erupts

Authorities warn locals and tourists to stay at least 6km away from the site of the volcano and to be ready for evacuation.

Authorities in Indonesia have raised the volcano emergency alert to its highest level after Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted, spewing volcanic ash an estimated 10km (6.2 miles) into the sky.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage on Wednesday, but authorities have warned residents and tourists on the eastern Indonesian island of Flores to keep away from the mountain and prepare for possible evacuation.

“The public should remain calm and follow the local government’s directions and not believe issues from unclear sources,” the country’s Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation said in an alert notice.

The volcano erupted at 1:35am on Wednesday (Tuesday 18:35 GMT) for about nine minutes, Indonesia’s Geological Agency said in a statement, after also erupting two hours earlier.

Muhammad Wafid, head of the Geological Agency, said people should stay at least 6 to 7km (3.7 to 4.3 miles) from the site of the eruption, which saw volcanic materials shoot 10km (6.2 miles) into the sky above the mountain’s 1,584-metre-high (5,080ft) peak.

“People living near the volcano should be aware of the potential volcanic mudflow if heavy rain occurs,” Wafid said, adding that the column of ash from the eruption could “disrupt airport operations and flight paths if it spreads” further.

Authorities have suspended operations at the local Fransiskus Xaverius Seda Airport in the town of Maumere some 60km (37 miles) west of Lewotobi, the airport said on Instagram. The airport will remain closed until Thursday.

In July, the same volcano erupted, sending an 18km-high (11-mile) cloud of ash into the sky and forcing the cancellation of flights at the international airport on the resort island of Bali.

Ten people living in local villages were killed and thousands of houses damaged when the volcano erupted in November 2024, according to reports.

Indonesia, which has more than 120 active volcanoes, sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an area of intense seismic activity stretching from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

Oct. 3 (UPI) — A large fire broke out at a Chevron refinery in El Segundo, Calif., Thursday night, causing road closures and shelter-in-place orders.

The fire began at 9:30 p.m. PDT and was contained by morning, and there were no injuries, officials said.

The refinery has its own fire department, which used remote control water lines to keep the fire from spreading to other parts of the industrial site.

A shelter-in-place order was issued for nearby Manhattan Beach. Residents were told to close doors and windows and keep pets inside.

“We have zero reported injuries, and all workers and contractors are accounted for,” said El Segundo Mayor Chris Pimentel. “We rehearse these things in conjunction with Chevron all the time. We do a full sweep of disaster preparedness drills. Everything from spills in the ocean to fires at the refinery.”

The fire is believed to have originated from an isolation unit at the refinery, said Holly Mitchell, Los Angeles County Supervisor.

GERMANY’S army is preparing its forces to treat 1,000 injured troops a day as the prospect of a war between NATO and Russia looms ever larger.

Berlin’s war planning lays bare the scale of devastation that such a conflict would unleash upon the continent.

10

10

10

10

The Kremlin denies that it wants a war against Russia’s Western rivals.

But recent incursions of military jets into NATO airspace has amplified fears that Putin has his sights on members of the alliance.

Since Russia‘s brutal invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Western countries have been forced to reckon with the prospect of a major war breaking out on European soil once again.

It has prompted military leaders to warn of the scale of casualties that could come if Moscow attacked the alliance.

Germany’s Surgeon General Ralf Hoffmann told Reuters that the exact number would depend on the intensity of fighting.

But he said: “Realistically, we are talking about a figure of around 1,000 wounded troops per day.”

Berlin is far from the only country to ramp up planning for mass casualties in the face of Russian sabre-rattling.

France has also placed its hospitals on a war-footing, with health bosses ordered to be ready for a “major engagement” by March 2026.

In anticipation of a large influx of wounded soldiers, Paris has ordered the country’s health centres to integrate the “specific needs of defence” into their planning.

They want French hospitals to be prepared to take in not only their own country’s injured troops, but also those of NATO allies.

Hoffmann added that Germany needs to look to the war in Ukraine to adapt how it approaches medical training for the battlefield.

“The Ukrainians often cannot evacuate their wounded fast enough because drones are buzzing overhead everywhere,” he warned.

Flexible transport options would be needed to get injured troops out of harm’s way, Hoffmann said, such as how Ukraine has used hospital trains.

Germany’s chief of defence General Carsten Breuer issued a stark warning this summer as to how soon a Russian attack could come.

10

10

10

He told the BBC that Moscow’s increased military production represents a “a very serious threat” that could come as soon as 2029.

“This is what the analysts are assessing – in 2029. So we have to be ready by 2029,” he warned.

“If you ask me now, is this a guarantee that’s not earlier than 2029?

“I would say no, it’s not. So we must be able to fight tonight.”

In Britain, government officials are hurriedly updating decades-old contingency plans to protect the country in the event of Russian aggression.

Former NATO commander Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon previously told The Sun: “Britain is very much in the sights of Putin’s derision, and we are the ones likely to be attacked first.

“Britain really has got to dust off its contingency plans.

“Over 20 years of neglect, and we understand that’s exactly what this report is about at the moment.”

An assault on one NATO country by Russia would require all other member states to take up arms in their support.

This is because of the alliance’s Article 5 protection guarantee, which makes an attack on one an attack on all.

Fears of confrontation with Russia have spiked since Moscow’s air force launched incursions into NATO airspace in recent weeks.

Russian MiG-31 fighters entered the skies over Estonia earlier this month, prompting Western jets to be scrambled in response to shoo them away.

Moscow’s drones have also entered Polish and Romanian airspace over the past weeks.

10

10

10

A BLOCK of flats erupted has into flames – with dozens of firefighters rushing to the scene.

Ten fire engines and 70 personnel are battling the blaze this morning in Enfield, London.

London Fire Brigade received reports of the fire at two second storey flats in Maybury Close at just before 5.20am.

An LFB statement said: “Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters have been called to a flat fire on Maybury Close in Enfield.

“Two flats on the second floor of a three storey block of flats are alight.

“The Brigade’s 999 Control officers received their first call about the fire at 0519. They mobilised crews from Enfield, Edmonton and surrounding fire stations who are currently in attendance.

“The cause of the fire is not known at this stage.”

Have you been affected by this incident? Email [email protected]

1

“Eureka Day,” a comedy by Jonathan Spector that wades into the debate on vaccine mandates, has only become more explosively topical since its 2018 premiere at Aurora Theatre Company, in Berkeley, Calif.

The play, which is having its Los Angeles premiere at Pasadena Playhouse, seems like it could have been commissioned to skewer this destructive, benighted and completely mortifying anti-science moment. But Spector wrote the work before the COVID-19 pandemic unleashed our political demons and made stupid great again.

“Eureka Day” takes its name from the fictional private elementary school in Berkeley that is the setting for what is both a satire of anti-vaccine culture and a comedy of woke manners. Held in a determinedly cheerful Bay Area classroom (brightly summoned with all the necessary social justice touches by set designer Wilson Chin), the play unfolds as a series of meetings of the school’s executive committee.

Don (Rick Holmes), the head of school, is ostensibly in charge, though his duck-and-cover strategy for dealing with conflict has a way of protracting problems. Four parents, one a newcomer still acclimating to the school’s strenuously progressive rules, are part of the executive brain trust.

The first discussion of the new school year is relatively innocuous though no less testing for being so. Eli (Nate Corddry), a stay-at-home dad who made a fortune at Facebook, has proposed adding “Transracial Adoptee” to a drop-down menu on an admissions form already burgeoning with identity subcategories.

Suzanne (Mia Barron), a mother who has sent so many children through Eureka Day that she has a proprietary attitude about the place, doesn’t think this additional category is necessary. She’s sensitive — self-consciously so — to Eli’s good intentions, but she persuades the group that no changes are necessary at this time.

“Persuades” might be a euphemism. Suzanne has an iron will that she thinly veils with a solicitous smile.

One of the quirks of the executive committee is that it operates by consensus rather than a majority vote. This can lead to some “very long meetings,” Suzanne informs Carina (Cherise Boothe), the new Black lesbian mom who recently moved from Maryland.

Suzanne claims to want everyone to feel “empowered,” though her controlling temperament pokes through her welcoming facade. Meiko (Camille Chen), who knits during meetings with a subtle air of annoyance, has to loudly ask Suzanne to please stop speaking on her behalf.

Cherise Boothe in “Eureka Day” at Pasadena Playhouse.

(Jeff Lorch)

These blind spots, a standard ingredient of comic characters, are particularly glaring in Suzanne’s case. When Carina tells her that she didn’t homeschool her son for kindergarten but sent him to public school, Suzanne is mildly horrified. She also makes the assumption that Carina is not a “full pay” family.

There’s even something passive-aggressive about Suzanne’s show of concern for all viewpoints, a trait that becomes all the more conspicuous after a crisis erupts at the school. A mumps outbreak forces Eureka Day to temporarily close its doors.

Don informs the executive committee that the health department has issued a letter stipulating what parents must do for their child to return to school. The subject isn’t open for debate, but Suzanne is uneasy about how this letter is being “framed.”

She’s an advocate of parental choice when it comes to vaccines, not trusting the experts who have determined that only children who are vaccinated can return to school when there’s a risk of infection. She believes vaccines stand in the way of natural herd immunity.

Mia Barron, left, Rick Holmes, Cherise Boothe, and Camille Chen in “Eureka Day” at Pasadena Playhouse.

(Jeff Lorch)

Meiko is less vociferous in her anti-vaccine stance than Suzanne, but she has her own skepticism about modern medicine and doesn’t want to be told what to do. When her daughter develops mumps, it becomes an emergency for Eli, who’s been having an affair with Meiko. The two arrange their assignations around playdates, and their kids were recently in contact.

Eli, who’s married but in a complicated open relationship situation with his increasingly resentful wife, would rather not have to choose sides in the vaccine mandate debate. But when his son gets sick after spending time with Meiko’s unvaccinated daughter, he finds he can no longer stay on the fence.

The well-programmed comedy hilariously runs its course in the leadership vacuum created by the school’s over-accommodating culture. Don is so worried about seeming to favor one parental faction over another that he allows Suzanne to become the dominant voice in the room.

The production, directed by Teddy Bergman, has a field day with the woke-run-amok ethos of Eureka Day, where kids at the school cheer the other team’s goals at soccer games. But Bergman’s approach is more schematic than Anna D. Shapiro’s Tony-winning Broadway revival.

Perhaps the urgency of the moment calls for a clearer moral stand, but the comedy has lost some nuance. On Broadway, Jessica Hecht made Suzanne seem totally oblivious to her own rage. She really believed that she was seeking consensus, tolerant of all perspectives as long as they didn’t impinge on her beliefs, the origins of which are poignantly related later in the play.

The fury of Barron’s Suzanne is much more on the surface. The humor is more direct — Barron can be very funny — but the debate is less trenchant. Bergman’s production, marred by blasts of jarring folk music between scene transitions, is a little too on the nose.

Boothe’s Carina, by far the strongest performance in the cast, is our rational surrogate in the play — a parent trying to fit in without betraying her intelligence or child’s welfare. I appreciated the way Holmes lets us come to our own conclusions about Don’s go-along-to-get-along style of running the ship.

Meiko is woefully underwritten, and Chen’s performance, while amusing when Meiko erupts, sometimes seems disconnected. Corddry refuses to play a tech industry cliché, but Eli, a bland creep, comes off as unnecessarily vague.

Bergman has trouble locating that sweet spot between jokey exaggeration and multidimensional authenticity. Comedy trades in types, but the cast could have benefited from more fine-tuning.

Perhaps that’s why the funniest scene in the play involves the live chat portion of a virtual meeting that’s organized for Eureka Day parents alarmed about the quarantine situation. Avatars square off against one another in a vaccine debate free-for-all that puts the lie to the school’s “community of respect” motto with uncensored savagery punctuated by missile-like emoticons.

“Eureka Day” will make you laugh, but how much this production will make you think is an open question.

A HUGE blaze has erupted at the old BBC Television Centre.

Around 100 firefighters are at the scene on Wood Lane in White City, west London, with families evacuated from their homes.

The cause of the fire is unknown, according to the London Fire Brigade.

Emergency calls were made at around 3.08am on Saturday.

In a statement, LFB said: “The building is nine storeys and the fire is currently affecting floors towards the top of the building.

“A restaurant, external decking and ducting is currently alight. An unknown number of flats have also potentially been affected by the fire.”

It added: “A rest centre is being set up for residents who have been evacuated from their homes.”

Wood Lane is currently closed to traffic and pedestrians.

Do you know more? Email [email protected]

1

An easyJet flight to Spain “erupted” recently as a man proposed to his partner in an unexpected way. Passengers were left floored as the romantic incident played out

Over the years people have witnessed all sorts of weird and wonderful marriage proposals, and it’s not the first time one has taken place in the air. Recently a man was captured proposing to his partner while travelling to Spain on an easyJet flight, and it’s left people totally stunned.

A video of the romantic moment was recently shared on TikTok by Nicki Gunner, and it’s since gone viral, as people can’t believe how it played out on the flight. Over a clip of the video, Nicki wrote: “Nothing beats an easyJet proposal outside the toilets on a flight to Benidorm.”

The video has been viewed over 80,000 times since it was shared, and people were left in total disbelief that it happened. In the clip, the man is seen holding his partner’s hands, while standing outside the loo, and popping the question – and it’s not the first romantic tale to have unfolded on a plane.

After chatting, the man gets down on one knee, and takes a ring out of his pocket before popping the question. The plane then erupts into cheers after his partner says “yes”.

A flight attendant is heard congratulating the couple after the brilliant moment takes place. People had all sorts of thoughts and questions after the video was posted, with many questioning why he chose the plane journey to ask for her hand in marriage.

One person said: “Why not propose on the holiday?” Another added: “This is real romance.”

A third joked: “Engaged on the plane, married at baggage claim and honeymoon in Benidorm.” Meanwhile, a fourth commented: “Imagine walking out of the loo, and everyone clapping in your direction.”

Someone else also chimed in with: “Cute. They probably have been on holiday several times going on easyJet. They may have met on easyJet, It means something.

“Don’t mock people for having connections. I’ve seen way worse – a man proposing at his kebab shop; however, it still has meaning.”

Some also pointed out that you can’t fly directly to Benidorm, but you can travel to Alicante-Elche Airport, as this is the closest airport to the resort. From here, you can take a bus, taxi or shuttle transfer from Alicante Airport to Benidorm, as there is no airport directly in the town itself.

None the less, many understood what Nicki meant, and were keen to celebrate the couple’s happiness. Several offered kind words to the newly engaged couple.

One said: “Just let them enjoy life. We don’t know the backstory. [It] could be they met on a plane, could be this is when he knew that he loved her. People are so sad to put these people down for what they are doing.”

Another replied: “Maybe she works for easyJet and he surprised her by getting on the flight. Sounds like the crew knew about it. That’s cute.”

Someone else also added: “They might have met on this same route 10 years ago. This might be really sentimental. Congratulations to them.”

THIS is the terrifying moment a petrol station is engulfed in flames after a devastating fireball blast.

Four people died after a gas cylinder is believed to have caught on fire with footage showing a horror inferno as locals ran for their lives.

6

6

6

Footage from Dagestan, Russia, shows the gas station up in flames with black clouds of smoke billowing through the air.

As the initial fireball raged on, a second, far more devastating blast erupted as the remaining gas cylinders and pumps all exploded.

Video filmed by a terrified local shows much of the village of Sulevkent in the Khasavyurt district attacked by a bright orange flash as the second blast hits.

The deafening sound of the inferno was met with the sight of debris flying through the air.

Residents who had left their homes to watch the initial explosion were quickly sent running for their lives as the second blast rang out.

The apocalyptic scenes were said to have been visible from several kilometers away, locals said.

Emergency services rushed to the scene to extinguish multiple fires which continued to burn for some time.

Four people were found and rushed to a nearby hospital with severe burns.

They all tragically died from their injuries.

Officials determined the initial explosion was caused by the depressurisation of a gas cylinder during refuelling operations, according to preliminary reports.

The gas station was left decimated alongside the adjacent service station and food vendors.

The Dagestan prosecutor’s office is now conducting an investigation into the incident.

It comes less than a year after another petrol station explosion killed 13 people and injured 23 just outside the Dagistani capital of Makhachkala.

Two children were among the casualties, authorities confirmed.

Horrifying video showed the enormous explosion – which then hurled a fuel tank 1,000ft towards a high rise block.

Locals claimed the blast was so strong that the ground shook like in an earthquake.

In August 2023, a third massive blast at a gas station in Dagestan killed 35 people and injured 115 more.

The fire started at a car repair shop before engulfing the nearby Nafta 24 filling station – sending it up in flames before triggering a giant explosion.

It took firefighters more than three and a half hours to put out the blaze as it spread to an area of 600 square metres, TASS reports.

6

6

6

Aug. 24 (UPI) — On this date in history:

In 79 A.D., thousands died and the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in Italy.

In 1814, the British captured Washington and burned the Capitol and the White House.

In 1932, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly non-stop across the United States.

In 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower signed the Communist Control Act outlawing the Communist Party. Though the act has never been repealed, the party exists to this day.

In 1981, Mark Chapman, who claimed devils forced him to kill John Lennon and God told him to confess, was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison for fatally shooting the former member of the Beatles.

In 1989, Pete Rose, whose slashing singles and head-first slides once made him the embodiment of America’s national sport, was banished from baseball for life, ending a gambling scandal.

In 1991, Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev quit as general secretary of the Communist Party central committee. He also ordered his Cabinet to resign.

File Photo by Bruce Young/UPI

In 1992, Hurricane Andrew smashed into Florida south of Miami with sustained winds of 145 mph. The storm killed 15 people and caused more than $30 billion in damage.

In 1996, four women became students at The Citadel, a military school in South Carolina that had fought in court to remain all-male.

In 2004, two Russian passenger jetliners crashed within minutes of each other after taking off from Domodedovo Airport in Moscow. Authorities said terrorist attacks caused the crashes, which killed 89 people.

In 2006, Pluto, the small, distant astronomic body that has discovered in 1930, was demoted to “dwarf planet” status when the International Astronomical Union adopted a new definition of “planet.”

In 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration decided to make the “morning-after” contraceptive pill known as Plan B available without a prescription to people 18 and older.

In 2011, Steve Jobs, co-founder and chief executive officer of Apple Inc., resigned, telling his company’s board he could “no longer meet my duties and expectations.” Jobs, 56, who stayed on as chairman, had battled cancer for several years. He died Oct. 5, 2011.

File Photo by Monika Graff/UPI

In 2012, Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people in Norway, was sentenced to 21 years in prison, the longest prison term possible for murder and terrorism under Norwegian law.

In 2013, Bolivian government officials said inmates at a prison in Santa Cruz used knives, machetes, self-made flamethrowers and other weapons in a gang battle that left 30 people dead and dozens injured.

In 2017, a single winner from Massachusetts won $758 million for the largest single-ticket lottery jackpot win in U.S. history.

In 2022, Belgian 17-year-old Mack Rutherford became the youngest person to fly solo around the world after landing in Bulgaria, ending a 30-country, 30,000-mile trek.

In 2023, former President Donald Trump surrendered at Fulton County Jail in Georgia on a 13-count indictment for alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia.

In 2024, French police arrested Telegram CEO Pavel Durov on a warrant accusing him of failing to take steps to curb criminal uses of the social media application, including drug trafficking, child sexual content and fraud. He was allowed to leave the country in March 2025 though the case against him was active.

A RIGGING row has erupted after Labour rebuffed Nigel Farage’s demand for Reform representation in the House of Lords.

The Brexiteer has no peers in the upper chamber and asked Sir Keir Starmer to grant some.

He sent a letter to the PM — who has ultimate say over appointments — arguing the “seismic shifts” in British politics merits some Reform seats.

Although they have just four MPs, Mr Farage’s party is leading national opinion polls.

He has in the past called for the Lords to be replaced with an elected chamber akin to that in the US.

Mr Farage said: “Whilst Reform UK believes in a reformed House of Lords, the time has come to address the democratic disparity there.”

But Defence Secretary John Healey told LBC: “This is the same Nigel Farage that called for the abolition of the House of Lords and now wants to fill it with his cronies.

“I’m not sure Parliament is going to benefit from more Putin apologists like Farage.”

While PMs technically have the final say on House of Lords appointments, they grant opposition parties some peers.

When Sir Keir nominated 30 Labour lords in December, he allowed six Tories to be elevated to the upper legislature.

Hitting back at Mr Healey’s remarks, Reform deputy Richard Tice last night accused Labour of not playing fair.

Denying they were “Putin apologists”, he told The Sun: “It’s a democratic outrage and another old-fashioned establishment stitch-up. They are essentially rigging the system against the new party, changing the rules of the game.”

In his letter, Mr Farage noted Lib Dems have 76 peers but received 600,000 fewer votes than Reform last year.

Sir Keir previously pledged to abolish the Lords but he is not expected to carry out plans before the next election.

1

Aug. 3 (UPI) — An eastern Russian volcano has erupted for the first time in more than 500 years, which may have been related to an 8.8 magnitude earthquake last week, experts said.

The Krasheninnikov Volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula emitted a plume of ash 3.7 miles into the sky overnight. The last recorded eruption of the volcano happened in the 15th century, the Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team said.

Officials urged residents of the area to move away from the area, and volcano monitoring staff have been removed, though there have been no imminent threats to populated areas. No deaths have been reported.

The Kamchatka Peninsula is located on the “Pacific Ring of Fire,” known for the frequency volcanoes and earthquakes that occur there.

Last week’s massive earthquake was the latest in a series of seismic events in the region, including another temblor that shook a region 11 times zones away from Moscow on the Pacific peninsula, Russian seismic officials reported. The statement said the eruption occurred far from areas that could directly affect people.

The volcano erupted at about 6 a.m. local time Sunday when staff observed gas and vapor spewing from Krasheninnikov’s crater, officials said in a statement on social media.

Officials in the volcano reserve called the eruption an “exciting and fascinating” event. Krasheninnikov is one of 8 volcanoes nestled among the reserve near Kamchatka.

WASHINGTON, July 15 (UPIU) — Republican lawmakers alleged Tuesday that Democratic leaders have funneled hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars to nonprofit organizations run by political allies, advancing what they called a “radical agenda” without public accountability.

Democrats fired back, calling the hearing a partisan distraction aimed at vilifying groups that serve vulnerable communities.

The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight’s hearing, titled “How Leftist Nonprofit Networks Exploit Federal Tax Dollars to Advance a Radical Agenda,” drew sharp partisan lines.

The subcommittee chair, Chair Rep. Jefferson Van Drew, R-N.J., said nonprofits that receive federal funds through agencies like USAID and the Justice Department are enacting policies Americans haven’t voted for, accusing Democratic leaders of “abuse of power.”

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, passionately disagreed, arguing the hearing was designed to advance President Donald Trump‘s political agenda, while ignoring pressing civil rights and public safety issues.

“This committee is spending its time holding a hearing with a title that sounds like it was ripped from a conspiracy law,” Crockett said.

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, echoed the committee chair’s concerns, calling several taxpayer-funded initiatives under the Biden administration “stupid,” including spending on public broadcasting, diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and federal education grants.

Democrats, however, argued that the hearing lacked substance and accountability. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., criticized the proceeding as a “waste of time,” as it focused on grievances rather than governance, and that the committee did not call a single official from any of the groups allegedly advancing a radical agenda.

“If our motto is going to be finger-pointing for losers, then this hearing is for losers,” Raskin said.

Hen added that Republicans have been failing to address systemic challenges like gun violence and climate change, and that none of the groups mentioned has been involved in illegal actions, but instead the Republicans simply do not like what certain groups are doing.

For example, Raskin cited the mass firings of Justice Department attorneys who prosecuted Americans for their involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

“Due process is what separates our freedoms from arbitrary state power,” he said.

As the hearing continued, Raskin was the first to bring the Jeffrey Epstein files into the conversation, questioning the Trump administration’s sudden lack of commitment to transparency by not releasing the information.

“Remember that they said this would be the most transparent administration in the United States,” he said.

Witnesses invited by Republican lawmakers argued that taxpayer dollars are being funneled into politically motivated organizations that push divisive agendas.

Tyler O’Neil, senior editor at The Daily Signal, singled out a $2 million grant to the nonprofit Vera Institute of Justice for immigration-related services, calling it part of a broader “immigration industrial complex.”

O’Neill also criticized federal support for the ACLU and the AFL-CIO, arguing that union dues from federal employees were indirectly subsidizing left-leaning political causes.

Insha Rahman, vice president of advocacy and partnerships at the Vera Institute, told UPI, “Today’s congressional hearing was a distraction from the honest debate the American public deserves about the solutions that work to prevent crime, respond to crisis, and stop violence.

“The Department of Justice’s abrupt and illegal terminations of $820 million in grant funding to hundreds of organizations, including Vera, jeopardizes programs and services across the country — including in suburban and rural jurisdictions — that save lives and make communities safer.”

Scott Walter, president of the Capital Research Center, attempted to redirect the conversation. He said that while he personally supports conservative organizations, like the Heritage Foundation, he would oppose federal funding for any ideologically driven group — including those with whom he agrees.

He argued that taxpayer dollars should only go to feeding the hungry and clothing the poor — actions he associated as biblically related good doings — but not socially controversial issues.

Mike Gonzalez, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation and contributor to the conservative blueprint Project 2025, testified in a personal capacity and criticized USAID’s funding decisions under Ambassador Samantha Power, suggesting it began the pathway for the agency to prioritize progressive global initiatives over national interest.

Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., and Gonzalez got into an escalated exchange when Gonzalez confronted Democrats about so-called “dark money” — where the source is not disclosed to the public — for groups tied to liberal causes.

Johnson fired back, pointing to the Heritage Foundation’s own opaque funding sources and ties to conservative megadonors like billionaire Charles Koch.

A last minute addition to the witness list was Luis CdeBaca, a former U.S. ambassador and anti-trafficking expert. CdeBaca defended the work of civil society organizations, arguing that they provide critical services to vulnerable populations — often filling gaps left by under-resourced government programs.

He warned against politicizing federal grantmaking, which he said should be based on impact, not ideology.

Rahman reacted similarly to Vera’s work, defending that “The DOJ grants Vera received supported our evidence-based work with correctional staff across the country to improve prison operations, training, and culture for both officers and people incarcerated; expand access to counseling and treatment for people in mental health crisis; and support police and law enforcement to better serve deaf survivors of domestic violence.”

Love Island viewers reacted to a scene involving Andrada Pop and Meg Moore on tonight’s episode of the ITV2, with the two islanders seen in a tense exchange in the villa

Love Island viewers were divided over an islander on the latest episode, with some suggesting that they had made a mark on the reality TV show. Others weren’t impressed though following tension in the villa after movie night.

The latest episode of the ITV2 show included the aftermath of Meg Moore having been given a glimpse into Dejon Noel-Williams’ relationship with Andrada Pop whilst he was in Casa Amor. The situation left Meg upset and she confronted Dejon, whom she recently became ‘exclusive’ with.

Later in the evening, Meg and Dejon were seen in a tense discussion inside the Love Island villa. Andrada, who is coupled-up with Ben Holbrough, appeared to be listening from a room nearby as she told some of her co-stars: “Shh shh.”

Meg later heard about it and confronted Andrada. She told her: “Don’t be in here saying ‘shush’ to hear my conversation with D.” Andrada was then seen saying: “Pipe down, who’d you think you’re shouting at?” Meg replied: “You!”

Andrada asked: “What’s wrong with you?” Meg reacted: “What is right with you?” She added: “Don’t be saying ‘shush’ to try and listen to my argument.” Andrada questioned: “Why is it a big deal that I said ‘shush’? Why are you so hurt by it?”

The pair continued to engage with each other, with Andrada saying at one point: “I don’t understand why you’re shouting at me.” Meg responded: “You’re shouting at me!” Meg went on to share her thoughts with Dejon, whilst away from Andrada, saying: “I just told her to mind her own business.”

As Meg walked into the bedroom, Andrada was talking to Tommy Bradley about having previously listened to the couple arguing. She: “I didn’t say anything bad.” Meg went on to tell her: “End of convo right now. You’re speaking to the whole f***ing villa!”

Andrada took issue with being hold by Meg to stop speaking about it. She added: “I don’t deserve for somebody to come scream at me for no f***ing reason. I didn’t say anything bad.” Meg, sat on the bed next to her, replied: “Hun, I’m here.” Andrada replied by saying that she wasn’t speaking to Meg though.

They resumed their disagreement and was seen in another tense exchange. Toni Laites said at one point: “Everyone shut the f*** up!” Andrada later said: “She’s going through it and she’s letting it out on other people.” Meg said: “Babe, you’re still talking in front of my face.” As they continued to bicker, Ben held Andrada back in bed as she told Meg: “Take a breather.”

Some fans suggested that Andrada was making compelling TV, with one writing on X: “Andrada is tv gold. keep her in the villa.” Another said: “Andarna u have entered the hall of fame.”

A third viewer wrote: “Whoever found Andrada dead a raise, non stop entertainment.” Another said: “Andrada is tv gold.” Sharing their thoughts, one fan said: “OMG … this episode is giving S3 days …Andrada was ready to SCRAP…Now this is what you call TV!”

Others however weren’t impressed by his behaviour. One said: “This is not entertainment, they are all being horrible to Meg and you need to sort those girls out. They are mean girls it’s utter disgraceful.” Another wrote: “Andrada doing WAY too much. we can see straight through you babe.”

Someone said: “Not sure this spin off series is working, think Argument Island is a one series wonder.” Another person wrote: “Andrada proving Ben right, minutes after their chat. She loves to be up in everyone’s business.”

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.