The Dark Fleet: How Cartels Took Hold of North America’s Energy Trade
When a Danish-flagged tanker named Torm Agnes quietly pulled into Mexico’s Port of Ensenada this spring, few took notice. The harbor, better known for cruise liners and pleasure yachts, seemed an unlikely setting for a large-scale energy delivery. But what followed was no ordinary unloading. Within hours, convoys of fuel-hauling trucks began siphoning off diesel from the tanker under the cover of night, an industrial cover that occurred so fast that witnesses said it operated “like clockwork.”
By morning, much of the shipment, worth roughly $12 million, had vanished into the Mexican black market. On paper, the cargo was listed as lubricants, exempt from Mexico’s high import taxes. In reality, it was a vast quantity of U.S.-sourced diesel smuggled by intermediaries working with one of Mexico’s most violent cartels; the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG.
This was not a one-off operation. It was part of a sprawling, billion-dollar criminal enterprise linking Mexican cartels, U.S. traders, corrupt officials, and global shipping firms into what security analysts are now calling a “dark fleet.” And it underscores a deeper truth: the cartelization of Mexico’s energy market is no longer a localized issue, it’s a geopolitical problem touching the heart of North American trade, governance, and security.
A New Market Touched by Cartels:
For decades, Mexico’s cartels made their fortune in narcotics. Today, they are energy traders, exploiting systemic weaknesses in Mexico’s tax system and infrastructure to build empires rivaling legitimate fuel companies. According to Mexican officials, bootleg imports may now account for up to one-third of the country’s diesel and gasoline market, worth more than $20 billion a year.
The genius of the scheme lies in its simplicity. Mexico’s IEPS tax, a levy on imported fuels often exceeding 50% of a shipment’s value, creates a powerful incentive to cheat. Smugglers evade this tax by falsifying cargo documents, claiming their shipments contain lubricants or petrochemical additives, both of which are tax-exempt. The fake paperwork passes through customs with the help of bribes, while the actual diesel or gasoline floods Mexican markets at a discount.
Companies like Houston-based Ikon Midstream, which bought and shipped the Torm Agnes cargo, occupy the gray zone between legality and complicity. The firm purchased diesel in Canada, disguised it as lubricants in customs documents, and sent it to a Monterrey-based recipient called Intanza, a company authorities now suspect is a CJNG front.
It is the blending of formal and criminal economies that makes this phenomenon so dangerous. What once required violent pipeline theft now operates as a hybrid supply chain, complete with invoices, shipping manifests, and trade intermediaries. The same global infrastructure that powers legitimate energy commerce has been repurposed for organized crime.
The American connection:
The Ensenada case illustrates how deeply intertwined U.S. and Mexican energy systems have become. Nearly all the smuggled fuel originates in the United States or Canada. It passes through American ports, refineries, and shipping brokers, some unwitting, others complicit.
Texas, long a hub for legitimate fuel exports, has also become fertile ground for illicit operations. “The cartels have infiltrated many legitimate businesses along the border and further north,” warned Texas State Senator Juan Hinojosa, who has pushed for stricter licensing of fuel depots and transporters.
The U.S. Treasury Department and the Office of Foreign Assets Control have since begun sanctioning dozens of Mexican nationals and companies tied to CJNG’s fuel operations. Yet the challenge lies in the complex nature of the trade; each shipment can involve multiple shell companies, international middlemen, and falsified documents. Even major firms like Torm, one of the world’s largest tanker operators, have been drawn into controversy. The company says it cut ties with Ikon Midstream after the Ensenada operation became public, citing contractual deception.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Justice has already prosecuted American citizens for aiding cartel-linked fuel schemes. In May, a Utah father and son were charged with laundering money and supplying material support to CJNG by helping smuggle Mexican crude oil. Such cases highlight that America’s own regulatory and commercial systems are being leveraged to sustain the very criminal organizations Washington seeks to dismantle.
Mexico’s Shaky Governance:
For Mexico, the rise of cartel fuel empires is not just an economic issue, it’s an existential one. The Mexican Navy, once regarded as among the country’s least corrupt institutions, is now under internal investigation for its role in facilitating smuggling at ports. Senior naval and customs officials have been arrested in connection with illegal tanker operations, while President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration has made combating fuel theft a cornerstone of its early tenure.
But even high-profile seizures barely scratch the surface. Since Sheinbaum took office in late 2024, authorities have confiscated an estimated 500,000 barrels of illegal fuel, less than a fraction of the $20 billion trade. Prosecutors investigating the racket face mortal danger. In August, Tamaulipas’ federal prosecutor was assassinated after leading raids that uncovered more than 1.8 million liters of illicit fuel.
This combination of organized crime, corruption, and governance failure is a hallmark of what political scientists call “criminal capture”, the point at which state institutions become functionally co-opted by illicit economies. With cartels operating as false energy corporations, Mexico’s sovereignty over its own fuel sector is seemingly a facade.
The Global Shadow Market:
The implications stretch beyond Mexico. The term “dark fleet” was first used to describe tankers smuggling sanctioned Russian and Iranian oil. Now, it applies equally to the vessels carrying contraband fuel across the Gulf of Mexico and Pacific coastlines.
These ships exploit the same legal and logistical loopholes that sustain global energy markets; open registries, layered ownership, and limited oversight in maritime trade. Once a vessel’s cargo is reclassified or offloaded at an unsanctioned port, tracing its origins becomes almost impossible.
For Western energy giants, this black-market competition is tangible. Shell’s decision to sell its retail operations in Mexico earlier this year was due in part to its inability to compete with cheaper cartel-supplied fuel. Bootleg diesel sells at a 5–10% discount below legitimate imports, enough to distort prices across an entire sector.
Meanwhile, the illusion of “cheap” fuel comes at extraordinary cost. Mexico’s treasury loses billions in tax revenue annually, honest importers are squeezed out, and legitimate workers are drawn into dangerous informal economies. The trade also erodes trust in North America’s supply chains, just as Washington and Mexico City struggle to deepen cross-border economic integration under the USMCA framework.
Cartel Infiltration into Trade Routes:
The evolution of cartels from narcotics traffickers to fuel traders reflects a broader transformation in organized crime. Cartels have always been adaptive enterprises, but their pivot into energy reveals strategy: fuel is legal, high-margin, and logistically complex, making it perfect for laundering money under the guise of legitimate trade.
In this new landscape, the line between criminal and commercial actor has blurred beyond recognition. A U.S. trader signing a fuel invoice in Houston may be unknowingly financing a cartel warehouse in Jalisco. A Danish shipping company fulfilling a contract may inadvertently be enabling tax evasion worth millions. And a Mexican port official turning a blind eye may be advancing the interests of a criminal enterprise larger than the state itself.
The Torm Agnes episode is not merely a tale of smuggling; it is an example showcasing globalization’s vulnerabilities. As supply chains grow more complex and opaque, the ability of states to control what passes through their borders diminishes.
What’s Next?
Mexico’s “dark fleet” is more than a law enforcement issue, it’s a test of North America’s supply chain security. If cartels can operate international fuel logistics networks using legitimate Western infrastructure, the implications reach far beyond Ensenada. It raises fundamental questions about regulation, accountability, and the complicity embedded in global commerce.
President Sheinbaum’s crackdown, combined with U.S. sanctions, suggests the beginnings of a coordinated response. But the scale of the challenge is daunting. As one former OFAC official put it, “The cartels are not just criminals anymore, they’re businessmen with global reach.”
Whether Washington and Mexico City can curb this hybrid economy will define not just the future of bilateral relations, but the credibility and stability of the global energy system itself.
Five of the best foodie holidays to book for 2026 from island wine tours to all-inclusive resorts
HUNGRY Brits are being led by their stomachs when it comes to booking a holiday – as the UK establishes itself as a nation of foodies.
Research from tour operator TUI has revealed that 41 per cent of us would consider booking a trip that’s all about the nosh.
It’s little wonder as, even at home, 39 per cent said they prioritise eating out in local restaurants.
Sophie Swietochowski shares her pick of the best short-haul breaks in 2026 for those who love their grub . . .
AYIA NAPA, CYPRUS
TO get a bit of guidance on your foodie adventure, take a look at TUI’s new Dine & Discover packages, which are designed to send travellers to hotels renowned for their food.
As well as excellent grub and booze within the resorts’ restaurants, visitors will be treated to special extras, such as a complimentary cookery lesson or a cocktail mixology class, as part of the deal.
The 5H Amanti, MadeForTwo hotel in Ayia Napa, on Cyprus’s south-eastern coast, is marketed as a couples-only resort and is the ideal spot for a romantic escape.
Travellers booked on the TUI package will receive money off a mountain villages tour with lunch and honey tasting.
Or they can opt for a discount on a halloumi-making and bread baking experience.
GO: Seven nights’ B&B at the Amanti, MadeForTwo hotel is from £1,192pp including flights from Manchester on June 1, 2026. See tui.co.uk.
MOROCCO
IF it’s authentically traditional tastings you are after, Intrepid is the holiday company for you.
Their 12-night Morocco Real Food Adventure is undoubtedly something for the bucket list, showcasing everything from camel burgers to traditional family dinners whipped up in local homes – as well as tours of traditional markets.
Cuisine is at the heart of this trip, but you’ll tick off some pretty cool sights, too, as you pass through Casablanca, Meknes, Moulay Idriss, Chefchaouen, Fez and Midelt before moving on to Merzouga, the M’Goun Valley and, of course, Marrakech.
You’ll stay in hotels, guesthouses, gites and a desert camp.
GO: The 12-day trip costs from £984pp including accommodation, breakfasts, most dinners and some lunches.
Price also includes several foodie experiences such as a goats-cheese tasting and cous-cous demonstration. Flights extra. See intrepid.com.
DOLOMITES, ITALY
HAVING your hand held is no bad thing – and because of this, you know you’ll get the best of the best wherever you go when you book one of Saga’s food-and-wine holidays.
Every itinerary on a these getaways has been carefully curated, to include the top spots and activities on offer in that region, whether it be a visit to a local market or a cookery workshop combining culture and grub.
How does la dolce vita in the Italian mountains sound?
This week-long Dolomites tour is lip-smackingly good, with a visit to a working dairy farm, a wine-cellar tour with olive-oil samplings, and demonstrations at an apple orchard.
When you’re not tasting goodies, kick back at your hotel, the Alle Dolomiti over-looking Lake Molvano – enjoy the pool or unwind in the sauna.
GO: A seven-night Food And Wine In The Dolomites trip costs from £1,525pp on a half-board basis, including flights from Gatwick on September 21, 2026. See holiday.saga.co.uk.
BODRUM, TURKEY
HOLIDAY firm Jet2 has a specific section entirely dedicated to foodie escapes.
It is called Perfect For Dining – and these places really are.
The collection of hotels offer gourmet food, with extensive a la carte menus, and have an emphasis on local flavours.
Some of the properties even house Michelin-star restaurants.
Unlike many all-inclusive packages, the all-inclusive-plus deals at the 5H Lujo Art And Joy hotel, in sun-drenched Bodrum, cover everything.
That means not being restricted to the buffet each night, as a la carte dining at breakfast, lunch and dinner is available at most of the 11 onsite restaurants and bars.
You will have to fork out extra for the teppanyaki, steakhouse and Asian joints, though.
Kids will be kept happy with a 24-hour ice cream and frozen yoghurt stand.
GO: Seven nights’ all-inclusive-plus costs from £1,828pp based on a family of four sharing and including flights from Leeds Bradford on April 19, 2026. See jet2holidays.com.
PORTOPETRO, MAJORCA
THE Spanish island of Majorca most certainly pips the other Balearics to the post when it comes to a smashing food and drink scene.
If you’re tempted to visit, it’s worth remembering that customers booking a TUI Dine & Discover package also receive 15 per cent off food and gastronomy experiences with TUI Musement.
And on this gem of an island, that includes a Majorca Winery Visit & Local Food Tasting experience.
You’ll be driven into the heart of the island’s wine country to sample tipples from a small family-run vineyard.
Soak up that booze with homegrown snacks, fresh bread, olive oils and local cheeses.
A stay at the 5H Ikos Porto Petro also includes a free bottle of cava from the hotel’s private cellar, as well as a cocktail event on site.
GO: Seven nights’ all-inclusive at the 5H Ikos Porto Petro is from £2,240pp including flights from London Gatwick on May 5, 2026. See tui.co.uk.
Celebrity Traitors star ‘told off’ by bosses after letting slip spoilers
Celebrity Traitors star Jonathan Ross has revealed that show bosses sent out a list of banned topics to cast after contestants began letting slip behind-the-scenes details
Celebrity Traitors star Jonathan Ross has revealed that the show’s cast have received a warning from bosses about leaking behind-the-scenes details on social media. Speaking on his podcast Reel Talk, the TV presenter admitted that he let slip details that he later learnt were banned from being discussed.
Last week, the broadcaster called for the BBC to air footage of Alan Carr that was cut from the series. Speaking about how hilarious the Chatty Man had been on the show, he said: “There are so many funny things he did and said which I know already should have been in the first episode which weren’t, should’ve been in the second episode.
“There’s something that happens later on which should be in, but isn’t in,” Jonathan added. “It’s like there’s this Alan Carr gold waiting out there to be spun into something.”
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Now, the 64-year-old has revealed that the stars were recently reminded of spoiler rules by show bosses. “It’s nerve-wracking watching it for me,” he said on his podcast, which he hosts with daughter Honey Kinny Ross.
“The round tables of course,” he added. “Because a lot of stuff is edited out and I’m not allowed- I didn’t realise but I’m not allowed to talk about the stuff that’s edited out, which I can understand why.
“When I started talking about it last week, they sent us all a kind of list saying, ‘Just to remind you these are the things in your contracts you’re not allowed to talk about.'”
He continued by saying that he would try to “skirt around it” as much as possible to avoid breaking rules. “There’s a fairly comprehensive list, and most of it I can see is to protect the integrity of the game as a viewing experience for people, so it makes perfect sense.”
At the weekend, body language expert Judi James revealed that Jonathan Ross and fellow Traitor Cat Burns were now ‘enemies’ based on their behaviour. “Their body language was subtle but revealing, proving they, both now recognise they are enemies. Last night’s meet-up was different though because, for Jonathan and Cat, the masks never came off,” she said after Thursday’s episode.
“They surveyed each other without any signals of relief. We saw them ignore Alan to stare at each other, and Jonathan performed a thin ‘smile’ of recognition, which was returned by Cat.
“There was no pretence between them, but no open declarations of war. Jonathan let Cat know he knew what she was doing and she stared him back to let him know she intends to carry on doing it.”
Last week, Celebrity Traitors aired an unprecedented twist when the results of the latest roundtable were tied between actor Mark Bonnar and historian David Olusoga. After the two received the same number of votes to be banished after two rounds of voting, Claudia revealed that the banishment would be left up to fate.
After they were randomly given a Chest of Chance each – with one of them containing an immunity shield – Mark was ultimately banished from the game after opening with chest with nothing in it. Later on, it was revealed that Joe Wilkinson had been murdered by the Traitors, while at the end of the episode, the group banished Stephen Fry.
Celebrity Traitors continues on Wednesday at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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U.S. Begins Enforcement of Balanced Budget Law
WASHINGTON — The government took the first historic step toward painful enforcement of the Gramm-Rudman balanced budget law today, estimating that $11.7 billion must be cut by March 1 in almost everything from the Pentagon to the Postal Service.
The overall military budget will be reduced $5.8 billion, under the estimates from the Administration’s Office of Management and Budget and the Congressional Budget Office. The other half of the cuts will come from the rest of government, with the notable exception of Social Security and a number of programs for the poor.
The two budget agencies estimated that the deficit for fiscal 1986, which began last October, will be $220 billion if no cuts are made. That is higher than previous estimates and more than enough to trigger the cuts under the Gramm-Rudman balanced budget law.
That statute, passed in the waning days of Congress’ 1985 session, requires the deficit to be reduced in steps until it is eliminated in 1991. Under a special provision, the maximum that can be cut this fiscal year is $11.7 billion.
4.9% Cut in Military
The fiscal 1986 cuts call for a 4.3% reduction in most agencies and a 4.9% cut in the military.
Salaries of federal employees will not be cut, but the operating budgets of their agencies will fall under the knife. Budget Director James C. Miller III said there will probably not be any layoffs of federal workers, though there could be a hiring freeze.
The CBO and OMB figures showed a $62-million cut in Congress’ own budget, a $4-million slash at the office of the President, $665,000 from the CBO itself and $1.5 million from the OMB.
The across-the-board nature of the cuts means that even agencies that raise money, like the Internal Revenue Service, will be cut. The IRS will lose $140 million from its $3.2-billion budget.
In Agriculture, the required $1.3-billion cut will mean smaller payments to farmers and a reduction of the number of inspectors at meat-processing plants, officials said.
Cut in Student Aid
The OMB-CBO report estimates a $168-million cut in spending authority for the Employment and Training Administration of the Department of Labor, a $229.7-million cut in student aid and a $40.4- million cut in the federal vocational and adult education program.
Funds for the National Endowment for the Arts will be cut by $7.1 million and by $6 million for the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Spending authority for the Department of Housing and Urban Development will be cut $645 million under the Gramm-Rudman formula.
Football gossip: Anderson, Greenwood, Bellingham, Mainoo, Zirkzee
Manchester United and Newcastle monitor Elliot Anderson, Barcelona lead Mason Greenwood chase, Jobe Bellingham not interested in Manchester United.
Manchester United and Newcastle are closely monitoring England midfielder Elliot Anderson, with Nottingham Forest demanding a fee between £100m and £120m for the 22-year-old. (Florian Plettenberg), external
Barcelona lead the chase for Marseille’s England forward Mason Greenwood, though Tottenham and West Ham are also interested in the 24-year-old. (Teamtalk), external
Jobe Bellingham has no interest in joining Manchester United, who had been weighing up a potential loan deal for Borussia Dortmund’s 20-year-old English midfielder. (Mirror), external
Manchester United will block transfer requests from England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, 20, and Netherlands forward Joshua Zirkzee, 24, if they ask to leave in January. (Sun), external
Manchester United have given Napoli the green light to exercise their obligation to buy Denmark striker Rasmus Hojlund, 22, in January. (Mirror), external
West Ham have made Lille and Brazil defender Alexsandro their top priority for the January transfer window, with the 26-year-old valued at £26m. (ESPN Mexico – in Portuguese), external
Vinicius Jr, 25, is “seriously considering” the prospect of leaving Real Madrid after voicing his frustration towards manager Xabi Alonso, who substituted the Brazil forward late in Sunday’s El Clasico win. (AS – in Spanish), external
Juventus have initiated discussions with former Napoli and Italy boss Luciano Spalletti, 66, about becoming their head coach after sacking Igor Tudor. (Gianluca di Marzio – in Italian), external
Tottenham, Arsenal and Newcastle are monitoring Porto and Spain striker Samu Aghehowa, 21. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external
Mt. Whitney claims a hiker’s life, weeks into the snow season
The return of winter has already claimed a life on the tallest mountain in the continental United States, with the death of a hiker on slippery Mt. Whitney, according to the Inyo County Sheriff’s Department.
Over the weekend, the hiker fell in the notorious “99 Switchbacks” section of the main trail, said Lindsey Stine, Community Outreach Coordinator for the Inyo County Sheriff’s Department. The switchbacks begin just above Trail Camp at almost 12,000 feet, where many hikers spend the night before making an early morning start for the 14,500-foot summit.
In the summer, when the trail is dry, the switchbacks section is a long slog, winding back and forth up two miles, and nearly 2,000 vertical feet.
When it gets a big snow, as it did earlier this month, the trail becomes buried and the whole slope becomes perilously steep.
Wes Ostgaard, who said he has climbed Mt. Whitney four times, posted on Facebook that conditions on Saturday were so treacherous he and his climbing partners decided to turn around.
“Winds were extremely intense, and with the recent snowfall, the wind was blasting snow in our faces,” Ostgaard wrote. The snow covered the trail and, in many places, rendered it “invisible,” he wrote.
When Ostgaard and his companions were descending the switchbacks they encountered the body of another hiker who had apparently fallen above a section of steel safety cables and then slid another 70 ft, or so.
“I believe it is highly unlikely he survived,” Ostgaard wrote of the hiker. “There was a fair amount of blood from [colliding with] the cables, and a lot of blood around a rock he made contact with.”
Ostgaard used Starlink to contact his father around 12:30 p.m., who then contacted emergency services. A helicopter arrived about four hours later, Ostgaard wrote.
Another hiker that day, Kirill Novitskiy, encountered the same conditions on the switchbacks on Saturday but made the “wrong decision” to keep climbing.
He made it up with just microspikes — little metal cleats that attach to the bottom of shoes and provide winter traction on flat ground — or on gentle slopes where falling would be no big deal.
But microspikes are notoriously inadequate for winter mountaineering, when a fall could be fatal.
As so often happens in the mountains, when Novitskiy returned to the steep switchbacks after a few hours traveling on relatively flat ground to and from the summit, he discovered conditions had deteriorated so much that he was in real danger and seriously under-equipped.
“I had a couple of dangerous places where the trail became a slope full of powdery snow, and it was very easy to slip off,” Novitskiy wrote on Facebook. “The worst part on the way back were the switchbacks. Almost all the trail was covered with powdery snow brought up with the wind, it was very hard to go with just microspikes.”
Near the cables he saw a pair of trekking poles with nobody around, and then encountered a group of five hikers at the bottom of the switchbacks who told him about the accident.
Anyone attempting to climb Mt. Whitney from this point on in the winter season should bring crampons — much larger spikes that attach firmly to mountaineering boots and dig deep into snow and ice to prevent falls – and an ice axe.
Experts also advise traveling in groups, and bringing a satellite communication device to contact help if anything goes wrong.
So far, the Inyo Sheriff’s Department has not released the identity of the hiker who died.
In January this year, a hiker from Texas died after attempting to climb Mt. Whitney in bad weather. His body was found at an elevation of 12,000 feet near North Fork Lone Pine Creek Trail.
In June, a 14-year-old hiker became delirious on Mt. Whitney and fell off of a 12,000-foot cliff. He survived.
UN slams Israel after attack on peacekeepers in Lebanon | Israel-Palestine conflict News
UN spokesman says incident involved a drone dropping a grenade near a patrol, and a tank opening fire on peacekeepers.
Published On 27 Oct 2025
The United Nations and France have condemned an Israeli attack that hit UN peacekeeping troops in southern Lebanon.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Monday that the previous day’s attack on UNIFIL troops, which he said involved an Israeli drone dropping a grenade in the vicinity of a patrol, as well as a tank opening fire on peacekeepers near the border town of Kfar Kila, was “very, very dangerous”.
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The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) works with the Lebanese army to enforce a ceasefire struck last year between Israel and the Lebanese armed groupd Hezbollah. Israel has violated the truce on a near-daily basis.
France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs also condemned “the Israeli fire that targeted a UNIFIL detachment” and noted that the incidents followed similar attacks on October 1, 2 and 11.
Dujarric said: “It’s not the first time that we feel we’ve been targeted in different ways by the [Israeli army, including] pointing lasers or warning shots. He said his colleagues at UNIFIL were in touch with the Israeli military to “protest vehemently” against the attacks.
On Sunday, UNIFIL reported an Israeli drone flying over its patrol in an “aggressive manner”, saying its peacekeepers “applied necessary defensive countermeasures to neutralise the drone”. No injuries or damage were reported.
Israel still occupies five positions in southern Lebanon and has been launching near-daily attacks in defiance of the ceasefire. At least two brothers were killed in a strike on the village of al-Bayyad in the Tyre district on Monday.
The Lebanese official news agency ANI said that the two were killed in an attack on a sawmill in al-Bayyad.
Three people were killed on Sunday in raids on southern and eastern Lebanon.
The military says that it is targeting members of Hezbollah and its infrastructure, but Lebanese leaders have accused it of attempting to obstruct reconstruction by striking machinery like diggers and bulldozers.
The Israeli army said that its Sunday attacks targeted an arms dealer working for Hezbollah and another man who was “aiding the group’s attempts to rebuild its capacity for military action”.
Hezbollah, severely weakened by Israel’s attacks, has said it is ready to defend itself. “The possibility of war exists but is uncertain; it depends on their calculations,” said Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem in reference to Israel.
The United States government has been pressuring Lebanon to have the group surrender its arms to the country’s army.
US Middle East envoy Morgan Ortagus arrived late on Monday in Beirut, where she is scheduled to meet Lebanese leaders.
Magnitude 6.1 earthquake strikes western Turkiye | Earthquakes
A 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit western Turkiye Monday night, causing at least three buildings to collapse. Officials have reported no casualties so far. They said the quake was centred in Balikesir province and felt as far away as Izmir and Istanbul.
Published On 27 Oct 2025
Nicole & I were pregnant but All Saints’ bosses weren’t happy… it would ruin everything, says Melanie Blatt in new doc
THE Nineties might have been ruled by boybands and girl-bands, but life at the top of pop could be tough.
And it was probably worse for the girls, as putting on extra pounds, dating the wrong guy or, heaven forbid, having a baby were hugely frowned upon by management teams.
New BBC documentary Girlbands Forever, the follow-up to last year’s three-parter about boybands, delves into an era where record companies had less regard for duty of care, days off or mental health.
It features members of Atomic Kitten, Eternal, Sugababes, Mis-teeq and Little Mix, providing insight into what it was like being in an all-female group in the Nineties and early Noughties.
The dream was to replicate the success of the Spice Girls, the all-conquering icons who sparked the girlband explosion.
And record labels invested millions in a bid to find the next big thing.
But as the Spice Girls’ rivals All Saints found out, the pressure became unbearable.
So much so that when founding member Melanie Blatt informed managers that she and bandmate Nicole Appleton were pregnant, both were told to abort their babies.
The reason? They had just cracked America with No1 hit Never Ever and momentum could be lost.
Melanie, 50, explains: “I hadn’t been with my partner for very long, it was definitely a bit of a surprise It wasn’t people congratulating us. It was more like this look of dread and worry and the realisation that things are going to change.
“We flew to LA and at [airport] LAX our manager, he was behind us, was telling us to abort our babies.”
She added that her bosses told them they were “going to ruin everything” and “it was the end of the band”.
Melanie ended up having her baby with her partner, Stuart Zender, the bassist for band Jamiroquai.
‘Vomiting in toilets’
But Nicole, who fell pregnant with then boyfriend Robbie Williams, did not, which Melanie admits caused issues with their relationship.
She explains: “Nic and I had been best friends since we were 11. We took pregnancy tests in a hotel in Canada and spent that whole night discussing bringing our kids up together. It was one of the best nights ever.
“And it’s not really my place to talk about it, but unfortunately . . . it was a very uncomfortable situation because I kept mine, she didn’t. That was a really tricky part of my and our existence.”
All Saints, which consisted of Melanie, sisters Nicole and Natalie and main songwriter Shaznay Lewis, were always deemed a “cool version” of the Spice Girls and were far more rock ‘n’ roll.
Whereas Victoria Beckham, Emma Bunton and Mel B found love with a footballer, an R&B singer and a dancer respectively, the All Saints girls dated rock stars, with Nicole marrying and having a son with Liam Gallagher.
Melanie says: “We were turning up to kids’ TV shows on a Saturday morning without having one wink of sleep. We looked fine, just a bit of vomiting in the toilets prior to CD:UK.”
After two albums, All Saints split in 2001, a disparity in earnings between Shaznay and the rest of the band being a major factor.
By the end of their existence as a group, Melanie says they “hated each other”.
She adds: “We’d fallen out, it was hell, it was ‘separate’ everything.
“It was just ridiculous but literally one of the proudest moments of being in that band was calling it quits because we didn’t stay for the money. We wanted to be done, we didn’t want to be with each other any more and we made that decision.
“We were in control. We were supposed to go on tour and we gave the money back and I’m so proud of that. That’s one of the only decisions we were all happy to make together, telling each other to f*** off.”
- Girlbands Forever begins on Saturday at 9.20pm on BBC Two.
Little Mix
AS girlbands moved into the 2010s, life did not get any easier, with social media now to contend with.
With Little Mix, Perrie Edwards, 32, bore the brunt of the online abuse due to her relationship with One Direction heart-throb Zayn Malik.
She explains: “Social media was dark, especially back in the day.
“Me and the girls used to get a lot of stick. Things we would wear or how we would look, people would pick us apart.
“You’re hurting enough as it is, never mind everybody having an opinion on it. Everyone wants to know your business and everyone feels like they have ownership in that.
“You can’t escape it. So you may as well sing about it.”
Life in girlbands was relentless, so Little Mix lasting ten years was a monumental achievement.
But Perrie, below, admits she almost quit when she was at her lowest ebb ahead of a gig in Las Vegas.
She says: “I didn’t want to go, I was so exhausted. I tried getting out of the trip and when I got there, I started experiencing panic attacks.
“I didn’t know what was happening at the time, I’d never experienced a panic attack.
“I ended up in a hospital. I didn’t want to let the girls down. They had to do it without me and I hated it and I really resented myself for it.”
She adds: “When you’re in a group dynamic, even though you’re going through stuff individually, you can’t just be selfish so I kind of put a brave face on a lot of time.
“I didn’t want to let the team down.”
Eternal
ETERNAL had a No1 smash hit with I Wanna Be The Only One in 1997, but their looks soon became a concern.
Founding member Kelle Bryan, 50, reveals: “People were always voicing concerns about my weight and about our weight as a band. Stylists would come along and say, ‘This doesn’t fit you, this doesn’t fit you’.
“We’re talking about an era where being a size zero was popular, so they sent us away to this place in the countryside where they were able to control what we ate.”
Atomic Kitten
WHILE on the 1999 Smash Hits Tour, Atomic Kitten’s Kerry Katona fell for Westlife singer Brian McFadden, but was ordered not to date him by management.
Kerry, 45, says: “They all went absolutely f*ing apes**t. I remember [Westlife manager] Louis Walsh saying, ‘I don’t like you, you’re trouble’.
Bandmate and best pal Natasha Hamilton, 43, adds: “It was definitely bad for the brand. Not from my point of view but from the label and management. They said girls can’t be seen with one of the boys in the biggest boyband in the UK because fan jealousy is a thing.”
Mis-Teeq
BEING an all-black group who rose up from the “underground scene” in 1999, Mis-Teeq felt they were discriminated against and given fewer opportunities.
Su-Elise Nash, 44, says: “We weren’t invited to the same premieres. Some magazines wouldn’t consider us for the cover because they didn’t think three black girls would sell.
“Our struggle to get there was definitely not as easy as it would have been if we had one white member or we’d all-white.”
Sugababes
WHEN Sugababes founding member Mutya Buena gave birth to her first child aged 19 – while the band were working on their fourth album – there was no let-up.
Mutya, now 40, quit the group that same year in 2005 and was later diagnosed with post-natal depression.
Record label exec Darcus Beese says: “I remember standing in my kitchen trying to talk her down. I had no concept of post-natal depression. I would ask questions now like, ‘How’s your mental health?’.”
Trump is trying to subvert California’s Nov. 4 election results, state attorney general says
SACRAMENTO — Atty. General Rob Bonta said Monday that he anticipates the Trump administration, which last week announced plans to use federal election monitors in California, will use false reports of voting irregularities to challenge the results of the Nov. 4 special election.
Bonta, California’s top law enforcement officer, said on a call with reporters that he is “100%” concerned about false accusations of wrongdoing at the polling places.
Bonta said it would be “naive” to assume Trump would accept the results of the Nov. 4 election given his history of lying about election outcomes, including his loss to President Biden in 2020.
The attorney general also warned that Trump’s tactics may be a preview of what the country might see in the 2026 election, when control of the U.S. House of Representatives — and the fate of Trump’s controversial political agenda — will be at stake.
“All indications, all arrows, show that this is a tee-up for something more dangerous in the 2026, midterms and maybe beyond,” Bonta said.
The U.S. Department of Justice last week announced it would send election monitors to five California counties where voters are casting ballots in the Proposition 50 election to decide whether to redraw state’s congressional boundaries.
Federal election monitors will visit sites across Southern California and in the Central Valley, in Fresno, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties, the Justice Department said last week.
Gov. Gavin Newsom called the move an “intimidation tactic” aimed at suppressing support for Proposition 50 and inappropriate federal interference in a state election.
While federal monitoring is routine, particularly in federal elections, it recently has been viewed with heightened skepticism from both parties. When the Justice Department under President Biden announced monitoring in 86 jurisdictions across 27 states during last November’s presidential election, some Republican-led states balked and sought to block the effort.
Democrats have been highly suspect of the Trump administration’s plans for monitoring elections, in part because of Trump’s relentless denial of past election losses — including his own to Biden in 2020 — and his appointment of fellow election deniers to high-ranking positions in his administration, including in the Justice Department.
The California Republican Party requested the election monitors and cited several concerns about voting patterns and issues in several counties, according to a letter it sent to the Dept. of Justice.
Bonta, in his remarks Monday questioned the GOP claims, and denied the existence of any widespread fraud that would require federal election monitors. He compared the monitors to Trump’s decision to dispatch the National Guard to Democratic-led cities, despite an outcry from local politicians who said the troops were not necessary.
More broadly, Bonta told reporters that the Trump administration appears to be ready to fight the Nov. 4 results if Prop. 50 passes.
“People vote and you accept the will of the voters — that’s what democracy is. But that’s not what they’re teeing themselves up to do based on everything that we’ve seen, everything that’s been said,” said Bonta, describing Trump’s recent call on social media for Republicans to “wake up.”
Bonta also said that the state would dispatch observers — potentially from his office, the secretary of state and county registrars — to watch the federal monitors at polling places.
Early voting has already started in California, with voters deciding whether to temporarily reconfigure the state’s congressional district boundaries. The Democratic-led California Legislature placed the measure on the Nov. 4 ballot in an effort to increase their party’s numbers in the U.S. House of Representatives .
Gov. Gavin Newsom and other backers of the measure have said they generally support independent redistricting processes and will push for nonpartisan commissions nationwide, but argued that Democrats must fight back against Trump’s current efforts to have Republican states reconfigure their congressional districts to ensure the GOP retains control of Congress after the 2026 election.
Natalie Baldassarre, a spokesperson for the U.S. Dept. of Justice, declined to comment on Bonta’s remarks. Baldassarre also declined to say how many election monitors would work in California.
Federal election monitors observe polling places to ensure compliance with the federal voting rights laws, and are trained to observe and act as “flies on the wall,” said David Becker, executive director of the nonpartisan and nonprofit Center for Election Innovation and Research, in an interview last week.
“Generally, what you do is walk inside, stay off to the side, well away from where any voters are, and take some notes,” said Becker, an attorney who formerly worked in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Shaquille O’Neal was shipping custom Land Rover from CA. It vanished
Shaquille O’Neal purchased a black 2025 Land Rover worth a reported $180,000 from an auto broker in Riverside. He paid even more to have it customized for his 7-foot-1 frame.
It was meant to be delivered to Baton Rouge, La., earlier this month but never arrived at its intended destination.
Instead, Shaq’s latest automobile purchase appears to be the “high-value vehicle” that is being investigated as stolen by the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia and thought to be somewhere in Atlanta as of Monday morning.
In a news release last week, the Sheriff’s Office indicated that the vehicle had been “originally ordered through a California-based auto brokerage on behalf of a high-profile client.”
The New York Post was first to report that the client was O’Neal and the company was Riverside’s Effortless Motors. Ahmad Abdelrahman, owner of Effortless Motors, confirmed both facts to The Times during a phone interview.
Abdelrahman said his company had provided O’Neal with numerous customized vehicles over the last two years. He referred to the NBA and Louisiana State legend as “an amazing human being” and said that Effortless Motors was offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of the vehicle.
“The last guy you want to steal a car from is Shaquille O’Neal, you know?” Abdelrahman said. “I’ve never had this happen to us before. We do all his vehicles. We’ve transported deals for him hundreds of times, and something like this is definitely insane.”
In a statement emailed to The Times on Monday, the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office said that its criminal investigations division “is actively investigating the theft of a high-value vehicle that was fraudulently removed from a business in the Dahlonega area earlier this month. Investigators have confirmed that the vehicle was transported from a local fabrication business under false pretenses and is believed to have been taken to the Atlanta metropolitan area.”
The department added that multiple search warrants had been obtained and executed as part of the investigation and several people of interest had been identified.
Abdelrahman told The Times that O’Neal’s Land Rover was customized locally by Effortless Motors but was supposed to have additional fabrication work done in Georgia before completing its trip to Louisiana.
After learning that the vehicle never arrived in Baton Rouge, Abdelrahman said, he contacted the company he had hired to ship the vehicle, FirstLine Trucking LLC, and was told that “their system was hacked.”
“They never got our order,” Abdelrahman said he was told, “and the hackers intercepted the vehicle and picked it up, and they vanished with the car.”
FirstLine Trucking did not immediately respond to messages from The Times. O’Neal has not publicly commented on the matter.
White House asks high court to let Trump fire Library of Congress official
The Library of Congress pictured March 2010 in Washington, D.C. On Monday, the Trump administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court to officially allow Trump to fire a top LOC official following a lower court ruling against it. File Photo by Roger L. Wollenberg/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 27 (UPI) — The White House asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to allow President Donald Trump to fire a top official in the Library of Congress after a lower court ruled against it.
Shira Perlmutter, director of the U.S. Copyright Office, was dismissed from her role by Trump just days after the president removed Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden in May. Hayden was replaced by U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on an interim basis.
In September, a federal appeals court ordered Perlmutter reinstated to her role under the legislative branch, not the executive branch, at the Library of Congress.
On Monday, the Trump administration told the high court in its appeal that the D.C. appeal circuit’s ruling contravened “settled precedent and misconceives the Librarian’s and Register’s legal status.”
“Treating the Librarian and Register as legislative officers would set much of federal copyright law on a collision course with the basic principle that Congress may not vest the power to execute the laws in itself or its officers,” Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote in an emergency filing.
Meanwhile, Robert Newlen is listed as the acting Librarian of Congress.
Has the Kurdish PKK given up on its dream of a homeland? | PKK
After decades of armed struggle, fighters from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, are withdrawing from Turkiye and moving to northern Iraq.
The conflict between the PKK and Turkish forces has killed more than 40,000 people in four decades.
The withdrawal is the latest step in an agreement with the Turkish state, which the group says will see it shift from armed rebellion to democratic politics.
So, will Ankara stick to its end of the bargain and allow the PKK to engage in civil society?
And is Kurdish autonomy now just a pipe dream?
Presenter: Adrian Finighan
Guests:
Hiwa Osman – former adviser to Iraqi President Jalal Talabani
Mohammed D Salih – non-resident senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute
Hisyar Ozsoy – former deputy chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP)
Published On 27 Oct 2025
Jack DeJohnette, jazz drummer who played with Miles Davis, dies at 83
Jack DeJohnette, the prolific and versatile jazz drummer who played with Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Charles Lloyd, Bill Evans, Freddie Hubbard and Miles Davis — including on Davis’ groundbreaking 1970 album “Bitches Brew,” which helped kick off the jazz fusion era — died Sunday. He was 83.
His death was announced in a post on Instagram, which said he died at a hospital in Kingston, N.Y., near his home in Woodstock. DeJohnette’s wife, Lydia, told NPR the cause was congestive heart failure.
As a member of Davis’ band in the late ’60s and early ’70s — a group that also counted Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, Keith Jarrett and Billy Cobham among its members — DeJohnette pumped out psychedelic rock and funk rhythms that put Davis’ music in conversation with that of artists like James Brown and Sly Stone. In addition to “Bitches Brew,” which was inducted this year into the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry, DeJohnette played on Davis’ “At Fillmore,” “Live-Evil” and “On the Corner” albums, the last of which was panned by critics when it came out but now is regarded as a jazz-funk landmark.
DeJohnette won two Grammy Awards on six nominations; in 2012, he was named a Jazz Master by the National Endowment of the Arts.
Living Colour’s Vernon Reid, who played on DeJohnette’s 1992 album “Music for the Fifth World,” called DeJohnette “the GOAT” on social media on Monday and wrote that his “influence & importance to Jazz, and contemporary improvised music can not be overstated.”
DeJohnette was born Aug. 9, 1942, in Chicago. Encouraged by an uncle who worked as a jazz radio DJ, he learned to play piano as a child and went on to play with Sun Ra as he circulated among the forward-looking artists of Chicago’s Assn. for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. He moved to New York in the mid-’60s and joined Charles Lloyd’s quartet before collaborating with Evans and then with Davis.
“We couldn’t wait to play,” he said of his tenure in Davis’ band in a 1990 interview with The Times. “Miles developed our talents by allowing us to progress naturally, having us play his music and accept the responsibility that goes with discipline and freedom. He learned from us, and we learned from him.”
After leaving Davis’ band, DeJohnette continued collaborating with Jarrett, the influential pianist; the two formed a long-running group known as the Standards Trio with the bassist Gary Peacock that focused on material from the Great American Songbook. The drummer also led the bands New Directions and Special Edition and formed groups with Ravi Coltrane and with John Scofield.
In 2016, he released “Return,” a solo-piano album that served as a sequel of sorts to 1985’s “The Jack DeJohnette Piano Album.” According to the New York Times, DeJohnette’s survivors include his wife, who also managed his career, and their two daughters.
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun calls a special session to redraw the state’s congressional boundaries
Indiana Republican Gov. Mike Braun called Monday for state lawmakers to return to Indianapolis for a special session to redraw the state’s congressional boundaries, escalating a national fight over midcycle redistricting.
President Trump has ramped up pressure on Republican governors to draw new maps that give the party an easier path to maintain control of the House in the midterms. While Republicans in Texas, Missouri and North Carolina have moved quickly to enact new districts and California Democrats are seeking to counter with their own redistricting plan, Indiana lawmakers have been far more hesitant.
Braun called for the General Assembly to convene Nov. 3 for the special session. It’s unclear whether enough of the GOP majority Senate will back new maps.
The White House held multiple meetings with Indiana lawmakers who have held out for months. The legislative leaders kept their cards close as speculation swirled over whether the state known for its more measured approach to Republican politics would answer the redistricting call.
National pressure campaign
Vice President JD Vance first met with Braun and legislative leaders in Indianapolis in August and Trump met privately with state House Speaker Todd Huston and state Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray in the Oval Office weeks later. Vance also spoke to state lawmakers visiting Washington that day.
Vance returned to Indianapolis on Oct. 10 to meet with the governor, as well as the Republican state House and Senate members.
Braun is a staunch ally of Trump in a state the president won by 19 percentage points in 2024. But Indiana lawmakers have avoided the national spotlight in recent years — especially after a 2022 special session that yielded a strict abortion ban. Braun previously said he did not want to call a special session until he was sure lawmakers would back a new map.
“I am calling a special legislative session to protect Hoosiers from efforts in other states that seek to diminish their voice in Washington and ensure their representation in Congress is fair,” Braun said in a statement Monday.
Typically, states redraw boundaries of congressional districts every 10 years after the census has concluded. Opponents are expected to challenge any new maps in court.
State lawmakers have the sole power to draw maps in Indiana, where Republicans hold a supermajority in both chambers. Democrats could not stop a special session by refusing to attend, as their peers in Texas briefly did.
Republican opposition to redrawing the maps again
A spokesperson for Bray said last week that the Indiana Senate lacked the votes to pass a new congressional map and she said Monday that the votes are still lacking, casting doubt on whether a special session will achieve Braun’s goals.
With only 10 Democrats in the 50-member Senate, that means more than a dozen of the 40 Republicans oppose the idea. Some state Republican lawmakers have warned that midcycle redistricting can be costly and could backfire politically.
Republicans who vote against redistricting could be forced out of office if their colleagues back primary opponents as punishment for not toeing the party line. Braun’s move to call a special session could force lawmakers who haven’t commented publicly to take a stance.
Indiana’s Republican legislative leaders praised existing boundaries after adopting them four years ago.
“I believe these maps reflect feedback from the public and will serve Hoosiers well for the next decade,” Bray said at the time.
Indiana Senate Democratic Leader Shelli Yoder decried the special session and threatened legal action over any maps passed by the Legislature.
“This is not democracy,” she said in a statement. “This is desperation.”
Redistricting balloons
Democrats only need to gain three seats to flip control of the U.S. House, and redistricting fights have erupted in multiple states.
Some Democratic states have moved to counter Republican gains with new legislative maps. The latest, Virginia, is expected to take up the issue in a special session starting this week.
Republicans outnumber Democrats in Indiana’s congressional delegation 7 to 2, limiting possibilities of squeezing out another seat. But many in the party see it as a chance for the GOP to represent all nine seats.
The GOP would likely target Indiana’s 1st Congressional District, a longtime Democratic stronghold that encompasses Gary and other cities near Chicago in the state’s northwest corner. The seat held by third-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan has been seen by Republicans as a possible pickup in recent elections.
Lawmakers in Indiana redrew the borders of the district to be slightly more favorable toward Republicans in the 2022 election, but did not entirely split it up. The new maps were not challenged in court after they were approved in 2021, not even by Democrats and allies who had opposed the changes boosting GOP standing in the suburbs north of Indianapolis.
Mrvan still won reelection in 2022 and easily retained his seat in 2024.
Republicans could also zero in on Indiana’s 7th Congressional District, composed entirely of Marion County and the Democratic stronghold of Indianapolis. But that option would be more controversial, potentially slicing up the state’s largest city and diluting Black voters’ influence.
Volmert writes for the Associated Press.
Noah Dettwiler: Moto3 rider in ‘stable but critical’ condition after crash
Moto3 rider Noah Dettwiler remains in a “stable but still critical” condition after being involved in a serious crash at the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday.
Dettwiler, 20, collided with Moto3 world champion Jose Antonio Rueda during a sighting lap before their race.
Moto3 is the entry-level class below Moto2 and MotoGP.
“Noah has undergone several surgeries in the last few hours, which went well,” the rider’s CIP Green Power team and his family said in a statement.
“According to the doctors in charge, his condition is stable but still critical.
“We appreciate your understanding and ask that Noah and his family’s privacy be respected at this time.
“Thank you for all your incredible support and messages.”
New Gaza festival for women’s cinema shares Hind Rajab’s story | Gaza
The first inaugural Gaza International Festival for Women’s Cinema premiered the docudrama, ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ which recounts the final few hours of the Palestinian girl’s life.
Published On 27 Oct 2025
4 dead in election-related clashes as Cameroon’s Biya wins eighth term | Protests
Cameroon’s 92-year-old President Paul Biya has won a record eighth term with 53.66% of the vote. His rival Issa Tchiroma Bakary also claimed victory and reported gunfire near his home as protests over alleged election fraud left at least four people dead.
Published On 27 Oct 2025
Coronation Street star says ‘news is finally out’ as sister joins ITV soap
One Corrie star is celebrating their little sister’s huge new career move as she joins the cast of the hit ITV soap in an episode as the daughter of an iconic character
Coronation Street is becoming a family business for one of its stars as his little sister is set to join the show. The ITV soap’s newest cast member is making her debut on the show in Monday’s (27 October) episode.
Bobby Bradshaw, who plays Jake Windass, is the older brother of Aurora Bradshaw. He announced on his Instagram that his sister was joining Corrie as Susie Price, the daughter of Catherine Tyldesley’s Eva.
He posted a picture of the new family, the Driscolls, which feature both Susie and her mother, and captioned it: “The news is finally out!!! Congratulations to my little sister aurora! She is part of the new family and her first episode airs 27th October.”
READ MORE: Half Christmas tree is great for ‘space saving’ and ‘fantastic value for money’READ MORE: Corrie star Denise Black told ‘you’re too fat and disabled for telly’
Fans will remember Susie as the baby Eva had in 2018. When Eva learned she was pregnant, she struck a deal with Toyah Battersby (Georgia Taylor) to give the child to her and Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne) after their surrogate had a miscarriage. Toyah faked a birth certificate so that Peter would never know Susie wasn’t born via the surrogate.
Eva struggled being away from her baby, but eventually the two ended up together and have been living away from Weatherfield since 2018. But Eva and Susie are now returning.
The mother and daughter are moving into the Rovers Return alongside Eva’s new husband Ben Driscoll (Aaron McCusker). Ben is the person the pub was sold to, as he bought it as a surprise for his wife. Alongside Ben, his mother Maggie Driscoll, played by Pauline McLynn of EastEnders fame, will also be moving in. Catherine Tyldesley told the Mirror that Maggie is the “mother-in-law from hell”.
“There are so many twists and turns with the Driscolls. The mother-in-law from hell feels like a harsh title but I don’t think I am far off,” she said. “The constant swipes at each other, and Ben is very much stuck in the middle. Things do start to come to a head and he has to make that decision of whose side are you on here. They both get frustrated with him.”
These Driscolls are relatives of Ollie Dirscoll (Raphael Akuwudike), who is already on the show and dating Dee-Dee Bailey (Channique Sterling-Brown). Dee-Dee is more than a girlfriend to Ollie, she is also his legal representation after he was involved in a car accident.
Though Aurora and Bobby are siblings, their characters are not. Jake Windass is the son of Gary Windass and Izzy Armstrong, born via surrogacy with the help of Tina McIntyre. Jake currently lives with his dad and his step-mother Maria Connor, who is not best pleased to see Eva return.
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Honduran man fleeing immigration agents fatally struck by vehicle on a Virginia highway
A 24-year-old Honduran man who was fleeing federal immigration agents in Virginia died on a highway after being struck by a vehicle.
The death of Josué Castro Rivera follows recent incidents in which three other immigrants in Chicago and California were killed during immigration enforcement operations under the Trump administration’s crackdown.
Castro Rivera was headed to a gardening job Thursday when his vehicle was pulled over by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, brother Henry Castro said.
Agents tried to detain Castro Rivera and the three other passengers, and he fled on foot, tried to cross Interstate 264 in Norfolk and was fatally struck, according to state and federal authorities.
Castro Rivera came to the United States four years ago and was working to send money to family in Honduras, according to his brother.
“He had a very good heart,” Castro said Sunday.
The Department of Homeland Security said Castro Rivera’s vehicle was stopped by ICE as part of a “targeted, intelligence-based” operation and passengers were detained for allegedly living in the country without legal permission.
DHS said in a statement that Castro Rivera “resisted heavily and fled” and died after a passing vehicle struck him. DHS officials did not respond Sunday to requests for further comment.
Virginia State Police said officers responded to a report of a vehicle-pedestrian crash around 11 a.m. Thursday on eastbound I-264 at the Military Highway interchange. Police said Castro Rivera was hit by a 2002 Ford pickup and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The crash remains under investigation.
Federal authorities and state police gave his first name as Jose, but family members said it was Josué. DHS and state police did not explain the discrepancy.
Castro called his brother’s death an injustice and said he is raising money to transport the body back to Honduras for the funeral.
“He didn’t deserve everything that happened to him,” Castro said.
DHS blamed Castro Rivera’s death on “a direct result of every politician, activist and reporter who continue to spread propaganda and misinformation about ICE’s mission and ways to avoid detention.”
Similar deaths amid immigration operations elsewhere have triggered protests, lawsuits and calls for investigation amid claims that the Trump administration’s initial accounts are misleading.
Last month in suburban Chicago, federal immigration agents fatally shot a Mexican man during a traffic stop. DHS initially said a federal officer was “seriously injured,” but police body camera video showed the federal officer walking around and describing his own injuries as “ nothing major.”
In July, a farmworker who fell from a greenhouse roof during a chaotic ICE raid at a California cannabis facility died of his injuries. And in August, a man ran away from federal agents onto a freeway in the same state and was fatally struck by a vehicle.
Tareen and Walling write for the Associated Press.