13 days ago
(Widens distribution)
By Parisa Hafezi and Angus McDowall
DUBAI, Sept 3 (Reuters) - A U.S. campaign to throttle Iran's economy by blockading its oil exports and stopping sanctions evasion is growing increasingly difficult to withstand, three senior Iranian sources said.
Washington has in recent weeks sought to ratchet up the economic pressure on Tehran, in an effort to extract concessions in any future negotiation that six months of conflict have so far failed to secure.
Although Iran's clerical rulers managed to bypass sanctions for decades, the latest U.S. moves have left them in a far more sensitive position, with few remaining channels to secure foreign currency or buy goods, the sources said.
#widens
By Parisa Hafezi and Angus McDowall
DUBAI, Sept 3 (Reuters) - A U.S. campaign to throttle Iran's economy by blockading its oil exports and stopping sanctions evasion is growing increasingly difficult to withstand, three senior Iranian sources said.
Washington has in recent weeks sought to ratchet up the economic pressure on Tehran, in an effort to extract concessions in any future negotiation that six months of conflict have so far failed to secure.
Although Iran's clerical rulers managed to bypass sanctions for decades, the latest U.S. moves have left them in a far more sensitive position, with few remaining channels to secure foreign currency or buy goods, the sources said.
#widens
26 days ago
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri judge has allowed new U.S. House districts backed by President Donald Trump to be used in the November elections, rejecting a bid by to put the Republican-friendly districts to a statewide vote of the people.
The ruling Wednesday by Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green is a victory for Republicans seeking to hold onto their slim majority in the U.S. House. But the case is likely to end up in the state Supreme Court.
Missouri's new districts already were used in the August primaries. On that same day, Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected a petition with thousands of signatures seeking to force a November referendum on the map. Hoskins ******* erted that Missouri's Constitution doesn't allow a referendum on congressional redistricting.
The judge agreed with Hoskins and other Republicans, who joined in defense of the new map.
"The Missouri Constitution does not supply any statement — let alone a clear one — reallocating authority over congressional redistricting away from the General ******* embly to a referendum process," Green wrote in the ruling.
#hoskins #districts #House #republicans
The ruling Wednesday by Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green is a victory for Republicans seeking to hold onto their slim majority in the U.S. House. But the case is likely to end up in the state Supreme Court.
Missouri's new districts already were used in the August primaries. On that same day, Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected a petition with thousands of signatures seeking to force a November referendum on the map. Hoskins ******* erted that Missouri's Constitution doesn't allow a referendum on congressional redistricting.
The judge agreed with Hoskins and other Republicans, who joined in defense of the new map.
"The Missouri Constitution does not supply any statement — let alone a clear one — reallocating authority over congressional redistricting away from the General ******* embly to a referendum process," Green wrote in the ruling.
#hoskins #districts #House #republicans
27 days ago
GREENBELT, Md. (AP) — A former senior adviser to infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci pleaded guilty Tuesday to plotting to conceal federal records related to research on the origins of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. David Morens is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 12 by U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Greenbelt, Maryland. Morens pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the U.S. government, a felony punishable by a maximum prison sentence of five years.
"By pleading guilty today, Dr. Morens has taken responsibility for what he did, and he will continue to do so," defense attorney Tim Belevetz said in a statement after the plea hearing.
Morens is accused of using his private email account to intentionally circumvent public records laws while employed at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The Justice Department alleges that he concealed or destroyed records of discussions related to COVID-19 research grants, including an effort to revive a controversial coronavirus grant.
The indictment follows a probe by House Republicans into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic that scrutinized Morens' email communications and accused him of intentionally concealing records. In congressional testimony, Morens denied attempting to evade federal transparency laws by using his personal email.
#records #guilty #infectious #pleaded
Dr. David Morens is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 12 by U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Greenbelt, Maryland. Morens pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the U.S. government, a felony punishable by a maximum prison sentence of five years.
"By pleading guilty today, Dr. Morens has taken responsibility for what he did, and he will continue to do so," defense attorney Tim Belevetz said in a statement after the plea hearing.
Morens is accused of using his private email account to intentionally circumvent public records laws while employed at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The Justice Department alleges that he concealed or destroyed records of discussions related to COVID-19 research grants, including an effort to revive a controversial coronavirus grant.
The indictment follows a probe by House Republicans into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic that scrutinized Morens' email communications and accused him of intentionally concealing records. In congressional testimony, Morens denied attempting to evade federal transparency laws by using his personal email.
#records #guilty #infectious #pleaded
1 month ago
By Jody Godoy and Karen Freifeld
Aug 14 (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Friday ordered a lower court to reconsider whether China-based DJI, the world's largest drone maker, should be removed from a Pentagon list of companies allegedly supporting Beijing's military.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the lower court erred by relying only on the unclassified record in concluding that the company contributes to the Chinese defense industrial base.
DJI is one of a growing number of Chinese companies challenging their placement on the Pentagon's list of Chinese military companies. The list bars the Defense Department from contracting with designated companies, and a broader ban on buying their products via third parties takes effect in 2027.
"There is...no publicly stated rationale for why the Secretary believes DJI contributes to the Chinese defense industrial base," the appeals court said. "On remand, the district court may examine the classified record and determine whether to uphold the Secretary's determination .
#military
Aug 14 (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Friday ordered a lower court to reconsider whether China-based DJI, the world's largest drone maker, should be removed from a Pentagon list of companies allegedly supporting Beijing's military.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the lower court erred by relying only on the unclassified record in concluding that the company contributes to the Chinese defense industrial base.
DJI is one of a growing number of Chinese companies challenging their placement on the Pentagon's list of Chinese military companies. The list bars the Defense Department from contracting with designated companies, and a broader ban on buying their products via third parties takes effect in 2027.
"There is...no publicly stated rationale for why the Secretary believes DJI contributes to the Chinese defense industrial base," the appeals court said. "On remand, the district court may examine the classified record and determine whether to uphold the Secretary's determination .
#military
1 month ago
By Nelson Bocanegra
PEREIRA, Colombia, Aug 13 (Reuters) - With his lean, sinewy frame, and standing just over 5 feet (1.6 meters) tall, Julio Cesar Pineda feels he was destined for the work of burrowing into the debris of shattered buildings to find survivors — first when a quake hit his native Colombia in 1999, and again just this week.
His efforts have won him a nickname: "Rescate" ('Rescue').
When Monday's 7.4-magnitude earthquake pummeled western Colombia, the 67-year-old was at home, near the city of Pereira, in the country's coffee-growing region that was close to the epicenter of the disaster. A wall in his house collapsed, but Pineda was unhurt and decided to help those who might have been less fortunate.
"All I did was grab some gloves ... grab a helmet, and go save lives," Pineda told Reuters.
#pineda #nelson #cesar #rescate
PEREIRA, Colombia, Aug 13 (Reuters) - With his lean, sinewy frame, and standing just over 5 feet (1.6 meters) tall, Julio Cesar Pineda feels he was destined for the work of burrowing into the debris of shattered buildings to find survivors — first when a quake hit his native Colombia in 1999, and again just this week.
His efforts have won him a nickname: "Rescate" ('Rescue').
When Monday's 7.4-magnitude earthquake pummeled western Colombia, the 67-year-old was at home, near the city of Pereira, in the country's coffee-growing region that was close to the epicenter of the disaster. A wall in his house collapsed, but Pineda was unhurt and decided to help those who might have been less fortunate.
"All I did was grab some gloves ... grab a helmet, and go save lives," Pineda told Reuters.
#pineda #nelson #cesar #rescate
1 month ago
Aug 9 (Reuters) - Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have attacked Saudi Aramco's Jazan refinery, they said on Sunday, two days after the kingdom signed a defence pact with Turkey and Pakistan in response to growing regional instability from the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
The alliance with Sunni Muslim U.S. allies, Turkey and Pakistan, is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression and stipulates that an armed attack against any of the three would be regarded as an attack on all.
It was not clear whether or how either Pakistan or Turkey would join in any Saudi response to the latest attacks.
The Houthis declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea last month, citing what they said was a Saudi siege on them, an allegation Riyadh denies.
The Saudi energy ministry said a fire had broken out at the refinery but was later extinguished with no injuries and authorities were dealing with the incident, without giving a cause.
#Iran #refinery
The alliance with Sunni Muslim U.S. allies, Turkey and Pakistan, is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression and stipulates that an armed attack against any of the three would be regarded as an attack on all.
It was not clear whether or how either Pakistan or Turkey would join in any Saudi response to the latest attacks.
The Houthis declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea last month, citing what they said was a Saudi siege on them, an allegation Riyadh denies.
The Saudi energy ministry said a fire had broken out at the refinery but was later extinguished with no injuries and authorities were dealing with the incident, without giving a cause.
#Iran #refinery
2 months ago
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Patrick Clancy, the father of three young children strangled inside their Massachusetts home, became the first witness Monday in his ex-wife's murder trial, offering jurors a harrowing account of the mental health decline he witnessed before their deaths.
He was the first witness called in the trial of Lindsay Clancy, who faces murder charges in the deaths of the couple's three children in January 2023. Prosecutors argue she acted deliberately, while defense attorneys contend severe mental illness drove her actions.
Patrick described watching his then-wife fall into a "big spiral" after she began taking Seroquel, testifying that she lost weight, became severely depressed and began expressing suicidal thoughts.
"Awful," he said when asked how Lindsay was doing physically after starting the medication. "That was really where her big spiral started. She started to lose a lot of weight, and she became very depressed, and she was having a really hard time."
#patrick #clancy #witness
Patrick Clancy, the father of three young children strangled inside their Massachusetts home, became the first witness Monday in his ex-wife's murder trial, offering jurors a harrowing account of the mental health decline he witnessed before their deaths.
He was the first witness called in the trial of Lindsay Clancy, who faces murder charges in the deaths of the couple's three children in January 2023. Prosecutors argue she acted deliberately, while defense attorneys contend severe mental illness drove her actions.
Patrick described watching his then-wife fall into a "big spiral" after she began taking Seroquel, testifying that she lost weight, became severely depressed and began expressing suicidal thoughts.
"Awful," he said when asked how Lindsay was doing physically after starting the medication. "That was really where her big spiral started. She started to lose a lot of weight, and she became very depressed, and she was having a really hard time."
#patrick #clancy #witness
2 months ago
From cookware to tech, TODAY lifestyle and commerce contributor, Jill Martin, shares deals for up to 80 percent off on home essentials for fall. Items include a Vicks humidifier, an Infini sculpt and lift gua sha, a cooling comforter 3-piece set from The Nesting Company, and more!
#today #nesting #company
#today #nesting #company
2 months ago
SEOUL, July 20 (Reuters) - Lee Seung-ho watched the nearly 300 million won ($202,515) stock trading fortune he built with a 500% margin loan evaporate in just four weeks in May, but he plans to borrow again and return to the market the moment he has enough capital.
The 24-year-old South Korean university student in Seoul briefly turned the 20 million won he saved during mandatory military service into a 15-fold windfall, all by tapping a "tiny circle **** on" on his trading app that instantly unlocked five-times leverage.
Then the market turned.
Violent swings in South Korean stocks triggered a cascade of forced liquidations by his brokerage, wiping out the gains. Within weeks, his account had fallen below his initial investment, leaving him under such strain that he said: "I literally could not breathe."
"But I'm sticking to margin loans," Lee said from his studio apartment, barely larger than a parking **** e, next to an empty Hibiki whisky and an unboxed electric fan gifted by his brokerage after he qualified as a VIP client.
#weeks
The 24-year-old South Korean university student in Seoul briefly turned the 20 million won he saved during mandatory military service into a 15-fold windfall, all by tapping a "tiny circle **** on" on his trading app that instantly unlocked five-times leverage.
Then the market turned.
Violent swings in South Korean stocks triggered a cascade of forced liquidations by his brokerage, wiping out the gains. Within weeks, his account had fallen below his initial investment, leaving him under such strain that he said: "I literally could not breathe."
"But I'm sticking to margin loans," Lee said from his studio apartment, barely larger than a parking **** e, next to an empty Hibiki whisky and an unboxed electric fan gifted by his brokerage after he qualified as a VIP client.
#weeks
3 months ago
TOKYO (AP) — China has detained two ****** anese citizens suspected of smuggling items prohibited from import or export, a ****** anese official said Wednesday, in a case reportedly linked to rare earths, critical materials that are largely controlled by Beijing.
Japans's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters in Tokyo that ****** anese consular offices in Shenyang and Dalian were notified by the Chinese customs authorities that the two ****** anese nationals were detained, one on May 18 and another one a week later, "in the same alleged case."
Kihara said the two were in good health, but refused to give further details about them or the case, on grounds of their privacy and the ongoing investigation.
In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun confirmed the detention of two ****** anese citizens for violating Chinese laws, but did not give any details of the case.
"What we would like to emphasize is that the ****** anese side should educate and remind ****** anese citizens and enterprises in China to abide by Chinese laws and regulations," Guo told a daily briefing.
Japans's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters in Tokyo that ****** anese consular offices in Shenyang and Dalian were notified by the Chinese customs authorities that the two ****** anese nationals were detained, one on May 18 and another one a week later, "in the same alleged case."
Kihara said the two were in good health, but refused to give further details about them or the case, on grounds of their privacy and the ongoing investigation.
In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun confirmed the detention of two ****** anese citizens for violating Chinese laws, but did not give any details of the case.
"What we would like to emphasize is that the ****** anese side should educate and remind ****** anese citizens and enterprises in China to abide by Chinese laws and regulations," Guo told a daily briefing.
3 months ago
A new investigation shows how a tanker lost its refueling boom last year.
The Air Force blamed pilot and boom operator errors in the nearly $10 million mishap.
Boom problems have been tied to past mishaps.
A routine aerial refueling mission last year turned into a nearly $10 million mishap after a tanker lost its entire refueling boom while attempting to refuel an F-22 Raptor.
On July 8, 2025, a KC-46A Pegasus tanker and an F-22A Raptor were conducting refueling operations roughly 100 miles off the coast of Virginia when the tanker boom became stuck in the fighter's refueling receptacle, according to a new Air Force accident investigation released last week.
The Air Force blamed pilot and boom operator errors in the nearly $10 million mishap.
Boom problems have been tied to past mishaps.
A routine aerial refueling mission last year turned into a nearly $10 million mishap after a tanker lost its entire refueling boom while attempting to refuel an F-22 Raptor.
On July 8, 2025, a KC-46A Pegasus tanker and an F-22A Raptor were conducting refueling operations roughly 100 miles off the coast of Virginia when the tanker boom became stuck in the fighter's refueling receptacle, according to a new Air Force accident investigation released last week.
3 months ago
An Ohio police chief is facing the possibility of spending the rest of his life behind bars after being slapped with a 70-count indictment for alleged **** crimes involving a child.
Bethel Police Chief Chad Essert, 44, was taken into custody without incident Tuesday night in Seminole, Florida, by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
A Clermont County grand jury indicted the Blanchester, Ohio, resident on 56 counts of **** ual battery and 14 counts of unlawful **** ual conduct with a minor — all third-degree felonies.
Texas Sheriff Arrested By His Own Deputies, Now Faces New Charge For Lying To Grand Jury
If convicted of all charges, Essert faces a maximum penalty of 280 years in prison.
Bethel Police Chief Chad Essert, 44, was taken into custody without incident Tuesday night in Seminole, Florida, by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
A Clermont County grand jury indicted the Blanchester, Ohio, resident on 56 counts of **** ual battery and 14 counts of unlawful **** ual conduct with a minor — all third-degree felonies.
Texas Sheriff Arrested By His Own Deputies, Now Faces New Charge For Lying To Grand Jury
If convicted of all charges, Essert faces a maximum penalty of 280 years in prison.
3 months ago
By Joshua McElwee and Corina Pons
MADRID, June 7 (Reuters) - Over a million people filled the streets near one of Madrid's main squares on Sunday to join Pope Leo for an outdoor Mass, likely to be the largest event of his week-long visit to Spain, where the pope said God stands with society's poor and forsaken.
Throngs of people pressed along barriers near the landmark Cibeles Square, waving flags and shouting "Long live the pope", as Leo arrived in his white popemobile for the event. Some tossed flower petals as he arrived in the square.
Some 1.2 million people were in the square and its surrounding streets, the Vatican and local organisers said.
Leo urged the crowds to live their Catholic faith by helping others in his sermon for the Mass. He said that God "identifies with the poor, the downtrodden, those who are alone and forsaken".
MADRID, June 7 (Reuters) - Over a million people filled the streets near one of Madrid's main squares on Sunday to join Pope Leo for an outdoor Mass, likely to be the largest event of his week-long visit to Spain, where the pope said God stands with society's poor and forsaken.
Throngs of people pressed along barriers near the landmark Cibeles Square, waving flags and shouting "Long live the pope", as Leo arrived in his white popemobile for the event. Some tossed flower petals as he arrived in the square.
Some 1.2 million people were in the square and its surrounding streets, the Vatican and local organisers said.
Leo urged the crowds to live their Catholic faith by helping others in his sermon for the Mass. He said that God "identifies with the poor, the downtrodden, those who are alone and forsaken".
3 months ago
PARIS (AP) — Former American supermodel Carré Otis filed a complaint Friday at a Paris court alleging she was raped and trafficked by Gérald Marie, the former European head of Elite Model agency, in a move her lawyer said is meant to encourage other potential victims to come forward.
Marie has denied the allegations and cannot be prosecuted over Otis' case because of France's statute of limitations. But the complaint could allow other women, whether their cases are time-barred or not, to join the proceedings, Otis' lawyer, Mathias Darmon, said in a statement to The ******* ociated Press.
The complaint, seen by the AP, alleges rape of a minor and human trafficking.
Sent to Paris in 1986 by Elite Model agency, Otis, who was then 17, was housed in Marie's apartment, "mistakenly believing that he wanted to support her modeling career," according to the complaint. "While living in the apartment, she alleges that she was raped on multiple occasions by the accused, who subsequently arranged for her to be provided to other wealthy men across Europe."
Otis was never paid for her modeling work, the complaint said.
Marie has denied the allegations and cannot be prosecuted over Otis' case because of France's statute of limitations. But the complaint could allow other women, whether their cases are time-barred or not, to join the proceedings, Otis' lawyer, Mathias Darmon, said in a statement to The ******* ociated Press.
The complaint, seen by the AP, alleges rape of a minor and human trafficking.
Sent to Paris in 1986 by Elite Model agency, Otis, who was then 17, was housed in Marie's apartment, "mistakenly believing that he wanted to support her modeling career," according to the complaint. "While living in the apartment, she alleges that she was raped on multiple occasions by the accused, who subsequently arranged for her to be provided to other wealthy men across Europe."
Otis was never paid for her modeling work, the complaint said.
3 months ago
By Tatiana Bautzer and Nupur Anand
NEW YORK, June 4 (Reuters) - Wall Street's investment banking giants are feting hopeful buyers of Elon Musk's **** eX at splashy events that kicked off on Thursday, offering something most banks can't: access to the rocketmaker's top executives ahead of its blockbuster IPO next week.
Musk himself showed up at a lead event – virtually.
His futuristic IPO, which bases its lofty valuation on sci-fi concepts like colonizing Mars and data centers in **** e, has captured the imagination – and wallets – of Wall Street and investors clamoring for a piece of the action.
Bank of America, JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley are all hosting events over the next few days.
NEW YORK, June 4 (Reuters) - Wall Street's investment banking giants are feting hopeful buyers of Elon Musk's **** eX at splashy events that kicked off on Thursday, offering something most banks can't: access to the rocketmaker's top executives ahead of its blockbuster IPO next week.
Musk himself showed up at a lead event – virtually.
His futuristic IPO, which bases its lofty valuation on sci-fi concepts like colonizing Mars and data centers in **** e, has captured the imagination – and wallets – of Wall Street and investors clamoring for a piece of the action.
Bank of America, JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley are all hosting events over the next few days.
