News Desk

Emmerdale’s Moira Dingle actress Natalie J Robb has hinted her character could take a deadly revenge on evil Joe Tate in a gun showdown, and she ‘could kill him’

There’s dramatic scenes on the way on Emmerdale as Joe Tate is finally rumbled by Moira Dingle.

Robert Sugden confesses his part in Moira being arrested over Celia Daniels’ drugs and human trafficking crimes. When he explains what really happened, Moira finds out Joe was blackmailing him and Victoria Sugden.

But she’s left even more rage-filled when she realises Joe is a huge part of the reason she’s been in prison over a double murder she did not commit. Preparing to take revenge, it all leads to a gun showdown at Home Farm.

Will Moira end up in prison again though if she takes a deadly revenge on Joe? Actress Natalie J Robb has revealed what fans can expect from the moment, and what the future holds for Joe…

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Robert tells Moira the truth about planting the documents. How does she react?

Robert starts to feel guilty because he finds out that it’s Moira’s birthday and everybody has kind of forgotten about it. She says that it doesn’t matter and then he gets really guilty about it.

Moira starts to get a little bit suspicious and thinks: ‘What’s going on here? This is odd’. He gives her some pictures that Holly did, and things like that, which he found in the attic.

And then he just says something and she says: ‘How did you know about that?’ Because he wouldn’t have known where the documents were hidden. Then of course she gets it out of him and he confesses that it was him and she goes ballistic.

She’s really hurt actually, because she doesn’t expect that of him. She actually thought he’d turned a corner and changed as a person. Then he admits that it was down to Joe Tate – that he forced him – and why he had to protect Victoria and it was down to Joe Tate.

Moira plots revenge doesn’t she…

I’m fuming then, so I go back to the house to tell Cain but he’s having a bit of an argument with Sam. He’s just not in the mood so I think, good old Moira style, she gets her shotgun and goes to visit Joe Tate.

And literally at that point, she’s going round there to kill him. She has the shotgun, she makes him sit down and try to confess. He’s trying to play dumb but she knows it’s down to him.

Then more people get involved. Obviously she doesn’t kill him. But she swears to him at this point that she will make it her priority to make his life a living hell. Or a non-living one…

Why does she decide not to tell Cain about Robert?

She thinks if he finds out, he’s going to go ballistic and do something stupid. She’s just got out of prison, the last thing she wants is for him to go to prison.

But that’s going to eat him up because he knows what she’s been doing for Robert as well. And the fact that he’s in my farm, it’s just a hard pill to swallow. But I’m trying to prevent something terrible happening and protect the marriage as well, because we’re dealing with something that’s a lot bigger than money.

When she has the shotgun, does it not enter her head that she might end up back in prison?

I don’t think she cares at that point. In that split second, she’s so angry because he’s [Cain] had to deal with the cancer on his own. He’s [Joe] kept me away from my children and she thinks: ‘Really? Are you really that horrible and that cruel? Are you really that greedy? It’s all about power’.

It’s a bit like the world we’re living in now, all about power and it’s not actually about being humane to people. And at that point she’s definitely going there to kill him and she nearly does.

Can you tease what’s to come for Joe?

Well I think he’s going to be under her radar, it might just be quietly. He might try to worm her round. But we don’t know how that’s going to pan out with the writing and which route they’re going to go.

But when I was filming the scenes, it was pretty certain that she was going to get him back in some way or another. And she does, she does team up with people to get him to suffer in a similar way, but that would be by him losing everything, so that he has no power. So we’ll see.

Would you like Moira and Kim to become friends after their recent heart-to-heart at the prison?

It’s nice that they don’t get on but they have that mutual respect for each other. You really see how Kim knows what that farm meant to Moira. And for her to do that for him, it really opens Kim’s eyes. Like: ‘Oh right, okay, it’s a proper love’.

She really respects that and it’s about family roots and values. So there’s that respect for each other. I think that’ll always be there in the background now but they’ll still have fights – probably because of Joe to be honest, he’ll be the main factor!

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Japan could soon sell weapons overseas, including fighter jets, in major shift from pacifist policies introduced after World War II.

The cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has lifted a ban on exporting lethal weapons, including fighter jets, in a major shift to Japan’s pacifist post-World War II constitution.

In a post on X announcing the changes on Tuesday, Takaichi did not specify which weapons Japan would now sell overseas. However, Japanese newspapers said the changes would encompass fighter jets, missiles and warships, which Japan has recently agreed to build for Australia.

“With this amendment, transfers of all defence equipment will in principle become possible,” Takaichi said, adding that “recipients will be limited to countries that commit to use in accordance with the UN Charter”.

“In an increasingly severe security environment, no single country can now protect its own peace and security alone.”

At least 17 countries will be eligible to buy weapons manufactured in Japan under the changes, Japan’s Chunichi newspaper reported, adding that this list may be expanded if more countries enter into bilateral agreements with Japan.

Previous rules, introduced in 1967 and enacted in 1976, had limited Japanese military exports to non-lethal arms, such as those used for surveillance and mine sweeping, Japan’s Asahi newspaper reported.

Asahi also reported that Japan will still restrict exporting weapons to countries where fighting is currently taking place, but exemptions are allowed under “special circumstances” where Japan’s national security needs are taken into account.

Countries interested in buying Japanese-made weapons include Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines and Indonesia, which recently signed a major defence pact with the United States, Chunichi reported, citing Japan’s Ministry of Defence.

Tokyo’s change in policy comes soon after Japan and Australia signed a $7bn deal that will see Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries build the first three of 11 warships for the Australian navy.

Takaichi sends offering to controversial war shrine

The changes announced by Takaichi on Tuesday come amid reports that the Japanese prime minister had sent a ritual offering to the notorious Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on the occasion of its spring festival.

Built in the 1800s to honour Japan’s war dead, the shrine includes the names of more than 1,000 convicted Japanese war criminals from World War II, including 14 who were found guilty of “Class A” crimes.

Visits by Japanese officials to the shrine have long been considered insensitive to the people of China, South Korea, and other countries that Japanese soldiers brutalised during the war.

After the defeat of Axis countries, including the bombing of Japan’s Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II, Japan introduced a new constitution renouncing participation in war.

However, Takaichi, considered a China “hawk” and sometimes referred to as Japan’s “Iron Lady”, is among a number of recent Japanese leaders to have pushed back against the country’s pacifist stance.

Mérida, April 20, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – The Venezuelan government launched a “Great National Pilgrimage” to oppose economic sanctions on Sunday, April 19, coinciding with the 216th anniversary of the country’s declaration of independence.

The nationwide mobilization seeks to channel popular opposition to the US-led economic blockade into a sustained, nationwide movement. 

The pilgrimage was inaugurated in three Venezuelan regions, with a calendar of marches, assemblies, and cultural activities covering the remaining 21 states before a closing event in Caracas on April 30. 

In western Zulia state, Acting President Delcy Rodríguez led a rally through the streets of Maracaibo. Addressing a crowd, Rodríguez linked the historical struggle for independence to the modern-day resistance against Washington’s unilateral coercive measures.

“It is a date that marks the first cry for independence from a united people, and so, beginning with that historic date, I feel compelled to embark on this pilgrimage,” she declared to the crowd.

Venezuelan leaders have sought to highlight the impact of unilateral coercive measures on living standards and public services to push for their withdrawal.

“We want Venezuela to be free of sanctions, so that it can grow without restrictions,” Rodríguez affirmed at the Zulia rally. “I am speaking to the people of the United States, Europe, and the governments of those countries. Please stop levying sanctions against the Venezuelan people.”

In Puerto Ayacucho, Amazonas, National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez led a parallel mobilization on Sunday. He emphasized that the pilgrimage is not merely a political event but a “spiritual and national defense” of the country’s right to self-determination. The campaign’s launch in border states highlighted the disruptions to public services that are generally more acute away from the capital and surrounding areas.

The government’s initiative was also backed by sectors of the moderate opposition. Timoteo Zambrano, deputy from the Democratic Alliance, vowed that his political faction would participate in the pilgrimage.

“[Pilgrimage] is a deeply religious term that unites the world’s religions. We are witnessing a new moment to fight together against sanctions and the blockade,” he said in a press conference in Caracas on Saturday.

For his part, Acción Democrática Secretary-General Bernabé Gutiérrez claimed that Caracas must ask the Trump administration to release proceeds from oil exports “so they reach the state coffers and allow for the solution of our problems.” 

Since January, the White House has imposed control over Venezuelan crude sales, with Venezuela-owed royalties, taxes, and dividends mandated to be deposited in US Treasury-run accounts before being returned to Caracas at US officials’ discretion.

The “Great National Pilgrimage” takes place against a backdrop of nearly a decade of economic pressure from Washington. The first Trump administration launched a “maximum pressure” campaign in 2017 with the goal of triggering regime change.

US Treasury sanctions targeted multiple economic sectors, from mining to banking, and particularly targeted the oil industry, causing an estimated US $25 billion in yearly revenue losses. The blockade also effectively gridlocked Venezuela from international credit markets and saw Venezuelan foreign assets frozen and seized. 

Since the January 3 US military attacks and kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro, Caracas and Washington have fast-tracked a diplomatic rapprochement. Acting President Rodríguez has struck a conciliatory tone toward the US, recently thanking Trump and US officials for their efforts in reestablishing “cooperation.”

The US Treasury Department has maintained wide-reaching sanctions in place but issued a series of general licenses in the hydrocarbon, mining, and banking sectors, allowing Western entities to deal with Venezuelan counterparts under restricted conditions.

Edited by Ricardo Vaz in Caracas.

HE came second on Eurovision at 2022 with his song Space Man.

Now Sam Ryder is gunning for a first place finish, after signing up to BBC series Celebrity Race Across The World.

And he is in good company, as Came Here For Love singer Ella Eyre is also taking part.

A source said: “Sam loves a challenge and he wanted to test his mettle off stage.

“He signed up with his tour manager Kaz Coles.

“Ella also decided to give Celebrity Race Across The World a go after being tapped up by the casting team.

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“A challenge like this is definitely not in Ella’s comfort zone but she wanted to experience something new and push herself. Both Sam and Ella are competitive and they’re in it to win it.

“They filmed the show earlier this year but their fans will have to wait until it airs before they can see who did the best.”

Earlier this month, I revealed that Sky Sports legend Jeff Stelling had signed up to take part with his son Matt.

They’re also competing against Junior and Princess Andre — who are making their reality TV contest debut together.

On Friday, Sam was one of Chris Evans’ first guests on his new run of TFI Unplugged on Channel 4, to promote his telly series Your Song with Paloma Faith and Alison Hammond.

Sam’s show invites amateur singers to take to the stage in a live roadshow across the UK.

Sam explained: “It’s berserk. We go up and down the country, we bring a stage with us for people who have probably never sung in public before with a live band. They come, share a story and sing a song that’s attributed to that. The connection you see being made is beautiful.”

On working with Paloma and Alison, Sam joked: “They’re mad as a box of frogs but great to be around. All of our laughs are so cackly, it’s unreal.

“The three of us laughing together is like the Witches Of Eastwick.”

Sam added: “There is no winning a record deal. There is an event at the end of it and every singer is invited — they rinse the free bar, and a couple of people from each round perform on the night. That is the prize.

“It’s a show that’s got heart.”

LOOK MUM, I’M ALL SET

THERE is less than a month to go until Eurovision and the UK act is now out of the gates, with Look Mum No Computer giving his first live performance of zany track Eins, Zwei, Drei.

The singer– whose real name is Sam Battle – performed at the London Eurovision Party on Sunday night, but admitted it was a struggle to get there after becoming a dad less than a fortnight ago.

In an exclusive chat with Bizarre’s Howell, he confessed: “The concept of sleep is something I fondly miss.”

But it isn’t just his newborn Max who has taken up his time, as he has also built his set for the contest in Vienna.

The YouTuber and inventor said: “Just before we went to the hospital for the baby, I was finishing the props – making and soldering all the bits for Eurovision.

“I didn’t build all of the props – the BBC didn’t trust my welding! – but I’ve built the synthesiser bits for it, and it’s already on a lorry on the way to Vienna.”

Sam has also been working on his voice and dance moves as he prepares for the contest, which starts on May 12.

He added: “I’ve been singing, and I’ve also been working out. I just need to get my stamina up.”

On his staging, he said: “It’s quite complicated. There are some things that require coordination, which is not my forte. I’ve got two left feet.

But (choreographer) Benke Rydman, who I’m working with on the stage setup – he’s very much pushing my boundaries.”

Also at the event in London on Sunday was Boy George, who features on the San Marino act Senhit’s song Superstar.

He was in chipper spirits before the show and spent over an hour talking to journalists, so I’m sure he’ll be hoping to one-up our British act at the final on May 16.

ARNIE TO BACK AUSTRIA

HE is the most famous living Austrian and despite it being rather at odds with his macho persona, Arnold Schwarzenegger has been invited back to his home nation to attend the Eurovision final.

I’m told that organisers are preparing for the Terminator star to be in the audience at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, with the hope that his presence will help celebrate Austrian culture and draw in viewers.

Arnie already has a surprising soft spot for the contest after meeting with 2022’s Ukrainian winners KALUSH ORCHESTRA and then starring in the music video to their song Shchedryi Vechir in 2023.

Reflecting on the response after they won, frontman Oleh Psiuk previously said: “In Los Angeles, we met Arnold, who has been actively supporting Ukrainians since the early days of the war.

“He invited us over to his house and came out to greet us with a pet donkey.

“We talked about the situation in Ukraine and thanked him for his support and shared how important it was to us.”

Unfortunately though, I don’t think the movie hero’s donkey will be coming with him to the final.

APPLE Music is getting behind Eurovision in a big way, with the streaming service conducting interviews with all the key stars which will air in the run-up to the event.

And you can get to the heart of this year’s songs on Apple Music’s Eurovision 2026 official playlist, which has translated and phonetic lyrics for each of the tracks.

NOW WOODY TELLS HIS OWN TOY STORY

WITH Toy Story 5 hitting cinemas on June 19, the bigwigs over at Mattel invited Bizarre to visit their top-secret studios in LA – where characters Woody and Buzz were once again working their magic before our eyes.

Nick Karamanos at Mattel revealed: “We are bringing to life what happened in Andy’s room for the first time.” (Andy is the central child character in the original film.)

And that means fans of the films won’t just hear Tom Hanks and Tim Allen voicing the characters on screen – they’ll be able to hear them having full-blown conversations in their own homes.

The new Toy Story 5 toy range lets Buzz and Woody actually talk to each other, with no imagination required.

And Hollywood star Tom’s brother Jim Hanks was brought into the studio to bring the speaking toy version of Woody to life.

Mattel designer Baxter Crane explained: “He sounds just like him (Tom), and he knows how to sound like him. He said, ‘To be Tom you’ve just got to yell more, like whatever you wanna say you’ve just got to yell it instead.’

“And it really worked – he sounds just like his brother.”

The craftsmanship behind it all is next level, with Nick revealing that Mattel still uses manual sewing machines to make the characters’ clothes.

Nick explained: “When we think about Toy Story and taking inspiration, a lot of it is just being true to what the characters are and what is the best way to bring them to life.”

It’s not just Toy Story characters being reimagined either, with Camila Mendes, Idris Elba and Nicholas Galitzine all working with Mattel to create figures for Masters Of The Universe.

Andy and his pals will go on sale this Sunday, just in time to get us all excited about the film’s release.

SECRET SOLO SPOT FOR STONES’ RONNIE

THE ROLLING STONES are coming back this summer with their new album Foreign Tongues – but I’m told any plans for Sir Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood to take the record on the road are still up for debate.

Despite this, I hear fans of the Stones will be able to see Ronnie in action at a top-secret gig later this year.

My music moles say he is putting on a special, intimate show at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, London, on August 31.

They revealed: “Ronnie is doing a show and some big rock names will join him. This isn’t a Stones gig, so it’s not with Mick and Keith, it’s other well-known industry names.

“So far, he’s got Imelda May on board to sing and Ronnie is currently talking to other artists about getting involved.

“He absolutely loves to play live. The show should be announced next week, with tickets on sale soon after.”

Confirming the gig, Ronnie told me: “I’m looking forward to kickin’ ass with my back catalogue and some new songs – look out London!”

I revealed last month that the band was back with a brand new record, and that the legends had signed up actress Odessa A’Zion to star in their comeback video.

Last week, they proved their fan base is still crazy for their music. The Stones released an ultra-limited white label vinyl single, Rough And Twisted, under the alias The Cockroaches – with all copies snapped up within seconds.

They are now being flogged online for more than a grand.

HUGH’S PREMIERE LEAGUE

HUGH JACKMAN and his actress girlfriend Sutton Foster couldn’t have looked happier as they attended his latest movie premiere – three years after he split from his wife.

The Greatest Showman actor stepped out in a blue suit to the launch of The Sheep Detectives in New York City on Sunday evening, alongside Sutton in a sequin gown.

He moved on after his 27-year marriage to Deborra-Lee Furness came to an end, with their divorce finalised last summer.

April 20 (UPI) — A Southwest Airlines flight arriving at Nashville International Airport over the weekend was directed into the path of another Southwest flight that was taking off, causing them to pass within 500 vertical feet of each other.

A flight arriving from Myrtle Beach, S.C., on Saturday evening initiated a go-around before landing because it was facing “gusty winds” during it’s approach, but air traffic controllers directed the crew into the path of another flight, USA Today, WSMV and WTVF reported.

The other flight was departing NIA on a parallel runway, which caused the close call, and “both flight crews responded to onboard alerts” because the two aircraft were 500 feet apart, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.

Five hundred feet is equivalent to 1 2/3 football fields, including the end zones, or two Boeing 747s lined up nose-to-tail, which is half the 1,000-foot distance the FAA requires aircraft to maintain.

The air traffic controller who gave the errant order recognized the mistake and corrected himself with both flight crews, who had already responded to alerts from their Traffic Collision Avoidance System, devices that are standard on all commercial aircraft.

“We are engaged with the FAA as part of the investigation,” Southwest said in a statement.

“Southwest appreciates the professionalism of its Pilots and Flights Crews in responding to the event,” the company said. “Nothing is more importing to Southwest than the Safety of our Customers and Employees.”

Patrick Muldoon, known for his roles on “Days of Our Lives,” “Melrose Place” and “Starship Troopers,” has died. He was 57.

The actor and producer reportedly died Sunday, his manager confirmed to Variety. According to Deadline, Muldoon died suddenly after a heart attack. The Times has reached out to Muldoon’s reps for comment.

Muldoon originated the role of Austin Reed on the daytime soap opera “Days of Our Lives.” He first portrayed the aspiring boxer and brother of Lisa Rinna‘s Billie Reed from 1992 to 1995, and returned to reprise the role from 2011 to 2012 (the character had since become a forensic accountant).

“Austin is a wonderful role,” Muldoon told The Times in 1995. The actor explained he took his “sweet time” mulling over whether to leave the show because “it was one hell of a decision to make.”

“I’m leaving for no other reason than why other people leave soaps,” Muldoon said at the time. “To take a shot at doing other things like nighttime, movies and other things. … I feel confident right now so I figured I better take the shot sooner than later. If I don’t, I’ll always wonder ‘what if.’ ”

He played the recurring villain Richard Hart on the primetime soap “Melrose Place” for three seasons beginning in 1995. Muldoon’s big-screen roles include Zander Barcalow, a pilot and rival of Casper Van Dien’s Johnny Rico, in Paul Verhoeven’s 1997 movie “Starship Troopers.”

Born September 27, 1968, in San Pedro, Muldoon’s early passions included football. He started playing at the age of 6 and would go on to play at Loyola High School and then at USC.

“I did fairly well for being a smaller tight end,” Muldoon told The Times in 2012, adding that getting run over during practice by USC teammate Junior Seau — the late linebacker who had a 20-year NFL career — was among the factors that led him to pursue acting instead. Muldoon began his acting career during the sport’s offseason, and his earliest roles were on shows such as “Who’s the Boss?” and “Saved by the Bell.”

In addition to acting, Muldoon was a producer with credits on films such as “Riff Raff” (2024), “Marlowe” (2022), “The Card Counter” (2021) and “The Comeback Trail” (2020). Most recently, he shared on Instagram his excitement of being among the executive producers for the upcoming film “Kockroach.”

A Cuban Foreign Ministry official said the exchange with Washington was ‘respectful and professional’ and devoid of threats.

The Cuban government has confirmed that it held recent talks in Havana with officials from the United States, as tensions remain high between the two countries over Washington’s energy blockade of the Caribbean country.

Alejandro Garcia del Toro, deputy director general in charge of US affairs at the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on Monday that the US delegation included assistant secretaries of state, and the Cuban delegation included representatives at the level of deputy foreign minister.

Garcia de Toro said that the US delegation did not issue any threats or deadlines as had been reported by some US media outlets.

“The entire exchange was conducted with respect and professionalism,” he said.

In comments reported by Cuba’s Communist Party newspaper Granma, Garcia del Toro emphasised that ending the three-month-old US oil blockade was “a top priority” for the Cuban government in the talks, and accused Washington of “blackmail” for threatening countries that export oil to Cuba with tariffs.

“This act of economic coercion is an unjustified punishment for the entire Cuban population,” he said.

“It is also a form of global blackmail against sovereign states, which have every right to export fuel to Cuba, in accordance with the principles of free trade,” he added.

US news outlet Axios reported on Friday that officials from US President Donald Trump’s administration held multiple meetings in Havana on April 10, including with Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, grandson of former President Raul Castro. The meetings marked the first time that American diplomats had flown into Cuba since 2016 in a new diplomatic push.

According to reports, US officials laid out several conditions for negotiations with Cuba to continue, including the release of prominent political prisoners, an end to political repression, and liberalising the island’s ailing economy.

The Reuters news agency said that US proposals for Cuba also include allowing Elon Musk’s Starlink internet terminals into the country and providing compensation for Americans and US corporations for assets confiscated by Cuba after the 1959 revolution. Washington is also concerned about the influence of foreign powers on the island, a US official told the news agency.

Trump has hinted at military intervention in Cuba and warned of tariffs on any country that sells or supplies oil to Cuba. The fuel blockade has aggravated Cuba’s economic and energy crisis, leading to warnings of a humanitarian disaster.

Cubans have also braced for a possible attack following Trump’s repeated warnings that the country will be “next” after his war on Iran and the US military’s abduction of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro in January.

Last week, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said that his country was prepared to fight if the US carried through on its threats.

The leaders of Mexico, Spain and Brazil on Saturday voiced concern over the “dramatic situation” in Cuba and urged “sincere and respectful dialogue”.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday there was no evident justification for the US to attack Cuba.

“The ability to defend oneself does not mean the right to intervene militarily in other states when their political systems do not match what others might have in mind,” he said.

Chavez-DeRemer is the third high-profile female official to leave the Trump administration after recent departures of Kristi Noem and Pam Bondi.

US Secretary of Labour Lori Chavez-DeRemer will be leaving her post in the administration of President Donald Trump, the White House has said.

Chavez-DeRemer is the third woman to leave the Trump administration since March, when the president fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in the wake of federal immigration raids in Minnesota that led to the deaths of two protesters. Trump also ousted Attorney General Pam Bondi earlier this month.

Chavez-DeRemer has done a “phenomenal job” protecting American workers and is set to “take a position in the private sector”, White House Director of Communications Steven Cheung said in a post on X late on Monday, announcing the labour secretary’s departure.

“Keith Sonderling will take on the role of Acting Secretary of Labor,” Cheung added, referring to the current deputy labour secretary.

While Cheung did not give a reason for Chavez-DeRemer’s departure, the New York Post reported in January that she was under investigation for “pursuing an ‘inappropriate’ relationship with a subordinate” and drinking in her office during the work day.

Al Jazeera was unable to independently verify the allegations.

From the beginning of her tenure, Chavez-DeRemer had some notable differences with other members of Trump’s inner circle.

She had voiced support for the pro-union Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act), earning support for her nomination from some Democrats.

Her appointment was also seen as favoured by Sean O’Brien, the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, who notably spoke in support of Trump’s re-election campaign at the Republican National Convention in July 2024.

However, as the labour secretary, Chavez-DeRemer’s positions have more closely aligned with the Trump administration’s overall anti-regulatory policies, according to US media outlets. During her tenure as secretary, the Labor Department stalled on responding to calls for limits on silica exposure from Appalachian coal miners suffering from the occupational black lung disease.

Chavez-DeRemer is not the first top official to leave the Labor Department during Trump’s second term.

In August 2025, Trump fired the director of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Erika McEntarfer, who was appointed by previous President Joe Biden, after a report showed that hiring had slowed in July and was worse in May and June than had previously been reported.

Chavez-DeRemer had supported the president’s move at the time.

“I support the President’s decision to replace Biden’s Commissioner and ensure the American People can trust the important and influential data coming from BLS,” Chavez-DeRemer said in a post on X following McEntarfer’s removal.

An ITV newsreader has shared a rare insight into why he needed to take some time off.

An ITV News journalist has opened up about taking three months off work after suffering a “breakdown”.

Newsreader Tom Bradby took the break from work back in 2018, and now he is speaking candidly about that time.

He opened up about it to Radio Times as he discussed new ITV thriller Secret Service, which was adapted from his book and stars Gemma Arterton as MI6 officer Kate Henderson.

Tom said he wrote that particular novel faster than any of his other books, saying that when he reflects on the speed it “poured out” of him “it seems obvious that Kate – as a result of all the pressure heaped upon her – is skating on the edge of acute insomnia and some kind of breakdown”.

“And shortly after I finished it, this is exactly what happened to me,” he said. “I took three months off, rebooted and recovered.

“But when I read the book now, I do wonder at the way the character was a direct reflection of my own psychological state of mind.”

Tom has previously been open about his time off, revealing it happened after he developed insomnia, which resulted in what he said was an “addiction” to a sleeping pill.

Secret Service, which also stars Rafe Spall, was adapted from Tom’s best-selling novel and ITV has promised viewers “high-stakes drama” and “political intrigue”.

The five-part series explores the world of espionage against the backdrop of escalating tensions between the UK and Russia.

A synopsis for the show said: “The drama follows senior MI6 officer Kate Henderson (Gemma). On the surface, her life appears ordinary – a civil servant married to Stuart (Rafe) with two teenage children.

“However, to those who don’t know her well, Kate’s true role is heading the Russia Desk at the Secret Intelligence Service.

“When her undercover operations reveal alarming evidence that a high-ranking UK politician may be a Russian asset, Kate finds herself in a desperate race to uncover their identity.”

It continues: “As a brutal murder thrusts her team into the spotlight, Kate must navigate the dangerous world of espionage while trying to hold her family together and protect her reputation.”

Secret Service will launch on Monday April 27 at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.

Outrage continues to grow over the Israeli soldier who was photographed desecrating a statue of Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon, including among Trump’s former MAGA allies. From a Polish MP to a Palestinian theologian, observers say it reveals a wider pattern.

Daniel Benaim, the former US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Arabian Peninsula Affairs, says the US missed the early off-ramps to declare victory over Iran, and now finds itself behind where it began on all its objectives.

Gregg Wallace, who was sacked from Masterchef last year following an investigation into 83 historical allegations of workplace misconduct, has confirmed his “new chapter”

Former Masterchef host Gregg Wallace is leaving the UK for Italy after being forced to sell his “enormous” £1million home.

The TV chef, 61, was axed from the popular BBC programme last year after he was accused of “inappropriate behaviour”, including allegations of touching an assistant’s bum on the show. An investigation into 83 historical allegations of workplace misconduct, with 45 accusations against him subsequently upheld.

Reports emerged in October Gregg was claiming up to £10,000 in damages from the BBC and one of its subsidiaries following his axe from MasterChef. The TV presenter claimed they allegedly caused him “distress and harassment” by failing to disclose to him his personal data.

But now the presenter has confirmed his “new chapter”, telling his Instagram following he will leave the UK for Italy by the end of the month. Gregg added he will homeschool his autistic son there.

READ MORE: Grace Dent gives brutally honest response to taking over MasterChef hosting roleREAD MORE: BBC scandals in full – Scott Mills axed over historic relationship and ‘personal conduct’

Gregg’s wife, Anne-Marie Sterpini, whom he met on Twitter, is Italian. They tied the knot in 2016, four years after Gregg’s divorce to his third wife Heidi Brown.

Speaking in his social media video, Gregg said: “I’ve always loved Italy and we plan to move around and rent in different places which is quite an adventure and with the help of my autism specialist mates, I am going to homeschool Sid as well. It is a new chapter for us. It is a life that should be full of travel and adventure and I’m very very much looking forward too it.”

But the entrepreneur, who also hosted Saturday Kitchen, is also planning to buy a “much more modest”house in Yorkshire — close to where his daughter lives. He will then divide his time between Italy and Yorkshire, it is thought.

It comes after Gregg revealed earlier this month that he is selling his £1million Kent home after being left “unable to live the life he used to have”. The chef has not had a TV job since the BBC sacked him from Masterchef, a role he had held for nearly two decades.

The ex BBC star plans to sell the “enormous” home which sits on five acres of land along with its stables and pond. Gregg, who bought the home back in 2017, said he was making the move not only for a slower pace of life but also to ensure financial security for Anne-Marie, 38, and son Sid, six.

He said: “I can’t have the life I used to have but whether you chose to believe it or not, I really wanted to come out of that anyway, but obviously not in the dramatic way that I did.

“I want to ease off a little bit, I want to relax a little bit. but that also comes with wanting financial security for me and my family because I’ve got a wife that is much younger than me and a special needs little boy, Sid.”

April 20 (UPI) — The Federal Aviation Administration grounded Blue Origin‘s New Glenn rocket after it botched the release of a satellite following its successful launch two hours earlier.

The third launch of New Glenn and second landing of its reusable booster stage “Never Tell Me The Odds” on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean was a success in those terms, but the spacecraft delivered AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 7 satellite to an orbit too low for it to operate properly.

Blue Origin said Monday that it is leading an investigation into one of New Glenn’s engines producing insufficient thrust to reach the mission’s target orbit.

“While we were pleased with the nominal booster recovery, we clearly didn’t deliver the mission our customer wanted, and our team expects,” Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp said in a post on X.

The FAA, NASA, the National Transportation Safety Board and the U.S. Space Force also have been monitoring the situation and will require Blue Origin to complete its investigation and report on the engine anomaly, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

“A return to flight is based on the FAA determining that any system, process or procedure related to the mishap does not affect public safety,” the FAA said in explaining why it grounded the rocket.

The New Glenn-3 rocket launched around 7:30 a.m. EDT on Sunday morning, nailing the flight and landing portion of its mission, and successfully released the BlueBird 7 satellite once it reached orbit.

Because one of the two BE-3U engines that power New Glenn’s upper stage didn’t produce sufficient thrust on its second engine burn, which is meant to boost the spacecraft to its target orbit above Earth, it never got there.

Although the satellite was released and powered on properly, the off-nominal orbit — which was too low for it to be useful — AST said it would be jettisoned.

BlueBird 7 is one of 45 satellites that AST SpaceMobile hopes to get in orbit by the end of 2026 as part of a satellite-based cellular network designed to operate with standard smartphones.

The satellite would have been the companies eighth to reach orbit, and it’s share price Feller by more than 6% on Monday, The BBC reported.

Limp said Blue Origin is analyzing data as it conducts the investigation and is “in steady communication with the team at AST SpaceMobile.”

“We appreciate their partnership, and we’re looking forward to many flights together,” Limp said.

First all-women cohort of winners hails from Colombia, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, South Korea, the UK and the US.

This year’s prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize has been awarded to six grassroots environmental activists from around the world for their efforts to fight climate change and save biodiversity.

For the first time since the prize was created in 1989 by philanthropists Richard and Rhoda Goldman, all recipients of the award are women: Iroro Tanshi, from Nigeria; Borim Kim, from South Korea; Sarah Finch, from the United Kingdom; Theonila Roka Matbob, from Papua New Guinea; Alannah Acaq Hurley, from the United States; and Yuvelis Morales Blanco, from Colombia.

Sometimes described as the “Green Nobel”, the Goldman Prize recipients are chosen from each of the world’s six primary regions. They each receive $200,000 in prize money.

“While we continue to fight uphill to protect the environment and implement lifesaving climate policies – in the US and globally – it is clear that true leaders can be found all around us,” said John Goldman, vice president of the Goldman Environmental Foundation.

“The 2026 Prize winners are proof positive that courage, hard work, and hope go a long way toward creating meaningful progress.”

Morales Blanco, the winner for the region of South and Central America, fought some of the world’s biggest oil companies to successfully stop the introduction of commercial fracking into Colombia.

The 24-year-old grew up in a family of fishermen along the banks of the Magdalena River in the Afro-Colombian community of Puerto Wilches. “We had nothing but the river – she was like a mother who took care of me,” she said.

She began organising protests after a major oil spill in 2018, which forced the relocation of dozens of local families and killed thousands of animals. Her activism, which made her a target for intimidation and forced her to temporarily relocate, helped halt projects and elevate fracking as an issue in Colombia’s 2022 election.

Two of the other five recipients of this year’s prize have also focused their efforts on fighting fossil fuels, which are causing both global climate change and more localised pollution around the world.

Borim, the winner for Asia who started the Youth 4 Climate Action organisation, won a ruling from South Korea’s Constitutional Court that the government’s climate policy violated the constitutional rights of future generations, the first successful youth-led climate litigation in the continent.

Finch, Europe’s winner, told The Times newspaper she will use her prize money to keep fighting fossil fuels.

Together with the Weald Action Group, she fought oil drilling in southeastern England for more than a decade, securing the “Finch ruling” from the Supreme Court in June 2024, stating that authorities must consider fossil fuels’ impacts on the global climate before granting permission to extract them.

Two other recipients have fought against the destructive environmental impact of mining projects.

Papua New Guinea’s Roka Matbob, winner for Islands and Island Nations, led a successful campaign that saw the world’s second-largest mining company, Rio Tinto, agree to address environmental and social devastation caused by its Panguna copper mine, 35 years after it was closed following an uprising.

And the award recipient for North America, Acaq Hurley, from the Yup’ik nation in the US, successfully fought alongside 15 tribal nations to stop a mega- copper and gold mining project that threatened ecosystems in Alaska’s Bristol Bay region, including the largest wild salmon runs in the world.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Tanshi, Africa’s winner, rediscovered the endangered short-tailed roundleaf bat and has been working to save its refuge, the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, from human-induced wildfires.

Eddie Murphy is celebrating not just his lifetime achievement award, but also the arrival of his third granddaughter, perhaps the funniest baby alive.

Murphy’s son Eric and Martin Lawrence’s daughter Jasmin have welcomed their first child together, baby Ari Skye.

On Saturday, Murphy was honored with the 51st AFI Life Achievement Award at a gala in Hollywood and told reporters that he had recently celebrated back-to-back milestones.

“I just had my first grandson two months ago, and I had my third granddaughter two weeks ago. And I turned 65 a month ago,” he told “Entertainment Tonight” ahead of the gala. “It’s raining blessings on me.”

The ceremony celebrated his storied career across comedy and film, and featured tributes from fellow funnyman Dave Chappelle and “Shrek” co-star Mike Myers. The special will premiere May 31 on Netflix.

The “Dr. Dolittle” star also gushed about his new grandbaby to E! News, and told the outlet that being honored for his work was “a wonderful thing” but that his legacy wasn’t his work.

“My legacy to me is my children,” he said.

Asked whether he or Lawrence offered their kids any parenting advice as they prepared to welcome Ari Skye, Murphy said he’s more of a lead-by-example kind of dad.

“You don’t give advice like that,” he told the outlet. “Your kids don’t go by your advice. Your kids go by the example you set. They watch you. Stuff you be saying, they don’t even pay that no mind. They watch and see what you do.”

In March, Jasmin and Eric posted photos from their lavish baby shower on social media. The shindig included a three-tiered pink cake, pink cocktails garnished with meringue that looked like clouds and balloons galore. “The most beautiful and special celebration for our baby girl,” the couple captioned the post. “Thank you to our parents and everyone that made this day so magical! Ari Skye Murphy, you are SO loved already!!”

Excitement around Ari Skye’s arrival had been brewing in the media long before the couple even announced they were expecting. Murphy joked about a potential grandbaby when Jasmin and Eric were dating back in 2024, during an interview with Gayle King.

“They’re both beautiful,” he said. “They look amazing together. And it’s funny — everybody’s like, ‘That baby gonna be funny!’ Like our gene pool is just going to make this funny baby.”

Murphy agreed, saying: “If they ever get married and have a child, I’m expecting the child to be funny.”

April 20 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s unification minister on Monday rejected reports of a rift with the United States over intelligence sharing on North Korea, warning against speculation that could harm bilateral relations.

Chung Dong-young said he was concerned about claims suggesting a crisis in ties between Seoul and Washington following reports that the United States had limited the sharing of satellite intelligence after his recent remarks.

“I explained policy to underscore the seriousness of North Korea’s nuclear issue, and it is deeply regrettable that this is being framed as a leak of classified information,” Chung told reporters at the Seoul Government Complex.

He said his comments referencing a suspected nuclear facility in Kusong, North Pyongan Province, were based on publicly available information and had been mentioned previously during his confirmation hearing in July.

Chung questioned the timing of the controversy, noting that the same reference had been made months earlier without issue.

He added that since taking office, he has not received any classified intelligence reports related to North Korea’s nuclear facilities from domestic or foreign agencies.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry also said the remarks were based on previously published material, including reports by the Institute for Science and International Security, the RAND Corporation and the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Chung dismissed suggestions that internal divisions within South Korea over alliance policy were behind the issue, saying he did not believe such factors were at play.

In a separate social media post, he also criticized what he described as politically motivated speculation, calling claims of an intelligence leak “groundless.”

The comments come amid heightened scrutiny over information sharing between South Korea and the United States on North Korea’s nuclear program.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260421010006305

The U.S. Navy has disclosed the test of an AeroVironment LOCUST laser counter-drone system, which has been in the news recently, aboard the Nimitz class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush. As far as TWZ is aware, this looks to be the first time a laser weapon has been fitted to a carrier. Earlier this year, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle, the Navy’s top officer, said his goal was for directed energy weapons to eventually be the go-to choice for the crews of American warships when facing close-in threats.

The Navy has shared three pictures of the LOCUST system onboard USS George H.W. Bush, seen at the top of this story and below. They were all taken on October 5, 2025, but released today. This coincides with the start of the Navy League’s annual Sea-Air-Space exposition, at which TWZ is in attendance.

The captions to each of the images include the following: “During the live-fire event, [the] LOCUST LWS [laser weapon system] effectively detected, tracked, engaged, and neutralized multiple unmanned aerial vehicles marking a milestone toward fielding operational directed energy capabilities.”

TWZ has reached out to the Navy for more information.

“The successful demonstration of its palletized LOCUST Laser Weapon System (LWS) aboard the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) in October 2025″ was conducted “in collaboration with the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO),” according to a press release from AeroVironment.

“During the live-fire event, the Palletized High Energy Laser (P-HEL) system tracked, engaged, and neutralized multiple target drones – marking a major milestone toward fielding operational directed energy capabilities across all domains and platforms,” the release adds. “This achievement validates that the LOCUST LWS is truly platform-agnostic, seamlessly transitioning from fixed-site and land-based mobile platforms, such as the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) and Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV), to the dynamic and demanding environment of a maneuvering aircraft carrier.”

The central element of LOCUST is a laser directed energy weapon in a turret, which also includes built-in electro-optical and infrared video cameras for target acquisition and tracking. Tertiary sensors, including small-form-factor high-frequency radars and passive radio frequency signal detection systems, can also be used to cue the laser. The JLTV and ISV-based configurations mentioned in AeroVironment’s release both feature small radars.

LOCUST’s power rating is generally understood to be in the 20-kilowatt range at present. When it comes to laser directed energy weapons, this is at the lower end of the power spectrum, fully in line with a system intended to defeat smaller drones. LOCUST has also been demonstrated with a 26-kilowatt power rating, but how much more it could be scaled within the existing form factor is unclear.

As of December 2025, the U.S. Army was known to have taken delivery of palletized LOCUST systems, as well as ones mounted on JLTVs and ISVs. The Army has at least deployed the palletized versions overseas operationally in the past. One of the service’s LOCUST systems was also at the center of a widely criticized and controversial shutdown of airspace around El Paso, Texas, in February of this year, as you can read more about here. The system had been on loan to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the time. Earlier this month, the Pentagon signed an agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regarding the continued use of anti-drone laser systems along the southern border with Mexico.

The U.S. Marine Corps has also moved to acquire JLTV-based LOCUST systems in the past. In addition to appearing to be the first instance of a laser-directed energy weapon going aboard a carrier, last year’s test aboard USS George H.W. Bush also looks to be the first known instance of the Navy even evaluating LOCUST for use on ships or in any other context.

Navy interest in using LOCUST to defend ships, especially very high-value ones like aircraft carriers, is not surprising. For years now, the service has been very active in pursuing shipboard laser and microwave directed energy weapons with a particular eye toward providing additional layers of counter-drone defense.

Experience gained in recent years from operations in and around the Red Sea, as well as against Iran, has only underscored the critical importance of bolstering the ability of U.S. warships to protect themselves against uncrewed aerial threats. The Navy has also been adding counter-drone systems that use physical interceptors as their effectors to a growing number of ships to help address this reality.

In general, lasers like LOCUST offer the promise of functionally unlimited magazine depth, which could be exceptionally valuable in the counter-drone role when faced with large volumes of incoming threats. The dangers that uncrewed aerial systems pose are only set to increase as artificial intelligence and machine learning-driven capabilities, including automated targeting and fully networked swarming, continue to improve while the barrier to entry steadily drops.

Palletized and containerized systems like the P-HEL version of LOCUST can also be employed with more flexibility on a wide variety of ships, as long as sufficient deck space and available power. The test aboard USS George H.W. Bush involved simply lashing the system to the flight deck. This also means the systems can be installed and/or removed more readily depending on mission requirements. The Navy also has a demand for counter-drone capability on land to protect key facilities and assets abroad and at home, where LOCUST would also be relevant.

LOCUST Laser Weapon System

At the same time, especially when it comes to employing lasers on ships, there are also potential pitfalls. As TWZ has previously written:

“A single laser can only engage one target at once. As the beam gets further away from the source, its power also drops, just as a result of it having to propagate through the atmosphere. This can be further compounded by the weather and other environmental factors like smoke and dust. More power is then needed to produce suitable effects at appreciable distances. Adaptive optics are used to help overcome atmospheric distortion to a degree. Altogether, laser directed energy weapons generally remain relatively short-range systems.”

“In addition, laser directed energy weapons, especially sensitive optics, present inherent reliability challenges for use in real-world military operations. Shipboard use adds rough sea states and saltwater exposure to the equation. There is also the matter of needing to keep everything properly cooled, which creates additional power generation and other demands.”

Over the years, the Navy has faced continued and significant hurdles in attempting to field operational laser weapon systems more broadly across its fleets. U.S. military officials have often sought to temper expectations, while also being open about their frustrations with the lack of greater progress, in recent years.

Still, the Navy, in particular, has persisted in its pursuit of these capabilities, given the benefits mentioned earlier. Lasers are set to be a particularly important component of the full arsenal aboard the future Trump class “battleships.”

“My thesis research at [the] Naval Post Graduate School was on directed energy and nuclear weapons,” Adm. Caudle told TWZ and other outlets at a roundtable back in January. “This is my goal, if it’s in line of sight of a ship, that the first solution that we’re using is directed energy.”

In particular, “point defense needs to shift to directed energy,” the admiral added, emphasizing that “it has an infinite magazine.”

“What that does for me is it improves my loadout optimization, so that my loadout, my payload volume is optimized for offensive weapons,” Caudle added at the time. Furthermore, “as you increase power, the actual ability to actually engage and keep power on target, and the effectiveness of a laser just goes up.”

Laser directed energy weapons with higher power ratings could potentially defend ships against other threats, including certain types of incoming missiles.

Whether or not the Navy decides to acquire and field LOCUST operationally on its ships, the service’s general demand for more counter-drone capabilities across the board does not look set to decrease any time soon.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

MADONNA has been left heartbroken as she revealed that someone has “stolen” her vintage clothes after performing at Coachella.

The 67-year-old music legend teamed up with Espresso singer Sabrina for a show-stopping finale – dressed-to-impress in purple lingerie.

Two decades after her own epic headlining slot at the Californian festival, the queen of pop turned heads in a flesh-flashing frilly outfit.

Wearing a purple corset with matching lilac gloves, purple stockings and knee-high stiletto boots, the comeback queen accessorised with tinted shades and her long blonde hair down in waves.

She joined a lingerie-clad Sabrina, 26, who wowed in a white lace sparkly bodice and heels during her headline set at Coachella.

But now pop icon Madonna has been left with a sour taste in her mouth after precious pieces from her wardrobe went missing following the set.

material girls

Madonna strips down to lingerie for duo with Sabrina Carpenter at Coachella

HER MADGESTY

How Madonna became the queen of cool aged 67 with club-inspired album & toyboy

She shared on Instagram today: “Still flying high since Friday night at Coachella!

“Thank you to Sabrina and everyone who made it possible.

“Bringing Confessions II back to where it began was such a thrill.

“This full circle moment hit different until I discovered that the vintage pieces that I wore went missing – my costume that was pulled from my personal archives – jacket, corset, dress and all other garment.”

The musician stressed how irreplaceable these items are and issued an appeal for them to be returned.

Madonna continued: “These aren’t just clothes, they are part of my history.

“Other archival items from the same era went missing as well.

“I’m hoping and praying that some kind soul will find these items and reach out to my team.

“I’m offering a reward for their safe return. Thank you will all my heart.”

Over the weekend, Madonna and Sabrina delighted the crowds with classic hits including Vogue, Like A Prayer and I Feel So Free from Madonna’s new album.

Sabrina had been mid-performance when an instrumental tease of Madonna‘s 1990 hit song Vogue weaved in.

Madonna told the cheering audience: “Wow, thank you.

“Sabrina, thank you so much for inviting me on your show.”

Holding hands, she replied: “No thanks needed, Madonna.”

“Well, I have a few things I want to get off my chest. So, 20 years ago today I performed at Coachella,” admitted the Ray of Light singer.

“I was in the dance tent and it was the first time I performed Confessions On The Dance Floor part one in America.

“It’s a full circle moment, you know? Very meaningful for me.” 

She urged: “Let’s try to be together. Let’s try to avoid disagreements.

“And to that point, the great thing about music is that it brings people together. 

“It’s the one place that people have to put their differences aside, put their s**t down and just everybody have a good time together, right?

“So I am thrilled to be a part of that healing experience…”

The Vogue singer confirmed this week that she will release her first record in seven years this July — a sequel to her 2005 smash Confessions On A Dance Floor.

The original, inspired by disco and Eighties electropop, shifted more than 10million copies.

It featured No1 singles Hung Up and Sorry, and ushered in a new era of dance music.

In 2024, Sabrina paid ­tribute to Madge by attending the MTV VMAs in a vintage strapless gown previously worn to the Oscars by her musical hero in 1991.

Sabrina said of Madonna last year: “She’s so lovely and exactly how you expect her to be — just, like, so magnetic.”

A photo of an Israeli soldier smashing a statue of Jesus Christ in Lebanon has sparked outrage in the United States, adding to the anger Israel is facing, including from parts of US President Donald Trump’s base.

Although the incident is only one among a broad range of atrocities that Israel is accused of committing in the region in recent years, it garnered condemnations across the world and prompted a response from Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In the US, where support for Israel was once unchallenged – especially in right-wing circles that purport to espouse Christian values – the desecration of the Christian religious symbol added fuel to the criticism that the Israeli government is facing from some Republicans.

“You would never know it by consuming American corporate media, but this kind of incident is not rare,” said right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson, a former Trump ally.

“The Israeli government has permitted its soldiers to behave like barbarians for decades, all while sucking up generous funding from the United States. The only difference between now and the past is that social media has exposed Israel’s behavior for the world to see,” Carlson wrote in his newsletter on Monday.

‘Horrific’

Former Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene – who fell out with Trump over his hawkish foreign policy – highlighted that Israel receives billions of dollars in US military aid annually.

“‘Our greatest ally’ that takes billions of our tax dollars and weapons every year,” she wrote in a comment on X in response to the photo showing an Israeli soldier taking a sledgehammer to the head of the statue of Jesus.

Matt Gaetz, another former Republican congressman and Trump ally, said, “Horrific”.

For his part, independent journalist Glenn Greenwald mocked how Christian Zionists may defend Israel over smashing the statue.

“Christian Zionists: This Israeli soldier was absolutely justified in smashing the head of the Jesus Christ statue because Hezbollah and Hamas were hiding inside. We owe him our gratitude,” Greenwald wrote on X.

The anger echoed growing scepticism of the close alliance with Israel in Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) constituency.

Trump is already facing pressure over joining Israel in starting a war against Iran, which sent oil prices soaring. Earlier on Monday, the US president addressed and denied claims that Netanyahu dragged the US into the conflict.

Support for Israel in the US is at a historic low, recent public opinion polls show.

While Israel still enjoys near-unanimous Republican support in Congress, that consensus is starting to fray, with dissent being expressed by the likes of Carlson, in part due to prolonged wars in the Middle East and attacks on Christians.

Israel says it will investigate

The desecration of the statue, which took place near the town of Debl in south Lebanon, according to local reports, prompted an unusually swift response from the highest level of the Israeli government.

“I condemn the act in the strongest terms. Military authorities are conducting a criminal probe of the matter and will take appropriately harsh disciplinary action against the offender,” Netanyahu said in a statement on Sunday.

Israel rarely holds its soldiers accountable for well-documented abuses in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and Lebanon, including sexual violence.

Netanyahu, who has been evading an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over war crimes charges in Gaza since 2024, went on to argue that Israel treats Christians better than any other country in the region.

“While Christians are being slaughtered in Syria and Lebanon by Muslims, the Christian population in Israel thrives unlike elsewhere in the Middle East,” the Israeli prime minister claimed.

“Israel is the only country in the region that the Christian population and standard of living is growing.”

Lebanon has the largest per capita Christian population in the Middle East, and its president is a Maronite Catholic.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar joined Netanyahu in denouncing the desecration of the statue, saying that it is “entirely contrary” to Israeli values.

But while Israel’s supporters tried to portray smashing the statue as an isolated mistake by one soldier, the incident reflects a pattern of Israeli attacks against houses of worship, including churches.

In 2024, Israeli troops filmed a mock wedding between two soldiers at a church in Deir Mimas in Lebanon and vandalised the building.

An Israeli tank demolished a statue of Saint George in the southern Lebanese village of Yaroun last year, as well.

Israel has bombed Palestinian churches several times in Gaza since the start of its genocidal war in the enclave, including an attack that killed at least 18 people in 2023.

Israel destroyed more than 1,000 mosques and three churches in Gaza during the war, according to local officials.

Catholic leaders respond

The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land denounced the attack on the statue on Monday.

“This act constitutes a grave affront to the Christian faith and adds to other reported incidents of desecration of Christian symbols by [Israeli] soldiers in southern Lebanon,” it said in a statement.

“It further reveals a disturbing failure in moral and human formation, wherein even the most elementary reverence for the sacred and for the dignity of others has been gravely compromised.”

The incident came as Israeli soldiers pushed to completely destroy homes and civilian infrastructure in dozens of Lebanese villages in order to prevent residents from returning to them.

“The outrage shouldn’t be about a destroyed statue of Jesus – abhorrent as that is,” Palestinian pastor Munther Isaac wrote in a social media post on Monday.

“The real outrage is the targeting of civilians, the assault on human dignity, the devastation in Gaza and Lebanon. War is evil. We need Accountability.”

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called on Trump and Congress to intervene and end Israeli violations after the destruction of the statue.

“For years, our government has ignored and enabled persistent Israeli attacks on churches and Christians in Lebanon, Gaza, and elsewhere,” CAIR said.

“Our message to American public officials is simple: If you continue sending more weapons and provide political cover for Israel’s rogue actions, you own what you see in this picture.”

Singer faces first-degree murder and additional charges that could lead to life without parole or the death penalty.

Singer D4vd has been charged in the United States with murder in the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a 14-year-old girl who was last seen alive nearly a year ago.

The 21-year-old musician, whose legal name is David Burke, ⁠faces first-degree murder and additional charges, including lewd acts with a minor and mutilation of a body. D4vd pleaded not guilty on Monday.

The prosecutor said Rivas Hernandez’s dismembered and decomposed body was discovered in September inside an apparently abandoned Tesla linked to the singer.

Authorities said the case includes special circumstances – lying in wait, committing crime for financial gain and the alleged killing of the witness in an investigation – making Burke eligible for life without parole or the death penalty.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said prosecutors would decide later whether to seek the ‌death penalty.

Burke was arrested at a home in Hollywood on Thursday and was being held without bail.

The witness he is alleged to have killed is Rivas Hernandez, who could have given testimony about the sex crime allegations.

Rivas Hernandez had disappeared in 2024, when she was 13. That was her age when, according to an allegation in a criminal complaint, the singer engaged in continuous sexual abuse of her for at least a year from September 2023 to September 2024.

Hochman said authorities believed the girl went to D4vd’s Hollywood Hills home on April 23, 2025, and “was never heard from again”.

Burke’s lawyers said on Monday that the evidence would show he is innocent.

“The actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death,” they said. “We will vigorously defend David’s innocence.”

Court documents outline secret probe

The singer had been under investigation by a Los Angeles County grand jury looking into the death.

The probe was officially secret, but its existence, and his designation as its target, was revealed in February when his mother, father and brother objected in a Texas court to subpoenas demanding they testify.

The 2023 Tesla Model Y was registered in the singer’s name at their address, according to court filings. Authorities did not publicly acknowledge him as a suspect until his arrest.

Police investigators searching the Tesla in a tow yard found a cadaver bag “covered with insects and a strong odor of decay”, court documents said.

Detectives partially unzipped a bag and found a head and torso.

Investigators from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office removed the bag and “discovered the arms and legs had been severed from the body”, according to court documents.

A second black bag was found under the first, and dismembered body parts were inside it. No cause of death has been publicly revealed, and police got a judge to block the release of details of the autopsy.

The court order was expected to be lifted after the charges.

Rising to fame

D4vd gained popularity among Gen Z for his blend of indie rock, R&B and lo-fi pop. He went viral on TikTok in 2022 with the hit Romantic Homicide, which peaked at number 4 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.

He then signed with Darkroom and Interscope Records, and released his debut EP, Petals to Thorns and a follow-up, The Lost Petals, in 2023.

When the body was discovered, the singer continued his North American tour, but when reports of his possible involvement spread widely, he cancelled the final two shows and a European tour that was to follow.

Open your spellbooks. Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock have returned in the trailer for “Practical Magic 2.”

Warner Bros. released the trailer for the highly anticipated film after it was screened Wednesday at CinemaCon — an annual convention in Las Vegas for movie theater owners. The film will be released Sept. 11, nearly 28 years after the original debuted.

The sequel, directed by Susanne Bier, follows sisters Sally (Bullock) and Gillian (Kidman) Owens, as Sally’s daughter (Joey King) uncovers family secrets and develops her own magical abilities. Warner Bros. announced the sequel on TikTok in June 2024.

Lee Pace, Maisie Williams, Xolo Maridueña and Solly McLeod have joined the cast. Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest will reprise their roles as Frances and Jet Owens, the aunts who raised Sally and Gillian. In the trailer, the sisters must leave their homes on a mysterious adventure. Sally even pokes fun at their past, comparing their current journey to the previous film.

“‘Everything’s gonna be OK?’ Just like it was when we had to bury a corpse under a rosebush? That kind of fine, or different?”

The original film chronicled Sally and Gillian’s quest for love while balancing their identities as witches and their familial curse. The sisters descended from a line of witches that doomed any man who fell in love with an Owens woman. In the film, the sisters nullify the hex by holding an exorcism on the spirit of Gillian’s abusive boyfriend, whom the sisters previously killed.

The sequel is based on the 2021 novel “The Book of Magic,” the fourth book in Alice Hoffman’s “Practical Magic” series. In 2019, HBO Max ordered a pilot for a prequel series, but the show was ultimately shelved.

Kidman and Bullock introduced the film last week during CinemaCon by referencing Kidman’s famous AMC ad. Bullock asked, “Why do we come here, Nicole?” “We come to this place for magic,” Kidman responded.

On Instagram, Kidman shared videos of her and Bullock sipping drinks out of mini cauldrons and walking the red carpet arm in arm. Bullock made her Instagram debut Tuesday (and has already amassed 5.2 million followers) with a nod to the original film’s midnight margaritas.