz Tuesday, indicating that “great progress” has been made toward a peace agreement in Iran.
“Based on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran, we have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed,” the president wrote on Truth Social.
Project Freedom is a defensive military operation aimed at making it safer for ships to get out of the narrow waterway in the Persian Gulf, according to the Pentagon.
Trump’s surprise announcement comes as at least 11 ships crossed through the critical oil chokepoint in the 24 hours under the now-paused initiative – an improvement from Monday, when just two ships passed through.
Ahead of the pause, Secretary of State Marco Rubio described Project Freedom as a “favor to the world” to rescue innocent sailors stuck at sea because of Iran’s takeover of the Strait of Hormuz.
Rubio said nearly “23,000 civilians from 87 different countries” have been “trapped inside the Gulf, and left for dead in the Persian Gulf by this Iranian regime” since the war broke out on Feb. 28.
The secretary of state further declared that the shift to Project Freedom meant attacks against Iran under Operation Epic Fury were officially “over.”
UKRAINE WAR
Quote:Russia will hold a two-day cease-fire in its war in Ukraine from May 8 to 9 to commemorate the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe — as Kyiv announced its own cease-fire for two days earlier.
President Vladimir Putin declared the cease-fire plans Monday and said the Kremlin would launch a massive strike on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv if the temporary truce was broken.
“Despite the capabilities at our disposal, Russia has previously refrained from such actions on humanitarian grounds,” the Russian Defense Ministry said, according to Reuters.
“We are warning the civilian population of Kyiv and staff at foreign diplomatic missions of the need to leave the city in a timely manner,” it added.
The cease-fire falls on the 81st anniversary of Victory in Europe day – May 8, 1945 – when Nazi Germany finally surrendered and ended World War II’s main theater of combat. The war didn’t fully end until months later on Aug. 15, when Japan surrendered to the US.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky responded to the cease-fire announcement — which it said had been declared without any communication from Russia – with a declaration of his own cease-fire for days earlier, beginning May 6.
He suggested that Ukraine would maintain its cease-fire for as long as Russia kept the peace – possibly opening the door for a longer cease-fire in the war that has raged between the countries since 2022.
“We will act reciprocally starting from that moment,” Zelensky said on social media.
“It is time for Russian leaders to take real steps to end their war, especially since Russia’s Defense Ministry believes it cannot hold a parade in Moscow without Ukraine’s goodwill.”
Quote:KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian drone and missile strikes targeting Ukraine’s power grid during the night killed at least five people and wounded 39 others, Ukrainian authorities said Tuesday, less than a day before Kyiv said that it would enact a ceasefire and three days before Moscow promised its own pause in hostilities.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rebuked Moscow for what he said was its “utter cynicism” in launching the attacks after Russia announced a unilateral ceasefire over two days later this week while it marks the 81st anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
“Russia could cease fire at any moment, and this would stop the war and our responses,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X. “Peace is needed, and real steps are needed to achieve it. Ukraine will act in kind.”
The proposal to stop fighting follows a familiar pattern of Russia declaring short unilateral ceasefires during the war timed to various holidays, most recently Orthodox Easter.
Those suspensions of combat don’t produce any tangible results amid deep mistrust between Moscow and Kyiv more than four years after Russia launched an all-out invasion of its neighbor. US-led diplomatic efforts to stop the war have come to nothing.
The Russian Defense Ministry declared a unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine for Friday and Saturday, but said that it would strike back at the country if it tries to disrupt the festivities on Victory Day, which Russia marks annually on May 9.
Zelenskyy replied that Ukraine would observe a ceasefire beginning at the end of Tuesday and would respond in kind to Russia’s actions from that moment on. He didn’t put an end date on the move.
Ukrainian leader expands Gulf cooperation
Zelenskyy was in Bahrain on Tuesday where he met with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, proposing a bilateral drone defense partnership amid the Iran war.
The Ukrainian leader said that he offered to share Ukraine’s air defense expertise with Bahrain, drawing a parallel between Iranian attacks on Gulf states and Russia’s daily aerial strikes on Ukrainian territory, which often use Shahed drones initially developed by Iran.
Quote:Russian attacks throughout eastern Ukraine killed at least 27 people on Tuesday, including 12 in one of the worst strikes so far this year, hours before a midnight deadline ushering in an open-ended cease-fire proposed by Kyiv.
Russia announced a cease-fire for May 8 to 9 to coincide with commemorations of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two and a military parade in Moscow’s Red Square.
Ukraine, in response, announced a proposal for an open-ended cease-fire starting at midnight local time on Wednesday, urging Russia to reciprocate.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was not an option for Russia to halt strikes for one day for its military parade while having heavily pounded Ukraine.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, writing in English on X, said: “With mere hours until Ukraine’s cease-fire proposal comes into force, Russia shows no signs of preparing to end hostilities. On the contrary, Moscow intensifies terror.”
Within minutes of the deadline passing, Sergei Aksyonov, the Russia-appointed head of Crimea, annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014, wrote on Telegram that a Ukrainian drone attack had killed five civilians in the city of Dzhankoi.
It appeared likely that the attack had taken place before the deadline expired and there was no evidence of any strikes taking place immediately after the Ukrainian cease-fire went into effect.
Russian officials had paid scant attention to the Ukrainian offer.
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin offered greetings after midnight praising World War Two veterans and expressing admiration for servicemen in Ukraine as being “worthy of their ancestors and reliably defending” the country.
USA
Quote:A DC federal judge apologized Monday to the man accused of trying to assassinate President Trump and his top aides at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, saying the suspect’s jail conditions are too harsh.
US Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui told alleged wannabe killer Cole Allen, 31, he was sorry that the suspect had been held under suicide watch despite a mental-health exam finding he did not pose a threat to harm himself, according to Politico.
Faruqui said it was the court’s job to make sure Allen was jailed responsibly and fairly — and that the accused killer was “being treated differently than anyone I’ve ever observed.
“Whatever you’ve been through, I apologize for the prior week,” the judge told Allen, according to a report by USA Today.
The move prompted furious US Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro to tweet, “Welcome to Washington, DC, where U.S. Magistrate Judge Faruqui believes a defendant armed to the teeth and attempting to assassinate the president is entitled to preferential treatment in his confinement compared to every other defendant.”
Prosecutor Jocelyn Ballantine had argued that the FBI recommended the measure because Allen told agents after his apprehension April 25 that “he did not expect to survive the attempted assassination of the president.”
Tony Towns, a lawyer for the DC lockup, said Allen was in an isolated cell because of “ongoing” psych exams and that the decision to keep him there was made by medical staff at the facility.
But Faruqui said he didn’t think Allen’s statement in custody meant he planned to kill himself but rather that he expected to be shot during his assault on the black-tie soiree at the Washington Hilton hotel.
What did the
criminal deserve then? A 5-star hotel room instead? 
Quote:Secret Service officers engaged an armed man near the White House on Monday in what turned into a shootout that left the suspect and a juvenile bystander injured, according to the agency.
The incident unfolded a few blocks south of the White House, along the National Mall and near the Washington Monument, when plainclothes agents on patrol “identified a suspicious individual that appeared to have a firearm,” Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew Quinn said during a press briefing.
After spotting the “visual print of a firearm” on the suspect, the plainclothes agents called in support from uniformed Secret Service police.
“Upon making contact, that individual fled briefly on foot, withdrew a firearm and fired in the direction of our agents and officers,” Quinn said.
Secret Service officers returned fire and struck the suspect, who was transported to a local hospital.
“We believe only one bystander was hit by the suspect,” Quinn said, noting the juvenile sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was being treated at a hospital.
Plainclothes agents trained to identify potential threats routinely patrol the outer perimeter of the White House, according to Quinn.
Vice President JD Vance’s motorcade departed the White House and transited through the area of shooting “not long before” the incident took place, the deputy director added.
The condition of the suspect is unclear.
There is no indication that the suspect was targeting the vice presidential motorcade or the White House.
Journalists at the White House were ushered into the briefing room for a safety lockdown as law enforcement responded.
Video posted on social media showed some reporters running to get off the North Lawn of the White House and inside the building.
Footage from the scene of the shooting showed dozens of Secret Service officers and National Guard members in the area, with a part of the sidewalks roped off in yellow police tape.
Quote:Federal prosecutors have charged Dean DelleChiaie, a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) contractor in New Hampshire, with threatening to kill President Donald Trump, the latest in a series of cases involving alleged threats against the president.
The incident comes as new research shows violent rhetoric targeting U.S. public officials, particularly Trump, has surged sharply in recent years, alongside recent security scares in Washington. The trend has heightened concerns for law enforcement, political leaders and their families as authorities respond to an increasingly volatile threat environment.
Monday's arrest came just over a week after a gunman was charged with attempted assassination of the president after attempting to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, underscoring the real‑world risks tied to escalating threats.
A February report from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue found that violent threats against public officials have more than tripled since 2021, with threats against Republicans rising faster than those targeting Democrats and Trump among the most frequently targeted figures.
Who Is Dean DelleChiaie?
Authorities identified Dean DelleChiaie as a 35‑year‑old FAA contractor and mechanical engineer based in Nashua, New Hampshire, who allegedly sent a direct threat to the White House after months of online activity that drew the attention of federal investigators.
According to court documents, DelleChiaie used his government-issued computer in January to search for how to bring a gun into a federal facility, past assassination attempts, and the percentage of the population that wants the president dead. He also looked up the location of Vice President JD Vance’s residence and the names of his children, along with other sensitive information about senior officials, raising additional concern among investigators.
Those searches prompted the FAA’s IT department to alert authorities after DelleChiaie asked that his search history be deleted, according to court records, and he was subsequently suspended from his job.
Federal investigators interviewed DelleChiaie at his home in early February, where he admitted to making the searches and said it was “crazy” to do so on his work computer, according to an affidavit. He also acknowledged owning three firearms and told agents he was upset with the administration over a range of issues.
Quote:A man was arrested near a busy Koreatown shopping mall in suburban Dallas on Tuesday, accused of fatally shooting two people and injuring several others.
The suspect, identified as 69-year-old Seung Han Ho, was arrested after a foot chase, Carrollton Police Chief Roberto Arredondo said during a news conference. Three people were also wounded in the deadly mass shooting; details on their genders and ages were not provided.
Police described the gunfire as an isolated attack and said there is no ongoing threat to the public.
The Carrollton assault comes during a year marked by persistent mass‑shooting violence nationwide. According to the Gun Violence Archive, the U.S. recorded 98 mass shootings through March 31, leaving 115 people dead and 377 wounded. The archive defines a mass shooting as one in which at least four people are shot, minus the attacker.
The violence has occurred in homes, parking lots, schools, shopping centers and public gatherings—a pattern archive analysts say reflects multi‑victim gunfire becoming a routine scourge in the U.S.
Although overall shooting deaths have declined slightly from recent years, the pace of mass shootings in 2026 remains consistent with the elevated levels seen since the COVID-19 pandemic.
What to Know
A motive has not been established but the police chief said the victims had gathered with Ho for a business meeting, according to a report from local news outlet Fox 4.
“We don’t know exactly what the meeting was about, but we understand it to be a business relation,” Arredondo told reporters at a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
After the shooting, police said, Ho fled the neighborhood and officers tracked him several miles away to the Koreatown shopping center, where he attempted to run from authorities.
Arredondo said officers chased him on foot and arrested him without further violence. A firearm was recovered.
Police have not released details about the nature of the business meeting or what may have prompted the attack.
Carrollton is about 20 miles north of Dallas. Of Carrollton’s 130,000-plus population, over 4,000 are of Korean descent, according to the U.S. Census American Community Survey.
Quote:FedEx driver Tanner Horner has been sentenced to death for the murder of 7-year-old Athena Strand by a Texas Jury following a gut-wrenching trial that detailed his psychotic behavior during the killing.
The confessed killer learned his sentence at a court in Fort Worth, Texas, some 40 miles southeast of where Strand’s naked body was dumped in a creek on Nov. 30, 2022.
Jurors deliberated for about three hours after arguments rested Tuesday.
Horner appeared utterly unmoved by the verdict – with not a flicker of emotion on his face as the judge said he’d die by lethal injection “before the hour of sunrise” at a future date.
And his face was equally blank when he turned to listen to Athena’s uncle, Elijah Strand, address the court.
“You will be judged. You will face the wrath of god,” Athena’s uncle said, pointing at Horner as he spoke.
“But I want you to know that you are nothing. You are a footnote in Athena’s story,” he added. “Her name will forever be remembered. Her name will be forever celebrated.”
“Everyone will forget you. You wanted your 15 minutes of fame. You got it. And no one is going to remember you after this,” the uncle said, fighting back tears.
Athena’s mother – her hair dyed the her daughter’s favorite color, pink – also wiped away tears in the gallery, the arm of a loved one around her.
His death sentence was automatically appealed, which is standard procedure when capital punishments are handed down in Texas.
All Horner said during the sentencing was “Yes sir,” when the judge asked him about the appeal.
Horner was rushed from the room moments after the uncle finished speaking.
Quote:A hateful mob of keffiyeh-clad anti-Israel protesters flooded the streets near a historic Manhattan synagogue Tuesday night — clashing with cops as they repeatedly shouted “Israel should not exist.”
About 100 agitators waving Palestinian flags and banging drums swarmed about a half-block from Park East Synagogue, chanting “Palestine will never die” and “Stop the sale of stolen land” during an event promoting real estate in Israel and the West Bank, according to shocking footage.
While the East 67th Street synagogue was sealed off by police barricades, footage captured the rowdy protesters clashing with cops who were trying to force their way past the barriers into the street.
Police yelled “step back” as they shoved the unruly crowd onto the sidewalk, video shows, while counter-protesters rallied nearby.
One officer suffered a leg injury in the chaos and was hospitalized, the NYPD said.
“They’re a bunch of brainwashed fools,” Karen Lichtbraun, co-sponsor of Zionist group Herut New York City, told The Post of the pro-Palestine protesters.
“Israel does not occupy anything. It’s the Jewish homeland. And this is all anti-Zionism, which is antisemitism, which is Jew hate.”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani — a staunch critic of Israel — has not commented on the protest.
The 7 p.m. protest was led by the anti-Israel activist group Pal-Awda NY/NJ, which promoted the rally with slogans such as “No settlers on stolen land” and “Stop the sale of stolen Palestinian land.”
The antisemitic group previously spearheaded a November rally at the synagogue, where about 200 demonstrators heckled people attending an event hosted by Nefesh B’nefesh, a Zionist group that helps Jews immigrate from the US to Israel.
In response to the first protest, Council Speaker Julie Menin crafted legislation to allow the NYPD to set up buffer zones around synagogues and other houses of worship to protect congregants.
The bill, which faced intense opposition from Mamdani’s DSA allies, passed with a veto-proof 44-5 majority.
Quote:Jimmy Kimmel joked about Rudy Giuliani rising from “the grave” in a monologue just days before the former New York City mayor was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
“So last night, America’s mayor, Rudy Giuliani, rose from the grave to weigh in on the ongoing drama involving me,” Kimmel said in a monologue on Tuesday, referencing his ill-timed joke about first lady Melania Trump looking like an “expectant widow” days before the attempted assassination of President Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
During “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” Kimmel played a clip of Giuliani, 81, remarking on his podcast that the embattled talk show host is “one of the most distasteful human beings in this country.”
“I have to say, it hurts to be called distasteful by a man who farted his own pants off in front of Borat’s daughter,” Kimmel, 58, responded.
“Kimmel was making believe that he was hosting the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which I think he did once, I don’t know. Probably once … and about four people probably watched it, and he bombed like usual,” the two-term mayor continued in the clip.
“This is supposed to be a comedian,” Giuliani raved. “He’s also like an incompetent jacka—.”
“I have to say, it’s confusing to be called an incompetent jacka— by a man who accidentally held a press conference outside a dildo store, who doesn’t seem to have any understanding of when videos are running and when they aren’t, and has a gallon of squid ink dribbling off the top of his head,” Kimmel fired back at “America’s mayor.”
“Does this man have any family members who can come get him already?” said the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” frontman.
Five days later, on Sunday, Giuliani was hospitalized in critical but stable condition for an unspecified ailment, a spokesperson for the former Trump attorney said.
“Mayor Rudy Giuliani is currently in the hospital, where he remains in critical but stable condition,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
Quote:Ex-Mayor Rudy Giuliani has turned a corner in his recovery from pneumonia — and is even “cracking jokes” after being in critical condition, his son, Andrew Giuliani, revealed Tuesday.
“Good news update: Thank you for the love and support you’ve shown my Dad over the past few days,” the younger Giuliani said.
“Just yesterday he was in critical condition, so I’m incredibly grateful to share that he is now conscious, off the ventilator, and even cracking jokes.”
Rudy Giuliani, 81, was hospitalized over the weekend after he came down with pneumonia, apparently exacerbated by a respiratory illness that he contracted around the time of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.
He fell into a coma, but emerged from it Monday, his friends revealed.
Tom Von Essen, the former mayor’s friend and fire commissioner during 9/11, said this morning that things are looking up for “America’s mayor.”
“It looks like Rudy has turned a corner. We hope he continues to improve,” said Von Essen, who has been briefed on his condition.
“I worry about him. What he has done for New York City and the compassion he showed 9/11 families is remarkable. I hope he has a great recovery.”
Quote:Seattle’s socialist Mayor Katie Wilson is facing fierce blowback on social media after a 77-year-old man was seen on video being beaten by two individuals in a crime that was captured by closed-circuit television cameras, a tool that Wilson has denounced in the past as something that makes the community feel unsafe and “vulnerable.”
The elderly man was walking down the street in downtown Seattle last month when two men walking by him stopped, without any provocation, shoved him to the ground and beat him, KOMO News reported.
Ahmed Abdullahi Osman, 29, was later arrested and charged with second-degree assault, and police are looking for the second suspect. Osman was reportedly booked into jail the night of the assault and then released back onto the streets before a bail hearing.
“Turning on more cameras won’t magically make our neighborhoods safer, but it will certainly make our neighborhoods more vulnerable,” Wilson said in 2025 after Seattle City Council’s approval of expanding the Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) CCTV pilot program, the program used to capture the video of this specific crime, according to KOMO News.
Conservatives on social media quickly pointed to Wilson’s policies, which have been much maligned as “soft on crime,” as a contributing factor, as well as her previous comments on CCTV.
“They elected a SOCIALIST,” Heritage Foundation senior fellow Mike Gonzalez posted on X. “What did they think would happen?”
“Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson remains clueless on the job,” journalist Jonathan Choe posted on X. “So she’s allowing far-left activists to make public safety decisions for the city.”
“Go ahead and explain the ‘sOCiONoMic rOoT cAusES’ of this heinous crime,” Manhattan Institute fellow Rafael A. Mangual posted on X.
“Ahmed Abdullah Osman beat a 77-year-old in Seattle,” conservative influencer account End Wokeness posted on X in a clip that has been viewed over a million times. “Police ID’d him thanks to street video cameras. Mayor Wilson: ‘CCTV puts refugees at risk.’”
Quote:Two Ohio brothers who posed as Middle Eastern royalty were sentenced Tuesday for their roles in a series of fraud schemes totaling roughly $21 million, which prosecutors say were carried out with the help of a former East Cleveland mayoral aide.
Zubair and Muzzammil Al Zubair, roughly 42 and 31, were sentenced to 24 and 23 years in prison, respectively, according to local outlet Cleveland.
“You stole a lot of money, defrauded people and put East Cleveland in a terrible light,” US District Judge Donald Nugent said, referring to the brothers.
“You basically flaunted it by driving around in a Rolls Royce and taking private planes.”
The mayoral chief of staff the pair bribed, 56-year-old Michael Smedley, was also sentenced to just over eight years behind bars for providing the brothers with the cover they needed to carry out their schemes between 2020 and 2023, according to the outlet.
Authorities said the brothers built a façade of extreme wealth and elite connections, with Zubair falsely claiming to be married to a United Arab Emirates princess, and Muzzammil claiming to be a hedge fund manager based solely on watching YouTube videos.
Their lavish lifestyle ultimately included private jets, luxury watches, a fleet of high-end vehicles, dozens of firearms and even a custom-made, gold-plated AK-47-style rifle.
They also chartered private jets for domestic and international shopping trips to destinations such as Aspen, Miami, London, Bucharest and Madrid, according to federal officials.
Prosecutors said that over the years, the brothers carried out multiple schemes to steal money and property from victims, including Zubair’s former girlfriend, from the UAE, who lost $737,000, the outlet Cleveland reported.
Quote:
- 56-year-old Brian Mattson, a Sacramento-area man, was quickly released after a knife incident, sparking outrage.
- Misdemeanor trespassing charge and probation denial led to Mattson’s 90-minute release, angering residents.
- Mattson was re-arrested hours later in Arden-Arcade; a probation hold was approved, sparking community action.
A Sacramento-area man accused of terrifying a neighborhood with a knife spent only 90 minutes locked up before he was released and arrested again, triggering anger from residents.
56-year-old Brian Mattson, was first arrested Thursday night in the Arden-Arcade area near La Sierra Drive. He was seen on Ring camera holding a knife, approaching homes and acting erratically.
Doorbell camera footage of the encounter spread quickly and alarmed residents, he was arrested Saturday.
Despite the circumstances, investigators said the only charge available was misdemeanor trespassing.
Because Mattson is on felony probation, deputies requested a probation violation to keep him in custody. That request was denied by the Sacramento County Probation Department, leading to his release.
“We asked probation for a probation violation to hopefully keep him in custody longer. That was declined,” Sgt. Amar Gandhi told KCRA. “So he was out within, I want to say, about 90 minutes or so. So he got in and out of jail super fast.”
The quick release sparked immediate frustration in the Arden-Arcade neighborhood, where residents were already shaken by the scary, knife-wielding man approaching homes.
Neighbor Michael Deauville told KCRA, “It makes us want to dive back in understanding how the system works, because clearly there’s a system in place here that I will admit I’m not as familiar with 48 or 72 hours ago as I feel like I am now.”
Quote:An airliner approaching John F. Kennedy Airport and a small propeller plane came within 500 feet of each other on Monday — at least the second close call near the Queens travel hub in two weeks.
The pilot of a Delta plane reported the situation around 5:15 p.m. as the jet was at an altitude of 2,100 feet while the smaller aircraft, made by Cirrus, was at 2,575 feet, according to FlightRadar24.
Air Traffic Control audio recordings indicate that a controller alerted the pilot of the Delta plane, operated by subsidiary Endeavor Air, of a personal aircraft that was about 500 feet above them, according to ABC7.
The FAA said in a statement that “Endeavor Air Flight 5289 was on final approach to Runway 22L at John F. Kennedy international Airport (JFK) when a Cirrus SR22 crossed over to land on Runway 22R.”
“Air traffic control provided traffic advisories to both pilots, and each reported the other in sight. The required separation was maintained,” the statement continued.
Endeavor Air Flight 5289 was en route to JFK from Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport in upstate New York.
The air traffic controller was not in contact with the smaller plane when the two crossed paths.
The Delta pilots were told to hold still instead of maneuver and they reported back to Air Traffic Control that they had a small propeller plane within sight continuously.
Quote:A senior Republican senator on Sunday sharply criticized the Department of Justice's (DOJ) prosecution of former FBI Director James Comey, breaking with the Trump administration and raising fresh questions about whether the case amounts to political retaliation.
Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who is not running for reelection this year, said he does not support what he called a “vindictive prosecution” of Comey, even as he reiterated harsh criticism of the former FBI chief. Tillis made the remarks during an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union, pushing back against the administration’s handling of the case.
Newsweek reached out to the White House on Sunday.
Why It Matters
Tillis’ comments mark one of the most prominent instances of a Republican lawmaker publicly distancing himself from the Trump administration’s legal strategy against one of the president’s longtime adversaries. As a senior GOP senator, Tillis’ intervention underscores unease within parts of the president’s own party about the appearance of politicized prosecutions.
The case against Comey has become a flashpoint in a broader debate over whether the DOJ is being used to target President Donald Trump’s critics. The president has repeatedly argued his opponents have weaponized the legal system against him, while critics say the administration is now doing the same in return.
What to Know
Comey was indicted by a federal grand jury last week over a 2025 Instagram post showing seashells arranged to spell “86 47.” He appeared in court on Wednesday. Prosecutors argue a reasonable person familiar with the circumstances would interpret the post as a serious expression of intent to harm Trump, the 47th president.
Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday: "86' is a mob term for 'kill him.' They say 86 him! 86 47 means 'kill President Trump.' James Comey, who is a Dirty Cop, one of the worst, knows this full well! EIGHT MILES OUT, SIX FEET DOWN! Didn't he also lie to the FBI about this??? I think so!"
Comey has denied any intent to threaten violence, saying he deleted the Instagram post after learning some people associated the phrase with harm and that violence “never occurred” to him.
GERMANY
Quote:At least two people are dead, and 25 others are injured after a car plowed into a crowd in central Leipzig, Germany, on Monday, Radio Leipzig reported. Officials confirmed to the Associated Press that at least two victims suffered severe injuries.
The incident occurred on Grimmaische Strasse, a major pedestrian route that leads into Leipzig’s central shopping district, around 5 p.m. local time.
Officials said the suspect is a 33-year-old German-born resident of the Leipzig area, the AP reported.
Police spokesperson Susanne Lübcke said the driver stopped the car and was in the vehicle when he was detained.
Prosecutors said a suspect is under investigation on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. There was no immediate word on a possible motive.
The incident comes as political violence has become a focus worldwide, including in the U.S., where vehicle ramming events have occurred in numerous cities in recent years, including highly-visible incidents Charlottesville, Virginia, Minneapolis and New Orleans.
Germany has faced several high‑profile vehicle‑ramming events in recent years. In December 2024, two people died, and 68 others were injured when a car plowed into a crowd at a Christmas market in Magdeburg. Authorities typically respond with heightened caution until the driver’s motive and circumstances are clear.
ASIA
Quote:A U.S. military Mid-Range Capability missile system was test-fired on Philippine soil, Manila confirmed Tuesday, in a first for the Southeast Asian country amid ongoing drills that are being closely watched by China.
The U.S. Army moved its Mid-Range Capability, nicknamed the "Typhon," to the Philippines ahead of joint training in April 2024, as the Mutual Defense Treaty allies strengthened defense ties amid rising tensions with China. The week marks the first known instance of the platform being fired.
The Tomahawk missile was fired from Tacloban Airport on Leyte Island in the Visayas region, located southeast of Manila, and successfully struck its target approximately 390 miles to the northwest at Fort Magsaysay in the Philippines' Luzon region, Colonel Dennis Hernandez, spokesperson for the ongoing Balikatan exercise, told the press in a phone interview, ABS-CBN reported.
In addition to Tomahawks, whose more than 1,000-mile range potentially puts much of China's eastern seaboard within reach, the Typhon can also fire supersonic Standard Missile-6s, which can fly up to 290 miles.
This puts within reach much of China's eastern seaboard, its militarized islands in the South China Sea, and any People's Liberation Army aircraft or warships in strategic Luzon in the event of a war over Taiwan.
China has repeatedly demanded that the U.S. remove its medium-range missile systems from the Philippines.
The Philippine government has said the deployment is not aimed at any third country and has said it is considering acquiring additional units from the United States.
China Denounces US-Philippine Drills—'Sow Division'
Balikatan—Tagalog for "shoulder-to-shoulder"—is the largest U.S.-Philippine military exercise. This year's is the largest yet, drawing participation from 17,000 troops and seven countries, including, for the first time, Japan. The missile fired was an inert round rather than explosive and used to test accuracy not destroy targets, Hernandez clarified.
Quote:WASHINGTON, May 5 (Reuters) – China is slowing its efforts to repatriate Chinese nationals who are in the US illegally, a senior Trump administration official told Reuters, warning that Washington was prepared to increase travel restrictions on the country if Beijing didn’t reverse course.
The new US threat toward China comes just days before President Donald Trump’s planned May 14-15 visit to Beijing, where, among other issues, he is expected to raise the deportation issue during meetings with his counterpart, Xi Jinping.
The trip is an important one for Trump, who is hoping to win trade concessions from Beijing that he can present to voters ahead of November’s midterm elections that polls suggest could deliver losses for the president’s Republican party.
Since returning to the White House early last year, Trump has threatened tariffs and sanctions on numerous countries for failing to accept deportees, a central pillar of his campaign for the White House and hard-line immigration policies.
China, for years, has resisted US requests to take back tens of thousands of its citizens who have overstayed or illegally entered the country.
When Trump took office, China had suggested it was willing to repatriate “confirmed Chinese nationals” following verification. But Beijing has said doing so takes time.
After accepting about 3,000 deportees via charter and commercial flights in early 2025, China has scaled back cooperation in the past six months, the senior US official said.
Quote:A blast at a fireworks factory in China’s Hunan province has killed 21 people and injured 61, prompting a call from President Xi Jinping for a thorough investigation, state media reported on Tuesday.
The explosion in Liuyang, under the administration of Hunan’s capital city of Changsha and a hub for fireworks manufacturing, occurred on Monday at around 4:40 p.m. (0840 GMT), according to reports by CCTV and Xinhua.
Social media footage showed massive plumes of smoke billowing up into clear blue skies against a backdrop of lush, green mountains. Reuters verified the location shown in the footage, which was posted on social media on May 4, as Changsha.
A Xinhua video showed thick clouds of smoke rising from a large site littered with collapsed buildings and debris.
Five rescue teams of nearly 500 personnel, together with three rescue robots, were dispatched to the scene, adopting a “human–machine coordinated approach” to conduct grid-style searches, according to Xinhua.
Two black powder storage warehouses within the factory compound posed high-risk hazards, the report said, adding that authorities had evacuated residents from danger zones, established a 1 km rescue area and a 3 km control zone.
The blast happened at Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Company, state media said.
Reuters could not find a telephone listing for the company to seek comment.
The person in charge of the company has been detained and the cause of the accident was being investigated, state-run China Daily reported.
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
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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
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
