News of the World
05-12-2026, 09:40 AM
MIDDLE EAST
Quote:Hong Kong has become a critical financial and logistical lifeline for Iran’s regime — helping move illicit oil, weapons technology and surveillance tools that fuel Tehran’s military machine and domestic repression, according to a bombshell report released Monday.
The 26-page report by the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, titled “Oil, Arms, and Cash: How Hong Kong Fuels the Iranian Regime,” alleges that dozens of Hong Kong-based companies have helped Iran evade Western sanctions while funneling billions of dollars into the hands of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its terror proxies.
“Simply put, without Hong Kong’s help, Iran would not have the money and the missiles that make it so dangerous,” the report states.
“The evidence is consistent and damning,” the report says, citing “Hong Kong’s easy registration of shell companies, its globally connected banking sector, its secretive corporate services infrastructure, and the indifference of its government to Western law enforcement cooperation.”
The report details how Hong Kong-linked firms allegedly facilitated the shipment of Iranian crude oil to China through shadow fleets using deceptive ship-to-ship transfers and falsified cargo documents.
Since 2020, the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has designated at least 95 Hong Kong-incorporated entities for Iran-related sanctions violations, according to an appendix included in the report.
Among the cases cited was Hong Kong-based Petronix Energy Trading Ltd., which US authorities accused in February 2025 of purchasing “hundreds of thousands of metric tons of Iranian crude oil” for shipment to China.
The report also alleges Hong Kong has become a major hub for funneling Western-made electronics and drone components into Iran’s weapons programs.
Quote:Iran executed a promising aerospace engineering student Monday, accusing him of spying for both the CIA and Israel’s Mossad intelligence service.
Erfan Shakourzadeh, 29, was hanged at dawn after being convicted of stealing classified satellite information from the scientific organization where he worked, Iranian state media reported.
The regime had accused Shakourzadeh — a post-grad student at the University of Science and Technology in Tehran — of funneling details on satellite activities to the foreign intelligence services.
Shakourzadeh was arrested in February last year and forced into making a confession, according to the Iran Human Rights Society.
Just prior to his execution, the student apparently wrote a message saying the charges were fabricated, the human rights group said.
Shakourzadeh, who is the fifth person executed by the regime since the war broke out in February, spent nine months in solitary confinement where he suffered “severe physical and psychological torture,” the group added.
At the time of his arrest, Shakourzadeh was an elite, top-ranked student at the Iran University of Science and Technology.
Quote:The US-Israel war on Iran “accomplished a great deal,” but cannot be considered over until the Islamic Republic’s enriched uranium is moved outside its territory, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu argued in an interview broadcast Sunday night.
Netanyahu, in his first American network TV sitdown since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran Feb. 28, declined to say when such an operation would occur or who would be responsible for executing it, telling CBS “60 Minutes” correspondent Major Garrett that “you’re gonna ask me these questions. I’m gonna dodge them.”
“I’m not gonna talk about military means, but the pres– what President Trump has said to me [is] ‘I want to go in there,’ and I think it can be done physically. That’s not the problem,” the 76-year-old said. “If you have an agreement, and you go in, and you take it out, why not? That’s the best way.”
The interview aired hours after Trump publicly rebuked Iran’s response to a 14-point peace framework offered by the US, writing on social media that it was “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.”
Tehran’s proposal made no mention of curbing its atomic ambitions, according to the official IRNA news agency, instead focusing on fully reopening the vital Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping before moving on to other contentious topics.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations nuclear watchdog, has said Iran has more than 970 pounds of uranium enriched to 60% purity, a short technical step from weapons grade.
Quote:WASHINGTON — President Trump said Monday that the month-long cease-fire between the US and Iran “is on massive life support” — but that it’s still in effect as he prepares for a whirlwind trip to China.
Trump, who departs for Beijing on Tuesday, railed against Iran’s “stupid” leaders after receiving an inflammatory peace offer asking that Iran be treated like the war’s winner, with no nuclear concessions.
“It’s on life support,” Trump told reporters during a maternal health event in the Oval Office.
“I would say the cease-fire is on massive life support, where the doctor walks in and says, ‘Sir, your loved one has approximately a 1% chance of living.'”
The cease-fire has been in effect since April 8, though both countries have launched limited attacks during the shaky truce.
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), an outspoken supporter of Trump’s war with Iran, told The Post that he wanted the president to “keep throttling the Iranian economy” with the naval blockade that began on April 13.
“China deserves to feel that pain,” Fetterman added, referring to Iranian oil exports failing to reach the world’s second-largest economy.
The Pennsylvania Democrat hailed Trump’s demand that Iran surrender about 1,000 pounds of highly enriched uranium, likening the Republican to British wartime leader Winston Churchill.
“Demanding Iran surrender its nuclear material is maximum Churchillian,” Fetterman raved.
A national security official told The Post, however, that Trump hasn’t restarted full-scale fighting for several reasons, including his hope to enlist Chinese President Xi Jinping’s support for a “better deal” that ends Iran’s nuclear ambitions without a drawn-out war.
UAE launched secret counter-strike against Iran that crippled oil refinery before cease-fire: report
Quote:The United Arab Emirates quietly carried out military counter-strikes against a key Iranian oil refinery just as President Trump declared a cease-fire last month, according to a new report.
After suffering repeated bombardments from Iran, the UAE fired a series of retaliatory attacks against the Islamic republic, with one of the known strikes hitting the Lavan Island oil refinery in the Persian Gulf, sources told the Wall Street Journal.
The attack, which came just as the US was solidifying a cease-fire on April 8, sparked a large fire in the facility and is expected to leave its output crippled for months, the outlet added.
At the time, Iran had said that the refinery was struck by enemy fire. While the Islamic Republic did not name the source, it launched an attack against the UAE and Kuwait in response, similar to what it had been doing throughout the height of the war.
Strikes hit an Iranian oil refinery on Lavan Island today.
Iran is now retaliating with strikes on targets in Kuwait, Bahrain, and the UAE. pic.twitter.com/xOptoGRjbB
— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 8, 2026
While the UAE has not commented on the strikes, the country has repeatedly asserted its right to defend itself against Iran’s mass retaliation campaign in the Gulf.
Quote:The Pentagon revealed the location Monday of one of the US Navy’s most secretive vessels – a stealthy, nuclear-armed submarine – a day after President Trump rejected Iran’s latest peace offer.
The Navy’s Sixth Fleet shared an image of the Ohio-class submarine and its crew docked Sunday in Gibraltar, a British territory off Spain’s southern coast.
“The port visit demonstrates US capability, flexibility, and continuing commitment to its NATO allies,” the Sixth Fleet said in a press release.
“Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines are undetectable launch platforms for submarine-launched ballistic missiles, providing the US with its most survivable leg of the nuclear triad,” the fleet added.
The Navy, which operates 14 nuclear-powered and nuclear-armed Ohio-class submarines, did not share the name of the vessel docked in Gibraltar.
The submarine’s Trident II ballistic missiles have a range of over 4,500 miles.
The Pentagon rarely discloses the locations of its nuclear subs, which is considered highly classified information.
The disclosure came hours after Trump slammed Iran’s latest peace offer as “totally unacceptable.”
Quote:The CEO of Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil company is warning that the energy sector will take time to recover from the Iran war’s impact on supply as oil output was slashed due to the ongoing disruptions to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser said on an earnings call Monday that the global energy market has lost about 1 billion barrels of oil supply during the crisis, though efforts to reroute shipments to avoid using the Strait of Hormuz and releases from countries’ strategic petroleum reserves have eased some of the supply issues.
“The energy supply shock that began in the first quarter is the largest the world has ever experienced,” Nasser said.
He said that the world is now losing about 100 million barrels of oil supply per week as long as the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed to tanker traffic. If the disruption continues for several more weeks, Aramco thinks that oil markets may not normalize until 2027.
“Reopening routes is not the same as normalizing a market that has been deprived of about 1 billion barrels of oil,” Nasser said, adding that years of underinvestment compounded the strain caused by the conflict on global oil inventory.
“Recent events have clearly demonstrated the vital contribution of oil and gas to energy security and the global economy and are a stark reminder that reliable energy supply is critical,” he added.
The conflict prompted Aramco to ramp up the use of its pipeline that transits the Arabian Peninsula from east to west and negates the need for oil tankers to transit the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world’s oil supply passed through before the war began.
“Our East-West pipeline, which reached its maximum capacity of 7 million barrels of oil per day, has proven itself to be a critical supply artery, helping to mitigate the impact of a global energy shock and providing relief to customers affected by shipping constraints in the Strait of Hormuz,” Nasser said on the call.
UKRAINE WAR
Quote:Aging, allegedly ailing Vladimir Putin has been mocked over his puffy, strangely altered face after the fearful, paranoid Russian dictator made a rare public appearance in Moscow over the weekend.
The swollen-cheeked 73-year-old despot was spotted at an unusually quiet Victory Day parade to mark the 81st anniversary of the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
Putin’s brief appearance during the event in Red Square sparked ripping online comments over his appearance, with one joking that Western sanctions on Russia were affecting the president’s Botox.
“Putin, what’s with the face?” a pro-Ukraine account quipped on X, noting, “The parade ended at lightning speed — just 45 minutes The Kremlin boss [was] immediately rushed off Red Square surrounded by heavy security.”
Another user shared a picture of the Russian tyrant with a pained expression during Saturday’s rally.
“Putin’s last parade,” the person wrote.
A third X user said, “Putin genuinely looks sick, this isn’t the face of a well man even for his age.”
Someone else said, “Putin must be residing in the bunker for an extended period, possibly even longer than this year. He seems to be in dire need of some Botox touch-ups.”
Others pointed to the pared-down nature of the parade, with no armored vehicles or ballistic missiles, as well as Putin’s additional security precautions.
Quote:KYIV – Nearly 20 countries are interested in drone deals with Ukraine, and four agreements have already been signed, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday.
Since the outbreak of the Iran war in late February, Zelenskiy has managed to leverage Ukraine’s expertise in drone warfare into a series of successful diplomatic deals during visits to the Middle East and Europe.
“Nearly 20 countries are currently involved at various stages: 4 agreements have already been signed, and the first contracts under these agreements are now being prepared,” Zelenskiy said on X.
In April, Ukraine signed defense and drone deals in Germany, Norway, and the Netherlands, following long-term security partnerships with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates in late March.
Ukraine also signed agreements last month with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on defense and energy.
In his post, Zelenskiy also said Ukraine would launch security cooperation within the framework of drone deals with another part of the world, without specifying which.
Ukraine has already started to receive the necessary volume of fuel thanks to the agreements, Zelenskiy added, without elaborating.
Zelenskiy hopes his drone diplomacy can help secure energy-supply deals with Middle Eastern states as well as markets for Ukraine’s agricultural produce.
Quote:Latvia's defense minister has resigned after two Ukrainian drones targeting Russia crossed into the NATO nation last week, with one drone crashing into a fuel storage facility and damaging several empty oil tanks in the country's east.
The incident, which caused no injuries, was the latest example of drones spilling over from the Russia-Ukraine war into NATO territory, exposing gaps in the alliance's air defenses as drones take on a more prominent role in warfare but European and NATO militaries remain ill-equipped to fend them off in large numbers.
Drones penetrating NATO airspace have not been treated as attacks on the alliance so far, meaning they have not triggered discussions over a collective response from all 32 members, but the spillovers have pushed the alliance's members along Europe's eastern edge to quickly invest in anti-drone defenses.
On Sunday, Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina called for Defense Minister Andris Sprūds to leave his post, saying counter-drone systems had not been deployed fast enough.
She said trust in Sprūds' leadership was "exhausted," and that the drone incursions last week were the "final straw."
Why Latvia's Defense Minister Resigned
Sprūds, an academic who had served as defense minister since September 2023, said in a separate statement that he was stepping back to "protect the Latvian army from being dragged into a political campaign." He added that the country would continue to beef up its air defenses.
Silina announced that Colonel Raivis Melnis of the Latvian army, whom she described as having "Ukraine experience," would replace Sprūds.
Sprūds' resignation makes Latvia the latest NATO member on the eastern flank to see turbulence in top defense roles as pressure to spend more, and invest quickly in defense, surges. Romania and Lithuania also replaced defense ministers late in 2025.
I get the idea of getting ready to take down ANY drones entering their country. At the same time, it's not like the former minister were guilty of the consequences of such an attack. It would have been a lot easier to blame Zelensky for letting his drones invade NATO territory than Sprūds. Nonetheless, politics isn't always about who's really guilty of anything but who'll become the scapegoat that will keep the current government afloat for the time being.
USA
Quote:The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday received an emergency appeal from Virginia Democrats seeking to revive a voter‑approved congressional map struck down by the state’s highest court, even as the justices separately allowed Alabama to move forward with its own redistricting plan in a ruling released the same day.
The dual developments underscore how the court continues to shape the nation’s political boundaries heading into the 2026 elections.
The Virginia ruling also blocked new congressional districts that would have given Democrats a stronger chance to win four additional U.S. House seats. The emergency appeal followed a 4-3 decision Friday by the Virginia Supreme Court, which found that lawmakers improperly advanced the amendment after early voting had already begun in the fall’s general election.
The ruling wiped out a rare Democratic gain in the nation’s mid‑decade redistricting fight, a contest supercharged by President Donald Trump’s push for Republican‑led states to redraw their maps and by a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that sharply weakened the Voting Rights Act.
Losing the Virginia map deprives Democrats of four competitive seats at a moment when Republicans claim to have netted more than a dozen through redistricting nationwide. The appeal also highlights the political stakes surrounding a Supreme Court that has repeatedly shaped the congressional landscape heading into this year's midterms.
What to Know About Virginia Ruling
Democrats argue the Virginia court “overrode the will of the people” who narrowly approved the amendment last month, saying the state must use the new map rather than revert to districts voters rejected.
The state court ruled the amendment invalid because the legislature began the ballot‑placement process after early voting had started, a procedural violation under the Virginia Constitution.
Democrats counter that U.S. Supreme Court precedent defines an election as occurring on Election Day, not during early voting.
Quote:Former Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang has agreed to plead guilty to acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government, federal prosecutors announced Monday.
The admission places a sitting U.S. elected official at the center of a foreign influence case tied to undisclosed coordination with Beijing-linked officials. Wang, a Democrat who was elected in 2022, now faces up to 10 years in prison and has resigned from her post.
Federal prosecutors are moving forward with the case, while local officials assess the impact on the Southern California community.
Who Is Eileen Wang?
Wang, 58, is a Southern California politician who was elected to the Arcadia City Council in November 2022 and later became mayor through the body’s rotating leadership system.
In Arcadia, the mayor is selected from the five-member council, a structure that elevated Wang to the role after her initial election to public office.
A longtime resident, she became the first Chinese-American woman elected to the council, helping make it majority female for the first time. Before entering politics, Wang was active in local civic and business organizations, including the Arcadia Rotary Club and Chamber of Commerce, and served as president of the American Southwest Chamber of Commerce USA from 2018 to 2022.
She ran on a platform emphasizing community engagement and public safety and took part in local initiatives during her tenure, including organizing events and supporting victims following the 2023 Monterey Park mass shooting.
Wang resigned from the city council on Monday, stepping down as mayor following federal charges as the case proceeds.
Quote:President Donald Trump said Sunday that federal agencies must prioritize American-made products in government purchasing, touting efforts to tighten enforcement of "Buy American" policies and limit exceptions that allow foreign goods.
"ALL FEDERAL AGENCIES MUST BUY AMERICAN — NO EXCUSES!" Trump exclaimed on Truth Social. "For decades, Washington politicians sent your Taxpayer Dollars overseas, and let Foreign Countries rip us off while our Workers, Factories, and Supply Chains were left behind. That betrayal is OVER.
"My Administration is strengthening MADE IN AMERICA Laws, ENDING Waiver Loopholes, and STOPPING the Federal Government from buying Foreign Products when Great American Products are available — And to the D.C. Bureaucrats: NO MORE handing out Waivers like candy!" he continued. "No more rubber-stamping exceptions for Foreign Products while American Workers get shafted.
"We are putting American Workers, American Factories, and American Supply Chains FIRST — Bigger, better, and stronger than ever before! I already signed EO 14392 to crack down on fake "MADE IN AMERICA" claims, and we are enforcing it HARD," he added. "No more games. No more fake labels. No more ripping off the American Taxpayer. AMERICA FIRST means BUY AMERICAN!"
The comments come as the Trump administration moves to tighten domestic sourcing requirements across federal procurement, part of a broader push to boost U.S. manufacturing and reduce reliance on foreign supply chains.
In March, Trump signed an executive order aimed at combating fraudulent "Made in America" labels by foreign manufacturers and sellers, Reuters reported.
The order directs the Federal Trade Commission to prioritize enforcement against companies that falsely label products as U.S.-made or make misleading origin claims in violation of existing law.
It also calls on federal agencies responsible for country-of-origin labeling to work with the FTC to consider new regulations and ensure consistent guidance across the government.
Quote:California Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing pressure to throw a lifeline to Californians struggling with highest-in-the-nation gas prices as President Donald Trump signed plans to suspend the federal gas tax.
Trump said Monday he plans to “take off the gas tax for a period of time” — though he needs the backing of Congress — calling it a “great idea” to offer Americans relief at the pump.
Newsom has no plans to follow suit in California — where gas prices hovered at $6.16 per gallon Monday, well above the national average of $4.52, according to AAA.
California drivers already shoulder the highest gas taxes in the country, which include an excise tax of 61 cents per gallon, sales taxes and other fees. The federal gas tax is 18 cents per gallon by comparison.
“I support any and all efforts to give Californians relief from high gas prices,” Rep. Kevin Kiley, a Republican-leaning independent, told The Post. “A pause in the federal tax would help, but the bigger problem is California’s highest-in-the-nation state tax.”
“I have introduced the Gas Tax Reduction Act to limit this tax and have called on state leaders to suspend the 61-cent-per-gallon tax in its entirety,” he added.
Quote:Savannah Guthrie is the host of a new Wordle game show.
The journalist made the “big announcement” on Monday’s episode of the “Today” show, alongside Jimmy Fallon, the project’s executive producer.
“We’ve been holding in a secret between us for a long time now,” the 54-year-old anchor gushed.
Fallon, 51, replied, “I’m so happy it’s you — we were looking for the perfect host for this. We needed someone who looks like they play Wordle, someone who knows how to run a show.
“We did the pilot, and you were amazing,” the “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” host continued, referring to Guthrie, who guest-hosted “Jeopardy!” for two weeks in 2021.
The game show, based on the New York Times’ popular puzzle of the same name, will begin filming this summer.
News broke in October that “Wordle” was in development, with Guthrie set to host.
Since then, Guthrie has been in the headlines primarily for her personal life as her family navigates her mom Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.
“When everything happened with me and my family,” Savannah explained on Monday, “they just stopped everything and said, ‘We’ll wait for you.’ Hollywood is, like, a really tough business, and I didn’t expect that. And I just want to say thank you, it means so much to me.”
Fallon insisted cast and crew alike agreed they “couldn’t do the show” without the “fantastic” host.
Guthrie went on to share mixed feelings about the “joyous” news.
Quote:Millions of gallons of sewage-tainted water from Mexico continue to pollute some of Southern California’s most popular beaches, triggering repeated closures and mounting health concerns for nearby communities.
In Coronado, county officials have sounded the alarm, urging visitors to steer clear of the water as polluted runoff seeps into the coastline.
Warning signs posted along the shoreline caution beachgoers that exposure could lead to illness.
The contamination is largely tied to the Tijuana River, which carries untreated wastewater from Mexico into U.S. waters before ocean currents push the pollution north along the Southern California coast.
As much as 30 million gallons of sewage-tainted water can flow into the Pacific Ocean daily from Tijuana, reported FOX11.
The pollution has impacted even some of the region’s most high-profile beachfront areas, including waters near the historic Hotel del Coronado.
Health experts warn that exposure to contaminated water can cause gastrointestinal illness, while airborne toxins linked to sewage pollution may trigger headaches, respiratory issues, and other health problems.
Hydrogen sulfide, a gas associated with sewage, can irritate the eyes and respiratory system and may cause more serious effects at higher concentrations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Doctors and community advocates say children in affected communities have been especially impacted, with some reporting worsening asthma symptoms, skin rashes, and other health issues tied to the pollution.
Quote:A Pennsylvania liberal arts college has removed a college professor’s name from a campus building after it emerged he excavated a Native American burial site – but critics say the move is revisionist.
Swarthmore College scrubbed Spencer Trotter’s name from its Trotter Hall building after learning he dug up the site in 1899 and put remains on display on campus, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Trotter, who was part of the college’s biology department, promoted racial hierarchy in his works – which scholars have determined to be “scientific racism.”
Valerie Smith, the college’s president, revealed in December last year that Trotter Hall and Trotter Lawn would be renamed after an 18-month investigation.
The hall has been temporarily named “Old Science Hall” and a permanent name will be announced in the fall.
Smith said the name change “is not merely a matter of renaming spaces” and acknowledged it may be divisive.
“It is an acknowledgment of harm, a commitment to learn from our past, and an affirmation of our responsibility to care for the stories and legacies held on this campus,” she said.
“I recognize that this news may stir a range of difficult emotions and concerns.”
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported in April 2022 that two university professors excavated a Lenape burial ground, but didn’t mention Trotter by name.
The site was donated to the Delaware Nation tribe for just $1 and this process was completed in March 2022. It’s the only officially-recognized Native American burial ground in Chester County.
Quote:An anti-Israel mob clashed with counter-protesters near a Brooklyn synagogue on Monday night — less than a week after a similar demonstration rocked Manhattan.
At least three people were detained after agitators swarmed the area near the Young Israel Senior Services of Midwood, which was hosting an event promoting real estate in Israel and the West Bank.
The anti-Israel mob chanted “Palestine is ours alone,” and several carried a wide banner that read “Israel is killing children.”
During one fight, a person who concealed their face with a medical mask yanked a girl’s hair — and nearly threw her against a parked car in the process, according to a video obtained by The Post.
Shortly after, another man squared up against a squad of young men carrying a Palestinian flag.
“Let’s go motherf–kers, c’mon! C’mon motherf–kers!” the man yelled.
At least two teenage pro-Israel protesters were detained. As the NYPD marched them down the streets, their supporters followed and chanted for the cops to “let them go.”
An anti-Israel protester was also detained, cops said.
All three individuals taken into custody had thrown items during the heated protest, according to the NYPD.
The whirlwind demonstration mirrored another protest that wreaked havoc at the historic Park East Synagogue in Manhattan on May 5.
Both were organized by anti-Israel activist group Pal-Awda NY/NJ, which promoted the rallies with slogans such as “No settlers on stolen land” and “Stop the sale of stolen Palestinian land.”
2 critically wounded after rifle-wielding career criminal opens fire on random cars in Massachusetts
Quote:A gun-wielding career criminal opened fire at random cars driving down a Massachusetts roadway on Monday, leaving two men with life-threatening injuries before the maniac was shot by responding officers.
Gunman Tyler Brown allegedly fired 50 to 60 rounds indiscriminately from an assault-style rifle as he erratically walked down Memorial Drive in Cambridge around 1:20 p.m., Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said during a press conference.
At 1:06 p.m., Cambridge police received a 911 call from Boston police, who said an individual acting erratically and in possession of a rifle was in Cambridge, Ryan said.
Massachusetts State Police and Cambridge police arrived at the scene as Brown was actively firing down the road of stopped cars, authorities said.
Two men were separately struck by gunfire as the madman unleashed the barrage of bullets. They were both rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, prosecutors added.
A Massachusetts State Police trooper in his cruiser and a Marine licensed to carry a gun also arrived on scene and found people jumping from their cars and scattering to safety.
The pair heroically charged toward Brown with their weapons and shot him multiple times. He was treated on scene by officers and brought to a local hospital, where he is receiving care for gunshot wounds to his extremities.
Quote:San Francisco public school officials’ sneaky new plan for massive school closures was hidden even from the district’s furious school board, according to a new report.
The San Francisco Unified School District plans to close an unidentified number of schools by 2030 to deal with some 14,000 empty seats in the rapidly shrinking district, according to a memo sent to parents last month.
Like other urban districts in California and across the country, the City by the Bay has seen years of enrollment declines in public schools which reflect declining birth rates and other demographic changes blamed on rising prices, migratory shifts and more.
Superintendent Maria Su is expected to announce the outline and timeline for the school closures tomorrow at the district’s school board meeting, but members of the board told a local publication they’re peeved a newspaper caught wind of the story before they did.
Su broke the news of the upcoming closures in a San Francisco Chronicle story published nearly two weeks ago by longtime education reporter Jill Tucker.
“We are ready for this,” Su told the paper of her plan to close schools. “And it’s about time. We’ve been trying to do this for many years now.”
The article states that Su spent the past 18 months getting the district ready for closures, but it doesn’t say why she’s only gone public with the plan recently, or why she gave the news to the paper before she shared it with the board.
LATIN AMERICA
Quote:The United States has increased the pressure on Cuba's top officials, turning the diplomatic, economic and military screws on Havana as concerns swell about whether Washington will invade the Caribbean nation.
President Donald Trump and his administration have long had Cuba's communist leadership in their crosshairs, but in recent weeks slapped Havana with punishing new sanctions and maintained a near-total blockade on fuel supplies making it to the island that has been in place since January.
Already weakened by a decades-long U.S. embargo, dwindling supplies routinely plunge Cuba's residents into blackouts as garbage mounts in streets in a country that has seen its vital tourist trade dry up.
The U.S. is also thought to have ramped up intelligence-gathering flights off the Cuban coast, while the White House has repeatedly hinted at a possible military takeover of the island since U.S. forces swept into Venezuela and captured then-leader Nicolás Maduro in Caracas at the start of 2026.
Cuba was heavily dependent on Venezuela's oil exports and is now clinging onto a lifeline of limited fuel deliveries from Russia the U.S. has allowed through to Cuba's ports.
A White House official told Newsweek on Monday that Cuba was a "failing nation that has been horribly run for many years," and Havana's authorities had been hit hard by U.S. action against Venezuela.
The official also referred to Trump's remarks, in which he predicted Cuba "will fall" and the U.S. would "be there to help them out."
Trump joked earlier this month the U.S. could "almost immediately" take over Cuba, suggesting the world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, may approach Cuban shores and force officials to "give up" once the U.S. ends its war against Iran.
Quote:Vengeful men on social media are staging punches, simulating stabbings and pointing firearms at the camera phones — which they call “training in case she says no.”
The “she” in question? Women who reject their romantic advances.
While the videos online are being framed as dating satire, advocates against domestic violence fear the trend could help normalize violence against women — as evidenced by shocking real-life events.
20-year-old Alana Rosa from Brazil rejected a man at her gym, Luis Felipe Sampaio, who had reportedly been bombarding her with gifts. After she repeatedly refused his advances, the accused allegedly broke into her home in São Gonçalo, near Rio de Janeiro, and stabbed her nearly 50 times before being stopped by her mother, per France24.
She was then rushed to the hospital and underwent several reconstructive surgeries, while in an induced coma, to recover from her injuries.
Miraculously, Rosa survived the attack. Her mother, Jaderluce de Oliveira, told local officials that the attacker followed similar content online — a detail that alarmed investigators and the public alike.
With her supporters in tow, Rosa attended the first criminal hearing against Sampaio on April 15.
“I think he should stay in prison forever, but I know that won’t happen,” de Oliveira told AFP reporters during a press hearing on the day of the trial.
Rosa’s story is just one example among many in Brazil.
More than 1,400 women in the country died at the hands of a man in 2025 alone, according to the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, surpassing the previous record in 2024.
ASIA
Quote:Guests on board Disney Cruise Line’s all-new Disney Adventure learned their four-night sailing embarking from Singapore was canceled — mere hours after they already boarded the ship.
On Thursday, May 7, after guests boarded, settled in and started their vacation, the captain of the ship announced that there were technical issues and guests were to wait for further information.
A Reddit user who was on the cruise said that they were told they “will set sail soon.”
“Midnight now. We’ve been waiting here since 2 p.m., and they have no update for us,” they wrote in an update in the comments. “What’s even worse is they’ve shut down all kitchens, coffee, etc. Why would they do that?”
About 26 hours later, approximately 2 p.m. Singapore time, it was announced that the cruise would be canceled due to mechanical issues that the engineering team couldn’t fix in time.
Guests were ultimately stranded in Singapore and left to figure out what to do next. At 6:30 p.m., they wrote that they were still waiting for a letter with hotel information before disembarking.
The Reddit user noted that when the cancellation was “really disappointing, especially if vacationing with kids.”
“Good thing is that we did get to experience some parts of the cruise, sad part the shops weren’t open so couldn’t get any Disney merchandise from the cruise,” they added.
With a cruise like this, guests likely planned and booked this trip far in advance, and many traveled internationally to reach the ship.
“The Disney Adventure remains in port in Singapore as our teams continue to address a mechanical issue,” a Disney Cruise Line spokesperson said in a statement, per WDW News Today. “As the issue has not been resolved in the timeframe required to start this voyage, this current sailing has been cancelled. We apologize to our guests and are working with them directly to provide support for their travel needs.”
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
![[Image: SP1-Scripter.png]](https://www.save-point.org/images/userbars/SP1-Scripter.png)
![[Image: SP1-Writer.png]](https://www.save-point.org/images/userbars/SP1-Writer.png)
![[Image: SP1-Poet.png]](https://www.save-point.org/images/userbars/SP1-Poet.png)
![[Image: SP1-PixelArtist.png]](https://www.save-point.org/images/userbars/SP1-PixelArtist.png)
![[Image: SP1-Reporter.png]](https://i.postimg.cc/GmxWbHyL/SP1-Reporter.png)
My Original Stories (available in English and Spanish)
List of Compiled Binary Executables I have published...
HiddenChest & Roole
Give me a free copy of your completed game if you include at least 3 of my scripts!
Just some scripts I've already published on the board...
KyoGemBoost XP VX & ACE, RandomEnkounters XP, KSkillShop XP, Kolloseum States XP, KEvents XP, KScenario XP & Gosu, KyoPrizeShop XP Mangostan, Kuests XP, KyoDiscounts XP VX, ACE & MV, KChest XP VX & ACE 2016, KTelePort XP, KSkillMax XP & VX & ACE, Gem Roulette XP VX & VX Ace, KRespawnPoint XP, VX & VX Ace, GiveAway XP VX & ACE, Klearance XP VX & ACE, KUnits XP VX, ACE & Gosu 2017, KLevel XP, KRumors XP & ACE, KMonsterPals XP VX & ACE, KStatsRefill XP VX & ACE, KLotto XP VX & ACE, KItemDesc XP & VX, KPocket XP & VX, OpenChest XP VX & ACE
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
My Original Stories (available in English and Spanish)
List of Compiled Binary Executables I have published...
HiddenChest & Roole
Give me a free copy of your completed game if you include at least 3 of my scripts!
Just some scripts I've already published on the board...
KyoGemBoost XP VX & ACE, RandomEnkounters XP, KSkillShop XP, Kolloseum States XP, KEvents XP, KScenario XP & Gosu, KyoPrizeShop XP Mangostan, Kuests XP, KyoDiscounts XP VX, ACE & MV, KChest XP VX & ACE 2016, KTelePort XP, KSkillMax XP & VX & ACE, Gem Roulette XP VX & VX Ace, KRespawnPoint XP, VX & VX Ace, GiveAway XP VX & ACE, Klearance XP VX & ACE, KUnits XP VX, ACE & Gosu 2017, KLevel XP, KRumors XP & ACE, KMonsterPals XP VX & ACE, KStatsRefill XP VX & ACE, KLotto XP VX & ACE, KItemDesc XP & VX, KPocket XP & VX, OpenChest XP VX & ACE
