Police hunt fugitive in Monaco after 3 wounded in ‘deliberate explosion’

Three people were seriously injured, two of them critically, on Monday in an explosion at a residential building in Monaco, which authorities described as a “deliberate” act.
A source close to the investigations who asked not to be named told Agence France-Presse that one of those wounded was a Ukrainian oligarch, Vadym Yermolaiev.
The territory’s Minister of State Christophe Mirmand initially told Agence France-Presse the blast at a residential building appeared to be “an attack”, but later…

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Idaho might not even get to vote on legalizing marijuana (for some) after thousands of signatures are turned in late: report

Some Idaho voters want to see a medical marijuana initiative on November’s ballot – but their efforts hit a snag after a judge determined thousands of signatures supporting the measure were turned in late.
The Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho wants state residents to vote on legalizing marijuana for people with certain medical conditions. To get the initiative on November’s ballot, the group is required to gather petition signatures from voters across the state.
But their work hit a setback after a judge determined they were late to turn in about 4,000 signatures from residents of Minidoka County, located about 160 miles southeast of Boise. The ruling, issued by District Court Judge W. Reed Cotten on June 18, was first reported by the Idaho Capital Sun.
In his ruling, Cotten said a contractor with the Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho attempted to turn in the Minidoka County petition signatures on May 1, the day they were due, but arrived at the county clerk’s office around 5:07 p..

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‘Blackface without the makeup’: John Oliver shreds Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for impression of Hakeem Jeffries

Comedian John Oliver tore into Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Sunday for doing what he alleged was a racist impression of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
“Holy s***,” Oliver said of the impression during an episode of HBO’s Last Week Tonight. “I never thought I’d see blackface without the makeup, but it seems there’s a first time for everything. I don’t have a ton to say about that really except, A: f*** you.”
Blackface was a key feature in minstrel shows, a form of musical theatre in the mid-19th and early 20th centuries in which mostly white performers used dark stage makeup on their faces and exaggerated behavior to mock Black people using racist, demeaning stereotypes.
Oliver’s comments were in reference to a speech in April from DeSantis, in which the Republican governor imitated Jeffries, among the most prominent Black political leaders in the country.
On the clip aired on Last Week Tonight, DeSantis appeared to imitate Jeffries by lowering his pitch, waving a finger and ado..

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US, Iran agree to halt attacks after counter-strikes; Qatar to host Hormuz talks on Tuesday

US, Iran agree to halt attacks after counter-strikes The United States and Iran have agreed to halt counter-strikes and resume talks on Tuesday in Qatar's capital, Doha, to resolve their dispute over the Strait of Hormuz after days of military escalation threatened to derail the fragile ceasefire.The announcement came after multiple rounds of strikes around the Strait of Hormuz. The US carried out strikes on Iranian military targets after accusing Tehran of violating the ceasefire by attacking commercial vessels. Iran responded by launching ballistic missiles and drones at US military bases in Bahrain and Kuwait, while both sides exchanged fresh warnings over further escalation.According to Axios, the two countries have now agreed to stop attacking each other and continue technical negotiations in Doha.”We decided to stop all the kinetic activity,” a senior US official told Axios, referring to military strikes and other attacks.A second US official said both sides would stand down..

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Trump ally tells migrants to seek permanent status or leave US: ‘Fill out paperwork or…’

Migrants living in US under temporary protected status should either apply for permanent residency or return to their home countries, Homeland Security secretary Markwayne Mullin has said, following a US supreme court ruling that could lead to major changes in immigration protections.Speaking on CNN’s State of the Union, Mullin said those affected should either regularise their status or prepare to leave, adding that the government could assist with departure arrangements.“Either try to fill out the paperwork and be here underneath a permanent status or we'll help you get back to your country,” Mullin said.“We'll actually give you a plane ticket, plus roughly $2,100 to help you re-establish when you get there, but temporary protective status, according to the courts and in its name itself, is not permanent status,” he added.His comments came after a split US supreme court decision that cleared the way for the Trump administration to revoke humanitarian protections for hundred..

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Sovereign investors with US$29 trillion pivot to energy assets, flag dollar fears

Sovereign wealth funds and central banks managing US$29 trillion in assets are turning to energy assets, and raising concerns about the dollar, in a portfolio reassessment driven by unprecedented geopolitical shifts, according to a survey ‌published on Monday by independent global investment management firm Invesco.
The survey of 90 sovereign wealth funds and 54 central banks showed an increasing focus on diversification, and investment portfolios that can “take a hit and still hold it together”…

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British man arrested after woman’s body found in suitcase in Colombia

A British man has been arrested in Ecuador after a woman’s body was discovered inside a suitcase despite him reportedly tellingThe Sun that he was watching England at the time.
Local authorities say Matthew Ashley Foster-Smith is alleged to have caused the death of 36-year-old Natalia Villalba in an apartment in the Chico neighbourhood of Bogota, Colombia, on 18 June.
The 46-year-old from Bournemouth reportedly rang The Sun a day before his arrest and said: “I was watching England versus Croatia on a big screen in an Irish bar so it wasn’t me.
“After the match I went into the shopping centre, I mooched about, bought an ice cream, and came back later for the later games.”
England’s World Cup match took place on 17 June.
The Sun reported that the suspect made a second call to its newsdesk on Friday, before his arrest, with a source telling the newspaper that he was located via the phone calls he had made.
open image in galleryMatthew Ashley Foster-Smith was held at Quito International A..

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Hegseth has ‘undermined’ the US military, says Republican on Armed Services Committee

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing heat from a key House Republican as he continues reshaping the Pentagon to fit Donald Trump’s agenda.
Rep. Don Bacon, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, told CNN on Sunday that the firings at the Pentagon and the reported campaign of Hegseth slow-walking or denying promotions to senior officers, disproportionately women and people of color, was harming America’s fighting forces.
The criticism comes as the administration tries to wrap up a war with Iran that the president’s critics are calling a tactical defeat.
His comments follow another surprise resignation at the Pentagon. General Chris Donahue is stepping down as commander of U.S. forces in Africa and Europe after just a year and a half in the job, opting for retirement. Donahue was the U.S. commander who oversaw the final days of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan during the Biden administration, boarding the last plane out of Hamid Karzai International Airport.
“I think it’s..

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