Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said Tehran’s ‘right’ to the Strait of Hormuz is ‘established and the matter is closed’, state media reports.
Published On 14 May 202614 May 2026
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Former U.S. Rep. David Rivera, R-Fla., was convicted on Friday of lobbying on behalf of the Venezuelan government without declaring himself to be a foreign agent. Photo by U.S. House of Representatives
May 1 (UPI) — Former U.S. Rep. David Rivera, R-Fla., was found guilty on Friday of being paid to secretly lobby elected U.S. officials to ease sanctions against Venezuela.
Rivera and a co-conspirator were each found guilty of taking payment from Nicholas Maduro to try to repair ties between the South American nation and the United States but never registering as an agent of a foreign country, The Miami Herald and NBC News reported.
A 12-person jury found the former Miami-Dade congressman and consultant Esther Nuhfer guilty of lobbying Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, and attempting to set meetings up for Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuela’s then-foreign minister and current acting president.
Rivera was also found guilty of conspiring to commit money laundering and tax evasion.
Rivera had long been friends with his former roommate Rubio and became friends with Sessions when he was in Congress, and after Maduro gave him a $50 million contract he attempted to leverage those relationships.
Both Rivera and Nuhfer were caught having not registered themselves of lobbying for the federal government on behalf of another nation.
The convictions come after a 5-week trial that saw Rubio, who was in the Senate in 2017, when he met with Rivera and was told a plan to convince Maduro to step down was afoot.
Rivera denied that he was working on behalf of Maduro and the Venezuelan government, insisting that he was working to overthrow the now-deposed ruler rather than to promote his interests.
Nuhfur was released on bond ahead of her sentencing, while Rivera was judged to be a flight risk and will remain in jail until he is sentenced.
Rivera also still faces charges in another foreign lobbying case, as well.
FORMER X Factor winner Matt Cardle is set to come face to face with Simon Cowell on live TV again – 16 years after winning the ITV talent show.
I can reveal that Matt is being lined up to perform at one of the Britain’s Got Talent live finals in the coming weeks.
Rather than performing new solo music, Matt will take to the stage as part of a special performance of West End hit Kinky Boots.
He is starring in the musical at the London Coliseum alongside Strictly Come Dancing’s Johannes Radebe.
A source said: “Simon is a huge fan of musicals and the bosses at Britain’s Got Talent are keen to push the arts as much as possible.
“With that in mind, a number of the live acts booked for the finals this year come from West End shows.
“Matt and the Kinky Boots cast are set to perform in a few weeks’ time – it really will be a full circle moment for him.”
This weekend, former BGT winner Sydnie Christmas will perform her new single – Run.
Bizarre’s Jack hung out on the set of her music video earlier this year, so we can’t wait to see that one live.
Zara Larsson has me counting down the days to my summer holiday after hopping on this float to promote her Main Rose swimwear brand.
She was living her own Lush Life as she soaked up some rays ahead of headlining Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Sunderland next month.
This Friday she will release the deluxe version of her fifth album, Midnight Sun: Girls Trip, packed with collaborations, including Tyla and Shakira.
And it’s testament to Zara trusting herself.
On writing and recording the track, which came out last year, she said: “I stopped focusing so much on what I thought other people would want from me or what I thought radio would want, and just started focusing on what I wanted to do.
“Ironically that’s when people start caring.”
Liam Payne’s loved ones made a lowkey trip to his One Direction bandmate Louis Tomlinson’s tour.
Some of Liam’s relatives including sister Nicola were in a VIP box to see Louis perform at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena last weekend.
During the show, Louis was visibly emotional when singing Dark To Light – a track he wrote about Liam’s death.
Taking to Instagram, Nicola said: “Thank you Louis Tomlinson for last night.
“It was extremely emotional, but really beautiful, and it meant a lot to be there.
“Your staging and your songs are beautiful. A truly special night.”
Louis has previously spoken warmly about Liam.
He said: “I could talk all day about how amazing he was.
“We all looked up to him, he was vastly experienced before any of us had done anything.
“If he could just for five minutes live in my head or your head and see how we perceive him, he would be so shocked.
“He was pure.”
The wait for Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter’s collaboration is almost over, as it’s being released this Friday.
The superstars recently performed Bring Your Love at Coachella and now they are putting out the official audio.
The pair made the announcement yesterday when they shared a new photo of themselves with the caption: “We’ve got something to say about it,” which is a reference to Madonna’s 1989 song Express Yourself.
It will be the first official single from the Queen of Pop’s forthcoming album Confessions On A Dancefloor: Part II, after she released a teaser track, I Feel So Free, earlier this month.
Humanize 102 words
Pink has sold out stadiums and had No1s across the globe, but as far as daughter Willow is concerned she’s top of the charts as an embarrassing mum.
At the opening night of The Lost Boys musical in New York they posed for photots on the red carpet.
But while standing in front of the snappers, Pink gestured at the slit in Willow’s skirt and said, “Show off your legs,” to which the youngster snapped: “No!”
Alan Carr once fell in the Serpentine in London’s Hyde Park after drinking “hallucinogenic tequila” on his Chatty Man TV show.
The comedian said he was still feeling the effects the next day as he walked his dogs and suffered a mishap.
He explained he’d had a tequila the night before but was given a hallucinogenic one by mistake.
He added: “I couldn’t sober up and I fell in the Serpentine, p***ed.
“My old dog Bev, bless her, she dropped the ball in the Serpentine and I went forward to pick it up. And I think all the tequila rushed to the front of my head and I just fell in.”
Speaking on his Life’s A Beach podcast, he added: “In films, the dogs are meant to jump in and save you, but they were just wagging their tails, like, ‘What’s this p***head done again?’
“So I was just soaking wet and I had to walk . . . You know, when people are pulling their kids away, ‘Come away from the strange man,’ and all that.”
Capital’s Summertime Ball is returning to London, taking over Wembley Stadium to entertain 80,000 fans on June 6.
The line-up will be revealed by Jordan North, Chris Stark and Sian Welby on Capital Breakfast this morning and tomorrow, before tickets go on sale through the Global Player app at 9am on Thursday.
Gracie Abrams is back, two years after her album The Secret Of Us topped the charts.
The American singer released a teaser on Instagram yesterday, and it appears to be a snippet from the lead single for her upcoming third album.
The record is rumoured to be all about falling for Normal People actor Paul Mescal, although it doesn’t sound like it’s been smooth sailing.
They were reported to have briefly split in early 2025, and the song will do little to shut down that speculation.
Gracie sings: “I used to see clearly but it’s bloodshot. And I want you so badly but I closed off.
“I used to think we’d get married. But I guess not.”
Last summer we revealed Paul was at Gracie’s Glastonbury set, singing along to every word.
In February, they made their red-carpet debut at the Baftas in London.
And last month I told how Gracie had moved from LA into Paul’s London home, while he films the upcoming Beatles biopics.
Her last album was all about heartbreak, but I’m expecting some sunnier moments this time around.
BEYONCE and hubby Jay-Z are looking to move to France — after ditching plans for a UK home.
The music power couple, who abandoned househunting in the Cotswolds due to concerns about flooding, are said to be eyeing up a stunning chateau near Bordeaux.
Crazy In Love singer Beyoncé, 44, and Jay-Z, 56, are already huge fans of the famous wine region – with the 99 Problems rapper celebrating his birthday there in 2023.
Sources say the US pair are looking at a 16th century estate boasting 10 bedrooms and eight bathrooms, nestled in a commune.
Locals have told how the area is abuzz with talk of the A-listers joining their community – which is described as the French equivalent to the Cotswolds.
Businesses have reportedly been sworn to secrecy about the couple’s potential arrival.
One local said: “Everyone is talking about Beyonce and Jay-Z moving to the area.
“It’s all been shrouded in secrecy, with local businesses and tradespeople forced to sign non-disclosure agreements, but theirs are the names on everyone’s lips.”
Residents have reported a recent surge in private planes landing at the closest airport.
One source also told how a job description has gone on a local noticeboard for an experienced property manager working with VIP clients at an historic estate.
One of the requirements for the role is “absolute discretion”.
The superstar couple — worth a combined £1.5billion — were said to be buying a £7.5million 58-acre plot in the Cotswolds, following the footsteps of several celebrities.
Planning permission was secured for the seven-bedroom property.
But insiders said the pair, who have three children together, turned their backs on the area after learning it was prone to flooding.
A source told The Sun: “Beyonce and Jay-Z buying this plot of land was the talk of the Cotswolds, so many locals were excited about them moving in.
“But the plan appears to have fallen through.”
Despite their snub the Cotswolds have attracted a raft of celebrities including Ellie Goulding, James Blunt, Kate Moss, Amanda Holden, Tom Cruise, Liam Gallagher and Lily Allen.
TV host Ellen Degeneres and wife Portia de Rossi also moved to the area and renovated a farmhouse which they are selling for £22.5million.
