Travelers heading northbound on South DuPont Highway (US Route 13) are facing lane restrictions near Frenchtown Road (Delaware Route 273) following a crash.
Two right lanes on the northbound side have been closed as a result of the incident. Motorists in the area should anticipate slowdowns and consider using alternate routes until the roadway is cleared.
No additional details about the crash were immediately available. Drivers are urged to use caution when approaching the area.
CAPE TOWN, South Africa — When the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a standstill in 2020, Natasha Jacka found herself stuck at her parents’ home in Cape Town, South Africa, growing increasingly restless — until she spotted an opportunity hiding right outside the window.
With her studies at an agricultural college on hold and nowhere to go, Jacka decided to plant a vineyard in her family’s backyard. It was a bold move to bring her dream of becoming a winemaker into her own hands — quite literally.
The wine world, however, doesn’t rush for anyone. It took four full years before she could harvest her first grapes and produce her first vintage.
The results were worth the wait. Jacka’s first wines — grown from vines she planted and tended at her parents’ oceanview home in the Cape Town suburb of Noordhoek, with grapes she even stomped herself — drew enthusiastic reviews from critics.
The response came as a tremendous relief. “It could have been so much work and if it doesn’t deliver, you know, then you just feel … I can’t imagine how I’d feel,” Jacka said. “I wasn’t looking at it like, oh this is going to make a fortune or anything like that. This is a labor of love.”
Christian Eedes, editor of the well-regarded South African wine review site winemag.co.za, described Jacka’s venture as “a triumph of hope over good sense,” acknowledging just how difficult it is to produce quality wine and turn any kind of profit from such a tiny operation.
Jacka managed to fit 1,400 vines into two sections of her parents’ garden — a property that was once part of a small farm. One section was dedicated to producing a white blend, the other to a syrah red. For context, a typical commercial wine farm runs more than 50,000 vines.
“There’s plenty of space in the world for craft and handmade,” Eedes said. “It’s the opposite of mass produced. It’s made with thought and care and typically hard to come by.”
The pandemic hit at a pivotal moment in Jacka’s life. She was 27 years old and had recently left the restaurant industry — fed up with difficult bosses — to pursue a degree in viticulture at an agricultural college in Stellenbosch, a well-known winemaking town just outside Cape Town. She was chasing her passion when lockdown suddenly confined her to her parents’ Noordhoek property.
One day, gazing out the window, something clicked. “I was actually looking out the window and I thought, imagine if there were vines here,” she recalled. “It was a small spark.”
From there, she convinced her family to get on board, and the real work began. She cleared the land, sourced more than 1,000 vines, and planted each one with a wooden stake for support. Her parents pitched in — though her mother Sonia was eventually sidelined from the planting after accidentally putting a vine in upside down.
There were also skeptical neighbors to reassure and an unexpected obstacle in the form of a miniature horse named Spirit, who lived on the property and developed a taste for the grapevines. “We lost one or two vines,” Jacka said. “It was hard to make it horse proof as well.”
Now 32, Jacka has parlayed the Noordhoek project into a broader winemaking career. Her Alinea wine label currently features five additional wines made from grapes sourced from other parts of the Cape Town region, which has a long and celebrated winemaking tradition.
Still, she remains deeply attached to her backyard vineyard, where she continues to serve as picker, stomper, labeler, sales rep, accountant, and delivery driver all in one — a fact she noted with a laugh.
Eedes, who gave Jacka some of her first glowing reviews, said the story of the micro-vineyard born out of pandemic boredom still captures his imagination. “She managed to not be bored, like we all were,” he said. “It’s really just an extraordinary undertaking.”
WESTERLY, R.I. — It only took a large tent appearing next to Taylor Swift’s Watch Hill property to send the internet — and the surrounding Rhode Island seaside community — into full wedding speculation mode.
Almost immediately, fans began trading theories online, photographers positioned themselves to get a better look, and local residents were bombarded with questions about a wedding that, at least so far, doesn’t appear to have taken place.
The rumors turned out to be baseless. But the episode shed light on what it’s like to live in Watch Hill — a well-to-do beach community within the town of Westerly, near the Connecticut state line — where Swift has owned a home for more than ten years and where curiosity about her has become a normal part of life.
From a nearby lighthouse, visitors stretched for a glimpse of Swift’s sprawling white mansion, which sits atop a rocky cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Security cameras covered the property, and a guard warned visitors who wandered too close.
Wedding planner Nicole Simeral, dressed in black, stood outside a small white chapel situated across from the large yellow Ocean House hotel — one of Swift’s neighbors along the beach — waving along cars and buses that slowed down and keeping traffic flowing.
She watched visitors wonder aloud about a wedding she said she already knew wasn’t Swift’s. She has a different wedding booked every weekend in June at that location. Still, the questions didn’t stop.
“Is Taylor Swift getting married here? Many, many, many have asked,” Simeral said.
She noted there had been “a lot of chitter chatter” as people tried to connect sightings of Swift’s acquaintances in local shops to the idea of an upcoming wedding. However, she questioned whether Watch Hill would even be a realistic venue for an event of that magnitude, pointing to the area’s limited high-end accommodations.
The Watch Hill speculation also intersected with separate online rumors that Swift and her fiancé, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, might be planning a celebration at Madison Square Garden. No details about the couple’s wedding plans have been made public, despite repeated requests for comment directed to Swift’s spokesperson.
As for the tent itself, Simeral said it was nothing out of the ordinary. “Next weekend, there’ll be another tent just like this,” she said.
For the past two summers, Westerly Police Department community service officer Nick Quaratella has been stationed at the entrance to a public path leading to the beach beside Swift’s property, answering questions from visitors and helping manage traffic.
“They come to the beach, but then they also ask if she’s here or not,” Quaratella said.
He admitted he sometimes can’t resist having a little fun with fans.
“I’ll say, ‘Oh, did you hear that she moved?’” he said. “And they’ll say, ‘No.’ And I say, ‘Yeah, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson moved in.’ And they’ll go, ‘Oh, really?’ and then they’ll walk away.”
“That’s pretty funny,” he added.
Over the years, he’s witnessed some memorable reactions. A coworker once spotted a fan kneeling and bowing toward the property’s entrance gate. Passersby have shouted “I love you, Taylor!” from the road. One woman told her granddaughter that Quaratella was Swift’s personal security guard and asked to take a photo with him.
He’s received a few questions about the rumored wedding, though fewer than he anticipated.
“At this point, it’s part of my job,” he said. “It makes me smile. It makes me laugh. I have no problem with it. It makes the day go by.”
Near a stretch of beach shops, lifelong local Lauren Nigrelli said the excitement surrounding Swift has quieted considerably since the singer first bought her home in the neighborhood in 2013. Back in those early days, Nigrelli recalled fans driving around her shop in circles with Swift’s music blasting.
“Things have definitely calmed down since then,” she said.
Swift’s presence, however, remains a constant thread in the local business community within what Nigrelli described as a “quaint New England coastal community.” Nigrelli, a Realtor who also owns the boutiques Tide and Tide Kids, said she started stocking clothing featuring “Holiday House” — the nickname tied to Swift’s mansion — after children began coming into the store requesting it. On Saturday, she was also offering a Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce wedding sticker book for sale.
“I think every shop has something related to her,” Nigrelli said.
Down on the beach below the mansion, a married couple from Connecticut — Audrey and John Curtis, who have vacationed in Westerly for years — settled into their beach chairs and weighed in on the wedding chatter.
“We were just looking up at her house,” Audrey Curtis said, gesturing toward the mansion. “She’s not getting married here now, though.”
Curtis said she had come across various theories, including the idea that a wedding could be held at Ocean House. But after thinking through the logistics, she grew doubtful.
“Then I was thinking about, ‘How would everybody get here?’” she said. “In New York, you’ve got JFK, you’ve got LaGuardia, and she’s got two penthouses in New York that she combined, so I figured they could obviously have more people there.”
Her husband saw it differently.
“They could lie and say it’s happening there, but it’s happening here,” John Curtis said. “When important people do things, they don’t want people to know.”
U.S. Vice President JD Vance touched down in Switzerland on Sunday, kicking off what he has described as several days of diplomatic discussions with Iranian officials.
Vance and his wife landed at Emmen Air Base at 5:59 a.m. local time (0359 GMT), according to a spokesperson for the vice president.
PHOENIX — Center fielder Byron Buxton launched a grand slam Saturday night, his 24th home run of the season, as the Minnesota Twins put up a stunning 10-run fifth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The blast tied Buxton with Houston’s Yordan Alvarez atop the American League home run leaderboard and pushed the score to 12-0 in favor of Minnesota. It was the third grand slam of Buxton’s career.
The Twins had already built a 6-0 lead after batting around and plating four runs in the fourth inning. They went even further in the fifth, sending 14 batters to the plate. Brooks Lee, Victor Caratini, Luke Keaschall, and Ryan Kriedler each recorded two hits during that inning. Kriedler capped the outburst with a run-scoring triple that made it 16-0. Lee opened the fifth with a triple and later added a double, finishing with four hits on the night — one home run away from hitting for the cycle.
Arizona starter Zac Gallen exited after surrendering the first three hits of the fifth inning. He was tagged for nine runs on 12 hits across four-plus innings of work.
Reliever Yilber Díaz came in and fared no better, allowing seven hits — including Buxton’s grand slam — and seven runs. He threw 44 pitches and managed just two outs before Philip Abner came on to record the final out of the inning.
PARIS (AP) — As a dangerous heat wave tightens its grip on parts of Europe, France is mobilizing emergency services and military units for wildfire response, placing limits on public alcohol consumption, and scrapping certain outdoor sporting events in an effort to protect residents.
Roughly one-third of France is under the highest heat alert issued by the national weather service this Sunday, with temperatures expected to climb as high as 40 degrees Celsius — that’s 104 degrees Fahrenheit — in certain regions. Air conditioning remains uncommon throughout much of the country, making the situation especially dangerous. Forecasters say Monday could be even more brutal.
In Paris, iconic landmarks including the Eiffel Tower set up misting stations to help cool down visitors, part of a broad package of protective measures rolled out by both national and local government officials.
The World Health Organization’s Europe office reported this month that more than 200,000 people across the continent died from heat-related causes over the past four years — and the majority of those deaths could have been prevented. Health officials are warning that above-average temperatures expected throughout this summer can lead to heat exhaustion and potentially fatal heat stroke. The WHO’s Europe office is urging governments and institutions to activate heat response plans, such as establishing cooling centers and giving workers flexible schedules to avoid being outside during the hottest midday hours.
One major concern for French authorities is the country’s annual Music Day celebration, which falls on Sunday. The nationwide summer solstice tradition features thousands of concerts in town squares, clubs, and rave venues, drawing communities together and attracting a growing number of international visitors. The government directed event organizers to scale back alcohol availability in order to “preserve emergency services and allow medics to concentrate on taking care of the most vulnerable.”
Officials are especially worried about people living on the streets in the scorching heat, as well as elderly residents in nursing homes or those who are isolated at home. France experienced a devastating wake-up call in 2003 when a heat wave claimed the lives of approximately 15,000 older people.
On Saturday, the government announced heightened wildfire preparedness and ordered closer monitoring of water supplies at France’s numerous nuclear power plants.
While school closures are being treated as a last resort, the government indicated that end-of-year exams currently scheduled for afternoons may be pushed to the following morning or restructured to reduce heat exposure for students.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu held an emergency heat crisis meeting on Saturday and planned to convene another one Sunday, responding to what the national weather service described as a “widespread, long-lasting and intense” heat event. Lecornu has also directed government ministers to develop long-term strategies for helping France adapt to future heat waves — including, he said, “via air conditioning, if necessary.”
Vice President JD Vance touched down in Switzerland on Sunday to help formally open diplomatic talks with Iranian leaders focused on reining in Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and strengthening a shaky interim agreement to bring the conflict in Iran to a close.
A framework agreement was signed last week, and senior negotiators from both the United States and Iran are now working against a 60-day deadline to finalize the complex technical details — details that carry enormous weight for the global economy and international security.
The opening stretch of that two-month window has already been turbulent. Heavy fighting erupted in Lebanon between Israel and the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah, and Iran’s military announced it had shut down the Strait of Hormuz — the critical waterway through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas supply passes.
Vance had originally been scheduled to arrive at the scenic Bürgenstock resort near Lucerne on Friday, but his departure from the United States was pushed back after the violence in Lebanon intensified and Iranian officials pulled out of their planned attendance at the talks.
U.S. Central Command pushed back on Iran’s assertion that the strait had been closed again, stating that American forces were actively monitoring the waterway to keep traffic moving. Vance noted that millions of barrels of oil have continued to flow through the strait in recent days.
The vice president left the U.S. shortly after Iranian state television reported that Tehran’s negotiating team had landed in Switzerland. Iran’s delegation includes parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, along with officials from the country’s central bank and oil sector.
Vance joins special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, who were already on the ground working through the technical specifics of the nuclear agreement.
The broader negotiations will also involve Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, and mediators from Qatar.
Although Vance indicated he planned to stay in Switzerland for only “a day or two” — leaving the bulk of the detailed work to Witkoff and Kushner — his participation has drawn increased attention, particularly as he is reportedly weighing a run for president in 2028.
Both Trump and Vance have faced sharp criticism from within their own Republican Party over the agreement, with hardline members drawing unflattering comparisons to a nuclear deal reached under the Obama administration — one that Trump and fellow Republicans have long argued failed to actually dismantle Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
The deal signed by Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian immediately allows Iran to sell its oil on the open market and opens the door for Tehran to access billions of dollars in currently frozen assets. It also requires Iran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which is believed to be stored beneath nuclear facilities that were struck by U.S. airstrikes last summer.
Under the agreement, commercial ships may pass through the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days without being charged a fee — though the deal does not rule out Iran imposing tolls in the future. Trump himself threatened on Saturday to impose U.S. tolls on the strait if no deal is reached within 60 days, writing on social media that the funds would compensate for “services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East.”
Adding another layer of complexity, neither Israel nor Hezbollah are parties to the U.S.-Iran agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to keep Israeli forces in southern Lebanon until all threats to Israel are eliminated, while Hezbollah has refused to stand down unless Israel commits to a full withdrawal from Lebanese territory.
In the days immediately following the U.S.-Iran agreement, clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah resulted in the deaths of 47 people in Lebanon and four Israeli soldiers.
The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation into a near-collision between two commercial aircraft at Boston Logan International Airport that occurred Saturday morning.
A Delta Air Lines flight originating from Dallas was forced to perform what is known as a go-around — an aborted landing — after an American Airlines aircraft departed from a runway that crossed its flight path, according to the FAA and flight records.
The crew aboard Delta flight 2351 worked with air traffic control to carry out the go-around safely, a Delta spokesperson confirmed. There were 129 passengers and six crew members on the flight, and the plane ultimately landed without incident and passengers exited normally, the spokesperson added.
Both American Airlines and Boston Logan Airport directed media inquiries to the FAA for comment.
The FAA notes that go-arounds are considered safe and standard procedures, carried out either at the pilot’s discretion or at the direction of air traffic controllers.
This close call follows a string of aviation accidents in recent days. A founder of a gaming company lost his life in a plane crash in France on Saturday. Earlier in the week, a business jet went down in Laredo, Texas, claiming one life.
On Monday, a B-52 bomber crashed during a test flight at Edwards Air Force Base in California, killing all eight people on board. The previous Sunday, a plane carrying skydivers crashed in Missouri, resulting in 12 fatalities.
A legal fight has broken out between two of the biggest names in yogurt, as French dairy giant Danone filed suit against Chobani in Manhattan federal court, accusing the New York-based company of overstating the protein content on labels for its Chobani 20G Protein product.
Danone claims the multi-serving tubs of Chobani’s product use an inflated serving size to make protein numbers appear higher than they should be, which it says prevents shoppers from making a fair comparison with its own Oikos Pro yogurt in the ultra-high-protein category. Danone also alleged that Chobani copied its product and used these methods to undercut Danone’s Oikos brand — valued at €1 billion — on price.
Chobani pushed back forcefully. CEO Hamdi Ulukaya, who founded the privately held company in 2007, dismissed the allegations and suggested Danone was simply trying to generate damaging headlines. “In a way, I am kind of laughing at it,” Ulukaya told Reuters. “We never add external protein to our products. We will never mislead anybody.”
For its part, Danone said in a statement that consumers deserve “clear, accurate and consistent nutrition information” and that Chobani’s labeling approach makes it impossible for shoppers to make “an accurate comparison between products.”
The dispute comes at a critical moment in the yogurt industry. Growing numbers of Americans using GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are seeking out protein-rich foods to prevent muscle loss, and yogurt has emerged as one of the few food categories seeing a lasting benefit from that trend. A consumer study by Boston Consulting Group found that yogurt, unlike products such as protein shakes, experiences a more permanent sales boost tied to GLP-1 use.
“High-protein foods like yoghurt or meat seem to increase in frequency during and even more after stopping GLP-1s,” said Lauren Taylor, managing director and senior partner at BCG.
The competition between the two companies has intensified as Danone has struggled to keep up with consumer demand for high-protein yogurts. Analysts at Barclays noted in May that investors are growing uneasy about what they see as a slow response from Danone in rebuilding its U.S. dairy business. “Competitors, notably Chobani, (are) doing a much better job and growing currently at more than 20%,” Barclays wrote. “There is a feeling that Danone has been too slow to add capacity and perhaps it needs to spend more to compete with aggressive competitors such as Chobani.”
Danone’s stock has dropped 15% so far this year, while the MSCI World Index has risen 11% over the same period. Meanwhile, NielsenIQ data shared by Chobani shows the company’s U.S. market share climbed to 26% in the first quarter of this year, up from 21% three years ago. Danone’s share fell to 25.8% from 30.7% during that same stretch. Danone’s dairy division did report 3% like-for-like sales growth in the Americas in the first quarter.
This is not the first time Danone has taken Chobani to court. The Paris-based company has sued its rival at least four times since 2016, including a recent case over coffee packaging slogans. Ulukaya said those previous lawsuits were thrown out.
Brad Charron, a former Chobani marketing executive who now leads plant-based protein brand ALOHA, was blunt in his assessment. “Danone sues Chobani four or five times a year for everything,” he said. “If you can’t compete with them, sue them.” Charron did acknowledge that many large consumer food companies adjust serving sizes to present nutritional figures — including protein — in a favorable light, but added that “at the end of the day, I think the consumer is smart enough to figure out whether they’re being misled one way or the other.”
KANSAS CITY, Missouri — It took just two minutes for Eloy Room to signal that something special was about to unfold. The Curacao goalkeeper stopped Ecuador forward Enner Valencia at close range early in Saturday’s match, and that was only the beginning of a history-making afternoon.
Room went on to record 15 saves in a 0-0 draw with Ecuador in Group E — the most ever recorded in a 90-minute World Cup match. The performance helped Curacao, the smallest nation ever to appear at a World Cup with a population of roughly 156,000, earn their very first point in the tournament.
Curacao joined fellow first-time World Cup participant Cape Verde in finding an unexpected hero between the goalposts. Cape Verde’s goalkeeper Vozinha had similarly helped hold powerhouse Spain to a 0-0 tie in Group H’s opening round.
Room, 37 years old and the eldest player on Curacao’s roster, absorbed wave after wave of Ecuadorean pressure. Among his standout stops was an 18-metre strike from John Yeboah in the 41st minute and a second-half header from Valencia.
Only former United States goalkeeper Tim Howard has made more saves in a single World Cup match — stopping 16 shots in an extra-time loss to Belgium in the round of 16 at the 2014 tournament.
When asked about the record, Room told reporters he wasn’t thinking about statistics during the game, though he jokingly admitted some frustration at falling one stop short of Howard’s mark. He credited the result to the entire team.
Ecuador goalkeeper Hernan Galindez offered high praise, saying Room had played the game of his life against the South American side.
For Room, making history is nothing new. Back in 2019, he made more than a dozen saves as Curacao claimed their first-ever Gold Cup victory against Honduras. But performing on the World Cup stage brought an entirely new level of significance — both for the nation and for Room personally.
The Netherlands-born goalkeeper told FIFA earlier this year that his dream since childhood was to reach the World Cup representing Curacao. He became eligible to play for the country through his father and recalled visiting the island during summer vacations as a young boy. He was recruited to join the national team in 2015 by Patrick Kluivert, the former Netherlands international who was managing the side at the time.
The reaction on social media was overwhelming. Room’s Instagram following exploded from fewer than 100,000 to around 700,000 after the match — a surge comparable to what Cape Verde’s Vozinha experienced following his own standout performance.
Standing six feet three inches tall and born near the German border, Room currently plays for Miami FC in the USL Championship. He spent much of his career at Dutch club Vitesse and has also suited up for Columbus Crew in MLS and PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie.
Curacao is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Saturday’s match drew royal spectators. Netherlands King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima were both in attendance. Room said the royals joined the team’s celebration afterward, dancing with the players — and that the queen even gave him a kiss.
The emotion of the moment was on full display when a journalist from Curacao leapt to his feet in the Kansas City press box at the final whistle, shouting, “Curacao! We got a point! This is history!”
Head coach Dick Advocaat joked with reporters that his team might have needed Ecuador down four players to actually win the match. In the end, it was one man — Room — who was more than enough to deliver a landmark result for the Caribbean nation.
Jack Draper says having Andy Murray as his new coach has been a game-changer as he prepares to step back onto the court following a lengthy injury absence.
The British tennis player, who climbed to a career-best world ranking of number four in 2025, has been away from competition since April. He withdrew from the Queen’s Club tournament but is scheduled to return to action at Eastbourne on Monday.
Draper, 24, brought Murray onto his coaching staff last month. He credits the former world number one’s extensive experience dealing with injuries and setbacks as what makes him uniquely suited for the role.
“Andy obviously has been through so much in his career – many setbacks, many injuries, many adversities, but he always came through them,” Draper said in an interview published on the Lawn Tennis Association’s website on Saturday.
“He was incredibly good at coming back and showing what he’s all about.”
“Having him in my corner has been great from that aspect as well. It’s nice that he believes in my tennis and it’s about the progress.”
Draper described the two-time Wimbledon champion’s guidance as “amazing support” during his recovery period.
His first match back will be against American fifth seed Brandon Nakashima at Eastbourne, which serves as a warm-up event ahead of Wimbledon. The third Grand Slam of the year is scheduled to run from June 29 through July 12.
INGLEWOOD, California — Iran’s head coach Amir Ghalenoei spoke out Saturday against what he called increasingly difficult and unequal conditions surrounding his team’s preparation for their World Cup showdown with Belgium, set for Sunday.
Throughout the tournament, Iran has been headquartered in Tijuana, Mexico, crossing into the United States only for their Group G matches due to restrictions on the team’s presence in the country — an arrangement that has attracted attention since the competition began.
U.S. officials have indicated that the Iranian squad’s travel situation would continue to be evaluated, and conversations about relaxing certain restrictions have been ongoing.
Ghalenoei told reporters Saturday that the current schedule left his squad with fewer than 16 hours to prepare, forcing them to end their training session early before facing Belgium.
“We only managed to train half the time we usually spend on training,” he said through an interpreter. “We wanted to have optimal physical and technical preparation.”
He noted the situation had actually deteriorated compared to the lead-up to Iran’s opening match, a 2-2 draw with New Zealand, when the team had a full 24 hours available to train.
“The conditions have become even harder,” he said.
The coach directed some of his most pointed remarks at what he saw as a clear inconsistency in how Iran’s travel arrangements have been handled. He said he was informed that his team would have more control over their own scheduling before their third and final group stage match against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
“For the third game, they’ve allowed us to decide to make our own decisions with regards to planning the travel,” he said. “But what my problem is, why didn’t they let us come earlier for the first two games as well?”
“If they’ve managed to do this now, why didn’t they do that for our first game and for this game?” he added.
Despite his complaints about preparation conditions, Ghalenoei offered praise for FIFA president Gianni Infantino and the governing body of world soccer for their efforts to help the situation.
“I know for sure that FIFA and Mr Infantino are doing the utmost to ease these challenges that we are facing,” he said. “I think FIFA did its utmost to minimise the problems we have faced.”
He also acknowledged U.S. authorities for making the entry process smoother once the team arrived in the country.
“Once we entered the United States, they made sure that in customs everything went smoothly,” Ghalenoei said. “I’d like to thank the U.S. for that. But unfortunately, it’s our training time that they did not give us.”
Belgium, who drew 1-1 with Egypt in their opener, are considered the favorites heading into Sunday’s match and had significantly more time to settle in and prepare, according to Ghalenoei.
“Look at the Belgium team. They arrived yesterday noon. They’ve managed to have proper training,” he said.
Still, the Iranian coach expressed confidence in his players heading into the contest. “The Belgian team is a very strong and highly respected team and undoubtedly it’s going to be a tough game tomorrow. But we are also Iranians, and we have good players who have great potential.”
The Baltimore Orioles announced Saturday that catcher Adley Rutschman has been added to the seven-day concussion list, retroactive to Friday, following a strange play during Thursday’s game against the Seattle Mariners.
The injury occurred in the ninth inning when Rutschman was running toward first base on a ground ball. Mariners shortstop Colt Emerson attempted to turn a double play and released a throw inside second base at close range, striking Rutschman in the left ear. He was removed from the game, and Seattle went on to claim a 3-0 victory.
Rutschman, 28, missed Friday’s 6-5 defeat to the Dodgers and was also unavailable for Saturday’s contest in Los Angeles.
Orioles manager Craig Albernaz expressed sympathy for his catcher’s situation. “Obviously, it sucks for Adley,” Albernaz said. “Especially with concussions and head injuries, it’s tough, and especially the position he plays, with the constant foul tips and balls in the dirt and backswings, plays at the plate. So right now, Rutsch is on the concussion IL and we’ll kind of take it day by day and see where he’s at.”
This is Rutschman’s second stint on the injured list this season. He previously missed time from April 11 through April 21 due to inflammation in his left ankle. On the year, he is batting .254 with 15 doubles, eight home runs, 40 RBIs, and a .787 OPS across 54 games.
Over his career, Rutschman carries a .254 batting average with 69 home runs and 270 RBIs in 559 games. Baltimore selected him with the first overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft out of Oregon State.
To fill the roster vacancy, the Orioles recalled outfielder Michael Siani from Triple-A Norfolk on Saturday. Siani, 26, has appeared in 160 games over parts of four seasons with the Cincinnati Reds from 2022 to 2023 and the St. Louis Cardinals from 2023 to 2025, posting a .221 average with two home runs and 20 RBIs. In 44 games this season split between Triple-A Oklahoma City, a Dodgers affiliate, and Norfolk, he batted a combined .185.
Wyndham Clark heads into the final round of the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, New York, sitting six strokes ahead of the field — but the defending champion is hoping Sunday brings a more energetic crowd than what he experienced on Saturday.
The tournament has had to share the sports spotlight this week with several major competing events. On Thursday, massive crowds filled downtown Manhattan for a tickertape parade celebrating the Knicks’ NBA championship. Then on Friday, the United States soccer team — a co-host of the upcoming World Cup — faced off against Australia, drawing widespread attention. U.S. Open organizers even set up one of two large screens in the media center to show the soccer match so reporters could follow along.
Clark, who shot an even-par 70 on Saturday and sits at seven under par through 54 holes, expressed disappointment with how the atmosphere felt during the back end of his round.
“It was kind of unfortunate that we’re finishing in the dark and people weren’t really out there because there were some obviously key, big moments, and it did kind of get a little flat,” Clark said.
“Hopefully tomorrow there’s a bunch of fans and stuff, but for me, it’s still really important, and I still felt the moment. It’s just maybe unfortunate that there weren’t all the people there,” he added.
The 2023 U.S. Open champion also acknowledged earlier this week that his standing with fans had suffered following a locker room incident at last year’s event. A later tee time on Saturday only compounded the challenge, as Clark found himself squinting through fading daylight during the closing holes of his third round.
“Sometimes it made it tough to stay really focused because it seemed like everyone was leaving, and it was like the tournament was over, and I had to keep myself really focused and in the present,” Clark said. “Hopefully there’s people there tomorrow and it’s a great atmosphere.”
KANSAS CITY, Missouri — In one of the most remarkable results of this World Cup, the small Caribbean nation of Curacao held Ecuador to a 0-0 draw on Saturday, claiming the first World Cup point in the island’s history thanks to a breathtaking goalkeeping performance from Eloy Room.
Just six days after suffering a crushing 7-1 defeat to Germany in their World Cup debut, Curacao — the smallest nation ever to qualify for the tournament, with a population of roughly 156,000 — dug deep to frustrate the South American side and keep their knockout stage hopes alive.
Room, 37 years old, was the undeniable star of the match, stopping 15 shots in what set a new record for saves in a 90-minute World Cup game. For context, American goalkeeper Tim Howard holds the all-time World Cup saves record with 16, but that came during extra time in the United States’ round-of-16 loss to Belgium back in 2014.
The result also officially confirmed Germany as winners of Group E, while leaving Ecuador — who came into the tournament riding a 19-game unbeaten streak — with just one point from two matches after their earlier 1-0 loss to Ivory Coast. Ecuador’s supporters, who far outnumbered Curacao fans inside the stadium, chanted “Si se puede! (Yes we can!)” throughout the game, but the final whistle told a different story.
When the match ended, Curacao’s players rushed toward Room in celebration, while Ecuador’s fans stood in stunned disbelief, coming to terms with a result they had not anticipated. Ecuador had dominated possession and peppered Curacao’s goal with 26 shots compared to Curacao’s 10, and a late long-range attempt from Angelo Preciado rattled the crossbar, nearly breaking the deadlock.
When FIFA expanded the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams, critics argued the tournament would be watered down by lopsided matchups. While Curacao’s heavy loss to Germany seemed to validate those concerns, Saturday’s gutsy performance against Ecuador suggested the gap between established soccer powers and newer nations may be smaller than many assumed.
Both Ecuador and Curacao had arrived in Kansas City searching for their first points of the tournament. For Curacao, they found something far greater — a historic moment that will be remembered for generations.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have sidelined reliever Blake Treinen, placing the right-hander on the 15-day injured list due to right elbow inflammation. The move was announced before Saturday evening’s game at home against the Baltimore Orioles.
To fill the vacancy on the roster, the Dodgers recalled right-hander Chayce McDermott from their Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City.
Treinen, who will turn 38 on June 30, is currently in his sixth year with Los Angeles. Through 29 relief outings this season, he carries a 4-1 record with a 3.52 ERA, 25 strikeouts, 10 walks, and one save. The 2018 All-Star has built an impressive career resume, posting a 49-42 record, 83 saves, and a 2.93 career ERA across 560 appearances — including seven starts — with the Washington Nationals from 2014 to 2017, the Oakland Athletics from 2017 to 2019, and the Dodgers during the 2020-22 and 2024-26 seasons. Over that span, he has recorded 621 strikeouts against 233 walks.
McDermott, 27, is making his second trip to the major leagues this season. His lone prior appearance with the Dodgers came on May 17 against the Angels, when he threw one scoreless inning and struck out a batter. At the big league level, he holds a 0-1 record and an 11.85 ERA over six games, including two starts, having previously seen limited action with the Orioles over the past two seasons.
PHILADELPHIA — It was a night full of historic moments for the Philadelphia Phillies as they dominated the New York Mets on Saturday. Kyle Schwarber slugged two massive home runs in a single inning, and Bryce Harper accomplished the rare feat of hitting for the cycle during an eight-run third inning explosion.
Schwarber got things started by leading off the Phillies’ big third inning with a solo blast off Mets starting pitcher Freddy Peralta. The ball traveled 456 feet, landing in the second deck in right field. Later in that same inning, he connected again — this time a three-run shot off Cionel Perez — sending the ball 457 feet to nearly the identical spot.
With those two blasts, Schwarber became the 67th player in major league history to homer twice in the same inning, and only the second to do it this season. Houston’s Yordan Alvarez was the first, accomplishing the feat on June 12. Schwarber also joined a short list of Phillies players to achieve the milestone, alongside Trea Turner (Aug. 19, 2023), Von Hayes (June 11, 1985), and Andy Seminick (June 2, 1949).
Schwarber wasn’t done. In the seventh inning, he launched a two-run home run off Tobias Myers for his third homer of the night, giving him a major league-leading 28 on the season.
Meanwhile, Harper completed the first cycle of his career before the game even reached the fifth inning. He opened with a solo home run in the first — his 16th of the year — then doubled and scored on an error in the third, followed by a single after Schwarber’s second home run. In the fifth, Harper lined a ball into the left-center gap and raced around the bases for a two-run triple, completing the cycle.
Harper is now the 11th player in Phillies history to hit for the cycle and the first to do so since Weston Wilson turned the trick on Aug. 15, 2024.
The United Nations is raising fresh concerns about anti-Christian violence in Nigeria. The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights reports being overwhelmed with accounts of attacks carried out by Muslim terrorist groups against Christian believers in the country. According to the U.N., women are bearing the brunt of the violence, with a notable increase in abductions, sexual violence, forced marriages, and enforced disappearances — particularly in Nigeria’s northern and Middle Belt regions. Two Muslim terror organizations, Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, have been identified as active in the country. Critics have accused the Nigerian government of responding too weakly to the ongoing crisis.
White evangelical Christians remain one of President Trump’s most reliable voting blocs, according to a new AP-NORC poll. The survey found that roughly two-thirds of white born-again Protestants approved of the president’s overall job performance in April. Mr. Trump captured the backing of approximately eight out of ten white evangelical voters in both the 2020 and 2024 elections. Several high-profile religious leaders have been among his most vocal supporters. Robert Jeffress, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, said he was particularly grateful for Mr. Trump’s creation of the Religious Liberty Commission — a body before which Jeffress himself testified, describing what he called unfair scrutiny of his church by the IRS.
As Christianity sees declining participation among Americans, interest in unidentified flying objects is climbing. Director Steven Spielberg has now released a new film titled “Disclosure Day,” which examines the concept of extraterrestrial life and what it could mean for religion. The movie directly poses the question of whether God is exclusively the God of Earth, or whether a divine creator extends across all civilizations and intelligent life throughout the universe. UFO conventions are multiplying across the United States, drawing enthusiasts — some of whom claim that beings from other planets represent God. Religious leaders are divided on the trend, with some describing UFOs as demonic and others cautioning that the national fascination with them is becoming unhealthy.
A newly released report is sounding the alarm about growing persecution of Christians in Nepal. The organization International Christian Concern says followers of Christ in the predominantly Hindu nation face legal barriers, social pressure, and sporadic violence. In the group’s own words: “According to Christian leaders in Nepal, increasing Hindu nationalism seeks both to reinforce the country’s identity as a Hindu nation and to suppress Christian growth. Christian converts, especially those who leave Hinduism, often endure severe social consequences.” Current data shows that 81 percent of Nepal’s population identifies as Hindu, while Christians make up only about two percent.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass officially declared a local state of emergency on Saturday in response to a large warehouse fire that has continued to burn for multiple days in the city.
The fire broke out on Wednesday in the historic Boyle Heights neighborhood, located near downtown Los Angeles, and has proven difficult to extinguish in the days since.
As part of the emergency declaration, Mayor Bass called on the state government to fast-track access to state and federal resources, as well as disaster relief programs that could aid in the response effort.
The mayor also asked that state officials waive certain regulations that could slow down or interfere with recovery and response operations.
To help residents dealing with smoke and fumes from the ongoing fire, both the city of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County have established relief locations where affected families can seek assistance.
Milwaukee Brewers skipper Pat Murphy revealed Saturday that he plans to go under the knife for back surgery on the team’s upcoming Thursday off-day — just one day before Milwaukee hosts the Chicago Cubs for a three-game series.
The 67-year-old manager is also scheduled to have hip surgery on July 13, when the All-Star break begins. Murphy said he does not anticipate missing any games as a result of either operation.
Murphy said the back problems flared up severely earlier this month while the Brewers were on the road playing the Athletics in Las Vegas. He had an MRI done last Sunday, which revealed a ruptured disc.
The pain, Murphy said, has been difficult to bear — recently describing it as a sharp, shooting sensation through his leg and back whenever he tries to get up.
“I can’t live like that,” Murphy told reporters. “… I’m having the surgery so it works out good.”
The two-time National League Manager of the Year added with a laugh, “So I’ll have that on Thursday. And I’ll be fine by Friday. Jumping jacks by Saturday.”
Murphy explained that the back pain is connected to his ongoing hip issue, which has also been bothering him during the 2025 season.
Now in his third year leading the Brewers, Murphy has guided the club to postseason appearances in each of his first two seasons, earning the top manager honor both times. His overall record with Milwaukee stands at 235-163. He also previously served as interim manager for the San Diego Padres in 2015, going 42-54 in that role.
Despite a 4-3 loss Saturday to the host Atlanta Braves — where Ozzie Albies delivered a walk-off two-run home run — Milwaukee still sits atop the National League Central with a 45-29 record.
Guard Collin Gillespie is reportedly turning down the open market and choosing to stay put, agreeing to a four-year contract worth $48 million to continue playing for the Phoenix Suns, according to reports released Saturday.
Gillespie had a standout season as a long-range shooter, knocking down 232 three-pointers to set a new franchise record. The previous mark of 226 had been held by Quentin Richardson, set during the 2004-05 season.
The versatile guard also put up career-best numbers across the board last season, averaging 12.7 points, 4.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game over 80 appearances, including 58 starts. He connected on 40.1% of his shots from beyond the arc.
His chemistry with Suns standout Devin Booker in the backcourt was seen as a key reason Phoenix was eager to retain him. The Suns surprised many by finishing with a 45-37 record last season before being eliminated by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Gillespie’s path to the NBA was anything but conventional. After earning third-team All-American recognition in each of his final two seasons at Villanova, he went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft. He appeared in 24 games for the Denver Nuggets during the 2023-24 season before landing in Phoenix, where he played in 33 games — nine of them starts — during the 2024-25 campaign.
President Donald Trump announced Saturday that the recently renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington may need to have most of its water emptied so that repair work can be carried out.
Trump took to social media to address the situation, saying that numerous arrests had been made in connection with what he characterized as disgraceful vandalism of the landmark site.
“Many additional people have been arrested having to do with the disgraceful Vandalism of our beautiful Reflecting Pool,” Trump wrote.
He added that a meeting with contractors had already taken place and that draining the pool appeared to be the likely next step. “We met with contractors today, will probably be forced to release and drain much of the water in order to do the necessary repairs, but will have them done as quickly as possible,” Trump stated.
Uruguay’s head coach Marcelo Bielsa is not holding back when it comes to the new hydration breaks at the World Cup, saying the stoppages strip football of its cultural identity while adding nothing of value to the game.
FIFA implemented the three-minute breaks at the midpoint of each half in response to intense heat conditions across host cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. However, the policy has sparked debate among players and coaches throughout the tournament.
Those opposed to the breaks argue they effectively divide soccer into four quarters rather than two halves, and primarily exist to give broadcasters a window for commercial advertising — a point of frustration among longtime fans of the sport.
“Playing four times instead of two alters the conception of what had been culturally built to interpret football,” Bielsa told reporters.
“This change of culture does not add anything and takes away a lot. I will just say that before this decision, football had a characteristic, now it has another. People fall in love with the game because of its characteristics.”
Bielsa acknowledged that some technology, like VAR, has been a welcome addition to the sport, but drew a distinction between that and the hydration breaks. “Of course technology like VAR, we commend it and value it. Technology offers more opportunities. There is another intention for the breaks and the conclusions I’m making here are not really my own. I also echo what I hear as well,” he said.
Uruguay will face Cape Verde in their second group stage match on Sunday, with the group tightly bunched — all four teams currently sitting on one point apiece. Cape Verde recently held European champions Spain to a scoreless draw through disciplined defensive play, and Bielsa said his team has taken note heading into the matchup.
Reflecting on Uruguay’s 1-1 draw with Saudi Arabia, Bielsa pointed to the challenges his squad faced breaking down a deep defensive setup. “We did have a lot of possession and very few chances created in the first half,” he said, adding that the team already has a formation plan in place for the next game. “In the second half, it was agile and offensive possession, dynamic in nature with a high level of mobility.”
Striker Darwin Nunez struggled to make an impact against Saudi Arabia, managing just one shot before being substituted at halftime. The 26-year-old has now gone 14 consecutive Uruguay appearances without finding the net, drawing criticism from observers. Despite speculation about his confidence, Bielsa pushed back on the notion that motivation is a concern.
“Any footballer who is taking part at the World Cup doesn’t need any motivation,” Bielsa said. “The consequences, the scope, the magnificence of such a high-calibre tournament — anyone taking part makes them highly driven and justifiably so.”
On a lighter note, Bielsa was asked whether any of his players might follow the example of Spain’s Marc Cucurella, who pledged to get a tattoo of his coach if Spain wins the World Cup. Bielsa shut down the idea quickly. “This is not going to happen,” he said flatly, drawing laughter from those in the room.
A stunning back-nine collapse has ended Rory McIlroy’s realistic chances of winning the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York.
The Northern Irishman carded five bogeys on the inward nine Saturday, posting a score of 40 on the back nine that has become a troubling pattern throughout the week. Over the course of the tournament, McIlroy has played the front nine at 5 under par while playing the back nine at 8 over — a dramatic and costly split.
After rounds of 69 and 71 to open the championship — which McIlroy himself said had not put him out of contention — he shot a third-round 73, leaving him at 3-over 213 for the tournament. As leader Wyndham Clark was finishing his round, McIlroy trailed by as many as 11 strokes.
The round had actually shown promise early. McIlroy strung together three consecutive birdies at holes 5, 6, and 7, highlighted by a remarkable 66-and-a-half-foot putt that dropped at the par-4 sixth. Standing at 2 under for both the day and the tournament as he made the turn, he appeared to be within striking distance of Clark with 27 holes remaining.
What followed, however, was a series of costly mistakes. At the 10th hole, his approach shot rolled off the back of the green, and his next attempt skidded 22 feet past the pin, resulting in a bogey. He then three-putted from 52 feet at No. 12 for another bogey, and faced a similar challenge two holes later when his approach left him 57 and a half feet from the cup.
By that point in the round, McIlroy ranked 60th out of 72 remaining golfers in strokes gained on approach — his clear weak spot for the day, even as he gained strokes in every other statistical category.
The par-4 15th hole proved to be a particularly rough stretch, as McIlroy’s tee shot found the native area. His third shot from behind the green failed to reach the upper level and trickled back off entirely. He visibly showed his frustration, waggling his club in his left hand the moment he realized the shot had gone wrong.
McIlroy declined to speak with reporters following the round. He missed an 8-foot birdie opportunity at the par-5 16th, found the sand bunker at the par-3 17th before saving par, and closed with yet another bogey after a visit to the native area forced him to punch out away from the pin.
He hit just eight of 18 greens in regulation — well short of the field average for the day.
The two-time reigning Masters champion would need an extraordinary and historic Sunday performance to mount any kind of comeback. His only U.S. Open title came in 2011, which was also his first major championship victory.
LONDON (AP) — As darkness gave way to dawn, thousands of people made their way to the legendary Stonehenge monument to mark the arrival of the summer solstice — the longest day of the year.
Crowds gathered in the early morning hours, greeting the sunrise with celebration that included music, dancing, and peaceful reflection amid the towering ancient stones.
The event was captured in a photo gallery assembled by AP photo editors.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass formally declared an emergency on Saturday, aiming to ensure the city has the resources necessary to battle a massive warehouse fire that has been sending enormous clouds of smoke into the sky.
“The city and county have opened spaces for families seeking relief from the smoke, and we will continue working around the clock and doing everything possible to put this fire out completely,” Bass stated in a news release announcing the emergency declaration.
The blaze broke out Wednesday at a privately owned cold-storage warehouse located in the city’s Boyle Heights neighborhood. The fire prompted officials to issue shelter-in-place orders throughout the surrounding area due to the threat of dangerous air quality. Residents were instructed to seal all windows, doors, and vents, shut off air conditioning units, and move people and pets to an interior room.
Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Jaime Moore addressed reporters at a news conference, stating that crews have addressed the hazardous materials portion of the fire and are now tackling the biohazard challenges that remain.
“We have 85 million pounds of frozen food inside of this facility and the way the building has been laid out, it’s very difficult for us to get in there because there’s zero visibility inside,” Moore explained. “Our firefighters are not able to just go in there and start moving pallets.”
Mayor Bass’s emergency declaration calls for recovery assistance under the California Disaster Assistance Act. She has also requested that the state fast-track access to resources and additional relief programs.
Bass emphasized that the top priority is protecting the health and safety of those affected by the fire. Officials are working to secure the assistance needed to remove toxic materials from the area and dispose of them in a manner that prevents a serious environmental disaster.
“So this is about prevention,” Bass said. “This is about protecting your public health.”
Diplomatic teams from the United States and Iran convened in Switzerland on Sunday for peace negotiations, even as a dispute erupted over whether Iran had shut down one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes.
An Iranian delegation arrived in Switzerland for the talks, according to Iranian state media, while U.S. Vice President JD Vance departed Washington for the meetings, which Pakistan said would get underway Sunday. The two countries had previously agreed to a 60-day ceasefire while negotiations proceed.
Despite that agreement, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared the Strait of Hormuz closed on Saturday. However, U.S. military officials pushed back on that claim, saying commercial vessels had continued moving through the waterway without disruption. U.S. Central Command reported that 55 merchant ships passed through the strait on Saturday, carrying more than 17 million barrels of oil destined for global markets. American forces will work to keep commercial traffic flowing, Central Command added.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical passage for the world’s oil and gas supplies, and any disruption there could have far-reaching economic consequences.
President Donald Trump addressed the situation in a social media post Saturday, stating that no toll would be charged for passage through the Strait during or after the 60-day ceasefire period — though he left open the possibility of imposing one if peace talks ultimately fall apart. He described such a potential toll as payment “for services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East.”
Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, took to social media to accuse the U.S. of failing to follow through on the first clause of a 14-point interim agreement between the two nations. That clause calls for a ceasefire “on all fronts,” including Lebanon. Mokhber stated that as long as the deal existed only on paper, the flow of energy from the Middle East would remain halted.
The interim deal was brokered by Pakistan and signed Wednesday by Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, with the goal of ending a conflict between the two nations that has lasted nearly four months.
Complicating matters further, the Lebanon ceasefire appeared shaky. Lebanese Civil Defence reported that 20 people were killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon on Saturday, just hours after a truce there took effect. Israel said it was responding to attacks from Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group, while Hezbollah said it would not allow Israel “freedom of movement” in Lebanon. Lebanon’s state news agency reported that Israeli warplanes and drones struck locations across southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley on Saturday. An Israeli military official said Hezbollah fired more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces overnight.
The IRGC pointed to what it called Israeli “crimes” in Lebanon — which it said violated U.S. ceasefire commitments — as justification for warning ships that they would be at risk near the Strait.
Israel, which is not part of the U.S.-Iran negotiations, has stated it is not bound by the deal and will keep its forces in Lebanese territory it currently occupies. Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 reported that the country’s prime minister and defense minister instructed the military to hold fire in Lebanon, though Israel would not pull back from areas it has captured.
A poll conducted by Israel’s Hebrew University and shared exclusively with Reuters found that about 92% of Israelis believe Iran benefited more from the joint Israeli-U.S. military campaign than Israel did. Only around 8% of Israelis felt their country came out victorious. Nearly 90% said the war’s goals were not achieved, and more than 70% said they do not believe claims of major achievements made by the Israeli prime minister.
Lebanon’s health ministry reports that 4,057 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since March 2, including medics, women, and children, though it does not specify how many were combatants. Israeli authorities say at least 32 soldiers and four civilians have been killed in fighting with Hezbollah.
On the U.S. side, the negotiating team includes Vice President Vance along with envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who is also Trump’s son-in-law. The Iranian delegation is led by chief negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and also includes Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, along with senior officials from security, the central bank, and the oil sector.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran would use the Switzerland talks to push for the fulfillment of commitments, pointing to what he described as past failures by the other side to honor agreements.
Vance, speaking in a Fox News interview, expressed confidence that the ceasefire would hold and said he had seen no evidence that the Strait of Hormuz was actually closed. He departed for Switzerland shortly after 4 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, telling reporters before boarding a plane at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland that negotiations would likely last “a couple days.”
“I think we’re going to hopefully make progress on the nuclear issue, make progress on the Lebanon ceasefire issue,” Vance said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy issued a grave warning Saturday, telling his citizens that Russian forces were preparing to launch a massive assault on Ukraine and urging everyone to take extra precautions as strikes across the country left at least six people dead.
Speaking in his nightly video address, Zelenskiy delivered an urgent message to the Ukrainian people. “Tonight and in the coming hours, it is especially important to pay close attention to air raid warnings,” he said. “The Russians have prepared for a massive attack. Please take care of yourselves.”
Russian forces have carried out a series of devastating strikes on Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities in recent weeks. Attacks last Monday left 10 people dead across the country and caused severe damage to the Pechersk Lavra monastery — a 1,000-year-old site considered a cornerstone of Ukrainian spiritual and cultural identity.
Zelenskiy has vowed that Ukraine’s military will continue its campaign of medium and long-range strikes, with a particular focus on Russia’s oil sector. He confirmed Saturday that Ukrainian drones hit an oil refinery in the Tyumen region of western Siberia, and that drones had also struck a Moscow oil refinery twice during the week.
In the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, Russian forces unleashed glide bombs Saturday, killing five people and wounding 10 others. Regional Governor Ivan Fedorov reported the details on Telegram, noting that the city absorbed nine separate strikes, with damage to multiple residential buildings and other infrastructure.
Near the Russian border, a bomb attack on the outskirts of the city of Sumy claimed one life, according to local officials.
In the southern Kherson region, Regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported that one person was killed in a drone strike on a village located north of the region’s main city, also known as Kherson.
In the central city of Poltava, Russian shelling injured three children, local officials confirmed.
The United States punched their ticket to the World Cup knockout rounds by defeating Australia 2-0, but not everyone is celebrating without reservation. Former U.S. national team coach Bruce Arena says the performance exposed some real concerns, particularly the team’s lack of creativity without injured star Christian Pulisic.
Arena joined fellow former coaches Bob Bradley and Gregg Berhalter on Saturday’s episode of FanDuel’s Coaches Corner, where the trio weighed in on the victory. While all three acknowledged the team’s physical dominance and strong opening half, they each raised questions about what lies ahead.
“I think I’m probably going to be a little different than Bob and Gregg, but I don’t think the United States played a particularly strong game,” said Arena, who guided the U.S. to the 2002 World Cup quarterfinals. “A good solid first half. Second half, not too good.”
Pulisic is currently sidelined with a calf injury, and Arena made clear that getting him back on the field is critical as the competition stiffens.
“That’s a big question mark for the U.S. team, how they can get Christian back on the field because they certainly miss him in the attack and the competition is going to get better,” Arena said.
Bradley, who coached the Americans to a group stage victory at the 2010 World Cup, acknowledged Pulisic’s absence changes the team’s dynamic but pointed to their overall athleticism as a strength.
“We miss his creativity and his dribbling,” Bradley said. “But we’re a really athletic team and for the second game in a row, our athleticism really pushed the opponent.”
Berhalter, who led the U.S. to the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup, said Australia simply couldn’t match the Americans physically.
“Australia are a physical team, a tough team, and they couldn’t deal with what we were giving them physically,” Berhalter said. “It wasn’t the best performance over 90 minutes, but it was certainly enough.”
Berhalter also singled out forward Folarin Balogun for high praise, calling him “sensational” and saying he “terrorises the defence.”
The win was also the team’s first shutout in 10 games — a notable achievement after giving up a goal against Paraguay. However, Bradley cautioned that Australia didn’t truly challenge the U.S. backline.
“The big questions haven’t been put on display yet,” Bradley said.
Up next for the United States is a group finale against Turkey, a team that has already been eliminated after dropping its first two matches. Arena warned not to take the matchup lightly, noting Turkey may actually be the group’s most technically skilled side and will be playing for pride.
Arena drew a comparison to the 2002 tournament, when an already-eliminated Poland beat the U.S. 3-1 in the final group stage game. “They wanted to prove they had pride in themselves as a team,” he said.
Bradley added that Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella would need to rally a disappointed squad heading into the match.
All three coaches also flagged a troubling drop in energy after halftime as something worth monitoring going forward.
“We seem to drop our energy level considerably in the second half,” Berhalter said. “Are we getting to a point where we’re fatigued?”
Arena said the true test of this U.S. squad is still ahead. “We are going to find out a lot more about our team in the round of 32 and then the round of 16,” he said.
Even though wide receiver A.J. Brown has left the Philadelphia Eagles, his old jersey number will still be seen on the field — just on the defensive side of the ball.
According to 94 WIP, Eagles linebacker Jihaad Campbell is making the switch from jersey No. 30 to No. 11 now that the number has opened up. The number holds personal significance for Campbell, who wore it during his time at Alabama before Philadelphia selected him in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
The 22-year-old Campbell had a solid debut season, racking up 80 tackles, one interception, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery across 17 games, including 10 starts.
Brown’s number became available after the three-time All-Pro receiver was dealt to the New England Patriots earlier this month. In return, the Eagles received a first-round pick in 2028 and a fifth-round selection in 2027.
For the second consecutive day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on neighboring Belarus to take down relay stations that he claims are playing a direct role in facilitating Russian drone strikes against Ukrainian regions.
Belarus, led by longtime President Alexander Lukashenko, has stood as one of Russia’s closest partners throughout the more than four-year conflict with Ukraine. The country allowed Russia to use its soil as a launching point for the February 2022 invasion.
Lukashenko, who has held power since 1994, has repeatedly insisted he does not wish to become more deeply entangled in the war. However, Zelenskiy has pushed Belarus to demonstrate through action that it will not actively back Russia’s military campaign.
Without mentioning Lukashenko by name, Zelenskiy addressed the matter in his nightly video message, making an indirect reference to Lukashenko’s disputed return to power. He stated that Ukraine has identified four relay stations on Belarusian soil that are supporting Russian military operations.
“Belarus still has time to dismantle this equipment. We also know about every factory in Belarus that works for Russia and supports the war,” Zelenskiy said.
He added, “Ukraine does not want this and we have warned the de facto leadership of Belarus which has influence over these developments.”
The previous Friday, Zelenskiy had given what he described as a week’s worth of time for the relay equipment to be removed, and he attached a clear warning to that deadline.
“If he doesn’t do it, we’ll do it,” Zelenskiy said on Friday, without providing further detail on what that action might look like.
In his most recent comments, Zelenskiy also turned attention to Belarus’s oil refining industry, arguing it is contributing to Russia’s ability to wage war. He said that between January and May, gasoline exports from Belarus to Russia grew by 13 times compared to the same stretch of time the previous year, while diesel exports tripled.
“Unfortunately, this helps Russia adapt to pressure and does not bring peace any closer,” Zelenskiy said. “It should be the opposite: peace should be brought closer.”
Ukraine’s armed forces have been conducting a sustained campaign of medium and long-range drone strikes, with Russia’s oil infrastructure as a primary target, as part of a broader strategy to weaken Moscow’s ability to sustain its war effort.
Three people have lost their lives following a fire at a single-story pavilion in the White City neighborhood of London, the London Fire Brigade announced on Saturday.
Authorities have launched a joint investigation into the cause of the deadly blaze, with the Brigade’s specialist fire investigation officers working in coordination with the Metropolitan Police Service to determine what sparked the fire.
Frisco, Texas — Newly released footage from a police officer’s body camera and a stadium surveillance camera is giving the public a look at what unfolded in the moments after a teenage athlete fatally stabbed a fellow teen from a rival team during a high school track meet last year.
Karmelo Anthony, 19, was found guilty of murder on June 10 in connection with the death of Austin Metcalf, 17, and was handed a 35-year prison sentence. Jurors rejected Anthony’s argument that he acted in self-defense. The footage was among a collection of evidence made available by the Collin County court after the trial wrapped up.
The surveillance recording shows the track and bleacher area on a rainy day. Without warning, a figure in a gray sweatshirt appears from behind a yellow tent and sprints down the bleacher steps. The footage contains no audio.
The individual reached the bottom of the bleachers, stumbled and fell, then continued running along a fence line that divides the bleachers from the track. He briefly paused, glancing back as if someone were following him, before continuing to run.
After traveling partway around the track, an unidentified person joined him. The two stopped, spoke briefly, and then embraced. They resumed walking and were soon met by a third person. After additional conversation, Anthony made his way toward the fence, where he appeared to encounter a waiting police officer.
The officer placed Anthony in handcuffs and walked him to a patrol car. Anthony complied with the officer’s instructions before breaking down in tears.
“He put his hands on me,” Anthony said in a tearful, broken voice. “I told him not to. He put his hands on me.”
Officers then escorted Anthony to the police cruiser and placed him inside.
HOUSTON — American officials are defending the travel restrictions placed on Iran’s national soccer team during the World Cup, while leaving the door open to adjustments as the tournament moves forward, according to Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the tournament.
Speaking exclusively with Reuters in Houston on Saturday, Giuliani said the current plan remains in effect but acknowledged the situation could evolve depending on how things unfold game by game.
Iran’s team has voiced frustration over rules requiring them to arrive at match venues no earlier than 24 hours before kickoff and return directly to their training base in Tijuana, Mexico immediately after each game. Iran’s head coach, Amir Ghalenoei, went so far as to describe his squad as “the most oppressed team in the whole World Cup.”
Despite that criticism, Giuliani said discussions about what comes next are ongoing. He noted that after Iran’s Sunday match against Belgium in Los Angeles, officials will evaluate the situation before deciding what measures will apply to the team’s third group-stage game against Egypt in Seattle on Friday.
“The situation is dynamic,” Giuliani said. “We have a plan right now. Tomorrow afternoon (after the match against Belgium) they will take the 27-minute flight back to Tijuana. We will see how it goes for match two, and then there will be discussions the day after in terms of what it looks like for match three in Seattle.”
Giuliani also defended the decision to relocate Iran’s training base from Tucson to Tijuana before the tournament began, saying the move actually worked in the team’s favor by cutting down on travel time.
“The shift from Tucson to Tijuana, I think, was good for everybody involved, certainly it reduces their travel time to Los Angeles too,” he said. “Their flight is an hour shorter than it would be from Tucson. And we’re happy with the way that things went for match one in Los Angeles.”
On the topic of visas, Giuliani confirmed that all players and coaches on Iran’s squad received clearance to enter the country. However, he said some team officials were denied visas after officials found concerning information during their review.
“I would just point to the fact that all players have received visas. All the coaches have received visas. There are some team officials that have not received visas, and that’s because we’ve seen some derogatory information on them, and this is the balance that we talk about,” he said.
Giuliani emphasized that the overarching goal of the task force is to protect both American citizens and international visitors attending the tournament.
“We want to make sure we have this incredible soccer tournament, where people are welcome and enjoy the World Cup, while also making sure that we are not just protecting American citizens, but we’re also protecting all those international visitors that are coming here,” he said.
When asked about potential security threats, Giuliani said no credible dangers have been identified, though officials continue to monitor the situation closely around the clock.
“What I can tell you is our intelligence community has tripled down on this since the beginning of this year,” he said. “We’re in discussions every hour on it. But there have been no credible threats at this moment.”
Overall, Giuliani expressed satisfaction with how the first ten days of the World Cup have gone, calling it a fitting celebration tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary.
“Things are going as planned,” he said. “It’s been fantastic to see the great play on the pitch, that seems to be the majority of the conversation, which has been fantastic. I think this is an amazing celebration of America over our 250th birthday, with the World Cup being the incredible highlight.”
Downtown Raleigh was transformed into a sea of red and black on Saturday as an estimated 150,000 fans turned out to celebrate the Carolina Hurricanes’ first Stanley Cup championship in 20 years, according to The News & Observer. The crowd is believed to be a record-breaking turnout for the city.
Head coach Rod Brind’Amour, who also served as team captain when Carolina won its only other Stanley Cup back in 2006, was visibly overwhelmed by the size of the crowd greeting the champions.
“I’m in shock,” Brind’Amour said following the parade through North Carolina’s capital city. “It doesn’t happen very often, but I’m just kind of speechless.”
Thousands of fans arrived well ahead of the parade’s start time, staking out spots along the route and near the stage where a post-parade rally would be held. Players rode through the streets on double-decker buses while Brind’Amour waved to the crowd from a truck traveling the same route.
Supporters dressed in Hurricanes jerseys and waving team flags were still riding high on the team’s Cup victory over the Vegas Golden Knights the previous weekend.
Captain and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jordan Staal said he tried to prepare his teammates for what to expect — but the reality still exceeded his expectations.
“I was trying to explain to the fellas what I knew was going to happen,” Staal said. “And my expectations were so high because I know these Caniacs, I know what they’re all about, and I was still blown away. I couldn’t even describe how amazing that was.”
At the rally stage, Staal lifted the Stanley Cup above his head to a roaring crowd. Players Andrei Svechnikov and Jordan Martinook took turns sounding the “Storm Warning” siren — the same one that blares when the team hits the ice before home games in Raleigh.
Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon admitted the massive turnout caught him off guard as well.
“I did not expect that, for sure,” Dundon said. “Like, I didn’t know. That’s a lot of people. I was surprised. It’s, also, you know, seeing all the little kids, my guys up there with water guns, and all the little kids in front, thinking about how many people have this connection now and what that’ll mean for the future, is kind of what kind of will hit me.”
Even amid the festivities, the organization found time to conduct some business. General manager Eric Tulsky used the occasion to officially sign forward Nicolas Deslauriers to a two-year contract worth $1.75 million. Deslauriers, who had joined the team at the trade deadline, had been set to become an unrestricted free agent.
The Kansas City Royals bolstered their pitching depth on Saturday by inking veteran left-hander Matt Moore to a minor league contract.
Moore’s most recent stint at the major league level came with the Los Angeles Angels in 2024. Prior to that, he had signed a minor league deal with the Boston Red Sox last season, though he was let go in April before reaching the big leagues.
Having just celebrated his 37th birthday on Thursday, Moore brings a wealth of experience to the organization. Over 13 big league seasons, he has compiled a 71-66 record with a 4.39 ERA across 369 appearances, including 164 starts, while suiting up for eight different major league clubs. He broke into the majors with the Tampa Bay Rays back in 2011 and earned an All-Star selection in 2013, when he posted a career-high 17 wins against just 4 losses and a 3.29 ERA.
For most of his career, Moore worked primarily as a starter, though his last assignment in that role came with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2021, when he made 13 starts. More recently, he has transitioned to relief work. His most productive stretch out of the bullpen came with the Texas Rangers in 2022, when he appeared in 63 games, posted a 1.95 ERA, and collected five of his six career saves.
LONDON — Britain’s Observer newspaper is reporting that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to step down as early as Monday, with senior figures in his Labour Party anticipating a formal announcement about his future.
According to the report, Starmer was at his Chequers country residence consulting with his wife before reaching a final decision. Senior Labour members are said to be anticipating a clear statement on his political future as soon as Monday.
Despite the report, a government source pushed back, saying Starmer remains fully focused on his responsibilities as prime minister and pointing to previous statements he has made affirming his commitment to the role.
The pressure on Starmer escalated significantly on Friday when rival Andy Burnham secured a seat in parliament — a move that now allows Burnham to formally mount a leadership challenge against the sitting prime minister.
Starmer addressed the situation Friday, saying he intends to fight any challenge to his leadership and calling on Labour members to avoid destructive internal conflict. “Don’t tear itself apart with infighting,” he urged the party.
The calls for his exit have grown considerably, with more than 100 elected Labour lawmakers — representing roughly one-quarter of the party’s total membership in the House of Commons — publicly calling for Starmer to either resign or at least lay out a timeline for his departure.
Veteran journalist Don Gonyea found himself reflecting on decades of presidential history this week as he reported on the opening of the Barack Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.
The launch of the center prompted Gonyea to look back on the various presidential library openings he has had the opportunity to cover throughout his long career in journalism.
From one presidential milestone to the next, Gonyea has built a career defined by a close-up view of American political history — and the Obama Presidential Center opening in Chicago added yet another chapter to that storied record.
When George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis, the city became the center of a national reckoning. Now, a new book is taking a deeper look at what that moment revealed about the city — and about America as a whole.
Author Justin Ellis has written ‘The Cruelty of Nice Folks: Why Minneapolis is the Story of America,’ a work that examines what he describes as a fundamental contradiction at the heart of Minneapolis: a city known for its progressive, liberal values that at the same time harbors some of the most significant racial disparities in the country.
Ellis argues that this tension — between the friendly, welcoming reputation often associated with Midwestern culture and the harsh realities faced by communities of color — makes Minneapolis not an outlier, but rather a mirror for the rest of the nation.
A new podcast is taking a close look at how Texas — a state deeply rooted in American football culture — is navigating its role as a World Cup host.
The podcast, titled ‘When the World Comes to Texas,’ features hosts Miranda Suarez and Ron Corning, who have been on the ground reporting on the World Cup as it unfolds across the state.
In a recent episode, Suarez and Corning reflected on what their reporting has revealed about Texas itself — a place where soccer has historically played second fiddle to football, but is now at the center of one of the globe’s most-watched sporting events.
The podcast offers listeners an inside look at the cultural and social dynamics at play as the world’s attention turns to a state that has long defined itself through a very different sport.
History haunts halfway leaders at Shinnecock Hills as US Open continues
SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — Wyndham Clark finds himself in the lead at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, sitting four shots ahead of the field after 36 holes. But if history is any guide, that advantage may not be enough. No player who has led at the halfway point at this course has gone on to win in the past four decades.
Geoff Ogilvy, who captured the title there 20 years ago without ever finishing a round under par, recalled advice he received from Judy Rankin: simply “save every shot.” Last year’s tournament at Oakmont saw J.J. Spaun mount a remarkable comeback victory, underscoring just how unpredictable the U.S. Open can be. Previous champions at Shinnecock Hills — including Brooks Koepka, Retief Goosen, Corey Pavin, and Raymond Floyd — all came from behind to claim the title.
Dylan Wu laughs off five-putt nightmare to start third round
SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — The third round at Shinnecock Hills got off to a rocky start for Dylan Wu, who was the first player on the course Saturday morning. Playing in heavy winds exceeding 20 mph with even stronger gusts, the 29-year-old five-putted the opening hole. He went on to card an 82, putting him at 16 over par for the tournament.
Still, Wu found a reason to smile. He had barely made the cut Friday, needing to sink a seven-foot putt on the 18th hole just to stay in the field. Getting to spend Father’s Day on the course alongside his dad, Kevin — the person who first introduced him to the game — made it all worthwhile.
Teen and young amateur golfers dubbed ‘future of golf’ at US Open
SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — Two young amateur players turned heads at Shinnecock Hills on Saturday when 17-year-old Miles Russell and 21-year-old Jackson Koivun were paired together in the third round. TV commentators quickly dubbed the duo the “future of golf.” Russell drew attention early when he launched a tee shot 407 yards on the 18th hole. Both players finished with 4-over-par 74s — solid scores given the brutal conditions, especially for two players making their first major championship weekend appearance.
US men’s soccer team advances to World Cup knockout stage
SEATTLE — The United States men’s national soccer team has secured a spot in the World Cup knockout round, even without injured forward Christian Pulisic. The Americans defeated Australia 2-0 Friday at Lumen Field in Seattle. Pulisic was held out due to a calf injury, but the team’s depth proved more than enough. The U.S. took the lead in the 11th minute on an own goal, and Alex Freeman doubled the advantage in the 43rd minute with a header off a deflected shot — his first career World Cup goal. The Americans later clinched Group D when Paraguay defeated Turkey.
Paraguay’s early goal helps US win Group D
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Paraguay secured a 1-0 victory over Turkey on Saturday, despite playing more than half the match a man short. Matias Galarza found the back of the net just 65 seconds in — the fastest goal of this year’s tournament. Paraguay was reduced to ten men late in the first half after Miguel Almiron received a red card for covering his mouth during a confrontation, violating a newly implemented rule. Goalkeeper Orlando Gill made several crucial saves to protect the lead. The result eliminated Turkey from knockout contention and handed Group D to the United States.
World Cup fears about lopsided games haven’t come true
GUADALAJARA, Mexico — When FIFA announced it was expanding the World Cup to 48 teams, critics warned the larger field would lead to mismatched games and blowout scores. So far, those fears haven’t played out. Through the first 24 matches of the expanded tournament, the goal differential has remained largely in line with the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, suggesting the bigger field has not significantly reduced the quality of competition.
Netherlands routs Sweden 5-1 to top Group F
HOUSTON — The Netherlands bounced back from an opening draw with a dominant 5-1 win over Sweden on Saturday. Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo each scored twice to lead the way, with Brobbey’s goals coming in the first half to set the tone. The victory gave the Netherlands four points and the top spot in Group F. Sweden, with three points, suffered its worst World Cup loss since falling 7-1 to Brazil back in 1950. Japan and Tunisia were set to face off later Saturday.
Carolina Hurricanes celebrate Stanley Cup with massive Raleigh parade
RALEIGH, N.C. — Thousands of Carolina Hurricanes fans flooded downtown Raleigh on Saturday to celebrate the team’s Stanley Cup championship. Supporters arrived hours early to stake out spots along the parade route or near the rally stage, waving flags and wearing team jerseys as the players made their way through the city. The Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights last weekend to claim the Cup for the second time in franchise history, the first coming in 2006. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour was actually a captain on that 2006 championship squad. Reflecting on the outpouring of fan support Saturday, he said he was “kinda speechless.”
Shohei Ohtani announces he’s a father again
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani announced on Instagram that he and his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, have welcomed a new baby. The couple expressed joy over the safe arrival and thanked their supporters. A photo of tiny feet alongside a blue blanket hinted that the newest addition is a boy, joining the couple’s daughter, who was born in April 2025. Ohtani’s absence from the Dodgers’ lineup Friday first raised questions, with the team announcing he was on paternity leave. Manager Dave Roberts said he had only recently found out the news himself. Ohtani has long kept his personal life out of the public eye.
TYRE, Lebanon — Vice President JD Vance departed for Switzerland on Saturday as the White House worked to get stalled negotiations with Iran back on course.
Vance is scheduled to meet Sunday with Iran’s parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and central bank and oil officials. Mediators from Pakistan and Qatar have also traveled to Switzerland to participate in the discussions.
The goal of the technical-level talks is to work out the finer details of a preliminary agreement signed earlier this week by President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, which is designed to halt nearly four months of war between the two countries.
The talks nearly fell apart before they began. Vance had originally been set to meet with senior Iranian officials on Friday at a mountainside resort in the small Swiss village of Obbürgen, but Iranian officials initially pulled out due to escalating conflict between Israel and Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
However, U.S. and Qatari negotiators — with assistance from Iran — brokered an arrangement to reduce the active fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, according to U.S. and regional officials who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to comment publicly. Following that development, Iran’s state media announced Saturday that its top officials would make the trip to Switzerland after all.
Earlier in the day, Iran announced it had closed the Strait of Hormuz, citing what it called a U.S. failure to uphold its commitments under the interim deal by not ending the war. Iran also warned that while its team was heading to Switzerland, progress in the talks would be unlikely unless the fighting stopped.
President Trump responded by threatening to impose American tolls on the strategically vital waterway if a final deal with Iran is not reached within 60 days. In a social media post, Trump said the money would go toward “services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East,” while also noting the agreement currently guarantees toll-free transit for 60 days.
The U.S. pushed back on Iran’s claim about the strait. “Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz. Traffic continues to flow, and U.S. forces are monitoring the situation to ensure this remains the case,” said Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command. The military reported that 55 merchant ships moved through the strait on Saturday, carrying more than 17 million barrels of oil.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said negotiations toward a final agreement would only begin once key commitments are honored. If they are not, he warned, “the memorandum of understanding as a whole will be jeopardized.”
Vance confirmed that top negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were already in Switzerland working through technical details ahead of the broader nuclear talks. The interim deal gives both sides 60 days to reach a nuclear agreement, though that window can be extended given the complexity of the issue.
Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met with Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi in Tehran earlier Saturday as part of efforts to help revive the direct talks, according to officials in Islamabad who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
The interim agreement, signed earlier in the week, marked a significant milestone but left many questions open. Under the deal, the U.S. lifted its blockade of Iran’s ports and allowed Tehran to sell oil freely — terms that have drawn scrutiny from some members of Congress who have questioned whether the war was worth fighting. The deal also calls for billions of dollars of Iran’s frozen assets to be released.
Complicating the broader peace effort is the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Neither party signed the U.S.-Iran agreement. Hezbollah and Israel entered open war two days after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, with Hezbollah firing rockets and drones at northern Israel while Israeli forces seized large portions of southern Lebanon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to keep Israeli troops in southern Lebanon until all threats to Israel are eliminated. Hezbollah, for its part, has refused to stop its attacks unless Israel commits to a full withdrawal from Lebanon.
A new round of U.S.-backed talks between Lebanon’s government and Israel is expected to take place in Washington next week.
The United States and Iran offered starkly different versions of events Saturday regarding the Strait of Hormuz, even as high-level representatives from both countries prepared to sit down for talks in Switzerland the following day.
Iran announced earlier that it was shutting down the vital waterway and issued warnings to commercial ships to keep their distance. The announcement came amid continued fighting between Israel and Lebanon, despite a ceasefire having been declared.
According to Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, the naval arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps sent warnings to ships operating near the strait, cautioning that vessels attempting to pass through could face mines or come under fire. Iranian state media also reported that maritime activity in the Persian Gulf had dropped following the announcement.
The US military flatly rejected Iran’s assertion that the strait had been closed.
“Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz,” said Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for Central Command, known as CENTCOM. “Traffic continues to flow, and US forces are monitoring the situation to ensure this remains the case.”
CENTCOM reported that 55 merchant vessels and 17 million barrels of oil moved through the strait on Saturday. The command further stated: “US forces remain present and vigilant to ensure all aspects of the agreement with Iran are adhered to, obeyed, and in full force and effect.”
The standoff over the waterway unfolded as diplomatic preparations continued ahead of the Switzerland talks. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced plans to travel there to serve as a mediator, and Qatar is also expected to be involved in the discussions.
The American delegation heading to the talks is expected to include Vice President JD Vance, Jared Kushner, and US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, who are scheduled to meet with an Iranian delegation.
CNN reported that resolving the conflict in Lebanon is “the most important item on the Iranian delegation’s agenda” as their representatives prepare for the negotiations.
The talks are set to get underway Sunday, even as both sides continue to publicly disagree over what is happening in the Strait of Hormuz — one of the world’s most critical shipping routes for global energy supplies.
The Democratic Republic of Congo announced Saturday that confirmed Ebola infections within the country have climbed to 956, with the death toll now reaching 247.
The latest figures represent a notable jump from just one day prior, when officials reported 933 confirmed cases and 245 deaths.
A memo from the U.S. Department of Justice is sending shockwaves through the disability rights community, with advocates warning it could undermine decades of civil rights protections for Americans with disabilities.
The Justice Department’s legal opinion takes aim at protections that have historically treated placing disabled individuals in institutions as an option of last resort. Those protections have long been considered a cornerstone of disability rights law in the United States.
Disability advocates say the memo signals a troubling shift in how the federal government views the rights of people with disabilities to live in their communities rather than in institutional settings. Many fear that if the opinion is acted upon, it could open the door to a return to widespread institutionalization — a practice that civil rights efforts over many years have worked to move away from.
The Justice Department building in Washington, D.C. is where the opinion originated, and the move has drawn swift attention from advocacy groups nationwide who say the stakes could not be higher for vulnerable Americans who depend on community-based support and services.
The Israel Defense Forces announced Saturday that Hezbollah launched more than 50 rockets at Israeli troops stationed in southern Lebanon during overnight hours, calling the attack a clear violation of the existing ceasefire agreement. The military also confirmed that two soldiers lost their lives in separate combat incidents and that 13 additional troops were wounded in the attacks.
The two soldiers killed were identified as Staff Sgt. Yoav Klein, 21, from Herzliya, and Staff Sgt. Nir Ben Ari, 21, from Kerem Maharal.
Klein served in Battalion 52 of the 401st “Iron Tracks” Brigade and died in the same incident that also claimed the life of Battalion 52 commander Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Shimhon and two other soldiers whose identities have not yet been cleared for release.
Ben Ari was a member of the Maglan Unit within the Commando Brigade. He was killed in a separate incident that left 13 fellow soldiers injured. According to reports, he was just nine days away from his 22nd birthday and had been expected to begin discharge leave later this month.
Channel 12 reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz directed the IDF to stand down from launching further strikes in Lebanon, a decision reached after consultations and coordination with the United States. The order does not include a withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, where troops are expected to remain deployed.
A senior IDF officer stated that Israeli forces continue to operate along what is known as the “yellow line” and remain active in the Nabatieh sector. The officer noted that dozens of Hezbollah fighters are surrounded in that area, which the military described as a significant hub of Hezbollah operations.
Overnight military operations targeted Hezbollah rocket launch sites, weapons depots, and command infrastructure, the IDF said.
Prime Minister Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to maintaining its military presence in southern Lebanon. A senior official speaking on behalf of the Prime Minister’s Office said Netanyahu made clear that Israel will stay in southern Lebanon “for as long as necessary to defend its northern border.”
HOUSTON — A lightning threat in the Houston area turned the end of Saturday’s World Cup match between the Netherlands and Sweden into an unexpected wait for nearly 69,000 fans.
Just moments after the final whistle signaled the Netherlands’ commanding 5-1 victory, stadium officials made an announcement directing spectators to stay put. Warnings were also displayed on the massive video boards at each end of the stadium.
The crowd of 68,777 — which was made up largely of Netherlands supporters — didn’t let the delay dampen the mood. Fans danced and cheered along to music playing inside the venue while they waited for officials to give the go-ahead to leave. The stadium, known as NRG Stadium, is the home of the NFL’s Houston Texans.
Weather forecasts for the area predicted rain would continue for roughly another hour after the match ended, with conditions expected to clear up around 2 p.m. local time.
President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Saturday to clarify the status of shipping tolls through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical international waterway, amid an ongoing 60-day ceasefire agreement with Iran.
According to Trump, no fees will be charged to vessels passing through the strait during the ceasefire window — and that policy would continue beyond the 60-day period, with one significant condition attached.
“There will be NO TOLLS in the Hormuz Strait for 60 days during the Cease Fire Period, and there will be NO TOLLS after the 60 day period has expired, unless they are imposed by and for the United States of America, should the deal not be completed, for services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East for purposes of both past, present, and future reimbursement of costs,” Trump wrote in the post.
In other words, if peace negotiations ultimately collapse and no final agreement is reached, the U.S. could choose to impose its own tolls on the waterway as a form of compensation for what Trump described as America’s protective role in the region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed on Saturday that Ukrainian drones had targeted an oil refinery deep inside Russia, striking a facility in the Tyumen Region of western Siberia — more than 2,000 kilometers, or roughly 1,200 miles, from Ukraine’s border.
In his nightly video address to the nation, Zelenskiy praised the Ukrainian military’s special operations forces, saying they “have reached Tyumen Region in Russia, including an oil refining facility. More than 2,000 km from our state border. This is effective work.”
The Tyumen Region’s governor, Alexander Moor, had earlier stated that Russian air defense systems pushed back the drone assault on the refinery. According to his preliminary assessment, the facility suffered no damage, and workers were safely evacuated.
The Tyumen refinery is considered one of Russia’s most advanced and capable facilities, with a nominal processing capacity of approximately 8 million metric tons of oil each year. Industry estimates indicate it processes around 6 million tons of crude annually, yielding roughly 0.5 million tons of gasoline and 2.5 million tons of diesel fuel.
Ukraine has been carrying out a sustained campaign of medium and long-range drone strikes against Russian targets for several months, with a particular focus on the country’s oil sector. The strategy is aimed at cutting off a key source of revenue that Moscow uses to finance its ongoing war effort.
Zelenskiy also announced that newly upgraded long-range drones had been successfully used in operations. “They can now reach targets at a distance of 3,000 km,” he said, adding, “These are entirely justified responses to Russian strikes against our state. Ukraine’s plan of long-range operations is being implemented.”
Delaware State Police have released the name of the man who lost his life in a three-vehicle crash that occurred Friday morning in Georgetown. The victim has been identified as 52-year-old Jon Jefferson, a resident of Lincoln, Delaware.
The State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit is continuing its investigation into the deadly wreck. Troopers are urging anyone who may have witnessed the crash to reach out to Master Corporal R. Albert at (302) 703-3266. Tips can also be submitted by sending a private message to the Delaware State Police on Facebook, or by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-847-3333.
Anyone who has been affected by a violent crime or has suffered the sudden loss of a loved one can reach out to the Delaware State Police Victim Services Unit and the Delaware Victim Center. Support and resources are available around the clock through a toll-free hotline at 1-800-VICTIM-1 (1-800-842-8461). Those in need may also send an email to [email protected].
American tennis player Jessica Pegula has eliminated world number one Aryna Sabalenka from the Berlin Open, defeating the Belarusian star 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-0 in a hard-fought semifinal on June 20, dealing a blow to Sabalenka’s Wimbledon preparations.
Pegula will now compete in the tournament final against Czech eighth seed Linda Noskova, who punched her ticket to the championship match by defeating Filipino player Alexandra Eala 6-2, 6-4.
Sabalenka, who was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the French Open, struggled to find her footing from the very beginning of the match. Pegula capitalized on an early break to claim the opening set.
A rain delay interrupted the match’s momentum heading into the second-set tiebreak, which Sabalenka managed to win. However, Pegula bounced back emphatically in the third set, running through it without much resistance.
Reflecting on the match, Pegula — who won the Berlin title in 2024 — described the impact of the weather stoppage: “I told myself after I ended up losing that second-set tiebreak that before the rain delay, I had a lot of momentum. She just hit a double fault. I felt like I kind of had it there and I was serving well.”
“I was in a good rhythm, and then having to get off court and losing that pretty quickly — only winning one point in the tiebreak was a little tough,” Pegula continued. “But she’s No. 1 in the world for a reason and I feel like I gave her too many easy shots and she went for it and that’s just what happens.”
All four of Sabalenka’s Grand Slam titles have come on hard courts, with her most recent championship coming at the 2025 U.S. Open. She continues to chase her first Wimbledon title despite reaching the semifinal stage three times. Earlier this year, she fell in the Australian Open final to Elena Rybakina, one year after finishing runner-up to American Madison Keys.
In the other semifinal, Noskova was dominant from the start, breaking early to take the first set with ease. Eala struggled to find answers in the second set, and Noskova closed out the victory to secure her spot in the final.
Scottish counter-terrorism officials have launched an investigation into a series of violent incidents that unfolded across Edinburgh on Friday evening, according to a statement released by police on Saturday.
Five men were injured during the attacks, and a 36-year-old white Scottish man was arrested in connection with a sequence of threats, robbery, and vandalism. Three of the victims needed to be taken to the hospital, though authorities confirmed their injuries were not life-threatening.
Officers on the ground confronted and apprehended the suspect at approximately 9:30 p.m. local time, which was 8:30 p.m. GMT.
Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton spoke out strongly against the violence, stating, “I want to send a clear message of support to all our communities that there is no place for racism or faith-based hate in a Scotland which is at its best when we stand together.”
The suspect remains behind bars as the investigation continues, police confirmed.
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Novi Sad, Serbia’s second-largest city, on Saturday to honor the memory of 16 people who died in 2024 when a railway station awning gave way — and to push for snap general elections.
The tragedy sparked student-led protests that at times turned violent and spread throughout the country, putting serious pressure on the 13-year hold that populist leader Aleksandar Vucic and his Serbian Progressive Party have maintained on power.
Those taking part in the demonstrations, along with opposition figures and human rights organizations, argue that the station collapse was a symptom of widespread government corruption and poor oversight of construction projects.
Despite temperatures hovering around 30 degrees Celsius — roughly 86 degrees Fahrenheit — crowds filled the streets of Novi Sad, chanting “Victory” and directing their frustration at Vucic and his party. Many protesters wore t-shirts and carried banners with the message “Students are winning.”
Organizers from the student movement say their goal is to take on Vucic and the Serbian Progressive Party in upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections, both currently scheduled for 2027. Vucic himself has suggested he could call those elections sooner.
Sanja Belic, a university professor from Novi Sad who addressed the crowd, put it plainly: “Without free and fair elections, everything else is empty words.”
The protesters and rights groups have also leveled accusations at Vucic and government officials of manipulating elections, using violence against political opponents, suppressing press freedom, corruption, and connections to organized crime. Vucic and those aligned with him have denied all of these claims.
“We must stand up, express our will, and win; we have no other choice,” said Goran Sajin, a protester in his 50s who joined the Novi Sad rally.
While the demonstration was underway, Vucic appeared in a live television broadcast and announced that his own supporters would hold a counter-rally on June 27. “I invite them not to show anger towards anyone … but to gather under the Serbian flag,” he said.
Serbia is currently a candidate for European Union membership, but is required to make significant improvements in areas including judicial independence, conditions for free and fair elections, and fighting corruption and organized crime. The country also must bring its foreign policy in line with EU positions, which includes imposing sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
A bird banding program at Masonville Cove is shedding new light on how birds travel along the Chesapeake Bay corridor — and delivering an exciting milestone: the return of birds that were first tagged two years ago.
Since the program launched, researchers have banded more than 3,000 birds from roughly 90 different species. The effort is a collaboration involving the Maryland Port Administration, MES, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the nonprofit Birds of Urban Baltimore, known as BUrB. BUrB holds the required permits from the U.S. Geological Survey and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, while volunteers assist with fieldwork and data collection.
Bird banding involves safely capturing birds, attaching a small metal band to one leg, and recording measurements before releasing them. Scientists document details such as weight, size, age, and sex — information that helps build a long-term picture of migration patterns, survival rates, and animal behavior.
Fall 2025 was the third migration banding season at Masonville Cove. Between early August and early November, with a brief additional session in December, the team banded 838 birds representing 56 species. A standout moment came on September 27, when the station set a single-day record — 107 newly banded birds plus three recaptures processed in one day.
Looking at the full year, the team banded 1,341 birds across 72 species. More than 210 members of the public stopped by the station, and six new volunteers joined the team — the largest single-season growth the program has seen.
MES Environmental Specialist Cal Liddell said spotting returning birds has been one of the most rewarding parts of the work. “This year we’ve started catching a lot of birds that we originally banded in 2023, such as Carolina chickadee and a northern rough-winged swallow,” Liddell said. Those recaptures suggest that Masonville Cove serves as a reliable waypoint along the Atlantic Flyway, where birds come back season after season to rest, feed, or breed.
LOS ANGELES — Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has become a father for the second time, sharing the happy news with fans through an Instagram post on Saturday.
Ohtani and his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, shared a heartfelt message alongside the announcement. “We are again overjoyed to experience this wonderful day in our lives together. Thank you for being born safely,” the couple wrote, also expressing gratitude to their supporters.
The post featured a photo of a newborn’s tiny hands and feet wrapped in a blue blanket, hinting that the couple has welcomed a baby boy. The new arrival joins the couple’s daughter, who was born in April 2025. Adding a sweet touch, a miniature stuffed version of Ohtani’s well-known dog, Decoy, was nestled in the baby’s arms — and Decoy himself made an appearance in a photo at the bottom of the post.
The announcement came as a surprise to many. On Friday, Ohtani’s name was absent from the Dodgers’ lineup card, which was released later than normal. The team explained he was “away from the team on paternity.” His return is anticipated sometime this weekend, when Los Angeles is set to host the Baltimore Orioles.
Manager Dave Roberts told reporters Friday night that he had only learned “very recently” that Ohtani was expecting another child.
Known for keeping his personal life out of the spotlight, Ohtani has never publicly shared his daughter’s name and has been careful not to show her face in the occasional family photos he posts online.
Visitors heading to Grand Canyon National Park are being put on notice about dangerous heat conditions expected to return early next week, following a string of heat-related deaths on the park’s inner canyon trails.
The U.S. National Weather Service has placed an extreme heat watch in effect from midday Monday through Tuesday for the Grand Canyon area. At Phantom Ranch — located at the canyon’s lower elevation — temperatures could hit 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius) or higher.
The U.S. National Park Service issued a warning this week urging hikers to stay off the trails during the hottest part of the day, calling it a “strongly advised” precaution following what officials described as a “recent influx of heat-related incidents.”
Two of those incidents turned fatal on June 16, when two hikers — ages 67 and 68 — were discovered dead on the North Kaibab Trail. The National Park Service describes that route as the most demanding of the major inner canyon trails. Officials believe both hikers succumbed to heat-related illness.
A third fatality occurred on June 12, when a 72-year-old hiker died along the South Kaibab Trail after becoming sick from the heat, according to the National Park Service.
Park and weather officials warn that the canyon’s conditions can be misleading to visitors. Temperatures along the rim are typically 20 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than what hikers will encounter once they reach the bottom — a difference that can catch people off guard.
“It’s just a hot place at the bottom of the Grand Canyon,” said Justin Johndrow, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Flagstaff, Arizona. He noted that the region is approaching its hottest stretch of the year, with relief not expected until monsoon rains arrive later in the summer.
While hiking downhill at the start of a trail may feel manageable, the return trip involves climbing thousands of feet in elevation while facing far more intense heat. That combination can cause heat illness to set in before hikers realize it.
“That’s very strenuous even on a mild day,” Johndrow said of the climb back to the rim. “Throw in temperatures of 105 to 110 degrees and that causes some pretty bad problems.”
The dangerous heat is not limited to the Grand Canyon. Much of the western United States, from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast, experienced above-average temperatures Saturday and is bracing for even hotter weather heading into next week. Officials also cautioned that the prolonged heat and low humidity are raising wildfire risks across the region.
Roughly 90 miles south of the Grand Canyon, Oak Creek Canyon near Sedona, Arizona, saw residents and visitors evacuated late Friday as a wildfire burned hundreds of acres just north of the city. At least a dozen agencies responded to the blaze, according to the city’s fire department. The U.S. Forest Service ordered evacuations in the area, and approximately 30 miles of a nearby state highway was shut down in both directions.
Northbound travel on Delaware Route 1 at Mall Road has been brought to a halt following a crash, according to Delaware Department of Transportation officials.
The closure is currently in effect, and motorists traveling in the area are advised to plan for significant delays. Drivers are encouraged to use alternate routes until the roadway is cleared and reopened.
No additional details regarding the nature of the crash or a timeline for reopening have been provided at this time. TV Delmarva will continue to monitor this developing situation and provide updates as they become available.
Delaware State Police have taken a 15-year-old Wilmington boy into custody in connection with an armed robbery that was arranged through the social media platform TikTok.
The incident took place on May 29, 2026, at around 5:00 p.m., when troopers were called to the back of a business in the 3800 block of Kirkwood Highway after a robbery was reported. Investigators determined that the victim had connected with the suspect on TikTok, and the two made plans to meet on Maryland Avenue in Wilmington to ride electric bikes together.
After meeting up, the pair rode around the area for a while before the suspect steered the victim to the rear of a business on Kirkwood Highway, claiming they were going there to film videos. Once they were out of sight, a second suspect — wearing a mask — appeared, pulled out a handgun, and demanded the victim hand over his electric bike. The victim gave up the bike, and both suspects fled. The victim was not physically harmed.
The Delaware State Police Criminal Investigations Unit took charge of the case. Through their investigation, detectives identified the 15-year-old as the armed suspect and secured a search warrant for his home in the unit block of Courtyard Lane in Wilmington.
On June 18, 2026, detectives — with help from the Delaware State Police Special Operations Response Team — carried out the search warrant and took the teenager into custody without any issues.
The teen was transported to Troop 2, where he was formally charged with the following offenses: Robbery First Degree (Felony), Wearing a Disguise During the Commission of a Felony (Felony), and Conspiracy Second Degree (Felony). He was arraigned through the New Castle County Family Court and placed in the custody of the Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families on a $5,000 secured bond.
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone who witnessed the robbery or has information related to the case is asked to reach out to Detective M. Conway at (302) 365-8411. Tips can also be submitted through a private Facebook message to the Delaware State Police or by contacting Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-847-3333.
Anyone who has been a victim or witness of a crime, or who has lost a loved one to a sudden death and needs support, can contact the Delaware State Police Victim Services Unit and Delaware Victim Center around the clock at 1-800-VICTIM-1 (1-800-842-8461). You may also reach the Victim Services Unit by email at [email protected].
Texas Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi will not take the mound Saturday as planned after being scratched from his scheduled start against the visiting San Diego Padres. The reason: left knee soreness.
Stepping in to fill the role is left-hander MacKenzie Gore, who will start the second game of the three-game series at Arlington, Texas. Gore is coming off a Monday outing against the Minnesota Twins, meaning he will be pitching on a standard rest schedule.
The 27-year-old Gore carries a 4-6 record and a 4.27 ERA through 15 starts this season. He sits 13th in the American League with 86 strikeouts. Facing the Padres carries a bit of extra meaning for Gore — San Diego was the team that selected him with the third overall pick in the 2017 June amateur draft. In five career starts against his former franchise, he holds a 1-3 record and a 7.04 ERA.
Eovaldi, 36, had been having a solid season before the injury, posting a 6-7 record and a 4.23 ERA over 14 appearances.
On the other side, San Diego will send 31-year-old right-hander Walker Buehler to the hill. Buehler enters Saturday’s contest with a 4-3 record and a 4.14 ERA and will be making his 15th start of the year. Against Texas specifically, he has gone 1-2 with a 3.72 ERA across four career starts.
Jessica Pegula is one match away from capturing her second Berlin Tennis Open championship in three years after knocking off the world’s top-ranked player, Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-0 in Saturday’s semifinal.
The third-seeded American was relentless against Sabalenka’s second serves, converting 24 of 39 second-service return opportunities — a success rate of 61.5 percent. Pegula broke through five times on 16 break-point chances while holding off six of Sabalenka’s seven attempts to break her serve.
Pegula will square off against either eighth-seeded Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic or unseeded Alexandra Eala of the Philippines in Sunday’s WTA 500 championship match. Eala earned her spot in the semifinals by defeating second-seeded Elena Rybakina and sixth-seeded Elina Svitolina.
In Nottingham, United Kingdom, third-seeded Emma Navarro and fourth-seeded Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic both advanced to Sunday’s final at the Lexus Nottingham Open.
Navarro took down Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic 7-6 (5), 6-2, converting six of 18 break points against the 33-year-old in one hour and 59 minutes. The win sets up another final appearance for Navarro, who claimed the International de Strasbourg title on May 23 in France.
Bouzkova needed just 79 minutes to dispatch fellow Czech Karolina Pliskova 6-4, 6-1. Pliskova struggled throughout, committing seven double faults and winning only 23.7 percent of her first-service return points — just 9 of 38 attempts.
The two finalists, ranked 25th and 27th in the world respectively, have never previously faced each other in singles competition.
Route 1 southbound is closed at New Road following a crash, according to Delaware Department of Transportation officials.
Motorists traveling in the area are advised to avoid the affected stretch of roadway and plan for alternate routes until the road is reopened. The closure is in effect while crews work to address the situation.
No further details regarding the crash have been made available at this time. Drivers should remain alert to changing traffic conditions and allow for extra travel time.
Chicago police are investigating a drive-by shooting that wounded at least 12 people on Friday night on the city’s South Side.
According to authorities, the incident took place near Princeton Park, where a red SUV pulled up alongside a large crowd. Two occupants of the vehicle opened fire into the group before driving away from the scene.
Of the 12 people struck by gunfire, two are in critical condition, police confirmed.
Investigators have not released any information regarding potential suspects in connection with the attack.
PARIS — French authorities announced Saturday that drinking alcohol in public will be prohibited during the country’s annual Fete de la Musique music festival celebrations on June 21 in any administrative districts placed under a red heatwave alert starting at noon Sunday.
The announcement came after Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu convened an emergency crisis meeting to address the dangerous heat conditions spreading across the country.
“Prefects will issue decrees banning alcohol consumption in public spaces in the departments under red alert,” a statement from the Prime Minister’s office said.
The statement also noted that government-organized events would be required to go alcohol-free: “For all events organised by the state and its agencies, instructions have been given not to offer alcohol.”
France’s national weather agency, Meteo France, painted a concerning picture of conditions ahead, stating in its Saturday update that “very high temperatures are settling in for the long term across the country.” The agency formally issued a red heatwave warning covering 35 departments for Sunday, a list that includes the capital city of Paris.
BARCELONA, Spain — A Spanish judge has ruled that Begoña Gómez, the wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, must stand trial on charges of influence peddling and corruption, and must hand over her passport to authorities.
Investigative judge Juan Carlos Peinado issued the order on Saturday, citing concerns that Gómez posed a flight risk. Beyond surrendering her passport, she is also required to check in with a court every two weeks. No trial date has been scheduled yet.
The ruling immediately sparked a fierce political firestorm in Spain, with opposition leaders demanding that Sánchez’s Socialist government resign.
Prosecutors allege that Gómez used her status as the prime minister’s wife to steer government contracts toward a group of technology companies. Judge Peinado also accused her of misusing public funds in connection with hiring a consultant, and of improperly using software during her time as a professor at a public university.
Gómez has maintained her innocence throughout the proceedings. Sánchez has characterized the case as a politically motivated smear campaign orchestrated by conservative rivals intent on bringing down his left-wing government, which has held power since 2018.
Judge Peinado ruled that a businessman who allegedly benefited from the government contracts, as well as the consultant who worked with Gómez, will also face trial.
Sánchez, who has been a vocal critic of U.S. President Donald Trump, is navigating legal challenges on several fronts as Spain heads toward a general election expected by next year.
Earlier this week, former Socialist Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero appeared before a separate judge regarding his alleged involvement in a government airline bailout and to address the discovery of expensive jewelry found during a police search of his office. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Government officials were quick to denounce Saturday’s ruling as politically driven. The Socialist Party released a sharp statement calling the decision “an absolute scandal for democracy.”
“Begoña Gómez is innocent,” the party declared. “For two years now, she has been the target of a political and judicial witch hunt. Today’s development is just the latest escalation.”
Spain’s conservative opposition took the opposite stance, pushing for the government to call an early election. Miguel Tellado, secretary-general of the main opposition People’s Party, offered a pointed rebuke.
“Lawmakers and the architects of our constitution could never have imagined that the threats to our democracy could originate from the Spanish government itself,” Tellado said. “Now we see how the government attacks judges, prosecutors and the media while attempting to silence opposition parties. This is unthinkable in any modern democracy.”
The investigation into Gómez, which has been ongoing for two years, was set in motion after accusations were brought by the pressure group Manos Limpias — meaning Clean Hands — an organization that has pursued numerous legal cases, many of them tied to conservative causes.
WASHINGTON — Washington’s Reflecting Pool is showing serious signs of wear following a renovation ordered by President Trump, and now the president is suggesting the damage was done on purpose — though he has provided nothing to back that up.
Late Friday night, Trump took to his social media platform to raise the alarm. “We’ve had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool,” he wrote. “Just like three days ago, they destroyed the grass outside of the Pool, they’ve also done everything possible to hurt the inside surface that was just installed.” No supporting details accompanied the post.
The agencies responsible for maintaining and policing the National Mall — the U.S. Park Police, National Park Service, and Interior Department — had not responded to media requests for comment as of the time of this report.
According to a report from The Washington Post, Park Police did arrest an individual on Friday who was allegedly peeling paint from the pool. However, that single incident does not account for the widespread algae growth turning the water green or the large sections of blue paint that have separated from the pool’s floor.
Trump pressed further on Truth Social, drawing a comparison to another recent incident at the National Mall. “No different than the chemicals that were used on the National Mall, they used something similar in the Reflecting Pool to try to destroy and demean our beautiful work,” he posted.
That comment referred to a discovery made the previous week, when large numbers — “86 47” — were found etched into discolored grass on the National Mall. Authorities said the markings may have been intended as a threat toward Trump, who serves as the 47th president. The number 86 is commonly used as slang for eliminating or getting rid of something. An investigation into that incident is ongoing.
Trump’s remarks came after days of public criticism over the pool’s condition. He had made the renovation a priority, spending more than $14 million to spruce up the landmark ahead of the America 250 celebrations. Shortly after the project wrapped up, an algae bloom turned the water back to a murky green — the very color Trump had tried to eliminate by having the pool’s bottom painted what he called “American flag blue.”
Workers then treated the water with chemicals to combat the algae. The result: large chunks of that blue paint have now fallen away, leaving the pool’s rocky bottom exposed for all to see.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. military pushed back Saturday against claims by Iran that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed, asserting that the strategically important waterway is still open and that American forces are keeping a close watch on it.
“Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz,” said Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command, in a statement to Reuters. “Traffic continues to flow, and U.S. forces are monitoring the situation to ensure this remains the case.”
Earlier Saturday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that the Strait of Hormuz was closed and issued warnings for ships to stay away from the waterway. The declaration raised fresh concerns about the stability of a ceasefire deal between the United States and Iran — an agreement that had been intended to open the door to broader peace negotiations.
KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced Saturday that he has sent back a high-level state honor to Poland’s president, just one day after the award was officially revoked amid a dispute rooted in World War Two history.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki made the decision Friday to take back the medal he had presented to Zelenskiy in 2023. The move came after Zelenskiy renamed a Ukrainian military unit in honor of WWII-era Ukrainian insurgents who have been accused of carrying out massacres of Polish civilians.
Writing on the social media platform X, Zelenskiy explained his reasoning for returning the decoration. “We believed that the Order of the White Eagle, awarded in 2023, was meant for the Ukrainian People and our army. That is what was said at the time,” he wrote. “Today, I sent the Order back to the President of Poland.”
Zelenskiy also shared a photograph showing the medal being placed in a box and dispatched to the Polish president’s office.
Despite the tension, Zelenskiy expressed appreciation for Poland’s ongoing backing of Ukraine and said his country would “remain open to all meaningful formats of engagement with Poland in order to try to avoid conflicting interpretations of the difficult and painful chapters of our shared past.”
The fallout extended beyond Zelenskiy himself. His chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov, announced he was giving back his own Polish honor — the Golden Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland, which he had received last year. Budanov described Nawrocki’s original decision to revoke Zelenskiy’s award as “a gift” for Russia.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had already weighed in before Zelenskiy’s announcement, calling Nawrocki’s move “a strategic error” and asserting that no foreign head of state “is going to dictate our history to us.”
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who is a political opponent of Nawrocki, called on both leaders to keep their composure and avoid escalating the situation further.
When Nawrocki announced the revocation, he was careful to note the action was “not directed against the Ukrainian people” and that it did “not signify a change in the strategic direction of Polish security policy.”
Poland has been one of Ukraine’s strongest backers throughout the more than four-year conflict with Russia. However, public opinion in Poland toward Ukraine has grown increasingly complicated in recent years, shaped by frustration over the large influx of Ukrainian refugees, disagreements about grain imports, and lingering wounds from the wartime massacres.
The controversy involves the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, known by its Ukrainian acronym UPA. While many Ukrainians view the UPA as patriotic fighters who resisted both Soviet and Nazi forces — and as a symbol of Ukraine’s drive for independence from Moscow — the group is also linked to the Volhynia massacres. Those killings, which took place between 1943 and 1945, resulted in the deaths of approximately 100,000 Polish civilians at the hands of Ukrainian nationalists, according to Poland. Thousands of Ukrainians also lost their lives in retaliatory violence during that same period.
The dispute over how to interpret the UPA’s legacy now threatens to deepen a diplomatic rift between two nations that have otherwise been close strategic partners during Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
Canadian officials are preparing to sit down with their counterparts from Mexico and the United States on July 1, according to a report from CTV News published Saturday.
The gathering will mark the first trilateral meeting held specifically to review the U.S.-Canada-Mexico trade agreement, commonly known as USMCA.
Boston said goodbye to the Tartan Army on Saturday as Scotland’s passionate soccer supporters packed their bags and headed south to Miami, leaving the city sleep-deprived, thoroughly entertained, and counting some impressive bar revenue.
Dressed in dark blue jerseys — and some in traditional kilts — Scotland fans rolled luggage through Boston’s streets on their way to buses, trains, and flights heading toward their next destination.
“I wasn’t sure about the States hosting the World Cup but they’ve done us proud really. From the police to the bar staff and the locals, it’s been a really beautiful experience,” said Karl Johnston, a 57-year-old civil servant from Glasgow.
The Scotland faithful descended on Boston in massive numbers for their country’s first World Cup appearance in 28 years, and by most accounts they out-celebrated every other fan base that passed through the city during the tournament.
A 1-0 loss to Morocco on Friday barely put a dent in anyone’s enthusiasm, largely because Scotland still has a strong chance of advancing to the knockout round after beating Haiti 1-0 in their opening Group C match.
Fans filled bars and spilled into the streets singing well into the early morning hours on Saturday. Bostonians woke up to find traffic cones perched on the heads of the city’s historical statues — a signature move of Scotland’s traveling supporters.
By Saturday morning at South Station, conversations among groups of fans centered largely on which American over-the-counter painkillers worked best.
A Windfall for Local Businesses
While some U.S. hotels and airlines have reported disappointing World Cup revenues due to steep ticket and hospitality prices, Boston’s bars and restaurants experienced the opposite effect thanks to the Scottish invasion.
“We knew the city was going to be busy but we didn’t realise that they were going to drink so much,” said Adam Romanow, founder and chief executive of Boston-based Castle Island Brewing Co.
Romanow noted that beer sales at the famous Cheers bar — the landmark made iconic by the long-running TV series of the 1980s and 1990s — were up 75% compared to the same period last year.
Martha Sheridan, chief executive of Meet Boston, the city’s tourism promotion organization, said bar workers were pulling in nearly $1,000 a day in tips alone, and that both the city and the state of Massachusetts would see a bump in tax revenue.
“But none of that compares to just the pure joy and camaraderie that we’re all experiencing right now,” Sheridan said. “I feel like we have a new lifelong friend in Scotland.”
As for Johnston, he was boarding a bus to New York before catching a flight to Orlando, all to make it to Miami in time for Scotland’s final group match against Brazil on Wednesday.
“Miami Beach, palm trees, samba, Tartan Army,” he said. “It’s football heaven isn’t it?”
A sharp war of words between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and U.S. President Donald Trump continued Saturday, with Meloni firing back after Trump suggested she was trying to repair ties with Washington simply to boost her standing at home.
The feud began Friday when Meloni publicly called Trump a liar after he claimed she had “begged” him for a photo during this week’s Group of Seven summit held in France.
Trump kept the argument going Saturday, posting on his Truth Social platform — and misspelling her name as “Gigiorgia” — that “she wants to be friends again in order to get her ‘numbers up’.”
Meloni responded directly on Instagram, writing in English: “President Trump, these constant, unprovoked attacks are senseless.”
She went further, adding: “My popularity is none of your concern. I suggest you focus on yours.”
Meloni also pointed out that “being his friend has certainly not helped” her popularity. Her government, which took office in 2022, has actually seen public approval climb in recent polls to around 35% after a steady decline throughout 2025. Her Brothers of Italy party leads polling at roughly 28%, while the opposition Democratic Party sits at about 22%.
Trump, who was sworn in during January 2025, recently saw his own approval rating nudge up by one percentage point to 36%, still hovering near the lowest levels of his political career. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that growing public frustration over the cost of living had eased slightly.
Trump also renewed criticism of Italy for refusing to allow the use of American military bases on Italian soil during the war with Iran, which the U.S. and Israel launched at the end of February.
Meloni stood firm on the issue, stating: “Their use is governed by agreements that we have always respected and that cannot be violated. As long as I am prime minister, Italy remains a sovereign nation.”
Willow Grove Road is currently closed to traffic between Cochran Lane and South Street as police activity is underway in the area.
Authorities have not released details about the nature of the incident prompting the closure. Drivers are advised to avoid the affected stretch of road and plan for alternate routes until further notice.
TV Delmarva will continue to monitor this developing situation and provide updates as more information becomes available.
Downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, was flooded with enthusiastic hockey fans on Saturday as the Carolina Hurricanes took their Stanley Cup championship celebration to the streets. Thousands of supporters showed up hours before the festivities began, lining sidewalks along the parade route and crowding around the rally stage where the team was scheduled to wrap up the party.
The Hurricanes players climbed aboard double-decker buses for the parade, which wound its way past the State Capitol building. Fans greeted the players with screaming, chanting, flag-waving, and a sea of Carolina jerseys — all still riding high after the franchise defeated the Vegas Golden Knights last weekend to claim the Stanley Cup for the second time in franchise history, the first having come in 2006.
One fan who was impossible to overlook was Carly Goodman, 35, of Raleigh, who planted herself in the front row behind barricades near the rally stage. Decked out in a red Sebastian Aho jersey, she waved an oversized Hurricanes flag and wore a silver “Stanley Cup” chain necklace. She was also sipping from a “beer skate” — a novelty mug shaped like a Hurricanes ice skate that sold out almost instantly during Game 1 of the team’s second-round playoff series against Philadelphia.
Goodman set her alarm for 5 a.m. — “Let my dogs out, they were mad to get up,” she said — and headed straight downtown to lock in her coveted front-row position. For her, the moment carried deep meaning.
“It’s been something special ever since 2006,” Goodman said. “Raleigh’s a small market. We’ve got college sports, but this is epic. It’s a team that everybody can get behind. It breaks down all the barriers. Everyone just comes together and smiles, no matter if you’re a Duke fan, Carolina fan, whatever — it doesn’t matter.”
For Scott Stiles, 60, and his son Joey, 24, getting to the celebration required a much bigger commitment. The two live in Concord, a city near Charlotte known for its connection to NASCAR and motorsports, but they weren’t about to sit this one out. They hit the road around 3 a.m. and made the two-and-a-half-hour drive to Raleigh, arriving more than five hours before the parade was set to kick off — and still finding fans like Goodman already staked out near the City Plaza stage.
Scott wore an Andrei Svechnikov jersey while Joey sported a Seth Jarvis one. The two had their chairs set up in the middle of Fayetteville Street with a large Hurricanes flag marking their territory.
“When’s the next time they’re going to win a Cup?” Scott said, pausing as a “Let’s go Canes!” chant died down around him. “They might win it again next year, who knows? But we wanted to be a part of it.”
Authorities in France announced Saturday that Claude Guillemot, one of the founders of the global video game company Ubisoft, was killed when a small plane went down in western France.
The aircraft, a twin-motor Cessna 421, was carrying Guillemot and a flight instructor when it crashed Friday evening near La Baule airport along the Atlantic coast. Both men were described as licensed and experienced pilots. The mayor of the area, Franck Louvrier, confirmed in a public statement that neither survived. An investigation into the cause of the crash has been launched.
The plane came down in a field just moments before it was set to land at La Baule-Escoublac Airport, according to an airport official who spoke with the Associated Press. That official requested anonymity, as they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
Ubisoft issued a brief statement acknowledging Guillemot’s death but declined to offer any additional comment.
Guillemot was one of five brothers who together established Ubisoft back in 1986. The company has since grown into one of the most recognized names in gaming, producing hit titles including the Assassin’s Creed series, Just Dance, and the Rayman and Tom Clancy game franchises.
Russian authorities have freed 24 Filipino citizens who spent months behind bars without facing any charges in a Siberian city, Philippine officials announced Saturday. The breakthrough came after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. personally brought up their situation during a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The 24 individuals were expected to land in Manila aboard two separate flights early Sunday morning. Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro, who had traveled with Marcos to his talks with Putin on Wednesday in the Russian city of Kazan, was set to welcome the first group of returnees, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila.
Marcos was in Kazan representing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as he currently holds the bloc’s rotating presidency. He and other leaders of the 11-nation group gathered to mark the 35th anniversary of ASEAN’s diplomatic ties with Russia. On the sidelines of that summit, Marcos held a one-on-one meeting with Putin.
The speed of the release drew attention, coming just days after Marcos raised the issue on Wednesday. The Philippines is a close treaty ally of the United States in Asia and was among the majority of ASEAN nations that backed a United Nations General Assembly resolution condemning Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Singapore was the sole ASEAN member to impose sanctions on Russia, and Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong also attended the Kazan summit.
Speaking to reporters following his meeting with Putin, Marcos said he had expressed concern about the Filipinos, who had been held for roughly nine months in the city of Irkutsk in southeastern Siberia with no charges filed against them. He noted that the Philippines had little information about their well-being.
Philippine officials said there were reports suggesting the detained individuals may have been lured by illegal job recruiters and then detained in Russia over possible immigration violations.
Putin told Marcos he had not been aware of the situation but pledged to look into it. Later that evening over dinner, the Russian leader informed Marcos that the Filipinos had not been found guilty of any wrongdoing. Marcos recalled Putin saying, “Don’t worry, we will find a way to fix this problem.” Shortly after, Russian officials notified the Philippine delegation that the Filipinos would be deported and sent back to Manila right away.
According to Philippine Ambassador to Moscow Igor Bailen, approximately 15,000 Filipinos currently live and work throughout Russia.
Since joining the Kansas City Royals out of spring training in 2022, shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. has never been placed on the injured list — and the team is hoping to keep that streak alive.
The two-time All-Star sat out Friday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals after being diagnosed with a Grade 1 MCL sprain in his right knee. Despite the injury, the Royals are expressing cautious optimism that Witt won’t need his first-ever IL stint.
Witt originally hurt his knee Thursday night while ranging into the hole to backhand a sharply hit ground ball off the bat of the Cardinals’ Jordan Walker. He managed to stop the ball but couldn’t complete the throw after landing on his right knee while attempting to spin and force out a runner at second base.
The Royals pulled him from that game immediately. He then sat out Friday’s 6-5 victory over St. Louis — his first absence from the lineup since Sept. 8, 2025, and just the 23rd game he has missed since reaching the major leagues.
A scheduling quirk is giving Witt a bonus recovery day. Both Kansas City and St. Louis have Saturday off because Ecuador and Curacao are playing a night game at nearby Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. That extra day gives the team more time before determining Witt’s next steps.
“We’ll re-evaluate for a timeline on Sunday,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said Friday. “We’re pretty optimistic. It’s not a surgical thing. I know they can put a brace on it. It will be a lot of, ‘Get the swelling out of there.’”
The 26-year-old has been one of baseball’s most durable players, averaging 156.5 games played per season across his four full MLB campaigns out of a possible 162.
Witt is also one of the game’s top performers this season, leading all American League players with a 4.3 Wins Above Replacement figure. He’s slashing .294/.368/.465 with 10 home runs and a major league-best 28 stolen bases through 76 games. Early All-Star voting has him well ahead of other AL shortstops, pointing toward a third straight Midsummer Classic appearance. He also owns two Gold Gloves and a Platinum Glove to his credit.
In Witt’s absence Friday, Tyler Tolbert stepped in at shortstop and delivered a clean performance, including an RBI sacrifice fly from the ninth spot in the lineup. Tolbert also played a key role in what MLB named its defensive play of the day in the eighth inning, when second baseman Michael Massey dove to his backhand side to snag a hard grounder from Ivan Herrera and flipped it with his glove to Tolbert, who spun and fired to first baseman Jac Caglianone to complete the out.
Tolbert is expected to hold down the shortstop position for as long as needed, but Quatraro is hoping that’s a short window.
“(An IL stint) is always a possibility, but I wouldn’t say ‘strong,’” Quatraro said. “There’s no reason to handicap it.”
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is expected to be back on the field as early as Saturday after sitting out one game for the arrival of his second child.
Ohtani was absent Friday night as the Dodgers topped the visiting Baltimore Orioles 6-5. The team opted not to place him on the paternity list — a move that would have allowed him to miss as many as three games — because they anticipated he would return quickly. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters he expects Ohtani to play this weekend against the Orioles, possibly as soon as Saturday.
Shortly before midnight local time, Ohtani shared the news on Instagram, announcing that his wife, Mamiko, had given birth.
Known for keeping his personal life extremely private, Ohtani shared no information about the baby’s gender or birth weight. The announcement included a photo of his dog, Decoy, along with an image of a newborn’s feet peeking out from beneath a blue blanket.
A statement from Ohtani and his wife accompanied the post: “We are again overjoyed to experience this wonderful day in our lives together.”
“Thank you for being born safely. We would also like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported us throughout this journey,” the statement continued.
Manager Roberts said he only learned about the pregnancy “only recently, very recently.”
This is not the first time Ohtani has shared a birth announcement this way. In April 2025, he revealed the arrival of their first child — a daughter — through a similar post. While her photo has not appeared on social media, references to events like Mother’s Day have included hints of pink.
The blue blanket in Friday’s post has many fans speculating that baby number two may be a boy.
Within just seven hours of the Instagram announcement going live, it had already received 1.6 million likes and a flood of congratulatory comments in both English and Japanese.
Porter Road between Benjamin Boulevard and Woodside Lane is currently shut down due to ongoing police activity, according to transportation officials.
Motorists traveling through the area are urged to find alternate routes and avoid the affected stretch of road until further notice. The closure remains in effect as authorities address the situation on the ground.
No additional information regarding the nature of the police activity has been made available at this time. TV Delmarva will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as more details become known.
Travelers in the area should be aware that Old Beach Road southbound is currently closed at Bowers Beach Road.
No further details regarding the cause of the closure or an estimated time of reopening have been released at this time.
Drivers are advised to seek alternate routes and allow extra time when traveling in the affected area until the road reopens.
LA PAZ, Bolivia — Bolivia’s President Rodrigo Paz declared a state of emergency on Saturday, granting the country’s military sweeping authority to dismantle road blockades that have strangled fuel and food deliveries to the capital city of La Paz and other major urban centers.
The crisis has been building for five weeks, with protesters demanding Paz resign over government-imposed austerity measures — chief among them the elimination of long-standing fuel subsidies. The unrest has sparked violent clashes between demonstrators armed with dynamite and riot police, resulting in at least 365 arrests and 37 injuries, according to official figures.
At least 17 people have lost their lives, with most deaths attributed to a breakdown in medical care caused by transportation disruptions, according to Bolivia’s ombudsman’s office and human rights organizations. The government says at least seven of those deaths were directly caused by patients being unable to reach hospitals due to the blockades.
Supermarket shelves were emptied, hospitals ran out of oxygen, and businesses shuttered as the protests dragged on — prompting growing calls from parts of Bolivian society for the president to use force to restore order.
Paz addressed the nation on television to defend the emergency declaration. “This is not a state of emergency to restrict people’s lives. It is a state of emergency to give people back their freedom,” he said.
On Friday evening, Paz reached an agreement with one labor union whose leaders called for the blockades to be removed. However, other protest groups have refused to come to the table and are continuing to demand his resignation.
The emergency decree bans “blocking streets, avenues, roads and highways in ways that affect transportation and supplies” and directs the armed forces to temporarily assist police “in restoring order, reopening roads and protecting the population.” According to the government, the decree does not suspend due process rights or constitutional protections, and residents are still permitted to go about their normal daily lives.
The state of emergency is set to remain in effect for 90 days, though the government indicated it could be lifted sooner if “violence and threats against the population come to an end.”
Paz took office in November, ending nearly two decades of continuous rule by Bolivia’s Movement Toward Socialism party, known as MAS, which had presided over the country’s most severe economic crisis in a generation. A centrist who defeated more conservative opponents, Paz had pledged to fix chronic fuel shortages and rebuild the central bank’s depleted reserves while preserving the social welfare programs that had been a cornerstone of MAS’s support.
However, his austerity policies — particularly the removal of fuel subsidies — have worsened inflation. While his administration did address fuel shortages, the replacement fuel was of poor quality and reportedly damaged thousands of vehicles. Economic reform legislation aimed at attracting foreign investment has stalled in Congress.
Indigenous highland communities and rural workers’ groups, who had previously backed MAS but helped bring Paz to power last year, have been at the forefront of the protests. They accuse his administration of ignoring their concerns since taking office.
Paz is now caught between pressure from Bolivia’s hard-right, which holds power in Congress, and the entrenched political left. Former President Evo Morales has thrown his support behind the protests and is calling for a new election from a hideout in the coca-growing tropical region, where he is hiding from an arrest warrant on charges related to statutory rape.
The Trump administration has expressed support for Paz, who restored diplomatic ties with the United States after years of anti-Western sentiment under Morales. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio contacted Paz last week to say Washington was “ramping up emergency assistance and logistics operations support” to help address the shortages created by the blockades.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth condemned the protests as “attempts to overthrow the legitimate government” and issued a warning to those he described as “profiting on death and destruction in our hemisphere.” “The United States is watching,” Hegseth wrote on X.
A Gold Alert that had been issued for Daniel Battinieri has officially been canceled after he was found safe.
Authorities confirmed that Battinieri has been located, bringing the alert to a close.
Wyndham Clark, the 2023 U.S. Open champion, will attempt to extend his four-shot advantage when the third round gets underway Saturday at Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, New York. Clark, sitting at seven under par after 36 holes, is scheduled to tee off at 3:45 p.m. ET alongside 2022 U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick finds himself tied for second place at three under par, sharing that spot on the leaderboard with two-time major winner Xander Schauffele, Sam Stevens, and Tom Kim. Schauffele and Stevens will play together in the second-to-last pairing, teeing off at 3:34 p.m. ET. Kim is paired with two-time major winner Collin Morikawa, with their round beginning at 3:23 p.m. ET.
World number one Scottie Scheffler sits at even par — seven strokes behind Clark — and will need a strong performance to keep his Grand Slam hopes alive. Scheffler tees off at 2:01 p.m. ET alongside fellow American Brian Harman.
Saturday morning’s early pairings got underway following two difficult days of blustery conditions that challenged even the most seasoned players in the field. Among those who didn’t survive the cut was former champion Brooks Koepka, who had made the cut at each of his previous 11 U.S. Open appearances but was unable to advance to the weekend this time. The cut line was set at four over par, with 67 professionals and five amateurs moving on to the final two rounds.
Clark enters Saturday’s round carrying some extra motivation, as he looks to move past an embarrassing locker room incident that occurred at last year’s tournament. However, he faces a notable statistical hurdle: no player who led after the second round at any of the last four U.S. Opens went on to win the championship.
Travelers on Delaware Route 24 should expect slower-than-normal travel conditions between DE-17 and Route 1.
According to Delaware transportation officials, congestion along that stretch is currently causing delays of approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
Drivers heading through that corridor are encouraged to allow extra time or consider an alternate route until conditions improve.
Travelers on Route 1 southbound should expect a frustrating commute between Delaware Route 9 and the Rehoboth Avenue Extension, where congestion is causing delays of 20 to 30 minutes, according to Delaware’s transportation authority.
The backup is the result of heavy traffic volume in the corridor. No specific incident or crash has been cited as the cause — the slowdown appears to be congestion-related.
Drivers in the area are encouraged to allow extra travel time or consider alternative routes to avoid the delay. Updates on current road conditions can be found through DelDOT’s traffic information resources.
MILAN — Fashion house Dolce & Gabbana brought the spirit of a Mediterranean getaway to Milan Fashion Week on Saturday, unveiling a menswear collection crafted for scorching summer temperatures and leisurely seaside escapes.
Designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana set the scene with a video projection of a rocky coastline bathed in sunset light. Models moved through a runway space framed by columns evoking a sun-drenched Mediterranean terrace, dressed in everything from swimwear to flowing silk pajamas.
As the collection’s narrative shifted from dawn to day, the clothing followed suit — laser-cut suits, tunics, and relaxed trousers took center stage, all engineered to keep wearers cool while moving seamlessly from a city workweek to a weekend by the water. A standout piece among the accessories was a generously sized travel bag crafted from leather, suede, and raffia.
The looks celebrated the male form with short shorts highlighting muscular legs and open-knit tops that showed off the torso. Suit jackets arrived with distinctive upright lapels and creative details on the back, including panels that could be unbuttoned to let in a breeze.
The brand’s signature attention to craft was on full display in woven leather jackets, a texture that carried through to the footwear as well.
True to the label’s aesthetic, the collection leaned into bold embellishments — rhinestones adorned denim pieces, while more refined coral beading appeared on suits, shirts, and trousers. Religious imagery also wove through the lineup, with cross necklaces styled to resemble rosaries and icon-inspired prints featured on T-shirts.
The show concluded with a procession of models dressed entirely in white, delivering a clean, unmistakably summery finale.
Watching from the front row were Polish soccer star Robert Lewandowski, two-time NBA champion Kawhi Leonard, Italian actor Michele Morrone — known for Netflix’s “365 Days” — and K-pop artist Soobin.
Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, voted Wednesday to grant procedural immunity to Likud lawmaker Tally Gotliv, temporarily halting a criminal indictment that accused her of publicly revealing the identity of a Shin Bet intelligence officer. The vote came two days after the Knesset House Committee recommended approving her immunity request, and it has sparked a broader national debate over how far parliamentary protections can legally extend into matters of national security.
Following days of intense committee hearings, lawmakers approved immunity on two separate legal grounds: that Gotliv’s alleged actions occurred in the course of carrying out her parliamentary duties, and that the indictment was filed in bad faith or applied in a discriminatory manner against her.
The case traces back to social media posts attributed to Gotliv in January 2024. Prosecutors allege she identified the partner of protest leader Shikma Bressler as a Shin Bet employee and connected him to claims surrounding the October 7 attacks. Both the Shin Bet and other security officials have disputed those claims. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has maintained that the disclosure posed a serious threat to national security and is not protected under the immunity provisions available to members of Knesset.
Gotliv has consistently framed the case not as a narrow legal matter but as part of a larger political struggle over October 7, the behavior of the security establishment, and what she describes as the weaponization of legal power against right-wing lawmakers.
Israeli law provides two distinct types of parliamentary immunity. Substantive immunity permanently shields acts and statements made in the course of parliamentary work. Procedural immunity, by contrast, is temporary — it can block an indictment from being filed during a lawmaker’s term if the Knesset approves it, but it does not erase the underlying allegations or amount to an acquittal.
Speaking with The Media Line ahead of the full Knesset vote, Gotliv argued that immunity exists to protect lawmakers from pressure by state officials, not to serve as a personal privilege. “It allows a member of Knesset to do his work faithfully,” she said. “A member of Knesset is not above the law,” she added, saying the law grants immunity specifically to allow lawmakers to carry out their responsibilities.
She also accused Attorney General Baharav-Miara of selectively targeting right-wing lawmakers while failing to pursue journalists and public figures she said had violated confidentiality or privacy obligations. “Whether it is a violation of an order, for example, or the exposure of things that must be exposed, the purpose is to bring the public things the public must know,” Gotliv said. “That is exactly why immunity was created.”
The full Knesset vote broke almost entirely along coalition and opposition lines. Only Likud lawmaker Yuli Edelstein crossed party lines, publicly cautioning that the precedent set by the vote could be exploited in future cases involving the exposure of intelligence personnel.
Yesh Atid lawmaker Merav Ben Ari, who voted against immunity in committee, told The Media Line the outcome was never in doubt. “Formally, it is over for now from the Knesset’s side,” she said. “Once immunity is left in place for a member of Knesset, it means that person is protected from prosecution as long as he or she is a member of Knesset.”
Ben Ari acknowledged that parliamentary immunity serves a legitimate purpose in principle — particularly in cases involving speech, protest activity, or legitimate parliamentary confrontations — but said Gotliv’s situation falls well outside those boundaries. “In the end, she crossed a security line,” Ben Ari said. “She exposed the name of a Shin Bet person, and by doing so, she endangered him and his family.”
Ben Ari drew a comparison to a past immunity case involving former lawmaker Basel Ghattas, who was accused of smuggling phones to security prisoners, saying that case was clearer because the conduct was obviously outside protected parliamentary activity. She concluded that lawmakers should not be the ones deciding whether their colleagues receive immunity. “This whole issue of immunity should not be in the hands of members of Knesset,” she said, adding that she plans to pursue legislation that would shift such decisions to a more balanced and professional body.
“In this case, she used her political power, her connections in the coalition, and her friends to get immunity,” Ben Ari said. She was sharper still when asked what the public should take from the coalition’s vote. “It means there is a coalition here that legitimizes and gives protection to offenders,” she said. “Tally Gotliv was supposed to go to a police investigation. She did not go. She used her immunity.”
The Movement for Quality Government in Israel, which opposed Gotliv’s immunity request and has moved toward legal action, argues the problem is more fundamental. Attorney Yael Bloch, director of the organization’s litigation department, told The Media Line that none of the legal grounds for immunity apply in this case. “There is no legal basis to grant immunity,” Bloch said. “None of the grounds set out in the law exists here.”
Bloch explained that under Israeli case law, immunity can cover situations where a lawmaker carrying out legitimate parliamentary work inadvertently crosses into unlawful conduct — such as a defamatory remark during a heated debate. She said Gotliv’s case is categorically different. “This was not a slip,” Bloch said. “It was not spontaneous. It was not by mistake.” She said the posts were planned, repeated, and continued even after warnings that the disclosure could endanger security personnel. “A member of Knesset is not allowed to plan in advance to break the law and then say immunity protects him,” Bloch said.
Bloch also dismissed Gotliv’s selective enforcement argument, saying no evidence was presented that the indictment was filed in bad faith or due to discrimination. “The decision is unreasonable, illegal, and illogical,” Bloch said. “It is not based on the grounds that appear in the law.” She said the High Court of Justice has the authority to overturn it: “The court can cancel the decision and say it was illegal because it was not based on the legal grounds set out in the law.”
The legal fight is already underway. Following the Knesset’s vote, the Shin Bet officer whose identity was allegedly exposed filed a petition with the High Court of Justice challenging the decision. His lawyer, Idan Seger, had previously warned the House Committee that granting immunity would send a dangerous signal to those serving in Israel’s intelligence and security services. In a letter to the committee, Seger argued that Gotliv’s posts were not a spontaneous political statement but a deliberate and repeated disclosure of confidential information that stretched immunity doctrine beyond what the law and Supreme Court precedent allow.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid, who oversaw the Shin Bet during his time as prime minister, responded to the vote with a pointed statement. “This was not a vote for Tally Gotliv,” Lapid wrote. “It was a vote against the Shin Bet.” He said undercover intelligence personnel would now have to wonder what protection they can expect if their identities are exposed in a political dispute. “Tally Gotliv received immunity,” Lapid added. “The Shin Bet had its secrecy removed.”
The case has also drawn attention to broader questions about Israel’s system of checks and balances. Bloch noted that international observers sometimes misunderstand Israel’s governmental structure by comparing it to systems with a firm separation of powers. “Formally, Israel has three branches,” she said, “but the government controls the Knesset through the coalition majority.” In that context, she argued, the judiciary and legal gatekeepers take on an especially critical role. “There are not really three fully separate branches,” Bloch said. “There are, in many ways, two, and the judicial system is the one they are constantly trying to weaken.”
Gotliv’s supporters reject that framing, arguing instead that legal gatekeepers have accumulated too much power and that elected officials need tools to resist interference from unelected officials. For coalition members, Gotliv’s publications were part of a legitimate political and public campaign over unresolved questions from October 7 — not a private act disconnected from her role as a lawmaker.
The immunity Gotliv has won inside the Knesset is not permanent and is not beyond legal challenge. If the High Court overturns the decision, the attorney general could move forward with the indictment during the current parliamentary term. If the court leaves the decision intact, the criminal case will remain on hold until this Knesset concludes, unless circumstances change. Should a new Knesset be elected and Gotliv return as a lawmaker, the attorney general could seek to revive the case.
Israel’s immunity law was designed to shield lawmakers from intimidation and preserve parliament’s independence. The Gotliv case has now forced the country to confront a harder question: what happens when the Knesset itself decides that the protections meant to defend parliamentary work also apply to an alleged breach of security secrecy?
Israel and Hezbollah reached an agreement Friday to restore a ceasefire in Lebanon, even as US officials scrambled to keep escalating violence from undermining ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran.
A senior White House official told Sky News Arabia that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed “100%” to renewing the ceasefire. A separate senior Israeli official told Walla that the terms were simple: “If Hezbollah does not attack, Israel will not attack.”
The ceasefire came after a tense day of diplomacy. Iran had demanded guarantees about the situation in Lebanon before it would return to the negotiating table with the United States.
CNN, citing a source with knowledge of the discussions, reported that Washington sent word to Tehran that Israel had no plans to expand its military operations. That source told CNN: “Hezbollah violated the ceasefire. Israel agreed to absorb it, and that message was conveyed to the Iranians. Now it is up to Hezbollah to stop.”
The diplomatic push followed a deadly confrontation in southern Lebanon. The Israel Defense Forces announced that Battalion 52 commander Lt. Col. Dor Ben Shimhon was killed in combat. Three other soldiers also died in the same incident, though their names had not yet been cleared for release.
IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said a Battalion 52 tank was struck overnight Friday. Early findings suggest the vehicle may have been hit by something from the air. Investigators have not ruled out an anti-tank missile, a drone, or a Hezbollah explosive device as the cause.
In response, Israel launched a sweeping military campaign against Hezbollah positions, conducting more than 150 strikes across Lebanon — hitting infrastructure in the south as well as targets further into the country.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated: “We will not allow harm to our soldiers or citizens, and every violation of the ceasefire by Hezbollah will be met with great force.”
The fighting also disrupted planned diplomatic activity in Switzerland. A scheduled meeting between US Vice President JD Vance and an Iranian delegation led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf was called off.
That meeting had been set to coincide with an in-person signing ceremony following the digital signing of a memorandum of understanding by President Donald Trump and President Masoud Pezeshkian.
PARIS — Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of Paris on Saturday to protest political executions in Iran, defying an official order prohibiting the gathering. Authorities arrested 20 people during the event, according to rally organizers.
The crowd assembled at Place Vauban, near the Les Invalides monument in the heart of Paris, before police moved in to break up the demonstration. Shahin Gobadi, a spokesperson for the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran, or NCRI, confirmed the dispersal and the arrests.
Attempts to reach Paris police for comment were not immediately successful.
French authorities had prohibited the NCRI, an Iranian opposition organization, from holding the rally, citing concerns about possible clashes between groups with opposing viewpoints. The NCRI pushed back on that reasoning, calling it “bogus.”
The group challenged the prohibition in court, but a Paris court upheld the ban on Saturday before the rally got underway.
The original ban was issued on Thursday evening, just hours after France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot spoke by phone with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi. The two officials discussed the latest efforts to bring an end to the Iran war during that call.
France’s foreign ministry denied the NCRI’s claim that the rally ban was connected to that diplomatic conversation.
The NCRI, which serves as the political wing of the People’s Mujahideen Organisation of Iran, has a long history of organizing large-scale demonstrations in Paris. Those events have drawn thousands of attendees over the years, including prominent former officials from the United States, Europe, and Arab nations who have been critical of Iran’s Islamic Republic.
MADRID — Spain’s highest court has ordered the government to pay 2.5 million euros — roughly $2.87 million — to a man who spent 15 years behind bars for crimes he did not commit, according to a ruling by the country’s Supreme Court.
Ahmed Tommouhi, a 75-year-old bricklayer from Morocco, relocated to Spain in 1991 hoping to build a better life. That same year, he was convicted of two rapes and one count of robbery in the Catalonia region of northeastern Spain and sentenced to 24 years in prison.
After a lengthy fight to clear his name — during which one of the victims came forward and stated that Tommouhi was not her attacker — he was finally exonerated of the last remaining charge against him this past December.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Tommouhi expressed the lasting toll the ordeal has taken on him. “The justice system has ruined my life,” he said. He made clear that no amount of money could restore what he lost, adding, “they’ve stolen 36 years of my life.”
The Supreme Court stepped in after the National Court had previously refused to award Tommouhi any compensation, arguing that no errors had been made during his original trial. The Supreme Court disagreed, overturning that decision and declaring that Tommouhi had been the victim of an “unequivocal and qualified” judicial error during the original proceedings in Barcelona.
According to the Supreme Court, the original trial failed to take into account a biological expert analysis that demonstrated the person responsible for the rapes was not Tommouhi — a critical piece of evidence that was overlooked at the time.
Iran’s highest joint military authority, known as the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, announced Saturday that it is shutting down the Strait of Hormuz to all ship traffic. The decision was reported by Iran’s state-run Mehr news agency.
According to the announcement, the closure is being described as the “first step” taken in response to what Iran claims are violations of a ceasefire agreement by the United States and Israel. Officials warned that if what they characterized as “aggression” does not end, further measures will follow.
Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is departing Sunday on his first foreign trip since assuming office, with visits to Malaysia and China on the itinerary. The six-day journey is centered on attracting overseas investment, expanding employment opportunities for Bangladeshi workers, and establishing the new government’s foreign policy direction.
Rahman is set to fly to Kuala Lumpur on Sunday afternoon for a meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. He will then travel to China on Monday for a three-day official visit, extended at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
During the China portion of the trip, Bangladesh’s Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam told reporters Saturday that officials anticipate signing between 15 and 17 bilateral agreements. Siam also confirmed that the long-stalled Teesta River project would be part of the discussions.
Rahman’s schedule in China includes a meeting with Premier Li on June 25, followed by a session with President Xi Jinping on June 26. He is also expected to attend the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions — commonly referred to as the Summer Davos Forum — held in the northeastern Chinese city of Dalian. The event brings together global business and political figures to discuss economic growth, innovation, and emerging technologies.
The China visit follows the Bangladeshi government’s recent approval of a 41.89 billion taka ($340 million) infrastructure project for the Chinese Economic and Industrial Zone in Chittagong. The initiative is backed by 24.67 billion taka in concessional Chinese loans and is projected to generate approximately 100,000 jobs while drawing more than $500 million in foreign direct investment in its first phase.
In Malaysia, talks are expected to center on labor migration, the hiring of Bangladeshi workers, and broader economic cooperation. Malaysia is one of the top destinations for Bangladeshi migrant workers, and the money those workers send home represents a vital source of foreign currency for Bangladesh.
The trip also carries significant diplomatic weight. Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was removed from power during a mass uprising in 2024 and has since been residing in India, was widely regarded as having closer ties to New Delhi, though she also maintained a relationship with China and secured major Chinese-backed infrastructure deals during her tenure.
Relations between Bangladesh and India have shown some improvement since Rahman’s government took office in February, but friction remains — particularly over border tensions and alleged push-ins of migrants across the shared frontier.
Asif Shahan, a professor of development studies at the University of Dhaka, offered context on the diplomatic significance of the visits. “Although ties with India have improved somewhat, tensions persist, notably over border issues. Strengthening relations with China reflects Dhaka’s broader effort to balance its external partnerships,” he said.
Shahan added: “The visits are as much economic as diplomatic. China is crucial for investment, while Malaysia remains key for overseas employment — both align with the government’s economic priorities.”
A portion of VanDyke Greenspring Road is currently shut down following an incident involving a fallen tree and downed wires.
The closure spans the section of roadway between Caldwell Corner Road and VanDyke Maryland Line Road. Authorities have blocked off the area while crews work to address the hazardous conditions.
Motorists traveling in the area should plan for delays and find an alternate route until the road is cleared and deemed safe to reopen. No estimated reopening time has been provided at this time.
The Delaware State Police Sex Offender Apprehension and Registration Unit, known as SOAR, has put out public notifications concerning both wanted and homeless sex offenders currently in the community.
Wanted Sex Offenders
SOAR is actively searching for four individuals who have failed to register or re-register their current addresses as required by law. Those individuals are Charles Fulton, Christopher Gartner Hunter, Troy Sanders, and Michael Viscount.
Anyone who knows the whereabouts of these individuals is asked to call (302) 739-5882. Tips can also be submitted through Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) 847-3333. Please note that those pictured represent only a portion of all currently wanted sex offenders. The full list is available on the Delaware Sex Offender Registry website.
Homeless Sex Offenders
SOAR has also issued notifications for five sex offenders who are currently without a fixed residence. These individuals — Keith Baynard, Nikolai Ibach, Jose Rodriguez, Kameron Shepherd, and William Smith Jr. — are not wanted for any registration violation at this time.
If anyone has information suggesting that any of these individuals are living at a residence, please contact SOAR at (302) 739-5882 or reach out to Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) 847-3333. Those listed represent only a portion of the homeless sex offenders currently on record. The complete list can be found on the Delaware Sex Offender Registry website.
KYIV, Ukraine — Russian guided bombs tore into an apartment building in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, early Saturday morning, leaving at least one person dead and nine others injured, including a 6-year-old child, according to local officials.
Rescue workers pulled a body from the wreckage several hours after the strike, Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported via Telegram. He said the bombs hit the low-rise residential building in Kharkiv’s Kholodnohirskiy district in the early morning hours.
The head of the regional administration, Oleh Syniehubov, confirmed that nine people were hurt in the attack, with five of them requiring hospitalization.
Syniehubov also reported a separate incident in Kharkiv from Friday evening, when a Russian drone hit a civilian vehicle, fatally striking a man and wounding the woman who was driving.
Russian officials did not immediately respond to or acknowledge either attack.
Ukraine’s air force reported that it successfully intercepted 92 out of 99 Russian drones launched during the overnight period, with the remaining seven reaching targets across three locations.
On the Russian side, Gov. Alexander Moor said Saturday that Russian air defenses turned back a Ukrainian drone attack aimed at an oil refinery in Tyumen, located in Western Siberia. He said the facility suffered no damage and that workers were safely evacuated.
Ukraine has made a consistent effort to strike Russian oil infrastructure as a strategy to reduce Moscow’s war funding and bring the impact of the conflict home to the Russian population. Fuel shortages have been reported in some areas as a result.
In one of the largest drone offensives since Russia launched its full-scale invasion more than four years ago, Ukraine struck a major oil refinery near Moscow for the second time in a single week on Thursday, generating massive clouds of black smoke visible over the capital and causing disruptions to hundreds of flights.
Russia’s Defense Ministry stated Saturday that its forces shot down 177 Ukrainian drones overnight, though it did not specify how many managed to reach their intended targets. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said two drones were brought down as they approached the capital.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump escalated his public clash with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Saturday, asserting that she sought a photo with him “over and over” at the recent Group of Seven summit and criticizing what he described as Italy’s lack of cooperation during the Iran war.
The conflict began earlier this week when Trump, in an interview with an Italian television network, claimed that Meloni “begged” for the photo during the G7 gathering held in France. Meloni responded sharply, calling that account “completely fabricated.” The fallout from the dispute prompted Italy’s foreign minister to call off a scheduled trip to the United States, with Meloni’s government rallying to her defense.
“Italian Prime Minister Gigiorgia Meloni asked, over and over, for a picture with me during the G-7 meeting in France,” Trump wrote on his social media platform from Camp David, where he was spending the weekend. He initially misspelled her first name in the post, though he later issued a correction.
Trump went further, writing: “She is doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity, possibly because she turned down the United States of America, a Country that truly loves and protects Italy, when it came to denying Iran from obtaining or developing a Nuclear Weapon (But so did NATO, for that matter!).”
Trump’s original comments were broadcast Friday on the La7 network. A reporter had asked him about Ukraine, but Trump shifted the conversation to Meloni and brought up the photo claim on his own. According to La7, Trump said he was not required to take the picture but felt sorry for her and agreed to it. The network posted a dubbed version of the exchange online, though the original English audio was not made available.
In his social media post, Trump also took aim at Meloni for not permitting the U.S. to use Italian airstrips or runways during the Iran war, despite the U.S. being among the top defense spenders within NATO. This is a recurring grievance Trump has raised about the military alliance — one he also brought up during his White House meeting Wednesday with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, ahead of next month’s NATO summit in Turkey.
Italy, which serves as a critical logistics base for the United States, declined in March to allow American bombers bound for the Middle East to use a base in Sicily without first obtaining parliamentary approval. Trump voiced frustration over that decision and on Saturday suggested that Meloni “wants to be friends again” following the initial agreement between the U.S. and Iran to bring the war to a close.
WASHINGTON — For decades, the Federal Reserve gradually transformed itself from a secretive government institution into one that openly shares its thinking and decision-making with the public. That trend may now be reversing.
During his first press conference on Wednesday, incoming Fed Chair Kevin Warsh began rolling back some of that transparency. Warsh, echoing the views of many economists, believes financial markets have grown too reliant on the Fed’s guidance, and that such guidance is best reserved for times of financial crisis or economic trouble.
The changes came quickly. The Fed’s interest rate statement was trimmed to just 132 words — down sharply from 341 words in April. Warsh also made clear that the statement contained no hints, or “forward guidance,” about where the Fed might move next.
While Warsh delivered on his promise to scale back the Fed’s communications — especially regarding future interest rate moves — analysts warn the approach carries real risks. More unpredictable swings in stock and bond prices could follow, and consumers and businesses may ultimately face higher borrowing costs.
“Forward guidance in general has served to suppress volatility and anchor market expectations,” said George Pearkes, global macro strategist at Bespoke Investment Group. “And that has led to lower borrowing rates, relative to alternatives.”
That said, Pearkes noted the effect on everyday consumers would likely be limited, perhaps pushing mortgage rates about a quarter of a percentage point higher than they would have been otherwise.
Financial markets reacted with uncertainty Wednesday, falling after the Fed’s statement and Warsh’s news conference. The yield on the 10-year Treasury — which has a strong influence on mortgage rates — climbed to 4.49% from 4.43%, though it retreated somewhat by Thursday. The 2-year Treasury yield, which closely mirrors expectations for Fed action, stood at 4.16% Thursday, up notably from 4.05% before the meeting. The broad S&P 500 stock index fell 1.2% Wednesday.
These swings may be a preview of what’s ahead. Past Fed chairs have given financial markets enough clarity about upcoming decisions that investors could largely anticipate them. Warsh, however, has often pointed to former chair Alan Greenspan as his model — a leader whose carefully guarded comments frequently left investors uncertain about the Fed’s next steps.
Greenspan, who led the Fed from 1987 to 2005, did introduce the practice of issuing a statement after each meeting. The very first one, released February 4, 1994, announced a rate increase for the first time in five years — a move that caught investors off guard and sent the Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbling 2.4% that day.
The pullback in communications is part of a broader set of changes Warsh signaled Wednesday. He announced the creation of five task forces to review the Fed’s communications strategy, its balance sheet, how it collects and analyzes economic data, the effects of artificial intelligence on jobs and productivity, and the frameworks it uses to evaluate inflation.
Warsh said the communications task force would look at the Fed’s quarterly economic projections and other practices that have developed in recent years, including press conferences. Former chair Ben Bernanke was the first to hold such press conferences, though only after every other meeting. Warsh’s predecessor, Jerome Powell, later expanded that to after every meeting. Both of those practices may now be up for review.
The contrast with the 1990s is striking. During that era, Greenspan never publicly explained a Fed decision to reporters on the record. Warsh could ultimately walk back significant portions of the transparency the Fed has built up over the past few decades.
“This is a big change in how the Fed has conducted itself since the (2008-2009) global financial crisis,” said Matthew Luzzetti, chief U.S. economist at Deutsche Bank. “Since then there has been a one-way train to greater communication, more transparency, and more forward guidance. Warsh has now put that train in reverse.”
Previous Fed chairs beginning with Bernanke saw a clear advantage to more open communication: it allows the Fed to steer markets in the direction it wants. While Fed officials directly control a short-term interest rate, longer-term rates — such as the yield on the 10-year Treasury — are heavily shaped by investor expectations about inflation and economic growth. By telegraphing future moves, policymakers can influence those longer-term rates even before any official action is taken.
Warsh, however, believes markets have become too dependent on that guidance. He wants investors to form their own views by studying economic data, which the Fed can then factor into its own assessments.
“Financial market prices are probably the most important source of information to guide central bankers,” Warsh said at Wednesday’s news conference.
David Andolfatto, an economics professor at the University of Miami and a former economist at the St. Louis Fed, said he agrees with Warsh that forward guidance has real weaknesses. Unexpected events — such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or the Iran war — can quickly make such guidance irrelevant, he noted.
But Andolfatto argued that Warsh needs to go further and spell out how the Fed would respond to unexpected shocks or challenges like the ongoing struggle with persistent inflation — something Warsh has not yet done.
“I’m with him on dispensing with forward guidance, but you have to replace it with a contingency plan,” Andolfatto said. “It’s not enough to say, trust me, we’ll keep inflation at target.”
There may be an unintended consequence to Warsh’s approach, Pearkes noted. By stepping back from forward guidance, Warsh may actually give more influence to the other 18 members of the Fed’s rate-setting committee. Those officials — six members of the Fed’s governing board and the presidents of the 12 regional Fed banks — regularly give public speeches, and their remarks will draw even greater scrutiny as markets search for clues about the Fed’s direction.
A major test of Warsh’s approach could come if the economy hits a sharp downturn or financial crisis, similar to what happened during the COVID pandemic. In those situations, economists say, forward guidance can be a critical tool for steadying nervous markets.
“Whether it will stand the test of time and he will behave this way for five years is a very different question, but one that we’re going to have to wait for events to unfold to get an answer to,” Pearkes said.
A Spanish judge has determined that Begoña Gomez, the wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, must stand trial on corruption charges, according to a ruling issued Saturday.
Gomez faces allegations that she leveraged her position as the prime minister’s wife to steer work contracts in her favor. She has denied any wrongdoing. The legal action was originally brought forward by far-right groups.
Investigating judge Juan Carlos Peinado issued orders requiring Gomez to hand over her passport, prohibited her from leaving Spain, and mandated that she appear before the court two times each month.
This case is among several corruption investigations that are either approaching or already at the trial stage, all of which are creating political pressure for Sanchez, who is considered one of the last remaining left-leaning leaders in Europe. Sanchez himself has not been named in any of the cases and has publicly stated that the investigations are part of a coordinated effort to push him out of office.
A number of Sanchez’s close political allies are also under scrutiny. These include the Socialist party’s third-ranking official and Sanchez’s former transport minister, both of whom face allegations tied to kickbacks connected to public works, oil and gas deals, and the purchase of masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. All deny any wrongdoing.
In a separate development, Spain’s High Court announced it is investigating former Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero on allegations that he led a network that profited by lobbying government authorities on behalf of outside clients, including the airline Plus Ultra. Zapatero has denied the allegations.
LONDON — Nine people are still fighting for their lives following a deadly train collision that occurred Friday near Bedford, a town approximately 60 miles north of London, where the driver of one of the trains was killed.
The crash happened at roughly 5:15 p.m. local time on Friday, when two passenger trains — both heading toward London — struck each other. The driver of one of the trains did not survive, dying at the scene of the collision.
On Saturday, British Transport Police Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi provided an update on the victims. She confirmed that more than 80 people had been taken to hospitals Friday night.
“As of this morning, 28 remain in hospital, and nine are in a critical condition,” D’Orsi said, adding that investigators are actively working to determine the cause of the accident.
Video footage shared on social media by a passenger aboard one of the trains showed what appeared to be the crumpled front end of one train locked into the rear of the other, though the rail cars themselves remained upright.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer took to social media platform X to call the event a “devastating incident.”
Buckingham Palace also released a statement on behalf of King Charles, saying: “His Majesty is greatly saddened by the rail crash in Bedford yesterday evening and is being kept regularly updated on developments. His thoughts and sympathies are with the family of the deceased and with all those injured or affected by such a tragic incident.”
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries announced Saturday that it intends to purchase the entirety of Innovcare Lifesciences in a transaction valued at roughly 2.71 billion rupees, equivalent to approximately $28.73 million.
The deal would give Sun Pharmaceutical a full 100% stake in Innovcare Lifesciences. At the time of the announcement, the exchange rate stood at 94.32 Indian rupees per U.S. dollar.
Drivers heading westbound on Delaware Route 4 just past Boxwood Road are facing a lane restriction that is expected to remain in place until 12:30.
The right lane in the westbound direction is currently closed at that location. No additional details about the cause of the closure were provided.
Drivers in the area should allow extra travel time or consider using an alternate route until the lane reopens.
Utah is marking a troubling one-year anniversary — a full year of fighting measles outbreaks, with no clear finish line in sight. The milestone could have consequences not just for the state, but for the entire country’s measles-free designation.
Since the first outbreak began on June 20, 2025, more than 680 residents have contracted the disease. The virus has spread across 22 of the state’s 29 counties, making it far more widespread than outbreaks seen in Texas, South Carolina, and Arizona, which were largely contained to single regions.
Measles cases turned up in hospitals and medical offices, large retail stores, restaurants, and youth athletic competitions. In February, an exposure at a statewide high school wrestling championship led to at least 46 confirmed cases among those who attended.
Measles is considered one of the most contagious illnesses in the medical world. It causes a distinctive rash, high fever, severe cough, ear infections, and diarrhea. While most patients recover fully, young infants, pregnant individuals, and people with compromised immune systems face a higher risk of serious complications — including pneumonia, brain swelling, and blindness, and in some cases, death. Even otherwise healthy individuals may develop problems years later, including a rare but always-fatal degenerative brain disease that can appear roughly a decade after the initial infection.
The measles vaccine is considered safe and is 97% effective following two doses.
Although the pace of new cases has slowed in recent weeks, state epidemiologist Leisha Nolen says there is little room for complacency. She fears that the upcoming school year and the arrival of colder weather this fall could trigger another wave of infections.
“It’s still here, it’s still transmitting,” she said. “We just need those few cases to hit the wrong community and it could flare up really big again.”
The hardest-hit area has been the southwestern portion of the state, where 265 people have fallen ill since last summer. Meanwhile, a rural region in the northeast — known as the “tricounty” area, made up of Daggett, Duchesne, and Uintah counties — recorded the second-largest drop in childhood vaccination rates in the state.
State data shows that more than 16% of kindergarteners in that region were not up to date on their measles vaccinations during the last school year. Statewide, 12.8% of kindergarteners were missing the vaccine — well below the 95% vaccination rate that public health experts say is needed to prevent outbreaks.
The TriCounty Health Department recorded 74 measles cases this spring after infections spread from the youth wrestling tournament into local schools and then into households. Sydnee Lyons, the health department’s public information officer, noted that vaccine hesitancy had been growing in the area for some time.
Despite the high number of cases, local and state health officials view TriCounty’s response as a relative success. Officials focused on limiting the damage by excluding unvaccinated students from in-person classes and directing sick individuals to isolate. Their approach — emphasizing community care rather than punishment — encouraged more people to seek out vaccinations, officials said.
TriCounty infectious disease specialist Cyndie Mattinson recalled one parent who told a school nurse she was reluctant to contact the health department because she feared being judged for having unvaccinated children. The nurse reassured her, and Mattinson was ultimately able to have a productive conversation with the mother.
“The perceptions were changed that we weren’t out there to police, we were there to be a help and a resource to the community,” Mattinson said.
Utah’s prolonged fight with measles could jeopardize the United States’ measles-free status. Public health authorities define measles as eliminated when a country demonstrates it has stopped continuous local transmission for at least one year. As of June 18, the national measles case count stood at 2,104 — nearly surpassing last year’s record total.
Nolen noted that it remains unclear whether Utah’s earliest clusters are connected to the larger outbreak that emerged along the Utah-Arizona border in August. What is clear, she said, is that the majority of cases since then have originated within Utah itself, rather than being imported from other parts of the country.
International health experts are scheduled to meet in November to decide whether the United States and Mexico have lost their measles elimination status. Canada lost its status last year following its own ongoing outbreaks.
In Utah, physicians continue to calm worried patients while pushing for stronger public health measures. Dr. Ellie Brownstein, president-elect of the state chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a pediatrician in Salt Lake City, spent much of the outbreak fighting a legislative proposal that would have made it easier for families to obtain school vaccine exemptions. The bill ultimately failed, but Brownstein says the broader cultural response to measles’ comeback has fallen short.
“I don’t know that we get it to end,” Brownstein said. “I don’t know that we’re going to get this genie back in the box because there’s enough people out there to spread it.”
