Social media becomes a ‘goldmine’ for fraudsters in Jordan | Crime News
Published On 12 May 2026
Fake online advertisements and social media groups are luring people in Jordan with promises of “quick profits” from cheap gold with sellers disappearing once funds have been transferred or customers defrauded with counterfeit and substandard metals, Jordanians tell Al Jazeera.
Mohammed Nassar said he was quoted a price for gold lower than local market rates due to an “online store” claiming it was exempt from manufacturing fees, government licensing costs or shop rents.
The Jordanian shopper transferred the money to secure what he thought was a bargain before the website disappeared and Nassar realised he had become the victim of a scam.
In another case, a young woman named Tala Al-Habashneh told Al Jazeera that she bought gold through a social media platform after agreeing with the seller and transferring the promised amount.
On closer examination of the product, she found that her gold was counterfeit, mixed with other metals and lacking any official stamps or invoices to prove its origin or carat.
Tala immediately filed a complaint with the Cybercrime Directorate of Jordan’s Public Security Directorate. The case is pending.
Government monitoring
Wafaa Al-Momani, assistant director general for Regulatory Affairs and director of the Jewelry Directorate at the Jordan Standards and Metrology Organisation (JSMO), told Al Jazeera that the institution is the only entity in the kingdom responsible for monitoring precious metal jewellery – such as gold, silver and platinum – and overseeing jewellery trading.
All imported jewellery is examined and stamped by the JSMO before being released onto the market, she said, while local workshops are also required to submit jewellery for inspection and verification before it can be sold.

Al-Momani said her organisation has received some complaints about companies, websites and social media groups engaged in fraud by “promoting the buying and selling of gold, especially broken gold [used or damaged], through unlicensed individuals”.
The JSMO is monitoring sellers engaged in fraud in coordination with security authorities to prevent jewellery from being sold outside licensed shops.
Al-Momani said the JSMO is tightening oversight of gold shops and sellers in the kingdom and said any store found selling unstamped jewellery or violating legal standards will face legal penalties but also warned Jordanians that buying gold through unofficial channels “does not guarantee that the jewellery conforms to legal standards or carats”.
Adornment and treasure
Rabhi Allan, the head of the Jordanian Association of Jewelry and Goldsmiths, explained that gold remains a traditional means of saving and investment for Jordanians as well as an accessory, quoting the popular saying: “Gold is an adornment and a treasure.”
However, he described the sale of gold through social media as “alien to Jordanian society” and stressed that transactions of this “cash commodity” should only take place via official shops with invoices clearly stating the weight, carat and labour costs of the product.
He said the association had filed complaints with the Cybercrime Directorate against unlicensed and anonymous sites, noting that these pages “appear and disappear without warning”, a situation that leaves victims without the ability to secure their consumer rights.
The association has documented numerous complaints and court cases resulting from gold sales conducted through social media platforms that often use edited or fabricated images and fake offers to attract buyers.
Others offer gold at prices significantly below market value to lure buyers, but the product sold is often counterfeit, nonexistent or contains far less of the precious metal than advertised.
He urged citizens to buy gold only via licensed and accredited shops that display official prices and issue proper invoices to protect buyers’ rights.
While questions have been raised about whether some gold sales conducted through social media could be linked to illegal activities, Allan said the cases monitored so far appear to be “individual incidents that do not amount to money laundering”.
Security warning
The Cybercrime Unit of the Public Security Directorate also warned citizens against buying gold through social media advertisements and confirmed that the body has received multiple complaints of fraud linked to the trade.
Colonel Amer Al-Sartawi, Public Security Directorate spokesperson, told Al Jazeera that the grievances ranged from cases where money was wired to fraudsters who subsequently disappeared without delivering the promised gold to incidents in which buyers received counterfeit pieces made from other less valuable metals, such as copper or iron.
Al-Sartawi urged citizens not to deal with such pages and to buy gold exclusively from licensed and accredited shops.
Molly Mae fans convinced they’ve ‘worked out’ baby’s gender after HUGE Bambi clue
MOLLY-MAE Hague fans think they’ve worked out the gender of her unborn baby after spotting a ‘clue’ in the background of her latest YouTube vlog.
The 26-year-old and boyfriend Tommy Fury are getting ready to welcome their second child next month.
Former Love Island star Molly recently revealed she’d decided not to share the gender with fans – despite filming a reveal video with daughter Bambi, three.
But in her most recent vlog, some eagle-eyed fans noticed a book called ‘Peppa’s new baby sister’ – leaving them convinced she’s having another girl.
One wrote: “Ooh I never noticed this!!”
Someone else said: “The BOOK.”
And a third added: “Peppa’s little SISTER.”
Opening up recently about deciding not to share the gender, Molly confessed she’d been enjoying seeing her fans guess what she is having.
She said: “A baby is coming in a few weeks, so I really need to sort out my hospital bag…
“I thought I would just show you a couple of bits that I’ve started packing for me.
“Because everything for baby is quite gender obvious and we’ve kind of kept it to ourselves up till I’m basically giving birth so we might as well keep it until the end now.”
Molly continued: “It happened so accidentally. We’ve actually got a full-blown gender reveal video. We did a balloon with Bambi.
“I was planning to post it but we just never did. And then I don’t know, seeing everyone guess has just kind of been funny.”
5 moments in history that still echo along Route 66
Richard Mitchell, 84, of Albuquerque in 2016. Mitchell used the Green Book to drive across the United States in 1964. The travel guide “assured protection for Negro travelers.”
(Photo by Craig Fritz / For The Times
)
Forty-four of the 89 counties along Route 66 were sundown towns, communities where it was encouraged for Black people to leave before dark — or else. Route 66 diners, motels and gas stations routinely refused service to Black travelers. In 1936, a Harlem postal worker named Victor Green began publishing the Negro Motorist Green Book, a guide to the hotels, restaurants and gas stations along the route that would serve Black travelers. More than 1,400 tourist homes (private residences that took in guests when hotels wouldn’t) were listed during the guide’s run.
For Black families on Route 66, the Green Book was as essential as a spare tire. In Tulsa, the Greenwood District was once known as “Black Wall Street.” White thugs destroyed it in the 1921 Race Massacre. The community rebuilt and became a hub of Black commerce near the route. Springfield, Ill., was one of the first cities on Route 66 to offer services to Black travelers. It was also the site of the 1908 Race Riot, which helped spur the founding of the NAACP.
A vintage photo of the Hayes Motel in Los Angeles. It was featured in the Green Book, which listed places that served African Americans during the era of segregation.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
See what remains today: Only about 30% of Green Book sites along Route 66 are still standing. The DuBeau in Flagstaff, Ariz., once a Green Book listing, now operates as a motel. The recently shuttered Clifton’s in downtown Los Angeles sits at 7th and Broadway, the original terminus of Route 66. Route History Museum in Springfield is the only museum in the country dedicated to the Black experience on Route 66, housed in a 1930s Texaco station one block off the road. It offers a virtual reality experience that walks visitors through the Green Book cities of Illinois, including sundown towns.
Beyond the Green Book, other businesses that are worth a visit include Threatt Filling Station in Oklahoma, a Black-owned gas station (and safe haven for Black travelers) during the era of segregation, and the neon sign from Graham’s Rib Station, a beloved Black-owned restaurant for many years. It’s located at the local History Museum on the Square in Springfield, Mo.
LeBron James unsure if he’ll return for 24th season or retire
As LeBron James sat at the podium following the Lakers’ season-ending loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals on Monday night, he was asked about his future.
He had just completed his 23rd season in the NBA at 41 years old and he will become a free agent this summer.
James has been asked about retirement all season — and if he would return to the Lakers next season or play for another team.
So after finishing with 24 points and 12 rebounds in the 115-110 loss, James addressed the situation again.
“With my future, I don’t know, honestly,” James said. “It’s still fresh from obviously losing. And I don’t know. I don’t know what the future holds for me, obviously. As it stands right now, tonight, I got a lot of time. I’ll sit back, like I think I said last year after we lost, I think to Minnesota, to go back and recalibrate with my family and talk with them, and spend some time with them. And then when the time comes, then obviously you guys will know what I’ve decided to do.”
James said he’ll talk to his wife, Savannah, his daughter, Zhuri, and his son, Bryce.
James was asked what his decision process will be like.
“I don’t know,” he said. “If I can commit to still being in love with the process of showing up to the arena five-and-a-half hours before a game to start preparing for a game, giving everything I got, diving for loose balls and doing everything that you know that it takes to go out and play. Showing up to practices, 11 o’clock practice, I’m there at eight o’clock preparing my body, preparing my mind, preparing to practice, to put the work in.
“So I think for me, I’ve always been in love with the process and not the aftermath of, OK, we won that game, or we won a championship. I’ve always enjoyed the process and not the outcome. So, I think that would be a big factor.”
LeBron James, center, celebrates with his Lakers teammates after defeating the Miami Heat for the NBA title on Oct. 11, 2020.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
James has been with the Lakers for eight seasons. He helped the team win an NBA championship in 2020 in the COVID-19 bubble in Orlando, Fla.
James was asked what has stood out during his time with the Lakers.
“Obviously winning a championship in 2020 would stand at the top,” James said. “That was the reason why I came here, to restore that level of play and restore this franchise back to what it was known for, winning championships and playing at a high level. … So that would be at the top.”
After the loss to the Thunder, James shook hands with All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Alex Caruso, Lou Dort before walking off the court.
James was asked if those were the last handshakes of his career.
“Last handshakes? No, I don’t know. ‘Cause I don’t, I have no idea,” James said. “None of us even know what the future holds. None of us.”
The Lakers know that they could have eight unrestricted free agents in their immediate future.
After James, the next biggest potential free agent is Austin Reaves. He is expected to opt out of his deal that will pay him $14.8 million and become a free agent, according to people familiar with the situation not authorized to comment. The Lakers can pay Reaves a maximum deal of $241 million over five years, with a starting salary of about $41.5 million next season.
The Lakers value Reaves and are expected to meet his demands. Reaves could sign with another team that has salary-cap space, but that deal would be for four years and about $178 million.
“I take life day by day and I’m just blessed to have an opportunity to play for this organization, play a kid’s game,” Reaves said. “I make good money. But like I said, don’t think about what I’m really going to do in the future. Just day by day.”
Center Deandre Ayton had an inconsistent season, averaging 12.5 points on 67.1% shooting and 8.0 rebounds. He can opt out of his deal that pays him $8.1 million next season and become a free agent. But Ayton hasn’t yet made a decision, according to people familiar with the situation not authorized to comment.
Lakers star Austin Reaves celebrates after shooting a three-pointer against the Thunder on Monday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Marcus Smart, a locker room leader and their best defensive player, also has a player option for next season at $5.3 million. He hasn’t made a decision yet on whether he’ll test the free-agent market. According to several NBA executives, a few teams probably will show interest in him.
The deadline to exercise or decline an option is June 29.
Rui Hachimura’s ($18.2 million), Luke Kennard ($11 million), Maxi Kleber ($11 million) and Jaxson Hayes ($3.4 million) are also in the final year of their deals.
Doncic, who missed the playoffs and the last five games of the regular season with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, signed a three-year, $165-million extension last summer, keeping him under contract through the 2027-28 season.
Jarred Vanderbilt ($12.4 million), Jake LaRavia ($6.0 million), Dalton Knecht (4.2 million), Bronny James ($2.2 million) and rookie Adou Thiero ($2.1 million) are under contract for next season.
Zelenskyy says Russia fired over 200 drones at Ukraine as truce expires | Russia-Ukraine war News
One killed and four others wounded in attacks on Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, local administration chief says.
Published On 12 May 2026
Russia and Ukraine have resumed air attacks after a United States-brokered three-day truce expired, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying more than 200 drones were used to attack Ukraine overnight.
Russian aerial attacks across Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region on Tuesday morning killed at least one person and injured four others, according to regional administration chief Oleksandr Ganzha.
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Russian drones also hit energy infrastructure in Ukraine’s Mykolaiv region, causing outages, and struck residential buildings and a kindergarten in the Kyiv region, according to local authorities. Russia also carried out attacks on the regions of Kharkiv, Zhytomyr, Sumy and Chernihiv, according to authorities.
More than 200 long-range drones were used in the wave of attacks, Zelenskyy said. “Russia itself chose to end the partial silence that had lasted for several days,” he said in a post on X.
Russia’s military, meanwhile, said its defences downed 27 Ukrainian drones over the regions of Belgorod, Voronezh and Rostov.
The exchange of aerial attacks came after the expiry of a 72-hour truce announced by US President Donald Trump on Friday, which he said he hoped would mark “the beginning of the end” of Russia’s four-year war on Ukraine.
The May 9-11 truce overlapped with Russia’s Victory Day, which celebrates the defeat of Nazi Germany in the second world war.
But even before it expired, both sides accused each other of violating the truce by attacking civilians.
Zelenskyy said Russia was neither observing the truce nor “even particularly trying to”, adding there had been no calm in front-line areas despite a lull in large-scale attacks.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Ministry of Defence accused Ukraine of committing more than 1,000 ceasefire violations. It said Ukrainian forces attacked civilian targets in several Russian regions and carried out strikes against Russian military positions on the front line.
Russia’s military had “responded in kind” to the ceasefire violations, according to the Defence Ministry.
US-backed negotiations on ending the Russia-Ukraine war have made little headway and have been largely sidelined by the crisis in the Middle East amid the US-Israel war on Iran. Trump’s ceasefire announcement had raised some hope that US-led talks to end Russia’s invasion could be resumed.
On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested for the first time that the Ukraine war may be “coming to an end” and expressed a willingness to meet Zelenskyy in Moscow or a neutral country once an agreement to end the war is finalised. He also accused the “arrogant” West of risking a global conflict, warning that Russia’s “strategic forces” are combat-ready.
China Escalates Pressure on Paraguay Over Taiwan Relations
China has intensified its diplomatic rhetoric against Santiago Peña following his recent visit to Taiwan, reflecting Beijing’s growing efforts to isolate Taipei internationally and weaken the remaining countries that maintain formal diplomatic ties with the island.
Paraguay is one of only 12 states that officially recognize Taiwan instead of the People’s Republic of China. During his visit, Peña reaffirmed support for Taiwan and described relations with Taipei as rooted in shared democratic values and political freedom.
Beijing responded sharply, accusing Paraguayan politicians of serving as “pawns” of Taiwanese separatist forces and suggesting that leaders supporting Taiwan may have “ulterior motives.” The unusually aggressive language highlights how sensitive the Taiwan issue has become within China’s broader foreign policy strategy.
Why Paraguay Matters to China and Taiwan
Although Paraguay is not a major global power, its diplomatic recognition carries significant symbolic and strategic importance for both China and Taiwan.
For Taiwan, maintaining formal diplomatic allies is essential to preserving international legitimacy and resisting Beijing’s efforts to diplomatically isolate the island. Each country that continues to recognize Taiwan represents political resistance against China’s One China principle.
For China, reducing Taiwan’s remaining diplomatic partnerships is part of a long term strategy aimed at reinforcing Beijing’s claim that Taiwan lacks the status of an independent state. Over the past decade, several countries have switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing after economic and political engagement with China.
Paraguay therefore represents one of Taiwan’s most important remaining diplomatic footholds in South America.
Economic Pressure Shapes the Debate
The controversy surrounding Paraguay’s Taiwan relationship is increasingly driven by economic considerations. Some Paraguayan politicians, agricultural exporters, and business groups argue that maintaining ties with Taiwan limits access to Chinese markets and investment opportunities.
China is the world’s second largest economy and a major importer of agricultural products, making diplomatic recognition economically attractive for many developing states.
Supporters of relations with Beijing argue that Paraguay could gain greater trade access, infrastructure investment, and financial opportunities if it abandoned Taiwan.
However, Peña and supporters of Taiwan emphasize ideological and political considerations, framing the relationship as a partnership based on democratic governance and political sovereignty rather than purely economic interests.
This reflects a broader global trend where smaller states increasingly face pressure to balance economic incentives against political alignment and strategic values.
China’s Diplomatic Messaging Is Becoming More Aggressive
The sharp rhetoric from China’s foreign ministry demonstrates Beijing’s increasingly confrontational diplomatic approach on issues related to Taiwan.
By describing Paraguayan leaders as “pawns” and questioning their motivations, China is signaling that support for Taiwan will be treated not merely as a diplomatic disagreement but as active opposition to Chinese national interests.
This language also serves multiple audiences simultaneously.
Internationally, Beijing seeks to discourage other governments from strengthening ties with Taiwan.
Domestically, strong rhetoric reinforces nationalist narratives surrounding territorial sovereignty and reunification.
Regionally, China is attempting to increase pressure on Paraguay by suggesting that continued support for Taiwan contradicts public opinion and economic interests.
The emphasis on opinion polls claiming support for relations with Beijing also reflects China’s strategy of portraying diplomatic recognition of Taiwan as politically unsustainable.
Taiwan’s Shrinking Diplomatic Space
The dispute illustrates Taiwan’s increasingly difficult international position as China expands its diplomatic, military, and economic influence globally.
Under President Lai Ching-te, Taiwan has continued emphasizing democracy, sovereignty, and international partnerships. However, Beijing views Lai as supporting separatist policies and has intensified political and military pressure against Taipei.
Taiwan’s formal diplomatic allies have steadily declined over recent decades as China has used economic incentives and geopolitical influence to persuade states to switch recognition.
As a result, every remaining ally now carries outsized symbolic importance for Taipei’s international visibility and diplomatic legitimacy.
Analysis
China’s reaction to Peña’s Taiwan visit demonstrates how the Taiwan issue has evolved into one of the most emotionally and strategically sensitive dimensions of Chinese foreign policy.
Beijing no longer views diplomatic recognition of Taiwan as a minor symbolic issue. Instead, it increasingly interprets international engagement with Taipei as a challenge to China’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and geopolitical authority.
The pressure on Paraguay also reflects the broader transformation of global diplomacy under growing United States China rivalry. Smaller countries are increasingly caught between competing geopolitical and economic pressures, particularly when balancing relations with democratic partners against the economic power of China.
For Paraguay, the debate is ultimately about strategic identity as much as economics. Maintaining relations with Taiwan offers political alignment with democratic values and preserves diplomatic independence from Beijing’s influence. Switching recognition to China could deliver economic benefits but may also reduce Paraguay’s foreign policy autonomy.
For Taiwan, retaining Paraguay is important not only diplomatically but psychologically. Every diplomatic loss strengthens Beijing’s narrative that international recognition of Taiwan is disappearing and that eventual reunification is inevitable.
The dispute therefore reflects a much larger geopolitical contest over legitimacy, influence, and the future international status of Taiwan. As competition between China and Taiwan intensifies, diplomatic battles involving even relatively small states are likely to become increasingly significant within global geopolitics.
With information from Reuters.
Iran war video games placed at DC War Memorial by Secret Handshake
Secret Handshake, the anonymous arts and activism group behind an ongoing series of satirical public sculptures — mostly about President Trump’s alleged ties to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein — has channeled its black comedy into a new video game about the Iran war called “Operation Epic Furious: Strait to Hell.”
“The game features furious tweet battles against Iranian schoolgirls, low-flow shower heads and other threats to American freedom like DEI and the Pope. And just to save you time, the only way you can lose is by trying to hold Melania’s hand. But it’s the Middle East, so you also can’t win either,” Secret Handshake wrote in an email to The Times.
The group placed three old-school arcade-style games inside the Neoclassical DC War Memorial, which is located near the Reflecting Pool in Ash Woods and resembles a domed, open-air bandstand. The pivot from sculpture to video games was necessitated by current events, said a member of the group.
A plaque beside three video games placed in the DC War Memorial by the satirical arts and activism group Secret Handshake.
(Secret Handshake)
“We didn’t sit down and say, let’s make a video game. The video game was the answer because that’s what was happening to us. It was about watching the actions take place in Iran and some truly, truly horrible things, and how that was being spun into something cool and hip and edgy through the actual administration, through the use of video games,” the man said. “They were literally cutting in ‘Call of Duty’ and ‘Grand Theft Auto’ and others as well into these hype videos for the war, almost as if it was before a concert or a wrestling match.”
The game, which is also available to play online, begins with a shot of the White House. “Another big, beautiful day as the best President ever,” a caption reads. The game moves into the Oval Office where Trump sits at the Resolute Desk under the words, “Uh-oh another one of your executive orders was halted by the courts.” Players can then choose whether to order a Diet Coke or bomb Iran — if you choose to do the latter, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth enters the room and says, “Hey boss! Just saw on Truth Social you declared war on Iran. Hell yeah!”
“Some call it a war, I call it renovating my Middle East ballroom,” Trump says.
“My delts are ready, let’s liberate some oil,” Hegseth yells.
FBI Director Kash Patel is featured in the satirical video game made by Secret Handshake.
(Secret Handshake)
A representative for Secret Handshake says if you choose to order six Diet Cokes something special happens. I tried. You unlock an achievement and are told your health is perfect.
Secret Handshake has been erecting satirical Trump sculptures on the National Mall for more than a year, making headlines in September when the park service toppled one of its pieces, titled “Best Friends Forever,” featuring Trump and Epstein gleefully holding hands. The statue, bruised and battered by its fall, ultimately went back up.
Secret Handshake is meticulous about getting the necessary permits to display its protest art, which is why the pieces have lately remained in their designated spots for up to a week. The “Operation Epic Furious” video games are scheduled to stay up for at least the next few days, the rep said.
The goal is to get people to think, not to mock or glorify violence in any way, the Secret Handshake rep said.
The video game “Operation Epic Furious” by Secret Handshake begins with a choice: Order a Diet Coke or bomb Iran.
(Secret Handshake)
“There is no violence in the game,” the rep said. “The damage that is done is political damage and the weapons are things like gas prices and Catholic guilt.”
It’s also important to the group to be mindful of various political viewpoints.
“I would say that everything we’ve done, we’ve tried to do with respect to the other side and to not make it cruel,” the rep said. “And also we’ve done it with permission.”
Protest art, yes. But the kind that is, hopefully, built to last.
Paymentology Raises $175 Million co-led by Apis Partners and Aspirity Partners to Support Next Phase of Growth
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LONDON — Paymentology, the leading global issuer-processor, today announced a $175 million investment co-led by Apis Partners (”Apis”), a private equity firm specialising in financial infrastructure and services, and Aspirity Partners (“Aspirity”), a pan-European Private Equity firm focused on Financial Technology & Services and Enterprise Technology & Connectivity Services.
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The investment will support Paymentology’s continued global expansion, product development and strengthening of its team, as the company builds on strong demand for modern issuer processing on a global scale.
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The transaction brings together two investors with deep experience in the payments industry and a shared focus on advancing payments infrastructure, united by the view that issuer processing represents one of the most significant opportunities in the sector. For Apis, the investment, made by Apis Growth Fund III1, marks the firm’s 16th payments investment. Both Apis and Aspirity will draw on their deep sector and global network of payments experts to support the next phase of Paymentology’s growth.
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Joe O’Mara, Founder and Managing Partner at Aspirity Partners commented:
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“Payments is a core pillar of our investment strategy, and Paymentology represents the kind of category-leading platform we look to back: modern technology, global relevance and strong exposure to long-term growth in digital payments. As Aspirity’s first investment from our inaugural fund, this partnership reflects our sector-specialist approach and was the downstream outcome of our proactive thematic origination model, including the valuable contribution of our Innovator & Leader network. We have been particularly impressed by the execution and ambition shown by Jeff and the team, and look forward to supporting the company through its next phase of international growth.”
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Matteo Stefanel, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Apis commented:
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“We are thrilled to partner with Paymentology – a company that operates at the centre of an attractive and fast
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growing segment in the global payments ecosystem – and build on our decade plus relationship with the executive team. Leveraging our global connectivity and sector expertise across the payments value chain, we look forward to supporting management as they continue to scale, extend their capabilities and deliver meaningful, lasting impact by improving access to modern financial services worldwide.”
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Despite the global payments market being estimated at $49 trillion by 2026, much of the issuing layer remains constrained by legacy infrastructure, limiting innovation, speed and the quality of end-user payment experiences. Paymentology is addressing this gap through its highly configurable, cloud-native platform, enabling real-time processing at scale for clients across 68 countries and giving issuers the flexibility to launch, adapt and manage card and digital payment experiences more efficiently across markets.
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Jeff Parker, CEO at Paymentology, commented:
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The future of finance is already here, but legacy infrastructure continues to hold back innovation. At Paymentology, we see a significant opportunity to remove that friction and enable our clients to move at the pace the market demands. We’ve built an issuing platform designed for growth, helping digital banks, fintechs and financial institutions launch, scale and expand their card programmes with confidence. By combining global capability with the flexibility to adapt locally, we enable our clients to compete more effectively with speed, control and efficiency, in an increasingly dynamic landscape.
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This investment and the strength of our partnership with Apis and Aspirity is a strong endorsement of our platform and strategy. It positions us to accelerate our growth, expand our capabilities, and continue supporting our clients as they build momentum, and unlock truly unstoppable progress.
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This momentum is reflected in Paymentology’s performance, with new sales rising 117% year-on-year in FY25 and transaction volumes increasing 65%. Growth has been driven by strong demand from digital banks, embedded finance providers, digital asset-linked card programmes and expense management platforms, alongside established banks modernising legacy systems. The business also benefits from a highly diversified international client base and significant exposure to high‑growth regions including the Middle East, Latin America, Africa and APAC.
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Paymentology’s strong customer relationships, ability to operate across diverse regulatory environments and continuity of management further strengthen its position as a trusted global infrastructure partner. The company will use the capital to support the growth and innovation ambitions of its current and future clients, while expanding beyond core issuer processing into adjacent areas including credit, stablecoin, tokenisation and AI-driven services. Paymentology supports clients in close to 70 countries, including leading FinTechs (for example: M-Pesa by Safaricom, RedotPay, Rain, TrueMoney, ARQ, and many others), and some of the world’s fastest growing neobanks (such as GoTyme, Snappi, Wio Bank, D360, Albo, among others).
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Udayan Goyal, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Apis added:
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“As the 16th investment Apis has made in the global payments sector, this deal reinforces our strong conviction in the opportunity within issuer processing. This partnership represents a shared vision to accelerate the democratisation of card issuance, broaden access to digital financial infrastructure and expand into new geographies and adjacent capabilities. This further exemplifies our approach of backing proven mission-critical infrastructure providers, capital‑light business models that generate attractive returns while driving measurable positive impact demonstrating that long‑term value creation and impact go hand in hand.”
F1 Q&A: Engine rules, Alpine improvement, wet-weather racing and fitting in extra races
Before answering this question directly, it’s important to point out that not everyone views the new rules in such a negative way.
There is an acceptance in F1 that qualifying has been significantly negatively affected, in terms of the driving experience of being on the limit.
Efforts have already been made to address that up to a point this year, and larger steps are in the making for next year.
At the same time, most senior figures in F1 – including some of the drivers – agree that there has been a positive effect on the racing, even if some of the increased number of overtakes that have been seen can be argued to be artificial and down to offsets between states of charge.
TV figures over the first three races were up by more than 20% – all three of Australia, China and Japan had significant increases. Miami’s are not available yet.
Now, as for the genesis of the new regulations, the target when talks started five or so years ago was to attract more manufacturers.
At the time, the direction of road-car technology was firmly electric, so it was decided in concert with the manufacturers to increase the amount of electrification.
A nominal 50-50 split between internal combustion and electric was agreed. Fully sustainable, carbon-neutral fuels were added for further environmental credibility.
The MGU-H, a part of the hybrid system that recovered energy from the turbo, was removed. The reasoning being it was complex and expensive – and therefore hard for new manufacturers to compete with existing ones – and not road relevant.
Following the announcement of those rules, first Audi committed to F1. Soon afterwards, Ford and General Motors did the same, and Honda reversed its decision to quit.
Had the rules not changed, F1 now would have a maximum of three manufacturers or possibly only two, Mercedes and Ferrari, if Renault had gone ahead with its withdrawal.
Instead, it has six.
The problems started when the teams started to look at what a near 50-50 energy split with an engine devoid of an MGU-H meant in terms of operating the cars.
Very early on, at least by 2023, there were warnings that the cars would be energy starved.
Energy recovery from the front axle could have solved this, but this was rejected on the basis that it could give Audi an advantage as it had experience in it from world endurance racing.
The result was a series of sticking-plaster solutions – such as active aerodynamics – that only tickled with the fundamental problem.
It’s hard to get a definitive answer as to why someone in authority did not ask everyone to stop, step back for a minute, look at the big picture, and ask whether the 50-50 split was really so important. And whether the sport should change tack. Clearly, that was a failure.
So now the rules have to be amended. And solutions that could have been introduced before 2026 – such as altering the energy split and making it more in favour of the internal combustion engine – are now likely to be introduced for 2027.
Parallel to that, talks are now ongoing on what comes next – from either 2030 or 2031.
The trajectory of road cars has changed. Electrification is still coming, but – it seems – not to the same degree or at the same speed as was thought five or so years ago.
In F1, a reversal away from electrification to some degree is inevitable. But how much remains to be seen.
A naturally aspirated engine – most likely a V8 – with token hybrid is being pushed by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
But for various reasons that exact solution may not be acceptable to all stakeholders, nor the panacea its proponents claim. Negotiations are ongoing.
Lebanese in south refuse to flee again despite escalating Israeli strikes | Israel attacks Lebanon
Al Jazeera’s Obaida Hitto reports from southern Lebanon, where displaced residents say they will not leave again despite a sharp rise in deaths and intensifying Israeli strikes.
Published On 12 May 2026
US moves to release more oil stockpiles under IEA agreement | US-Israel war on Iran News
US Department of Energy moves to transfer 53.3 million barrels amid rising oil prices.
Published On 12 May 2026
The United States has announced its latest release of emergency oil stockpiles in coordination with the International Energy Agency (IEA).
The US Department of Energy said on Monday that it had begun transferring 53.3 million barrels from the strategic petroleum reserve after awarding contracts to nine companies under its emergency exchange programme.
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Trafigura Trading LLC, a Texas-based commodities trading company, was granted the biggest haul of nearly 13 million barrels, with Marathon Petroleum Corporation and ExxonMobil set to receive 12.4 million barrels and 11.4 million barrels, respectively.
Macquarie Commodities Trading US, Atlantic Trading & Marketing, BP Products North America, Energy Transfer Crude Marketing, Mercuria Energy America and Phillips 66 will receive between 1.05 million and 6.55 million barrels each, according to the Energy Department.
Under the department’s exchange scheme, participating firms are required to replenish the stockpile with new barrels at a later date.
“These actions continue to move oil swiftly into the market, address near-term supply needs, and ensure that the Strategic Petroleum Reserve remains strong through the return of premium barrels,” Kyle Haustveit, the head of the department’s Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office, said in a statement.
The transfer comes after US President Donald Trump’s administration agreed in March to release 172 million barrels of crude as part of the IEA’s coordination of the largest unloading of global stockpiles in history.
Oil prices have surged since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran in late February, with Tehran’s retaliatory blockade of the Strait of Hormuz paralysing one of the world’s most important trade routes.
Maritime traffic in the strait has ground to a halt amid Iranian threats against commercial shipping, disrupting about one-fifth of the global oil trade.
Oil prices continued to edge higher on Monday after Trump dismissed Iran’s latest peace proposal and warned that the ceasefire between the sides was “on life support”, dampening hopes for a quick resolution to the conflict.
Facing growing public discontent over rising fuel prices, Trump on Monday also pledged to waive the 18.4 cents-per-gallon federal tax on petrol, though taxation is the purview of the US Congress.
Futures for Brent crude, the international benchmark, were up about 1 percent in Asia on Tuesday morning, topping $105 a barrel.
GMB forced to cancel Katie Price and Lee Andrews interview as star says ‘where the hell is my husband?’
KATIE Price and Lee Andrews have scrapped their first joint TV interview on Good Morning Britain.
The couple, who tied the knot in January, were due to appear on the ITV daytime series together on Tuesday.
Though after the self-styled businessman failed to travel to the UK, GMB media posts advertising the segment were hurriedly removed from the programme’s social media accounts after ITV staffers were told Lee would be unable to reach the UK.
GMB anchor Susanna Reid then confirmed Katie would appear on-screen solo.
She told viewers during the live show: “Katie Price is back with us in the studio.
“We invited them both [Katie and Lee] into the studio and initially yes, we though that would happen.
“But Lee didn’t make his flight from Dubai, we are going to find out why when Katie joins us alone after 8”.
There is ongoing speculation that her husband Lee, 43, is unable to leave the United Arab Emirates city after allegedly forging his ex-girlfriend Dina Taji’s signature to secure a £200,000 loan – something he’s strongly denied.
Katie, 47, then posted on her social media – in a video which has now been deleted – to confirm the switch up.
She said on social media: “Where The Hell Is My Husband? Lee will not be on Good Morning Britain with me!!”
She added: “Well he is not coming, gutting really as he said he was coming, so I’m getting the house ready for me”.
A source mocked the cancellation and told The Sun: “Lee has a travel ban so he was never going to make GMB for a sit down interview with Katie.
“He assured them he was flying over, even Katie believed him – then it was all cancelled.
“Lee is still in Dubai because he has a travel ban that stops him from leaving.
Who is Katie Price’s husband Lee Andrews?
KATIE Price tied the knot with Lee Andrews in January 2026. Yet who is he?
- Katie Price has married businessman fiancé Lee Andrews in a whirlwind wedding
- It is the fourth time Katie, 47, has been a bride. She has also been married to Peter Andre, Alex Reid and Kieran Hayler
- Katie and Lee met just after being introduced on social media
- Lee claimed he is a billionaire in a failed clip from his acting career
- He now claims to be a Dubai-based businessman
- Yet The Sun has unmasked him as a fantasist who faked celebrity links using AI-generated photos and recently talked about marrying two other women
- Failed actor is just another title to add to Lee’s questionable CV, after he claimed to have once worked as the Director of Philanthropy at The Prince’s Trust (now The King’s Trust)
- Lee also shared images – since proven to be AI – of him working with Elon Musk and Kim Kardashian
- It’s been revealed shameless Lee told former girlfriends that he had studied at Cambridge University, and has a PhD in biotechnology science
- But The Sun has seen a response from the university explaining it could not find a record of Lee being registered as a student with a date of birth they had provided
- His LinkedIn profile says Lee has been a Member of the Board of Advisors to the Labour Party since 2015
- Lee was also mocked for repeating the exact same wedding proposal on Katie – that he did for another woman just four months ago.
“The sooner people stop falling for his claims he can leave Dubai the better.
“It’s a waste of time and energy.”
Katie returned to the UK from Dubai without Lee – who she married within just weeks of meeting him in at the start of the year – last week.
Despite the change, he has continued to re-post GMB uploads about their interview.
Back in April, Katie appeared to confirm he is subject to a travel ban
As such, she is the one doing the graft with the long haul flights.
Trump’s Tariff Strategy Crumbles Before High-Stakes Xi Summit
Legal defeats at home leave the White House with dwindling leverage as trade talks begin in Beijing.
President Donald Trump heads into this week’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping with a major embarrassment back home: the legal foundation of his aggressive tariff strategy is rapidly eroding.
Trump expects to meet Xi in Beijing from May 14 to May 15 to discuss trade, the war in Iran and, possibly, Taiwan. But the meeting comes as federal courts rule against Trump’s sweeping tariff measures, including the 10% global duties and triple-digit levies on Chinese goods that the White House once promoted as a key source of leverage over Beijing.
The rulings, the most recent of which was on May 7, weaken one of Trump’s most aggressive economic weapons just as Washington, D.C., tries to navigate an increasingly fragile geopolitical landscape.
Trump has refused to concede defeat. In March, he defended the tariffs on his social platform, Truth Social. He argued that Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 “fully allowed” and “legally tested” the levies. Trump is the first president to invoke Section 122.
Now, his administration is looking to Section 301 of U.S. trade law as a potential path to impose tariffs with fewer legal vulnerabilities.
What’s Section 301?
Section 301 is a provision of the Trade Act of 1974 that empowers the U.S. president to impose tariffs or other penalties on countries accused of unfair trade practices.
But analysts warn that the strategy may also face significant legal and procedural obstacles — worse than Section 122.
“Section 301 tariffs involve a more cumbersome investigatory process before they can be imposed. That is why Trump has preferred other statutes such as [The International Emergency Economic Powers Act] and Section 122, which he attempted to implement by simple executive order,” said Phillip Magness, senior fellow at the Independent Institute.
With Section 122 of IEEPA, the Trump administration sought to revive a long-dormant statutory provision and reinterpret Congress’s definition of “balance of payments” to justify using it against modern trade deficits. If Trump pivots to Section 301 as his next option, his powers are more restricted and must meet more onerous regulatory requirements.
Magness expects this will potentially trigger another wave of lawsuits.
“Trump will attempt to stretch the language of Section 301 as well, in which case there will probably be court challenges to some of his weaker Section 301 findings,” Magness said.
Since April of last year, hundreds of companies have challenged the tariffs in court, including Costco Wholesale Corp., Prada SpA, Staples Inc. and Bumble Bee Foods, along with foreign firms such as BYD Co., Kawasaki Motors and Yokohama Rubber Co.
Iran and Taiwan
The summit also unfolds against a dramatically altered geopolitical backdrop from the leaders’ last meeting in South Korea in October, when both sides agreed to temporarily pause an escalating trade war after China threatened restrictions on rare earth exports.
Since then, Trump has become increasingly consumed by the conflict with Iran — one of China’s closest Middle Eastern allies — a war that has contributed to a global energy crunch and redirected U.S. military resources away from Asia.
The conflict has also strained U.S. munitions stockpiles, fueling speculation among some Chinese analysts about Washington’s ability to defend Taiwan in a prolonged regional confrontation, according to reports from The New York Times.
Arizona picks Biden for Democrats’ first win in 24 years
Joe Biden was declared the victor in Arizona on Tuesday, making him just the second Democratic presidential candidate in the last 72 years to win in a state that long embodied the bedrock conservatism of Republicans such as Barry Goldwater.
The former vice president’s triumph over President Trump, called by the Associated Press, reflected a political shift similar to that in other states in the Southwest, as growing numbers of Latinos and college-educated suburban voters are making Democrats ascendant.
The last Democrat to win Arizona was Bill Clinton, in his 1996 reelection race. He was the first since Harry S. Truman in 1948.
In 2016, Trump notched a narrow 91,000-vote advantage in Arizona over Hillary Clinton. But demographics and his broad unpopularity caught up with the party that sent Goldwater and then John McCain to the Senate and helped make both men Republican presidential nominees, in 1964 and 2008, respectively.
“We forever were this bastion of Goldwater conservatism, and that still lives on in the vast rural stretches of the state,” said Michael O’Neil, a veteran Arizona pollster. “But 83% of the people here now live in urban and suburban areas. And they are trending Democratic. Arizona looks like the next Virginia: once a consistently red state that goes purple for a very short time and then ends up solidly blue.”
Like voters elsewhere, Arizonans turned out in big numbers, logging almost as many votes as the 2.5 million cast in 2016 even before polling places opened Tuesday.
Analysts said Biden’s centrist approach — promising a return to normalcy after four years of disruption under Trump, and a national effort to control the COVID-19 pandemic — appealed in particular to suburban women. That moderate stance also described Democrats’ Senate candidate, Mark Kelly, the former astronaut and husband of former Rep. Gabby Giffords. Kelly beat Republican Sen. Martha McSally, a Trump loyalist appointed to the seat in 2019.
Democrats maintained a solid lead in the mail-in ballots returned ahead of election day. Republicans normally would have been able to make up that deficit with election day voting in Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix and accounts for more than 60% of the state vote. But the county has steadily gained more Democratic-leaning voters.
Statewide, “Republicans were turning out significantly below Democrats with new voters, and it really made a significant difference this time,” said Chuck Coughlin, who helps run a Republican-leaning political consulting firm. Many Arizonans seemed to be looking for non-ideological, pragmatic candidates, he said, “and people want to believe that about Biden, along with Kelly.”
Kelly’s victory gives Democrats both of Arizona’s Senate seats for the first time since 1953.
Matt Beard: Family calls for mandatory manager mental health checks after death
Matt’s family say he often struggled to emotionally switch off from football, and that negative comments on social media had begun to have an impact on his mental health.
He found breaking bad news to players about their place in the squad or future plans particularly difficult emotionally, according to Debbie.
“Matt always felt so bad having to let someone down,” she explains. “There would be tears, they might have shouted at him, and the player’s family and the fans could sometimes be negative towards him too.
“He and other staff members would make the decisions but, because he had to deliver the news, the emotional burden all came down on to him.
“Matt was there for everybody and he hated letting people down. He looked out for everyone else, but sadly not himself.”
In the summer leading up to his death, Matt had been appointed manager of Burnley in the third tier.
But Matt’s family say he wasn’t happy with the way the club was being run. WSL side Leicester City made it known they were interested in hiring Matt.
BBC Sport understands Burnley turned down an offer from Leicester to buy out the rest of Matt’s contract. Matt then resigned, but the move to Leicester never came to pass.
Burnley placed Matt on gardening leave, meaning he was unable to work or talk to other clubs for a period of three months.
Burnley declined a request to comment from BBC Sport on the nature of Matt’s departure from the club.
In a pre-inquest review hearing last week, Debbie alleged that Burnley “bullied” Matt. The inquest was adjourned indefinitely.
Burnley said they were “aware of an ongoing legal process and will not be making any comment at this time”.
Debbie believes the time Matt was unable to work contributed to a deterioration in his mental state.
“He wasn’t allowed to say goodbye to his players or tell them why he left,” Debbie says. “That had a huge impact on him.
“He was finding it hard, [worrying about] how he would provide for the family. I was working three jobs just to get us through.
“I think he felt like a bit of a failure.”
Police shoot gunman accused of firing dozens of shots near Harvard

May 11 (UPI) — A gunman armed with an assault-style rifle fired dozens of rounds at vehicles as he walked Cambridge’s iconic Memorial Drive, seriously wounding two people before being shot by state police and an armed bystander, authorities said.
The suspect, identified as 46-year-old Tyler Brown of Boston, suffered multiple gunshot wounds to his extremities and was taken for treatment to a Boston hospital, where he remains under police custody in the intensive care unit.
The shooting began around 1 p.m. EDET, authorities said.
Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan told reporters during a Monday evening press conference the suspect was firing erratically at vehicles as he walked east down the center of the famous drive that banks Charles River near Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Two males in separate cars driving the street, one a ride-share driver, were shot, suffering life-threatening injuries, she said, adding: “That does not begin to address the trauma experienced by everybody who was out there: Those individuals on the river walking, pushing baby carriages, riding by.”
“We know that that weapon had the capacity to have struck people on the other side of that river,” she said.
The suspect fired upwards of 60 rounds, striking “at least a dozen” vehicles, Ryan said, adding that people were jumping from their cars and scattering in all directions, unsure of where to find safety. Some hid under their vehicles, she said.
A Massachusetts State Police trooper responding to the shooting and a civilian, a former Marine in legal possession of a firearm, confronted the suspect, who is accused of continuing to fire, striking the cruiser the trooper had exited.
The shooting ended when the trooper and civilian opened fire on the suspect.
“Clearly people’s lives were at risk,” Ryan said.
Ryan said they expect to charge Brown with two counts of armed assault with intent to murder, firearms offenses and potentially other offenses to be determined by the ongoing investigation.
Brown was moving to Cambridge and was under the supervision of either the Massachusetts Probation Department or the Department of Parole, Ryan said, adding that his criminal record, if there is one, will be addressed at his arraignment.
Boston Police had initially notified Cambridge Police at 1:06 p.m. of a person observed acting erratically while of a rifle, according to Ryan, who told reporters that they are still investigating how he came to be on the drive.
Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui said she is “deeply grateful” to the first responders who acted, stating their “swift action protected our community during a dangerous and rapidly evolving situation.”
“My thoughts are with the individuals who were injured, those affected by today’s violence and victims of gun violence everywhere,” she said in a statement.
“I recognize how frightening this incident was for community members, and your safety is my first concern.”
Israel approves law on public trials, death penalty for October 7 detainees | Israel-Palestine conflict News
Rights groups warn that the bill makes the death penalty easier to impose and strips fair trial protections.
Israeli legislators have approved a bill to establish a special tribunal with the power to impose the death penalty on Palestinians accused of involvement in the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023.
The bill passed 93-0 in Israel’s 120-seat parliament, the Knesset, late on Monday.
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The remaining 27 legislators were absent or abstained from voting.
Israeli and Palestinian rights groups warn that the bill will make the death penalty too easy to impose while also doing away with procedures safeguarding the right to a fair trial.
Muna Haddad, a lawyer with Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, told Al Jazeera that the bill intentionally lowers the legal protections to a fair trial to secure the mass conviction of Palestinians.
“The bill explicitly permits mass trials that deviate from standard rules of evidence, including broad judicial discretion to admit evidence obtained under coercive conditions that may amount to torture or ill-treatment,” Haddad said.
“This constitutes a severe violation of fair trial guarantees that falls well short of international law requirements.”
In a departure from standard Israeli judicial practice, which typically prohibits courtroom cameras, the bill mandates the filming and public broadcasting of key moments in the trials on a dedicated website.
This includes opening hearings, verdicts and sentencing.
Haddad warned that this provision effectively “transforms proceedings into show trials at the expense of the accused’s rights”.
“The provisions governing public hearings… violate the presumption of innocence, the right to a fair trial, and the right to dignity,” Haddad explained. “The framework effectively treats indictment as a finding of guilt, before any judicial examination has begun.”
Israel has been holding an estimated 200-300 Palestinians, including those captured in the country during the October 7 attacks, who have not yet been charged.
The Hamas-led assault on Israeli communities along Israel’s southern fence with Gaza killed at least 1,139 people, mostly civilians, according to an Al Jazeera tally based on official Israeli statistics. About 240 others were seized as captives.
Israel’s subsequent genocidal war on Gaza has killed at least 72,628 Palestinians, including at least 846 since a United States-brokered “ceasefire” came into effect last October.
The war, which United Nations experts say could amount to genocide, has left the Palestinian territory in ruins.
Several Israeli rights groups – including Hamoked, Adalah and the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel – said on Monday that while “justice for the victims of October 7 is a legitimate and urgent imperative”, any accountability for the crimes “must be pursued through a process which includes rather than abandons the principles of justice”.
The bill is separate from a law passed in March that approved the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis, a measure harshly condemned by the international community and rights groups as discriminatory and inhumane.
That law applies to future cases and is not retroactive, so it could not apply to the October 2023 suspects.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said the new law “serves as a cover for the war crimes committed by Israel in Gaza”.
The International Criminal Court is probing Israel’s conduct of the Gaza war and has issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant, as well as three Hamas leaders who have all since been killed by Israel.
Israel is also fighting a genocide case at the International Court of Justice.
It rejects the allegations.
Noughties pop star hints he’s quitting fame after 25 years, ranting ‘it’s fake and toxic’
A NOUGHTIES pop star has hinted he’s quitting fame after 25 years in the spotlight as furiously ranted online.
The 42-year-old took to his Instagram to share some hard truths about the industry and told how he’d rather live a simpler live.
Lee Ryan, a star of the 90s boyband Blue, explained that he’s “been through hell and back” and said he now “hates the public eye.”
The singer found fame in the early 2000s after the band achieved massive success with their debut album All Rise in 2001.
Blue, who have three UK Number 1 Platinum-selling albums, are still going strong, with tours lined up for the rest of this year and next.
Alongside Antony Costa, Duncan James and Simon Webbe, Lee has been taking to the stage but it seems he’s not entirely happy.
He posted a picture of himself singing at a concert on Instagram and captioned it with the statement: “As much as I love my career I’ve had for 25 years singing in Blue, sometimes I just want to go home to be a husband and father to my baby’s.
“There’s no place I feel more at peace than with them. This industry sucks you in and spits you out the other end… I’ve been through hell and back in the public eye and I actually hate it now.”
Lee continued: “I don’t like the fame part of this job anymore, it’s fake and quite toxic. People use you and abuse you and use your success as a weapon.”
“Don’t get me wrong I love singing and being creative making music and seeing the fans at shows,” said Lee.
“The rest I could leave behind and never step foot into that space again happily… I have no interest in the industry bs anymore…. Rather be home being a dad and a husband x”
Fans took to the comments to support Lee while some felt annoyed that they had brought tickets and could see he “didn’t want to do it anymore.”
One fan wrote: “I love blue, I still do. But at the concert I feel like I could see that you don’t really want it anymore. It‘s sad because people pay money to see the absolute best of you…”
Another fan said: “Thank you for carrying on and bless us with your beautiful voice. There is no place like home and I am sure your family is forever proud of you.”
A third fan added: “You would be missed, your voice, stage presence and banter is truly in a small minority BUT you have to do what’s best for you.”
Lee’s wife Verity also rushed to support her man. She said: “You get to do both!!! Be a pop star and come back to reality and live on the farm in the sunshine!!! We love you Mr, keep going nearly home time xxx”
The couple, who married in Gibraltar in 2022, share four children together.
Blue took a hiatus in 2004 but later reformed with the original bandmembers in 2011.
Holidaymakers will be able to buy Greggs in Spain for first time
There will be ‘island’ items on the menu
Holidaymakers will be able to buy a Greggs sausage roll at Tenerife South airport from later this month when the baker opens its only international outlet. Greggs last operated shops abroad in Belgium in 2008, but said Tenerife was “the ideal location to test spreading our wings in an overseas setting”.
While the exact date for the opening is not yet set, Greggs said the shop in the international departures area of the airport will stock a range of bakes, rolls and sweet treats, as well as freshly-made sandwiches. A Spanish omelette roll will be available as part of the breakfast menu alongside freshly squeezed orange juice, prepared and bottled in-shop daily, “giving customers a refreshing taste of island life”, the baker said.
Tenerife South airport welcomes around 13 million holidaymakers every year, with around 50% flying to and from the UK. Greggs said the location made it the “perfect way to round off a trip without breaking the bank”.
The shop will also offer seating for up to 92 customers. Greggs chief executive Roisin Currie said: “Tenerife South Airport is a hub for millions of UK and international passengers each year, making it the ideal location to test spreading our wings in an overseas setting.
“It’s an exciting milestone for Greggs as we bring a slice of home to the Canaries, and we’re confident our great-value offering will resonate just as well under the Spanish sun as it does on the UK high street.”
The new shop will open in partnership with Lagardere Travel Retail, which operates more than 5,000 stores in airports, railway stations and other locations in over 50 countries worldwide. Javier Cagigal, chief executive of Lagardere Travel Retail Spain and Portugal, said: “We’re delighted to partner with Greggs to bring such a well-loved brand into Tenerife South Airport for the very first time.
“As passengers head home, this new opening gives them a familiar, comforting choice in departures – whether that’s a last treat, a relaxed sit-down moment or something to ease the journey home.”
Oregon Democrats found a way to improve roads. Now their gas tax goes before voters as prices soar
PORTLAND, Ore. — Appealing to voters’ anxieties about the soaring cost of living is central to Democrats’ messaging in their hopes of big wins in this year’s midterm elections. In Oregon, a question on the primary ballot is complicating that strategy.
The Democratic-controlled Legislature raised the state gas tax and a range of fees last fall as a way to pay for road improvements and plug a hole in the state’s transportation budget. Republicans responded with a petition to repeal the increases, leading to a referendum that will land before voters just as the Iran war is causing the price of gas to skyrocket around the United States.
“It is a hell of a time to be raising gas taxes on people,” said Jeanine Holly, filling up her tank on a recent morning in Portland.
The gas tax repeal on the state’s May 19 primary ballot comes amid widespread disruptions in the oil industry from the war with Iran started by Israel and President Trump. Discontent is high among U.S. consumers across the political spectrum, with the price of gas topping $4.50 a gallon nationally on Friday and averaging about 80 cents more per gallon in Oregon.
The referendum will give voters a chance to weigh in on a hot-button issue hitting them directly in the pocketbook at a time when prices remain elevated for everything from housing to groceries. Nationally, Democrats have focused on the affordability concerns similar to those that helped propel Trump to victory in 2024. Some of their candidates have even proposed ways to cut taxes as a way to promote their agenda and counter a traditional GOP strategy.
“It’s difficult to imagine a worse situation for … a gas tax increase than right now in American politics,” said Chris Koski, professor of political science and environmental studies at Portland’s Reed College.
Republicans sense an opportunity
Republicans wasted no time in appealing to voters after the Legislature and Democratic governor signed off on the tax increase, which also included a higher payroll tax for transit projects and a boost in vehicle registration and title fees.
They needed 78,000 voter signatures to qualify the referendum for the ballot. They quickly got 250,000.
“That is a remarkable number,” Republican strategist Rebecca Tweed said.
Republicans in Oregon have countered Democrats’ affordability messaging by portraying the tax and fee increases as further fueling the high cost of living.
“Do Oregonians want to pay more? The answer is no,” said GOP state Sen. Bruce Starr, who helped lead the referendum campaign. “Everything they’re looking at is expensive.”
Under the legislation, Oregon’s gas tax would rise from 40 cents to 46 cents a gallon. That would make it tied with Maryland for the eighth-highest gas tax of any state when factoring in other state taxes and fees, according to figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
At the Portland gas station, Michael Burch said he used to spend $70 to fill three-quarters of his pickup truck’s tank, but now pays $80 for just over half a tank.
“I’m sick and tired of taxes,” the 76-year-old retiree said. “Gas is certainly dampening the spirits and the coffers of folks that aren’t as well off.”
Hannah Coe, a 30-year-old student, said she was not sure how she would vote on the primary ballot referendum.
“I think I would be in favor of it if it was going to go to the things that it was saying it was going to go to, such as fixing our roads,” she said. “I also kind of feel like that’s just a grab at trying to get more money from the people who live here.”
Democrats blame the Iran war
Oregon Democrats spent much of last year fighting to pass a transportation funding bill to help raise money for services such as road paving and snow plowing. The debate came amid projections of declining gas tax revenue as more people adopt electric, hybrid and fuel-efficient cars.
They finally passed a narrower version of their plan during a special session called by Gov. Tina Kotek.
She recently acknowledged the challenging timing of the referendum.
“Certainly, the conversation at the ballot this year … is a tough sell right now, because I think everyone is feeling a pinch on their household budgets,” she told reporters.
But she and other Democrats said the root cause of the jump in gas prices is Trump’s decision to go to war with Iran. She suggested the federal government consider reducing the federal 18-cent-a-gallon gas tax if it wants to provide relief at the pump for Americans.
Some Oregonians are receptive to the Democrats’ reason for passing the legislation last year. Kurt Borneman, 68, said he would support the gas tax increase, even though he’s now paying at least $10 more to fill up his tank.
“I realize that money’s tight and roads need to be improved,” he said at the Portland gas station. “I want less government, but I also want nice roads.”
Democratic state Rep. Paul Evans said his party lost the battle over how to frame the gas tax increase to the public. So far, there has been no organized effort from Democrats and their allies to oppose the ballot referendum.
“When anything is reduced to, ‘Do you want a tax or not?’ Most people are going to say no,” he said. “The messaging got away from us, and it became focused upon the price instead of the value.”
Rush writes for the Associated Press.
High school boys volleyball: City Section playoff scores and pairings
CITY SECTION
MONDAY’S RESULTS
QUARTERFINALS
DIVISION III
#1 New West Charter d. #9 Central City Value, 25-17, 16-25, 25-10, 17-25, 15-13
#13 Birmingham d. #5 University Prep Value, 3-1
#3 South East d. #11 Monroe, 25-16, 25-19, 26-28, 25-16
#2 Legacy d. #7 Lincoln, 17-25, 25-18, 25-19, 25-20
DIVISION IV
#8 Annenberg d. #17 Canoga Park, 26-24, 25-19, 22-25, 25-27, 15-13
#4 Math & Science College Prep d. #12 Mendez, 25-15, 25-17, 25-20
#6 King Drew at #3 Manual Arts
7 Maywood CES d. #2 RFK Community, 25-12, 25-21, 25-22
DIVISION V
#1 WISH Academy d. #9 Alliance Levine, 25-19, 25-12, 25-23
#13 Rancho Dominguez d. #21 LAAAE, 25016, 25-20, 25-15
#14 Franklin d. #6 Gardena, 25-15, 25-22, 25-17
#10 Animo De La Hoya d. #15 Sotomayor, 28-30, 25-23, 25-20, 25-23
TUESDAY’S SCHEDULE
(Matches at 7 p.m. unless noted)
SEMIFINALS
OPEN DIVISION
#4 Venice at #1 Granada Hills
#3 Chatsworth at #2 Palisades
DIVISION I
#4 North Hollywood at #1 Taft
#3 Cleveland at #2 Sylmar
WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE
(Matches at 7 p.m. unless noted)
SEMIFINALS
DIVISION II
#4 Marquez at #1 LA Hamilton
#7 Panorama at #6 Narbonne
DIVISON III
#13 Birmingham at #1 New West Charter
#3 South East at #2 Legacy
DIVISION IV
#8 Annenberg at #4 Math & Science College Prep
#7 Maywood Academy at #3 Manual Arts or #6 King/Drew
DIVISION V
#13 Rancho Dominguez at #1 WISH Academy
#14 Franklin at #10 Animo De La Hoya
Note: Finals in all divisions May-16 (sites and times TBA).






















