Louis Oosthuizen, who once claimed the Claret Jug as Open Championship winner, announced Monday that a back injury will keep him out of this year’s competition.
The 43-year-old South African currently plays on the LIV Golf circuit. He captured his Open title at St Andrews, Scotland, back in 2010 — the only Grand Slam victory of his career.
Beyond missing The Open, Oosthuizen revealed he will also be sidelined for the LIV Golf United Kingdom event in Rocester, England, scheduled to get underway on July 23.
Taking to social media, Oosthuizen expressed his frustration over the dual absences. “It’s incredibly disappointing to miss two events I always look forward to, but my priority now is to focus on my recovery and make sure I’m fully fit before returning to competition,” he wrote.
He added: “Thank you to everyone for the support and kind messages. I’ll be backing the Southern Guards from afar and look forward to being back out there as soon as I can.”
With Oosthuizen out, fellow South African Aldrich Potgieter steps in as the first alternate for the 154th Open Championship, which tees off Thursday at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England.
While Oosthuizen’s 2010 Open title remains his only major championship win, he has come agonizingly close on multiple other occasions. He has finished as runner-up in six major tournaments — the Masters in 2012, the PGA Championship in 2017 and 2021, the U.S. Open in 2015 and 2021, and The Open in 2015.
Atlanta United have bolstered their defensive ranks by signing Paraguayan international Junior Alonso on a free transfer, locking him in through the 2028-29 season. The 33-year-old defender comes to the club after spending the last two years with Brazil’s Atletico Mineiro.
Alonso made headlines this summer when he was part of the Paraguay squad that advanced to the round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Atlanta’s chief soccer officer and sporting director Chris Henderson expressed enthusiasm about the acquisition. “Junior is a hard-working defender who will help add solidity and stability to our backline,” Henderson said. “He’s a natural leader, reads the game very well, and brings great experience from South America and Europe at the club and international level, recently representing Paraguay at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. We’re excited to welcome him to Atlanta.”
Over the course of his career, Alonso has appeared in 422 matches across all competitions, recording nine goals and 15 assists. He has played in top-tier leagues in Paraguay, France, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, and Russia. At the international level, he has earned 76 caps for Paraguay, contributing three goals and three assists.
Atlanta United are set to resume their season on Friday night when they travel to face Nashville SC, returning from the World Cup break.
The Houston Astros have reversed a recent minor league assignment for pitcher Mike Burrows and instead placed the right-hander on the 15-day injured list due to right elbow neuritis.
The roster move is backdated to last Tuesday, the same day Burrows was originally sent down — one day after he gave up 10 runs, seven of which were earned, in just over four innings against the Washington Nationals. Houston had initially assigned him to Triple-A Sugar Land, but that placement was voided once the elbow problem was identified.
The team has not provided any indication of when Burrows might be ready to return to action.
The 26-year-old has had a difficult debut season in Houston, posting a 4-9 record with a 5.99 ERA through 18 appearances, including 17 starts, while giving up 21 home runs. The Astros acquired Burrows from the Pittsburgh Pirates in a three-team trade during the offseason and had recently shifted him to a bullpen role.
This marks the second roster adjustment Houston has made since the All-Star break began. The team also optioned right-hander Alimber Santa to Triple-A following Sunday’s 6-5 defeat to the Texas Rangers. The 23-year-old Santa posted a 0-1 record with a 1.17 ERA across 10 relief appearances.
Additionally, the Astros moved left-hander Bennett Sousa’s rehab assignment to the team’s Florida Complex League affiliate. Sousa remains on the injured list with elbow inflammation.
California is leading a coalition of 12 states in a legal effort to stop Paramount from completing its $110 billion purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery, with the states warning the deal would hand a single media company an outsized grip on the film and television industries.
The merger is central to Paramount CEO David Ellison’s vision of turning his company into a powerhouse competitor to streaming giants like Netflix and Disney. However, the states contend the deal would damage movie theaters, pay TV providers, and ultimately hurt everyday consumers and workers.
In the lawsuit, the states wrote that after the merger, the combined company would collect more than 25 cents of every dollar generated by wide-release theatrical films and basic cable channels across the United States. “This merger, in short, would create a media behemoth,” the states declared in the filing.
Paramount fired back, saying the lawsuit twists established antitrust law and misrepresents how competition actually works in the entertainment business.
The deal had already received a green light from federal antitrust regulators last month, a clearance that some critics have questioned given Paramount CEO David Ellison’s family ties to Republican President Donald Trump. Ellison’s father, billionaire Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, has cultivated a relationship with the president. Notably, all of the state attorneys general who joined Monday’s lawsuit are Democrats.
According to the states, if the merger goes through, the new company would control 27% of the market for films distributed to theaters nationwide, 30% of the blockbuster film distribution market, and 27% of the basic cable channel market.
Hollywood workers have spoken out against the deal, fearing widespread job losses, while theater owners worry it would mean fewer films being made. The U.S. Department of Justice, which cleared the deal last month, took the opposite view, saying it would be good for consumers and workers.
Paramount shares climbed 2.9% after the lawsuit was filed, while Warner Bros. shares rose 2.6%.
A court ruling on the states’ challenge is not expected for several months, a delay that could cost Paramount hundreds of millions of dollars. The states have asked the company to hold off on closing the deal until the courts resolve the matter — and warned they will seek a court order to block the closing if Paramount refuses.
The states argued that Paramount and Warner Bros. currently compete fiercely for prime release dates and screen time at thousands of movie theaters. Without that rivalry, both theaters and moviegoers could end up paying more, the states said.
Pay TV providers and their customers would also feel the impact, the states argued, since the two companies together would control major networks including CNN, MTV, HGTV, Cartoon Network, and Nickelodeon.
Joining California in the suit are Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Washington.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield commented on the decision to act despite federal approval, saying, “Despite the federal regulators rubber-stamping this bad deal, we’re stepping up to protect families, small businesses, and Oregon’s film industry.”
Paramount has argued the merger will actually increase output, not reduce it, after the company trims $6 billion in overlapping infrastructure, marketing, and corporate positions. CEO Ellison has pledged that the merged film studios would put out 30 movies per year.
The states dismissed that commitment as unenforceable, adding that even if Paramount kept its word on film output, the company would still have the market power to raise prices and reduce quality. They also warned the merger would ripple through state economies, putting tens of thousands of writers, actors, crew members, and other entertainment workers at risk.
Paramount has agreed to pay roughly $650 million per quarter to Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders if the deal fails to close before October. The company has cautioned that delays could force a renegotiation of the deal’s financing, create instability for its stock price, or even cause the transaction to fall apart entirely.
DALLAS, Texas — When Spain steps onto the pitch Tuesday for their World Cup semi-final showdown against France, they won’t be sitting back and bracing for impact. Instead, their strategy is built around controlling the ball, setting the tempo, and forcing France to play defense.
Winger Alex Baena acknowledged that France’s attacking lineup — featuring Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele, and either Desire Doue or Bradley Barcola — is one of the most dangerous in the tournament. But he made clear that Spain has no intention of playing scared.
“The four up front are having a great tournament and we will have to keep an eye on them. But we will try to make them watch us more than we watch them,” Baena told reporters Monday.
“Our strength is having the ball, having a lot of possession to attack and to make sure they attack us as little as possible. Hopefully, tomorrow it will be like that too,” he added.
That philosophy mirrors how Spain handled France in both the European Championship and Nations League semi-finals — two matches Spain won. But Baena cautioned against leaning too heavily on past results.
“It is true that we come from two matches in which we beat them, and that suited us, but every match is a world of its own,” he said. “They are having a spectacular tournament.”
Behind the tactical talk is another storyline: Spain’s travel schedule heading into this semi-final has been far more demanding than France’s. While France based themselves in Boston throughout the tournament and are playing their first match outside the Eastern Time zone, Spain set up camp in Chattanooga, Tennessee during the group stage — a city that hosted no World Cup games — and was forced to travel across three different time zones for their matches. In total, Spain has covered roughly 16,000 kilometers more than France.
Full back Pedro Porro tried to brush off any concerns about exhaustion.
“From the outside you see it, but in our day-to-day life we travel up and down and we don’t see the kilometers we do,” Porro said. “We have been able to recover for this match.”
Baena was more candid about the wear and tear.
“It is true that we are a little tired from so much travel,” he said. “We have travelled much more and done more kilometers than them and, in the end, when you get close to the end, you notice it a bit.”
Still, Baena said the team’s energy and motivation remain high heading into one of the biggest matches of the tournament.
“But I think we are all fine, with a lot of excitement and a lot of desire. It is respect for one of the best teams in the tournament and in the world,” he said. “We hope it will be a very, very even match and that it will be decided by small details.”
The Maryland Department of Agriculture announced on July 13, 2026, that it is making $670,000 in grant money available to support farms and organizations looking to adopt conservation practices that improve soil health, water quality, and climate resilience.
The funding comes through the Healthy Soils Competitive Fund, which provides grants of up to $50,000 to qualifying applicants. Recipients can use the money to support three years of enhanced soil health and agroforestry practices.
Agroforestry involves intentionally combining trees and shrubs with crops or livestock, a method that can improve land productivity while also providing environmental benefits.
The grants are designed to encourage farms and agricultural organizations to try innovative approaches to land stewardship that can have lasting benefits for the surrounding environment.
Channel Islands National Park and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary serve as guardians of some of California’s most valuable coastal and marine ecosystems. These protected areas are rich in biodiversity, but keeping them clean presents a significant ongoing challenge.
Because the islands are remote and many shoreline areas are difficult to reach, clearing away marine debris requires a broad team effort. Volunteers, conservation organizations, and local lobster fishers all play a role in recovering trash and other debris from areas that are not easily accessible.
The collaboration highlights the importance of community involvement in protecting natural resources, particularly in areas where the environment is both fragile and hard to monitor on a regular basis.
WILMINGTON — Governor Matt Meyer has ordered United States and Delaware flags at state-owned buildings and facilities to be flown at half-staff in memory of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham.
The directive, which took effect immediately, was issued in alignment with a proclamation from President Trump following the senator’s passing. Flags will remain lowered until Saturday, July 18 at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
More than 20 years after the very first teacher participated in the program, NOAA’s Adopt a Drifter Program is still expanding. This summer marks another chapter of growth and change for the initiative, which is jointly led by the Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing Program (GOMO) and the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML).
The program gives educators the opportunity to get involved in real-world ocean observation by deploying drifter buoys that collect valuable data from the world’s oceans. Since its inception, the effort has continued to build momentum, drawing in more participants and evolving its reach over time.
In recognition of National Teacher Appreciation Day, NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is shining a spotlight on the passionate educators who drive ocean stewardship initiatives throughout the United States.
The agency is taking the occasion to acknowledge the hard work of teachers involved in the Ocean Guardian School program, whose dedication helps bring meaningful marine conservation projects to life in classrooms and communities across the nation.
LONDON — The United Nations’ maritime authority announced Monday that it stands firmly against tolls being imposed on ships traveling through international waterways, issuing the statement after U.S. President Donald Trump declared plans to reinstate a naval blockade on Iran and levy a 20% fee on all cargo moving through the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump made the announcement via a post on Truth Social, stating the process would get underway immediately. He provided no additional details in the post.
A spokesperson for the U.N.’s International Maritime Organization said the agency was tracking the situation closely. “We are aware of the post and awaiting more details,” the spokesperson said.
The agency made its position on the matter clear: “We have always been consistent on our stance on fees — IMO stands firmly against charging fees for passage through straits used for international navigation. There is no legal basis through which to introduce mandatory tolls simply to transit through a strait.”
Officials within the global shipping industry voiced alarm over the announcement, saying they believe such a policy would run counter to international law. One industry official, who chose not to be named, questioned the practical impact of Trump’s proposal. “How is this going to make it safer to sail through and what guarantees will this give?” the official said in response to the post.
A coalition of environmental educators recently joined forces at the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve in Florida to deliver a two-day professional development workshop aimed at teachers across the state.
The event, known as Teachers on the Estuary — or TOTE — was organized by the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve along with educators from several partner organizations. The workshop gave Florida teachers the opportunity to dig into new curricula, explore available resources, and learn about funding opportunities to support environmental education in their classrooms.
The two-day format allowed participants to engage deeply with the material and connect with fellow educators who share a passion for teaching students about estuarine ecosystems.
A national photography competition focused on the country’s marine sanctuaries has wrapped up its 2025 edition, with winning images highlighting the remarkable diversity of life and landscapes found in these protected ocean spaces.
The Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest draws photographers each year to document the beauty, wildlife, and recreational experiences tied to national marine sanctuaries. This year’s winning entries captured a wide range of scenes — from tranquil shoreline moments along the Olympic Coast to massive swirling groups of squid in the Florida Keys, and even a stunning view of the Milky Way above a historic bridge.
Together, the winning photographs illustrate the many different ways that people form connections with these unique and protected natural places. As the 2025 contest comes to a close, winners are sharing photography tips and insights ahead of the next competition cycle.
A new partnership is taking shape along the shores of Lake Michigan, as state partners in Wisconsin have come together to form the Collaborative Action for Lake Michigan Coastal Resilience network — known as CALM.
The goal of the initiative is to strengthen community resilience and reduce the impact of coastal hazards by improving coordination among local, regional, and state agencies throughout the area.
By working together under the CALM framework, participating organizations hope to create a more unified and effective response to the challenges facing Lake Michigan’s coastline.
NEW YORK — A group of 12 states went to court Monday to try to block what would be one of the biggest deals in entertainment history — Paramount’s proposed takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, a transaction valued at $81 billion that critics say would wipe out competition in Hollywood and put thousands of industry jobs at risk.
California’s attorney general is spearheading the legal effort, with the states calling on both companies to hold off on finalizing the merger until the courts have had a chance to weigh in. If the companies refuse to wait voluntarily, the coalition says it will seek a temporary restraining order to force a pause.
“The unlawful merger of these two entertainment behemoths would lead to higher prices, lower quality, and less content for film and television, harming movie theaters, basic cable distributors, and ultimately, audiences on every sofa and movie theater seat in the U.S.,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta in a written statement.
Joining California in the lawsuit are Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Washington. Skydance-owned Paramount did not respond to a request for comment by Monday, and Warner Bros. directed all questions back to Paramount.
Paramount, which was acquired by Skydance just last year, is looking to absorb all of Warner Bros. Discovery. If completed, the deal would bring together properties like HBO Max, the “Harry Potter” franchise, and CNN under the same corporate umbrella as CBS, “Top Gun,” and the Paramount+ streaming platform.
The lawsuit lands at a critical moment. After a very public bidding competition with Netflix that played out over months, the deal received shareholder approval in April and then got the green light from the Trump administration just last month. Still, the states’ legal challenge could delay or derail those plans.
The U.S. Justice Department has chosen not to oppose the merger — and went further by releasing an unusually detailed statement of support, arguing the combined company would “increase competition across the media and entertainment ecosystem, with benefits for American consumers and workers.”
Paramount has also pointed to regulatory approvals it says it has secured in several other countries, including China, Canada, and Australia. However, reviews are still underway in the European Union and the United Kingdom, with the U.K. hinting it may step in to examine the deal separately.
Both companies had previously indicated they hoped to wrap up the transaction sometime during the third quarter of this year and have recently signaled a push to finish the process within the coming weeks. There is financial pressure to move quickly — Paramount has promised shareholders a 25-cent per share “ticking fee” for every quarter the deal remains unclosed past September 30. The company has also agreed to a $7 billion regulatory termination fee. When debt is factored in, the full value of the acquisition reaches nearly $111 billion, or about $31 per share.
Supporters of the merger argue that combining the two companies — particularly the HBO Max and Paramount+ content libraries — would give consumers access to more programming and help both businesses grow. Opponents, however, warn that further consolidation in an industry already dominated by a small number of major players could do more harm than good.
Thousands of actors, writers, directors, and other entertainment professionals have gone on record with what they call “unequivocal opposition” to the deal, saying it would shrink job opportunities and limit choices for both filmmakers and audiences. A number of lawmakers have raised similar concerns.
Democrats have questioned whether regulators operating under President Donald Trump would give the deal the scrutiny it deserves, with worries about political influence hanging over the process. The Justice Department has insisted politics played no role in its decision — but Trump himself has at times publicly commented on Warner’s future, even after walking back earlier suggestions about his personal involvement in the outcome.
Trump also has a well-documented relationship with the Ellison family, including Oracle founder Larry Ellison, who is contributing billions of dollars to back the bid being pursued by his son’s company. Much of the attention has focused on CNN, a network that has long been a target of criticism from Trump and his allies. Paramount’s CBS has already undergone significant changes in editorial leadership since Skydance took over — and a completed Warner merger could extend that influence further. Several Trump administration officials have been open about their hopes for CNN’s direction under new ownership. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters in March that “the sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better.”
A team of five educators from the Minnesota and Texas Sea Grant programs has been chosen to head up the next Sea Grant Aquaculture Leadership Academy.
Representing Minnesota Sea Grant are Fisheries and Aquaculture Extension Educator Julia Grenn and Extension Program Leader and Aquaculture Extension Educator Amy Schrank.
Three specialists from Texas Sea Grant round out the leadership group: Aquaculture Specialist Mario Marquez, Extension Director Christine Hale, and Coastal and Marine Extension Agent Amy Nowlin.
The Sea Grant Aquaculture Leadership Academy brings together professionals from across the country to advance knowledge and skills in aquaculture — the farming of fish, shellfish, and other aquatic organisms.
For the fourth straight year, Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary joined cities from around the world in the annual City Nature Challenge, which took place from April 24 to 27, 2026.
The City Nature Challenge is a cooperative, friendly competition that brings together communities worldwide to document the natural world using the iNaturalist app. Participants snap photos of plants, animals, and fungi they encounter, uploading them to iNaturalist where the images are logged and crowd-sourced data helps determine the species in each photo.
Each year, the four-day event produces a global picture of biodiversity, with millions of nature observations covering tens of thousands of different species recorded over a single weekend.
A collaborative effort between the Palau International Coral Reef Center (PICRC), educators from NOAA Ocean Exploration, and Palau’s Ministry of Education resulted in a successful two-day professional development workshop focused on deep-sea science.
The workshop, held March 31 through April 1, brought together 27 school teachers from communities throughout Palau. While the event was originally designed with middle and high school educators in mind, it drew a broader range of participants than anticipated — with teachers serving students from third grade all the way through ninth grade taking part.
The training was aimed at equipping classroom educators with the tools and knowledge needed to bring ocean exploration and deep-sea science concepts into their lessons.
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota prosecutors announced Monday that they have finally obtained critical evidence in their investigations into the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, two protesters killed during demonstrations against a federal immigration enforcement crackdown in the state earlier this year.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty confirmed the breakthrough, saying, “Through the cooperation of our federal partners we have obtained the hard drives of previously withheld evidence in the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and the shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis. We have also obtained some of the physical evidence that was previously withheld, including Renee Good’s car.”
For months, federal officials had been holding back witness statements, police body camera recordings, and other materials connected to the killings. Moriarty said state and local investigators now have possession of Good’s damaged vehicle as well.
Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot and killed while driving away from an anti-immigration enforcement protest in Minneapolis on January 7, as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were conducting sweeping operations throughout the area. Her death, along with Pretti’s killing just weeks later, triggered widespread outrage nationwide and fueled calls to limit immigration enforcement activities.
“The wonderful thing now is we have all the evidence,” Moriarty said. She added that investigators are currently working through the materials, which include hard drives containing statements, hours of body camera footage, and Good’s physical vehicle.
“We need transparency. We need cooperation. Our community needs it,” Moriarty said. “Our democracy requires it.”
Late last month, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Moriarty asked a federal judge to extend deadlines in their lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice, citing renewed talks with the FBI over sharing information. Attorneys representing the federal government agreed to that request. Ellison and Moriarty noted that those discussions were likely to influence Minnesota’s request for a summary judgment in the case.
Ellison expressed lingering frustration over the delay, saying he remains “deeply troubled that the federal government spent more than half a year attempting to conceal this evidence from state investigators.”
“It should never have taken this long for Minnesota law enforcement to gain access to the federal government’s evidence,” Ellison said. “I hope that this is the beginning of a major course correction on the part of the federal government.”
A newly developed educational resource kit is making Arctic climate research more accessible to students and educators at every level, from kindergarten through college.
The Arctic Report Card Educational Resource Kit is a carefully assembled collection of materials designed for anyone curious about the Arctic Report Card, a scientific publication that tracks conditions in the Arctic region. The kit is built to work alongside all editions of the report, making it a flexible tool for classrooms and independent learners alike.
The resource was developed in connection with the release of the 20th anniversary edition of the Arctic Report Card in December 2025. Its launch was also tied to a Science Update webinar hosted by the National Science Teaching Association, which took place in January 2026.
While the kit is primarily aimed at middle school students, high school students, and undergraduates, it also includes dedicated sections for younger children, ensuring that even the earliest learners can engage with the material.
You might be at a Fourth of July cookout, eyeing a tray of fresh oysters on ice, but holding back because someone once told you to only eat them during months that end in the letter “R.” Or maybe you were at the grocery store, picked up a salmon fillet, noticed the “farm-raised” label, and quietly put it back on the shelf.
A new digital education platform launched by Sea Grant is working to address exactly these kinds of common misconceptions about aquaculture — the farming of fish, shellfish, and other seafood — across the southeastern United States.
English golfer Joe Dean, currently ranked 268th in the world, punched his ticket to the 154th Open Championship on Monday by winning the first-ever Last Chance Qualifier.
The 32-year-old, who competes on the DP World Tour, posted a 2-under-par round of 68 at Royal Birkdale Golf Club to claim the last available spot in the 156-player field set to compete in Southport, England.
“Any opportunity to get in The Open again, I’ll gladly turn up and play,” Dean said. “One-day events, I seem to play better. I don’t quite know why, the mentality of trying to keep the same throughout any round and every round.”
Among the 12 competitors in the qualifier, fellow Englishman Andrew Wilson finished as runner-up at 1-under par, while South Africa’s Aldrich Potgieter came in third at even par.
Dean seized the lead with an eagle on the par-5 14th hole after his approach shot from 250 yards out settled just 3 feet from the pin.
“(I) just probably hit the best 6-iron I’ve ever hit,” Dean said. “Fortunately, (the) wind caught it and it bounced pretty good. We didn’t hear anything from the grandstands, but I don’t know if we were too far away to hear anything.”
Potgieter had a chance to force a playoff with a birdie on the 18th hole, but his approach landed in a greenside bunker and he walked away with a bogey instead.
This will mark Dean’s third appearance at The Open. He previously finished tied for 70th at Royal Birkdale in 2017 and tied for 25th at Royal Troon in Scotland in 2024.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko officially stepped down Monday, submitting her resignation to the nation’s parliament, according to the chamber’s speaker.
Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk announced the development on social media platform X, stating, “Parliament will consider this matter in the near future in accordance with the established procedure.”
The process of forming a new government could potentially get underway as soon as Tuesday, following the established parliamentary procedures for such a transition.
KYIV — Ukraine’s parliament is preparing to vote on a new government this week following President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s surprise decision to remove Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko from her post — a move the president says will inject fresh leadership into the country, but one that has drawn sharp criticism from opponents who fear it could fuel disorder during a pivotal phase of the war.
Zelenskiy made the unexpected announcement Sunday, saying Svyrydenko — who had been in office for only one year — would be replaced. The news immediately set off a wave of speculation about who would step into the role as Ukraine continues to face intensified Russian attacks.
According to lawmakers posting on social media, the leading candidates for the prime minister position include Serhiy Koretskyi, who heads the state-owned oil and gas company Naftogaz; Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal, who previously served as defence minister for six months; and current Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
Zelenskiy posted photos of individual meetings with each of the potential candidates following his announcement of Svyrydenko’s removal. Under Ukraine’s political system, the president nominates a prime minister, who then selects most of the other cabinet members — all of whom must receive parliamentary approval.
The president stated Sunday that he is pursuing “renewal” at the top levels of government and law enforcement. He said the changes are meant to strengthen Ukraine’s push for more air defense systems from its allies, advance the country’s bid to join the European Union, and prepare for anticipated Russian strikes on the power grid during the coming winter.
Many observers consider Koretskyi the frontrunner for the top job. Placing the well-regarded technocrat in charge would put a focus on energy security — a growing priority as Russian attacks on infrastructure have repeatedly left Ukrainian towns and cities without heat or electricity.
Kyiv-based political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko said other experienced crisis managers could also receive cabinet positions in the reshuffling, pointing to Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov — whose city is a frequent target of Russian strikes — as one such possibility.
Defence Minister Fedorov was also cited as a strong contender given his central role in Ukraine’s war effort. However, Fesenko, who works with the Penta Centre think tank, cautioned that pulling Fedorov away from the defence portfolio could jeopardize important military reforms at a time when Ukraine is fighting for the upper hand against Russia. Some opposition lawmakers echoed that concern.
Ukraine has been conducting long-range strike operations targeting Russia’s oil sector and battlefield supply lines. Fedorov, who has guided the military’s technological development since taking the defence post in January, has also committed to overhauling the country’s recruitment system to address a shortage of soldiers.
Opposition lawmaker Inna Sovsun of the Holos party said she was “very frightened” by the possibility of new instability within the defence ministry.
“Previously, Denys Shmyhal was the minister for half a year, he promised something, started to fulfill it and was fired,” she wrote on Facebook. “If the same story repeats itself with Mykhailo Fedorov, it will not be funny at all.”
Parliamentary procedures to establish the new government could get underway as early as Tuesday.
Sunday’s announcement is the latest in a series of wartime leadership overhauls under Zelenskiy. The most recent came late last year, when he replaced longtime chief of staff Andriy Yermak with a well-known spy chief after Yermak became linked to a major corruption investigation. That probe — known as the “Midas” investigation — remains ongoing and has caught up a number of senior officials, keeping pressure on Zelenskiy’s administration.
Despite the turbulence, public confidence in Zelenskiy has held relatively steady over the past year at roughly 60%, according to the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology. With elections suspended under martial law, reshuffles represent one of the few tools Zelenskiy has to shake up his leadership team.
Opposition lawmaker Dmytro Razumkov, a former parliamentary speaker who served under Zelenskiy, told Reuters that the president’s “Sunday blitzkrieg” is unlikely to produce meaningful change. He repeated a common criticism of the Zelenskiy administration — that it leans heavily on a tight inner circle of loyalists.
“This … will most likely be a replacement of the same faces and simply a movement of beds around the house,” Razumkov said.
LEWES, Del. — Cyclists, walkers, and other users of the Georgetown/Lewes Rail Trail Shared Use Path should plan for a temporary route change beginning Monday, July 20.
The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) announced that the trail will be shifted onto the newly paved New Road, which runs beneath the Nassau Bridge. The detour is necessary to allow crews to complete construction of the Shared Use Path in its final layout between Nassau Road and Janice Road.
The temporary reroute is expected to remain in place through August 14, though that timeline is subject to weather conditions.
Anyone traveling through the area is asked to follow the posted detour signs and exercise caution while passing through the active construction zone.
A University of Delaware baseball player is heading to professional ball after signing with a major league organization.
Infielder Evan Bouldin, who played for the Blue Hens in Newark, Delaware, reached an agreement on an undrafted free agent contract with the Philadelphia Phillies organization on Monday. The deal came through after the conclusion of the Major League Baseball draft.
SALISBURY, Md. — Salisbury University’s football program has officially announced plans for the Joe Rotellini Era Reunion, a two-day event taking place on September 18th and 19th.
The reunion is timed to coincide with the Sea Gulls’ second home game of the season, when Salisbury will host the Washington & Lee Generals on Saturday, September 19th. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Sea Gull Stadium.
Have you ever wondered how your GPS knows exactly where you are, or how maps are made so precisely? The answer lies in a scientific field called geodesy.
Geodesy is defined as the science of accurately measuring and understanding the Earth’s geometric shape, its orientation in space, and its gravity field.
According to the National Ocean Service, geodesy plays a key role in many aspects of modern life — including helping people get from point A to point B.
Shein Executive Chairman Donald Tang is preparing to exit his leadership role as the global fast-fashion company edges closer to completing its initial public offering, three sources with direct knowledge of the situation told Reuters on Monday.
Tang has spent the past three years serving as the public-facing representative of Shein, a role in which he engaged with politicians and regulators across the globe on behalf of the company’s secretive founder, Sky Xu. Tang, a Chinese-American billionaire who built his early career in banking, also represented Shein at conferences and various public events.
With Tang’s departure on the horizon, observers are now wondering whether Xu will take a more visible role himself, hand responsibilities to one of his co-founders, or recruit a new outside executive to fill the gap.
According to one source familiar with the company’s internal thinking, Tang, 63, will transition into a senior adviser position and continue working alongside the management team for the time being. That source noted there is no set timeline for when the change will officially take place.
Shein did not offer any comment and left unanswered questions about who would take over Tang’s responsibilities. One source indicated that Xu — not Tang — is expected to lead the investor roadshow ahead of the company’s stock listing.
Tang, who is based in Los Angeles, was reportedly introduced to Xu by Neil Shen, the founding and managing partner of HSG, formerly known as Sequoia Capital China. He was selected for the executive chairman role due to his background managing business interests between China and the United States, as well as his extensive network of contacts in both finance and political circles, according to one of the sources. Shen did not respond to a request for comment.
Tang’s original goal was to guide Shein through a listing on the New York Stock Exchange, and he relocated to Washington, D.C. to lobby lawmakers there. As scrutiny grew over Shein’s use of the “de minimis” customs duty exemption — which allows low-value goods to enter the U.S. without tariffs — Tang moved proactively in July 2023 to publicly support eliminating that waiver. He also worked to counter allegations from U.S. lawmakers that Shein’s Chinese supply chain had ties to forced labor, a charge Beijing strongly denies.
When the New York listing effort fell through and Shein turned its attention to London, Tang became a regular presence at the five-star Peninsula hotel near Hyde Park, frequently accompanied by his dog, a teacup Australian Shepherd named Satchi. However, the London bid also collapsed after China’s securities regulator withheld its approval, even though British financial regulators had already given the IPO the green light. The company then shifted its sights to a Hong Kong listing.
Tang had hoped to leave behind a legacy of stronger internal oversight — including better systems for removing sellers of illegal products from Shein’s marketplace — and improved relationships with regulators worldwide, one source said. Last year, he led an internal effort to strengthen regulatory compliance after Shein faced significant fines from regulators in France and Italy.
However, in November, French authorities discovered child-like sex dolls being sold through Shein’s online marketplace, setting off a national scandal and prompting a government crackdown. The controversy erupted just as Shein was opening its first permanent retail location inside the BHV department store in Paris. A large promotional poster featuring Tang and his dog Satchi had been displayed on the BHV building ahead of the launch, but it was removed shortly afterward. Shein has since abandoned its French retail store venture.
BRUSSELS — The European Union announced Monday that it has coordinated a major international aid effort, securing 900 million euros — approximately $1 billion — to support recovery in Gaza. The bloc worked alongside 65 governments and organizations, including the White House and the United Nations, to assemble the fund.
The announcement was made by the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, following a meeting of the Palestine Donors Group held in Brussels.
“The EU is the most credible supporter, for the Palestinian people. We are the largest donor and the strongest backer of the two-state solution,” Kallas stated.
The Brussels gathering marked the second meeting of the Team Gaza Initiative, a program launched by the EU to build international support for rebuilding efforts in the densely populated coastal enclave, which is home to roughly 2 million people. The initiative focuses on restoring essential services such as sanitation and agriculture in the region, which has been devastated by ongoing conflict.
The condition believed to have caused the sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham — an aortic dissection — is a dangerous medical emergency capable of killing within a very short time.
The aorta is the body’s largest artery, functioning much like a major highway that rises from the heart, curves overhead, and travels down through the abdomen, delivering oxygen-rich blood throughout the body as smaller arteries branch off along the way.
An aortic dissection occurs when a tear develops in the artery’s inner lining, allowing blood to rush between the surrounding layers of the vessel wall, according to the American Medical Association. This reduces blood flow to critical organs and can sometimes cause the artery to rupture, flooding nearby tissue with blood. The condition is often linked to an aortic aneurysm — a weakened area of the artery that balloons outward under pressure.
Several factors can raise a person’s risk, including high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol that leads to artery stiffening — known as atherosclerosis — and tobacco use. While the condition is more frequently seen in older individuals, certain inherited genetic disorders can cause it in younger people as well.
A preliminary report from a medical examiner, released by Graham’s office, indicated that his aortic dissection was connected to hardening of the arteries.
The warning signs typically come on suddenly and intensely, often presenting as sharp, stabbing pain in the chest or back. Depending on where along the aorta the tear occurs, pain may also appear in the neck, jaw, or abdomen. The American Heart Association notes that other symptoms can include sudden loss of consciousness, cold or sweaty skin, stroke-like signs such as sudden weakness on one side of the body, or signs of shock like a racing heartbeat or mental confusion.
Receiving medical attention quickly greatly improves a patient’s odds of survival. Surgeons may attempt to repair or reinforce the damaged section of the aorta, with the specific approach depending on where the tear is located and how severe it is.
SAN FRANCISCO — A group of hundreds of economists, computer scientists, and technology executives is calling on institutions to take urgent action in response to the potential economic upheaval that artificial intelligence could bring, including the threat of widespread job losses.
The open letter, released Monday and organized by Stanford University’s digital economy lab, was signed by more than 200 economists and AI researchers — including 16 Nobel Prize winners — as well as executives from major tech firms such as Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI.
The brief, four-sentence letter warns that AI’s growth could be dramatic. “AI may become radically more powerful over the next 10 years,” the letter states. “This could drive an unprecedented transformation of our economy, larger than the Industrial Revolution, but unfolding over a vastly shorter time frame. It could bring risks, including large-scale job displacement, as well as opportunities such as major gains in living standards.”
The signatories are calling on leaders to “build the incentives, guardrails, and institutions needed to steer AI in a direction that complements humans and benefits society.”
Among those who signed was Yoshua Bengio, a computer scientist and pioneer in AI research, who issued a separate statement saying it is “highly plausible that AI will drastically transform our economies” given how rapidly the technology is advancing.
Bengio, a professor at the University of Montreal, added: “We must be intentional and make collective, democratic choices, rather than letting market forces play out and risking leaving most citizens behind.”
WASHINGTON — A federal judge delivered a blistering rebuke Monday of President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service, declaring that the case was brought for an “improper purpose” and calling for attorney sanctions and disciplinary proceedings.
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams issued the strongly worded ruling, describing the lawsuit — which centered on Trump’s leaked tax returns — as a form of self-dealing, since the president effectively controls the very agency he sued.
The legal battle wrapped up in May with a settlement that established a $1.776 billion fund intended to compensate individuals and groups aligned with the president. The settlement also included protections shielding those parties from tax audits, though the fund has since been abandoned.
In her ruling, Judge Williams wrote: “The nature of the suit itself and the conduct of the Parties and counsel from its filing make plain that this was an attempt to use the Court to provide some legitimacy to an agreement to confer immunity to people and entities affiliated with the President and to earmark billions of dollars from American taxpayers to redress grievances not defined in the law.”
NEW YORK — A highly anticipated Jay-Z concert at Yankee Stadium turned chaotic Sunday night when hundreds of fans who did not have tickets attempted to push their way into the venue, causing entrances to be shut down and delaying the show for hours.
The rapper ultimately took the stage at 12:17 a.m. Monday morning, telling the audience that the lengthy wait was due to people attempting to rush the doors. He said he refused to begin performing while there was a risk of fans being trampled as they tried to get inside.
“Really sorry for the inconvenience, but I had to make sure everybody was OK,” Jay-Z told the crowd. He went on to thank attendees for their patience and assured them they would have a “good time tonight.”
In a joint statement, the Yankees, Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, and Live Nation described the situation as groups of hundreds of people without tickets who “stormed over peaceful ticketholders, and in some cases, breached security.” As a result, the stadium was forced to close its entrances for an extended period before being able to carefully reopen them.
Video footage captured outside the stadium showed a massive crowd gathered near one of the entrances. Separate video from inside the venue showed individuals rushing through an open door before security personnel were able to step in and prevent more people from entering.
A spokesperson for the New York Police Department stated that there was no information available regarding any arrests connected to the incident.
A deadly shooting in Biddeford, Maine, on Monday morning involved federal immigration agents, according to the speaker of the Maine House, though full details of what happened are still coming to light.
Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, a Democrat, took to Facebook to share what he knew about the incident. Biddeford is a coastal community of roughly 23,000 residents located about 15 miles southwest of Portland.
“This morning a shooting occurred in Biddeford. A person was killed. ICE was involved,” Fecteau wrote, referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “State Police and the Department of Public Safety are now on scene to gather details and would expect the FBI to investigate as well.”
Fecteau acknowledged that those were the only facts available to him at the time and promised to share more information as the day progressed.
Requests for comment sent to ICE, the FBI, and the Maine Department of Public Safety were not immediately returned.
An immigrant rights advocacy organization called Project Relief posted on social media that one of its community members had been killed “during an encounter with ICE in Biddeford” and that the group had reached out to the person’s family. The group described the victim as “young” but did not share an age or other identifying information.
“This was a young person whose life was cut short,” the group said, urging justice for the family and community.
A local group called Biddeford Saco for Racial Justice organized a noon protest at Mechanics Park in Biddeford in response to the shooting. Local reports indicated that demonstrators had already begun arriving in the city, which features a working-class downtown along the Saco River and a shorefront area known for drawing vacationers.
As of late morning, investigators were still working the scene. Officers had sealed off a residential intersection using patrol vehicles, barricades, and yellow crime scene tape. At least one protester holding a sign stood just outside the police perimeter while law enforcement limited access to the surrounding neighborhood. A church sat atop a nearby hill overlooking the scene.
Maine Gov. Janet Mills released a statement saying she had been briefed on the fatal shooting “involving Federal law enforcement.” She said State Police were at the scene and coordinating with the state attorney general’s office, the chief medical examiner’s office, and federal authorities to piece together what occurred.
“I know that situations like these are alarming and frightening,” said Mills, a Democrat.
If confirmed, this would mark at least the ninth death resulting from an encounter with federal immigration officials since the Trump administration launched its immigration enforcement campaign — and the second such death in just one week, following the fatal shooting of a man in Houston.
The incident comes as the Trump administration has ramped up its mass deportation efforts. In a five-day stretch at the end of June, ICE made more than 10,000 arrests nationwide. Those numbers suggest that while the administration has moved away from targeting specific cities, arrests are continuing and accelerating.
Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine said in a social media video that she was on her way to Portland to catch a flight to Washington when she learned about the shooting. She said she was seeking answers about the circumstances, including whether officers involved had been wearing body cameras, and added, “More than anything else, I want to know, ‘Why are you in Maine?’”
ICE had a notable presence in Maine earlier this year, sparking several large-scale protests. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, branded that operation “Catch of the Day” — an apparent nod to Maine’s fishing industry — similar to how it has named other enforcement surges, such as “Patriot” in Massachusetts, “Metro Surge” in Minnesota, and “Midway Blitz” in Chicago.
Immigration officials announced in late January that they had wrapped up “enhanced operations” in Maine after making hundreds of arrests. A Homeland Security spokesperson said at the time that some of those arrested in Maine had been “convicted of horrific crimes including aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and endangering the welfare of a child.” However, court records told a more complicated story: while some detainees did have felony convictions, others had unresolved immigration proceedings or had been arrested but never convicted of any crime.
The Trump administration’s immigration enforcement actions drew widespread criticism last winter following the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minnesota. Last week, an ICE officer fatally shot Salgado Araujo, 52, of Houston, after federal agents in unmarked vehicles pursued him while he was transporting his work crew to a job site.
A federal judge has struck down a settlement between President Donald Trump and the Internal Revenue Service, according to a court filing made public on Monday.
In addition to voiding the agreement, the judge referred the president’s lawyer as well as senior officials from the Justice Department to state bar authorities — the bodies responsible for overseeing attorney conduct and professional licensing.
Lagerald Vick, a former guard for the University of Kansas basketball program, is now facing a charge of attempted first-degree murder stemming from a shooting that took place in Memphis, Tennessee on July 4.
Vick, who is 29 years old, played for the Jayhawks from 2015 through 2019 and was a starter on coach Bill Self’s squad that reached the Final Four in 2018.
Authorities arrested Vick in Memphis on Saturday in connection with the Fourth of July shooting. He was additionally charged with using a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony.
Arrest documents obtained by ESPN reveal that a shooting victim, who was hospitalized after being struck by a bullet in the back, told officers he attempted to flee following a confrontation after noticing the other individual was carrying a weapon. That victim later picked Vick out of a photo lineup as the person who allegedly shot him.
A judge set Vick’s bail at $1.5 million. He was scheduled to appear for arraignment on Monday. This is not Vick’s only legal trouble — he is also currently facing two separate felony counts from an earlier incident this year, accused of theft and breaking into the home of a former girlfriend.
During his college career, Vick appeared in 117 games for Kansas, starting 61 of them. He averaged 9.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. His best offensive season came during his senior year in 2018-19, when he averaged a career-high 14.1 points per game.
After going undrafted in the 2019 NBA Draft, Vick pursued a professional playing career overseas and in other international leagues, suiting up in Taiwan, Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela, Uruguay, and New Zealand between 2019 and 2024.
ESPN also reports that during his freshman year in Lawrence, Kansas, Vick was the subject of a Title IX investigation after he allegedly struck a female student.
Bank of America announced Monday that it has added nine senior-level investment bankers to its roster across the United States, a strategic move aimed at meeting rising demand from middle-market businesses.
The newly hired professionals are located in Austin, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, New York, San Francisco, and West Palm Beach. They join an already established team of more than 200 bankers working across 26 cities who are focused specifically on serving middle-market clients.
Mike Joo, co-head of BofA’s Global Investment Banking, spoke to the importance of this segment of the economy. “Middle market companies play a vital role in driving business and economic growth across the U.S., and we continue to see significant opportunity to help these businesses grow, invest and achieve their objectives,” he said.
Bank of America also noted that it has held the top investment banking ranking among global commercial banking clients for three straight years, while also growing its market share year after year.
Here is a breakdown of the nine bankers joining the team:
Bob Berry will come aboard as a managing director in Boston in late July, arriving from Rothschild. Matt Dalton will join as a managing director in Minneapolis in early August to cover the Midwest region, coming from Lazard.
Rick Florjancic will step in as a managing director in Chicago in mid-September, where he will lead that office and help broaden senior leadership coverage across the wider Midwest. He is coming from BMO Capital Markets.
Ian Mackay will join as a managing director in Charlotte in mid-August, where he will strengthen the middle-market financial sponsors practice across the Southeast and nationally. He previously worked at BlackArch Partners.
Joe Park has already joined as a managing director in Detroit, where his focus will be expanding client coverage across the Midwest. He previously held the roles of president and chief financial officer at Princeton NuEnergy and served in executive positions within SK Group.
Mitch Theiss has rejoined the bank as a vice chair in West Palm Beach, where he will help grow coverage of Florida-based middle-market clients and family businesses while providing senior-level support on key relationships. He most recently was a partner at Seabrook Partners.
Daniel Webb has also rejoined, this time as a managing director in Austin, to expand coverage across Texas and the broader Southwest. He brings more than 15 years of investment banking experience along with deep expertise in the technology sector.
Joe Winters will come on board as a managing director in San Francisco in early August, joining from JPMorgan. And Bo Brown has recently joined as a managing director in New York, where he will strengthen advisory work across financial sponsors, industrial, and middle-market clients. He came from BMO Capital Markets.
California and 11 other states have gone to court to stop Paramount from completing its $110 billion purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery, claiming the merger would weaken competition in both film distribution and cable television — ultimately hurting movie theaters and pay TV providers.
The legal challenge poses a significant obstacle to Paramount CEO David Ellison’s ambition to reshape his company into a major rival against streaming giants like Netflix and Disney.
“With this lawsuit, California and our sister states are fighting for free and fair markets, not rigged markets. America has no kings in government or our economy,” Bonta said in a statement.
According to the states filing the suit, if the deal goes through, Paramount would control 27% of the market for distributing films shown in theaters across the country, 30% of the blockbuster film distribution market, and 27% of the market for basic cable channels.
A court ruling on the states’ challenge is not expected for several months, and the delay could cost Paramount hundreds of millions of dollars in the meantime.
The proposed merger has already sparked backlash from actors, writers, and others in the entertainment industry who fear it will result in job losses. Theater owners have also pushed back, worried that combining the Warner Bros. movie studio with Paramount Pictures would lead to fewer films being made.
Paramount, for its part, has argued the deal will actually increase production rather than reduce it, even as it plans to cut $6 billion by eliminating overlapping infrastructure, marketing operations, and corporate positions. Ellison has pledged that the merged studios would put out 30 films per year.
Despite the state-level opposition, the U.S. Department of Justice has already signed off on the deal, concluding it does not create any competition problems.
Paramount CEO David Ellison’s father, billionaire Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, has developed connections with President Donald Trump, and the company has brought on former Trump administration officials.
Paramount has agreed to pay Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders roughly $650 million per quarter in fees if the deal fails to close before October. The company has warned that prolonged delays could force it to revisit the deal’s financing terms, create instability for its stock price, or potentially derail the transaction entirely.
Matt Fitzpatrick arrived at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport this week riding a wave of success heading into The Open Championship, held in his home country of England. But beyond his impressive play on the course, the 31-year-old also had something important to say about how gambling is changing the way fans treat professional athletes.
Speaking with reporters on Monday, Fitzpatrick addressed the growing problem of gambling-related harassment that athletes across all sports are experiencing. “It’s a great question because you just look at all the messages people get — footballers, tennis players, you name it, everyone’s getting messages of, ‘Oh, you missed that penalty; you cost me this. Oh, you didn’t make a birdie; cost me this,’” he said.
Fitzpatrick made clear that golfers are no exception. “I’ve had my fair share. I would say every golfer that’s played a professional tournament has had a message of abuse from someone that is related to gambling. I mean, you could see it this week. You go and type in a player’s name who maybe isn’t playing well, maybe someone who’s favored to play well, you type the name into Twitter and you’ll just see their name followed by abuse after abuse after abuse,” he said.
On the course, Fitzpatrick enters the 154th Open as one of the most in-form players in the game, currently ranked No. 3 in the world after three victories this season on the PGA Tour. He tied for third place at the Genesis Scottish Open just last Sunday.
“Hopefully I’ve not peaked yet obviously, but I just think I’m doing a lot of good stuff this year. Short game’s been really, really good, and so has my irons,” he said. “That’s a first for me. My irons have never really been a strength. I’ve had good seasons but never really taken advantage of that, I don’t feel like; whereas now I feel like I’ve got that.”
Fitzpatrick, who claimed the U.S. Open title in 2022, is also looking to top his best performance at The Open, where he finished tied for fourth last year at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.
When it comes to gambling personally, Fitzpatrick said he does not “condone gambling in the slightest … it’s not really for me,” though he acknowledged placing small friendly bets on England during the World Cup with friends.
“I’ve had 20 quid on England to win the World Cup, but at the same time, if it doesn’t come in, I’m not going to send a message to Harry Kane and be like, why did you play rubbish? There’s obviously individuals that have that problem,” he said.
He also raised concerns about how easily gambling could be manipulated during a golf round. “For me, it’s definitely becoming a problem and the issue is, particularly in golf, it would be very easy to influence a bet, whether it’s you’re shouting on someone’s backswing, shouting on a putting stroke. It’s really easy. Obviously that is really hard to monitor, but it is definitely an issue,” he said.
Fitzpatrick said he generally avoids social media but is well aware of the hostility that exists there. “You just search my name, Tommy’s (Fleetwood) name, anyone’s name, and you will find just tweet after tweet just straight abuse. It’s not right. I’m not going into someone’s office or in their e-mails abusing them. I would say a lot of it comes down to the gambling,” he said. “But when you’re getting personally attacked, it’s just ridiculous.”
Northbound travelers on Route 141 are facing a lane shift between Newport Gap Pike and the Exit 4 off-ramp as a result of active construction in the area.
The lane shift is expected to remain in place until 3 PM. Drivers are encouraged to use caution while passing through the construction zone and to budget extra time for their commute.
No further details about the nature of the construction work have been provided at this time.
The University of Delaware men’s tennis program has picked up a prestigious academic recognition, earning ITA All-Academic team status for the 2025-26 season, the organization announced Monday.
In addition to the team honor, six members of the Blue Hens tennis roster were individually recognized with ITA Scholar-Athlete awards, highlighting the program’s commitment to excellence both on the court and in the classroom.
The University of Delaware women’s tennis program has been recognized for its academic achievements, earning ITA All-Academic team status for the 2025-26 season, according to an announcement made Monday by the organization.
Along with the team honor, eight individual members of the Blue Hens tennis program were also singled out, each receiving an ITA Scholar Athlete award.
LEWES, Del. — The Delaware Department of Transportation is warning drivers about upcoming lane restrictions on Janice Road in Lewes.
Beginning Tuesday, July 21st and running through Monday, July 27th, crews will conduct paving operations along Janice Road between SR1 and the Lewes Senior Center. During this time, intermittent lane closures will be in effect.
Drivers passing through the area are advised to slow down and be prepared for possible minor delays as work crews are on-site.
For additional details, visit DelDOT’s official website at www.deldot.gov.
The space between stars has yielded a surprising find: a type of sugar that also shows up in raspberries and self-tanners.
Astronomers have identified the sugar, known as erythrulose, floating in what scientists call the interstellar medium — the thin layers of gas and dust that exist between stars. The discovery adds to growing evidence that the building blocks of life may be scattered throughout the galaxy.
Sugar isn’t just for sweetening food. Different types of sugar power our cells and even form part of the structure of DNA. That’s why scientists are so eager to understand how sugars form in space — because they’re considered a fundamental ingredient for life as we know it.
Using two dish-shaped radio telescopes located in Spain, a team of researchers gathered data from a large cloud of gas near the center of the Milky Way. They confirmed the presence of erythrulose in gas form by comparing the telescope readings to sugar samples tested in a laboratory. The region where the sugar was found is one that NASA’s twin Voyager spacecraft — the most distant human-made objects ever launched from Earth — have crossed.
The findings appeared Monday in the scientific journal Nature Astronomy.
This isn’t the first time astronomers have come across interesting chemistry in our galaxy. About 25 years ago, scientists spotted a close relative of ordinary table sugar near the Milky Way’s center. More recently, dark grains retrieved from asteroid Bennu by NASA’s Osiris-Rex mission contained other sugars, including one considered a key ingredient for DNA.
While erythrulose itself isn’t essential for life, it can readily transform into a form that scientists believe played a critical role in sparking life on Earth. It’s also among the most complex sugars detected in space so far, according to astrophysicist Erika Hamden of the University of Arizona, who was not involved in the study.
Hamden described it as “a pristine example of the stuff that’s just floating out in the galaxy.”
The bigger question driving these investigations is whether life’s essential ingredients arrived on Earth via comets or asteroids from deep space — or whether those components were already present in the material that eventually formed our solar system.
The newly detected sugar supports the idea that the ingredients were already here. Researchers are now hoping to find additional sugars in space and better understand how they transform from one form to another.
Locating erythrulose in one part of the galaxy suggests similar molecules could be hiding in other distant regions as well, said study author Izaskun Jiménez-Serra, an astrophysicist at the Center for Astrobiology in Spain.
“The key ingredients for the origin of life could be present in other regions across the galaxy, opening the possibility for life to develop elsewhere in the universe,” Jiménez-Serra said.
BOSTON — A Massachusetts man has been convicted of conspiring to illegally ship electronic components to Iran, breaking U.S. sanctions laws, a federal jury decided Monday.
Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi, an employee at global electronics firm Analog Devices, was accused of helping an Iranian business associate circumvent American export control regulations. Federal prosecutors allege that the business associate runs a Tehran-based company that produces navigation systems for military drones operated by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. The alleged scheme reportedly involved setting up a shell company in Switzerland.
A second person named in the case, Mohammad Abedininajafabadi — referred to in court documents as Abedini — was not tried alongside Sadeghi. Authorities believe Abedini is currently in Iran following what appeared to be a prisoner exchange involving an Italian journalist.
Sadeghi was convicted on three of the five counts he faced. He showed no outward reaction when the verdict was read, which came early in the fourth day of jury deliberations. He and his legal team declined to speak with reporters as they exited the courthouse. He will remain out of custody until his sentencing on October 13.
Sadeghi is a 43-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen who chose not to take the stand in his own defense. A father of two, he lost his position at Analog Devices after the charges were filed. He was originally arrested in December 2024 — well before the current conflict with Iran — though his trial took place during that ongoing hostilities.
During closing arguments, Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter laid out the government’s position plainly. “At its core, this case is straightforward. You cannot send goods, especially the goods at issue in this case, to Iran. Period. Full stop,” she told the jury. “The defendant knew that, and conspired with Mr. Abedini to do that.”
Fellow prosecutor Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Dolan argued that documents, text messages, and photographs demonstrated the illegal activity was the direct result of the relationship between Sadeghi and Abedini. “The evidence established that he knew what Abedini was doing because he told him in writing,” Dolan said. “He helped him anyway.”
Sadeghi’s defense attorney, William Fick, pushed back strongly, telling jurors the prosecution’s narrative “makes no sense” and contained significant gaps. Fick argued his client was simply giving a longtime friend guidance on how to pursue business with the semiconductor company and was not involved in actually obtaining the parts for Abedini.
Fick also argued there was no proof the components ever reached Iran, and he challenged the prosecution’s characterization of the Swiss company as a front operation. “If you look at the world through dirty glasses, everything looks dirty,” Fick told jurors. “That is fundamentally what the prosecution is asking you to do here.”
The defense attorney further noted that prosecutors had not demonstrated Sadeghi had anything to gain from the alleged scheme — though prosecutors countered that proving a motive was not required. “He had nothing to gain and everything to lose,” Fick said. “He has lived in the country for decades. He was a well-regarded, respected employee on his way up in the company.”
Prosecutors had originally sought to introduce evidence connected to an Iranian drone used in a 2024 attack that killed three U.S. service members at a remote base in Jordan. Defense attorneys moved before trial to block any such evidence relating to Abedini’s alleged involvement in drone manufacturing or attacks on American troops.
The judge sided with the defense on that issue, ruling that prosecutors could only present general information about Abedini’s Iranian company and the potential military uses of its technology, including drones. During a February hearing, prosecutors acknowledged they lacked evidence that Sadeghi had any knowledge that the technology he allegedly helped export was connected to the drone involved in the Jordan attack.
Both defendants face export control violation charges. Abedini faces an additional charge of conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, a charge tied to the deaths of the three service members.
Abedini was taken into custody at an Italian airport on a U.S. warrant in December 2024, but was released about a month later and returned to Iran. Just three days after his arrest, Italian journalist Cecilia Sala was detained while working in Iran. Sala, widely believed to have been held as leverage for Abedini’s freedom, was able to return home in January 2025.
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is moving to further restrict access to the U.S. banking system for people living in the country without legal authorization, this time by targeting financial institutions that extend loans to undocumented borrowers.
A coalition of federal banking regulators is scheduled to release new guidance on Monday, reminding banks and other lending institutions of their know-your-customer obligations — particularly when it comes to managing credit risk involving borrowers who are not legally permitted to work in the United States.
The announcement is expected to come jointly from three federal agencies: the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the National Credit Union Association. Together, they are warning that undocumented individuals may be unable to repay loans if they are deported, and that lending to such borrowers represents a broader risk to the financial system.
This latest move is part of a broader pattern. Over the past nine months, the Trump administration has rolled out a series of measures designed to strongly discourage banks from doing business with undocumented individuals — stopping short of an outright mandate, but sending a clear signal to financial institutions.
The effort traces back to an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in May, which directed banks and financial regulators to scrutinize the citizenship status of their customers. That order set off the current wave of banking policy changes, instructing regulators and government agencies to look for signs of undocumented individuals opening accounts, obtaining loans, or applying for credit cards.
According to a news release, Monday’s guidance advises banks to “identify, measure, monitor, and control these risks through safe and sound underwriting practices that assess a borrower’s willingness and capacity to repay according to the terms of the credit obligation.”
Also in May, the Treasury Department’s financial crimes unit — commonly referred to as FinCEN — sent an advisory to banks urging them to be on alert for identity theft, payroll tax fraud, and money laundering connected to the employment of unauthorized workers. That advisory listed more than a dozen warning signs that may indicate a customer is in the country illegally.
The White House has pursued additional financial restrictions as well. Last November, the Treasury Department announced plans to reclassify certain refundable tax credits as “federal public benefits,” a move that would bar some immigrant taxpayers from receiving those credits — even if they file and pay taxes and would otherwise be eligible.
Tax policy experts noted that recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals — commonly known as DACA — as well as immigrants holding Temporary Protected Status, would likely be impacted by that planned change.
There is currently limited data available on how many undocumented individuals hold bank accounts or carry loans through U.S. financial institutions.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Monday that he has put forward Lindsey Graham’s sister to temporarily fill the South Carolina Senate seat left vacant by the late senator’s passing.
Trump made the recommendation public through a post on Truth Social, addressing it directly to Governor Henry McMaster. “I recommended, to Governor Henry McMaster, Lindsey Graham’s wonderful sister, Darline, to serve as interim Senator from the Great State of South Carolina. This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly!” the president wrote.
DAKAR — Domingos Simoes Pereira, a prominent opposition figure and former Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau, was returned to prison last Friday after the West African nation’s military court ordered his re-incarceration, according to statements from his family to Reuters.
The junta that took control of Guinea-Bissau through a coup last year had previously released Pereira — who leads the revolutionary PAIGC party — back in February. That release was seen as an effort to ease tensions with ECOWAS, the West African regional bloc.
Following his release, Pereira had remained under house arrest while facing suspicion of economic crimes.
In a written statement sent to Reuters via email, Pereira’s family said military authorities are now accusing him of having a role in an alleged coup attempt that occurred in October 2025. The family firmly pushed back against those accusations, stating that Pereira had not been “engaged in violent or unconstitutional acts.”
Pereira was first detained on November 26, when a group of army officers seized control of the government just before presidential election results were set to be announced.
His family reported that no court date has been scheduled and expressed serious worry about his physical wellbeing and personal safety while in custody.
When asked about the situation, a government spokesperson directed all questions regarding Pereira’s case to the military court, which was not available for comment.
Following the coup, Guinea-Bissau’s electoral commission announced it was unable to finish counting last year’s election results. A new election has since been scheduled for December 6.
(AP) — A parasitic infection tied to fresh produce has made scores of people across the United States sick, triggering one of the country’s largest cyclospora outbreaks in recent memory. Health experts say the situation is serious but manageable — and there are practical steps you can take to protect yourself.
Investigators have not yet pinpointed the exact food source behind the current outbreak. Tracing cyclospora can be especially difficult because the contamination sometimes comes from a single ingredient — such as basil or cilantro — that shows up in many different recipes.
More than 1,500 people in Michigan have been diagnosed with the infection, and health officials are looking into similar illnesses across 30 other states. It marks the largest cyclospora outbreak in Michigan’s history and one of the biggest nationwide in years. No deaths have been reported.
The good news: cyclospora infections can generally be treated with antibiotics and rarely lead to serious health complications.
What is cyclospora?
Cyclospora is a tiny, round parasite that attacks the intestines and spreads through feces. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it typically causes watery diarrhea “with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements.” Outbreaks most commonly occur during late spring and summer.
In past outbreaks, people were infected after eating fruits or vegetables that had been exposed to irrigation water contaminated with feces. The situation is further complicated when food distributors send the same tainted products to both grocery stores and restaurants, making it hard to trace the original source.
Food safety tips to reduce your risk
Dr. Erika Noel, an assistant professor at Hawaii’s medical school and a pediatrician on the island of Kauai, says the outbreak is a good reminder to stick to basic hygiene habits. That means washing hands thoroughly with soap and water after using the bathroom and before handling any food. She notes that alcohol-based hand sanitizers are not effective against cyclospora — soap and water are the way to go.
Previous outbreaks have been connected to raspberries, basil, cilantro, snow peas, and salad mixes.
When it comes to washing produce, Noel offers these specific suggestions: separate the leaves of herbs like cilantro and basil before rinsing; for green onions, trim the roots, peel away the outer layer, and rub them under running water. Cooking produce to an internal temperature of at least 158 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees Celsius) will kill the parasite.
Research also shows that soaking produce in a vinegar solution can help. While vinegar won’t destroy cyclospora, it can help dislodge it. Noel recommends submerging fruits and vegetables in a bowl of three parts water to one part vinegar and swishing for a few minutes. A salad spinner rinse afterward can remove the vinegar taste.
Rather than buying pre-mixed salad bags, consider purchasing a whole head of lettuce and discarding the outer leaves. For melons, scrub the exterior thoroughly before cutting — the knife can transfer germs from the rind into the flesh. Peel produce whenever possible, and don’t overlook cleaning cutting boards and countertops as well.
Some produce is harder to clean
Vegetables with tight crevices or delicate skin — like broccoli and cauliflower — are more difficult to clean thoroughly. Because berries are especially hard to wash, Noel suggests cooking them in pies or turning them into jam rather than eating them raw. Root vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, and radishes, which grow underground and collect heavy dirt, also require extra attention.
Even produce labeled as “pre-washed” should be washed again using a water and vinegar solution before eating.
‘We don’t need to panic’
Noel is clear that she does not want people to stop eating fruits and vegetables out of fear. The health benefits of fresh produce far outweigh the risks posed by this outbreak.
“We don’t need to panic,” she said.
Her advice: stay informed, keep up with good hygiene practices, and enjoy summer’s produce with a little extra care.
Newark, Delaware — A police K-9 named Vudu played a key role in tracking down a suspect who was hiding inside a home during an active burglary investigation late Saturday night.
Just before 11 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, 2026, officers were dispatched to Saratoga Court in the Valley Wood community following a report of a burglary in progress. The homeowner had discovered a door to the basement standing open and spotted an unidentified person inside the residence.
Multiple officers arrived at the scene quickly and began searching the property. K-9 Vudu was deployed to assist in locating the suspect, who was hiding within the home.
The passing of Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham has left South Carolina with only one sitting senator, trimmed the Republican Party’s working majority in the U.S. Senate, and set in motion two separate political processes: the appointment of a temporary replacement and the selection of a new GOP candidate for the November election.
Graham, who was 71 years old, died on Saturday after returning from a trip to Ukraine. A preliminary finding from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Washington determined that he suffered an aortic dissection — a tear in the wall of the body’s main artery — linked to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. That finding is still considered preliminary while additional testing is completed.
The day before he died, Graham had met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv to discuss Ukraine’s air-defense needs and potential sanctions against Russia. His death removes one of Washington’s most vocal Republican advocates for both Ukraine and Israel, and leaves unfinished a sanctions bill targeting Moscow that he had been developing alongside Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal.
Graham had been on the ballot for reelection on November 3. His current six-year term was set to end on January 3, 2027, and he had already secured the Republican nomination for a fifth term after winning South Carolina’s June 9 primary. He had been scheduled to face Democratic nominee Dr. Annie Andrews in the fall.
South Carolina now faces two distinct decisions: who will serve out the remaining months of Graham’s current term, and who will replace him on the Republican ballot for the next six-year term.
Who Names Graham’s Temporary Replacement?
Under the 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, states may allow their governors to make temporary Senate appointments when a seat becomes vacant due to death, resignation, or expulsion. Not all states use this system — some do not permit standard gubernatorial appointments at all.
South Carolina does give its governor that authority. Republican Gov. Henry McMaster is therefore expected to name someone to fill the seat through January 3, 2027. That appointee may choose to run for the full term, but simply being appointed does not hand them the Republican nomination.
As of Monday morning, no announcement had been made. McMaster could choose someone who plans to compete in the upcoming primary — giving that person both incumbency status and immediate Senate access — or he could pick a caretaker who agrees not to seek the seat long-term.
South Carolina Republicans are expected to hold a special primary on August 11. Candidate filing is set to open July 21, and if no candidate receives a majority, a runoff would follow on August 25. The winner would then face Andrews and any other qualifying candidates in November.
South Carolina has become a reliably Republican state, meaning the eventual GOP nominee would enter the general election as the frontrunner. However, Graham’s death introduces more uncertainty than would exist with an established incumbent on the ballot.
The tight timeline could also create logistical headaches. Federal law generally requires states to send ballots to military and overseas voters at least 45 days before a federal election, leaving officials very little time to prepare ballots following a potential August 25 runoff.
Do All States Handle Senate Vacancies the Same Way?
No. The rules governing Senate vacancies vary widely from state to state.
The 17th Amendment leaves it to each state legislature to decide whether its governor can make a temporary appointment. In most states, the governor can appoint someone who serves until a special or regularly scheduled election fills the seat. Some states require the appointee to belong to the same party as the senator who left, while others require the governor to choose from a list submitted by that party. A smaller number of states simply leave the seat empty until voters elect a successor.
South Carolina does not appear to have a same-party requirement, though there is virtually no possibility that McMaster — a committed Republican — would appoint a Democrat or independent.
What Happens When a House Member Dies?
House vacancies work differently. The Constitution requires that every vacant House seat be filled through an election. A governor cannot appoint a temporary representative, even if a congressional district goes without a voting member for several months.
Instead, the governor calls a special election under state law. Until the winner is sworn in, the former representative’s office typically continues offering limited constituent services under the oversight of the House clerk.
This difference reflects the original design of the Constitution: senators were once chosen by state legislatures and serve six-year terms, while House members have always been directly elected and serve two-year terms.
Who Is Gov. Henry McMaster?
Henry McMaster, 79, is a traditional Southern conservative and a close ally of President Donald Trump. He previously served as South Carolina’s attorney general and lieutenant governor before becoming governor in 2017, when then-Gov. Nikki Haley joined the Trump administration.
During the 2016 Republican primary, McMaster was among the earliest prominent elected officials to endorse Trump. He has generally aligned with Trump on immigration, taxes, abortion, judicial appointments, and disputes between the federal government and states.
McMaster is not typically associated with the party’s libertarian wing or with anti-establishment conservatives who built careers by challenging Republican leadership from the right. He is better described as a conventional establishment conservative who aligned himself early and firmly with Trump.
The governor is term-limited, and South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson recently won the Republican nomination to succeed him.
McMaster was also a personal ally of Graham and had agreed, along with Sen. Tim Scott, to co-chair his reelection campaign. That relationship could lead him toward appointing someone who broadly shares Graham’s national-security outlook rather than someone who rose to prominence by attacking Graham from the right. That said, this remains an inference — the governor has not publicly stated any criteria for the appointment.
Who Might McMaster Appoint?
As of Monday, McMaster had not announced his pick, and any firm prediction would be premature.
Names being discussed include Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Republican Reps. Russell Fry, Nancy Mace, and Ralph Norman. The vacancy comes just weeks after a competitive Republican gubernatorial primary left several prominent conservatives with statewide campaign organizations and unmet political ambitions.
Mace, who lost that primary, is reportedly weighing a run for the Senate seat. Norman has also been mentioned but would need to consider the impact of leaving his House seat while Republicans hold a narrow majority. Rep. Joe Wilson has indicated he is not interested in either the appointment or the nomination.
Fry represents a safely Republican district and has close ties to Trump’s political network. Evette has already run statewide and would allow McMaster to appoint the first woman to represent South Carolina in the Senate, though her recent primary loss could work against her.
McMaster could opt for a neutral caretaker, allowing primary voters to pick the long-term nominee without any candidate having an incumbency advantage. Alternatively, he could appoint the person he and Trump would prefer to see win in August.
A Republican appointment is considered a near-certainty. Trump has suggested he has a preferred candidate in mind but has not publicly named that person.
Does Graham’s Death Change Who Controls the Senate?
Not by itself.
Before Graham’s death, Republicans held 53 Senate seats. Democrats held 45, and two independents caucused with them. The vacancy drops formal Republican membership to 52, while the Democratic-aligned bloc remains at 47. McMaster’s appointment will likely restore the split to 53-47.
The party’s practical voting margin is narrower, however, because Kentucky Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell is also absent from Washington while recovering from a serious fall and hospitalization. With Graham’s seat empty and McConnell unavailable, Republicans may have only 51 members able to vote against 47 in the Democratic-aligned bloc.
That is still enough to win on party-line votes, but it gives Senate leaders less room for defections. The tighter margin could affect confirmation votes, budget negotiations, defense spending, and efforts to advance the Russia-sanctions legislation Graham had championed.
Partisan control would only change if McMaster did something politically unthinkable and appointed a non-Republican.
What Do We Know About McConnell’s Condition?
McConnell, 84, was hospitalized after falling at his Washington home on June 14 and briefly losing consciousness. His office and physician reported that testing found no concussion, fracture, stroke, or heart attack. Doctors later identified mild pneumonia, which responded to antibiotics.
After several weeks of public silence, McConnell released a statement Sunday along with a photograph of himself with his wife, Elaine Chao. He acknowledged that longstanding mobility issues had contributed to several falls over the past year.
A childhood case of polio left McConnell with a permanent impairment in his left leg. He has experienced multiple falls in recent years, including one in 2023 that resulted in a concussion and a fractured rib.
McConnell has since left the hospital for an inpatient rehabilitation facility, where he is undergoing intensive physical therapy to rebuild strength and lower the risk of another fall. He says he is “regaining” strength but is not yet able to return to Washington or cast votes. No timeline has been given for his return.
He has not been seen publicly since his June hospitalization but says he remains engaged in Senate and Kentucky matters through his staff and conversations with colleagues.
Claims that McConnell is in a coma, brain-dead, or secretly deceased are not supported by any available evidence. Early emergency dispatch reports referencing an unconscious person or a possible cardiac arrest helped fuel speculation, but such reports do not constitute medical diagnoses. No independently released medical record allows the public to verify every detail provided by his office.
McConnell has said he intends to complete his term, which ends January 3, 2027, and had previously announced he would not seek reelection. The available evidence points to serious physical frailty and an uncertain recovery — not any publicly established cognitive incapacity.
Why Can’t McConnell Simply Be Declared Incapacitated?
Congress has no equivalent of the 25th Amendment.
That amendment provides a process for transferring presidential authority when a president is unable to carry out the duties of the office. No comparable constitutional mechanism exists for senators or House members. A physician, governor, party leader, or group of colleagues cannot declare a senator incapacitated and install a replacement.
McConnell’s seat remains legally occupied unless he resigns, dies, or is expelled. His inability to attend votes — even over an extended period — does not by itself create a vacancy.
The Senate can expel a member by a two-thirds vote. In theory, that power could be used against someone permanently unable to serve. In practice, expulsion has historically been used as punishment for serious misconduct or disloyalty, not as a response to illness, and it has never been invoked solely because of incapacity.
The chamber could theoretically try to address an extraordinary case through its constitutional rulemaking and disciplinary authority, but no established procedure, medical standard, or neutral body exists to determine that a senator can no longer serve. Attempting to create such a process for one member would almost certainly trigger major constitutional and partisan battles.
One unusual precedent from the House dates to 1981, when that chamber declared the seat of Maryland Rep. Gladys Noon Spellman vacant after she suffered a heart attack, fell into a coma, and was unable to take the oath of office for a new term. Spellman never regained consciousness and died in 1988, nearly eight years after the heart attack. That episode remains the only time the House has vacated a seat due to a member’s physical or mental inability to serve, and it does not establish a clear procedure for the Senate.
McConnell could choose to resign voluntarily, which would trigger Kentucky’s vacancy law. But neither the governor nor Senate Republican leaders can force him to step aside simply because another senator would be more reliably present for votes.
The constitutional system is well-suited to replacing lawmakers who have died but poorly equipped to handle living members who can no longer carry out their duties. McConnell’s condition may prevent him from returning to regular Senate work, but the information made public so far provides no legal basis for declaring his seat vacant.
Israel has officially confirmed that its national elections will take place on October 27, the date established by law, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition announced Sunday that no changes would be made to the election timetable.
Coalition head Ofir Katz appeared before a parliamentary committee Sunday and stated that the October 27 date would stand. There had been uncertainty surrounding the timing after Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, voted in May to disband — a move that had raised the possibility of an earlier election being called.
Knesset Legal Adviser Sagit Afik clarified that the parliament would formally dissolve on July 17, with citizens casting their ballots on October 27 — the latest date allowed under Israeli law.
Speaking during a Knesset House Committee session, Afik said: “The current Knesset will complete its full term and will not be dissolved [early]. The election date remains as established by law — October 27.”
The confirmation carries significant historical weight. It marks the first time Israel will conduct a national election on its legally scheduled date since 1988. Additionally, Netanyahu’s government is on track to become the first Israeli administration to serve out a complete term since 1973.
Israel’s 37th government came to power on December 29, 2022, following the collapse of the previous government led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid. Netanyahu’s Likud party assembled the governing coalition alongside ultra-Orthodox and far-right political parties.
The October election will determine the composition of the 120-seat Knesset, and current polling points to a closely divided political environment. Surveys suggest Netanyahu and his political allies would fall short of winning a parliamentary majority if the election were held today.
Meanwhile, the Zionist opposition bloc — an anti-Netanyahu alliance that does not include Arab-majority or ultra-Orthodox parties — is polling right at the edge of securing a majority in the Knesset.
It’s not often that division-leading teams find themselves with the top selections in baseball’s amateur draft — but that’s exactly where the Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays landed this past weekend.
Chicago used the first overall pick to select shortstop Roch Cholowsky out of UCLA, while Tampa Bay grabbed shortstop Grady Emerson right behind him at No. 2. Both franchises are currently sitting in first place in their respective divisions.
Unlike other professional sports drafts, baseball holds its draft in the middle of the ongoing season rather than the offseason. That timing means teams that struggled the year before can sometimes rebound dramatically by the time draft day arrives. The White Sox dropped 102 games last season and the Rays lost 85 — yet both clubs have turned things around and are now legitimate contenders while also securing potentially valuable young talent for the future.
A look back at a few clubs that won 90 or more games in the same year they held the top draft pick:
2008 Rays (97-65) That season marked Tampa Bay’s fourth No. 1 selection in a decade, and the Rays haven’t held that spot since. The 2008 campaign ended with a World Series appearance, signaling the start of a much more successful era for the franchise. However, the Rays didn’t fully capitalize on that final top pick — they chose infielder Tim Beckham while Eric Hosmer and Buster Posey were selected later in the top five.
2024 Guardians (92-69) Cleveland won the draft lottery and then went on to claim the AL Central title. Their top selection, Travis Bazzana, has already made his major league debut earlier this season.
1984 Mets (90-72) New York began building toward its mid-1980s dynasty that year, finishing 6.5 games behind first place in the NL East while Dwight Gooden earned Rookie of the Year honors. The Mets would win a World Series two years later, though their 1984 draft pick — outfielder Shawn Abner — never actually suited up for them.
1977 White Sox (90-72) Chicago jumped from 64 wins to 90 that year, though the surge didn’t last long. Still, the White Sox landed a future Hall of Famer in that draft: Harold Baines, who went on to play more than 20 years in the majors and was part of division championship teams in Chicago in both 1983 and 2000.
Cholowsky’s selection made him the first UCLA player to go first overall since Gerrit Cole in 2011. Interestingly, another UCLA product drafted in the first round has accumulated even more career wins above replacement than Cole — that player was Chase Utley, taken 15th overall in 2000, who compiled a 64.6 WAR according to Baseball Reference.
In other baseball news, the New York Mets squandered a big lead against Kansas City on Tuesday night. After Juan Soto’s three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth gave the Mets a 9-4 advantage — and a 94.2% win probability according to Baseball Savant — the Royals rallied with five runs in the fifth inning and seven more in the seventh to claim a stunning 16-12 victory.
The Mets’ rough stretch continued Sunday when they blew a two-run lead in the ninth inning and fell to Boston 3-2 in ten innings. The rival Yankees, meanwhile, swept three straight games in Washington by coming from behind in the eighth inning or later in each contest.
Toronto’s Dylan Cease nearly threw a no-hitter Wednesday, carrying the bid into the ninth inning of a 10-0 win over San Francisco. He finished allowing just one hit over eight-plus innings while striking out 11 batters.
Kansas City’s Tyler Tolbert had a standout performance in that comeback win over the Mets, going 5-for-6 with a home run. In doing so, he tied a major league record by recording hits in 12 consecutive plate appearances.
The speed of the modern baseball fastball just keeps climbing — and those who played the game years ago say they barely recognize what pitching looks like today.
As the league heads into its All-Star break, four-seam fastball velocity is on pace to break the record for the sixth year running. Through Saturday, pitchers were averaging 94.7 mph on their four-seamers, compared to 94.5 mph last season, 93.7 mph in 2021, and just 91.9 mph back in 2008 when Major League Baseball first began tracking pitch speed. The first-half average for 2025 came in at 94.4 mph, meaning the final number could tick even higher.
Boston Red Sox manager Chad Tracy, who last appeared in a big league game 13 years ago, described just how dramatically things have shifted. “You watch a Triple-A game, most everybody that’s coming out of the bullpen left-handed or right-handed is throwing 95-plus,” he said. “Back in the day, it was you’d get a lead and you’d get to the lower part of a bullpen and you’d see some guys coming out throwing 88.”
New York Mets infielder Marcus Semien, a three-time All-Star who broke into the majors in 2013 when four-seamers averaged 92.7 mph, says expectations among hitters have completely shifted. “Definitely expecting anybody you’ve never heard of to throw a 95-plus,” he said. “Before you’d know who the guys were who were throwing 98. Now, you just expect that this new guy is probably throwing 98. So that shows how everybody’s trained.”
To put the change in cultural context: the 2001 Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Proof” by David Auburn described a piece of elegant mathematical work as being like “a 95-mile-an-hour fastball.” That comparison no longer carries the same weight — 95 mph is now considered routine.
Right-handed pitchers are throwing at an average of 95.2 mph in 2026, up from 95.0 mph a year ago. Right-handed relievers are even harder to handle, averaging 95.6 mph. Even at the Triple-A level, the average has risen to 93.6 mph, up from 92.7 mph when tracking began at that level in 2022.
Athletics pitcher Hogan Harris has experienced the velocity revolution firsthand, watching his own four-seam average climb from 92.6 mph as a rookie in 2023 to 95.0 mph this season. He credits improved understanding of how the body works. “People are learning the biomechanics of the body a lot better and it’s easier to figure out why people are throwing hard,” he said. “There’s so many young kids throwing hard now and then you see a lot younger people in the big leagues, so my thought is they see a guy that’s throwing 100 when he’s 22 and, boy, he’s not going to throw 100 when it’s 30, so let’s get in there now.”
Six pitchers currently average 100 mph or more on their four-seamers. Leading the pack are two relievers: the Athletics’ Mason Miller at 101.3 mph and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Edgardo Henriquez at 100.6 mph. Milwaukee starter Jacob Misiorowski, just 24 years old, is averaging 100.5 mph — up from 99.3 mph during his rookie campaign last year — and has thrown a major league-best 670 pitches at or above 100 mph. The Brewers held him out of his scheduled Sunday start due to arm fatigue.
Along with rising speeds, pitchers are also changing what they throw. Four-seamers now make up just 30.4% of all pitches, down from 31.8% last season and 35.8% in 2019. Sinkers have grown from 15.5% to 16.6% of pitches, cutters from 7.5% to 7.8%, and offspeed offerings from 13.6% to 14.3%.
New York Mets interim manager Andy Green, whose last significant playing time came in 2006, said the challenge facing today’s hitters goes beyond just raw speed. “It is exponentially harder to hit and I hit .200 in my career, so that should show you how well I would do in the game today,” he said. “The thing that I think gets me when I watch games is it’s not just one fastball anymore. It’s easy for us that played a couple of decades ago to malign the offensive players for not hitting from a batting average perspective what used to be hit, but there’s so much to contend with, so much information, so much awareness of what hitter handles what fastball shape. The game’s gotten harder, there’s no doubt about it.”
Despite the challenges, big league batters are hitting a collective .244 this season, just a hair below last year’s .245 mark and above the .243 average from 2024.
Chicago Cubs star Alex Bregman offered a straightforward take on surviving in today’s pitching environment: “At the end of the day, us as hitters have to find a good pitch to hit and put a good swing on it.”
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan came together Sunday in Egypt’s New Alamein City for high-level discussions centered on growing tensions across the Middle East and the close partnership between their two countries.
According to the Egyptian presidency, the two leaders reviewed the current state of affairs throughout the region and the serious challenges it faces. Both called for ongoing consultation, coordination, and collaborative efforts between Egypt and the UAE going forward.
Sheikh Mohamed flew into El Alamein earlier that day and was personally greeted at the airport by el-Sisi. The Egyptian president welcomed his counterpart as “a dear guest in his second home, Egypt,” according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency. El-Sisi also spoke to the special place the UAE and its leadership hold among Egyptians, characterizing the relationship between the two nations as one built on deep historical roots and a strong strategic partnership.
Sunday’s summit comes after el-Sisi traveled to the UAE back in May, when the two presidents held discussions in Abu Dhabi. During that earlier visit, the two leaders were also spotted together at Yas Mall.
The timing of Sunday’s meeting was significant, as it took place against a backdrop of renewed conflict between the United States and Iran. The two countries exchanged a fresh round of attacks Sunday involving navigation rights in the Strait of Hormuz — this despite a memorandum of understanding that Washington and Tehran had signed in mid-June.
With that flare-up in mind, el-Sisi and Sheikh Mohamed directed much of their conversation toward ways to prevent additional escalation in the region and keep communication between Egypt and the UAE firmly in place.
The Egyptian presidency noted that both leaders underscored the critical importance of close consultation and continued joint action as the Middle East works through its current period of instability.
Dozens of workers at an Ebola treatment facility in northeastern Congo launched a strike Monday, demanding payment for salaries and bonuses they say they have never received.
The work stoppage at Rwampara General Hospital in Ituri province involves a wide range of personnel, including epidemiologists, case investigators, drivers, and gravediggers. All of them say Congolese authorities have failed to compensate them for their work. Striking employees shut down the hospital and blocked the road leading to the entrance.
Some health workers and field staff had actually begun refusing to work as early as last week, blaming government officials for not issuing their pay since the Ebola outbreak was first identified in May.
“We don’t know how it is possible to not have been paid for two months,” said Bahati Claude, a health worker in the Rwampara health zone. “We don’t want to give up the job.”
Congolese authorities officially declared the new Ebola outbreak on May 15, though the World Health Organization noted the disease had already been spreading for weeks before it was formally detected. This particular outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which no approved vaccine or treatment currently exists.
During a visit to Ituri province last week, Congolese Health Minister Roger Kamba acknowledged the payment problems, saying the government is working to verify the list of workers involved in the outbreak response. He noted that some names unconnected to the effort had been added to the payroll, complicating the distribution of funds.
“We must ensure that these payments reach the right people,” Kamba said. “We have faced a few challenges, notably changes to the lists, which have led to complaints from people saying they are not being paid even though they are working. We have the means to sort this out.”
According to Congolese authorities, the outbreak has now produced 1,926 confirmed cases and claimed 702 lives.
In a related development, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced Monday on the social media platform X that a second American citizen — a humanitarian worker in eastern Congo who contracted Ebola — had been transferred to Germany for care. The first U.S. citizen to test positive was a doctor working in Congo during the early weeks of the outbreak.
Last week, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention characterized this outbreak as the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak ever documented on the African continent.
A high-ranking United Nations official publicly accused Hamas on Monday of blocking humanitarian aid deliveries in the Gaza Strip, putting relief workers at risk and making an already dire situation even more dangerous for those trying to help civilians.
Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said he “strongly” condemned what he described as interference by Gaza’s de facto rulers in humanitarian operations.
According to Alakbarov, Hamas’s conduct had “endangered humanitarian personnel, intimidated workers delivering life-saving food assistance and disrupted life-saving humanitarian operations.”
Among the specific incidents cited, armed individuals connected to Hamas reportedly forced their way into a food distribution site and a World Food Programme warehouse located in Jabalia in northern Gaza, where they allegedly assaulted truck drivers carrying critical supplies.
Alakbarov made clear that these were not one-off events. “These incidents are not isolated” and “reflect an increasingly dangerous pattern of intimidation, violence and obstruction, including smuggling attempts, targeting and abusing humanitarian operations,” he stated.
He warned that the ongoing interference is preventing aid from reaching civilians throughout Gaza, who are already enduring severe hardships.
Hamas officials pushed back against the UN’s claims. Meanwhile, Israeli defense officials have pointed to the reported pattern of obstruction as evidence that the group continues to exploit humanitarian spaces for its own purposes.
A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect in October, ending roughly two years of fighting that began when Hamas launched its attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. However, the agreement’s second phase — which was supposed to include Hamas disarming and Israeli forces gradually pulling back from Gaza — has been stalled for months.
Israeli forces have expanded their foothold in Gaza during that time and now control more than 60% of the territory. Hamas retains control over the remainder. In a notable development last week, Hamas announced it was disbanding the 15-member governing body that had run the Gaza Strip for nearly two decades.
Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped to a two-month low, according to shipping data released Monday, as back-and-forth military strikes between the United States and Iran — along with attacks on vessels — continue to create dangerous conditions in the critical waterway.
Industry sources say a growing number of ships are turning off their public AIS tracking transponders, which makes it nearly impossible to get an accurate count of how many vessels are actually passing through the strait.
Based on the data that is available, oil and gas tanker traffic fell to its lowest point since May 25, according to analysis from Kpler.
Ship broker Gibson issued a stark warning in a recent report: “Should the renewed escalation in the strait lead to another prolonged closure of Hormuz, the world will find itself in a much tougher spot.” The broker added, “With global inventories rapidly depleted in recent months, this is a recipe for much tighter supply, higher prices and significant downside risk for tanker markets.”
Ship-tracking data from LSEG and MarineTraffic showed the Sea Faith oil products tanker was among a handful of vessels visible near the Iranian side of the strait’s entrance Monday, headed toward Sohar. An Iranian-flagged products tanker called the Niki was also tracked moving toward the strait’s entrance from the Iranian side later that day.
President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States would likely take control of the Strait of Hormuz and should be compensated for managing the crucial passage.
The U.S. Navy-led Joint Maritime Information Center stated in a Sunday advisory that commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz “continued at reduced levels,” adding that “traffic patterns continued to reflect operator caution following recent attacks.”
Satellite imagery from July 11 reviewed by Reuters showed at least three pairs of tankers conducting ship-to-ship transfers off the coast of Oman in the Gulf of Oman. These transfers — where oil is moved from one vessel to another — have allowed for faster delivery of oil to ships that don’t need to pass through Hormuz. The practice has been in use since the conflict began on February 28.
One shipping official summed up the situation Monday, saying, “Some ships are slipping in and out.” The source also noted, “This has to be viewed as a managed conflict now similar to the Houthis in the Red Sea” — referring to the Yemeni militia that effectively shut down traffic through the Bab al Mandeb waterway for nearly two years before declaring a ceasefire in 2026.
The U.S. and Iran are offering conflicting accounts of the strait’s status. U.S. forces carried out another round of strikes against Iran on Sunday, hitting dozens of targets across multiple locations using precision munitions, according to Central Command. President Trump said Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz remains open to commercial traffic, while Iran had previously declared the strait closed after a vessel traveled on an unapproved route and was struck.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced Monday that their naval forces stopped two ships in the Strait of Hormuz overnight by disabling their systems, though they did not identify the vessels involved. Additionally, a container ship suffered damage Sunday from an unidentified projectile that sparked a fire in its engine room, according to the Joint Maritime Information Center.
Shipping data from Kpler confirmed that only six vessels crossed the strait on Sunday — the lowest weekly figure in five weeks. Among those that exited were the Very Large Crude Carrier Humanity, carrying 2 million barrels of Iranian oil, and the Capetan Andreas, transporting roughly 500,000 barrels of Kuwaiti oil products. Three empty tankers entered the Gulf to take on oil. The majority of vessels disabled their transponders while making the crossing.
No liquefied natural gas tankers were visible on tracking data entering the strait over the weekend. One tanker controlled by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. was recorded exiting the strait between July 10 and July 12, with the vessel bound for Dahej port in India, according to Kpler data.
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has begun a coordinated push to neutralize what it views as a threat posed by the International Criminal Court to American sovereignty, according to a State Department official who spoke Monday.
The United States has long opposed the ICC’s authority to investigate or prosecute American citizens, especially military members. Both President Donald Trump and former President George W. Bush have historically argued that the court should have no jurisdiction over Americans. A Reuters investigation earlier this year revealed that the Trump administration had supported sanctions against ICC officials, partly as a way to shield Trump and members of his administration from potential accountability for U.S. military operations abroad.
The State Department official, who requested anonymity, said the administration is weighing a broad set of measures against the court. Those options include travel restrictions, visa revocations, expanded sanctions targeting the ICC and organizations connected to it, and diplomatic efforts to convince other countries to leave the court entirely.
The ICC was created in 2002 through an international agreement to prosecute individuals accused of war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity. The court only steps in when a member nation is either unable or unwilling to pursue prosecution on its own. The United States has never joined the court as a member.
Trump’s opposition to the ICC is not new — it dates back to his first term in office. Tensions flared again after his re-election in November 2024, when the ICC issued an indictment against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a close Trump ally. The administration subsequently moved to impose sanctions on ICC judges.
Last month, three ICC judges filed a lawsuit against Trump and his administration, challenging those sanctions as unlawful.
The State Department official confirmed Monday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior U.S. officials are actively pressuring foreign governments as part of a broader strategy “to diplomatically isolate the International Criminal Court and ensure it cannot target Americans.”
In March 2020, ICC prosecutors launched an investigation into events in Afghanistan that included scrutiny of possible crimes committed by U.S. military personnel. However, since 2021, the court has shifted its focus away from American actions and toward alleged crimes by the Afghan government and Taliban forces.
Countries that rely on U.S. law enforcement partnerships, host American military forces, or fall under the U.S. security umbrella are being asked to formally reject the ICC’s claimed authority to prosecute American officials and service members, the official said.
Nations that continue to support the ICC while depending on U.S. assistance could face increased scrutiny, the official warned.
“We will watch with interest which nations join ranks with us against this threat to Americans who are willing to risk their lives to protect others,” the official said.
BRUSSELS — The European Union announced Monday it will provide €120 million — roughly $137 million — to bolster the air defense capabilities of Moldova, a small nation caught between the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and its western neighbor, EU member Romania.
The EU’s governing body confirmed the decision in an official statement: “The Council today adopted an assistance measure worth €120 million under the European Peace Facility in support of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Moldova to enhance the country’s air defence capabilities.”
The move comes amid strained relations between Moldova and Russia, which have deteriorated sharply since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine. Last November, Moldova reported that Russian drones had crossed into its airspace, raising alarm about the country’s vulnerability.
Moldova occupies a unique and delicate position in the region — sandwiched between Ukraine to the east and Romania to the west. The country has a Romanian-speaking majority population alongside a significant Russian-speaking minority. For decades, political leadership there has shifted back and forth between those who favor deeper ties with Europe and those who prefer closer relations with Moscow.
Federal aviation authorities have given SpaceX the green light to move forward with its next Starship rocket test flight, potentially as early as this week.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration announced Monday that it has officially closed its review of a Starship booster failure that took place during a flight test back in May. With that investigation now complete, Elon Musk’s space company is cleared to launch the rocket’s next test from its Texas facility.
The European Union moved on Monday to expand its existing sanctions against Russia, this time targeting those responsible for cybercrime activities and human rights abuses — and the list includes one of Russia’s most widely used social media platforms.
VKontakte, a popular social media app, along with its subsidiary Communication Platform LLC, were added to the EU’s sanctions list. The two companies were cited for their involvement in building and operating an application called MaxApp, which runs on Russian smartphones under the oversight of the FSB, Russia’s federal security agency.
MaxApp comes pre-loaded on every mobile device sold within Russia. EU member nations stated that the application has been used as a tool to suppress critics of Russia’s military campaign against Ukraine, as well as individuals who shared content that Russian authorities have deemed prohibited.
The sanctions also reached three other companies — Citadel, VAS Experts, and Norsi-Trans. These firms are involved in producing, developing, and selling the hardware and software that make up a surveillance system capable of monitoring phone calls, emails, text messages, and social media activity. The EU stated that this surveillance network is used to target journalists, political opposition figures, minority communities, and everyday citizens.
Additionally, the EU imposed sanctions on officers belonging to Russia’s military intelligence agency, known as the GRU, as well as cybercriminals and companies that the EU says are actively working to undermine stability across Europe.
The EU also pointed a finger at the FSB, accusing the agency of directing what it described as “a variety of cyber threat groups.”
Blaney Battles Through Overtime for NASCAR Win in Atlanta
Ryan Blaney claimed a commanding victory at the NASCAR Cup Series race in Atlanta after surviving a dramatic three-wide showdown on the final lap of overtime. Blaney, driving a Team Penske Ford, led from the pole and swept every stage of the race — but still had to hold off hard charges from Bubba Wallace and Christopher Hill, who crossed the line in second, to seal the win. Carson Hocevar and Ty Gibbs finished third and fourth, respectively. Wallace was later penalized for passing below the double yellow lines, dropping him from second all the way to 29th in the final results. The race had been delayed for three hours and nine minutes due to rain and lightning.
World Cup Semifinals Feature Four Champions and a Historic Rivalry
The World Cup semifinals are shaping up to be one of the most compelling in tournament history. France, Spain, England, and Argentina — all former champions and the top four ranked teams in the world — are each just two wins away from claiming the title again. It marks the first time since 1990 that every team remaining in the final four has previously won the World Cup. England and Argentina, two nations with one of soccer’s most intense rivalries, will clash on Wednesday. Before that, Kylian Mbappé’s France faces Lamine Yamal’s Spain in Tuesday’s first semifinal.
Sinner’s Wimbledon Win Shows Expanding Game
Jannik Sinner’s victory over Alexander Zverev at Wimbledon highlighted a new dimension to his already impressive skill set. His co-coach Darren Cahill noted that the win featured “a lot of the stuff he doesn’t normally like doing” — including “sliced backhands, a couple lobs, couple drop shots. Really stepping up when he needed to in the big moments.” The title was Sinner’s fifth Grand Slam, closing the gap slightly on Carlos Alcaraz, who has seven. Coaches say Sinner’s continued evolution mirrors the development paths of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic.
New World Cup Rules Spark Controversy
A series of contentious calls at the World Cup has drawn attention to newly implemented rules and officiating technology. The most recent flashpoint came during Saturday’s quarterfinal between Switzerland and Argentina, when Swiss player Breel Embolo was sent off under a new rule known as the “mistaken identity” law. The call, made from a review room using television replays rather than anything that happened on the field, left many fans confused. It was not the first time teams at this tournament have raised objections to new regulations or technology.
South African World Cup Player Jayden Adams Found Dead
Police in Cape Town, South Africa are investigating the death of soccer player Jayden Adams, who was 25 years old. Adams was found dead at a property in Cape Town on Saturday, just weeks after representing South Africa at the World Cup. No cause of death has been announced. His passing came only two weeks after he helped South Africa reach the knockout round of a World Cup for the first time in the country’s history. Adams appeared in all three of his nation’s group stage matches but did not play in their round of 32 loss to Canada. His father told reporters the family is still awaiting autopsy results.
Sánchez and Cease Named All-Star Game Starters
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sánchez will take the mound for the National League in Tuesday night’s MLB All-Star Game, played at his home ballpark. He’ll face American League starter Dylan Cease of the Toronto Blue Jays. The NL is managed by Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who confirmed Sánchez as his pick. On the AL side, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone initially said pitcher Cam Schlittler would not appear in the game — only to reverse course hours later, saying Schlittler could potentially be available after all.
Flewelling Shines as AL Wins All-Star Futures Game
Tampa Bay Rays prospect Nathan Flewelling hit a two-run home run and was named MVP as the American League defeated the National League 6-1 in the All-Star Futures Game in Philadelphia. The 19-year-old catcher is ranked as the second-best prospect in Tampa Bay’s organization. He and fellow Rays prospect Theo Gillen combined for three RBIs in the win. Phillies minor leaguer Gage Wood started for the National League, giving up one run in one inning. Former Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino managed the NL squad, while Larry Bowa led the AL side. Historically, 86.8 percent of Futures Game participants have gone on to appear in at least one major league game.
Zverev Vows to Challenge Tennis Elite After Wimbledon Final Run
Alexander Zverev says he is tired of being seen as “the third guy” in tennis and believes his run to the Wimbledon final — following his French Open championship — puts him closer than ever to the top of the sport. Despite falling to Jannik Sinner in the final on Centre Court Sunday, Zverev expressed optimism about his future against the game’s best. “I think I’ve been pushing those guys,” he said, adding that this was the first time in his career he genuinely believed he could win Wimbledon.
Royal Birkdale Presents New Challenges for British Open
Players arriving at Royal Birkdale ahead of the British Open are finding a course that looks and plays quite differently from the last time the venue hosted the tournament in 2017. Golfer Peter Uihlein was among those getting in practice Sunday and was caught off guard by a brand-new 241-yard 15th hole. Other changes include shifted fairways and a redesigned fifth hole. Beyond the layout adjustments, the hot and dry conditions have left the links turf yellowed and parched — a factor that could significantly shape how the final major of the year unfolds.
A group of state and federal judges are hitting the road, traveling through three states to bring an important message directly to the public.
The judges are visiting courthouses and schools along the way, using the tour as an opportunity to speak with everyday Americans about the significance of the rule of law and how it shapes life in the United States.
CAIRO (AP) — Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen are reporting that Saudi airstrikes struck Sanaa International Airport on Monday. The internationally recognized Yemeni government confirmed the strikes, saying they were carried out to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing at the facility.
The conflict between the two sides has been ongoing for years. A Saudi-led coalition operating out of Yemen’s southern region, which includes the internationally recognized government, has been engaged in a prolonged fight against the Houthis, who control much of the country’s north.
Saudi Arabia did not immediately confirm that it had conducted any airstrikes in Yemen, and government officials there did not respond to requests for comment.
Gen. Taher al-Aqili, the defense minister for Yemen’s internationally recognized government, posted on X that the airport’s runway was targeted specifically to stop a plane carrying a Houthi delegation that had been in Iran attending the funeral of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Before the strikes were carried out, al-Aqili released a video warning against allowing Iranian aircraft to enter Yemeni airspace. “At this moment, we say that our patience has run out. Accordingly, we will respond appropriately to this treacherous and brutal act, and we will confront and deal with the hostile aircraft violating Yemeni airspace and sovereignty by all available means,” he stated.
According to the Houthis, the plane altered its flight path and touched down instead at Hodeida Airport. No immediate reports of damage at Sanaa International Airport were available.
Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree posted on Telegram that Saudi Arabia’s actions marked what he described as an “end to the de-escalation phase.” He added that “this aggression will not go unanswered or unpunished.”
Yemen’s defense ministry ordered the evacuation of the airport and surrounding areas following the strikes.
Rashad al-Alimi, the head of Yemen’s ruling Presidential Leadership Council, said Iran had requested to operate a flight through Iranian airline Mahan Air, traveling from Tehran to Sanaa, to bring the Houthi delegation back home.
LONDON (AP) — Authorities in the United Kingdom announced Monday that the death of former British politician Ann Widdecombe is now being treated as a terrorist act.
A 28-year-old man who had been held on suspicion of murder was rearrested Monday on suspicion of committing, preparing, or instigating acts of terrorism, according to Counter Terrorism Policing South East.
Initially, Devon and Cornwall Police stated they did not believe the killing was connected to terrorism and saw no indication that it was politically motivated.
However, the head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, Laurence Taylor, explained the shift: “We now have new information and evidence that means Counter Terrorism Policing is now leading the investigation. We are pursuing multiple lines of inquiry to establish the motivation for this attack.”
Widdecombe, 78 years old and a former member of Parliament, was discovered dead last week at her secluded rural home in a village in southwest England. Authorities have not revealed a cause of death, stating only that she had suffered “serious injuries.”
Her death sent shockwaves through British political circles, where Widdecombe had been a prominent and outspoken figure for many years, widely recognized for her strong personality and socially conservative positions on issues including abortion and LGBTQ+ rights.
The suspect has not been publicly identified because no formal charges have been filed. He was taken into custody on Saturday in South Yorkshire county in northern England, a location more than 200 miles — approximately 320 kilometers — from the village of Haytor, situated on the edge of Dartmoor National Park, where Widdecombe’s body was found on Thursday.
Investigators believe Widdecombe was attacked at approximately 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Concern grew when she failed to show up for a scheduled television interview that same afternoon.
Widdecombe served as a lawmaker in the House of Commons from 1987 to 2010, holding positions that included prisons minister under Prime Minister John Major’s Conservative government in the 1990s.
After leaving Parliament, she became a familiar face on British reality television, appearing on programs including “Strictly Come Dancing” and “Celebrity Big Brother.”
She later aligned herself with the Brexit Party, briefly serving as a member of the European Parliament before the United Kingdom formally exited the European Union in 2020. More recently, she had become associated with the anti-immigration Reform UK party, frequently appearing in media as a spokesperson.
Those who knew her personally described a contrast between her forceful political rhetoric and her warmth and humor in private life.
One hundred thirty-five days into the Iran War, hopes for a diplomatic end to the conflict appear to be fading fast. President Donald Trump declared Monday that “we’re taking over the Strait of Hormuz,” just one day after boasting that “we bombed the hell out of them.” Iran, meanwhile, made its own claim to control of the once-freely navigable waterway, following retaliatory strikes it launched against Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and Oman.
The standoff over the strait intensified after Iran attacked a container ship there on Sunday. The Strait of Hormuz is a vital passage for international oil and gas shipments, and Iran has asserted authority over it since the United States and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28.
Mohammed Mokhber, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, made Tehran’s position clear in a post on X. “We defend it so that in the future, for the passage of our ships, we are not forced to pay tribute to the enemy!” he wrote. “Retreating from this vital matter has no place in the mind of any friend of Iran.”
Trump shared the U.S. stance during an appearance Monday on Fox News Channel’s “Fox and Friends.” He also revealed that an 11-hour meeting on Sunday had appeared to yield progress — “everything was agreed to” — but that Iranian negotiators later called back saying “they had to make a couple of changes.” Trump did not provide further details.
Back in Washington, Congress is resuming work following its summer break, but the Senate is doing so under the shadow of the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham. Graham died Saturday after suffering a tear in his aorta, leaving Republicans with only 51 Senate members. The situation is further complicated by the fact that Mitch McConnell is still recovering from his own health issues, and South Carolina’s governor must now appoint someone to fill Graham’s seat on an interim basis.
Graham’s passing adds more uncertainty to Trump’s already difficult congressional agenda. It also removes a significant voice of support for Ukraine. Graham had been a strong advocate for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, consistently pushing Trump to take a harder line against Russian President Vladimir Putin. Officials in Kyiv are now grappling with the loss of one of their most prominent American allies.
WASHINGTON — President Trump announced Monday that the United States plans to take over control of the Strait of Hormuz and expects to be paid by other nations for doing so.
Speaking during a phone interview on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” program, Trump laid out his vision for American control of the strategically important waterway. “We’re going to keep the strait, and we’ll probably run it. We’ll become the guardian of the strait. Maybe we’ll call it the guardian angel of the strait. And we should be reimbursed for that,” he said.
The Strait of Hormuz serves as a critical passage for global oil supplies, and control over it has emerged as a central flashpoint in the ongoing conflict. Iran’s effective blockade of the strait has sent energy prices climbing and raised alarm about inflation worldwide.
Trump made clear he expects financial compensation for the U.S. role. “We’re going to guard it. We’re going to get paid for guarding it — a lot of money,” he said, adding, “We’re going to be reimbursed, because the other nations are very wealthy. They’re on our side, and we can’t be expected to do that for nothing.”
The president also expressed frustration over what he described as a broken agreement. “We had a deal. It was a done deal, and then they broke it. They always break it. We’ve had 10 deals with these people, and so we’re just going to hit them very hard,” Trump said.
Iran announced the waterway’s closure on Saturday, citing what it called an unauthorized transit. On Sunday, Tehran said the suspension of passage would remain in place until “stability and calm” were restored, with permits to be issued at that point.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards issued a statement Monday warning that the only path to restoring normal shipping through the strait was for the U.S. to end its military involvement in the waterway. The statement cautioned that “continued interference could lead to greater incidents in the global oil and gas sector.”
Over the weekend and into Monday, U.S. and Iranian forces traded heavy missile and drone strikes. Tehran claimed it had targeted U.S. military installations throughout the Gulf region while keeping the strait shut, a move that pushed oil prices even higher.
The recent escalation represents a significant intensification in both the frequency and geographic scope of attacks over the past week. It has cast serious doubt on an interim agreement reached last month between the U.S. and Iran, which had aimed to reopen the strait and pause hostilities while both sides pursued an additional 60 days of negotiations.
Drivers heading northbound on Route 1 are facing a brief slowdown after a disabled vehicle forced the closure of the left lane just north of the toll plaza.
The lane blockage is causing travel delays estimated between five and ten minutes for motorists passing through the area.
Drivers are encouraged to use caution and allow extra time when traveling through that stretch of Route 1 until the situation is cleared.
SRN News brings listeners a daily feature called “Global Landscape” — a compact, two-minute audio segment designed to keep audiences informed on the most important religion-focused news stories happening across the globe.
The feature offers a timely overview of significant events, cultural developments, and major moments where faith and international affairs come together. Each edition is crafted to give listeners a clear and concise snapshot of how religion continues to shape the world around us.
For more information and to access the full audio segment, visit SRN News online.
Eastbound travelers on Shawnee Road (Route 36) are facing a shoulder closure between Old Shawnee Road and DuPont Boulevard, also known as Route 113.
The closure is the result of active construction work in the area and is expected to remain in effect until 6 p.m.
Drivers are encouraged to allow extra travel time and remain alert when passing through the construction zone. Authorities ask that motorists slow down and stay aware of workers and equipment that may be present near the roadway.
Legal experts are predicting that transgender-related cases will return to the U.S. Supreme Court. The justices recently ruled in favor of state laws prohibiting boys from competing on girls’ sports teams, but the decision was deliberately narrow. The court made clear it was addressing athletics specifically and was not weighing in on broader transgender questions. The justices also sidestepped the question of what constitutional standard should apply when transgender individuals allege discrimination. Experts say future challenges — such as laws restricting males from female bathrooms — will likely force the high court to revisit the issue.
A newly released AP-NORC poll shows that a significant number of Jewish Americans are feeling unsafe in the United States. A majority of those surveyed say they feel less secure now than they did before Hamas carried out its October 7th, 2023, attack on Israel. The poll highlights growing anxiety among Jewish adults as bipartisan backing for Israel weakens and disagreements arise within the Jewish community over what qualifies as anti-Semitism. Roughly three in ten respondents reported that they or someone in their household experienced a physical attack, verbal assault, online harassment, or property damage in the past year because of their Jewish identity.
The advocacy organization International Christian Concern is raising alarms about Christians living in Syria. The Muslim insurgent group that forced dictator Bashar Assad out of power is continuing to tighten its control over the country. ICC released a statement warning: “Concerns about religious restrictions have increased as the government has introduced policies influenced by conservative Islamic norms. Many Syrian Christians view these measures as warning signs of a broader shift toward religious conservatism and fear that increased identification of Christian communities with Western or religious minorities could make them targets for extremists.”
A political scientist at Colby University named Nicholas Jacobs has been analyzing why the Democratic Party struggled in the 2024 elections, and his conclusion is that party leadership has lost touch with ordinary voters. Jacobs argues that on social issues in particular, “A pattern persists: Working-class voters did not move right in reactionary revolt. Democrats moved to the left.” He points to polling data showing that former Democratic voters have shifted to the Republican Party over issues including abortion, the LGBT agenda, religious freedom, family values, and immigration. Jacobs notes that Democratic leadership has yet to show signs of recognizing this shift.
For the third year in a row, Muhammad has claimed the top spot as the most popular name chosen for baby boys in England and Wales, according to 2025 data.
The name’s continued dominance on the charts is viewed as a small but telling sign of how significantly the Muslim immigrant community has grown in the United Kingdom — and how deeply those families remain connected to their religious identity.
The trend also points to a broader demographic shift, offering a glimpse into which communities are currently seeing the highest birth rates across the country.
At the same time, Christianity in the UK continues its long-running decline, making the rise of faith-driven naming traditions among Muslim families all the more notable by comparison.
A push to add abortion rights to Delaware’s state constitution has hit a major roadblock. The state legislature wrapped up its session and went into recess without ever bringing the proposed amendment to a vote, leaving supporters empty-handed for now.
The setback does not permanently kill the effort, but it does mean those backing the measure will have to wait until the next legislative session before they can try again.
Adding anything to Delaware’s constitution is no simple task. Any proposed amendment must be approved by a super-majority of the legislature — and that has to happen in two consecutive general election cycles. Because lawmakers adjourned without acting on this measure, the process is back at square one.
A left lane closure is currently in effect on Laurel Drive, also known as Route 24, between Substation Road and Curley Drive.
According to DelDOT, the lane restriction is scheduled to remain in place until 2 p.m. Drivers traveling through that stretch of roadway should expect some slowdowns and consider alternate routes if possible.
No additional details about the cause of the closure were provided. TV Delmarva will update this story if more information becomes available.
What started with rows of lavender growing in open fields has grown into something much bigger for Sweet Haven. The farm’s story is one of hard work, dedication, and a passion for turning a simple crop into products that customers keep coming back for.
Sweet Haven’s journey from the field to the marketplace is being highlighted in a new video profile, which traces the farm’s path from its early days cultivating lavender to developing a line of products that have become bestsellers.
The story of Sweet Haven serves as an example of how small-scale agriculture can evolve into a successful business venture, with lavender at the heart of everything they do.
A national survey conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute posed a thought-provoking question to Americans: Has God given the United States a unique role in human history?
When looking at the general public, the results were closely divided — 44% responded that yes, God has granted this country a special responsibility in the world, while a majority, 52%, said no.
The survey also took a closer look at how people of faith answered the question. Among religious groups, only White Evangelicals, Hispanic Protestants, and Black Protestants expressed belief in the idea that the U.S. holds a God-given special role on the world stage.
Perhaps most striking is how much attitudes have shifted over time. Back in 2012, every faith group surveyed agreed that the United States carried that special divine responsibility — a consensus that has clearly eroded in the years since.
LONDON — The British government revealed Monday that a proxy group operating under Iran’s direction was responsible for a string of arson and vandalism attacks targeting Jewish locations across the United Kingdom.
Officials announced they are outlawing the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right, also known as IMCR or Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, in response to the attacks. The government is also moving to ban Iran’s powerful paramilitary force, the Revolutionary Guard, citing it as a threat to national security.
Once Parliament passes the supporting legislation — which the government expects to happen by the end of this week — anyone who carries out sabotage on behalf of these organizations could face a sentence of up to life in prison.
Security Minister Angela Eagle stated that the IMCR has claimed credit for seven attacks on British soil. The group posted online taking responsibility for multiple arson incidents at Jewish sites in London over recent months, including fires set at synagogues and Jewish charity ambulances, as well as an attack on a Persian-language media outlet that had been critical of Iran’s government. No injuries were reported in any of the fires.
“Sitting behind IMCR were members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Qods Force, who almost certainly directed IMCR attacks across Europe,” Eagle said. The Quds, or Jerusalem, Force serves as the Guard’s overseas operations unit.
The IMCR emerged online earlier this year and has also taken credit for attacks on synagogues in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Law enforcement officials and intelligence analysts have noted that Iran-backed proxy groups are increasingly responsible for attacks throughout Europe, with most incidents aimed at Jewish communities and Persian-language media outlets that oppose Iran’s Islamic government. These groups typically recruit members of criminal organizations to execute acts of sabotage and other hostile activities.
Also announced Monday, British authorities said they are designating the GRU Volunteer Corps — a group under the control of Russia’s military intelligence agency — as a national security threat. According to officials, the group conducts foreign intelligence gathering and covert hostile operations on behalf of Russian military intelligence.
The new measures are intended to make it easier for police and intelligence services to go after what authorities are calling “thugs for hire” — individuals who carry out work for these proxy organizations.
“We have already taken tough action against the Iranian regime and those linked to it, and against Russian operatives and networks targeting our country. These new powers will make it easier to prosecute and lock up anyone carrying out their dirty work here in Britain,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement.
The bans are being implemented under a new UK law that took effect last week, which gives the government expanded authority to act against proxy organizations conducting hostile activities on behalf of foreign states.
Earlier this month, two Romanian men were sentenced to prison for stabbing a journalist from a Persian-language television station — an attack the presiding judge said was carried out on behalf of the Iranian state.
Iran had not issued any comment in response to the announcements as of Monday.
The European Union designated the Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization back in January, following Iran’s violent crackdown on domestic protests.
A South Korean court handed down a two-year prison sentence Monday to ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol, finding him guilty of unlawfully receiving doctored opinion polls at no cost from a political broker — polls that may have helped him secure his party’s nomination ahead of the 2022 presidential race — in exchange for political favors.
This conviction is just one of seven separate trials now facing the former conservative leader, who was removed from power after a short-lived declaration of martial law in December 2024 set off what has been described as South Korea’s most severe political crisis in decades.
Just last week, South Korea’s Supreme Court upheld a seven-year prison sentence against Yoon — the first of his cases to reach the nation’s highest court since his removal from the presidency.
Yoon has challenged several of his convictions in court, including a life sentence handed down in February tied to the most serious rebellion charge stemming from his failed attempt to seize power. His legal team announced Monday they would fight the latest ruling as well, stating it was not supported by adequate evidence.
The Seoul Central District Court determined that Yoon broke the country’s political funding laws. Political broker Myung Tae-kyun received a sentence of one and a half years on the same charge.
Myung was alleged to have carried out 14 opinion polls on Yoon’s behalf between June and October of 2021, using falsified data, in what prosecutors say was an effort to boost Yoon’s chances of winning his party’s presidential nomination before his general election victory in March 2022.
The broker had wanted a former lawmaker, Kim Young-sun, to become the conservative People Power Party’s candidate in the 2022 legislative by-election. According to the court, Yoon used his influence within his party to push for that outcome as payment for the manipulated polling data.
Yoon’s unexpected martial law announcement, made late at night on December 3, 2024, lasted only a matter of hours before lawmakers forced its reversal. Members of the legislature physically broke through a perimeter of armed soldiers and police at Seoul’s National Assembly and voted to strike down the measure, compelling Yoon’s Cabinet to rescind it.
The liberal-dominated legislature impeached Yoon later that same month, and the Constitutional Court later formally removed him from office. After a brief release from custody earlier in 2025, he was re-arrested in July of last year and has remained detained while facing multiple criminal proceedings.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota may have a reputation for friendliness, but that spirit is nowhere to be found in the state’s Democratic U.S. Senate primary contest.
The two frontrunners — U.S. Rep. Angie Craig and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan — have been at each other’s throats over questions of electability, connections to corporate money, and how aggressively each would challenge President Donald Trump’s administration in Washington. The race has drawn millions of dollars in political advertising and has come to symbolize a much larger fault line running through the Democratic Party.
This increasingly contentious matchup is one of several upcoming contests pitting progressive Democrats against more centrist opponents. August primaries in Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin will serve as another barometer of how fed up Democratic voters are with the party establishment. The results across the Upper Midwest could also test whether hard-left candidates can win outside of their traditional strongholds.
Following a string of notable progressive wins earlier this year, Democratic Party leaders are expressing concern that insurgent candidates could hurt the party’s image and jeopardize its chances of winning back either chamber of Congress this fall — or holding onto a governor’s seat in a key battleground state before the 2028 presidential race. Progressive advocates, meanwhile, insist that recent election results validate their approach as the party’s best way forward.
Flanagan, who has earned the backing of progressive Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, held a press conference last week to call out what she described as “secretive dark money groups and special interests” that she claims are operating in the Minnesota race to benefit Craig, a more traditional Democrat who has the support of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and other senior party figures.
“What we are facing right now in our party,” Flanagan told The Associated Press, “is the very folks who are standing in the way of the things that people need to be able to afford their lives, who are Democrats, are funded by these corporate special interests. That is the choice I think that we have, and people are onto it.”
Craig has fired back, pointing out that Flanagan raised campaign money from major corporations while she was chair of the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association. Craig also argues that if Flanagan wins the nomination, Republicans would hammer her over her connection to an active fraud investigation into the state’s Medicaid programs.
“The coalition we’re building is people in Minnesota who understand that in order to stop Donald Trump, we’ve got to win elections,” Craig told the AP. She cautioned that Minnesota is frequently underestimated as “the very definition of a swing state, and we simply can’t take this U.S. Senate seat for granted.”
Craig defended accepting corporate donations, arguing that Democrats cannot unilaterally disarm while Republicans continue drawing heavily from wealthy contributors. She said she supports sweeping campaign finance reform to limit the influence of money in politics — but added a caveat.
“But until we get to that day, it’s naive to think that we’re not going to need resources,” Craig said.
The Minnesota primary, where both Craig and Flanagan are competing for the seat being vacated by Democratic Sen. Tina Smith, is scheduled for Aug. 11. Wisconsin will also hold its primary that same day, one week after Michigan voters pick their nominees on Aug. 4.
In Michigan, Rep. Haley Stevens is squaring off against progressive Abdul El-Sayed for the Democratic Senate nomination in a race the party must win to keep the seat held by retiring Sen. Gary Peters, who has thrown his support behind Stevens. Meanwhile in Wisconsin, democratic socialist state Rep. Francesca Hong has gained significant momentum in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, challenging more conventional candidates including former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes and current Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez.
In each contest, progressive forces are hoping to demonstrate that an economically populist message can resonate with voters beyond the deeply liberal urban areas where they’ve recently found success, such as New York City and Denver. Democratic leaders, however, fear that these insurgent candidates risk throwing away winnable races with messages that many voters may see as too extreme.
Craig also took aim at progressives for what she called reckless gambles with Democrats’ Senate prospects due to weak candidate vetting. She pointed to the recent collapse of Graham Platner’s campaign — Platner had easily captured the Democratic Senate nomination in Maine in June but stepped away from the race last week following a sexual assault allegation, which he denies.
“We just saw one of our best Senate opportunities go down in flames in Maine, potentially, with that same coalition,” Craig said.
“And many of the same people are working on the lieutenant governor’s campaign as Graham Platner’s campaign,” Craig continued. “My coalition is statewide. I’m going everywhere. I’m talking to everyone. I’m working to bring people back to the (Democratic Party).”
In the wake of the Platner fallout, progressives are treating the Upper Midwest Senate races as a critical opportunity to influence the makeup of the Democrats’ Senate caucus and validate their electoral strategy heading into the midterms.
“Abdul El-Sayed was already the most important primary candidate in the nation, and this underscores the importance of that race, both in the primary and the general,” said Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a political action committee supporting both Flanagan and El-Sayed.
The organization sees this year’s Senate contests in Michigan and Maine as crucial tests of whether progressive messaging and organizing can hold up in genuinely competitive races — a key question as the party looks ahead to its 2028 presidential primary.
“Our hope is to not have an outlier but a pattern of shake-up-the-system economic fighters who win tough swing state elections,” Green said.
The Upper Midwest has a long tradition of populism stretching back decades, having produced both progressive and conservative populist figures, according to Steven Schier, a political science professor at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. The region was historically a model for reform-minded policies during the Progressive Era, but it also sent some of the most fiercely conservative Cold War voices to Washington, including Sen. Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin.
“What’s interesting about the Upper Midwest is that you get well-developed and articulated left populism, and well-developed and articulated right populism in competition and combat. It produces some very lively election seasons,” Schier said.
In more recent years, the Great Lakes region has emerged as the nation’s premier political battleground, with state legislatures and presidential outcomes alternating between the two parties over the past decade. Regardless of who ultimately wins, the results of these midterm primaries will send shockwaves through national politics.
“This culture will take broad concerns that populists bring up and trumpet them throughout the electoral system, and that’s true on both the right and the left up here,” Schier said.
A pilot has died after a firefighting aircraft plunged into a reservoir in Colorado, authorities confirmed.
The Gunnison County sheriff’s office reported the aircraft went down Sunday in Silver Jack Reservoir. Divers were called in and successfully recovered the pilot’s body from the water.
Officials believe the pilot was the only person aboard the aircraft at the time of the crash. The plane had been deployed to support ground crews battling the Gold Mountain Fire, a blaze that has been burning for roughly two weeks in southwestern Colorado. The fire has now spread to approximately 57 square miles — or about 148 square kilometers — and was only 13% contained as of early Monday morning.
A request for additional details about the crash was submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration.
This tragedy comes just days after wildland firefighters across Colorado gathered to honor three fellow firefighters who lost their lives after being overtaken by flames near the Colorado-Utah border.
Across the western United States, numerous large wildfires continue to burn. Active fires are spread throughout Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico, with additional blazes burning in eight other states stretching from Alaska to Arizona.
The National Weather Service has warned that prolonged hot and dry conditions expected this week will heighten fire weather concerns across the region.
A new survey from the Pew Research Center reveals that Americans are almost perfectly divided on the question of whether the Ten Commandments — also known as the Decalogue — should be displayed in public school classrooms.
According to the poll, exactly half of Americans, 50%, said they support posting the Commandments in schools, while 48% said they are against it.
The survey also broke down opinions by religious affiliation. White Evangelical Protestants showed the strongest support for the idea, with 83% in favor. Black Protestants came in second at 64%, followed by Catholics at 56%, and White Mainline Protestants at 52%.
Intel has kicked off a massive €5 billion — roughly $5.7 billion — capital investment at its manufacturing campus in Leixlip, just outside Dublin, Ireland. The U.S. chipmaker announced Monday that the funding is designed to expand European production and keep pace with surging worldwide demand for artificial intelligence and high-performance computing technology.
According to Intel, the investment will push its European manufacturing base to maximum capacity by growing current production levels, advancing research and development efforts, and making better use of existing cleanroom space at the Leixlip facility.
Intel is a major player in Ireland’s economy, which has long relied on attracting foreign investment. The company has poured €30 billion into the country since first setting up operations there in 1989. More than half of that total — invested between 2019 and 2023 — went toward doubling the plant’s capacity so it could produce the company’s most cutting-edge chip technologies.
The chipmaker, which has approximately 4,900 employees in Ireland, said the latest round of spending at Leixlip got underway earlier this year. The funds will be used to upgrade existing fabrication facilities and bring in state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment capable of producing Intel Xeon 6 processors, as well as a next-generation Intel Xeon chip built on the company’s Intel 3 manufacturing process.
Naga Chandrasekaran, executive vice president of Intel Foundry, emphasized the broader significance of the investment. “We are not just increasing output of critical products, we are ensuring Ireland remains at the forefront of the world’s most advanced manufacturing ecosystems, while strengthening the region’s role in the global technology landscape,” he said in a prepared statement.
Fintech company Payoneer Global, which trades on the Nasdaq, is set to hire approximately 300 engineers by the close of 2026 as part of its launch of a new global capability centre in India. The move puts Payoneer alongside a growing number of international firms turning to the world’s most populous country to meet their workforce demands.
Major financial technology players such as Mastercard, PayPal, and Revolut have already established India-based centers to drive product development, handle payment processing, and expand their artificial intelligence capabilities. According to industry consultant ANSR, revenue generated by global capability centres in India is projected to grow 12% to $84 billion by 2026.
Payoneer, which operates as a cross-border platform for sending and receiving payments, intends to recruit AI and platform engineers for its new facility in Gurugram, located near Delhi. The site is expected to become the company’s second-largest technology and research and development center in the world, according to Gaurav Gupta, the company’s India site leader, who spoke publicly on Friday.
Gupta explained the reasoning behind the company’s decision to set up operations in India: “India has an amazing talent pool for people who have experience in building financial technologies at a very large-scale (with) deep-tech expertise. So our key reason to come to India is to tap into the talent density.”
Payoneer already maintains an office in Bengaluru focused on sales operations for the local Indian market, employing around 400 people.
Last month, Canadian fintech company Nuvei announced it intends to purchase Payoneer in a deal valued at roughly $2.75 billion, pending regulatory approval. Gupta indicated that the proposed buyout would have no effect on the India global capability centre or its day-to-day business activities in the region.
President Donald Trump’s latest financial disclosures reveal a striking contrast: while he and his two eldest sons were publicly urging investors to put their money into cryptocurrency projects, his own financial managers were quietly shifting a large portion of those earnings into more conservative investments.
According to filings submitted to the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, Trump took in more than $1.4 billion last year from his family’s crypto ventures, including World Liberty Financial and the Trump meme coin.
A Reuters review of his financial holdings over the past two years found that his stock and bond portfolios grew at least fourfold during the same period that crypto revenues were pouring in. By the end of 2025, Trump held between $703 million and $2.6 billion in traditional financial assets — a dramatic jump from the $225 million to $608 million he reported at the close of 2024. The filings use value ranges rather than exact numbers, so a precise breakdown of how the crypto earnings were redistributed could not be determined.
Nine digital asset experts who reviewed the Reuters analysis concluded that Trump’s personal financial behavior suggests he does not view cryptocurrency as a reliable long-term place to store his wealth. Notably, he did not report purchasing shares in two publicly traded crypto companies backed by his sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr.
Timothy Massad, director of the Digital Assets Policy Project at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University — and a former chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission under President Barack Obama — offered a pointed assessment. “Although the President talks about digital assets as the frontier of finance and making the United States the crypto capital of the world, the disclosure form suggests his personal strategy is to make a quick buck from crypto — through the sale of his meme coin and World Liberty tokens — but then invest his profits in traditional assets like stocks and bonds,” Massad said.
A Reuters report published last month found that retail investors who put money into the four main Trump-endorsed crypto projects had collectively lost $2.3 billion as of April.
Trump’s filings do show he still holds a substantial amount of digital tokens. As of the end of last year, he held 15.75 billion World Liberty crypto governance tokens valued at more than $50 million — tokens he received in exchange for his role in the company. As a co-founder, he faces a longer waiting period before he can sell those holdings compared to the general public.
The companies managing Trump’s stakes in World Liberty Financial and the Trump meme coin project held at least $160 million in bitcoin and ether — the two most widely used cryptocurrencies — along with up to $6 million in other tokens at the end of 2025. That represents a significant increase from the $1 million to $5 million in ether he reported holding at the end of 2024.
A spokesperson for the family business said in a statement that the president’s financial disclosure “demonstrates that The Trump Organization continues to maintain a strong financial position, supported by world class, valuable assets, substantial liquidity and a conservative balance sheet.” The spokesperson did not address why crypto proceeds were being moved into traditional financial instruments.
The White House told Reuters that the president’s assets are held in “fully discretionary accounts managed by independent third-party financial institutions.”
A World Liberty spokesman, David Wachsman, stated: “World Liberty has been built for the long-term and we strongly believe the future of financial services will be architected with digital asset technology.”
Trump’s children oversee the trust that holds the president’s assets and have been among the loudest champions of his crypto projects. Since November 2024, Eric Trump — who heads the Trump Organization — has repeatedly told media outlets and conference audiences that bitcoin is “the greatest asset” of the modern era and predicted it would eventually reach $1 million in value, compared to roughly $64,000 at current prices. Eric Trump also said last year that his father “believed in digital assets in a big way.”
Neither Eric Trump nor Donald Trump Jr. responded to requests for comment regarding the president’s investment decisions.
LONDON — The United Kingdom’s government announced Monday it is using new state-threat powers to crack down on Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and a second Iran-linked organization, following a wave of antisemitic incidents carried out on British streets.
The newly applied powers would essentially make it illegal to support either group while also expanding the authority of police and intelligence services to address any threats connected to them.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer addressed the move directly, stating: “These new powers will make it easier to prosecute and lock up anyone carrying out their dirty work here in Britain.”
The IRGC has long operated as an elite military branch loyal to Iran’s Supreme Leader, having been founded in the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The organization is already subject to British sanctions.
The second group named, the Islamic Movement of Companions of the Right, has claimed responsibility for seven separate attacks targeting Jewish and Israeli communities as well as Persian-language media outlets. Among those incidents was an antisemitic arson attack on March 23 that destroyed four Hatzola ambulances in the Golders Green area.
In addition to the two Iranian-linked organizations, Britain also applied the new powers to Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency.
All of the designations are subject to parliamentary approval before they can officially go into force.
A lane shift is currently in effect for southbound Route 896 drivers approaching the ramp from Interstate 95 northbound to Ramp D.
The temporary traffic configuration is the result of construction work in the area and is expected to remain in place until 5:00 p.m.
Drivers traveling through the area are encouraged to slow down, stay alert for changed traffic patterns, and plan for possible delays during the construction period.
Motorists traveling through Wilmington should plan for delays on Baynard Boulevard, where construction crews have prompted intermittent lane closures between North Broom Street and Concord Avenue (Route 202).
The lane restrictions are expected to remain in effect until 5:00 PM. Drivers are encouraged to allow extra travel time or consider alternate routes to avoid potential slowdowns in the area.
Westbound travelers on Harrington Highway, also known as Route 14, in Milford are encountering a lane shift between Canterbury Road and Church Hill Road due to active construction work in the area.
The lane shift is expected to remain in place until 5 PM. Drivers are encouraged to slow down, stay alert, and follow all posted traffic control signs as they move through the construction zone.
No additional details about the nature of the construction project were provided. Motorists looking for alternate routes may want to plan ahead to avoid potential delays.
Emotions ran high this past weekend in Houston, where community members came together to remember Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a man who was fatally shot by agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The gathering drew a crowd that displayed a powerful mix of grief and anger as attendees paid their respects to Salgado Araujo and called attention to the circumstances surrounding his death.
Road crews are on the scene along Swinnen Drive today, carrying out curb cleaning operations that are scheduled to continue until 5:30 p.m.
Motorists traveling through the area are advised to use caution and allow extra time, as the work may affect normal traffic flow until crews have finished for the day.
Northbound travelers on Edgemoor Road are facing a lane restriction this afternoon as construction crews work in the area.
The right lane on Edgemoor Road northbound is closed between Philly Pike and Governor Printz Boulevard. The closure is expected to remain in effect until 5 PM.
Drivers in the area should allow extra travel time or consider using an alternate route to avoid delays.
Motorists traveling southbound on Interstate 95 are facing a right shoulder closure between Exit 1A and the toll plaza, according to traffic officials.
The lane restriction is the result of ongoing construction activity in the area. Drivers are advised to use caution and be prepared for possible slowdowns as they approach the affected stretch of roadway.
The closure is scheduled to remain in place until 5:00 PM. No further details about the nature of the construction work were provided.
The pesticide industry has been on a winning streak, securing a string of legal and regulatory victories that have drawn sharp criticism from environmental and public health organizations.
The biggest win came on June 25, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in favor of German agrichemical and pharmaceutical company Bayer. The justices determined that plaintiffs cannot sue the company under state law for failing to include a cancer warning on the label of its Roundup weedkiller, whose active ingredient is glyphosate.
Following the ruling, Bayer’s stock surged to its largest single-day gain in 23 years. The company had been facing tens of thousands of lawsuits from Roundup users who claimed the product caused their cancer.
On Thursday, Bayer moved to persuade a federal judge to dissolve a consolidated federal lawsuit that combines nearly 4,000 additional cancer-related claims. The company has previously warned that the financial weight of that litigation could force it to stop making the weedkiller altogether.
Bayer, which purchased U.S.-based Roundup manufacturer Monsanto in 2018, has since reorganized its Roundup operations into a separate business unit and filed for duties on glyphosate imported from China.
The Trump administration backed Bayer’s position in the Supreme Court case — a stance that put it at odds with pesticide opponents aligned with the “Make America Healthy Again” movement led by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who had supported Trump in the 2024 presidential race.
Ken Cook, CEO of the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit that pushes for tighter pesticide regulations, said the administration appears to have concluded that “our constituency is these big farmers and pesticide companies.”
Cook said his organization and others fighting for pesticide limits have long been frustrated with the EPA’s pesticide oversight program. He noted that under former President Joe Biden, “it was at least more cautious,” adding, “There’s a big shift.”
The EPA, however, defended its decisions, saying they often include new application restrictions and that “the impact for farmers and the environment is straightforward. Growers get modern, more precise chemistries that do more with less.”
Bayer called the Supreme Court ruling “good for science, farmers, and industries that depend on regulatory clarity for innovation.”
Dicamba Gets Two-Season Green Light
Another herbicide at the center of controversy, dicamba — made by both Bayer and Syngenta — has also seen a favorable regulatory outcome. The chemical is applied to cotton and soybean crops that have been genetically modified to withstand it.
Critics have long argued that dicamba can drift away from where it is applied, damaging nearby plants and crops. In 2024, a U.S. District Court found that the EPA had previously failed to follow proper public input procedures when approving three dicamba products, and it threw out those approvals. That left farmers unable to use dicamba on their crops in 2025.
Then, in February 2026, the EPA announced it was re-approving dicamba products for the next two growing seasons under stricter rules, including a lower maximum application rate and limits on use during hot weather.
The non-profit Center for Biological Diversity, which opposes dicamba use, responded that those new measures would be ineffective and hard to enforce.
The EPA said in an email that the approval was “deliberately temporary” and featured “the strictest guardrails EPA has ever placed on this herbicide.”
Federal Agency Says Atrazine Not an Extinction Threat
The herbicide atrazine, widely produced by Syngenta and commonly used on crops such as corn and sugarcane, has also received a more favorable regulatory assessment.
In May, as part of an ongoing EPA registration review, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a biological opinion concluding that atrazine does not pose an extinction risk to the threatened or endangered species it examined. “We anticipate that the registration of atrazine is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of these species,” the agency wrote.
That finding marks a significant departure from a 2021 EPA biological evaluation, which determined that atrazine was likely to negatively affect more than 1,000 protected species.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has noted that some scientific studies have suggested a possible connection between atrazine exposure and elevated rates of certain cancers, as well as premature births.
In 2025, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classified atrazine as “probably carcinogenic to humans.”
Nathan Donley, environmental health science director for the Center for Biological Diversity, was sharply critical of the outcome. “Instead of taking the environmental and health risks of atrazine seriously, the Trump administration has once again done the pesticide industry’s bidding, allowing this extraordinarily dangerous pesticide to continue poisoning our land and water for decades to come,” he said in a statement.
The EPA noted that the biological opinion was issued by a separate agency, and said it would factor in any new scientific findings as its own review of atrazine continues.
Syngenta, on a company website dedicated to atrazine, maintains that when the chemical is used as directed, it does not cause harmful effects to human health or the environment.
Northbound travelers on Whiteleysburg Road (Road 59) are facing a temporary right lane shift between Vernon Road and Sugar Stick Road due to ongoing construction activity.
The lane shift closure is expected to remain in effect until 5 PM. Drivers in the area are encouraged to plan accordingly and use caution when passing through the construction zone.
JOHANNESBURG — A 45-year-old British citizen suspected of murdering his wife and two daughters at their home in England has been arrested in Johannesburg after purchasing an illegal firearm, South African police revealed.
Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, a British national of Zimbabwean heritage, appeared before a Johannesburg magistrate’s court on Monday. He was remanded in custody until July 22 so that authorities can determine whether he is in South Africa lawfully.
South African authorities have charged him with illegal possession of a firearm — an offense that can carry up to 15 years in prison for first-time offenders. The court will also weigh whether Tshuma should be extradited to Britain to face murder charges there.
British prosecutors have given police the go-ahead to charge Tshuma with three counts of murder after the bodies of his wife, 42, and his two daughters, aged 15 and 5, were discovered at the family’s residence in Bedfordshire earlier this month.
Tshuma had departed Britain through Heathrow Airport before the victims were found, according to South African police.
South African police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe told reporters that investigators believe Tshuma purchased the weapon shortly after arriving in the country. “According to our investigation, after landing in South Africa on July 5, he then went to one of the townships and he bought this particular unlicensed firearm,” Mathe said. “It is our suspicion that this … firearm was going to be used to end his life.”
Mathe confirmed that South Africa had received a provisional extradition request from Britain, though officials are still awaiting the full formal documentation.
She also noted that Tshuma’s own family members in South Africa assisted police in tracking him down. “His family did not harbour him. … They played a very pivotal role,” Mathe said.
Maxivision Super Specialty Eye Hospitals, an Indian eye-care chain supported by healthcare-focused investment firm Quadria Capital, has brought on ICICI Securities and IIFL Capital to help prepare for a planned initial public offering in 2027, according to two people with knowledge of the situation.
The company, which was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Hyderabad, currently operates more than 90 eye-care facilities spread across six Indian states. It operates in a competitive space alongside other eye-care chains such as Dr. Agarwal’s Health Care, Centre for Sight, and ASG Eye Hospitals.
Demand for eye care in India is being fueled by an aging population, increasing rates of diabetes, and expanding health insurance access. According to data from Grand View Research, the Indian eye-care market is expected to climb from $12.8 billion in 2025 to $31.2 billion by 2033.
Sources say Maxivision is still in the early phases of its IPO preparations. The offering is expected to include a combination of newly issued shares and existing shares being sold by current investors. The final size of the offering has not been set, the sources noted, speaking on condition of anonymity given the private nature of the discussions.
Maxivision did not offer a comment on the matter, and ICICI Securities, IIFL Capital, and Quadria Capital had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.
The move comes as India’s healthcare sector sees a surge in investment and capital markets activity. Reuters previously reported that KKR is in advanced discussions to purchase a controlling stake in the Indian operations of Sweden-based Medicover for at least $1 billion. Additionally, Manipal Health Enterprises earlier this year submitted paperwork for an IPO that could bring in as much as $1.17 billion.
Southeast Asia’s regional alliance, ASEAN, is drawing scrutiny from analysts who warn that renewed engagement with Myanmar’s military-backed government could grant it political legitimacy while producing little to no real progress toward peace.
Foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations gathered in Bangkok on Sunday for an informal meeting with Myanmar’s top diplomat — the first face-to-face encounter of its kind since the military staged a coup in February 2021 and was subsequently banned from the bloc’s high-level summits.
While officials characterized the Bangkok gathering as a chance for Myanmar to update its neighbors on conditions within the country, Richard Horsey, senior Asia adviser at Crisis Group, raised a pointed concern: the meeting could be normalizing political ties before any real progress has been made.
“It would be a mistake for ASEAN to accept Myanmar back into the fold without getting anything meaningful in return,” Horsey said.
The meeting is being seen as a critical test of whether ASEAN will stand behind its own peace blueprint or allow Myanmar’s military-aligned leadership to reclaim regional standing without taking genuine steps to end the conflict — such as freeing political prisoners including Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi or restoring full democratic governance.
Myanmar has been engulfed in turmoil since Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratically elected government was removed from power in the February 2021 coup. The junta’s violent crackdown on nationwide protests ignited an armed resistance movement that has since grown into a full-scale civil war.
In April 2021, ASEAN agreed to a “Five-Point Consensus” calling for a halt to violence, dialogue between all parties, humanitarian aid, and the appointment of a special envoy. However, the military government refused to implement the plan, leading ASEAN to exclude it from top-tier meetings and limit Myanmar’s participation to non-political representatives.
Last week, Myanmar’s military-dominated parliament approved a motion urging the country’s new government to push back against the Five-Point Consensus, labeling it interference in internal affairs, according to the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper.
Opposition groups — including the exile-based National Unity Government and ethnic armed organizations such as the Karen National Union — issued a joint statement Saturday expressing alarm over the foreign ministers’ informal meeting. They called on ASEAN to broaden its engagement to include all major democratic political stakeholders inside the country.
The human toll of the conflict has been devastating. An estimated 100,000 people have lost their lives, more than 3.6 million have been forced from their homes, and the country’s economy has been severely damaged. Aung San Suu Kyi remains under house arrest with her location undisclosed, while numerous senior members of her party and other opponents of the junta have been imprisoned or barred from political life.
Analysts cautioned that ASEAN may be giving away too much leverage by engaging with Myanmar’s leadership in Naypyitaw before meaningful conditions are met.
“The central question is whether the organization will uphold its own agreed framework or permit re-engagement with the military regime without requiring meaningful implementation of the Five-Point Consensus,” said Ye Myo Hein, a senior fellow at the Southeast Asia Peace Institute.
Thailand’s Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow pushed back on suggestions that Sunday’s discussions represented a shift in ASEAN’s stance. “This process of engagement does not mean any change in our basic position as reflected in the Five-Point Consensus, but it does mean achieving towards engagement, listening, and being realistic about what can be achieved,” he said.
The BBC Burmese service reported that Sihasak was planning to hold separate informal meetings with some ethnic armed organizations and the National Unity Government, though no official confirmation of those talks has been provided by officials or the opposition groups themselves.
The signs of warming relations come roughly six months after a phased election organized by the junta — an election that critics and Western governments dismissed as a staged process meant to preserve military control behind a civilian facade. That process concluded in April when a pro-military parliament chose former junta chief Min Aung Hlaing as president, formalizing the grip on power he had held since the coup.
Analysts warned that moving too quickly toward re-engagement would erode ASEAN’s ability to push its peace agenda and hold influence over Myanmar’s government. “Once the regime secures the regional legitimacy it seeks without meeting any meaningful conditions, ASEAN will have far fewer tools to encourage compliance with the Five-Point Consensus or promote a genuine political dialogue,” Ye Myo Hein said.
