European calls to crack down on Russia’s shadow fleet of unflagged oil tankers surged this weekend, just ahead of a pivotal EU foreign ministers meeting set for Monday. The meeting is expected to impose sanctions on 180 additional vessels, bringing the EU’s total to 350 ships, a decisive move in the ongoing economic pressure campaign against the Kremlin. The shadow fleet, believed to consist of 500 to 700 ageing, poorly insured tankers, is accused of circumventing G7 sanctions imposed in 2022. These ships, many sailing under flags of convenience, are estimated to carry around 85% of Russia’s oil exports, funding…
Author: Elizabeth Jenrola Oso
A sophisticated hacking group known as Scattered Spider is actively facilitating cyber-attacks on major retailers in the UK and US, cybersecurity experts from Google have revealed. The group, made up of English-speaking hackers largely based in the UK, US, and Canada, has been linked to recent data breaches at top UK retailers including Marks & Spencer, the Co-op, and Harrods. According to Charles Carmakal, Chief Technology Officer at Google’s Mandiant cybersecurity division, the group has shifted its focus across the Atlantic, with US retail companies now squarely in its crosshairs. “They tend to focus on a particular industry sector and…
A Russian drone strike on an evacuation minibus in northeastern Ukraine has killed nine civilians, most of them elderly women, sparking renewed outrage and a call for tougher international sanctions from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The attack occurred early Saturday morning in Bilopillya, a town in the Sumy region near the Russian border, which has endured repeated bombardment in recent weeks. Local authorities say the bus was clearly marked and in the process of evacuating civilians when it was struck by at least one Lancet drone, a type of loitering munition used by Russian forces. “This was a deliberate killing…
A sweeping and deadly weather system tore across the Midwest on Friday, leaving a trail of destruction and heartbreak in its wake. At least 21 people have been confirmed dead across multiple states, with Kentucky, Missouri, and Illinois bearing the brunt of the devastation. In southeastern Kentucky, a catastrophic tornado caused what authorities are calling a mass casualty event, killing nine people in Laurel County alone. According to Governor Andy Beshear, the overall death toll in the state has climbed to 14, with that number expected to rise as search efforts continue. “Kentucky, we’re starting today with the tough news…
At least 146 Palestinians have been killed in the last 24 hours in Gaza, marking one of the deadliest escalations in the war since ceasefire talks collapsed in March. The intensified Israeli bombardment comes amid a near-total blockade on humanitarian aid, sparking international outrage and fears of a looming famine. According to Palestinian health officials, more than 300 people have died since Thursday due to Israeli airstrikes. The director of the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, Dr. Marwan al-Sultan, described the situation as “catastrophic,” reporting dozens of victims still trapped under the rubble. “Since midnight, we have received 58 martyrs,”…
André Ventura, the leader of Portugal’s far-right Chega party, has been hospitalised for the second time in two days after collapsing during a campaign rally.
At least 80 people have been killed in the latest wave of Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling across Gaza, as ceasefire negotiations stall and U.S. President Donald Trump draws global condemnation for suggesting the U.S. “take” Gaza and transform it into a “freedom zone.” Speaking during his Middle East tour in Qatar, Trump reiterated a controversial proposal he first outlined in February, an American-led redevelopment of Gaza as a luxury business and leisure destination. Critics have slammed the idea as a thinly veiled call for the displacement of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents. “I have concepts for Gaza that I think…
Singer Cassie Ventura, the former longtime girlfriend of music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, is expected to return to the witness stand on Friday for further cross-examination in the federal sex trafficking and racketeering case against Combs. Ventura, who is eight and a half months pregnant, has been testifying since Tuesday, providing harrowing accounts of alleged physical and sexual abuse she endured during her decade-long relationship with Combs. Her testimony is central to the prosecution’s case, which accuses Combs of running a criminal enterprise that included coercing women into sex and trafficking them across state lines. On Thursday, Ventura faced a…
Charles Strouse, the celebrated American composer behind Broadway classics such as Annie and Bye Bye Birdie, has died at the age of 96
The Mexican government is demanding compensation and a public apology from YouTube megastar MrBeast and his production company after he filmed and promoted a chocolate brand at the country’s ancient Maya ruins without proper authorization. The video, titled “I Explored 2,000 Year Old Ancient Temples,” was uploaded to MrBeast’s YouTube channel on May 10 and has already garnered more than 60 million views. In the video, the influencer, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, visits prominent archaeological sites including Calakmul and Chichén Itzá in southeastern Mexico. A line in the video, where MrBeast remarks, “I can’t believe the government’s letting…
