PM Keir Starmer says the phrase ‘globalise the Intifada’ should be ‘completely off limits’.
Published On 2 May 20262 May 2026
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says some pro-Palestine marches could be banned and people who use the phrase “globalise the Intifada” could be prosecuted.
In an interview broadcast by the BBC on Saturday, Starmer advocated for tighter language restrictions at pro-Palestine marches, adding that in some cases, rallies could be prohibited altogether.
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“I’m a big defender of freedom of expression, peaceful protests,” he told the BBC. “But when there are chants like ‘globalise the Intifada’, that’s completely off limits.”
“Clearly, there should be tougher action in relation to that,” he added.
Discussions had been taking place with the police for some time about what further action could be taken, he added. Asked whether he sought to completely bar some rallies, Starmer said he thought that would be appropriate in some cases.
‘Likely to be arrested’
Starmer’s comments come after he earlier this week called the chant “globalise the Intifada” a case of “extreme racism” and said those who use it “should be prosecuted”.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley also told the BBC that people who use the phrase are “likely to be arrested”.
Supporters of the slogan say it reflects a call to expand the pro-Palestine movement into a global campaign.
Starmer has come under pressure after a spate of anti-Semitic incidents, including this week, when two men were stabbed in the north London suburb of Golders Green, which is home to a large Jewish community.
A 45-year-old British national who was born in Somalia was remanded in custody when he made his first appearance in court on Friday, accused of attempted murder.
Starmer visited the scene of the attacks and a Jewish volunteer ambulance service on Thursday and was booed by some locals, who accused him of not doing enough to protect them. They also denounced pro-Palestinian activists holding marches in British cities.
On Thursday, the UK increased its security alert level to “severe” – the second highest – in part because of the attack in Golders Green.
British authorities have repeatedly faced criticism for cracking down on pro-Palestine activism during Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.
Last month, British police arrested more than 500 people during a mass vigil in central London to oppose the ban on campaign group Palestine Action.
“I think Britain has now descended into a non-democratic situation and I think that is very dangerous [for] free speech,” one demonstrator taking part in the vigil told Al Jazeera.
The collapse of the US-based budget carrier due to a doubling in jet fuel prices will cost thousands of jobs.
Published On 2 May 20262 May 2026
Low-cost US carrier Spirit Airlines has said that all of its flights have been cancelled as it started an “orderly wind-down of operations,” after a potential White House bailout fell through.
“Spirit Aviation Holdings, Inc., parent company of Spirit Airlines … today regretfully announced that the Company has started an orderly wind-down of operations, effective immediately. All Spirit flights have been cancelled, and Spirit Guests should not go to the airport,” the airline said in a statement in the early hours of Saturday.
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Spirit had 4,119 domestic flights scheduled between May 1 and May 15, offering 809,638 seats, according to the latest data from Cirium.
The collapse of the carrier due to a doubling in jet fuel prices during the two-month-old Iran war will cost thousands of jobs. It is also a blow to US President Donald Trump, who had proposed $500m to save Spirit despite opposition from some of his closest advisers and many Republicans in Congress.
Spirit had reached a deal with its lenders that would have helped it emerge from its second bankruptcy by late spring or early summer. But those plans derailed after the US war on Iran triggered a spike in jet fuel prices, upending Spirit’s cost projections and complicating its bankruptcy exit.
A Spirit board meeting had ended without an agreement to rescue the company, a person close to the discussions told the Reuters news agency late on Friday.
“Unfortunately, despite the Company’s efforts, the recent material increase in oil prices and other pressures on the business have significantly impacted Spirit’s financial outlook,” Spirit said in a statement announcing its “orderly wind-down”.
Trump on Friday said the White House had given Spirit and its creditors a final rescue proposal, after talks hit an impasse over a $500m financing package that would have helped the airline keep operating through bankruptcy.
“If we can help them, we will, but we have to come first,” Trump told reporters. “If we could do it, we’d do it, but only if it’s a good deal.”
Spirit’s restructuring plan assumed jet fuel costs of about $2.24 a gallon in 2026 and $2.14 in 2027, but prices had climbed to about $4.51 a gallon by the end of April, leaving the carrier unable to survive without new financing.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Reuters he had tried to get many airlines to buy Spirit but found no takers. “What would someone buy?” Duffy asked. “If no one else wants to buy them, why would we buy them?”
A creditor close to the deal said, “The Trump administration made an extraordinary effort to try and save Spirit, but you can’t breathe life into a corpse. Given that, the company should make its intentions clear for the sake of its customers and employees.”
No US carrier of Spirit’s size – it accounted for 5 percent of US flights at one point – has liquidated in two decades. Spirit helped keep fares lower in markets where it competed against major carriers.
Its collapse shows how the Iran war’s fuel-price shock has exposed weaker airlines. Across the globe, airlines have been increasing prices to reflect the high cost of jet fuel and some airlines have also cut flights.
German airline Lufthansa last month said it cancelled 20,000 flights in a bid to protect itself from the soaring cost of oil.
On Friday, Indian carrier Air India also said it has increased fuel surcharges on all flights and said it will cut 100 flights a day across domestic and international routes.
KIRSTEN O’Brien hung up her headphones at BBC Berkshire after revealing a new gig.
The kids’ TV presenter will be joining the BBC Radio 2 team for a very different role.
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Kirsten O’Brien will be leaving her job at BBC BerkshireCredit: X/RealKirstOBrienShe presented the midday slot on the station, which she was at for eight yearsCredit: Getty
On her last day at the station, she was surprised by fellow 90s stars Dick and Dom.
She shared BBC Berkshire’s tweet, with a selfie of her and the boys and wrote: “Bit of news! Love that the lads surprised me today, I’m sad to be leaving BBC Berkshire as I’ve had a ball, but I can’t wait to get stuck in doing the traffic reports on BBC Radio 2 from Monday!”
Kirsten hosted the 10am-2pm slot on the Berkshire-based station and on her final show, she told listeners: “It’s eight years I’ve been here.
“I started at the old place at Caversham Park, doing a bit of covering, did the news, of course, some breakfast, and then the last two years doing brilliant things on this mid-morning show.
Many fans congratulated her move and suggested a SMart revampCredit: RexShe presented SMart alongside the late Mark SpeightCredit: BBC
“I’ve really, really enjoyed it. I’ve done all sorts while I’ve been here. I’ve visited everywhere from Reading Uni to the tip.
“I was thinking back about where I’ve been. My kids have grown up since when I first started, they weren’t sleeping.
“We were talking to sleep experts about helping me out. And now, of course, I just get them for stories.
“They provide endless content for me. Mark as well, whose life plays out on the radio, poor fella.
“So, I’ve always said I’ve come in here for a bit of a rest, a chat, to hear your stories as well and a bit of a laugh, and it’s been absolutely brilliant.”
Brigitte Tetta will be taking over Kirsten’s slot.
Kirsten was met with messages of support from listeners, with one writing: “Will be great to hear your voice on BBCRadio2. Always brings a bit of nostalgia from the CBBC and SMart days!”
A second added: “Heard you with Sara Cox a couple of weeks ago and you were great!”
“Congratulations Kirsten best wishes for the new adventures ahead,” echoed another.
“Wooooaahhhh, what?! I did not have this on my Bingo card for 2026! Fantastic, Kirst!! Huge congrats,” wrote a forth.
One said how they’d been impressed with her joining Trevor Nelson last week.
Another suggested there needed to be a SMart reboot.
Kirsten O’Brien became a familiar face of children’s television in the late 1990s and 2000s, where she started her career as a CBBC presenter.
She became known for her on-screen partnership with Otis the Aardvark.
In 1999, she landed the SMart gig, which saw her also take on SMarteenies and Smile.
Whilst she didn’t work with Dick and Dom (Richard McCourt and Dominic Wood), they were all part of the CBBC presenting gang and were close pals.
Supervisor Kathryn Barger was the only supervisor against it. She pointed to the fact that the tax was a “general” tax, meaning the money won’t be earmarked for healthcare costs. That means politicians have final say over how the money gets spent rather than voters, she said.
Some cities within L.A. County say they’re also rattled over the tax, unleashing a stream of opposition letters against the tax. The California Contract Cities Assn. argues a sales tax hike would “disproportionately burden the very residents the County seeks to protect.” Shoppers near the county line, they warn, likely would start crossing it to shop.
Some of these cities say they have the trust issues when it comes to county ballot measures. When voters approved Measure B in 2002 to fund the county’s trauma center network, an audit years later found the county couldn’t account for whether the money actually had been spent on emergency medical services. And some cities feel they never got their fair share of funds from Measure H, the homelessness services tax measure passed in 2017.
Who: Manchester United vs Liverpool What: Premier League Where: Old Trafford, Manchester When: Sunday, May 3 at 3:30pm (14:30 GMT) How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 11:30 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.
Manchester United host old rivals Liverpool for a game that could prove crucial in the battle for Champions League qualification.
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United have improved considerably under caretaker boss Michael Carrick, who took charge following Ruben Amorim’s dismissal.
They sit third in the table, three points ahead of Liverpool, and need two more points to secure a top-five finish and a spot among Europe’s elite next season.
Liverpool come into the match on the back of three successive Premier League wins.
United boss Carrick relishes ‘special’ Liverpool rivalry
Carrick believes Manchester United against Liverpool is always a “standout” fixture even though neither of the clubs are challenging for the Premier League title this season.
“Certainly one of my favourite games, without doubt it’s a standout game,” the United boss said. “There’s big games and big rivalries that we have with other teams, but certainly this one is right up there.
“The history, the ups and downs the past has produced in these types of games and the excitement and entertainment, and the emotion, which is a huge part of it. It makes it a really special game.”
The former United midfielder said the club had made great strides since last season, when they finished a miserable 15th in the table, 42 points behind champions Liverpool.
“I just think this probably shows the improvements of the group, really, and getting stronger,” he said.
“And to be coming into this game in such a good position, on the back of good results, and trying to achieve and moving forward.
“So, fully aware of the situation in the league and how close it is between us. But that’s not something, really, we’ve focused on going into this game. I think it’s a one-off game.”
Fernandes and the art of the assist as record beckons
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes is one assist away from the single-season record of 20 shared by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.
Carrick believes Fernandes should be rewarded with the league’s Player of the Year award for his performances this season.
“Hopefully he does [win it],” Carrick said after Monday’s 2-1 win over Brentford.
“He deserves it for the impact he has had and the moments he’s created, whether it’s creating or scoring or having other influence within the group. He’s had a big season.”
Fernandes in action with Brentford’s Sepp van den Berg [Jason Cairnduff/Action Images via Reuters]
Salah ruled out of United game but will return before end of season
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah will miss Sunday’s game due to a muscle injury, but manager Arne Slot confirmed on Friday that he was expected to return before the end of the season.
Salah was forced off during Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Crystal Palace last week with a hamstring concern, prompting fears it could end his campaign and potentially his Anfield career, with the Egyptian set to leave at the end of the campaign.
Liverpool said on Wednesday the injury was not as serious as initially feared and that Salah should feature again before the campaign concludes.
“As we know from Mo [Salah], he is always working incredibly hard when he is fit but also when he is injured to be back as soon as possible,” Slot told reporters.
“We expect him to be back for the final part of the season but not for Sunday [against Man Utd].
“In all ways, it is a big relief that his injury is minor, so he is able to play for us and at the World Cup. If ever there was a player that deserves a big send-off, it is definitely Mo.”
Salah celebrates scoring against Everton on April 19 [Jason Cairnduff/Action Images via Reuters]
‘I have seen how good they are’
Slot praised Carrick for improving United and stressed the importance of the game.
“We are aware of the fact that it is a very big game, not only because we play United but also to qualify for Champions League and to get the highest possible position in the league table,” Slot said.
“We always know that they are really good but now they are showing it in the league table. It might be a bit of an advantage that they only play once a week.
“When we have played them every time, I have seen how good they are and now they have, especially under Michael Carrick, become more consistent in their results.”
Head-to-head
The two clubs have met on 243 occasions, with Manchester United winning 92 games to Liverpool’s 82, while 71 of the matches ended as draws.
Last five encounters:
October 19, 2025: Liverpool 1-2 Man Utd (Premier League)
January 05, 2025: Liverpool 2-2 Man Utd (Premier League)
September 01, 2024: Man Utd 0-3 Liverpool (Premier League)
April 07, 2024: Man Utd 2-2 Liverpool (Premier League)
March 17, 2024: Man Utd 4-3 Liverpool (FA Cup quarterfinal)
What happened in the last game between the two sides?
Harry Maguire scored a late winner as United beat Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield in October to inflict a then fourth straight defeat on the champions.
Bryan Mbeumo put United in front after two minutes and although Cody Gakpo equalised in the 78th minute, Maguire grabbed his club’s first win at Anfield since 2016 with an 84th-minute header.
Maguire scores the winner at Anfield on October 19, 2025 [Carl Recine/Getty Images]
United’s team news
Carrick said forward Matheus Cunha had returned to training after a recent injury setback and should feature and he also said he was hopeful that Luke Shaw would be fit enough to play.
Matthijs de Ligt is still working his way back to full fitness and will not be involved against Liverpool.
Goalkeeper Alisson Becker is still out with an injury, but Slot said he is “very close” to being able to train with the squad again.
Deputy keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili is also sidelined for several weeks after sustaining a knee wound in the Merseyside derby win over Everton in April, so third-choice stopper Freddie Woodman is set to continue in goal after impressing in the 3-1 win over Crystal Palace last weekend.
Along with Salah, Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni and Hugo Ekitike are also unavailable due to injury – with the latter set to miss the World Cup with a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Left-back Milos Kerkez is a doubt as he has been nursing a knock.
Predicted starting XI:
Woodman (goalkeeper); Jones, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Gakpo; Isak
The Himalayan nation restores centuries-old statue, stolen in the 1980s, to its original temple in capital Kathmandu.
Published On 2 May 20262 May 2026
A centuries-old Buddha statue stolen from a Nepali temple has been reinstalled in its original location, one of several artefacts returned from foreign museums and collectors in recent years.
The statue, dating to the 13th century, was carried in a palanquin back to its pagoda-style temple in the capital, Kathmandu, to the sound of traditional music on Friday.
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“I feel so happy, we all do. Our god is coming back,” temple-goer Sunkesari Shakya, 67, told the AFP news agency, recalling the day the statue was stolen, wreaking “havoc” in the community.
In a ceremony attended by a visiting United States envoy, the statue, which returned from New York in 2022, was placed back on its original stone plinth. The event coincided with the festival of Buddha Jayanti, marking the birth of the founder of Buddhism.
Devotees carry a sculpture of the Buddha to be reinstalled at a temple in Kathmandu [Prakash Mathema/AFP]
A replica that locals had been worshipping instead was moved to another area of the temple.
The statue was taken from the temple in the 1980s and later emerged at Tibet House US, a cultural centre in New York, where it was gifted by an unknown monk, according to Nepal’s Department of Archaeology.
Sergio Gor, Washington’s special envoy to South and Central Asia, told AFP, “One of the things we are focusing on is to be able to bring back some of these incredible artefacts that decades past got into the wrong hands.”
“We are trying to right a wrong from the past,” said Gor, who was on a three-day visit to Nepal.
Devotees carry a sculpture of the Buddha to be reinstalled at a temple in Kathmandu [Prakash Mathema/AFP]
Many in the Himalayan nation of 30 million people are deeply religious, and the country’s Hindu and Buddhist temples, as well as heritage sites, are an integral part of everyday life.
But many sites are bereft of centuries-old sculptures, paintings, ornamental windows and even doors, which were often stolen after the country opened up to the outside world in the 1950s.
Many pieces were taken with the help of corrupt officials to feed art markets in the US, Europe and elsewhere, although their export remains illegal.
About 200 artefacts have been returned to Nepal, according to the Archaeology Department, including wood and stone carvings, paintings, scriptures and idols of gods and goddesses. At least 41 artefacts have been placed back in their original locations.
“This is very important. Our statues are not just objects of art but part of a living heritage,” conservation expert Rabindra Puri told AFP.
Puri said there was growing momentum to return stolen artefacts. More than 400 are officially listed as missing, but experts estimate the actual number to be in the thousands.
Authorities are specifically seeking to return more artefacts from the US, France, Germany and the United Kingdom.
The singer is accused of grooming, sexually assaulting and impregnating 16-year-old Julia Misley in the 1970s. The suit, first filed in 2022 in Torrance, claims he “used his role, status, and power as a well-known musician and rock star” to exploit Misley. The complaint also argues Tyler admitted to the alleged crimes in his own memoir, “Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?,” where he refers to her as his “teen bride.”
Earlier this week, a judge dismissed most of the case, citing the statute of limitations in Massachusetts, where the pair lived during their three-year relationship. But they allegedly crossed state lines while Tyler toured the country with his band, including to California, according to the complaint. Because of California’s Child Victims Act — a 2020 statute that allowed a “lookback window” where alleged victims can file lawsuits regardless of a statute of limitations — a portion of the case will still be tried.
“This is a massive win for Steven Tyler. Today, the Court has dismissed with prejudice 99.9% of the claims against Mr. Tyler in this case,” Tyler’s lawyer, David Long-Daniels, said in a statement to The Times. “The court has decided that only one night, 50-plus years ago, out of a three-year relationship is allowed to remain.”
New York has a similar statute that was recently employed by singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura in her case against Sean Combs. She filed a sex-trafficking and sexual assault lawsuit against the music mogul in 2023, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, just days before the expiration of a lookback window.
The lawsuit against Tyler, who previously appeared as a judge on “American Idol,” claims he and Misley first met at an Aerosmith concert in 1973. According to the document, he “performed various acts of criminal sexual conduct upon Plaintiff that night.” At the time, Tyler was in his mid-20s and Julia was 16.
The alleged encounter was the first of many, the lawsuit claims. In 1974, Tyler was named Misley’s legal guardian and took her on tour with the band.
According to the complaint, he described the nature of the relationship in his 2011 memoir, writing, “She was 16, she knew how to nasty … with my bad self being twenty-six and she barely old enough to drive and sexy as hell, I just fell madly in love with her. … She was my heart’s desire, my partner in crimes of passion. … I was so in love I almost took a teen bride. I went and slept at her parent’s house for a couple of nights and her parent’s fell in love with me, signed paper over for me to have custody, so I wouldn’t get arrested if I took her out of state. I took her on tour with me.”
The lawsuit also describes Misley’s alleged pregnancy with Tyler’s child, which ended in a “pressured” abortion.
“This reflects years of resilience and courage by Ms. Misley, driven by an unwavering pursuit of truth and justice. It is time for justice and for Tyler to be held accountable by a jury,” Misley’s attorney, Jeff Anderson, said in a statement.
Kenneth Mejia, 35, is a certified public accountant who lives in Westlake. In 2022, he won the most votes of any controller candidate in city history, despite lacking name recognition and running against a sitting city council member, Paul Koretz.
He’s well-known online, and his two corgis, Killa and Kirby, are a constant presence in his campaign as well as on the official controller’s website. He points to his audits of city spending on homelessness, police, housing and animal services.
“We said we were going to provide more financial transparency and accountability and oversight, and we’ve done that,” Mejia said in an interview.
The controller’s waste, fraud and abuse team began investigating a homeless service provider after receiving a phone call alleging fraud. Mejia said it became the catalyst for a federal investigation into Alexander Soofer, who in January was charged with wire fraud amid allegations that he took $23 million in public funds meant for homeless people.
“Because of the work that we do, it also forces agencies to better look at their internal controls, to hold service providers accountable,” Mejia said. “These events can lead to systemic change, and that’s what it did.”
Zach Sokoloff, 37, lives in Westwood with his wife, two kids and two rescue dogs. He was born and raised in the Westwood area. He graduated from Yale University, received a master’s in education policy and administration from Loyola Marymount University and an MBA from Harvard University before teaching algebra at a middle school in Boyle Heights and a high school in Watts.
Since joining Hackman in 2018, he has worked on multibillion projects transforming legacy studio lots. The company is considered one of Hollywood’s largest landlords.
Sokoloff points to his experience managing large-scale projects as key to navigating the city’s budget and bureaucracy. He said he would work collaboratively across different departments.
“Angelenos are tired of reports. They want results, and so my approach balances accountability and collaboration,” Sokoloff said.
An earlier version of this article was published on 4 April.
Hardly anyone was talking about Charlton Athletic being title contenders before the Women’s Super League 2 season.
So it is no surprise manager Karen Hills feels it would be “one of the greatest achievements of her career” if they were to gain promotion.
With one game remaining, her side sit at the top of the WSL 2 with 42 points, one point ahead of title rivals Birmingham City and Crystal Palace.
Charlton face Birmingham in a massive game on Saturday, 2 May at 15:00 BST, with Crystal Palace taking on relegated Portsmouth at the same time.
As the WSL expands from 12 to 14 teams next season, the top two in WSL 2 will automatically secure promotion to the WSL, while the team finishing third will face bottom-of-the-table WSL side Leicester in a play-off on Saturday, 23 May.
Charlton have led the way for the majority of the campaign, but their form has dipped significantly with three defeats in their past four matches.
With one of the lowest budgets in the league, competing against big spenders Newcastle United and Birmingham, as well as Crystal Palace, it has already been a remarkable campaign for the Addicks.
“If you’d have told me in pre-season this is where we would be at this point, I’d have bitten your hand off,” Hills told BBC Sport.
“These players deserve to be where they are. The amount of work that they’ve put in, the way that they’ve played and the way that they’ve executed everything we’ve asked of them, they deserve all the accolades and the achievements.
“If we were to be promoted then I believe it’s probably one of the greatest achievements in my career.
“Just in terms of where the league is at this moment, what other teams have spent and the calibre of players. I think it would be an unbelievable achievement.”
Containers for export are stacked at a port in Pyeongtaek, around sixty kilometers south of Seoul, South Korea, 22 February 2026. Photo by YONHAP /EPA
May 1 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s exports rose 48% from a year earlier in April, staying above $80 billion for the second consecutive month, government data showed Friday.
Exports totaled $85.89 billion, the second-highest monthly figure on record after $86.6 billion in March, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
The increase was driven by strong semiconductor shipments, which surged 173.5% to $31.9 billion on rising demand tied to artificial intelligence. Chip exports exceeded $30 billion for the second straight month and set an April record.
Daily average exports, adjusted for working days, rose 48% to $3.58 billion, staying above $3 billion for a third consecutive month.
Auto exports fell 5.5% to $6.17 billion due to logistics disruptions from the Middle East, U.S. tariff effects and expanded overseas production. Exports of electric and hybrid vehicles continued to grow.
Petroleum product exports rose 39.9% to $5.11 billion by value due to higher oil prices, though shipment volume dropped 36% because of export controls on gasoline, diesel and kerosene.
Petrochemical exports increased 7.8% to $4.09 billion, while shipment volume fell 20.9% as companies expanded domestic supply.
Computer exports jumped 515.8% to $4.08 billion, and wireless communication device exports rose 11.6% to $1.62 billion.
By destination, exports to China rose 62.5% to $17.7 billion, marking six straight months of gains. Shipments to the United States increased 54% to $16.33 billion, while exports to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations rose 64% to $15.41 billion.
Exports to the European Union increased 8.5% to $7.19 billion. Shipments to the Middle East fell 25.1% to $1.27 billion due to logistics disruptions.
Imports rose 16.7% to $62.11 billion. Energy imports increased 7.5% to $10.61 billion, while non-energy imports rose 18.8% to $51.51 billion.
South Korea posted a trade surplus of $23.77 billion in April, extending its surplus streak to 15 months.
US President Donald Trump says the latest Iranian peace proposal includes demands he ‘can’t agree to’.
Published On 2 May 20262 May 2026
United States President Donald Trump has voiced frustration with Iran’s latest peace proposal, saying “they’re asking for things I can’t agree to”, and cautioning against ending the conflict too early, only for tensions to resurface “in three more years”.
At the same time, Washington has warned that ships paying tolls or fees to Iran to transit the Strait of Hormuz could face US sanctions, signalling a tougher stance on maritime activity linked to Tehran.
Meanwhile, a new Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll shows 61 percent of Americans believe Trump’s use of military force against Iran was a mistake.
Here is what we know:
In Iran
Fourteen soldiers were killed on Friday during operations to defuse unexploded ordnance in the northwestern Zanjan province, local media reported.
Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei urged his people to wage economic battle and “disappoint” its enemies, as the war with the US and Israel and years of sanctions take a toll.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said it would enforce “new rules” over waters near its coast, aiming to turn them into a “source of security and prosperity” for the region.
War diplomacy
The US Department of State imposed new measures on entities linked to Iranian petroleum exports, including China-based Qingdao Haiye Oil Terminal, accusing it of importing millions of barrels of sanctioned crude and enabling billions in revenue for Tehran. Beijing rejected the move as unlawful “unilateral sanctions”.
The State Department said it cleared more than $8.6bn in military sales to Israel, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
In the US
Trump said he was unhappy with Iran’s new proposal for peace talks, which Iran’s state news agency IRNA said was delivered via mediator Pakistan. “They’re asking for things that I can’t agree to,” he said.
Analyst Sultan Barakat said Iran and the US are “really desperate” to end the war in a way that allows them to “save face”.
Trump told top US lawmakers that hostilities in Iran had ended, after coming under pressure from Congress to seek authorisation for the conflict as it headed into its third month.
The US Treasury Department slapped new sanctions on three Iranian foreign currency exchange firms to try to stem the flow of Tehran’s “financial lifelines”.
The USS Gerald R Ford left the Middle East after taking part in operations against Iran, a US official said, according to reports. Two other aircraft carriers – the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS George HW Bush – are among 20 US ships still in the region.
Mark Cancian of the Center for Strategic and International Studies said US military capability “has not changed” as Washington returns to its typical posture of two carrier groups.
“The Ford carrier group had left the United States last June, and its deployment has been extended twice. The crew and the ship are tired, so the United States is sending the group home,” he added.
USS Gerald R Ford anchored in Split, Croatia, March 29, 2026 [EP]
In Lebanon
Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health said 12 people were killed on Friday in Israeli strikes on the country’s south, including in a town where Israel’s army had issued a forced displacement order despite a ceasefire.
Lebanon’s parliament speaker, Nabih Berri, said Israel is using the ceasefire as cover to intensify attacks.
JUST weeks after Mimii Ngulube revealed she was in a fresh relationship, The Sun can reveal the identity of her hunky new man.
The Love Island winner hard-launched her other half by sharing a TikTok dance clip with him this week, but fans have been wondering who the man behind the screen really is.
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After Mimii Ngulube revealed she was in a fresh romance, The Sun can reveal who her hunky new boyfriend isCredit: InstagramMimii’s new beau, Denzel, keeps a low profile with just 2000 followers online, unlike his realiy star girlfriendCredit: instagram
Mimii’s new boyfriend, Denzel, keeps a much lower-profile than the reality star and has just 2.3K followers on Instagram – with little about him on the internet.
The pair have been getting close over recent months, and a source tells The Sun that the smitten couple are “really happy” after making their romance official.
They revealed: “Mimii and Denzel are really happy together.
“She keeps a fairly low profile compared to a lot of the Love Island winners, so for her to hard launch him on her socials means she is definitely smitten.
The pair have been keeping details of their romance under wraps over recent monthsCredit: mHowever, fans did get a sneak peek of the new couple together in Mimii’s most recent TikTok as she hard-launched the relationshipCredit: TikTokPals say that Mimii is ‘so happy’ since meeting DenzelCredit: InstagramIt comes after Mimii split from Josh Oyinsan, whom she won Love Island with in 2024Credit: Rex
“He is a good guy, with good values. He is very religious, as is Mimi, so they have that in common.
“Friends have commented how she hasn’t been this happy in ages and it’s great to see her with such a huge smile on her face.”
However, she kept details to a minimum, other than revealing he treated her to some luxury birthday gifts.
But in Mimii’s latest TikTok, fans finally got a glimpse into the romance as she danced whilst Denzel was spotted busting a move in the frame behind her.
However, she still refrained from naming or tagging Denzel, who has around 2,000 followers on Instagram and is thought to hail from Kent.
Mimii won Love Island in 2024 with her ex Josh Oyinsan.
Sarina Hosseiny said she had never heard of Qassem Suleimani, an Iranian general assassinated by the U.S. in 2020.
That is, not until this year, when threatening comments cropped up on social media claiming that she and her mother were relatives of Suleimani and were terrorists who should be deported.
The 25-year-old, who studies fashion at Los Angeles Trade Technical College, now sits in an immigration detention facility in Texas, alongside her 47-year-old mother. And other L.A. Iranian Americans helped put her there.
Sarina Hosseiny, 25, shown in an undated photo, is a student at Los Angeles Trade Technical College now held at an immigration detention facility in Texas, alongside her 47-year-old mother.
(Courtesy of Hosseiny family)
“They were sending me death threats. Literally saying like, they were gonna find me and kill me and my mom and all this stuff,” Hosseiny said in a phone interview from the facility last week. “All I’ve ever posted is that I was against war and just innocent people dying.”
In recent weeks, as the war in Iran continues, the U.S. State Department has detained five L.A. area-based Iranian nationals, including Hosseiny and her mother — all of whom are green card holders — and moved to strip them of their residency.
The arrests have exposed a rift in the Iranian American community, which has grown increasingly polarized in recent years, leading to online smear campaigns and at times violence.
In L.A., home to the largest concentration of people of Iranian descent outside Iran, a vocal segment has joined forces with Trump-aligned far-right conservatives, including Laura Loomer, to wage campaigns against other Iranians they believe should not be allowed to live here.
Many in the local community fled Iran after the Islamic Revolution in 1979 and cheered the recent U.S. military attacks on their native country. Some have turned on Iranian Americans who have expressed antiwar opinions, interpreting that stance as support for the current government.
A poster in support of Iran’s former crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, hangs in a window of the Gallery Eshgh, which sells artwork and clothing reflecting Iranian culture on Westwood Boulevard in Los Angeles in April 2026.
(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)
The tensions are interpersonal, with arguments at family gatherings and friendships strained or shattered. But much of the conflict also takes place online, as when a San Diego-based “mommy influencer” — who normally posts images of herself and her three young children in a luscious backyard shucking nuts, arranging tulips and peeling pomegranates — urged her Instagram followers to contact Loomer so that “the deportation of [the Islamic Republic’s] lackeys can be arranged.”
Anger at the Iranian government has been channeled toward family members of current or former officials, with online petitions describing them as living luxuriously in the States even as ordinary Iranians face repression from a brutal government back home.
Agoura Hills residents Seyed Eissa Hashemi and Maryam Tahmasebi, both psychology professors, were detained by immigration authorities in early April — as was their son, Seyed Mobin Hashemi. The elder Hashemi, the State Department said, is the son of Masoumeh Ebtekar, who gained fame as a spokeswoman for militants who stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and became a reformist politician pushing for environmental protections and women’s rights.
The petition that led to the family’s detention amassed more than 140,000 signatures, with many identifying themselves as members of the Iranian diaspora in the U.S., Australia or elsewhere. The creator of the petition on Change.org, a user who also published petitions targeting five other families, did not respond to a request for comment.
The Times was not able to reach Hashemi or the family’s attorney. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on social media when announcing their detentions that the Obama administration had granted visas to the family members, who have been lawful permanent residents since June 2016.
The Department of Homeland Security declined to respond to questions about Hosseiny and her mother’s case. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson also declined to comment. The State Department and Loomer did not respond to requests for comment.
Jamal Abdi, president of the National Iranian American Council, said that some of the sentiment comes from real grievances about corruption in Iran, such as the banker who embezzled millions before fleeing to Canada. But he said that rumors have been weaponized to muffle voices opposing U.S. and Israeli military aggression in Iran and exploited by the Trump administration to exercise a show of strength at home during a flailing war.
The flags of pre-revolution Iran are prominently displayed in the Jordan Market, a purveyor of Persian groceries on L.A.’s Westwood Boulevard, in April 2026.
(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)
“This witch hunt has become really pervasive, and it’s not new,” Abdi said. “What seems to be new is there’s an administration who is willing and eager to entertain this McCarthyism and actually punish people based on what the mob is calling for.”
In the section of Westwood known as “Tehrangeles,” support for Reza Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince and son of the late shah, is apparent. A campaign to install him as Iran’s leader intensified in January, as protests ripped through the country. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a U.S.-Israeli attack in February.
“Make Iran Great Again” signs and posters of a stern-faced Pahlavi are plastered on nearly every window. Iran’s flag before the 1979 revolution — green, white and red with a lion and a rising sun — flutters from many overhangs.
In early March, as the U.S. widened its assault on Iran, crowds from the diaspora rallied in the neighborhood, dancing and celebrating even as the death toll in Iran grew and reports said a missile strike had killed more than 100 schoolchildren.
In Westwood these days, many are more tepid in their support for the war than at the outset and are hesitant to speak openly, whether because of potential backlash here in the U.S. or repercussions for relatives in Iran.
Iranians who don’t back a return to a monarchy under Pahlavi or American and Israeli intervention have gotten “a hell of a lot of backlash,” said Narges Bajoghli, an associate professor of Middle East studies at John Hopkins University. Bajoghli cited a groupthink dynamic stoked by popular Persian-language media such as Iran International, as well as U.S.-funded counter-propaganda programs during Trump’s first term.
After Aida Ashouri, a human rights lawyer who is running for L.A. city attorney, posted a video explaining why she opposes the U.S. war in Iran, the comments came rolling in.
“Please deport this woman,” one user wrote, tagging Rubio and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “She is constantly spreading suspicious anti war propaganda.”
Aida Ashouri, who is running for L.A. city attorney, poses for a picture at Astralab on April 24, 2026.
(Etienne Laurent / For The Times)
Ashouri, a U.S. citizen, spent her childhood frequenting businesses in Westwood, but she no longer feels comfortable there, fearing some sort of altercation. Some businesses removed her campaign posters from their windows after the war began, she said.
“It’s 100% impacting my campaign. It’s hard to connect with the Iranian community now, even though I’m Iranian,” she said.
The State Department has said it revoked the green cards of Iranians it targeted in recent weeks, including Hosseiny and her mother. Immigration experts said it’s not so simple, as a legal process has to play out, during which the green cards remain valid.
Even so, Muzaffar Chishti of the Migration Policy Institute said that the executive branch has vast discretion in immigration law, particularly when invoking national security justifications, and defense attorneys may face an uphill battle.
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, said he is “personally troubled by the idea that we need to deport someone because of who their grandparent is.”
“The government doesn’t usually outsource its investigatory processes to external people,” he said, referring to Loomer and others. “There’s still a lot of questions about how these people are being found and targeted.”
After Hosseiny and her mother, Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, were arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on April 3, the State Department asserted that they were the Iranian general’s grand-niece and niece. Afshar had denounced America as the “Great Satan” and shown “unflinching support for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps” while “enjoying a lavish lifestyle in Los Angeles,” the State Department said.
Social media posts, showing Soleimani Afshar posing for glamour shots and photos of Hosseiny in a similar vein, were published by numerous news outlets.
Loomer took credit on April 4 for the two women’s arrests, writing on X that over several months she had “quietly been documenting” their social media activity and shared the information with the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department.
Within hours, however, Hosseiny and her mother’s connection to the slain general was disputed, with his daughter writing on social media that they had “no relation whatsoever” to her family. A review of family documents, as first reported by Dropsite News, shows that Afshar’s father had no brothers and that the general is from a different province than Afshar’s family.
Hosseiny said her mother has been sharply critical of the U.S. and Israel’s military assault in Iran. But Hosseiny “always thought that in America, people have freedom.”
She said that her mother’s health has deteriorated as she battles severe autoimmune-related anemia and that her mother’s home and car were broken into, amid the stream of online hate.
After four weeks in detention, Hosseiny said, she is “still in disbelief.” Her friends have been raising funds for her legal defense.
Times staff writer Cierra Morgan contributed to this report.
LeBron James scored 28 points as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets to set up a Western Conference semi-final play-off against reigning NBA champions Oklahoma City Thunder.
James also added seven rebounds and eight assists to help the Lakers to a 98-78 victory, which secured a 4-2 series win against the Rockets.
The Lakers had led the series 3-0 and finally closed out the best-of-seven contest in convincing style away at Houston, whose top scorer was Amen Thompson with 18 points.
“A lot of our guys, quite frankly, have not been in this position, have not been in a close-out situation, especially on the road, so it was important for me to go out and set the tone,” said 41-year-old James.
Lakers coach JJ Redick was full of admiration for the performance of James, who is the first player to take part in 23 consecutive NBA seasons and is also the league’s record points scorer.
“To me, he’s had the greatest career of any NBA player,” said Redick. “You can argue all you want; I don’t care to postulate on who’s the greatest of all time.
“He’s one of, if not the greatest of all time, and for him to do it again and answer the bell again, it’s baffling in some ways.”
The Lakers face a tough task against the Thunder, who finished top of the Western Conference and secured a 4-0 series win against the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the NBA play-offs.
The first game of their best-of-seven series is in Oklahoma on Tuesday.
After my father’s will banned me and my siblings from his funeral, I wrote a novel about some brothers and sisters stealing their dad in his coffin. The emotions were drawn from my painful experiences, but I invented the characters and the tragi-comic narrative in Stealing Dad. Despite growing up in England, I’ve lived in and written about Athens for 25 years, and it came naturally to create several Greek characters. Alekos is a wild sculptor who dies in London, and his daughter Iris (one of seven dispersed half-siblings) lives off Victoria Square – one of Athens’ most fascinating corners.
In the 1960s, Plateia Viktorias was a fashionable neighbourhood with the fanciest restaurants, shops and theatres. Townhouses from the interwar period were being demolished and Athenians were occupying the new six-storey apartment blocks so fast that construction dust and the constant drilling were the main problem. Today, through wrought-iron and glass doors, elegant, marble-lined halls reveal concierges’ desks and traces of a vanished bourgeois life.
After the 1980s, middle-class families started leaving the polluted centre for the suburbs; students, migrants and others seeking cheap rentals moved in. The 2008 global economic crisis was disastrous. Older businesses faded, drug use became increasingly visible, then around 2014, refugees started arriving. Afghans and Syrians fleeing war already knew about Victoria Square and went straight there on reaching Athens. It became an encampment, with sleeping bags and tents surrounding the imposing bronze sculpture Theseus Saving Hippodamia. Desperate, traumatised people lived on the street with no facilities, queueing at soup kitchens already catering for elderly and unemployed Greeks devastated by the crash.
Brought up in Victoria Square during its heyday, Maria-Liza Karageorgi runs the alluring Café des Poètes. Photographs of Greece’s poets, including CP Cavafy and Nobel laureates Giorgos Seferis and Odysseas Elytis, line the walls. Karageorgi allowed the refugees to wash and use the toilets, then, as numbers grew, she admitted only women and children. Today, though, a balance has been established in the leafy square. “It’s a real neighbourhood,” she says. “People look out for each other.” Her devoted clientele of ageing Greek intelligentsia clearly agree, and gather every morning. “It’s like Buena Vista Social Club,” quipped a younger customer.
Photographs of Greek poets line the walls of Cafe des Poètes. Photograph: Sofka Zinovieff
Now the most multicultural area in Athens, Victoria Square honours the 19th-century British queen, recognising her empire’s return to Greece of the Ionian islands, including Corfu, in 1864. British foreign policy also lurks in the histories of some newer arrivals. Victoria, the Afghan-Persian restaurant, bakes delicious roasted vegetable briam; Lebanese-born George at Enjoy Just Felafel produces jars of homemade delicacies and preserves; and Bangladeshi grocers stock the African staples sought by Nigerian, Somali and Congolese residents. The area is scented by the Georgian bakery with its flatbreads cooked in a stone oven.
Refugees and migrants are supported by various NGOs that sprang up after 2014. Nadina Christopoulou runs the Melissa Network, a flourishing organisation for women and children housed in an elegant 1920s villa. “Refugees follow the paths of the older refugees,” says Christopoulou. “This area had many Greeks from the diaspora, who came from Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey. You can see their shops, like Petek [honeycomb in Turkish], the patisserie owned since 1964 by the same Istanbul Greeks.” They are still making their delectable galaktoboureko custard pie. Also on 3 Septemvriou is Arkeuthos, another Istanbul-Greek shop overflowing with herbs, spices, teas and honeys.
Older Greek establishments are also flourishing. Krouskas, a traditional, no frills restaurant favoured by locals since the 1970s, still serves the same recipes cooked by the family matriarch. On pedestrianised Elpidos (Hope St), Ouzeri tou Laki (Laki’s Ouzo Taverna) has served excellent seafood since the 80s at tables under bitter orange trees that are intoxicatingly scented in spring. The gay-friendly Diva Café, owned by former dancer and singer Michalis Razis, holds live events and standup comedy.
Cine Trianon, Athens’s historic arthouse cinema. Photograph: Amalia Kovaiou
Victoria’s longstanding theatrical traditions are thriving. On Kodrigktonos (Codrington Street, named after a British admiral) is the renowned Trianon cinema. The Greek romantic comedy Never on Sunday premiered there in 1960 with Melina Mercouri in attendance, and on summer nights the roof opens. Next door, cafe-bar Foyer D’Athènes is packed with theatre and cinema memorabilia.
Newer attractions include Montreal, a gallery-hairdresser where you can admire the art before the charming artist Lambros Vouvousiras cuts your hair. Opposite, Café Apoteka is popular with a young crowd who gather in the nearby Kypseli – well established as a more hipster multicultural neighbourhood. There, Airbnb is already pricing out locals, following the example of the Acropolis-adjacent neighbourhoods, now overwhelmed by tourists.
When my friend, the journalist Katerina Bakogianni, relocated six years ago to a fifth-floor flat in Victoria Square, her suburban friends thought it daring. However, she wakes to the sunrise over Mount Hymettus, a bird’s-eye view of mulberry trees, and she’s one minute from the 1940s Victoria station on Metro Line 1, with its gorgeous sage-green tiles.
Katerina takes me and her dog Robbie for a stroll. We cross Patission, the bustling boulevard once compared to Paris’s Champs-Élysées and with a breathtaking vista to the Acropolis. The revamped park Pedion tou Areos (Mars Fields) has transformed from the days when Athenians feared to cross it, especially after dark. It is now one of Athens’ loveliest green spaces and we stroll past heroic marble sculptures and admire athletes training and pampered dogs sporting bandanas. We end up at Green Park, a stylish restaurant-cafe in an art deco 1930s building.
“When Green Park reopened a few years ago, after years of decline,” says Katerina, “we read it as a small but telling sign that Victoria – long dismissed – was beginning to reclaim its dignity.”
It is not a cheap place but there are weekend musical shows, and on Sundays the garden fills with families ordering ice-creams and club sandwiches. Green Park offers a taste of the “golden days” about which Victoria’s older residents reminisce. And it’s not alone: various theatres, cinemas and live music joints have been resurrected after nearly not making it. After everything else, Covid hit hard.
Petek, a patisserie owned since 1964 by the same Istanbul Greeks. Photograph: Sofka Zinovieff
The streets below the square have a rougher reputation. Graffiti reflects local preoccupations: “Cops for Dinner”; “Refugees Welcome”; “Support your local sex worker”. Fylis street is lined with white door lights identifying its notorious brothels. Customers come and go, day and night. Squats open and close, some organised by community-minded activists, others by homeless migrants. “Do you live here?” asked an appalled taxi driver dropping me off. “But you look like a nice lady.” Fylis has seedy elements, but locals dispute the idea that you’re not safe; just behave as in any inner city.
On Wednesdays, the fabulous farmers’ market on Fylis provides excellent seasonal fruit, vegetables, fish and flowers, along with household goods and clothes, including giant, no-shame underpants. Musicians serenade shoppers with bouzouki songs, mobile canteens roast souvlaki and the air resounds with a Babel’s Tower of languages.
The area becomes less well off as you go westwards downhill, eventually hitting the railway tracks. Tasos Chalkiopoulos creates excellent short videos (@Athensville) of these changing Athenian neighbourhoods: the convenience stores on Acharnon where Bangladeshi and Pakistani owners sell goods to new arrivals, from mobile phones and blankets to Asian shampoo. Or farther north, where Syrian patisseries vie with Iraqi kebab shops, shisha cafes and fancy barbers. Athenians love their souvlaki as street food, but now also debate who makes the finest falafel. Despite steep competition, Tasos votes for the tiny Tarbosch on Acharnon.
I loved writing about Victoria Square in Stealing Dad. Like so much of Athens, one needs to gaze up, peer inside and glance back to understand the intricate tangle of its history. Look closely, and you appreciate the beauty, sympathise with the chaos and relish the energy.
Stealing Dad by Sofka Zinovieff (Little, Brown, £10.99). To order a copy for £9.89 go to guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.
1 of 2 | Bruce Bechtol speaks at the International Council on Korean Studies (ICKS) annual conference titled “Challenges of the U.S.-South Korea Alliance 2026” at the Hudson Institute in Washington on Wednesday. Photo by Asia Today
May 1 (Asia Today) — North Korea has transferred missile technology to Iran over more than 40 years, evolving from early Scud missile supplies to capabilities approaching intercontinental ballistic missiles, while also helping build factories, underground facilities and naval systems, according to U.S. experts.
Bruce Bechtol made the assessment at the annual International Council on Korean Studies conference titled “Challenges of the U.S.-South Korea Alliance 2026,” co-hosted in Washington by the Hudson Institute and the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea.
Bechtol, co-author of the book Rogue Allies: Iran and North Korea’s Strategic Partnership, said Iran began acquiring Scud missiles in the early 1980s during the Iran-Iraq War. Initially supplied in limited numbers by Libya, Iran later established contact with North Korea and imported roughly 100 Scud missiles, which it used to strike Iraqi cities during what became known as the “War of the Cities.”
He said Iran subsequently ordered an additional 200 to 250 Scud-C missiles and, with North Korean assistance, produced and upgraded them domestically. This led to the development of Iran’s current short-range ballistic missile, the Qiam, which has an estimated range of about 800 kilometers.
Bechtol added that Iran attended North Korea’s Nodong missile test in 1993, along with a Pakistani delegation, and later signed a contract to acquire about 150 Nodong missiles. North Korean engineers helped build production facilities near Isfahan, where Iran manufactured the missiles under the name Shahab-3.
He said North Korean specialists further modified these systems, leading to the development of the Emad missile, with a range of about 1,750 kilometers, and the Ghadr missile, with a range of about 1,900 kilometers. Both systems have been used repeatedly and are capable of reaching targets across Israel.
Bechtol also said North Korea sold 19 Musudan missiles – based on the Soviet-era submarine-launched ballistic missile R-27 – to Iran after obtaining the technology from Russian scientists following the collapse of the Soviet Union. He noted that Iran modified the missile for land-based launch, which introduced structural instability and limited its success rate to about 50%.
Based on the Musudan platform, Iran developed the Khorramshahr missile, which can carry a warhead approximately four times heavier than the original design and has an estimated range of 2,000 kilometers. The Israeli military has estimated its penetration rate at about 8%.
Bechtol cited media reports that North Korea transferred 80-ton-class rocket boosters – equivalent to first-stage propulsion systems for intercontinental ballistic missiles – to Iran even during negotiations over the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. He noted that the United States imposed sanctions on both countries in 2016 and 2019 in response.
He said a 2021 report by a United Nations panel of experts also detailed such transfers and assessed that technologies similar to those used in North Korea’s Hwasong-12 and Hwasong-15 missiles had been shared with Iran.
Bechtol further claimed that ballistic missiles fired by Iran toward the U.S.-U.K. base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean in March – from a distance of about 4,000 kilometers – were based on North Korean technology.
Beyond missiles, North Korea has supported Iran and its allied groups by providing military hardware and infrastructure. Bechtol said Pyongyang sold 14 Yono-class submarines – the same type used in the 2010 sinking of South Korea’s Cheonan warship – and helped build production facilities for them. North Korea also supplied 46 fast infiltration boats and assisted in constructing related manufacturing sites.
He said North Korean engineers were involved in building underground nuclear-related facilities in Natanz and Isfahan, which he described as difficult to destroy without the use of U.S. B-2 bombers.
Bechtol also pointed to evidence that North Korean weapons were used by Hamas during its October 2023 attack on Israel, including 122 mm rockets, anti-tank weapons, Type 73 machine guns and Type 58 rifles marked in Korean.
Separately, an Israeli research center reported that North Korean arms exporter Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation helped build two tunnels in Lebanon for Hezbollah, measuring about 25 miles (40 kilometers) and 45 miles (72 kilometers), at a cost of about $13 million.
Bechtol said North Korea has also generated significant revenue through military cooperation. Citing research from the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, he estimated that Pyongyang earned about $20 billion over roughly 15 months from transactions with Russia since late 2023 – close to its annual gross domestic product of about $26 billion.
Andrew Scobell said cooperation among China, Russia, Iran and North Korea – sometimes referred to as “CRINK” – is not a formal multilateral alliance but rather a collection of bilateral relationships.
Scobell added that North Korea appears to have exercised restraint in supplying weapons to Iran following U.S. and Israeli strikes earlier this year, citing intelligence assessments reported by international media.
Former U.N. sanctions panel expert William Newcomb said North Korea’s proliferation activities have contributed significantly to instability in the Middle East and called for a comprehensive assessment of their global economic impact, suggesting the cost could exceed $1 trillion.
Scobell also noted that North Korea’s strategic value to Russia could decline significantly if the war in Ukraine ends, indicating that the current level of cooperation is closely tied to ongoing conflict dynamics.
Donald Trump says US forces are ‘like pirates’ taking over Iranian ships and cargo near the Strait of Hormuz. The US is maintaining a blockade of Iran’s ports and has seized at least three Iranian flagged vessels.
Long before hosting the explosive I’m A Celebrity… South Africa final, Ant and Dec were caught up in their own feud with model and TV star Kelly Brook
Kelly Brook famously feuded with Ant and Dec(Image: Getty Images)
Kelly Brook has spoken out about her feud with Ant and Dec.
But it pales into insignificance compared to the latest drama the geordie duo have found themselves in. A week ago the pair hosted arguably the most explosive ending to a reality TV series ever when the live finale of I’m A Celebrity… South Africa descended into chaos with feuding stars and contestants walking out during the drama.
Days after former Emmerdale star Adam Thomas was crowned winner of the ITV series, Ant and Dec spoke out about it on their podcast, Hanging Out with Ant and Dec, with Ant describing it as “a weird night of TV”.
But while it was probably the most controversial series yet, the TV hosts have been caught up in plenty of other dramas including a feud with Kelly, who took part in the original version of I’m A Celebrity last year and appears as a guest on James Martin‘s Saturday Morning on May 2.
Tension between the trio stretches back to 2009 when Kelly was briefly employed as a judge on the ITV talent show, Britain’s Got Talent, the current series of which continues tonight (May 2) at 7pm.
Reports have long suggested that Ant and Dec were unimpressed that Kelly, 46, had been hired for the show without their consent. Over the years, the three have taken veiled swipes at each other in interviews, and memoirs.
Last year, the trio found themselves reunited on ITV as Kelly became a contestant on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and opened up the old wound in a new interview.
In the chat, she addressed the route of the alleged feud – which is said to have stemmed from the fact she didn’t know what Ant and Dec did when she joined the BGT judging panel. And while the boys have repeatedly insisted this is what happened, Kelly has counter protested that his is simply not true.
She summed up the situation in six words during her chat with the The Sun saying: “There was no awkwardness at all. “
She continued: “Ant and Dec are the sweetest, and they were so excited that I was doing the show. I think they are really involved in the casting of it.”
She continued: “They were really fun and supportive. I was so excited when I saw them for the first time – I was in a helicopter looking down at them. I actually got star-struck, even though I worked with them all those years ago. I’m a massive fan of the show, so it was surreal to suddenly be in there. Plus, Ant and Dec were the least of my worries – I was more concerned with snakes, spiders and the lack of food!”
Her account differs from that of the Geordie duo. Back in 2010, the lads unleashed their autobiography, Ooh! What a Lovely Pair: Our Story, in which they laid out their accusations against Kelly.
Reflecting the first day Kelly joined them on the set of BGT, they claimed: “Kelly looked nervous, so I told her it was going to be great fun and to just relax and enjoy it. She nodded, then looked at me and said, ‘And what do you do on the show?’
“I looked at Simon, who was sat next to me, he turned to Kelly and said, ‘Kelly, you have seen the show, haven’t you?’ To which she replied, ‘Yeah… well, bits’. I don’t want to sound like an egomaniac, but the last person who said, ‘And what do you do?’ was the Queen when I met her at the party for ITV’s fiftieth anniversary.”
The autobiography also implied that the pair were angered by show boss Simon Cowell for hiring Kelly without first consulting them. They wrote: “We had two questions: ‘Why is there a fourth judge?’ and ‘Why is it Kelly Brook?’ None of them could answer us.
“Obviously, as hosts of the show, we have to justify that kind of thing to the audience, and no one could give us a good reason why Kelly was on board. The simple answer was that Simon, without talking to anyone, had decided it was a good idea. We didn’t agree.”
Kelly previously brushed off the scandal, implying that she didn’t care much for what Ant and Dec thought of her. She said in a past interview: “There was nothing I could do in this country after Britain’s Got Talent. The people at ITV were telling me that I had upset Ant and Dec and that was it.
“I would love to have stayed on the show. I really felt it was working out. Ant and Dec had never been anything but pleasant to my face but, clearly, they didn’t want me on the show. Their egos are such that they were saying to themselves ‘How dare she think she can come on to our show?’, and since then they’ve been very vocal about their displeasure at me being there.”
Kelly Brook is on James Martin’s Saturday Morning on ITV1 on May 2 at 9.30am. Ant and Dec host Britain’s Got Talent on ITV1 on May 2 at 7pm
Turkey is one of the most popular destination for British holidaymakers
Holidaymakers heading to Turkey are being warned(Image: Nick Brundle Photography via Getty Images)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is continuing to warn travellers heading to Turkey following the deaths of several British holidaymakers. The FCDO is responsible for issuing regular travel advice covering approximately 226 overseas countries and territories.
FCDO updates include guidance on safety and security, regional risks, health, and much more. Part of its advice for Turkey highlights popular holiday activities that have left people dead or seriously hurt, with the Foreign Office stating: “British nationals have been injured and killed doing extreme sports.
“Only use reputable operators. Make sure you are given full instructions and training before your activity. Make sure your travel insurance covers you for all activities you do. Always read the details of your insurance cover, especially the small print and exclusions on your policy.
“Paragliding is an extreme sport and carries the risk of serious injury or death. British nationals have died or been seriously injured whilst paragliding in Turkey. Make sure you are given full instructions and training before your activity.
“If you are near where paragliding activities take place, be aware that the landing area may be in a public area. Keep a reasonable distance from potential landing zones for your personal safety.”
The guidance further warns that quad biking carries comparable dangers, while jeep safaris have been involved in “a number of reported accidents in recent years”. Turkey remains a firm favourite amongst British holidaymakers, and current guidance advises that you should only purchase alcoholic drinks from licensed shops, bars and hotels, steer clear of homemade spirits, ensure bottle seals are unbroken, and scrutinise labels for poor print quality or spelling mistakes.
Should you or anyone in your travel party fall ill after consuming alcohol, seek emergency medical assistance immediately. FCDO advice reads: “There has been an increase in cases of serious illness caused by alcoholic drinks containing methanol in popular travel destinations around the world. In Turkey, including Ankara and Istanbul, people have died or suffered serious illness after drinking illegally produced local spirits and counterfeit bottles of branded alcohol.
“Even small amounts of methanol can kill. It is not possible to identify methanol in alcoholic drinks by taste or smell. Seek urgent medical attention if you or someone you are travelling with show the signs of methanol poisoning after drinking.”
Visitors to Turkey are also cautioned about the dangers of swimming. The FCDO states: “Every year, people drown in the sea and in swimming pools in Turkey. Always supervise children, even if they can swim or there is a lifeguard present.
“Take care when swimming in the sea. Some beaches may have strong undercurrents. Hidden rocks or shallow depths can cause serious injury or death. Do not dive into unknown water.”
Every Democrat on this list could be expected to work in general harmony with a Democratic governor and in opposition to key Trump administration policies.
There are differences in their backgrounds, but only minor policy divergences, including on the participation of trans athletes in women’s and girls’ sports.
Listed in alphabetical order, with an excerpt from their survey responses:
Richard Barrera, 59, is a longtime school board member in San Diego Unified, the state’s second-largest school system, a senior advisor to Thurmond and before that was a local labor union executive.
“The three experiences that best qualify me for this office are the ones that required me to govern a public school system, execute policy inside the state agency, and understand workforce realities in practice,” Barrera said.
Wendy Castañeda-Leal, 42, has pursued a career in more rural areas, currently serving as superintendent for the Semitropic Elementary School District, which has one TK-8 school with about 140 students off Highway 46 in Kern County. She’s also been director of whole child education for Roseland School District and a secondary alternative school principal.
“I lead districtwide efforts aligned with California’s priorities by advancing equity, strengthening academic achievement, and expanding supports for the whole child, including multilingual learners and underserved student populations,” Castañeda-Leal said. “I also bring extensive site leadership experience as a principal at the elementary, middle and high school levels, where I improved student outcomes.”
Nichelle Henderson
(Courtesy of Nichelle Henderson.)
Nichelle Henderson, 57, is an elected trustee of the Los Angeles Community College District. Her education career began as a teaching assistant. She later taught sixth grade math and science in Compton Unified. She’s currently a faculty advisor and clinical field supervisor in a Cal State teacher preparation program.
“What it is clear among Democratic candidates is that there are candidates that are seeking this position because they want a safe place to land after having termed out,” Henderson said. “My goal is to build the capacity of our TK-12 public schools to prepare students for higher education and to participate in the local and global workforce.”
Ainye Long, 41, a San Francisco Unified middle school math department chair, ran four years ago with no significant resources and came within less than 1 percentage point of making the runoff. It helped then that no Democrat ran against Thurmond and that Republican challengers divided the Republican vote. Long also had then — and still has — the ballot designation: “public school teacher.” She also is a past senior administrator at a charter-school group.
“One job of the [state superintendent] is to measure the effectiveness [in practice — what actually happens] of our laws, and help to find better ways to educate our body,” Long said. “The people closest to the work are closest to the problems of practice, so they’re the first to see the solution.”
Al Muratsuchi
(Photo courtesy of Al Muratsuchi)
Al Muratsuchi, 61, represents the 66th Assembly District, encompassing parts of the South Bay, and has been the chair of the state Assembly education committee. He taught briefly at the college level and served as an elected board member of the Torrance Unified School District.
“I am the only candidate running for State Superintendent of Public Instruction with the combined experience of statewide education policy leadership, … local school district governance as a former Torrance Unified School District board trustee, and classroom educator,” Muratsuchi said, adding that he authored 23 education-related bills that were signed into law.
Josh Newman
(Josh Newman)
Josh Newman, 61, has been a state senator, including chairing the education committee, and a technology company executive. He served in the Army and taught briefly both at the college and middle school levels.
“Among the Democrats in this race, the most significant distinction is between candidates whose approach to this office is primarily organized around labor relationships and funding advocacy, and my own, which emphasizes accountability, outcomes, and the full range of students’ needs alongside continued investment,” Newman said.
Anthony Rendon
(Photo courtesy of Rendon campaign)
Anthony Rendon, 58, was state Assembly Speaker from 2016-23, previously directed Plaza de la Raza Child Development Services and served as chief operating officer for Mexican American Opportunity Foundation.
He spoke of “the role that technology is playing in the degradation of youth mental health and happiness. The next superintendent needs to properly implement California’s ban on phones in classrooms, be ahead of the curve in establishing policies on generative AI use, and make sure teachers have the training and support they need to make sure the classroom is about learning.”
No candidate received enough votes to win the Democratic Party endorsement. The tally was as follows: Henderson: 24.75%; Muratsuchi 21.97%; Rendon 17.43%; Newman 16.82%; Barrera 12.77%.
Ronny Mauricio hit a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning and the New York Mets rallied for a 4-3 victory over the Angels on Friday night in the opener of a nine-game trip.
The win — just the Mets’ fourth in their last 21 games — came a few hours after president of baseball operations David Stearns gave manager Carlos Mendoza a vote of confidence. New York has the majors’ worst record at 11-21.
Marcus Semien hit a tying two-run single in the Mets’ three-run sixth inning, which also included an RBI single by Francisco Alvarez. New York retired the final 21 Angels hitters.
Mets starter Christian Scott gave up three runs — two earned — and three hits in five innings with eight strikeouts and no walks. Huascar Brazobán (2-0) pitched a perfect sixth for the win, and Brooks Raley, Luke Weaver and Devin Williams — who got his third save — finished up as Mets relievers combined for four hitless innings.
Jorge Soler hit a two-run homer for the Angels, who lost starter Walbert Ureña in the sixth inning when he was hit in the right leg by Bo Bichette’s comebacker. It was just the second hit for the Mets off Ureña, who hadn’t given up a run through five innings before the bullpen took over.
Alvarez singled against Brent Suter to score Bichette in the sixth. Two batters later, Semien tied it 3-3 with his two-run single off Chase Silseth.
Mauricio’s one-out homer in the seventh, with an exit velocity of 111.3 mph, came off José Fermin (0-1) and was his first of the season.
The Angels’ bullpen entered with a 5.66 ERA, second worst in the American League.
Up next: Mets RHP Nolan McLean (1-2, 2.55 ERA) enters Saturday’s middle game of the three-game series after allowing one unearned run in a loss to Colorado last Sunday. Angels LHP Reid Detmers (1-2, 4.28) is making the seventh start of his return to the rotation.
