Home Blog Page 717

Iran turmoil erupts: Ultra-hardliner who mocked Trump poised to take over nuclear talks

0
Iran turmoil erupts: Ultra-hardliner who mocked Trump poised to take over nuclear talks


NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Further signs of turmoil are emerging in Iran’s U.S. negotiating team as hardliner Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf looks set to be replaced by a veteran conservative known for rejecting nuclear concessions, according to reports.

Iran International reported April 24 that Saeed Jalili, 60 — who already leads what has been described as a “shadow government” — is expected to succeed Ghalibaf following his sudden departure amid internal disputes.

Jalili also heads Iran’s ultra-hardline faction known as the Stability Front (Paydari), which is known to be a “bastion of ultraconservatism in Iran,” according to reports.

Ali Safavi, an official with the Iranian opposition coalition, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), told Fox News Digital that Jalili “has evolved from a nuclear negotiator to an influential actor within the regime.”

TRUMP’S LATEST HIRES AND FIRES RANKLE IRAN HAWKS AS NEW PRESIDENT SUGGESTS NUCLEAR DEAL

Jalili Saeed is expected to succeed Ghalibaf following his sudden departure amid internal disputes. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)

Ghalibaf was reportedly forced to step down after attempting to bring the nuclear issue into talks with Washington, a move that triggered backlash within Iran’s political establishment.

President Donald Trump had called off plans for U.S. envoys to travel to Pakistan for peace talks with Iran on April 25.

The rivalry between Jalili and Ghalibaf is said to span more than a decade and intensified during the 2024 elections, when Jalili refused to step aside, contributing to the victory of President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Safavi said, “The increased visibility of latent divisions stems from recurring nationwide uprisings, deep economic crises and the pressures of war, all of which have intensified internal feuding.

“Far from signaling transformation, these developments reflect accelerating erosion and mounting pressure, deepening fractures and leaving the regime ever weaker and more vulnerable,” he added.

EXILED PRINCE LOOKS TO LEAD IRANIAN PEOPLE IN ENDING ISLAMIC REPUBLIC: ‘OUR BERLIN WALL MOMENT’

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf speaks during a press conference in Tehran, Iran in front of multiple flags

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf speaks during a press conference in Tehran, Iran, Nov. 27, 2024. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS)

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is also seeking a continued leading role in negotiations, highlighting competing centers of influence over Iran’s diplomatic strategy, sources said.

Araghchi is in Islamabad, Pakistan, after returning from a short trip to Muscat, Oman, where he is holding high-level diplomatic talks on the conflict. Reports indicate Araghchi will travel to Moscow.

Jalili’s potential appointment, however, signals a hardening of Iran’s stance, with more emphasis on resistance over compromise.

“Within this regime, there are a number of constants espoused by all factions,” Safavi said before highlighting that these were “repression, the export of terrorism and the pursuit of nuclear weapons.”

“The factions all ultimately move along a common path: the preservation of power. They differ in methods, not in objectives,” Safavi cautioned.

IRANIAN-AMERICANS AND DISSIDENTS RALLIED AGAINST ‘MURDEROUS REGIME AGENTS’ AS IRAN’S PRESIDENT ADDRESSED UNGA

Saeed Jalili

Jalili, meanwhile, served as Iran’s top nuclear negotiator from 2007 to 2013 under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and later ran for president three times. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Jalili, meanwhile, served as Iran’s top nuclear negotiator from 2007 to 2013 under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and later ran for president three times. He also served as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.

A former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Jalili lost his right leg at 21 during the Iran-Iraq War, earning him the title of “Living Martyr”.

The Paydari Front, which he is associated with, opposes engagement with the West — particularly the 2015 nuclear deal — and advocates a doctrine of “active resistance.”

During Hassan Rouhani’s presidency, Jalili also established a “shadow government” to counter the administration’s policies, especially the nuclear deal.

On April 7, he wrote on X: “Yes — ‘infrastructure’ is on the verge of collapse; the infrastructure of domination and the American order. And after that, a better foundation will be built.”

A day earlier, he posted: “‘Shut up’ is not the appropriate response to Trump’s ramblings; let him speak more. Nothing is more effective in laying bare the true nature of the United States than Trump’s outbursts.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“In dealing with this regime,” Safavi said, “we must bear in mind that in the 45 years since the mullahs consolidated their rule in 1981 by crushing all peaceful political life, so-called reformists have governed for nearly half that time — presiding over some of its darkest crimes.”

“These include the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners, the assassination of dissidents abroad, the chain murders of intellectuals inside Iran and the relentless pursuit of nuclear weapons.”



Source link

Mali Defence Minister Sadio Camara killed as country hit by rebel attacks

0
Mali Defence Minister Sadio Camara killed as country hit by rebel attacks



A wave of coordinated attacks by jihadist militants and separatists has spread through the country.



Source link

Child poverty in Wales: ‘There’s so much I want to give her that I can’t’

0
Child poverty in Wales: ‘There’s so much I want to give her that I can’t’



Around a third of Welsh children live in poverty, the highest among the four UK nations.



Source link

Iran’s foreign minister leaves Pakistan, heads to Russia for more talks

0
Iran’s foreign minister leaves Pakistan, heads to Russia for more talks


Abbas Araghchi will speak with ‘senior officials’ in Moscow, Iran’s Foreign Ministry says.

Iran’s top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, has left Islamabad for Moscow, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, as mediators hope to keep the prospect of more Tehran-Washington talks alive.

Araghchi sandwiched a trip to Muscat, Oman, in between visits to the Pakistani capital, leaving on Sunday to be in Russia the following day. But there was no indication that direct talks between Iran and the United States would resume.

Recommended Stories

list of 4 itemsend of list

However, in a sign that indirect efforts were ongoing, the Fars news agency reported that Iran had transmitted “written messages” to the Americans via mediator Pakistan, which were “about some of the red lines of the Islamic Republic of Iran, including nuclear issues and the Strait of Hormuz”.

But the messages were not part of any negotiations, Fars said.

US President Donald Trump last week indefinitely extended the ceasefire that Washington and Tehran agreed to on April 7, which has largely halted the fighting that began with joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.

But a permanent settlement remains elusive, and the economic shockwaves of the war continue to reverberate around the globe.

Iran has effectively blocked the vital Strait of Hormuz, cutting off vast quantities of oil, natural gas and fertiliser from the global market, and sending prices soaring. The US has imposed a blockade of Iranian ports in response.

There had been hopes for a new round of talks on Saturday, with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner due to visit Islamabad, but Trump later told Fox News he had scrapped the trip, saying there was no point “sitting around talking about nothing”.

On Sunday, Trump told the same channel: “I said, we’re not doing this any more. We have all the cards. If they want to talk, they can come to us, or they can call us. You know, there is a telephone. We have nice, secure lines”.

Asked earlier whether cancelling the trip meant a return to open hostilities, Trump said: “No, it doesn’t mean that.”

Shuttle diplomacy

On Saturday, Araghchi met Pakistan’s military chief, Asim Munir, a key mediator, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ishaq Dar, before flying on to Muscat. He returned to Islamabad on Sunday.

In Russia, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said he would speak with “senior officials”.

Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Araghchi would visit Moscow, but did not say if he would meet President Vladimir Putin.

Amid the flurry of meetings, Araghchi signalled scepticism over Washington’s intentions, saying he had “yet to see if the US is truly serious about diplomacy”.



Source link

Tillis says he’s prepared to move forward with Kevin Warsh’s nomination for Fed chair

0
Tillis says he’s prepared to move forward with Kevin Warsh’s nomination for Fed chair


Washington — Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said Sunday that he is prepared to move forward with the nomination of Kevin Warsh for chairman of the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors, bringing an end to his blockade on nominations to the central bank.

Tillis, a Republican who sits on the Senate Banking Committee, had vowed not to support any nomination to the Fed while the Justice Department continued its investigation into the current chairman, Jerome Powell. But U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced Friday that her office would be ending the probe into Powell and the Fed’s $2.5 billion renovation of its Washington, D.C., headquarters.

In an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Tillis said he had received assurances from the Justice Department that the investigation is closed and would only be reopened if the Fed’s inspector general, which is examining the renovation project, made a criminal referral.

“I am prepared to move on with the confirmation of Mr. Warsh,” he said. “I think he’s going to be a great Fed chair.”

In a statement shared to X, Tillis said “it is time for the Federal Reserve to move beyond this distraction and return its full attention to its mission.”

“I have been clear from the start: the U.S. Attorney’s Office criminal investigation into Chair Powell was a serious threat to the Fed’s independence, and it needed to end before I could support Kevin Warsh’s confirmation,” he wrote. “I welcome the Inspector General’s investigation. This is a necessary and appropriate measure, and I have confidence it will be conducted thoroughly and professionally.”

Powell’s term as Fed chairman ends May 15, and Mr. Trump announced in January that he had selected Warsh to lead the central bank’s board. Warsh appeared before the Banking Committee last week. During the hearing, Tillis reiterated that while he supported Warsh’s nomination, he wouldn’t vote to confirm him until the Justice Department ended its investigation.

The Banking Committee is set to convene Wednesday to vote on Warsh’s nomination. There are 13 Republicans on the committee and 11 Democrats.

Powell revealed in January that the Fed had received grand-jury subpoenas as part of the criminal probe involving the years-long project to renovate the central bank’s headquarters. But in March, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg blocked the subpoenas, finding they were part of an effort to pressure Powell into voting to lower interest rates or resign.

Pirro has vowed to appeal the decision. Tillis said Sunday that the Justice Department assured him any appeal would be focused on the judge’s basis for quashing the subpoenas rather than a vehicle for resuming the investigation.

Mr. Trump frequently vents his frustrations with Powell over his interest-rate decisions and suggested last year that the construction at the Fed could be grounds to fire Powell. The renovation project, which encompasses two buildings, was first approved in 2017 and is set to be completed next year. The estimated cost of the project ballooned from $1.9 billion to nearly $2.5 billion, which the Fed said was the result of several factors, including a rise in the cost material, equipment and labor. The central bank is self-funded.

The Fed’s inspector general’s office, which is led by Michael Horowitz, has twice conducted audits regarding the bank’s renovation projects, and Powell told the Senate last year he had asked the watchdog to take another look at the ongoing overhaul of its headquarters.

The inspector general’s office said Friday that it is “actively working” to finish its review of the project and would make its findings available to the public and Congress.



Source link

Video: What Our Reporter Saw During the D.C. Shooting

0
Video: What Our Reporter Saw During the D.C. Shooting


new video loaded: What Our Reporter Saw During the D.C. Shooting

Our reporter was with President Trump at the White House correspondents’ dinner when a gunman breached security. He describes the frantic scenes that unfolded.

By Shawn McCreesh and Nikolay Nikolov

April 26, 2026



Source link

Death toll from bus bombing in southwest Colombia rises to 20 during a wave of violence

0
Death toll from bus bombing in southwest Colombia rises to 20 during a wave of violence


BOGOTA, Colombia — The number of people killed in a bombing in a volatile region in southwest Colombia rose to 20, officials said Sunday.

The attack happened Saturday when an explosive device was detonated on a bus traveling along the Pan-American Highway in the municipality of Cajibio. So far, 15 women and five men are among the victims, according to Octavio Guzmán, governor of the region of Cauca.

He wrote on X that the attack injured 36 others, three of whom are in intensive care. Guzmán noted that five of the injured are minors who are expected to recover.

Colombia’s Institute of Legal Medicine said that specialists including dentists, anthropologists and forensic doctors are identifying the victims.

The bombing is the latest attack in the region, with more than two dozen incidents reported in the past three days in southwestern Colombia. The region is home to illegal armed groups who vie for control of coca leaf cultivation areas and for sea and river access routes to run drug trafficking operations to Central America and Europe.

Gen. Hugo López, commander of Colombia’s Armed Forces, has described the incident as a “terrorist act.” He blamed it on the network of a man known as “Iván Mordisco” — one of Colombia’s most wanted figures — and the Jaime Martínez faction. Both are dissidents of the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia that operate in the region.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned the attacks against the civilian population and called on authorities to investigate the incidents and “guarantee justice for the victims.”

Guzmán declared three days of mourning on Sunday in memory of the victims.



Source link

WWE legend touts ‘very, very high’ ceilings for rising stars Kendal Grey, Kali Armstrong

0
WWE legend touts ‘very, very high’ ceilings for rising stars Kendal Grey, Kali Armstrong


NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Kendal Grey and Kali Armstrong are two pro wrestlers who represent the future of WWE’s women’s division.

Each rising superstar was able to attain WWE Evolve Women’s Championships during their time at the developmental promotion and have made a major impact since being called up to the NXT brand. Grey won the Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge and Armstrong put Lola Vice on notice that she was coming for the NXT Women’s Championship.

WWE Hall of Famer Booker T analyzed Grey and Armstrong’s meteoric rise in the company so far in a recent interview with Fox News Digital.

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

Kendal Grey, left, and Kali Armstrong have been tapped as WWE’s future. (Getty Images)

“She’s proved that she’s special man. She’s a special talent just in her infancy stages already. Then again, I wouldn’t want to push Kendal too quick because right now she’s being highly touted as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, women’s wrestler to come to the WWE system,” he said.

“I don’t want her to get a big head or anything like that because she is so young to the business and she’s picked it up so quickly. But then again, psychology. When she learns that, oh man, she’s gonna be hell to deal with. She’s going to be something very, very special. But she’s gotta really lean into learning that side of it.”

Booker T said that Armstrong has the ability to be great as well. However, there were still certain skills that she needed to hone before her greatness could be achieved.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

“She’s a very, very special talent. The first Evolve women’s champion. And then she lost that championship to Kendal Grey. I told her, ‘There’s a reason why you lost that championship. We gotta figure that out.’ You gotta put yourself into a position where, if you do lose it, it comes right back to you,” he said.

Kali Armstrong entering the wrestling ring at WWE Performance Center in Orlando Florida

Kali Armstrong, the Evolve Women’s Champion, enters the ring during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., on July 15, 2025. (Matt Pendleton/WWE)

Kendal performing in the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida

Kendal performs during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., on Jan. 6, 2026. (Craig Melvin/WWE)

“Again, there are those building blocks that we gotta work with Kali. Me, personally, I’m going to be working with Kali person-to-person, on a one-on-one perspective, to just hone that skill, to let her know those details. I always say what you do before and what you do after … She’s got it all. She checks off so many boxes but making her complete is something I’m so looking forward to.”

Grey was an amateur wrestling star in high school and was on Team USA’s national wrestling team at one point.

Armstrong was a track and field star in college before she signed with WWE.

“But as far as the ceiling, very, very high for both of those ladies,” Booker T added.

Booker T making his entrance at NXT event in Ball Arena Denver Colorado

Booker T makes his entrance during NXT at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., on Sept. 1, 2024. (Eric Johnson/WWE)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Both Grey and Armstrong will be among the talent appearing on Season 3 of “WWE Legends and Future Greats” on A+E. The new season begins Sunday night at 10 p.m. ET.



Source link

The Prem: Gloucester 34-31 Exeter: Gloucester edge past play-off chasing Chiefs

0
The Prem: Gloucester 34-31 Exeter: Gloucester edge past play-off chasing Chiefs


Gloucester: Barton; Joseph, Llewellyn, S Atkinson, Loader; C Atkinson, Williams (c); Rapava Ruskin, Innard, Fasogbon; Clark, Alemanno, Thomas, Ludlow, Trenholm.

Replacements: Knowles, Bleuler, Laulala, Eite, Clement, Venter, Englefield, Thorley.

Sin bin: Bleuler (69)

Exeter: Ridl; Brown-Bampoe, Slade (c), Ikitau, Feyi-Waboso; Skinner, Varney; Goodrick-Clarke, Dweba, Iosefa-Scott; Tuima, Pearson, E Roots, Vintcent, Fisilau.

Replacements: Norey, Burger, J Roots, Tshiunza, Hooper, Worley Brady, Cairns, Hammersley.

Red Card: E. Roots (80)

Referee: Matthew Carley.



Source link

Cole Allen manifesto: Shooting suspect’s anti-Trump message detailed

0
Cole Allen manifesto: Shooting suspect’s anti-Trump message detailed


Hello everybody!

So I may have given a lot of people a surprise today. Let me start off by apologizing to everyone whose trust I abused.

I apologize to my parents for saying I had an interview without specifying it was for “Most Wanted.”

I apologize to my colleagues and students for saying I had a personal emergency (by the time anyone reads this, I probably most certainly DO need to go to the ER, but can hardly call that not a self-inflicted status.)

I apologize to all of the people I traveled next to, all the workers who handled my luggage, and all the other non-targeted people at the hotel who I put in danger simply by being near.

I apologize to everyone who was abused and/or murdered before this, to all those who suffered before I was able to attempt this, to all who may still suffer after, regardless of my success or failure.

I don’t expect forgiveness, but if I could have seen any other way to get this close, I would have taken it. Again, my sincere apologies.

On to why I did any of this:

I am a citizen of the United States of America.

What my representatives do reflects on me.

And I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.

(Well, to be completely honest, I was no longer willing a long time ago, but this is the first real opportunity I’ve had to do something about it.)

While I’m discussing this, I’ll also go over my expected rules of engagement (probably in a terrible format, but I’m not military so too bad.)

Administration officials (not including Mr. Patel): they are targets, prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest

Secret Service: they are targets only if necessary, and to be incapacitated non-lethally if possible (aka, I hope they’re wearing body armor because center mass with shotguns messes up people who *aren’t*

Hotel Security: not targets if at all possible (aka unless they shoot at me)

Capitol Police: same as Hotel Security

Hotel Employees: not targets at all

Guests: not targets at all

In order to minimize casualties I will also be using buckshot rather than slugs (less penetration through walls)

I would still go through most everyone here to get to the targets if it were absolutely necessary (on the basis that most people *chose* to attend a speech by a pedophile, rapist, and traitor, and are thus complicit) but I really hope it doesn’t come to that.

Objection 1: As a Christian, you should turn the other cheek.

Rebuttal: Turning the other cheek is for when you yourself are oppressed. I’m not the person raped in a detention camp. I’m not the fisherman executed without trial. I’m not a schoolkid blown up or a child starved or a teenage girl abused by the many criminals in this administration.

Turning the other cheek when *someone else* is oppressed is not Christian behavior; it is complicity in the oppressor’s crimes.

Objection 2: This is not a convenient time for you to do this.

Rebuttal: I need whoever thinks this way to take a couple minutes and realize that the world isn’t about them. Do you think that when I see someone raped or murdered or abused, I should walk on by because it would be “inconvenient” for people who aren’t the victim?

This was the best timing and chance of success I could come up with.

Objection 3: You didn’t get them all.

Rebuttal: Gotta start somewhere.

Objection 4: As a half-black, half-white person, you shouldn’t be the one doing this.

Rebuttal: I don’t see anyone else picking up the slack

Objection 5: Yield unto Caesar what is Caesar’s.

Rebuttal: The United States of America are ruled by the law, not by any one or several people. In so far as representatives and judges do not follow the law, no one is required to yield them anything so unlawfully ordered.

I would also like to extend my appreciation to a great many people since I will not be likely to be able to talk with them again (unless the Secret Service is *astoundingly* incompetent.)

Thank you to my family, both personal and church, for your love over these 31 years.

Thank you to my friends, for your companionship over many years.

Thank you to my colleagues over many jobs, for your positivity and professionalism.

Thank you to my students for your enthusiasm and love of learning.

Thank you to the many acquaintances I’ve met, in person and online, for short interactions and long-term relationships, for your perspectives and inspiration.

Thank you all for everything.

Sincerely,

Cole “coldForce” “Friendly Federal Assassin” Allen

PS: Ok now that all the sappy stuff is done, what the hell is the Secret Service doing? Sorry, gonna rant a bit here and drop the formal tone.

Like, I expected security cameras at every bend, bugged hotel rooms, armed agents every 10 feet, metal detectors out the wazoo.

What I got (who knows, maybe they’re pranking me!) is nothing.

No damn security.

Not in transport.

Not in the hotel.

Not in the event.

Like, the one thing that I immediately noticed walking into the hotel is the sense of arrogance.

I walk in with multiple weapons and not a single person there considers the possibility that I could be a threat.

The security at the event is all outside, focused on protestors and current arrivals, because apparently no one thought about what happens if someone checks in the day before.

Like, this level of incompetence is insane, and I very sincerely hope it’s corrected by the time this country gets actually competent leadership again.

Like, if I was an Iranian agent, instead of an American citizen, I could have brought a damn Ma Deuce in here and no one would have noticed shit.

Actually insane.

Oh and if anyone is curious is how doing something like feels: it’s awful. I want to throw up; I want to cry for all the things I wanted to do and never will, for all the people whose trust this betrays; I experience rage thinking about everything this administration has done.

Can’t really recommend it! Stay in school, kids.



Source link