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A 24-year-old Honduran man who was fleeing federal immigration agents in Virginia died on a highway after being struck by a vehicle.

The death of Josué Castro Rivera follows recent incidents in which three other immigrants in Chicago and California were killed during immigration enforcement operations under the Trump administration’s crackdown.

Castro Rivera was headed to a gardening job Thursday when his vehicle was pulled over by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, brother Henry Castro said.

Agents tried to detain Castro Rivera and the three other passengers, and he fled on foot, tried to cross Interstate 264 in Norfolk and was fatally struck, according to state and federal authorities.

Castro Rivera came to the United States four years ago and was working to send money to family in Honduras, according to his brother.

“He had a very good heart,” Castro said Sunday.

The Department of Homeland Security said Castro Rivera’s vehicle was stopped by ICE as part of a “targeted, intelligence-based” operation and passengers were detained for allegedly living in the country without legal permission.

DHS said in a statement that Castro Rivera “resisted heavily and fled” and died after a passing vehicle struck him. DHS officials did not respond Sunday to requests for further comment.

Virginia State Police said officers responded to a report of a vehicle-pedestrian crash around 11 a.m. Thursday on eastbound I-264 at the Military Highway interchange. Police said Castro Rivera was hit by a 2002 Ford pickup and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The crash remains under investigation.

Federal authorities and state police gave his first name as Jose, but family members said it was Josué. DHS and state police did not explain the discrepancy.

Castro called his brother’s death an injustice and said he is raising money to transport the body back to Honduras for the funeral.

“He didn’t deserve everything that happened to him,” Castro said.

DHS blamed Castro Rivera’s death on “a direct result of every politician, activist and reporter who continue to spread propaganda and misinformation about ICE’s mission and ways to avoid detention.”

Similar deaths amid immigration operations elsewhere have triggered protests, lawsuits and calls for investigation amid claims that the Trump administration’s initial accounts are misleading.

Last month in suburban Chicago, federal immigration agents fatally shot a Mexican man during a traffic stop. DHS initially said a federal officer was “seriously injured,” but police body camera video showed the federal officer walking around and describing his own injuries as “ nothing major.”

In July, a farmworker who fell from a greenhouse roof during a chaotic ICE raid at a California cannabis facility died of his injuries. And in August, a man ran away from federal agents onto a freeway in the same state and was fatally struck by a vehicle.

Tareen and Walling write for the Associated Press.

Cameroon-flagged tanker issues distress call about 60 nautical miles (110km) south of Yemen’s Ahwar in Gulf of Aden.

A ship has caught fire in the Gulf of Aden off Yemen after being struck by a projectile, the British military said, with one report suggesting its crew was preparing to abandon the vessel.

The incident on Saturday comes as Yemen’s Houthi rebels have maintained their military campaign of attacking ships through the Red Sea corridor in solidarity with Palestinians under fire in Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza.

The Houthis did not immediately claim an attack, though it can take them hours or even days to do so.

The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) a centre issued an alert about the vessel, describing the incident as taking place some 210km (130 miles) east of Aden.

“A vessel has been hit by an unknown projectile, resulting with a fire,” the UKMTO said. “Authorities are investigating.”

The maritime security firm Ambrey described the ship as a Cameroon-flagged tanker that issued a distress call as it passed about 60 nautical miles (equivalent to 110km) south of Yemen’s Ahwar while en route from Sohar, Oman, to Djibouti.

It said radio traffic suggested the crew was preparing to abandon ship, and a search-and-rescue effort was under way.

Ambrey said the tanker was not believed to be linked to the target profile of Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis.

The group has launched numerous attacks on vessels in the Red Sea since 2023, targeting ships they deem linked to Israel or its supporters.

The attacks have disrupted trade flows through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.

But no attacks have been claimed by the rebel group since the ceasefire began in Gaza on October 10.

The rebels’ most recent attack hit the Dutch-flagged cargo ship Minervagracht on September 29, killing one crew member on board and wounding another. The Houthi campaign against shipping has killed at least nine mariners and seen four ships sunk.

Israel has repeatedly struck what it says are Houthi targets in Yemen in recent months, killing dozens of Yemeni civilians. The Houthis have fired missiles towards Israel, most intercepted, but some breaking past Israel’s much-vaunted US-supplied air defences and causing injuries and disruptions at airports.

On Thursday, Israel claimed responsibility for killing the Houthi military’s Chief of Staff Muhammad Abd al-Karim al-Ghamari.

The Houthis said in a statement that the conflict with Israel had not ended and that Israel will “receive its deterrent punishment for the crimes it has committed”.

In August, Israel said it targeted senior figures from the group, including al-Ghamari, in air strikes on the capital Sanaa that killed the prime minister of Yemen’s Houthi-run government and several other ministers.

Joshua Allen, the dancer who took home the crown on the fourth season of “So You Think You Can Dance,” has died after he was struck by a train in Fort Worth.

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s database confirmed that Allen died early Tuesday morning at a local hospital. His manner of death and cause of death are pending, the database says. Allen was 36.

Police responded Tuesday around 1 a.m. to railroad tracks near the intersection of Millbrook Lane and Nuffield Lane, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. Officers found Allen, who had been struck by a train, and took him to a nearby hospital where he died, police told the outlet. Police did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment Wednesday.

Christina Price, who represented Allen, also confirmed his death, saying in a statement that “what stood out most about Joshua was his heart.”

“He had a natural gift for movement — no formal training, yet he could watch something once and his body just knew how to do it,” Price added.”Beyond his talent, he gave back, teaching kids in Texas through dance workshops.”

Allen’s family member confirmed the entertainer’s death to TMZ, which first broke the news. The family member did not disclose his cause of death and asked fans for “privacy and prayers.”

The Texas-based dancer auditioned for “So You Think You Can Dance” in 2008, impressing judges with his fluid movements, controlled popping and locking and springy leaps. Throughout the season, he proved his ability to take on a variety of dance styles ranging from contemporary to Bollywood. He remained a strong competitor, eventually besting fellow contestants for the grand prize.

Allen notably bested Stephen “Twitch” Boss, who died by suicide in December 2022. Boss was 40. Allen mourned Boss on Instagram, writing “NO WORDS will ever be enough to explain the LOVE I have for you Stephen.” At the time, he recalled connecting with Boss prior to their auditions and wrote, “This isn’t goodbye more so I’ll see you later.”

Price, who also represented Boss, said his death “weighed heavily on Allen” and that “it’s heartbreaking to now be grieving Joshua as well.”

After his “So You Think You Can Dance” days, Allen’s work included a McDonald’s commercial, a role in the debut season of “American Horror Story” and appearances in “Freak Dance,” “Step Up 3D,” and the 2011 “Footloose” remake, according to IMDb. He was also an instructor for several dance competitions.

Allen faced legal troubles in summer 2016, when he was accused of attacking his girlfriend at a coffee shop. The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office charged him with two felony counts of willfully injuring his girlfriend, one felony assault with a deadly weapon and four misdemeanors related to battery, vandalism and violating a protective order, according to TMZ. Allen was poised to be a mentor on Season 13 of “SYTYCD,” but longtime host Cat Deeley announced his departure from the series on-air amid his domestic violence case.

He pleaded no contest in August 2016 and was sentenced to one year in jail.

One Married At First Sight couple was forced to get creative after a class 3 cyclone hit the area they were staying at for their honeymoon

Married At First Sight UK newlyweds Bailey and Rebecca were forced to get creative after a class 3 cyclone left them stuck in their hotel rooms during their honeymoon. When Rebecca walked down the aisle, she was initially unimpressed with Bailey as she revealed she was looking for an ‘alpha male’.

“I’m not sure if he’s alpha or not. He’s not my type,” the 32-year-old said in a confessional. However, Bailey has seemingly won her over with his romantic gestures during their honeymoon trip after he organised a sweet date when the hotel restaurants shut down due to a cyclone.

In a first look clip shared with The Mirror, Bailey is seen throwing rose petals onto the bed while Rebecca finished getting ready in the bathroom.

READ MORE: Married At First Sight star looks unrecognisable with new look after tense honeymoonREAD MORE: Molly-Mae Hague reacts to Paris Fury’s daughter Venezuela, 16, getting engaged

“Because of the cyclone, the restaurants are all closed in the hotel tonight so Bailey has told me to get dressed up and he’s going to sort it,” Rebecca said in a voiceover.

Bailey placed a plate of food in the middle of the bed, lit a few candles and poured them two glasses of rosé wine. When she emerged from the bathroom, an impressed Rebecca told him: “Wow, this is so nice.”

“It’s so nice to see him being really romantic and gentle and go to loads of effort for the date,” she told the cameras.

“Is this what you do for all your first dates?” she asked her new husband after they took a sip of wine. He cheekily answered: “No, only for you.”

Before their wedding ceremony, Rebecca discussed her ideal partner, stating: “I’m attracted to the alpha male. I’m attracted to the big man that can lead me by the hand.”

She added: “My standards are very high, I like to be in order and I like things to look nice. I won’t settle for anything less than perfection in my life and I feel the same about my relationships.”

Rebecca explained: “I’m attracted to the alpha male. Somebody tall, confident and who’s sure of themselves,” before adding she hoped an “alpha male” would be waiting for her at the altar.

“I’m picturing a man who’s got stature about him, I want him to be a dominant figure. I’ve walked away from something before because I didn’t want to settle. If they don’t tick enough boxes for me straight away, I will say how I feel,” she said.

However, when she finally met her new husband, the contestant admitted: “Alarm bells are going off in my head. He’s not my type.”

Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

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US president says American forces struck the vessel in the Southern Command’s ‘area of responsibility’.

United States President Donald Trump says American forces have carried out another strike targeting a ship that he claimed was “trafficking illicit narcotics”, killing at least three men on board the vessel.

The announcement, late on Friday, marks the third time the US has claimed a deadly attack on an alleged drug smuggling vessel this month.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the “lethal kinetic strike” took place on his orders in the US Southern Command’s “area of responsibility” – a region that encompasses 31 countries in South and Central America and the Caribbean.

“Intelligence confirmed the vessel was trafficking illicit narcotics, and was transiting along a known narcotrafficking passage en route to poison Americans,” Trump said.

“The strike killed 3 male narcoterrorists aboard the vessel, which was in international waters. No US Forces were harmed in this strike.”

The US has twice this month carried out strikes against alleged drug-smuggling vessels that had originated in Venezuela.

Bianca Perry complained her family were ‘left abandoned’ after their journey home as they were struck with stomach issues after ‘eating meat casserole’ on plane

A family’s journey home to Leamington Spa turned into a nightmare that resembled a “scene from The Exorcist”, leaving them feeling abandoned and unwell.

Bianca Perry, 45, her husband David, also 45, and their three children Lauren, 15, Belle, 11, and William, eight, had spent six blissful weeks in Brazil before disaster struck on their return flight.

The horror began mid-flight when young William suddenly fell violently ill after eating the in-flight meal, and it wasn’t long before Belle, David and Bianca were similarly affected.

Only eldest child Lauren, who had avoided the meat casserole served, managed to escape the gut-wrenching illness.

Upon landing at Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport in the early hours of 2 September, the family were seen vomiting uncontrollably at the gate as shocked fellow passengers looked on.

However, instead of rushing to help them, they claim airline staff treated them like a “problem”, allegedly refusing Bianca’s desperate pleas for assistance and a wheelchair for her husband, who was still recovering from painful dental surgery.

“The whole dinner was on the floor in front of everyone,” said Bianca, who hosts her own cooking show, speaking to NeedToKnow. “When we got off the plane, my daughter was sick in front of everyone.

“It was like a scene from The Exorcist. The airline staff weren’t looking at us like, ‘Are they okay? Can we do something?'”.

“They were looking at us like we were a problem.”

The family claims that TAP Air Portugal staff advised them against boarding their connecting flight due to their illness.

They were suggested to take the next flight, but the family claims they were not informed that this wouldn’t be until 7pm the following day on 3 September. This left them scrambling to find and pay for their own £330-a-night hotel and transport without any assistance.

Bianca stated: “We were scared to be sick on the plane; we weren’t sure if we had a bug and didn’t want to share it around the flight.

“When we accepted the offer of the new flight, we didn’t think it would be at 7pm the next day. They were so rude on another level.

“They just had no empathy – and thank Goodness I can speak Portuguese.”

At the hotel, the nightmare only got worse.

Bianca had to help David – still in agony with stitches in his mouth – through the lobby as he was sick repeatedly. Both Belle and William were still poorly too, leaving the family desperately washing vomit-covered clothes in the bathroom sink and trying to rest between bouts of illness.

And when they finally got back to the airport the following day, the ordeal wasn’t finished. Back in the UK, Bianca’s suitcase containing vital menopause medication had reportedly vanished whilst another turned up damaged.

When it was later discovered, she was informed she would either have to retrieve it herself or fork out a £45 delivery charge. Left with no alternative, David made the trek to collect the suitcase, knowing the medication was desperately required.

Bianca revealed: “There was no assistance whatsoever from them. We had to hand-wash vomit-covered clothes in the hotel.

“We were vomiting in the lobby. It was a nightmare.”

The family firmly believe their sickness stemmed from the airline meal – alleging they observed other passengers also falling ill following the flight.

Bianca continued: “Our experience with TAP Air Portugal was truly distressing on many levels. Despite being in a vulnerable and difficult situation, we were left to deal with everything ourselves.

“The lack of empathy and assistance was shocking – we were treated with disregard, not even as people, let alone as customers. No one deserves to be treated this way, especially not by a company of this size and visibility.

“It’s not just disappointing – it feels inhumane.”

TAP Air Portugal has been approached for comment.

Sept. 9 (UPI) — A boat of the Global Sumud Flotilla heading to Gaza was struck by a drone, the nonviolence coalition said Tuesday.

The Portuguese-flagged Family Boat was at a port in Tunis, Tunisia, when it was struck at about 2 a.m. local time Tuesday, it said on X, stating the flotilla had been “attacked.”

“While all participants are safe, details about the attack remain limited,” it said in an official statement that followed.

Global Sumud Flotilla posted uncorroborated video of the incident shot by a nearby boat to X, showing a streaking flame hitting the deck of Family Boat.

Crew member Miguel Duarte said he saw the drone “clearly” about 13 feet above him.

“It stopped close to us and then moved slowly to the forward part of the ship and dropped what was obviously a bomb,” he said in a video published to the flotilla’s X account.

“There was a huge explosion, lots of fire, big, big flames.”

The purported bomb landed on a pile of life jackets, he said, which caught fire and had to be extinguished.

“Let me be clear: 100% it was a drone dropping a bomb on the forward deck of our ship,” he said.

The flotilla arrived in Tunis on Sunday after departing Spain a week earlier with climate justice Advocate Greta Thunberg aboard.

The Global Sumud Flotilla said it consists of about 50 boats loaded with food and aid and hundreds of activists from more than 45 countries.

Its mission is to break Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian enclave.

“Acts of aggression aimed at intimidating and derailing our mission will not deter us,” the Global Sumud Flotilla said in a statement. “Our peaceful mission to break the siege of Gaza and stand in solidarity with its people continues with determination and resolve.”

Israel has enforced a land, sea and air blockade of Gaza since Hamas‘ takeover of the enclave in 2007. The blockade has further been tightened since the Iran-backed militia’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

The government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began to allow aid into the country in May following a three-month prohibition, but international organizations say it is not enough.

The United Nations has accused Israel of creating a manmade famine in Gaza — accusations that Israel has rejected.

The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, as well as former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, on allegations of using starvation as a method of warfare.

According to the Palestine Ministry of Health, 387 Palestinians, including 139 children, have died of starvation in Gaza.

At least 64,455 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in Israel’s war against Hamas, the ministry said.

It’s been more than 60 years since Utah backed a Democrat for president. The state’s last Democratic U.S. senator left office nearly half a century ago and the last Utah Democrat to serve in the House lost his seat in 2020.

But, improbably enough, Utah has suddenly emerged as a rare Democratic bright spot in the red-vs.-blue redistricting wars.

Late last month, a judge tossed out the state’s slanted congressional lines and ordered Utah’s GOP-run Legislature to draw a new political map, ruling that lawmakers improperly thumbed their noses and overrode voters who created an independent redistricting commission to end gerrymandering.

It’s a welcome pushback against the growing pattern of lawmakers arrogantly ignoring voters and pursuing their preferred agenda. You don’t have to be a partisan to think that elections should matter and when voters express their will it should be honored.

Otherwise, what’s the point of holding elections?

Anyhow, redistricting. Did you ever dream you’d spend this much time thinking about the subject? Typically, it’s an arcane and extremely nerdy process that occurs once a decade, after the census, and mainly draws attention from a small priesthood of line-drawing experts and political obsessives.

Suddenly, everyone is fixated on congressional boundaries, for which we can thank our voraciously self-absorbed president.

Trump started the whole sorry gerrymandering business — voters and democracy be damned — by browbeating Texas into redrawing its congressional map to try to nab Republicans as many as five additional House seats in 2026. The paranoid president is looking to bolster his party ahead of a tough midterm election, when Democrats need to gain just three seats to win a House majority and attain some measure of control over Trump’s rogue regime.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom responded to Texas with a proposed Democratic gerrymander and perhaps you’re thinking, well, what about his attempted power grab? While your friendly columnist has deplored efforts to end-run the state’s voter-established redistricting commission, at least the matter is going on the ballot in a Nov. 4 special election, allowing the people to decide.

Meantime, the political race to the bottom continues.

Lawmakers in Republican-run Florida, Indiana, Missouri and Ohio may tear up their congressional maps in favor of partisan gerrymanders, and Democrats in Illinois and New York are being urged to do the same.

When all is said and done, 10 or so additional seats could be locked up by one party or the other, even before a single ballot is cast; this when the competitive congressional map nationwide has already shrunk to a postage stamp-sized historic low.

If you think that sort of pre-baked election and voter obsolescence is a good thing, you might consider switching your registration to Russia or China.

Utah, at least, offers a small ray of positivity.

In 2018, voters there narrowly approved Proposition 4, taking the map-drawing process away from self-interested lawmakers and creating an independent commission to handle redistricting. In 2021, the Republican-run Legislature chose to ignore voters, gutting the commission and passing a congressional map that allowed the GOP to easily win all four of Utah’s House seats.

The trick was slicing and dicing Democratic-leaning Salt Lake County, the state’s most populous and densely packed, and scattering its voters among four predominantly Republican districts.

“There’s always going to be someone who disagrees,” Carson Jorgensen, the chairman of the Utah Republican Party, said airily as lawmakers prepared to give voters their middle finger.

In July 2024, Utah’s five Supreme Court justices — all Republican appointees — found that the Legislature’s repeal and replacement of Proposition 4 was unconstitutional. The ruling kicked the case over to Salt Lake County District Judge Dianna Gibson, who on Aug. 25 rejected the partisan maps drawn by GOP lawmakers.

Cue the predictable outrage.

“Monday’s Court Order in Utah is absolutely Unconstitutional,” Trump bleated on social media. “How did such a wonderful Republican State like Utah, which I won in every Election, end up with so many Radical Left Judges?”

In Gibson’s case, the answer is her appointment by Gov. Gary R. Herbert, a Republican who would be considered a radical leftist in the same way a hot fudge sundae could be described as diet food.

Others offered the usual condemnation of “judicial activism,” which is political-speak for whenever a court decision doesn’t go your way.

“It’s a terrible day … for the rule of law,” lamented Utah’s Republican Sen. Mike Lee, who is apparently concerned with legal proprieties only insofar as they serve his party’s president and the GOP, having schemed with Trump allies in their failed attempt to overturn the 2020 election.

In a ruling last week rejecting lawmakers’ request to pause her decision, Gibson wrote that “Utah has an opportunity to be different.”

“While other states are currently redrawing their congressional maps to intentionally render some citizen votes meaningless, Utah could redesign its congressional plan with the intention to protect its citizens’ right to vote and to ensure that each citizen’s vote is meaningful.”

That’s true. Utah can not only be different from other states, as Gibson suggested.

It can be better.

A WOMAN has been charged after two children were killed in a horrific hit-and-run.

Roman Casselden, 16, and nine-year-old Darcie Casselden tragically died after a privately owned e-scooter they were riding on collided with a car in Pitsea, Essex, on February 1.

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Deimante Ziobryte, 21, appeared at Basildon Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, August 28, charged with failing to stop at the scene of a collision.

Essex Police said Ms Ziobryte remains on bail in connection with other driving offences, with an investigation ongoing into these.

More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online

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MEGHAN Markle’s heavily criticised Netflix show has been renewed for a second season as a new trailer dropped.

Footage showed the Duchess of Sussex alongside a host of famous guests ahead of the release of the second series of With Love, Meghan on August 26.

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The first season of Meghan’s eight-part Netflix show saw her bee-keeping, making homemade candles and cooking with celeb pals, including Mindy Kaling and make-up artist Daniel Martin.

Now, the show’s second series promises to be “fun and heartwarming” as a plethora of celebrity guests are due to make their appearance.

This includes stars Chrissy Teigen, Christina Tosi, Jamie Kern Lima, and Tan France.

Describing the new season, Netflix said: “Meghan returns with a fun and heartwarming new season, welcoming celebrity chefs, talented artists, and beloved friends for hands-on adventures filled with laughter and discovery.

“From playful cooking challenges to DIY projects, Meghan and her guests explore bold flavors, experiment with new techniques, and discover simple ways to add beauty to everyday life.

“It’s all about embracing playfulness over perfection and finding joy in creating together.”

Meghan can be seen laughing alongside guests at her Montecito home in the trailer, even joking at the end about Prince Harry’s lack of love for lobster.

Speaking to Chef Andrés, she says: “You know who doesn’t like lobster? My husband.”

In response, the chef light-heartedly retorts: “And you married him anyway?”

This comes after Harry and Meghan announced yesterday they had signed a new “multi-year, first look deal” with the American streaming giant to produce “film and television projects”.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have previously released a number of shows on the platform, including a 2022 documentary on their lives and lifestyle show With Love, Meghan this year.

They had secured a lucrative five-year contract – thought to be worth more than $100 million (£74 million) – with Netflix after quitting as senior working royals in 2020.

However, this new deal has been signed for “much less”, an insider told Page Six.

Meghan said in a statement: “We’re proud to extend our partnership with Netflix and expand our work together to include the As Ever brand.

“My husband and I feel inspired by our partners who work closely with us and our Archewell Productions team to create thoughtful content across genres that resonates globally, and celebrates our shared vision.”

Netflix will only pay for projects they want to screen, rather than pay in a single multi-million pound agreement like the one signed in 2020, The Sun understands.

The Sun can also reveal, however, that the streaming giants will cover Archewell Productions’s overheads, including all costs for its offices and staff.

The new deal was also described as a “downgrade” by PR expert Mark Borkowski.

He told the Mail: “I think Netflix has done a very neat job of pivoting away from two very expensive people who didn’t deliver, and they’ve taken that deal off the table, and they’ve given them a modest one. 

“It’s not like they’re gradually uncoupling – it’s a downgrade. Netflix are not going to expose themselves to those budgets again. It’s Netflix saying, ‘Let’s have a look at your content, but we’ll pick and choose, mate’.”

On top of Season 2 of With Love, Meghan – which will drop later this month – the couple will also film a “Holiday Celebration” Christmas special.

“Join Meghan in Montecito for a magical holiday celebration,” the announcement read.

“Together, friends and family deck the halls, create holiday feasts, craft heartfelt gifts, and share lots of laughs – with simple how-tos to follow at home. It’s a holiday wonder with warmth, tradition, and a generous dose of joy.”

The couple will also release a short film called “Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within” which will look at Uganda’s Masaka region and the HIV/AIDS crisis there.

This has echoes of Harry’s mum Diana’s work, who pioneered social change on perceptions of HIV/AIDS.

She famously shook the hand of a man suffering with the illness without gloves, publicly challenging the idea that HIV/Aids was passed from person to person by touch.

There is also “active development” on other projects with Netflix which “span a variety of content genres”, including a feature adaptation of the bestselling romantic novel by Carley Fortune, Meet Me At The Lake.

Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s Chief Content Officer, said: “Harry and Meghan are influential voices whose stories resonate with audiences everywhere.

“The response to their work speaks for itself — Harry & Meghan gave viewers an intimate look into their lives and quickly became one of our most-watched documentary series.

“More recently, fans have been inspired by With Love, Meghan, with products from the new As Ever line consistently selling out in record time.

“We’re excited to continue our partnership with Archewell Productions and to entertain our members together.”

It was previously thought that the Sussexes’ £74million deal with the streamer was not going to be renewed.

Harry’s vanity project, Polo, about the sport, was watched by just 500,000 people.

But it was also understood that bosses were mildly infuriated by Meghan making her As Ever brand a priority.

The With Love, Meghan viewing figures have reportedly been “dismal”.

Lifestyle and cookery show With Love, Meghan only ranked at number 383 in Netflix’s six-monthly engagement report this year, with just 5.3million viewers across the globe.

Described by one critic as an “exercise in narcissism”, it was beaten by reruns of the first four seasons of legal drama Suits, which also starred the Duchess in her pre-royal days.

Once judged by some as Britain’s greatest soft power asset since Princess Diana, Meghan was filmed for her show making ladybird-shaped canapes from cherry tomatoes and mozzarella balls.

In truth, the show is a smash hit compared to her husband’s vanity docuseries Polo, blasted as “a dull indulgence about a rich person’s pursuit”.

In the first six months of the year the programme attracted a disastrous 500,000 views globally, ranking it at number 3,442 out of around 7,000 shows.

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New York City-based Columbia University has agreed to pay $221m to settle claims by US President Donald Trump’s administration that it failed to curb anti-Semitism on campus, in exchange for the reinstatement of billions of dollars in federal funding.

The deal, agreed on Wednesday, comes after sweeping university campus protests against Israel’s war in Gaza during the spring and summer of 2024 and this year were criticised as veering into anti-Semitism.

In February, the government cut $400m in federal research funding for Columbia in a bid to force its administrators to respond to alleged harassment of Jewish students and faculty.

The unprecedented agreement marks a victory in Trump’s efforts to exert greater control over higher education, including campus activism, and could offer a framework for future deals with other universities.

What’s in the deal Trump has struck with Columbia?

Columbia has agreed to pay $200m to the government over three years, as well as making a separate $21m payment to settle claims by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

In exchange, the “vast majority” of the frozen $400m in federal funding will be reinstated, the university said. Columbia will also regain access to billions of dollars’ worth of current and future grants under the deal.

Columbia is required, within 30 days, to appoint an administrator who will report to the university president and will be responsible for overseeing the deal’s compliance. This includes verifying that the institution ends programmes that promote “unlawful efforts to achieve race-based outcomes, quotas [and] diversity targets”.

Additionally, Columbia must review its Middle East curriculum to make sure it is “comprehensive and balanced” and appoint new faculty staff to its Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies. 

Columbia said the agreement establishes Bart Schwartz, of the compliance firm Guidepost Solutions, as an independent monitor who will report to the government on its progress every six months.

The university will be expected to compile a report for the monitor to ensure its programmes “do not promote unlawful DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion] goals”.

Why have they come to this agreement?

Columbia said the agreement formalises already-announced reforms to address harassment of Jewish students and staff, including the hiring of additional public safety personnel, changes to disciplinary processes, and efforts to foster “an inclusive and respectful learning environment”.

The dispute between Columbia and the Trump administration began after Jewish students and faculty complained of harassment on campus by pro-Palestine demonstrators, while pro-Palestinian advocates accused critics of often wrongly conflating opposition to Israel with the hatred of Jews.

Columbia’s acting president, Claire Shipman, said the agreement marked “an important step forward after a period of sustained federal scrutiny and institutional uncertainty”.

“The settlement was carefully crafted to protect the values that define us and allow our essential research partnership with the federal government to get back on track. Importantly, it safeguards our independence, a critical condition for academic excellence and scholarly exploration, work that is vital to the public interest,” she added.

Trump hailed the settlement as “historic” in a post on his Truth Social platform. “Numerous other Higher Education Institutions that have hurt so many, and been so unfair and unjust, and have wrongly spent federal money, much of it from our government, are upcoming,” he wrote.

How have students and activists reacted?

Student activist group Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) slammed the settlement as “a bribe”. “Imagine selling your students out just so you can pay Trump $221 million dollars and keep funding genocide,” the group wrote on X.

It added that Columbia’s disciplinary action against students, including suspensions and expulsions, this week was a punishment that “hugely” exceeded the precedent for non-Palestine-related demonstrations.

Non-governmental organisation Palestine Legal accused Columbia of “weaponising claims of antisemitism to punish those calling for freedom for Palestinians”.

“It is clear that Columbia’s desire to create a community ‘where all feel welcome’ doesn’t extend to students who call for an end to Israel’s genocide,” the group posted on X.

Hasan Piker, a left-wing activist, political commentator and a critic of Trump, said the US president was “underwater on everything and Columbia is still caving to Trump on everything”, adding “it seems like some of these institutions were looking for the pretext to go right”.

What steps has Columbia already taken to pacify the Trump administration?

In March, Columbia agreed to a list of demands laid down by Trump in return for negotiations to reinstate its $400m federal funding, which he had revoked a month before, citing “a failure to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment”.

Among other concessions, the university agreed to ban face mask coverings during protests, as well as to install 36 campus police officers with special powers to arrest students.

Earlier this month, Columbia adopted a controversial definition of anti-Semitism drafted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), which has been criticised for what some say is conflating criticism of the state of Israel and Zionism with anti-Semitism.

Critics have warned that the definition could be used to stifle dissent and curb academic freedom. In a letter sent to the United Nations in 2023, 60 human and civil rights organisations said the definition should not be used.

“The IHRA definition has often been used to wrongly label criticism of Israel as antisemitic, and thus chill and sometimes suppress, non-violent protest, activism and speech critical of Israel and/or Zionism, including in the US and Europe,” they wrote.

On Tuesday, Columbia also announced it would suspend, expel or revoke degrees for nearly 80 students who participated in a Butler Library demonstration on its campus on May 7, 2025 and a “Revolt for Rafah” encampment on May 31, 2024 during the university’s annual alumni weekend.

During protests, students demanded that the university’s $14.8bn endowment stop investing in weapons makers and other companies that support Israel.

Protest organiser and former student Mahmoud Khalil, 29, was the first person to be detained during the Trump administration’s push to deport pro-Palestinian activists who are not US citizens.

The school also said it would no longer engage with pro-Palestinian group CUAD.

Which other universities has Trump set his sights on, and why?

The Trump administration is focusing attention on 10 universities that it deems noteworthy in its campaign to root out anti-Semitism. These are Columbia; George Washington University; Harvard; Johns Hopkins University; New York University; Northwestern; the University of California, Berkeley; the University of California, Los Angeles; the University of Minnesota; and the University of Southern California.

Columbia University was the first college to see its funding slashed, but several Ivy League schools have been subjected to or threatened with funding cuts since Trump took office in January 2024.

More than $2bn in total was frozen for Cornell, Northwestern, Brown and Princeton universities.

In April, the administration also threatened to freeze $510m in grants to Brown University over alleged violations “relating to antisemitic harassment and discrimination”.

Harvard University was the first – and has so far been the only – major higher education institution to defy Trump’s demands and fight back in federal court.

This week, it argued in federal court that the Trump administration had illegally cut $2.6bn in funding in what were politically motivated attempts to reshape the institution.

Are deals with other universities expected as well?

Some universities are also believed to be in talks with the Trump administration, so more deals could be forthcoming.

In particular, US news outlets have reported that officials from the Trump administration and Harvard are continuing negotiations, despite the court case brought by Harvard.

In June, Trump posted on social media that “if a Settlement is made on the basis that is currently being discussed, it will be ‘mindbogglingly’ HISTORIC, and very good for our Country”.

Several people have been injured at the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, with some unconfirmed reports that it was hit by Israeli artillery shells.

Catholic Church leaders referred only to it being “struck by a raid” in a statement, but Italy’s prime minister blamed Israeli forces.

The Israeli military said it was aware of the reports of damage and casualties at the church, adding that “the circumstances of the incident are under review”.

Many displaced Christian families from the small local community have been living in the Roman Catholic church since the war began after their own homes were destroyed. While he was alive, the late Pope Francis called them on a near-daily basis.

The Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem said the Argentine parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli, was among those injured and denied initial reports of fatalities.

It added that the church had been damaged.

A video and photos shared with the BBC showed the roof was hit, close to the cross, and that windows were broken.

The Latin Patriarchate said it would provide additional details when they were confirmed.

A video aired on Arab TV showed Father Gabriel walking unsteadily and checking on a man on a stretcher at the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, where those injured are being treated.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni blamed Israel, saying: “The attacks against the civilian population that Israel has been carrying out for months are unacceptable.”

“No military action can justify such an attitude,” she added.

The Vatican has so far not responded to a request for comment.

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem condemned the strike, which it called a “flagrant violation of human dignity and a blatant violation of the sanctity of life and the sanctity of religious sites, which are supposed to provide a safe haven in times of war”.

It estimated that 600 displaced people were sheltering inside at the time, the majority of whom were children as well as 54 people with special needs.

The Holy Family Church falls within part of Gaza City that the Israeli military has previously told locals to leave.

Israel launched its war in Gaza in retaliation for the Hamas-led attacks on 7 October 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and led to 251 others being taken hostage.

Israeli attacks have since killed more than 58,500 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The ministry’s figures are quoted by the UN and others as the most reliable source of statistics available on casualties.

The United States has reached an agreement with China on accelerating shipments of rare earth minerals to the US, amid efforts to end a trade war between the world’s two biggest economies.

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the US had signed a deal with China the previous day, without providing more details, adding that he expects to soon have a trade deal with India as well.

Thursday’s announcement follows talks in Geneva in May, which led the US and China to reduce mutual tariffs.

In June, talks in London set a framework for negotiations. Thursday’s announcement appeared to formalise that agreement.

“The [Trump] administration and China agreed to an additional understanding for a framework to implement the Geneva agreement,” a White House official said on Thursday.

China also confirmed the framework for a deal, with its Ministry of Commerce stating that it will review and approve applications for items subject to export control rules.

What do we know about the US-China deal?

During US-China trade talks in Geneva, Beijing committed to removing non-tariff countermeasures imposed against the US following Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” announcement on April 2.

That was when Washington announced so-called “reciprocal” import duties but later paused most of them, with the exception of its 145 percent tariff on China, for 90 days to allow for negotiations. This pause is due to come to an end on July 9.

In retaliation, China imposed its own tariff of 125 percent on US goods, suspended exports on a wide range of critical minerals, upending supply chains crucial to US carmakers, semiconductor companies and military contractors.

But on Thursday, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Bloomberg TV that “they’re [China] going to deliver rare earths to us”, and once they do that “we’ll take down our countermeasures”. Those US countermeasures include export curbs on materials such as ethane, which is used to make plastic, and chip software.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Commerce Ministry said on Friday: “In recent days, after approval, both sides have further confirmed details on the framework.”

The spokesperson added: “The Chinese side will review and approve eligible applications for export of controlled items in accordance with the law. The US side will correspondingly cancel a series of restrictive measures taken against China.”

In early June, China granted temporary export licences to rare earth suppliers of the top three US automakers, according to two sources familiar with the matter, as supply chain disruptions began to surface from export curbs on those materials.

This week’s deal, which Lutnick said was signed on Wednesday, would amount to a wider agreement by codifying the terms laid out in Geneva, including a commitment from China to deliver rare earths to all US firms.

Why are Chinese rare earth minerals so vital?

China’s export of rare earth elements is central to ongoing trade negotiations with the US. Beijing has a virtual monopoly of critical minerals, mining 70 percent of the world’s rare earths and processing roughly 90 percent of their supply.

Critical minerals, a group of 17 elements which are essential to numerous manufacturing processes, have become particularly important for the auto industry, which relies on rare earth magnets for steering systems, engines and catalytic converters.

Car manufacturers have already complained about factories being brought to a near halt because of supply chain shortages of rare earths and the magnets they are used to make. A Ford executive said earlier this week that the company was living “hand to mouth”.

Rare earths are also vital for the transition to clean energy and are used in an array of products, including wind turbines, smartphones and televisions. They are also used to make fighter jets, missile systems and AI processors.

What other trade deals does Trump claim to be close to agreeing?

Lutnick told Bloomberg that Trump is also preparing to finalise a suite of trade deals in the coming weeks, ahead of his July 9 deadline for reinstating higher trade tariffs, which he paused on April 9.

“We’re going to do top 10 deals, put them in the right category, and then these other countries will fit behind,” he said.

Lutnick didn’t specify which nations would be part of that first wave of trade pacts. Earlier on Thursday, however, Trump suggested the US was nearing an agreement with India.

Indian trade officials, led by chief negotiator Rajesh Agarwal, are expected to hold meetings in Washington for two days this week, Bloomberg News has reported.

In recent months, US officials have also held talks with countries, including Vietnam, South Korea, Japan and the EU.

So far, only the United Kingdom has reached a trade agreement with the US, while China secured lower reciprocal tariffs in Geneva.

Still, the pact with the UK left several questions unaddressed, including the discount rates applied to certain British metal exports.

Which deals is the US still struggling to strike?

The majority of America’s major trade partners – from Canada to Vietnam and South Korea – are all expected to have fraught discussions with Washington before reciprocal tariffs expire in early July.

Most countries are hoping to have tariffs whittled down by as much as possible, and, failing that, to extend the July deadline, but there is no certainty yet for any of them.

Talks which have been particularly tricky include:

European Union

A major question mark remains over an agreement with the European Union, which ran a $235.6bn trade surplus with the US in 2024.

The hurdle facing EU leaders and the European Commission, which oversees trade issues for the 27-member bloc, is whether to accept an “asymmetrical” trade deal with the US, under which terms could be more favourable to the US in order to get a deal done faster.

Some member states are thought to be opposed to tit-for-tat retaliation, preferring a quick tariff deal over a perfect one.

But others disagree. France has rejected the notion of any deal skewed in favour of the US and is instead pushing for a complete removal of tariffs.

Japan

Japan is keen on settling all potential US tariffs in one fell swoop. But a sticking point in negotiations has been the 25 percent tariffs on cars and car parts imposed by Trump.

Washington is focused on autos because that sector is responsible for most of its trade deficit with Japan.

But Tokyo views its automotive industry as a key pillar in its economy as it generates about 10 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).

On Thursday, Japan’s chief trade negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, reiterated Tokyo’s position, telling reporters: “We consider the 25 percent automobile tariff to be unacceptable.”

Could the US extend its tariffs deadline past July?

President Trump could decide to extend the deadline for reimposing tariffs on most of the world’s countries, the White House said on Thursday.

Trump’s July deadline for restarting tariffs is “not critical”, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

“Perhaps it could be extended, but that’s a decision for the president to make,” Leavitt said.

She also said that if any of those countries refuse to make a trade deal with the US by the deadlines, “the president can simply provide these countries with a deal”.

“And that means the president can pick a reciprocal tariff rate that he believes is advantageous for the United States, and for the American worker,” she added.

Meanwhile, White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told Fox Business on Tuesday: “We know that we’re very, very close to a few countries.”

June 23 (UPI) — A 29-year-old Colorado man on his honeymoon died one day after being struck by lightning on a beach in Central Florida.

Jake A. Rosencranz was hit by lightning in New Smyrna Beach while standing in ankle-deep water around 12:30 p.m. Friday, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reported. First responders performed CPR on him and he was taken to a hospital in critical condition, where he died Saturday, Volusia County Beach Safety Director Tammy Malphurs told WKMG-TV.

“So sorry for the tragic loss of a young man here on a delayed honeymoon with his wife,” Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said. “At 29 years old, he should have had many more anniversaries with her for years to come. Sending sincere condolences to this young woman on behalf of all of us in Volusia County who were hoping against hope that the diligent efforts of our lifeguards, EMS team and ER staff would bring him back to her.”

Earlier he posted on Facebook: “They were visiting our beaches to celebrate their marriage. In one terrifying second everything changed.”

The NSB Fire Department confirmed that two golfers were indirectly struck by lightning at the Venetian Bay Golf Course at around 12:18 p.m. They didn’t require emergency transport to a hospital.

This was Florida’s first lightning fatality of the year.

Malphurs said people are rarely struck by lightning in a storm several miles away.

“We see them, and a lot of times they move in really fast,” she said. “A lot of times they’re miles away and you’ll see a random bolt of lightning, which it happens. It’s rare in this instance, it happened like Friday.”

When lightning is nearby, she said you should seek shelter. If there are no buildings, get into a vehicle with a hard metal top and close the windows.

The earthquake, which was centred on the Turkish resort town of Marmaris, has left one person dead and at least 69 injured

Holidaymakers have recounted terrifying moments as their hotels shook during a 5.8 magnitude earthquake that struck western Turkey and the neighbouring Greek islands in the early hours of Tuesday.

The quake, which was centred on the Turkish resort of Marmaris when it struck at 2.17am, has resulted in one fatality and at least 69 people injured. The tremor also spread across areas such as the Greek island of Rhodes, abruptly rousing many from their sleep.

Belfast dad Matthew McCormick, on a family getaway in Rhodes, was startled awake by an ominous rumbling sound.

“We got to bed and had just fallen over to sleep and the next thing there was just this loud, rumbling noise,” the 35 year old told the PA news agency. “And then the next minute, the whole hotel was just shaking.”

Completely taken aback, his immediate thoughts turned to protecting his young daughter: “It was very surreal, it woke me and my wife up and my first concern was for the four-year-old beside us. She woke up and she started to cry.

“She was terrified – I think for us at that point, it was just trying to make sure she was OK. I tried to have a look at the roof, and it didn’t look like there were any cracks or anything appearing in the roof. I figured that we were safe enough.”

Mr McCormick, who is returning to Belfast on Tuesday, initially feared a bombing, but soon realised they were experiencing a natural disaster.

“My gut feeling was either there’s been bombs landing somewhere or it’s an earthquake,” he said. “Given some of the current global politics there was a slight fear that something had kicked off here overnight.”

Despite the nocturnal disturbance, Mr McCormick observed no evidence of destruction and tranquil seas by Tuesday afternoon.

Turkish interior minister Ali Yerlikaya stated on X that a teenage girl was rushed to the hospital and died after what he described as an anxiety attack.

It remained unclear if she suffered from any pre-existing conditions. At least 69 people received medical attention for injuries caused by leaping out of windows or from balconies in a state of alarm, according to him, but no structural damage was reported.

Salem Swan, a 25-year-old Sunderland-based carer vacationing in Bodrum, Turkey, experienced her hotel sway with the quake as well.

“The earthquake wasn’t that strong where we are in Bodrum, we are about 164km from Marmaris where the earthquake hit,” she told PA. “There was some shaking around 2.15am for us, but it only lasted for maybe 30 seconds to a minute here so it was over quite quickly.

“None of the buildings here were affected as far as I know but we have had a leak in our accommodation bathroom which we are under the impression the earthquake potentially had caused.”

Turkey is perched atop significant fault lines, making earthquakes a common occurrence. In 2023, a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake claimed over 53,000 lives in Turkey, leaving hundreds of thousands of buildings in ruins across 11 southern and southeastern provinces.

An additional 6,000 individuals lost their lives in the northern regions of neighbouring Syria. Currently, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has not issued any travel advisories against visiting western Turkey or the Greek islands.