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  • Tinder and Zoom offer ‘proof of humanity’ eye-scans to combat AI

    Tinder and Zoom offer ‘proof of humanity’ eye-scans to combat AI

    As artificial intelligence grows more capable of mimicking human behavior and likeness, two major digital platforms — dating giant Tinder and enterprise video conferencing service Zoom — are turning to cutting-edge biometric authentication to root out fake bot accounts and deepfake scams.

    The new verification system relies on advanced iris-scanning technology developed by World, a biometrics startup previously known as Worldcoin and World Network. Operated by Tools for Humanity, a firm co-founded and chaired by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, the project lets users confirm their human identity via a scan of their irises — the unique colored portions of the eye that are more biologically distinct than even fingerprints. Users can complete the scan either through a mobile app or a dedicated orb-shaped scanning device provided by World. Once verified, users receive a blockchain-stored unique digital credential called a World ID saved to their smartphone, which they can use to prove their humanity across participating platforms.

    World representatives emphasize that the verification process is designed to be anonymous, with no requirement for users to submit basic personal data such as full names or home addresses to receive a World ID. To date, more than 40 million people globally have registered for a World ID through the company’s platform.

    The push for stronger identity verification comes as platforms face a surge in AI-driven malicious activity over the past two years. On Tinder, which is owned by Match Group, automated bot accounts have become a pervasive problem: these fake profiles typically use AI-generated photos and scripted conversations to lure real users into romance scams that steal money or sensitive personal data. One Tinder user documented last year that an estimated 30% of all profiles she encountered were AI-powered romance scammers optimized to manipulate users emotionally.

    U.S. Federal Trade Commission data confirms the scale of this crisis: American consumers lost more than $1 billion to romance scams alone last year. To address this issue, Match Group already rolled out mandatory video selfie verification for all Tinder users in late 2024. The optional integration with World ID will serve as an additional, more robust verification layer for users who choose to opt in. “Partnering with World ID is a natural next step” for the platform, said Yoel Roth, Match Group’s head of trust and safety, noting that the tool will help users confidently confirm that the person they are interacting with is a real human being.

    For Zoom, the technology addresses a different but equally urgent threat: increasingly convincing deepfake impersonation that targets business and professional video conferences. In a high-profile 2024 case, a Hong Kong-based employee was defrauded out of $25 million after being tricked by deepfake video of the company’s CFO and multiple senior colleagues during a fraudulent video call. Industry analysis from Deloitte projects that total losses from deepfake-enabled financial fraud could hit $40 billion annually in the U.S. alone by 2027. Like on Tinder, World ID verification will be an optional tool for Zoom users to publicly prove their identity during calls, helping participants avoid falling victim to impersonation scams.

    As AI capabilities continue to advance, the partnership between these major platforms and World marks one of the first widespread deployments of iris-scanning biometrics for consumer-facing identity verification, setting a potential precedent for how digital platforms will tackle AI-driven abuse in the coming years.

  • Ontario Premier Doug Ford criticised for $21m private jet purchase

    Ontario Premier Doug Ford criticised for $21m private jet purchase

    A planned C$28.9 million ($21 million) acquisition of a pre-owned private jet by Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s provincial government has sparked fierce public and political criticism across Canada, with opponents labeling the aircraft a symbol of elite entitlement disconnected from everyday Ontarians’ struggles.

    Breaking news of the deal first in Friday reporting, the Toronto Star confirmed the purchase of the 2016 Bombardier Challenger 650, an executive jet manufactured right here in Canada, which Ford’s office later formally acknowledged in an official media statement. In its defense of the expenditure, Ford’s administration argued the jet is a necessary investment for the premier’s official travel needs, highlighting that Ontario covers more than twice the land area of the U.S. state of Texas. The aircraft, they said, will enable more reliable, flexible, secure and private travel for the premier across the province, as well as for his frequent out-of-province and cross-border trips.

    A key stated mission for the jet, according to Ford’s office, is supporting the premier’s ongoing lobbying campaign in the United States to push for the removal of Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods. Ford has made this anti-tariff effort a centerpiece of his cross-border outreach, making regular appearances on U.S. news networks and funding anti-tariff advertising that has already drawn the ire of the former president – Trump once temporarily paused U.S.-Canada trade negotiations over an Ontario ad that featured former U.S. President Ronald Reagan. Just last week, the premier traveled to Texas to meet with automotive industry leaders and Texas Governor Greg Abbott as part of this work. Prior to this purchase, Ford relied on chartered private aircraft for his official travel.

    The purchase has drawn intense pushback from across the political spectrum and advocacy groups. Marit Stiles, leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party, the province’s official opposition, condemned the deal in a post on X, arguing Ford should fly commercial economy class just like ordinary Ontario residents. Appearing later on a morning breakfast television program, Stiles emphasized that many households across the province are currently struggling to cover basic living costs, including rent and grocery bills, calling the timing of the luxury purchase “terrible”.

    The Canadian Taxpayers Federation, a non-partisan advocacy group that monitors government spending on behalf of Canadian taxpayers, has also called on Ford to cancel the purchase and commit to continuing commercial air travel for official trips.

    In pushing back against criticism, Ford’s office has attempted to frame the purchase as a cost-saving measure compared to other recent government jet acquisitions across Canada. The statement noted that Ontario’s C$28.9 million price tag is far lower than the C$107 million the province of Quebec paid for a fleet of three Challenger 650 jets – one pre-owned and two new – purchased for the province’s air ambulance service. It also referenced the federal Canadian government’s late December 2025 announcement of a C$753 million purchase of six new Bombardier Global 6500 jets, which are set to replace aging Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft used to transport the prime minister, other senior officials, and support military operations.

    This controversy is not without historical precedent in Ontario. Back in 1981, then-Premier Bill Davis faced massive public outcry over his own government’s purchase of a multi-million-dollar Challenger jet. The mounting criticism ultimately forced the Davis administration to retrofit the jet to serve as an air ambulance, and Davis eventually backed down and sold the aircraft, replacing it with two water bombers designed for fighting forest fires.

    For Ford, who won a historic third consecutive majority government in Ontario last year after holding office since 2018, the controversy comes as his public approval rating remains among the lowest of any provincial premier in Canada. An Angus Reid poll conducted earlier this year placed Ford’s approval at just 31%, a weak standing that leaves the premier particularly vulnerable to criticism over high-profile, costly government spending.

  • Conservative US town grapples with potential ICE detention centre

    Conservative US town grapples with potential ICE detention centre

    Nestled in rural Georgia, the traditionally conservative small community of Social Circle finds itself united in uncommon opposition to a federal proposal that has divided communities across the United States for years. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has recently floated a plan to repurpose a long-vacant local warehouse into a new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility, a project that has sparked immediate pushback from across the local political spectrum.

    What makes this resistance particularly notable is that it crosses longstanding party lines. In a town where conservative politics have long dominated local elections and voter preferences, both Republican-leaning and Democratic-leaning residents have come together to reject the federal government’s plan. Neighbors who often disagree on national policy issues have found common ground in their concern over what the detention center would mean for their tight-knit community.

    Local residents have raised a host of concerns about the proposal, from the impact on property values and local infrastructure to broader questions about the role of the small town in the national immigration enforcement system. Many long-term residents say the quiet, close community they have built would be fundamentally altered by housing a large detention facility, bringing with it increased security activity and a shift in the town’s identity that most are not willing to accept.

    The proposal comes amid ongoing national debate over U.S. immigration policy and the expansion of immigration detention capacity across the country. As federal officials continue to search for locations to house detainees amid rising numbers of border crossings, small towns like Social Circle are increasingly being asked to host these facilities – and in this case, the community has delivered a clear, bipartisan rebuke.

  • Tensions lift prices, reshape farm trade

    Tensions lift prices, reshape farm trade

    Global agricultural markets and everyday consumers across the world are facing growing strain from two overlapping sources of instability: escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and persistent uncertainty around United States trade policy, industry and policy experts warned during a recent media briefing held at the Port of Los Angeles. The event brought together top port leadership and international relations scholars to examine how regional conflict, disrupted shipping corridors, and unpredictable tariff policies are sending new ripple effects through economies far beyond coastal cargo terminals and port infrastructure.

  • International shipping under threat from blockade

    International shipping under threat from blockade

    Following the collapse of US-Iran diplomatic negotiations and the implementation of a sweeping US military blockade on all vessels entering or exiting Iranian coastal areas and ports, global maritime shipping faces unprecedented new disruptions at the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz, according to industry experts and global officials.

    The blockade officially entered into force on Monday, closing off the narrow waterway that connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the wider Arabian Sea. US Central Command confirmed that no commercial vessels have successfully passed through the US naval cordon in the first 48 hours of the operation. Despite the escalating tensions, the White House claimed in a televised interview Wednesday that the ongoing conflict in Iran is “very close to over.”

    Iran has issued a sharp retaliatory warning in response. The commander of Iran’s joint military command stated Wednesday that the country will shut down all commercial trade activity across the entire Gulf region if the US does not reverse the blockade immediately. Data from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, a division of the UK Royal Navy, confirms the blockade is enforced by a fleet of at least 15 US warships deployed in the area.

    By Monday, the disruption had already stranded an estimated 20,000 seafarers and roughly 1,600 commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf, said Arsenio Dominguez, secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization. The crisis has sparked urgent alarm across global shipping firms, international businesses, and commodity traders, with immediate ripple effects already visible in global energy markets. On Thursday, Brent crude, the global benchmark for oil prices, climbed to $96.32 per barrel, a sharp jump from its pre-conflict average of roughly $70 per barrel.

    Mohammad Elahee, a professor of international business at Connecticut’s Quinnipiac University, noted the strait’s outsized role in global energy supplies: “Approximately 20 million barrels of oil, 20 percent of the world’s daily oil supply and one-third of all seaborne oil traded globally, pass through this narrow waterway that is effectively controlled by Iran.” Data from maritime analytics firm Kpler shows Iran exported an average of 1.84 million barrels of crude per day in March 2026, and has hit 1.71 million barrels per day so far in April, up from a 2025 average of 1.68 million barrels per day.

    The concept of US-escorted commercial shipping through the strait was previously floated by former US president Donald Trump, but experts warn the plan carries major practical and economic barriers. “The US Navy could, in theory, escort ships through there, but that would be expensive and slow,” explained Robert Kaufmann, an affiliate faculty member of the Boston University Global Development Policy Center.

    The United Nations has called on all parties to uphold the longstanding principle of freedom of navigation through the strait. “The secretary-general’s position has been consistent: No one should do anything that harms the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN secretary-general. “That freedom of navigation is based on international law and years and years of custom.”

    Beyond energy markets, the crisis also threatens to upend global food systems, as the strait is a key transit route for global fertilizer trade. Delays and supply uncertainty have already pushed fertilizer prices higher, according to Luis Ribera, an extension economist in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M University. “Slower shipments through the Strait of Hormuz make fertilizer prices increase more, both because of the slower shipments and the uncertainty,” Ribera said.

    The UN Food and Agriculture Organization has issued a formal warning that the ongoing crisis could drive up global food prices worldwide. William Wilson, a professor of agribusiness and applied economics at North Dakota State University, summarized the widespread risk: “Everything going on in Hormuz is very negative to agriculture — negative for the world economy and for the world food economy in particular.”

  • Trump says Iran war could end ‘pretty soon’

    Trump says Iran war could end ‘pretty soon’

    WASHINGTON, April 17 — Less than two weeks after addressing the ongoing Iran conflict from the White House Cross Hall, U.S. President Donald Trump has laid out an optimistic timeline for a conclusion to the military engagement. Speaking at a public event in Las Vegas, Nevada on Thursday, the commander-in-chief characterized the war’s progression as “going swimmingly” and suggested the conflict could wrap up much sooner than many analysts have projected.

    The update comes amid a months-long period of heightened tensions in the Middle East that has roiled global shipping, disrupted energy markets, and drawn sharp criticism and pushback from major global powers including China, which has openly opposed U.S. plans to sanction international buyers of Iranian crude oil and has repeatedly called for a diplomatic resolution to the standoff. The U.S. has imposed a full blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for roughly 20% of the world’s daily oil trade, putting international commercial shipping at constant risk of disruption and escalating safety concerns for commercial crews and vessel operators across the region.

    This is not the first time Trump has spoken publicly about the conflict. On April 1, 2026, he delivered a formal address on the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House, marking one of his most high-profile public comments on the military operation before Thursday’s remarks in Nevada. The president’s latest optimistic projection contrasts with warnings from global foreign policy leaders that the conflict could spiral into a wider regional war that draws in multiple neighboring nations and disrupts the global economy for years to come.

    As of the latest update, diplomatic efforts to broker a ceasefire remain stalled, though the international community continues to push for a return to negotiations to avoid further bloodshed and regional instability.

  • Avengers reassemble and Top Gun flies back – Hollywood studios preview their new movies

    Avengers reassemble and Top Gun flies back – Hollywood studios preview their new movies

    The global film industry’s most anticipated annual preview event, CinemaCon, kicked off this week in Las Vegas, drawing A-list stars, award-winning directors, and studio executives to the stage to share exclusive first looks at the biggest upcoming blockbusters and franchise installments. Footage and trailers screened at the invite-only industry gathering often reach fans days or even weeks before they are released online, making the event a must-watch for movie lovers around the world. Here are all the most groundbreaking announcements and first looks that made headlines out of this year’s convention.

    As the conference drew to a close on Thursday, Disney pulled back the curtain on the first full official trailer for the highly anticipated next chapter of the Avengers franchise, *Avengers: Doomsday*. The four-minute clip gave fans their first on-screen look at Robert Downey Jr.—who portrayed fan-favorite hero Iron Man in 2019’s *Avengers: Endgame*—stepping into the role of iconic masked villain Doctor Doom. The upcoming film, scheduled to hit theaters on December 18, 2026, unites a sprawling cast of both legacy and new Marvel characters. Footage showed a tense action sequence between Channing Tatum’s Gambit and Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi, plus a return of Patrick Stewart as the X-Men’s Professor Xavier, who delivers a foreboding warning: “Something’s coming, something we may not be able to deter.” Chris Evans also reprises his role as Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, who appears before Chris Hemsworth’s Thor as Mjolnir flies directly into Rogers’ hands. Speaking to the packed CinemaCon crowd, Evans explained his decision to return to the role: “I said I would only come back if there was a real reason. And in Doomsday, there is a very real reason that these heroes need Steve Rogers.”

    Paramount Pictures made one of the week’s most exciting announcements, confirming that global superstar Tom Cruise will reprise his role as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in *Top Gun 3*. Josh Greenstein, Paramount’s president of motion picture distribution, told attendees that the sequel to 2022’s record-breaking *Top Gun: Maverick* is “officially in development with a script well under way.” The 2022 installment earned a staggering $1.5 billion at the global box office, delivering a much-needed boost to struggling theater chains as audiences began returning to cinemas in droves following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cruise was already on-site earlier in the week to preview his upcoming dramatic departure from action roles, *Digger*, where he portrays a gray-haired oil baron forced to clean up the environmental disaster he created.

    Fresh off her critically acclaimed, Oscar-nominated performance in *Wicked*, pop superstar Ariana Grande is shifting gears to comedy in the next installment of the beloved *Meet The Parents* franchise, *Focker In-Law*. Grande will star opposite original leads Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro in the follow-up, which shifts focus to the next generation of the franchise’s iconic family dynamic. Where Stiller’s character Greg spent the first film fighting to earn his girlfriend’s father’s approval, the new movie will see Stiller’s son navigate the same tension, with Grande playing his love interest. The first official trailer for the film premiered at CinemaCon and has already been released to the public online.

    Acclaimed director Christopher Nolan is set to make his first return to cinemas since 2023’s Oscar-winning Best Picture *Oppenheimer* with a sweeping adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic *The Odyssey*. The film stars an all-star ensemble cast including Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, and Zendaya. Nolan treated CinemaCon attendees to an exclusive early screening of the film’s iconic Trojan Horse sequence, which has not yet been released to the public, though a full trailer dropped online ahead of the event. Explaining what drew him to the centuries-old story, Nolan told the crowd: “It’s a story that has fascinated generation after generation for 3,000 years. It’s not a story, but the story. I wanted to grab the exciting opportunity of bringing it to a modern cinema audience.”

    The cast and crew of the hit *Dune* franchise, including leads Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and Jason Momoa, joined director Denis Villeneuve on stage to introduce an exclusive seven-minute opening sequence from the franchise’s third installment. Villeneuve told the audience that *Dune: Part Three* will have a very different tone from its predecessors, framing it as more of a tight thriller than the sprawling epics of the first two films. “It’s more action-packed, faster-paced, and more emotional,” he explained. Variety’s on-site reporter echoed that description, writing that “things get violent, loud and deadly, fast.” A full trailer for the film launched online last month, and the movie is set to premiere on the exact same day as *Avengers: Doomsday*—December 18, 2026—setting up what film fans have already dubbed the “Dunesday” box office showdown between two of the year’s biggest releases.

    A posthumous project for late *Top Gun* star Val Kilmer has sparked new industry debate about the use of artificial intelligence in Hollywood, after filmmakers used AI to recreate Kilmer’s performance for the upcoming film *As Deep As The Grave*. Kilmer was cast in the role of a Catholic priest in the American West before his death in 2025, but he never got the chance to film his scenes. With full approval from Kilmer’s family, filmmakers used AI technology to generate a digital performance of the actor, and the first trailer premiered at CinemaCon. The clip shows Kilmer’s digital counterpart at multiple points in his character’s life, ending with a haunting line delivered to a young child: “Don’t fear the dead, and don’t fear me.” While the visual quality of the AI recreation has been widely praised as convincing, the project has amplified longstanding concerns among Hollywood performers and creatives that AI could eventually replace human actors in mainstream productions.

    Amazon MGM Studios also shared a cautious update on the future of the legendary James Bond franchise, confirming that the studio is taking its time to find the right actor to step into the iconic role of 007. “I know you’re all wondering when we’re going to announce who’s playing James Bond,” said Courtenay Valenti, head of film at Amazon MGM Studios. “Please know that we’re taking the time to do this with care and deep respect. It is the dream of a lifetime for all of us to bring audiences this next chapter, and it’s a responsibility we don’t take lightly. What I can tell you is this: When you pair one of the most beloved franchises in history with a world-class film-making team… you’re setting the stage for something that’s truly worthy of the Bond legacy. That film is coming, and when the time is right, we’ll have much more to share.”

    Beloved marmalade-loving bear Paddington is set to return for a fourth big-screen adventure, StudioCanal confirmed at CinemaCon. The character has already spawned three hit feature films and a record-breaking West End musical, which took home multiple Olivier Awards just last weekend. While few plot details have been revealed, Studiocanal chief executive Anna Marsh confirmed that “world-renowned comedy writers” are already attached to the project.

    Sixteen years after *The Social Network* chronicled the founding of Facebook, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin is stepping into the director’s chair for a follow-up focused on the 2021 Facebook whistleblower leak, titled *The Social Reckoning*. *Succession* star Jeremy Strong will portray Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, joining a cast that also includes Mikey Madison and Wunmi Mosaku. “There isn’t a life that Facebook’s algorithm hasn’t touched, and that influence has shaped everything. So it’s time to say more,” Sorkin told the CinemaCon crowd. The trailer was screened exclusively for convention attendees and has not been released to the public. The film is scheduled for a October 2026 release, positioning it perfectly for upcoming awards season consideration.

    Fresh off his Oscar win for Best Actor for *Sinners*, Michael B. Jordan is set to star in and direct a modern reimagining of the 1999 heist classic *The Thomas Crown Affair*, itself a remake of the 1968 original starring Pierce Brosnan. The first trailer premiered at CinemaCon, giving attendees their first look at Jordan in the lead role, alongside co-stars Adria Arjona, Lily Gladstone, and Aubrey Plaza.

    Comedy legend Mel Brooks delighted the crowd by unveiling the official title for the long-awaited sequel to his 1987 Star Wars parody *Spaceballs*, titled *Spaceballs: The New One*. Multiple original cast members will return for the follow-up, including Brooks himself, George Wyner, Daphne Zuniga, and Bill Pullman. The film also marks the return of Rick Moranis, one of the biggest box office stars of the 1980s and 1990s, who has not appeared in a live-action feature film for nearly 30 years. According to Variety’s on-site reporting, the first trailer spoofs everything from modern *Star Wars* installments to *Avatar* and *Harry Potter*.

    A new biographical drama *I Play Rocky*, which chronicles the turbulent production of 1976’s iconic boxing classic *Rocky*, premiered its first trailer at the convention. Rising star Anthony Ippolito portrays a young Sylvester Stallone during the film’s development, and the performance earned early praise from attendees for Ippolito’s accurate capture of Stallone’s signature mannerisms, posture, and speech patterns.

    After the 2024 film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s *It Ends With Us* became a surprise box office hit (overtaking headlines for the public fallout between co-stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni), another of Hoover’s bestselling novels is getting the big-screen treatment: *Verity*. The thriller will star Dakota Johnson, Josh Hartnett, and Anne Hathaway. It follows a struggling young writer who is hired to finish the remaining books of a famous author after a mysterious accident leaves her incapacitated, only to uncover a dangerous unfinished manuscript that hides dark secrets.

    The hit modern *Jumanji* franchise is returning for another installment, with leads Kevin Hart, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and Jack Black announcing the new film’s title: *Jumanji: Open World*. “We’re pumped about being back,” Hart told the crowd. Johnson added that the production has kept the original dice that appeared in the 1995 *Jumanji* film starring Robin Williams, saying: “Robin, as we like to say, this one’s for you.”

    Disney also shared a slew of additional announcements during its CinemaCon presentation, including the first footage from *Toy Story 5*, the fifth installment of the decades-long animated franchise. Footage showed longtime leads Woody and Buzz Lightyear teaming up (and bickering) to save their fellow toys from a new digital threat named Lilypad. Original voice actors Tom Hanks and Tim Allen took the stage together, joking about the 30 years that have passed since the first *Toy Story* film: “We looked at a video of us doing the first one – we look like our grandchildren,” Allen joked. Dwayne Johnson also previewed footage from Disney’s upcoming live-action *Moana* remake, while Queen Latifah shared a first look at *Ice Age: Boiling Point*. Disney also screened new clips from *The Devil Wears Prada 2*, which sees Meryl Streep reprise her legendary role as frosty fashion editor Miranda Priestly. Director Jon Favreau also introduced the opening scene of his upcoming new *Star Wars* feature, *The Mandalorian and Grogu*.

  • Singer D4vd arrested in connection to death of runaway teen

    Singer D4vd arrested in connection to death of runaway teen

    A rising American music artist and viral TikTok personality known professionally as d4vd has been taken into custody by Los Angeles law enforcement, linked to the fatal killing of a teenage girl who disappeared last year, officials confirmed this week. The 21-year-old performer, whose legal full name is David Anthony Burke, was named as the target of an ongoing grand jury investigation centered on the murder of 19-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Human remains belonging to Hernandez were discovered inside the entertainer’s personal Tesla vehicle back in September 2024, a key discovery that advanced the investigation that had begun after the teen was reported missing.

    The Los Angeles Police Department announced Thursday that Burke is currently being held in custody without the option of bail ahead of his first formal court processing. Per department protocol, the full case file will be submitted to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office next Monday for prosecutors to review and decide on formal criminal charges to be filed against the singer.

    To date, Burke has not made any public statement addressing the allegations against him. Prior to his arrest, representatives for the artist confirmed that he was actively cooperating with law enforcement authorities as they carried out their investigative work into the teen’s death. The case has sent shockwaves through the global online music community, where d4vd built a massive fanbase through his viral hit tracks released via the TikTok platform in recent years.

  • Acting ICE director Todd Lyons to leave agency

    Acting ICE director Todd Lyons to leave agency

    The acting head of one of the United States’ most high-profile federal law enforcement agencies is preparing to depart his post, a top Department of Homeland Security official has officially confirmed. Todd Lyons, who has served as acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since March 2025, will leave the agency on May 31 to take up a role in the private sector.

    In a public statement released Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin praised Lyons’ tenure, describing the outgoing acting director as an exceptional leader for ICE and a central contributor to the Trump administration’s sweeping immigration policy agenda. “Director Lyons has been a great leader of ICE,” Mullin said, “he has been a key player in the Trump administration’s immigration agenda.”

    Lyons’ nearly 20-year career with ICE caps a decades-long background in public service, which includes prior service as a U.S. Air Force service member and a local law enforcement officer. During his time leading the agency, Lyons oversaw the removal of hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants from the U.S., aligning with the Trump administration’s priority of expanding immigration enforcement. Since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, the president has dramatically expanded ICE’s workforce, budget, and enforcement mandate, putting the agency at the heart of his controversial mass deportation initiative.

    Under Lyons’ leadership, ICE carried out thousands of immigration arrests across the country, triggering heightened public scrutiny and repeated high-profile clashes with activists and protesters who oppose the agency’s expanded operations. Despite this public pushback, the Trump administration’s top border policy official lauded Lyons’ work. Tom Homan, the administration’s border czar, said in a statement that under Lyons’ direction, “ICE achieved a record number of removals in the first year of this Administration, despite unprecedented challenges.”

    As of Thursday, no successor has been named to take the helm of ICE, an agency with more than 27,400 employees tasked with enforcing federal immigration law, investigating unauthorized border entry, and carrying out deportations. The process of selecting Lyons’ replacement will fall to Mullin, who was only confirmed to his role as Homeland Security Secretary last month.

  • ICE agent charged for pulling gun on motorists, Minnesota prosecutor says

    ICE agent charged for pulling gun on motorists, Minnesota prosecutor says

    Minneapolis prosecutors made a landmark announcement Thursday, revealing criminal assault charges against a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer tied to the Trump administration’s controversial 10-week immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota, known as Operation Metro Surge. This marks the first time a federal agent has faced criminal prosecution for actions carried out during the sweep, according to local officials.

    The defendant, 35-year-old Gregory Donnell Morgan, Jr., faces two counts of second-degree assault, and a nationwide arrest warrant has been issued for him. Prosecutors detail that the incident unfolded in February, when Morgan was driving an unmarked, rented SUV with no visible ICE identification on the shoulder of a Minnesota state highway, reportedly to bypass congested regular traffic. When two motorists moved their vehicle onto the shoulder to slow Morgan down, prosecutors say he adjusted his speed to match the victims’ vehicle, opened his window, and aimed his official service weapon directly at both the driver and passenger inside the other car.

    Traumatized by the threat, the two motorists immediately contacted 911 to report the encounter. During questioning by state investigators after the incident, Morgan acknowledged drawing his firearm after the other vehicle merged back into main traffic, according to Hennepin County Chief Prosecutor Mary Moriarty. Morgan claimed he acted out of fear for his own safety and the safety of others, alleging the other vehicle had swerved and cut him off, a statement included in the state complaint reviewed by The New York Times. Morgan also told investigators he and his partner were returning to a federal building at the end of their work shift when the confrontation occurred.

    Operation Metro Surge was launched in early 2025 against a backdrop of escalating tension: after two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were fatally shot by federal immigration agents in January, then-President Donald Trump dispatched former border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis to oversee the expanded enforcement sweep. By February, Homan announced the operation had resulted in the detention of hundreds of undocumented immigrants with prior violent criminal convictions for deportation. But the operation sparked widespread national protests over the high-profile killings of Good and Pretti, and a third incident that left Venezuelan migrant Julio Sosa-Celis wounded by gunfire in the leg during an ICE interaction.

    Moriarty framed Thursday’s charging decision as a critical turning point in ongoing efforts to hold federal agents accountable for harm inflicted on Minnesota communities during the operation. “This is an important milestone in our efforts to seek accountability for the harms inflicted on community,” Moriarty told reporters at a press conference announcing the charges. “We will not rest until we get the answers we seek about federal agent conduct across Hennepin County and accountability is delivered wherever appropriate.”

    Moriarty added that investigations remain ongoing across multiple cases tied to Operation Metro Surge, including the fatal shootings of Good and Pretti, the non-fatal shooting of Sosa-Celis, and all other incidents being reviewed by her office’s Transparency and Accountability Project. The BBC has reached out to ICE for official comment on the charges and ongoing investigation, as of Thursday no statement has been released from the agency.