West Bengal’s Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has firmly rejected stepping down after her party’s defeat in assembly elections. PM Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party swept West Bengal in elections Banerjee claims were directly interfered with.
Published On 5 May 20265 May 2026
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Colombian singer Shakira (C) performs during a concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday. Photo by Andre Coelho/EPA
May 5 (UPI) — Colombian singer Shakira drew an estimated 2 million people to a free concert on Copacabana beach, generating an estimated $160 million economic impact, according to data from the city government and municipal agencies.
The show, held Saturday in front of the Copacabana Palace hotel, was part of the third edition of the “Todo Mundo no Rio” program, an initiative led by the Rio city government to attract tourism and economic activity during May, traditionally a low season.
According to Riotur and the Municipal Secretariat of Economic Development, the event boosted sectors such as hospitality, food services, transportation and retail. The city deployed a comprehensive operation covering security, logistics and public services, with the Operations and Resilience Center running at full capacity.
Todo Mundo no Rio com @shakira : 2 milhões de pessoas. A Loba fez história no Rio. Pode espalhar porque é número oficial da @Prefeitura_Rio .
Fonte: Riotur
Todo el mundo en Río con @Shakira: 2 millones de personas. La Loba hizo historia en Río. Pueden compartirlo: es la cifra… pic.twitter.com/jhq9bJIHtg— Eduardo Cavaliere (@CavaliereRio) May 3, 2026
The concert opened with a show of 1,500 drones — described as one of the largest displays of its kind at a music event — forming a she-wolf in the sky, a symbol associated with the artist. Minutes later, Shakira appeared on stage dressed in the colors of Brazil.
During the show, the artist spoke in Portuguese and recalled her early years in the country.
“Brazil, I love you. It is magical to see millions of souls together, ready to sing, feel and dance,” she told the crowd.
The performance included more than two hours of hits spanning different stages of her career, along with segments dedicated to women.
“Women don’t cry anymore. Alone we may be more vulnerable, but together we are invincible,” she said.
The show also featured appearances by well-known Brazilian artists, such as Anitta, Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethania and Ivete Sangalo.
The “Todo Mundo no Rio” program aims to position Rio as a global destination for large-scale events. It was launched in 2024 with Madonna, who drew 1.6 million people, and continued in 2025 with Lady Gaga, who attracted 2.5 million.
Copacabana has also hosted some of the largest concerts in the world. Rod Stewart drew 3.5 million people in 1994, The Rolling Stones, about 1.5 million in 2006, and Stevie Wonder, some 2 million in 2012.
According to official data released by Agencia Brasil, medical services handled about 400 cases during the event, with 64 transfers to hospitals due to general discomfort, minor injuries and alcohol consumption. Cleanup crews collected about 362 tons of waste, with nearly 2,000 workers deployed.
After her stop in Brazil, Shakira will head to the North American leg of her tour, with concerts in the United States between June and July. These include dates in Inglewood, Palm Desert and San Jose, Calif., Dallas, Atlanta, Miami, Baltimore, Boston, Newark, N.J., and New York, before ending this leg in Atlantic City, N.J. on July 25.
May 5 (UPI) — Brian Armstrong, CEO of cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, announced the company is downsizing about 14% of its workforce.
Armstrong posted a memo to employees on X saying he had made “the difficult decision to reduce the size of Coinbase” by approximately 14%, explaining it is the result of “two forces” that “are converging at the same time.”
The first of the “forces” at play is the current downturn in the crypto market, leading to a “need to adjust our cost structure now so that we emerge from this period leaner, faster and more efficient for our next phase of growth.”
The second reason cited by Armstrong is the rise of AI “changing how we work.”
“All of this has led us to an inflection point, not just for Coinbase, but for every company. The biggest risk now is not taking action. We are adjusting early and deliberately to rebuild Coinbase to be lean, fast, and AI-native. We need to return to the speed and focus of our startup founding, with AI at our core,” Armstrong wrote.
Coinbase is scheduled to report its first-quarter earnings on Saturday, with shares up nearly 4% in premarket trading.
The announcement follows other companies including Block, Pinterest, CrowdStrike and Chegg making the decision to cut jobs as a result of AI integration.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf warned Tuesday that Iran was “just getting started” after its military clashed with U.S. forces attempting to guide commercial ships trapped by the war out through the Hormuz Strait. File Photo by Wael Hamzeh/EPA
May 5 (UPI) — Iran warned Tuesday that it was “just getting started” after its military clashed with U.S. forces attempting to guide commercial vessels marooned in the Persian Gulf out through the Strait of Hormuz.
Mohammad Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, signaling Iran’s intention to exploit the United States’ need for a timely resolution to the conflict, said Iran was digging in for an extended fight that it was prepared to keep going for as long as necessary.
“The new equation in the Strait of Hormuz is being solidified. Shipping security and energy transit have been jeopardized by the U.S. and its allies with the cease-fire violations and blockade. However, their evil acts will fail. We know well that the continuation of the status quo is intolerable for America, while we are just getting started,” said Ghalibaf.
Speaking at a news briefing at the Pentagon on Tuesday morning, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared to try to de-escalate the situation, stressing that the mission to free trapped merchant ships was a short-term, defensive operation purely aimed at providing protection for the hundreds of vessels he said “are lining up to transit.”
“Project Freedom is defensive in nature, focused in scope and temporary in duration, with one mission, protecting innocent commercial shipping from Iranian aggression. American forces won’t need to enter Iranian waters or airspace. It’s not necessary. We’re not looking for a fight,” he said.
However, echoing threats made by U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday night, Hegseth said that Iran “will face overwhelming firepower” if it attacks commercial shipping and that he expected other countries to “step up” to protect the strategically important sea lane “at the appropriate time.”
Day one of Trump’s Project Freedom on Monday saw Iran claim it fired on U.S. naval vessels approaching the strait, forcing one to turn around, while Trump said U.S. forces sank seven Iranian navy “fast boats,” prompting Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to dub the effort “Project Deadlock,” warning that the conflict could only be resolved through compromise.
The UAE also said it was targeted with Iranian missiles and drones for the first time since a cease-fire came into force April 9, blaming the attacks for a fire in its Fujairah Oil Industry Zone in which three people were injured.
“Events in Hormuz make clear that there’s no military solution to a political crisis. As talks are making progress with Pakistan’s gracious effort, the U.S. should be wary of being dragged back into a quagmire by ill-wishers. So should the UAE,” said Araghchi.
The comments came hours after Trump threatened to blow Iran “off the face of the Earth’ if it attacked U.S. vessels involved in Project Freedom.
U.S. Central Command said no U.S. Navy ships had taken fire while Iran rejected as “outright lies,” claims by CENTCOM that two U.S.-flagged merchant vessels “successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz and are safely headed on their journey.”
Seoul apartment buildings are seen in central Seoul, South Korea, 08 March 2026. According to data compiled by KB Kookmin Bank, the average price of apartment units in the top 20 percent sold in Seoul reached 3.47 billion won (USD 2.34 million) in February, up 5.27 million won from the previous month. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
May 4 (Asia Today) — Seoul accounted for more than 80% of first-priority apartment subscription applications in South Korea in March, according to an analysis by real estate platform Zigbang.
Zigbang said Monday that 109,928 first-priority applications were filed nationwide for apartment complexes announced for sale in March. Of those, 90,322, or 82%, were submitted for apartments in Seoul.
The figures were calculated based on the month of the sales announcement. Zigbang said applications were counted according to the date of the initial resident recruitment notice, even when the actual application period extended into the following month.
The increase was sharp compared with earlier months. Complexes announced in January received 10,549 applications and those in February drew 27,313. The number surged past 100,000 in March.
The number of apartment complexes offered also rose from eight in January and 11 in February to 27 in March. The average competition rate climbed from 4.2-to-1 in January to 7.1-to-1 in February and 12.9-to-1 in March.
Analysts said pent-up demand concentrated in March as major Seoul complexes entered the market after limited supply early in the year.
In Seoul, the average competition rate for complexes announced in March reached 156.3-to-1, sharply higher than in January and February. Every complex posted double-digit competition, driven in part by limited general sale units in redevelopment and reconstruction projects.
Major complexes included Acro de Seocho in Seocho District, which recorded a 1,099-to-1 competition rate, Hauterre Banpo in Seocho District at 710-to-1 and Ichon LE-EL in Yongsan District at 135-to-1.
“The recent subscription market continues to show high competition centered on Seoul, but it is difficult to interpret this simply as a divide between the capital region and provincial areas,” a Zigbang official said. “Consumers are clearly moving selectively based on price competitiveness and location rather than region alone.”
The official added that complexes with a strong balance of location, product quality and sale price can continue to attract real demand regardless of region.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260504010000342
People view the Kia EV3 on display during the New York International Auto Show in New York, New York, USA, 02 April 2026. Photo by SARAH YENESEL / EPA
May 4 (Asia Today) — Hyundai Motor and Kia accelerated their shift toward electrified vehicles in the United States in April, even as overall sales fell slightly.
Hyundai Motor Group said Monday it sold 159,216 vehicles in the U.S. market in April, down 2.1% from a year earlier. Hyundai Motor sold 86,513 vehicles, down 1.5%, while Kia sold 72,703, down 2.8%. Genesis sales rose 0.8% to 6,356 vehicles.
The decline was attributed to a high base effect from advance purchases last year linked to tariff concerns. Major global automakers also reported weaker sales, while Hyundai Motor Group maintained its No. 2 position in the market.
Eco-friendly vehicle sales showed clear growth despite the overall decline. Hyundai and Kia sold 48,425 eco-friendly vehicles in April, up 47.6% from a year earlier. Their share of total sales exceeded 30% for the first time, reaching 30.4%.
Hybrid sales surged 57.8% to a record 41,239 vehicles. Hyundai sold 21,713 hybrids, up 47.7%, while Kia sold 19,526, up 70%.
Electric vehicle sales also rose 7.7% to 7,186. Hyundai EV sales edged lower to 4,779, but Kia’s EV sales jumped 65% to 2,407, driving growth in the segment.
By model, the Hyundai Tucson led sales with 22,024 vehicles, followed by the Elantra with 14,778 and the Palisade with 11,324. Sonata sales rose 18.2% to 7,105, while Elantra sales climbed 12.6%, showing signs of recovery in sedan demand.
Among hybrid models, Sonata hybrid sales surged 170% to 4,520 and Elantra hybrid sales rose 55.3% to 2,399, reflecting stronger demand for electrified models.
For Kia, the Sportage remained the top seller with 15,803 vehicles, followed by the K4 with 13,214 and the Telluride with 12,577. Seltos sales rose 31.7% to 5,335, absorbing demand in the compact SUV segment.
Among Kia’s eco-friendly vehicles, the Sportage hybrid rose 65.2% to 7,446 and EV9 sales jumped 481.5% to 1,349.
Genesis maintained its position in the premium market, led by GV70 sales of 2,837, up 7.7%, and G70 sales of 991, up 23.4%.
Hyundai and Kia said their balanced portfolio of hybrids, electric vehicles and internal combustion engine models is helping them respond flexibly to changing market conditions.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260504010000367
May 5 (UPI) — An explosion at a fireworks factory in China’s Hunan Province has killed 26 people and injured dozens more, state media reported Tuesday, prompting Chinese President Xi Jinping to call for those responsible to be held accountable.
The blast occurred Monday afternoon at the Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display plant in the southern city of Liuyang, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported. Authorities said 26 people were killed and 61 injured at a press conference Tuesday.
Five rescue teams totaling nearly 500 personnel were dispatched to the scene, while an area with a radius of nearly two miles was evacuated due to the risk of further explosions.
Rescuers set up firebreaks and sprayed water over the site to “prevent secondary accidents during the rescue,” Xinhua said.
Mayor Chen Bozhang of provincial capital Changsha told reporters Tuesday that search and rescue operations were largely complete, adding that real-time air and water monitoring showed no signs of environmental contamination.
The person in charge of the fireworks company has been taken into custody, Chen said.
Aerial footage from Chinese state broadcaster CCTV showed widespread damage, with smoldering factory buildings leveled across a wide area.
Xi on Tuesday ordered a prompt investigation into the accident and said “those responsible must be held accountable,” state media reported. He also called for stronger risk screening and hazard controls in key sectors, along with enhanced public safety management.
The blast follows other deadly fireworks-related accidents in China in recent years. Ahead of Lunar New Year celebrations in February, an explosion and fire at a fireworks store in Jiangsu Province killed eight, prompting officials to call for increased safety checks on pyrotechnics.
In 2019, another fireworks factory explosion in Liuyang killed 13 people. The city is the hub of China’s fireworks manufacturing industry, accounting for about 60% of the domestic market and roughly 70% of exports, according to state media.
Seoul’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday it dismissed three Army officers and removed another from service over their involvement in the 2024 martial law bid. One of the officers, Brig. Gen. Kim Jeong-geun, is seen in this December 2024 photo ahead of questioning by special prosecutors. File Photo by Yonhap
The defense ministry said Tuesday it has dismissed three Army officers from military service and removed another from service over their involvement in former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived martial law declaration.
The decision came after the ministry convened a disciplinary committee meeting last month to review the cases of the four Army officers accused of involvement in the Dec. 3, 2024, martial law bid.
Brig. Gen. Kim Jeong-geun; Col. An Mu-seong, who had been awaiting promotion to brigadier general; and Col. Kim Se-un were dismissed from military service, the highest level of disciplinary punishment, according to sources. The punishment carries a 50 percent cut in military retirement benefits.
Brig. Gen. Kim and An are accused of deploying troops to the National Assembly on the night martial law was declared, while Col. Kim is accused of transporting the troops to the National Assembly building.
Col. Kim Sang-yong, former deputy chief of the Defense Ministry’s Criminal Investigation Command, was removed from military service, the second-highest level of disciplinary punishment, over his alleged role in helping form a team to arrest key politicians and other major figures. The punishment does not affect military retirement benefits.
The latest move came as the ministry has launched an internal probe into about 860 general-grade and field-grade officers and identified some 180 military personnel as having been involved in the martial law bid in late 2024.
Copyright (c) Yonhap News Agency prohibits its content from being redistributed or reprinted without consent, and forbids the content from being learned and used by artificial intelligence systems.
South Korea’s presidential office said Tuesday it would take several days to determine the cause of an explosion and fire aboard a carrier operated by South Korea’s HMM Co. in the Strait of Hormuz. In this photo, taken Tuesday, an employee enters an HMM office in Busan. Photo by Yonhap
The presidential office said Tuesday it will likely take several days to determine the cause of an explosion and fire aboard a Panama-flagged bulk carrier operated by South Korea’s HMM Co. in the Strait of Hormuz.
Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung made the remarks in a written briefing after senior presidential officials, including presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik, held a meeting to discuss the response to the fire.
“It is expected to take several days to analyze the cause,” the spokesperson said. “The government will brief the public transparently after swiftly and accurately determining the cause of the incident.”
The spokesperson said the vessel will be towed to a nearby port using a tugboat for investigation, with investigators from the Korea Maritime Safety Tribunal and the National Fire Agency to be dispatched.
The explosion occurred at about 8:40 p.m. Monday (Korean time), while the HMM Namu was anchored in waters off the United Arab Emirates (UAE), HMM said. The fire began in the engine room, and crew members used carbon dioxide to fight the blaze for about four hours. No injuries were reported, the company said Tuesday.
HMM said security camera footage showed the fire had been put out and said it would later inspect the engine room to assess the damage.
The freighter had 24 crew members on board — six South Koreans and 18 foreign nationals.
The cause of the explosion and fire, as well as the extent of the damage, is currently under investigation.
“It remains unclear whether the incident was caused by an external attack or an internal malfunction,” an HMM official said.
HMM said it plans to tow the freighter to Dubai, a process expected to take several days.
The spokesperson said South Korea is sharing relevant information with the United States, Iran and members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
She said the oceans ministry and the Cheonghae naval unit operating in the Gulf of Aden are in communication with the HMM Namu, adding the government is in daily contact with the 26 South Korean ships anchored in the strait.
In Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that Iran has taken shots at a South Korean cargo ship and other targets as he called on Seoul to participate in a mission to reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz.
The presidential office separately said it is reviewing Trump’s proposal by considering the readiness posture on the Korean Peninsula and domestic legal procedures.
“(We) are actively taking part in multiple international efforts for the swift stabilization, recovery and normalization of the global maritime logistics network.” it said. “In this context, (we) are paying attention to President Trump’s remarks.”
Industry officials said South Korean-operated ships in waters off the UAE were moving toward Qatar in line with government measures to steer clear of the Strait of Hormuz for safety.
The incident came after the U.S. launched an operation, called Project Freedom, this week to guide commercial vessels stranded by the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran out of the waterway.
HMM operates five vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, including one container ship and two oil tankers.
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Samsung Electronics union members hold a large banner during a protest outside the company’s semiconductor plant in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, 23 April 2026. The union has announced plans to launch an 18-day general strike from 21 May to 07 June, which could result in losses for the company of up to 30 trillion won (US $20.3 billion). Photo by HAN MYUNG-GU / EPA
May 4 (Asia Today) — A rift among Samsung Electronics labor unions is widening after a union representing many workers in the company’s device business withdrew from a joint wage negotiation front.
Industry officials said Monday that Samsung Electronics Union Donghaeng, led mainly by workers in the Device eXperience division, sent an official letter to two other unions announcing its withdrawal from the 2026 joint wage bargaining group.
The unions had formed a joint bargaining team in November for wage and collective agreement talks. After negotiations with management stalled, they reorganized the group as a joint struggle headquarters.
The Donghaeng union said it decided to break away because of failed communication and damaged trust among the unions.
“Even when we proposed agenda items for the rights and interests of all union members rather than a specific department, the two unions showed no response or willingness to discuss them,” the union said in the letter.
The union also said it had repeatedly been disparaged and labeled a “company-friendly union,” making it impossible to maintain a cooperative bargaining relationship.
The Donghaeng union has about 2,300 members, with about 70% from the Device eXperience division, which oversees Samsung’s TV, home appliance and smartphone businesses. The union plans to notify management Wednesday of its withdrawal and request separate negotiations.
It also plans to pursue independent activities, including sending letters to executives and staging one-person protests.
The split is expected to deepen tensions among Samsung Electronics unions. Internal criticism has grown that the Samsung Electronics branch of the Super-Enterprise Labor Union, which recently became the company’s majority union, has focused too heavily on performance bonus demands for the Device Solutions division, Samsung’s semiconductor business.
Membership in the Super-Enterprise Labor Union branch has fallen from more than 76,000 to the 74,000 range, and some employees have called for a new union representing only Device eXperience workers.
The joint struggle headquarters, now without the Donghaeng union, still plans to begin procedures for a full strike May 21. Participation by Donghaeng union members is expected to be decided individually.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260504010000424
Kim Ji-mi, an aide to special counsel Kwon Chang-young, attends a press conference at the counsel team’s office in Gwacheon, south of Seoul, South Korea, 04 May 2026. The special counsel team announced that it has found signs a military unit was making preparations for martial law operations in the first half of 2024, well before former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration in December of that year. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
May 4 (Asia Today) — A special counsel team said Monday it has identified signs that South Korea’s military counterintelligence unit may have begun preparing for a declaration of martial law as early as the first half of 2024.
Kim Ji-mi, a deputy special counsel, said during a regular briefing that investigators confirmed indications of early preparations through questioning of officials from the Defense Counterintelligence Command.
She declined to elaborate on who led the preparations or whether specific plans were in place.
The findings differ from earlier conclusions by a separate special counsel team led by Cho Eun-seok, which had investigated allegations of insurrection and foreign conspiracy related to a Dec. 3 emergency martial law declaration. That team charged former President Yoon Suk Yeol as the alleged ringleader, citing a notebook belonging to former intelligence commander Noh Sang-won as evidence that planning began before October 2023.
However, a lower court rejected the evidentiary value of the notebook, ruling that any decision to impose martial law appeared to have been externally expressed no earlier than Dec. 1, 2024. The court said concrete steps toward implementation began only about two days before the declaration.
The court also found that meetings cited by prosecutors – including a presidential residence dinner in December 2023, a series of gatherings with senior military officials through August 2024 and other meetings in Seoul – could not be directly regarded as preparations for martial law.
Separately, the special counsel team said it would impose a one-month pay reduction on an investigator who posted investigation-related materials on social media. The investigator had uploaded photos including a certificate of appointment and a suspect’s signed statement, which have since been deleted.
The team said it questioned two suspects and 43 witnesses last week as part of the ongoing investigation.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260504010000426
May 4 (UPI) — A United Airlines flight hit a delivery truck and a light pole on the New Jersey Turnpike on approach to Newark International Airport in New Jersey, where it landed safely and nobody was hurt.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the Sunday afternoon incident, which “has been classified as an accident due to the extent of the damage to the airplane.”
“An NTSB investigator arrived in Newark this morning to conduct interviews of the flight crew,” the agency said in a statement posted to X.
“The investigation will examine multiple factors, including flight operations, meteorological conditions, human performance, crew resource management, aircraft performance and air traffic traffic control,” it said.
The flight was on approach from Venice, Italy, into Newark but flew too close to traffic, clipping a delivery truck and then hitting a light pole that reportedly struck a Jeep on the highway, CBS Baltimore and WABC reported.
The flight, which was carrying 221 passengers and 10 crew, landed safely at the airport around 2 p.m., with officials from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to the bakery that owns the truck noting that they have no idea how the incident happened.
“Upon its final approach into Newark International Airport, United flight 169 came into contact with a light pole,” United said in a statement.
“The aircraft landed safely, taxied to the gate normally and no passengers or crew were injured,” the airline said. “Our maintenance team is evaluating damage to the aircraft and we will investigate how this occurred.”
May 4 (UPI) — Elon Musk on Monday settled a lawsuit filed against him by the Securities and Exchange Commission for $1.5 million after the agency accused him of breaking securities laws.
The SEC alleged in January 2025 that Musk cost Twitter shareholders $150 million because he delayed disclosing his purchase of more than 5% of shares in the company within the 10 days required by law.
Musk’s purchase of Twitter led to a series of lawsuits because of how he purchased the company, which has since been renamed to X, which saw him become its biggest shareholder before he launched a successful hostile takeover, The Washington Post reported.
In the settlement, which still needs to be approved by a judge, would see Musk pay a $1.5 million penalty while allowing him to admit no wrongdoing, CNBC reported.
“A trust vehicle has agreed to a small fine for being late on one filing,” Musk attorney Alex Spiro said of the agreement, which will see one of his client’s revocable trusts paying the fine.
Musk made a play to buy Twitter in 2022, first buy purchasing more than 5% of the company, which he did not disclose and was the reason the SEC filed suit, which allowed him to put other investors in a poor position before he launched his takeover.
Security forces have intensified their presence across parts of Mexico’s Sinaloa, setting up checkpoints as rival factions of the Sinaloa Cartel battle for control. Despite the visible military deployment, more than 3,000 people have been killed in nearly two years. The conflict has deepened amid political instability following investigations and indictments linked to former officials.
Published On 5 May 20265 May 2026
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Video from Gaza City shows flames rising after an Israeli strike targeted a group of civilians near Al-Jalaa Roundabout in the Al-Oyoun area in northern Gaza City.
Published On 5 May 20265 May 2026
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May 4 (UPI) — The U.S. Secret Service shot a man near the Washington Monument on Monday after spotting a person with a gun nearby and called for backup.
An ensuing shootout with the man while he tried to run resulted in a child near the monument being injured before the suspect was also shot, and both have been hospitalized, NBC Washington, Fox 5 DC and Politico reported.
The incident comes just over a week since a man rushed security at the White House Correspondents Association Dinner in Washington, D.C., in an alleged attempt to assassinate President Donald Trump and other members of the administration that were in attendance.
The suspect had been under surveillance for some time before he was approached based on officers observing what they termed a “suspicious” person.
“Whether or not it was directed to the president or not, I don’t know, but we will find out,” said Matthew Quinn, deputy director of the secret service, adding that the agency is patrolling the area — the monument is about half-a-mile from the White House — “24/7, hard core” after recent events.
Law enforment officials were patrolling near the monument, down the street from the White House, when they observed the person and approached.
The suspect pulled out a gun and fired toward them, resulting in an exchange of gunfire, which resulted in both the suspect and a nearby child.
The child suffered a graze would to his lower body, was taken to an ambulance and was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, Quinn told reporters.
Streets were blocked off after the incident and members of the White House Press Pool were evacuated from the area during the incident, which occurred as Trump was holding a small business event inside the White House and reportedly was not aware of what happened.
The U.S. Secret Service and the Metropolitan Police Department both said that their investigations are ongoing.
International military delegates chat with exhibitors next to a FA-50 multirole fighter jet model developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) at the Defense and Security 2025 exhibition in Nonthaburi, on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand. File. Photo by RUNGROJ YONGRIT / EPA
May 4 (Asia Today) — Hanwha Aerospace will acquire additional shares in Korea Aerospace Industries to strengthen cooperation in aviation, space and defense.
Hanwha Aerospace said in a regulatory filing Monday it decided to purchase about 2.96 million additional KAI shares on the open market. The acquisition is valued at up to 500 billion won ($340 million), equivalent to about 2.98% of the company’s equity capital.
The transaction will expand Hanwha Aerospace’s existing stake. The company currently holds about 3.31 million KAI shares. After the additional purchase is completed, its total holdings will rise to about 6.27 million shares, increasing its stake to 6.43%.
The purchase will be made in cash through open-market transactions from this month through December. The final acquisition size may vary depending on market conditions, including share prices.
Hanwha Aerospace said the purpose of the acquisition is to strengthen business cooperation. Industry observers view the move as a strategic step to deepen ties between the two companies in the aerospace and defense sectors.
KAI is South Korea’s leading aerospace company, producing aircraft, satellites and aerospace equipment. It reported 3.7 trillion won ($2.51 billion) in revenue and 187.3 billion won ($127 million) in net income last year.
The investment is expected to help Hanwha Aerospace seek stronger synergies between its businesses in space launch vehicles, aircraft engines and defense systems and KAI’s aircraft and space platform capabilities.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260504010000433
May 4 (UPI) — Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is breathing on his own and recovering from pneumonia in Florida after he was hospitalized over the weekend.
Giuliani was hospitalized with the infection on Sunday where he was in critical but stable condition because of difficulty breathing but has improved over the last 24 hours, his spokesman said on Monday afternoon.
The mayor’s spokesman, Ted Goodman, said that he remains in critical but stable condition but he has improved markedly since his hospitalization, is now breathing on his own and has his family by his side.
On Sunday, Goodman had said that Giuliani was hospitalized but had not reported why he was in the hospital, nor did he offer any details.
“Mayor Rudy Giuliani is recovering from pneumonia,” Goodman said in a post on X.
Giuliani, he said, “is the ultimate fighter — as he has demonstrated throughout his life — and he is winning the battle. His family deeply appreciated the outpouring of love and support … Please keep the prayers coming.”
Goodman said that Giuliani was diagnosed with restrictive airway disease after the days he spent in lower Manhattan breathing dust-filled air after the destruction of the World Trade Center by terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001, which included asbestos that had been used in the construction of the buildings in the 1970s.
The condition, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, is a decrease in the total volume of air the lungs can hold because of a decrease in the organs’ elasticity or issues linked to chest wall expansion when a person inhales.
Pneumonia can be caused by bacteria, viruses and other pathogens that can enter the lungs while breathing and, depending on the overall health of the person, can be deadly.
Pneumonia is a respiratory infection and, helped by the Sept. 11-linked condition, it overwhelmed his body and required mechanical ventilation in order to stabilize his overall condition.
“He is now breathing on his own, with his family and primary medical provider at his side,” Goodman said.
A judge on Monday ordered that a former federal contractor who allegedly passed top secret information to a Washington Post reporter be released on home detention — with his location monitored and no access to internet-connected devices — ahead of his trial next February. File Photo by Sascha Steinbach/EPA
May 4 (UPI) — A man accused of leaking classified military information to a Washington Post reporter will be released on home detention ahead of his trial next year, a judge ruled Monday.
U.S. District Judge Michael Maddox ordered the Justice Department to release Aurelio Perez Lugones to be held on home detention until his trial in February.
Lugones, whose location would be monitored and blocked from using internet-connected devices, is charged with leaking classified information to Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson, Politico and The New York Times reported.
Natanson’s home was raided in January by the FBI, with the agency seizing two laptop computers, a cell phone and a Garmin Watch as it investigated Lugones, who was a systems administrator at the Pentagon with a top-secret security clearance.
He allegedly had been taking classified reports home and keeping them before passing some to Natanson, which motivated prosecutors to suggest he could send more information to her if she was not held in jail until the trial.
“The government has no way of knowing what he has retained and what he is able to provide to others,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia McLane said during the hearing.
“The person he was communicating with is still employed and has a willingness to accept classified and national defense information … The receptacle of additional national defense information is still available to the defendant,” she said.
The controversial search of a journalist’s home was triggered by stories Natanson wrote about various national security issues, including one that noted the more than 1,000 sources she had cultivated during the course of her reporting.
Magistrate Judge William Porter approved the search warrant, though he was not told about a federal law that restricts the government from raiding reporters and news organizations, and has said he would go through Natanson’s records for things related to the national security case.
Lugones attorney pushed back on the prosecutors’ assertion that he has “a historical Rolodex of classified information in his head,” and that he’d lost his job, top-secret clearance and access to classified information.
The prosecutors said, however, that the information Lugones retained and passed to Natanson “was not old information.”
“This was current information regarding military movement in the Caribbean, in the Gulf and specifically with Venezuela,” McLane said during Monday’s hearing.
“We have a man who has thrown everything away in an attempt to get back at the administration,” she said.
Calling the prosecution’s argument for holding Lugones in jail speculative, Maddox ordered his release and set a trial date of Feb. 22.
The Malaysia-registered LNG tanker Serry Sandrawash receives LNG for power generation at an LNG (liquefied natural gas) base in Incheon, west of Seoul, South Korea. File. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
May 4 (Asia Today) — Pan Ocean beat market expectations in the first quarter, helped by strong performance in its LNG and tanker businesses.
Pan Ocean said Monday its preliminary first-quarter sales rose 8.3% from a year earlier to 1.51 trillion won ($1.03 billion), while operating profit increased 24.4% to 140.9 billion won ($95.8 million).
The results exceeded market forecasts of 1.46 trillion won ($989 million) in sales and 132.2 billion won ($89.8 million) in operating profit.
Compared with the previous quarter, sales rose 2.2% and operating profit increased 8%. Analysts said expansion of the company’s LNG-focused business portfolio helped defend earnings despite the seasonal shipping slowdown.
By business segment, tanker operating profit rose 41.5% from a year earlier to 28.1 billion won ($19.1 million), supported by strong medium-range tanker market conditions. The LNG business posted 47.2 billion won ($32.1 million) in operating profit, up 49.7%, helped by fleet expansion and higher utilization.
The bulk segment, including grain operations, continued to grow from a year earlier, but profitability weakened from the previous quarter because of spot voyage losses caused by geopolitical risks from U.S.-Iran tensions and rising oil prices. Bulk operating profit totaled 54.7 billion won ($37.2 million).
The container segment posted 9 billion won ($6.1 million) in operating profit, down 42.9% from a year earlier, as oversupply pushed freight rates lower.
Pan Ocean said its strategy of diversifying into LNG and tankers to manage shipping market volatility has begun to show results.
“We will continue efforts to strengthen our ability to respond to market changes, expand our business portfolio and secure stable profitability,” a Pan Ocean official said. “At the same time, we will establish our position as a sustainable company through active ESG management.”
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260504010000408
Iran claims its navy forced a US warship to turn back from the Strait of Hormuz as Washington denies any clash, amid rising tensions in the key waterway. The rival narratives come after US President Donald Trump announced Project Freedom, a mission he framed as a humanitarian effort to “free” stranded ships.
Published On 4 May 20264 May 2026
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May 4 (UPI) — Retail giant Amazon announced Monday that it will open its supply chain networks to other businesses as part of its new Amazon Supply Chain Services, which includes freight, distribution, fulfillment and shipping aspects.
Stocks for FedEx and UPS, both competitors in this field, sank about 10% Monday afternoon in response, CNBC reported, while Amazon stocks stayed steady.
The announcement from Amazon said the company has built “one of the most reliable and efficient supply chains on Earth — from freight that moves cargo across air, land and sea, to fulfillment centers that pick and pack millions of orders a day, and a parcel shipping network that delivers packages every day of the week.”
It listed the company’s more than 80,000 trailers, more than 24,000 intermodal containers and more than 100 aircraft operated with carrier partners and said that services will be offered to businesses of all types and sizes.
As part of Monday’s announcement, Amazon also announced that companies Procter & Gamble, 3M, Lands’ End and American Eagle Outfitters have signed on to use Amazon Supply Chain Services.