A former executive at Live Nation, the world’s largest live entertainment company, is suing the company, alleging that he was wrongfully terminated after he raised concerns about alleged financial misconduct and improper accounting practices.
Nicholas Rumanes alleges he was “fraudulently induced” in 2022 to leave a lucrative position as head of strategic development at a real estate investment trust to create a new role as executive vice president of development and business practice at Beverly Hills-based Live Nation.
In his new position, Rumanes said, he raised “serious and legitimate alarm” over the the company’s business practices.
As a result, he says, he was “unlawfully terminated,” according to the lawsuit filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
“Rumanes was, simply put, promised one job and forced to accept another. And then he was cut loose for insisting on doing that lesser job with integrity and honesty,” according to the lawsuit.
He is seeking $35 million in damages.
Representatives for Live Nation were not immediately available for comment.
Rumanes’ lawsuit describes a “culture of deception” at Live Nation, saying its “basic business model was to misstate and exaggerate financial figures in efforts to solicit and secure business.”
Such practices “spanned a wide spectrum of projects in what appeared to be a company-wide pattern of financial misrepresentation and misleading disclosures,” the lawsuit states.
Rumanes says he received materials and documents that showed that the company inflated projected revenues across multiple venue development projects.
Additionally, Rumanes contends that the company violated a federal law that requires independent financial auditing and transparency and instead ran Live Nation “through a centralized, opaque structure” that enables it to “bypass oversight and internal checks and balances.”
In 2010, as a condition of the Live Nation-Ticketmaster merger, the newly formed company agreed to a consent decree with the government that prohibited the firm from threatening venues to use Ticketmaster. In 2019 the Justice Department found that the company had repeatedly breached the agreement, and it extended the decree.
Rumanes contends that he brought his concerns to the attention of the company’s management, but his warnings were “repeatedly ignored.”
People ride on bicycles and scooters on a street, in Shanghai China, 10 April 2026. Photo by ALEX PLAVEVSKI / EPA
April 16 (Asia Today) — China’s economy grew 5.0% in the first quarter, exceeding expectations despite concerns over the impact of the Iran conflict, official data showed Thursday.
The National Bureau of Statistics said gross domestic product rose 5.0% from a year earlier, topping the 4.8% forecast by economists surveyed by Reuters and Bloomberg.
The stronger-than-expected growth was driven by manufacturing and exports. Industrial production rose 5.7% in March from a year earlier, while retail sales increased just 1.7%, highlighting weak consumer recovery.
High-tech industries showed particularly strong momentum. Output in the sector rose 12.5% in the first quarter, with industrial robot production up 33% and integrated circuit output increasing 24%. Manufacturing accounted for about one-third of overall economic growth.
The impact of the Iran conflict has so far been limited. Bloomberg reported that China’s efforts to bolster energy security, along with prolonged deflationary pressures, helped cushion the shock from rising oil prices. However, some effects were visible, including a 2.2% decline in refined oil production in March.
Domestic demand remains a key concern. Real per capita consumption rose just 2.6%, while wage growth slowed. The urban unemployment rate reached 5.4%, the highest level in a year.
Investment indicators were also weak. Fixed-asset investment increased 1.7% in the first three months of the year, while real estate investment fell 11.2%. Private investment declined for the first time outside the pandemic period.
Analysts said China’s economy continues to show an “imbalanced structure,” with growth driven by exports and manufacturing while domestic demand lags. Falling sales of automobiles, home appliances and furniture further point to soft consumption.
Policy responses are expected to remain measured. With growth exceeding expectations, pressure for large-scale stimulus has eased, and the government has set a relatively modest annual growth target of 4.5% to 5%.
Still, targeted fiscal support and cost-cutting measures are likely to continue to address rising energy prices and external uncertainties. Some economists also see room for monetary easing, including a possible reduction in banks’ reserve requirement ratio.
All this comes as Trump has been telling media outlets that he believes the war could soon end. We’ll talk more about that later in this story.
“China is very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz,” the American leader proclaimed on Truth Social, even as the flow of oil from the Middle East has been drastically reduced by the war. “I am doing it for them, also – And the World. This situation will never happen again. They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran.”
“President Xi will give me a big, fat, hug when I get there in a few weeks,” he added. “We are working together smartly, and very well! Doesn’t that beat fighting??? BUT REMEMBER, we are very good at fighting, if we have to – far better than anyone else!!!”
In a pre-taped interview that aired Wednesday morning, Trump told Fox News that the war hasn’t soured his relationship with Xi, who has expressed frustration with American actions in the Middle East.
“I don’t think it does,” Trump told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo. “He’s somebody that needs oil. We don’t. He’s somebody I get along with very well. He just wrote me a beautiful letter…He responded to a letter that I wrote because I had heard that China is giving weapons to – I mean, you’re seeing it all over the place – to Iran…I wrote him a letter asking him not to do that, and he wrote me a letter saying that essentially he’s not doing that.”
Trump:
I wrote a letter to Xi. I asked him not to give Iran weapons. He wrote me a letter, and he is saying that he is essentially not doing that. pic.twitter.com/yrTT9Dwi2V
Before his Truth Social Post and the Fox interview aired, Financial Times reported that Iran “secretly acquired a Chinese spy satellite that gave the Islamic republic a powerful new capability to target US military bases across the Middle East during the recent war.”
“Leaked Iranian military documents show the satellite, known as TEE-01B, was acquired by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Aerospace Force in late 2024 after it was launched into space from China,” according to the outlet. “Time-stamped coordinate lists, satellite imagery and orbital analysis show that Iranian military commanders later tasked the satellite to monitor key US military sites. The images were taken in March before and after drone and missile strikes on those locations.”
Meanwhile, China continues to push back against accusations that it is helping Iran and repeated previous assertions that it will respond should Trump go through with his threat to impose a 50% tariff.
“Media reports accusing China of providing military support to Iran are purely fabricated,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian stated on X. “If the U.S. goes ahead with tariff hikes on China on the basis of these accusations, China will respond with countermeasures.”
Lin did not offer details about those countermeasures.
Media reports accusing China of providing military support to Iran are purely fabricated.
If the U.S. goes ahead with tariff hikes on China on the basis of these accusations, China will respond with countermeasures. pic.twitter.com/QwETjpJEyY
Regardless, Iran’s use of commercial space imagery to strike U.S. and allied targets “will force the Pentagon to adjust, the head of U.S. Space Command said,” according to Defense One.
“We have to recognize that the rest of the world can now see the entire planet transparently and almost 24/7 and so we have to be able to operate in that environment successfully,” Gen. Stephen Whiting, the head of U.S. Space Command told reporters Tuesday during the Space Symposium conference.
UPDATES
UPDATE: 2:24 PM EDT –
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt denied the U.S. requested an extention to the ceasefire.
‘I saw some reporting that we had formally requested an extension of this ceasefire. That is not true. We remain engaged in these negotiations.’
She also thanked Pakistan for its help in the negotiations.
PRESS SEC on U.S.-Iran negotiations: The Pakistanis have been incredible mediators and we really appreciate their friendship and efforts to bring this deal to a close.
The President feels it’s important to continue to streamline this communication through the Pakistanis. pic.twitter.com/3iIeF0oUpn
Trump, as we noted earlier, is saying that he believes the war could soon be concluded.
“I think it’s close to over,” Trump posited. “I mean, I view it as very close to over. You know what? If I pulled up stakes right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild that country. And we’re not finished. We’ll see what happens. I think they want to make a deal very badly.”
When asked by Sky whether a deal could happen before King Charles visits the U.S. at the end of the month, Trump said: “It’s possible. Very possible. They’re beaten up pretty bad.”
U.S. and Iranian negotiators made progress in talks on Tuesday, moving closer to a framework agreement to end the war, two U.S. officials said, Axios reported on Wednesday.
“U.S. officials and sources familiar with the mediation cautioned that a deal is not guaranteed, given the substantial differences between the two sides,” the news outlet noted.
“Let’s wait and see if we can get a deal. We are hopeful and accordingly trying to push with both sides,” a Pakistani official told Axios.
“U.S. officials and sources familiar with the mediation cautioned that a deal is not guaranteed, given the substantial differences between the two sides.”
“We want to make a deal. And parts of their government want to make a deal. Now the trick is to get the whole of government…
In another step toward potential future negotiations, Pakistan’s Army Chief of Staff Asim Munir arrived in Tehran today for talks.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, said that during the visit, “the views of both sides are likely to be discussed in detail.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, confirms that a high-ranking Pakistani delegation will visit Tehran today to follow up on talks with the U.S. in Islamabad. “During this visit, the views of both sides are likely to be discussed in detail,” Baghaei said. pic.twitter.com/bdMnyCKUA5
— Ariel Oseran أريئل أوسيران (@ariel_oseran) April 15, 2026
Baghaei, however, said Iran would not capitulate.
“If a negotiation is based on one side imposing conditions on the other, that is not negotiation; it is dictation and imposition, and you know that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Iranian nation will never accept such imposition,” he stated.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson:
If a negotiation is based on one side imposing conditions on the other, that is not negotiation; it is dictation and imposition, and you know that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Iranian nation will never accept such imposition. pic.twitter.com/lnKeJT9Pow
In an X post, CENTCOM on Wednesday said that during “the first 48 hours of the U.S. blockade on ships entering and exiting Iranian ports, no vessels have made it past U.S. forces. Additionally, 9 vessels have complied with direction from U.S. forces to turn around and return toward an Iranian port or coastal area.”
During the first 48 hours of the U.S. blockade on ships entering and exiting Iranian ports, no vessels have made it past U.S. forces. Additionally, 9 vessels have complied with direction from U.S. forces to turn around and return toward an Iranian port or coastal area. pic.twitter.com/h4msgvaPTl
Late Tuesday night, Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, took to X to announce that the “blockade of Iranian ports has been fully implemented as U.S. forces maintain maritime superiority in the Middle East.”
“An estimated 90% of Iran’s economy is fueled by international trade by sea,” Cooper noted. “In less than 36 hours since the blockade was implemented, U.S. forces have completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea.”
Senior IRGC commander Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi claimed the Islamic Republic would consider it a prelude to the breach of the ceasefire if “the aggressive and terrorist America” continues the blockade.
Abdollahi “threatened that the powerful Iranian armed forces would not allow any export and import to keep going in the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman, and the Red Sea region, in the face of the US maritime aggression,” the official Iranian IRNA news agency stated on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Malta-flagged VLCC Agios Fanourios I became the first crude carrier to head west through the Strait of Hormuz since the US blockade on Iran’s ports came into force, according to MarineTraffic.
First crude carrier heads west through Strait of Hormuz since the US blockade
The Malta-flagged VLCC Agios Fanourios I has become the first crude carrier to head west through the Strait of Hormuz since the US blockade on Iran’s ports came into force. According to #MarineTraffic… pic.twitter.com/K8syfSZtFL
Though another round of peace talks between the U.S. and Iran is being discussed, the Pentagon continues to pour resources into the Middle East, something we have been reporting about for weeks.
“The forces moving into the region include about 6,000 troops aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush and several warships escorting it, said current and former officials,” according to The Washington Post, citing anonymous officials. “About 4,200 others with the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and its embarked Marine Corps task force, the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, are expected to arrive near the end of the month.”
The Nimitz class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Mitchell Mason) Petty Officer 2nd Class Mitchell MasonA stock picture of the Wasp class amphibious assault ship USS Boxer. USN
During the pause in fighting, Iran appears to be using the time to reopen entrances to underground missile cities damaged during the war, according to CNN. The network published footage showing engineering equipment at the Tabriz South missile base and the Khomein missile bases.
The network also noted that, according to U.S. intelligence estimates, about half of the Iranian missile launchers remained intact after a month of fighting, and that many of these launchers could have been buried in underground storage facilities as a result of strikes on the entrances.
CNN published footage showing engineering equipment making use of the ceasefire to reopen the entrances to underground facilities at missile bases that were damaged during the war.
The sites documented include the Tabriz South missile base and the Khomein missile base.
A day after negotiations took place in Washington between the U.S., Israel and Lebanon, Hezbollah issued a veiled threat to Beirut. Considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and Israel, Hezbollah was not a party to the talks.
“The Lebanese authorities must reconsider their actions and return to the embrace of the people,” said Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah in a statement. “The authorities withdrew the army from the south, leaving it vulnerable to occupation and giving the enemy [Israel] free rein.”
Meanwhile, Israel is continuing to bombard Hezbollah.
“In the past 24 hours, the IDF struck over 200 Hezbollah terror infrastructure sites in southern Lebanon,” it claimed. “Among the targets struck: terrorists, military structures, approximately 20 launchers, including those recently used to fire towards the State of Israel.”
ביממה האחרונה הותקפו יותר מ-200 מטרות של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה בדרום לבנון. בין התשתיות שהותקפו: מחבלים, מבנים צבאיים וכ-20 משגרים, בהם משגרים ששיגרו לעבר שטח הארץ והושמדו בסגירות מעגל מהירות. pic.twitter.com/LeR2mr37Vv
Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Carlos Perez (C) visits the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric power plant during a tour for journalists in El Chaco, Ecuador, in June 2018. The government at the time was preparing to hire a specialized company check the plant for safety issues, File Photo by Jose Jacome/EPA
April 14 (UPI) — Ecuador’s government will formally accept the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric plant this week, nearly a decade after technical disputes first delayed final delivery of the Chinese-built facility.
The handover follows resolution of an international arbitration dispute with Sinohydro, a subsidiary of PowerChina, over structural defects at the plant.
Ecuadorian Environment and Energy Minister Ines Manzano said the transfer will proceed under guaranteed conditions, allowing immediate operation and maintenance of the infrastructure.
Since the plant began partial operations in 2016, Ecuador and the Chinese contractor remained locked in a legal dispute over major structural flaws that prevented final acceptance of the project.
A 2018 report by Ecuador’s comptroller identified more than 7,600 cracks in the plant’s eight water distributors — key components that channel water to the turbines, local newspaper La Hora reported.
Subsequent technical reports and audits raised that figure to more than 17,000 cracks, fueling concerns over material quality, welding processes and possible design flaws.
The comptroller’s office warned the defects pose serious risks, including possible flooding of the powerhouse, total shutdown of the plant and danger to workers.
After Sinohydro declined to undertake permanent repairs, Ecuador took the dispute to the International Chamber of Commerce’s arbitration court.
The dispute was resolved through a financial and operational agreement under which Ecuador will receive $400 million in compensation. The government will next sign an operation and maintenance contract with PowerChina requiring the company to repair damage and replace defective water distributors, local newspaper El Comercio reported.
Separate from the structural issues, the facility also faces a broader environmental threat from regressive erosion of the Coca River, a geological process that has altered the surrounding area since the plant entered service.
The erosion has advanced toward the plant’s water intake structures, prompting the government to carry out emergency work that includes construction of permeable dams to slow the river’s force and retain sediment at a cost of $19 million.
The Coca Codo Sinclair plant is Ecuador’s largest and most strategic power generation facility.
With installed capacity of 1,500 megawatts, it supplies about 30% of Ecuador’s electricity demand on average and can account for more than half of the country’s hydropower generation during peak operations.
According to Infobae, the Coca Codo Sinclair case has become a symbol for analysts citing problems in Chinese-financed infrastructure projects across Latin America.
The plant was built with loans from the Export-Import Bank of China during the administration of Rafael Correa and has been at the center of investigations into alleged corruption tied to its contracting.
KATIE Price’s marriage to Lee Andrews is facing its first proper test as her family’s concerns, and her loyalty to them, have raised questions about the long-term future of the relationship.
The defiant 47-year-old publicly insists she’s head over heels with Lee, 41, sharing romantic quotes about true love and cosy selfies, but behind the scenes his seeming reluctance, or inability, to leave Dubai is causing issues.
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Katie Price is feeling the strain of balancing family life with her marriageCredit: Katie Price/Facebook/BackgridLee Andrews has yet to visit Katie in the UKCredit: Instagram
“The toll was clear to see in her vlog when she snapped about staying in England and ruled out a permanent move to the Middle East.
“Though she’s still committed to Lee and being loved-up on socials, she knows her primary concern is her kids and all the luxury promises and multimillion pound villas won’t change that. There’s a niggling feeling how all of this is going to work long-term.”
Self-described multimillionaire businessman Lee denies he’s subject to a flight ban preventing him from leaving the UAE following three weeks spent in jail last year for allegedly obtaining funds by deception.
Numerous times he has gone on the record and said he is jetting to the UK to be with Katie only to U-turn and stay put.
In a YouTube vlog last week, a frustrated Katie questioned why people thought she was moving to Dubai and said it was for Lee to come to the UK if he wanted them to live together.
The pair put on a united front on social mediaCredit: wesleeeandrews/InstagramKatie and Lee married after knowing each other a matter of daysCredit: Instagram/@wesleeeandrewsKatie with her sister Sophie and mum AmyCredit: Instagram
However, it is Lee who has spoken about buying a £36m mansion in cash for the pair to live in and start their own family.
If his timescale is to be believed, the couple should be in the property, on the prestigious Palm, now.
However, Katie remains in the UK.
Lee, who recently got “owned by Katie” tattooed on his lower back, has never met his stepchildren in the flesh.
Eldest son Harvey, 23, who has Prader-Willi Syndrome and autism, has a particularly close bond with Katie and she doesn’t like to be apart from him for too long.
While her kids with Peter Andre — Junior, 20, and Princess, 18, are forging their own successful media careers — they also maintain a strong relationship with their mum.
So far they have been diplomatic about their mum’s latest relationship, telling interviewers she is her own woman.
Katie’s beloved mum Amy, 73, is also living with a terminal lung condition (idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis) on the Isle of Wight.
Claims of abuse and narcissistic behaviour from ex-fiancée Alana Percival of Lee’s have horrified the family.
As have claims by American businesswoman Crystal Janke that she lost £123,000 when she invested money into Lee’s now dissolved business amid assurances she would see a £1m return.
The ‘Walter Mitty’ figure admitted to the Sun that he lied on his LinkedIn CV about his career, blaming a former assistant for including false information.
His sustainable vehicle business, which was registered in the British Virgin Islands, was dissolved in 2024 in official paperwork seen by the Sun, yet he insists that isn’t true.
Lee claims to have met Kim Kardashian and worked with her mum Kris, despite their team saying they have never met.
More recently, he has claimed to have submitted a £2bn offer to buy a majority stake in Chelsea FC.
There remains more questions than answers around the relationship, and Lee is facing an increasingly uphill battle to win around his doubters.
Junior and Princess Andre are forging on with their own careersCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
Katie Price’s relationship history
We take a look back at the highs and lows of Katie Price’s relationship history.
1996-1998: Katie got engaged to Gladiators star Warren Furman – aka Ace – with a £3,000 ring. But their relationship didn’t make it as far as ‘I do’.
1998-2000: Katie described Dane Bowers as ‘the love of her life’ but she broke up with the singer after he allegedly cheated on her.
2001: Footballer Dwight Yorke is the father of Katie’s eldest child Harvey. He has had very little to do with his son throughout his life.
2002: Rebounding from Dwight, Katie famously had one night of passion with Pop Idol star Gareth Gates, allegedly taking his virginity.
2002-2004: Katie was dating Scott Sullivan when she entered the jungle for I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!. He threatened to “punch Peter’s lights out” when chemistry blossomed between her and Peter Andre.
2004-2009: The jungle romance resulted in Katie marrying Aussie pop star Peter. They had two kids, Junior and Princess, before their bitter split in 2009.
2010-2011: Fresh from her break-up with Peter, Katie enjoyed a whirlwind relationship and marriage with cage fighter Alex Reid. They split 20 months after their Las Vegas wedding.
2011: Katie briefly dated model Danny Cipriani… but it ended as quickly as it begun.
2011-2012: They didn’t speak the same language, but Katie got engaged to Argentinian model Leandro Penna in 2011. He later fled home to South America.
2012-2018: Wedding bells rang once more after Katie met Kieran Hayler in 2013. They had two kids together, Jett and Bunny, before their break-up and divorce.
2018-2019: Katie moved on quickly with Kris Boyson. They had an on-off romance for one year and even got engaged. They split for good in 2019.
2019: Katie was linked to Charles Drury during her on-off relationship with Kris. Charles, who also dated Lauren Goodger, has always denied being in “official relationship” with her.
2020-2023: Car salesman Carl Woods took a shine to Katie in 2020. Their relationship was up and down for three years and finally ended after a failed IVF attempt.
2024-2026: After weeks of rumours, Katie confirmed her relationship with Married At First Sight star JJ Slater in February 2024. The pair split in January 2026 after two years together.
2026: Katie shocked fans when she revealed she was engaged and then married to businessman Lee Andrews.
April 8 (UPI) — Brazil is heading toward a highly competitive presidential election, with a statistical tie between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, amid concerns over possible U.S. influence and geopolitical tensions tied to critical minerals.
A poll by consulting firm IDEIA, conducted April 3-7 with 1,500 respondents, shows Lula with 45.5% support in a runoff scenario, compared with 45.8% for Bolsonaro, a difference within the 2.5 percentage point margin of error.
Bora pra cima! A batalha está só no começo e ainda temos uma longa jornada e muito trabalho pela frente. A nossa união será a derrota da esquerda! pic.twitter.com/WhyLcN8C43— Flávio Bolsonaro (@FlavioBolsonaro) April 8, 2026
The survey points to an open race six months ahead of the October presidential vote.
IDEIA said the electorate remains unstable. About 51.4% of respondents said they could change their vote before the election and the survey introduced an unusual geopolitical dimension. Some 9.1% identified foreign influence as one of the main threats to Brazil’s democracy.
In addition, 52% said elections should be decided exclusively by Brazilians, while 28% said seeking international support is legitimate.
The scenario comes amid rising political tensions over the role of external actors in the campaign, particularly the United States, and Brazil’s strategic position in sectors such as critical minerals.
Tensions intensified after Bolsonaro took part in the Conservative Political Action Conference held in Texas on March 28.
During his speech, Bolsonaro said he expects to win the election but conditioned that outcome on institutional guarantees.
“I will win because it is the will of my people. But for that will to be preserved, we need free and fair elections,” he said in English before a conservative audience.
The senator said these conditions depend on greater transparency in vote counting and protections for free expression on social media.
“This is a major challenge. If our people can express themselves freely on social media and if votes are counted correctly, we will win,” he said.
Bolsonaro also called on the United States and the “free world” to closely monitor Brazil’s electoral process. He urged them to track freedom of expression and apply diplomatic pressure on institutions to ensure “elections based on values of liberty and transparency.”
At the same time, he rejected what he described as foreign interference in past elections, referring to the administration of Joe Biden, while maintaining the need for international oversight.
In that context, the senator presented himself as a political continuation of former President Jair Bolsonaro, describing himself as “Bolsonaro 2.0,” and positioned Brazil as a strategic U.S. ally in countering China.
“Brazil will be the battlefield where the future of the hemisphere will be decided,” he said.
He added that the country could play a key role in reducing U.S. dependence on China for critical minerals, particularly rare earth elements.
“The United States still depends on China for about 70% of its rare earth imports, while China controls about 70% of global mining and more than 90% of processing,” he said.
“Without these components, U.S. technological innovation becomes impossible and the production of advanced military systems falls into the hands of adversaries.”
The remarks drew reactions from the ruling coalition. Rep. Lindbergh Farias of the Workers’ Party said he had asked the Prosecutor General’s Office to assess possible liability by the senator.
TRAIDOR NACIONAL
Acionei a PGR após Flávio Bolsonaro admitir que recebeu um relatório “reservado” e repassou a autoridades dos Estados Unidos.
Não é episódio isolado.
É um padrão: entrega da Amazônia, defesa de sanções contra o Brasil e agora envio de informação sensível ao… pic.twitter.com/cEkwv0Mih7— Lindbergh Farias (@lindberghfarias) April 7, 2026
Farias said Bolsonaro may have received a “confidential” report and shared it with U.S. authorities, an allegation not supported by public evidence.
“This has a name: betrayal of sovereignty,” he wrote on the social media platform X. “Those who act like this do not defend Brazil. They work against it. Brazilian sovereignty is not negotiable.”
The Prosecutor General’s Office has not said whether it will open an investigation.
Eamonn Holmes’ future on live TV has been revealed after he concerned fans by ‘falling asleep’ on air, before later admitting that he was working on his microphone pack
13:18, 07 Apr 2026Updated 13:18, 07 Apr 2026
Eamonn concerned fans(Image: GB News)
Eamonn Holmes’ future on TV has been revealed after he sparked concern by ‘falling asleep’ on air. The TV star was presenting his GB News breakfast show when he appeared to ‘fall asleep’.
He later insisted he had been examining faulty equipment. He said: “I was just looking down at my mic pack to see why it was not working, as we don’t have floor managers or camera operators. Apparently I was sleeping? Whatever!”
However, since that time, he has been off air, and is believed to be taking extended leave. Fans had become concerned on Twitter, wondering when he’d be back on the show given all that’s going on.
“There have been lots of whispers about Eamonn being off. It’s unlike him. He lives and breathes presenting on television,” a source told The Sun. However, he is expected back on air soon.
A GB News spokesman confirmed that Eamonn is due back on Monday, April 13. During his one man show, Eamonn opened up about how life has changed since he began using a wheelchair after a string of health setbacks.
“Experiencing the world differently as a wheelchair user, Eamonn wants to see better access for disabled people. He said: “If you are in a wheelchair you are either at the front of the cinema or the back,” he said.
“Why can’t you be in the middle? The thing that makes me laugh is rooms that are classed as accessible in hotels. They are not at all. Everything is wrong, the bathrooms and the showers. I would love to advise hotel people as they are no use to anybody.”
He also used his show to criticise TV standards, and said that TV budgets were affecting programme output. He explained: “It is a great pity. If you can’t justify the audience then it’s over. ITV will be the next one down the tubes. It will be sold to an American company and they will make it a streaming company.”
Eamonn has been in a wheelchair after suffering with chronic pain since 2021. He suffered a dislocated pelvis, which caused him to have three slipped discs. He fell down the stairs and broke his shoulder whilst recovering and underwent further operations in 2023.
“I’m sick. I’m in a wheelchair. That’s been horrendous to deal with for two years. Certainly I don’t think TV wants to know you when, I mean there’s nothing you and I are talking and no one can there’s anything wrong but I can’t get up,” he said.
Lee Jong-seok, director of the National Intelligence Service, attends a parliamentary inquiry session at the National Assembly in Seoul. Photo by Asia Today
April 5 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s intelligence agency faced renewed scrutiny over political neutrality after its former and current chiefs made conflicting appearances the same day, highlighting long-standing concerns about the agency’s role across administrations.
Former National Intelligence Service chief Cho Tae-yong was recommended for a seven-year prison sentence during a court hearing on charges including illegal political involvement and dereliction of duty, according to prosecutors.
Cho is accused of failing to report plans related to a Dec. 3 martial law declaration and attempting to conceal the situation to prevent the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk-yeol.
In his final statement, Cho denied wrongdoing, saying the agency “did nothing shameful” in relation to the situation. Prosecutors, however, argued the case represented a serious breach of constitutional order, accusing the intelligence service of being used to protect the leadership.
On the same day, current NIS Director Lee Jong-seok appeared before a National Assembly inquiry and raised allegations about the previous administration’s handling of a case involving alleged financial transfers to North Korea.
Lee said an internal review found signs that the agency may have tried to influence a prosecution investigation. He alleged that only selected documents were shared with prosecutors, potentially excluding materials that could have offered a broader perspective.
The developments marked a rare moment in which a former intelligence chief faced criminal charges while the sitting director publicly criticized actions taken under a previous administration.
Observers say the episode underscores a recurring pattern in South Korea, where intelligence leadership becomes entangled in political disputes during transitions of power.
Experts called for stronger institutional safeguards to ensure the agency’s independence from political influence, warning that repeated controversies risk undermining trust and encouraging risk-averse behavior among officials.
Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks with media after meeting with South Korea’s Defense Minister at the headquarters of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Yokosuka District, south of Tokyo, Japan, 30 January 2026. Photo by EUGENE HOSHIKO / EPA
March 29 (Asia Today) — Japan will establish a new Pacific-focused defense unit and expand surveillance and infrastructure in remote island areas as part of efforts to counter China’s growing military presence, officials said.
Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced Saturday that the Defense Ministry will create a “Pacific Defense Planning Office” in April, citing what he described as gaps in Japan’s current defense coverage across vast Pacific air and maritime zones.
Speaking after attending a joint U.S.-Japan memorial ceremony on Iwo Jima, Koizumi said strengthening Pacific defenses was an urgent priority.
Japanese media, including the Yomiuri Shimbun, reported that Tokyo plans a comprehensive review of the structure and deployment of the Self-Defense Forces. The initiative will be reflected in planned revisions to key national security documents, including the National Security Strategy, later this year.
The government also plans to expand port facilities and radar networks across the Pacific, particularly in the Ogasawara Islands, which officials view as strategically vulnerable.
About 400 Self-Defense Forces personnel are currently stationed on Iwo Jima, but shallow coastal waters limit the ability of large vessels to dock. Authorities plan to begin feasibility studies next year to upgrade port infrastructure and establish supply systems for fuel and ammunition to support rapid fighter jet deployments. Runway reinforcement and measures to address volcanic risks are also under review.
Japan is also considering establishing an air defense identification zone over the Ogasawara Islands, where no such zone has been formally set since World War II, leaving what officials describe as a surveillance gap. The Defense Ministry plans to deploy mobile radar systems and build a permanent monitoring network in the area.
The moves come amid increased Chinese naval activity in the Pacific. China’s aircraft carrier Liaoning entered the Pacific beyond the so-called second island chain for the first time last year, and there have been instances of simultaneous carrier deployments. Japanese officials have also cited incidents involving Chinese aircraft tracking Japanese military planes near Okinawa.
Koizumi said deepening the U.S.-Japan alliance would be key to maintaining regional stability, adding that the new office would serve as a central hub for reorganizing Japan’s Pacific defense posture.
Iwo Jima, the site of one of the fiercest battles of World War II, remains a strategic location. Nearly 29,000 casualties were recorded there during the 1945 battle between U.S. and Japanese forces. Today, it is being repositioned as a key forward base in Japan’s evolving defense strategy.
March 25 (UPI) — Environmental organization Oceana has accused the Mexican government of maintaining an opaque response to an oil spill that has affected at least 390 miles of coastline in the Gulf of Mexico.
The oil has largely impacted the southern part of Veracruz state and the northern part of Tabasco state since early March, with dozens of contaminated sites still not receiving attention.
The spill has lasted nearly three weeks without an identified cause or confirmed responsible parties, affects the southwestern Gulf of Mexico reef corridor, a key ecological area that stretches along the coast between both states.
President Claudia Sheinbaum said the Office of the Attorney General is investigating, with support from environmental and energy agencies, while an interdisciplinary team analyzes the causel.
Sheinbaum stated that the spill originated from a private vessel, not state-owned oil company Pemex.
Veracruz Gov. Rocío Nahle said she will meet with officials from Petroleos Mexicanos to evaluate the installation of containment barriers in coastal areas following requests from fishermen.
Nahle said cleanup efforts are intensifying and that specialized mesh barriers are being installed at strategic points along the coastline to contain residues, with plans to expand the work depending on marine current movements.
Crisis ambiental en el Golfo
El derrame de petróleo ya afecta más de 630 km de costa en Veracruz y Tabasco. Hay fauna muerta, playas contaminadas y pérdidas para pescadores y turismo.
Denuncian abandono: el chapopote sigue ahí… y nadie lo retira.
Oceana warned that the situation constitutes a “crisis of transparency and accountability,” noting that official information has been insufficient and contradictory compared to the scale of damage reported by coastal communities.
“The opacity surrounding this spill generates impunity. Without clarity on those responsible, the causes and the impacts, it is impossible for authorities to be held accountable and guarantee reparations,” said Renata Terrazas, the group’s executive director.
According to citizen reports and local organizations, at least 51 sites with the presence of oil have been identified along the coastline, while more than two dozen have not yet received attention.
Reports also indicate impacts on key ecosystems. At least 14 marine species have died, including sea turtles, manatees and various species of fish, and thee has been damage to coral reefs and lagoon systems on which fishing communities depend.
Greenpeace Mexico released an interactive map with real-time reports on the expansion of the spill, including citizen records of thick residues and their impact on wildlife and coastal ecosystems.
However, Veracruz governor downplayed the impact, saying in interviews that it involves “traces” or small “drops” of oil on beaches and asserting that reports of dead wildlife were false — an assessment that contrasts with reports from communities and environmental organizations.
Apenas ayer la gobernadora Rocío Nahle aseguraba que los reportes de fauna muerta eran falsos, las cámaras de N+ confirmaron este martes la muerte de un delfín en Alvarado, Veracruz. El ejemplar presenta presuntos restos de hidrocarburos tras el reciente derrame en la zona. pic.twitter.com/Nat4dYQx8B— NMás (@nmas) March 24, 2026
Oceana called on the government to establish “transparent, agile and binding” interagency coordination mechanisms and to adopt structural measures to prevent the Gulf from facing another environmental crisis without responsible parties or clear information.
“The Gulf of Mexico and its communities cannot continue to be treated as an environmental sacrifice zone,” Terrazas said.
This is first big step by the ChatGPT maker to focus its business on potentially more lucrative areas, such as coding tools.
Published On 25 Mar 202625 Mar 2026
OpenAI is shutting down its social media app Sora, which went viral towards the end of last year as a place to share short-form videos generated by artificial intelligence but also raised alarms in Hollywood and elsewhere.
OpenAI said in a brief social media message on Tuesday that it was “saying goodbye to the Sora app” and that it would share more soon about how to preserve what users had already created on the app.
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“What you made with Sora mattered, and we know this news is disappointing,” it said.
The company behind ChatGPT released Sora in September as an attempt to capture the attention, and potentially advertising dollars, that follow short-form videos on TikTok, YouTube or Meta-owned Instagram and Facebook.
But a growing chorus of advocacy groups, academics and experts expressed concerns about the dangers of letting people create AI videos on just about anything they can type into a prompt, leading to the proliferation of nonconsensual images and realistic deepfakes in a sea of less harmful “AI slop”.
OpenAI was forced to crack down on AI creations of public figures – among them, Michael Jackson, Martin Luther King Jr and Mister Rogers – doing outlandish things, but only after an outcry from family estates and an actors’ union.
Disney, which made a deal with OpenAI last year to bring its characters to Sora, said in a statement on Tuesday that it respects “OpenAI’s decision to exit the video generation business and to shift its priorities elsewhere”.
But Disney did not see the move coming, the Reuters news agency reported.
On Monday evening, Walt Disney and OpenAI teams were working together on a project linked to Sora. Just 30 minutes after the meeting, the Disney team was blindsided with word that OpenAI was dropping the tool altogether, a person familiar with the matter said.
OpenAI announced the move publicly on Tuesday.
“It was a big rug-pull,” according to the person, who requested anonymity to discuss the matter.
Messy process
The move is the first big step by the ChatGPT maker to focus its business on potentially more lucrative areas, such as coding tools and corporate customers.
But the abrupt cancellation of Sora illustrates how messy the streamlining process may become as OpenAI prepares for a stock market debut that could come as early as later this year.
The Sora decision means the end of a blockbuster $1bn deal between Disney and the ChatGPT maker that was announced a little more than three months ago. As part of the three-year deal, Disney said it would invest $1bn in OpenAI and lend more than 200 of its iconic characters to be used in short, AI-generated videos.
But the transaction between the companies never closed, two other people familiar with the matter said, and no money changed hands.
Should Paramount Skydance prevail in its $111-billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, the Larry Ellison family would control two historic Hollywood film studios, dozens of cable channels, HBO and two legendary newsrooms, CBS News and CNN.
Concerns about the potential loss of more Hollywood jobs, and questions about newsroom independence dominated a hearing Friday to address Los Angeles’ crisis of shrinking film and TV production jobs.
Paramount wants to wrap up its Warner merger by September — a rapid timetable. The takeover deal, which was struck last month after Netflix bowed out, would put HBO and CNN under the control of Larry Ellison and his son David, the chairman of Paramount, which includes CBS.
Both Ellisons maintain friendly relations with President Trump. Those bonds, along with challenges to legacy media and changes at CBS News in recent months, sparked handwringing during the hearing called by Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) and Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Glendale).
“The questions surrounding this merger go beyond jobs, contracts and consumers,” Schiff said. “They also go to editorial independence of two of America’s most significant news organizations, CNN and CBS News.”
Trump has long agitated for changes at CNN, and members of his cabinet, including War Secretary Pete Hegseth, have openly cheered for an Ellison takeover of CNN.
To pave the way for the Ellisons’ purchase of Paramount, the company paid $16 million to Trump last summer to settle his lawsuit over edits to a “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris in October 2024. Most 1st Amendment experts had deemed Trump’s suit “frivolous.”
Since the Ellisons took the helm, there has been a change in direction at CBS News and a reduction in its size and scope. Staff members at CNN are bracing for similar changes, including to the tone of its newscasts.
In addition to the long-term health of Los Angeles’ film economy, the merger’s fate could determine “whether we have state sponsored media … or whether we have journalists who can truly follow the story,” Friedman said.
Paramount Chairman David Ellison has vowed to “build a stronger Hollywood,” by increasing the creative output of the two legendary movie studios — Paramount and Warner Bros. — to 30 theatrical releases a year. Warner Bros., which owns such prominent franchises as “The Matrix,” Batman, Harry Potter, “The Big Bang Theory,” and “Friends,” has long been one of Hollywood’s most prolific studios.
But Paramount has suffered from years of under-investment and Ellison and his team have been working to boost the film pipeline.
“HBO will continue to operate independently under our ownership, enabling it to create more of the world-class content it is renowened for,” Ellison wrote in the Feb. 28 letter to Schiff and Friedman, responding to their concerns about consolidation.
During Friday’s hearing, the lawmakers turned to former CNN anchor Jim Acosta, who famously jousted with Trump during his first term, for his reflections. He was asked whether any “guardrails” could protect against potential merger harms.
“If this merger goes through, the guard-rails are gone,” Acosta said bluntly. “If we continue to go down this road it will be lights-out for the news industry… We need media options that are not controlled by the wealthiest and most powerful people in the country.”
The hearing occurred the same day that CBS News imposed another sweeping round of layoffs and disbanded its CBS News radio network. It also came the same week as Trump’s Federal Communications Commission approved a massive television station merger, which will allow Texas-based Nexstar Media Group to control more than 250 stations, despite a legal challenge from state attorneys general.
The proposed Paramount-Warner merger would prompt at least $6 billion in cost savings, according to Paramount. Industry veterans warn that billions more in cuts may be necessary to make the deal math work.
A combined Paramount-Warner would carry nearly $80 billion in debt, a legacy of the proposed leveraged buyout and the mergers that came before it.
The hearing at Burbank City Hall —“Lights, Camera, Competition”: Promoting American Film Production,” — was wide-ranging. Award-winning actor Noah Wyle, the star and a producer of Warner Bros.’ “The Pitt,” discussed the need to bring more productions back to Los Angeles where thousands of out-of-work film professionals have been suffering. “The Pitt” is filmed in Burbank.
“Over the last six years, the aggregate effect of projects leaving the state in search of tax credits, the pandemic and last year’s fires has been a near cratering of our once thriving industry,” Wyle said. “We lost 42,000 film and TV jobs between 2022 and 2024.”
The hearing unfolded down the road from the massive Warner Bros. studio complex, and was held to explore ways to boost the Hollywood economy, including the potential for a national tax credit under consideration in Congress. The campaign is intended to keep film jobs in the U.S. amid an increased migration to Britain, where Warner Bros. maintains an expansive studio complex in London, and other countries that offer generous subsidies.
“Work in the entertainment industry is precarious,” said Matthew D. Loeb, International President of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). “Past studio mergers have meant fewer jobs.”
Intelligence briefings have warned of the potential for extremists and criminals to target the FIFA World Cup 2026 at a time when hundreds of millions of dollars of approved security funds have been delayed, causing United States preparations to fall behind.
The previously unreported briefings from US federal and state officials and FIFA, the international federation overseeing the World Cup, outlined the risk of extremist attacks, including attacks on transportation infrastructure and civil unrest related to President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
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The football World Cup, one of the globe’s biggest sporting events, will be held in June and July this year across three countries – the United States, Canada and Mexico.
While security at such events is always intense, US law enforcement officials have been on especially heightened alert since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran, and have raised concerns over retaliatory threats.
Officials working to prepare for the World Cup in the US have increasingly sounded alarms in recent weeks over a stalled $625m in federal security grants for the event that were part of a Republican-backed spending bill passed in July 2025.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, tasked with distributing the money, said in November that it was expecting to allocate the funds no later than January 30.
Following inquiries by Reuters this month after officials and organisers complained that they had still received nothing, FEMA announced on Wednesday that it had awarded the grants, saying the money would “bolster security preparations”.
With the first matches kicking off in Mexico on June 11 and then the US and Canada the next day, states and cities hosting the events are deep into planning, including how to safeguard from possible attacks. The delayed funding and threat warnings have compounded an already complex process, multiple officials involved told Reuters.
The grant money distribution process normally takes months, and efforts to buy technology and equipment can take even longer, according to Mike Sena, president of the National Fusion Center Association, which represents a network of 80 information centres across the US that facilitate federal, state and local intelligence sharing.
“It will be extremely tight,” he said.
A December 2025 intelligence report from New Jersey looking at potential threats to matches in the state – which will include the final – flagged recent domestic attacks, disrupted terror plots and a proliferation of extremist propaganda. The report also noted the possibility of spontaneous gatherings related to tensions between countries.
Another intelligence report, dated September 2025, described an online post appearing to encourage attacks on railroad infrastructure during the World Cup that said there were “plenty of opportunities for us to knock it off the tracks” and highlighted matches on the West Coast of the US and Canada. The documents were obtained through open records requests by the transparency nonprofit Property of the People.
Delayed funding risks lead to growing concerns, while ICE worries mount
Democrats have blamed outgoing US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for delaying the release of the money. Under Noem’s leadership, the DHS also withheld hundreds of millions of dollars in homeland security funds last year from a dozen Democratic-led states and Washington, DC, while pressing them to increase immigration enforcement.
In response to a request for comment, White House spokesman Davis Ingle faulted Democrats for the delayed funding, citing disagreements over immigration enforcement tactics.
“The president is focused on making this the greatest World Cup ever while ensuring it is the safest and most secure in history,” Ingle said in a statement. “The Democrats need to stop playing games.”
Trump’s immigration crackdown has already cast a pall over the event and raised concerns about the presence of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. Since Trump took office in January 2025, masked immigration agents have rounded up suspected immigration offenders in US cities and detained some tourists at airports.
That has coincided with a Trump-era dropoff in overall international visitors, according to US Commerce Department data. Early signs have, however, indicated still strong appetite for flight bookings and ticket sales for the tournament.
In a FIFA weekly intelligence briefing dated January 28, analysts warned that anti-ICE activism in US cities in response to immigration enforcement could lower the barriers “to hostile actions by lone actors or extremist elements”.
Trump has also placed full or partial travel bans on nationals of more than three dozen countries, including Iran, which is in talks with FIFA to move its matches to Mexico due to its current conflict with the United States. Three other countries whose fans face Trump travel bans – Haiti, Ivory Coast and Senegal – have also qualified for the tournament.
Security concerns extend to FIFA World Cup 2026 fan events
Several World Cup and state officials have said “FIFA Fan Festival” events are of particular concern. The events allow large numbers of people to watch matches together on open-air screens.
A Fan Festival event that had been planned in Liberty State Park in Jersey City for the duration of the tournament was cancelled unexpectedly last month and replaced with smaller gatherings.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill said at the time that many smaller events would allow more people in the area to enjoy the experience. Security concerns also factored in the decision, a person familiar with the planning said.
US Representative Nellie Pou, a Democrat representing a district in New Jersey that includes MetLife Stadium, one of the sites where games will be played, said that each of the World Cup’s 104 matches would be equivalent to a Super Bowl.
“Local government, local law enforcement, will certainly have their hands full,” Pou said. “They need every single dollar that they are eligible to receive, and they need it now.”
A view of South Korea’s first commercial nuclear reactor, Kori-1, in the southeastern port city of Busan. YONHAP / EPA
March 17 (Asia Today) —This commentary is the Asia Today Editor’s Op-Ed.
South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party and the government have decided to raise the operating rates of nuclear and coal-fired power plants to respond to rising oil prices triggered by the war in the Middle East, a move critics say marks a late reversal of the party’s long-standing opposition to nuclear energy.
Ahn Do-geol, secretary of the party’s economic task force on the Middle East crisis, said Monday the government will expand electricity generation from nuclear and coal plants to manage supplies of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, which has relatively limited reserves.
Under the plan, the government will lift a cap limiting coal-fired power generation to 80% of installed capacity and accelerate repairs on six nuclear reactors currently under maintenance. Two reactors are expected to return to service by the end of this month and four more by May, raising nuclear utilization rates from the current high-60% range to about 80%.
The decision signals a clear shift for the Democratic Party, which long supported a phase-out of nuclear energy.
Former President Moon Jae-in formally declared a nuclear phase-out policy in 2017, pledging to abandon nuclear-centered electricity generation after attending a ceremony marking the permanent shutdown of the Kori Unit 1 reactor.
At the time, Moon argued South Korea should move toward a nuclear-free era and halted or scrapped most plans to build new nuclear plants.
The party’s stance began to soften after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, which triggered global energy supply disruptions. Near the end of his presidency, Moon said nuclear power would need to remain a major baseload energy source for decades and called for delayed reactors including Shin Hanul Units 1 and 2 and Shin Kori Units 5 and 6 to begin operations as soon as possible.
The latest shift reflects renewed energy concerns linked to instability in the Middle East, which has pushed oil prices higher.
Supporters of nuclear power argue it remains a critical energy source despite safety risks highlighted by past disasters such as the Fukushima accident in Japan.
Opponents warn that nuclear accidents can cause catastrophic damage, pointing to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine, which has faced repeated safety concerns amid the ongoing war.
However, critics of the phase-out policy argue that abandoning nuclear energy without reliable alternatives risks creating energy shortages.
South Korea currently has only about nine days’ worth of LNG reserves, raising concerns about energy security during geopolitical crises.
Supporters of the policy shift say governments must adjust energy strategies as global conditions change but argue that long-term policies on energy and food security should be developed with careful planning rather than reactive decisions.
