Global Pulse

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大洋洲

  • Stage set for Elon Musk’s court battle with OpenAI

    Stage set for Elon Musk’s court battle with OpenAI

    One of the most consequential legal battles in the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence industry is set to get underway Monday, as jury selection begins in a lawsuit brought by billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk against OpenAI, one of the sector’s most high-profile and valuable players.

    The courtroom clash, unfolding in Northern California just across the San Francisco Bay from OpenAI’s headquarters, pits the world’s wealthiest individual against a research laboratory he helped launch as an early backer and co-founder in 2015 — and now competes against directly in the crowded generative AI market. Today, OpenAI’s blockbuster ChatGPT stands as the top industry leader in consumer AI chatbots, while Musk launched his own competing generative AI model, Grok, under his xAI venture in 2023.

    At its core, Musk’s legal challenge centers on claims that OpenAI betrayed its foundational non-profit mission, which was sold to him and other early supporters with the promise that all AI technology developed by the lab would ultimately belong to the public and benefit humanity as a whole. After being convinced by current OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to join the project in 2015, Musk invested tens of millions of dollars into the young research lab before stepping away from the organization several years later.

    As OpenAI pursued increasingly large and computationally intensive AI models, however, the company pivoted to raise massive amounts of capital to build the massive data centers required to power cutting-edge generative AI systems. It established a commercial subsidiary, and tech giant Microsoft has since poured tens of billions of dollars into the company to fuel its growth. Both Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Sam Altman are expected to testify during the trial.

    Musk maintains he was deliberately misled about OpenAI’s long-term commitment to an altruistic, public-focused non-profit mission. In his lawsuit, he is asking the court to force OpenAI to reverse its commercial transition and return to being a pure non-profit entity, as well as remove Altman and OpenAI president Greg Brockman from their leadership roles. Though Musk initially sought up to $134 billion in damages, he has since stated he would redirect any monetary award to OpenAI’s non-profit arm and seek no personal compensation.

    OpenAI has pushed back aggressively against Musk’s claims, arguing that the rift between Musk and the company grew not from a broken mission promise, but from Musk’s own quest to seize full control of the startup shortly before he left the organization. In a recent post on X, the social media platform Musk owns, OpenAI framed the lawsuit as a personal attack driven by ego and competitive jealousy. “This case has always been about Elon generating more power and more money for what he wants,” the company wrote. “His lawsuit remains nothing more than a harassment campaign that’s driven by ego, jealousy and a desire to slow down a competitor.”

    The company has also pointed to a contradiction in Musk’s position: just days after he launched his own xAI venture to compete in the advanced AI space in 2023, Musk publicly called for a six-month pause on advanced AI development, a move OpenAI frames as an attempt to hinder competitors while he caught up.

    Beyond the personal feud between Musk and Altman, the trial has thrown a spotlight on a core industry-wide debate that continues to divide AI developers and observers: whether advanced artificial intelligence should be developed as a public good open to all, or as a commercial technology driven by private sector profit. OpenAI currently operates under a hybrid governance model, where a non-profit foundation retains oversight over a for-profit commercial operating arm.

    Presiding judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will make the final ruling on the case by mid-May, drawing input from an advisory jury’s findings. The judge has also reserved the right to determine any final remedies for the alleged breach independently, without input from the jury. For Musk, who drew widespread criticism after gutting the content trust and safety team at X (formerly Twitter) following his $44 billion acquisition of the platform, the central challenge will be convincing the court that OpenAI was built on a broken promise to its early supporters.

  • British royals begin four-day US visit despite shooting

    British royals begin four-day US visit despite shooting

    Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla kicked off their high-stakes four-day state visit to the United States on Monday, proceeding as planned despite a recent shooting incident at an event attended by US President Donald Trump and simmering diplomatic rifts between London and Washington over the ongoing Iran conflict. The trip, scheduled to coincide with the United States’ 250th anniversary of independence, is framed by the British government as a celebration of the centuries-long special relationship tying the two nations together.

    The itinerary for the royal tour carries significant symbolic weight: King Charles will become the first British monarch to address a joint session of the US Congress since his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, delivered remarks there in 1991. Beyond the address to lawmakers, the couple will meet with Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump for tea, attend a formal state dinner, travel to New York City on Wednesday to pay respects at the 9/11 Memorial Museum, and conclude the trip with a stop in Bermuda on Thursday – marking Charles’ first visit to a British Overseas Territory since ascending to the throne.

    The visit moved forward just two days after a shooting at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association gala, where Trump was in attendance. In a statement released Sunday, Buckingham Palace confirmed the tour would proceed unchanged, noting that Charles was “greatly relieved” that Trump, Melania Trump, and the vast majority of attendees escaped unharmed. The lone alleged shooter was taken into custody shortly after the incident, which left one member of Trump’s security detail wounded. UK Ambassador to the US Christian Turner told reporters in Washington Sunday evening that after multiple security reviews, “we are all very confident that all appropriate security measures are in place” for the entirety of the royal visit.

    While the trip is rooted in historic diplomatic tradition, it has sparked significant controversy on both sides of the Atlantic. The state visit was organized at the request of the UK government and President Trump, but deep divisions over the Iran war have opened a rare rift between the new UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government and the Trump administration. Trump has publicly lambasted Starmer for his opposition to the conflict, and has also criticized the UK government’s immigration and energy policies.

    The two leaders spoke by phone on Sunday, where Starmer extended his well wishes after the “shocking scenes” at the WHCA gala. The call also covered shared priorities in the Strait of Hormuz, with Starmer’s office confirming the pair discussed the “urgent need to get shipping moving again” amid disruptions that threaten severe harm to the global economy and already strained cost of living for households in the UK and worldwide. Though Starmer has repeatedly criticized Trump’s approach to the Iran war, he has defended the decision to move forward with the state visit, arguing that the British monarchy’s unique cross-party, cross-generational connections can help steady relations during tense periods. A YouGov poll conducted in early April found that 48 percent of British respondents supported canceling the visit, compared to a smaller share in favor of proceeding. For his part, Trump has said he believes the visit will absolutely help repair strained transatlantic ties, calling Charles a long-time personal friend who “represents his nation like nobody else can do it.”

    Observers note that Charles, 77, has a proven track record of deft diplomatic navigation: he earned widespread praise for his handling of Trump’s state visit to the UK in September 2024. Craig Prescott, a monarchy expert at Royal Holloway University of London, notes that Charles is “generally very good” at managing sensitive diplomatic occasions, but predicts he will address the transatlantic tensions over Iran – widely described as the “elephant in the room” – in coded language during his address to Congress on Tuesday.

    Another lingering controversy also hangs over the meticulously choreographed tour: the ongoing scandal surrounding King Charles’ younger brother, Prince Andrew, and his long-standing ties to disgraced late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The controversy reignited in mid-February when Andrew was arrested following new revelations about his relationship with Epstein, who died in prison while awaiting trial in 2019. Charles stripped Andrew of all his royal titles and patronages in October 2024, and issued a rare personally signed statement after the arrest affirming that “the law must take its course.” Andrew remains under active police investigation, has not been charged with any crime, and has repeatedly denied all wrongdoing. Organizers have structured the visit to avoid unscripted encounters: only official pool photographers will be permitted to document Charles’ Tuesday meeting with Trump in the Oval Office, with no press availability scheduled.

  • ‘It’s been quite sad’: Mark Nawaqanitawase readies himself for emotional Roosters farewell as Origin debut beckons

    ‘It’s been quite sad’: Mark Nawaqanitawase readies himself for emotional Roosters farewell as Origin debut beckons

    For rising rugby league star Mark Nawaqanitawase, the bittersweet reality of his impending departure from the Sydney Roosters at the end of the 2024 NRL season has finally set in — even as a career-defining milestone looms on the horizon: a potential debut for New South Wales in the State of Origin series just four weeks from now.

    At 25 years old, Nawaqanitawase has packed an extraordinary amount of achievement into just 31 top-flight NRL matches since switching codes from rugby union. The former Wallabies winger has not only notched one of the most iconic individual tries in recent rugby league memory, but also earned representative honors representing Australia in rugby league’s Ashes series. Now, he has emerged as the leading candidate to fill the vacant Blues wing spot left by Zac Lomax, who returned to rugby union after a standout 2023 Origin campaign for New South Wales.

    NSW Blues head coach Laurie Daley is widely expected to shortlist Nawaqanitawase for the game one squad, which will be announced next month. The dynamic winger has put his case for selection beyond doubt with a blistering run of form, crossing for three doubles in his last four outings. He also previously attended the Blues’ pre-camp earlier this year, putting him firmly in Daley’s plans.

    Despite the hype around his possible Origin call-up, the soft-spoken winger says his full attention remains on the Roosters, who sit comfortably in the top half of the ladder after a dominant Anzac Day win over their rivals. Speaking to reporters at Bondi Beach on Monday, where he joined teammates including Connor Watson and Daly Cherry-Evans for a recovery swim, Nawaqanitawase played down speculation about his selection.

    “What will be, will be. But I’m just trying to put my best foot forward here at the Chooks, play some good footy and make sure that we’re moving along well this year,” he said. “It’s always nice to get a higher honour. But again, I’m not really focused on it at the moment. Yeah definitely I watched Origin all the time growing up. I think it’s been a part of most kids who play rugby league growing up. It’s always been something that I’ve wanted to do, so if it happens, it happens.”

    At the end of the season, Nawaqanitawase will return to rugby union, where he will face a difficult choice: compete in the upcoming Rugby League World Cup with Australia, or join the Wallabies on their annual Spring Tour of Europe. For now, though, he is focused on soaking up his remaining months in the NRL, having grown deeply attached to the club and code that welcomed him when he made the cross-code switch.

    “This week and the last few weeks I’ve come to the realisation it’s going to be my last few months coming up,” he said, leaving open the possibility of a return to the Roosters further down the line. “So it’s been quite sad thinking about it because I love the club, I love the boys and just the whole environment. My family and I are really going to miss it, so I’ve just got to make sure I enjoy every moment that I can. I’ve been shown a lot of love and support from all fans, even ones that don’t even follow the Roosters. So it’s been a great experience for me, and I’ve just got to enjoy it because it doesn’t last forever. Coming over to rugby league and just the NRL as a whole has super exceeded what I thought I was going to feel and be a part of. I’m going to miss it every week.”

    When Nawaqanitawase first arrived in the NRL from rugby union, few predicted he would adapt so quickly to become one of the competition’s most exciting attacking weapons, earning a reputation as a high-flying offload specialist capable of turning the faintest half-chance into a spectacular try. The winger says his time in rugby league has transformed his game, adding layers of physicality and defensive discipline that will serve him well no matter where his career takes him.

    “I’m a different player to what I was two or three years ago now,” he said. “In a non-arrogant way, it’s a bigger, better, faster kind of thing. I’ve grown up a little bit, obviously learnt a lot physically and being able to do a lot more and just defensively as well. I’ve learnt so much and I know it will make me a better player wherever I go.”

  • Fernandez sends Chelsea into FA Cup final to lift gloom after Rosenior sacking

    Fernandez sends Chelsea into FA Cup final to lift gloom after Rosenior sacking

    The chaos of Chelsea’s turbulent 2024-25 campaign took a sudden, redemptive turn at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, as midfielder Enzo Fernandez’s first-half header secured a 1-0 FA Cup semi-final victory over Leeds United, sending the Blues through to a May 16 final showdown with Manchester City. The result comes just four days after Chelsea sacked head coach Liam Rosenior, capping a dramatic week that has upended the club’s season amid a devastating run of poor form.

    Rosenior’s tenure at Stamford Bridge ended after just 106 days, cut short following a five-game losing streak that saw Chelsea fail to find the net once – the club’s worst such run since 1912. The writing was on the wall after a humiliating 3-0 away defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday, where Rosenior publicly criticized his players’ commitment and fighting spirit. That outburst proved to be the final straw for Chelsea’s ownership, deepening already visible rifts between the manager and the first-team squad that had surfaced after Rosenior dropped Fernandez for two matches. The Argentine had been dropped after hinting in a media interview that he could consider leaving the club at the end of the season, a controversy that undermined Rosenior’s already fragile authority from his earliest weeks in charge.

    Rosenior’s departure follows widespread unrest in the dressing room, with multiple key players having already expressed frustration over the sacking of previous manager Enzo Maresca earlier this year, and internal leaks over team selection further eroding trust. The terrible run of form has already ended Chelsea’s hopes of qualifying for next season’s UEFA Champions League: the club sits 10 points behind fifth-placed Aston Villa with just four matches remaining in the Premier League, eliminating any chance of securing a top-five finish that would have earned a European spot.

    Stepping into the interim role just days before the semi-final was Calum McFarlane, previously the head coach of Chelsea’s Under-21 side who was promoted to assist Rosenior earlier in the season. Inheriting a fractured dressing room and a squad low on confidence, McFarlane has already earned praise for coaxing a cohesive, focused performance out of the players in their first match since the sacking. For Chelsea, a club with eight FA Cup titles to their name and 16 previous final appearances, a win over Guardiola’s side at Wembley would not only deliver their first FA Cup crown since 2018, but also salvage a campaign that has otherwise been written off as a failure. It would also make McFarlane one of the most unlikely title-winning managers in the competition’s long history.

    Sunday’s semi-final was a missed opportunity for Leeds, who reached their first FA Cup semi-final since 1987 and had not appeared in a final for 53 years. The Championship side came close to taking an early lead when Brenden Aaronson broke clean through on goal after a slip from Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah, but the American dragged his attempt off target, failing to beat Blues goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. Chelsea responded immediately with a chance of their own, as Joao Pedro drilled a low close-range strike against the near post, wasting the opening.

    It was Fernandez who broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute, quieting the anxiety that hung over Chelsea’s side. After Leeds defender Pascal Struijk gave away possession deep in his own half, Pedro Neto intercepted the loose ball and curled a pinpoint cross into the six-yard box, where Fernandez headed into the far corner for what would prove to be the only goal of the game. The strike ended a nearly 300-minute goal drought for Chelsea, whose last goal had come against third-tier side Port Vale in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

    Leeds made a half-time substitution, bringing on German midfielder Anton Stach, who came inches away from equalizing with his very first touch – a long-range thunderbolt that forced a brilliant save from Sanchez. Leeds improved considerably after a lackluster first half, but Dominic Calvert-Lewin failed to convert a good headed chance, directing his effort straight at the Chelsea keeper. Tensions boiled over moments later when Sanchez required treatment for a knock, with Leeds players accusing the Spaniard of feigning injury to allow Chelsea a tactical break, leading to a heated scuffle on the touchline. While tempers flared, the match never approached the intensity of the infamous brutal 1970 FA Cup final between the two historic rivals.

    Chelsea held firm through the final minutes to close out the win, restoring a small measure of pride to a season that has been overshadowed by off-field chaos and poor results. They now turn their focus to Wembley next month, where they will face a Manchester City side that fought back from a one-goal deficit to beat Southampton 2-1 in the other semi-final on Saturday, in what is set to be one of the most hotly anticipated FA Cup finals in recent memory.

  • Colombia road bombing death toll rises to 20

    Colombia road bombing death toll rises to 20

    A devastating bombing on Colombia’s Pan-American Highway has pushed the confirmed death toll to 20, with 36 additional people injured, according to an update shared Sunday on social media platform X by Octavio Guzman, governor of the restive southwestern Cauca Department where the attack took place.

    Local and national authorities have pinned the blame for the weekend attack on non-state armed groups operating in the region, with the violence hitting just over a month before Colombia is set to hold its presidential election on May 29. Guzman called the incident “the most brutal and ruthless attack against the civilian population in decades” for the region, noting that the explosion carved out a 200-cubic-meter crater at the site. All 20 killed were adults, comprising 15 women and five men. Three of those injured remain in intensive care as of Sunday, while five children who were hurt in the blast have been stabilized and are out of danger, Guzman added.

    The force of the explosion left passenger buses and vans crumpled and destroyed along the major highway, with multiple civilian vehicles flipped onto their roofs or sides by the blast’s shockwave. Colombian military chief Hugo Lopez told reporters Saturday that the attack was coordinated: assailants first blocked the highway with a hijacked bus and a second vehicle to stop all traffic, then detonated the hidden explosive once a crowd of stranded travelers had gathered.

    “This is a terrorist attack against the civilian population,” Lopez emphasized. Incumbent leftist President Gustavo Petro issued a forceful condemnation via X, calling the perpetrators “terrorists, fascists and drug traffickers” and ordering the country’s top military personnel to hunt down those responsible. Petro directly attributed the attack to Ivan Mordisco, Colombia’s most-wanted fugitive criminal, whom he has previously compared to Pablo Escobar, the infamous late cocaine kingpin who dominated Colombia’s illegal drug trade in the 1980s and 1990s.

    This latest mass casualty attack follows a separate bombing that hit a military base in Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city, on Friday. That attack injured two service members, and kicked off a sustained wave of violence across the neighboring Valle del Cauca and Cauca departments. Lopez confirmed that authorities have recorded at least 26 separate attacks across the two regions in just 48 hours as of Sunday. Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez announced Saturday that federal authorities have deployed additional military and police personnel to the affected areas to bolster security and respond to the surge in violence.

    Colombia has a long history of armed groups—funded largely through illegal activities including drug trafficking, unregulated mining, and extortion—using targeted violence to disrupt and influence national elections. Remnant factions of the former FARC rebel movement that rejected a 2016 national peace deal with the Colombian government have stepped up disruptive attacks in recent months, as peace talks between the groups and Petro’s administration have stalled.

    Security policy has emerged as one of the most contentious central issues in the 2025 presidential campaign, after high-profile political violence put the issue in the national spotlight last year. In June 2024, rising young conservative presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay was shot in broad daylight while campaigning in Bogota, the nation’s capital, and died from his injuries two months later.

    As of the latest polling, leftist Senator Ivan Cepeda, the main architect of Petro’s controversial policy of pursuing negotiated peace deals with armed groups, holds a lead in the race. He is followed closely by right-wing candidates Abelardo de la Espriella and Paloma Valencia, both of whom have campaigned on promises of a hardline military crackdown on rebel and criminal factions. All three leading presidential candidates have confirmed they have received credible death threats during the campaign, and all are conducting campaign events under heavy armed security protection.

  • Global military spending surges on insecurity: report

    Global military spending surges on insecurity: report

    Global military expenditure has climbed to nearly $2.9 trillion in 2025, extending an uninterrupted annual growth streak to 11 years, according to a new report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The world’s three largest defense spenders – the United States, China, and Russia – accounted for just over half of the global total, with a combined outlay of $1.48 trillion in 2025. Overall global spending rose 2.9 percent year-on-year, even as the world’s single largest spender, the U.S., recorded a nominal reduction in its 2025 defense budget.

    Lorenzo Scarazzato, a SIPRI researcher, told AFP that the U.S. cut was fully offset by sharp spending increases across Europe and Asia, driven by what he described as “another year of wars and increased tensions.” This upward trend is mirrored in the global “military burden” – the share of total global GDP allocated to defense spending – which reached its highest level since 2009. “Everything points to a world that feels less secure and is spending on its military to compensate for the global landscape,” Scarazzato noted.

    The U.S. recorded a 7.5 percent annual reduction in 2025 military spending, finishing the year at $954 billion. The drop is largely attributed to the failure of Congress to approve new military aid packages for Ukraine in 2025, after Washington committed a total of $127 billion to Kyiv over the preceding three years. However, analysts expect this dip to be temporary: the U.S. Congress has already approved a $1 trillion+ defense budget for 2026, and spending could surge to $1.5 trillion in 2027 if the budget proposal put forward by U.S. President Donald Trump is enacted.

    The biggest contributor to the 2025 global spending increase was Europe, which includes both Russia and Ukraine. Total regional spending surged 14 percent year-on-year to hit $864 billion. Scarazzato outlined the two core drivers behind the surge: the ongoing full-scale war in Ukraine, and shifting U.S. defense policy that pushes European nations to take greater responsibility for their own security in the face of reduced American engagement. Germany, the world’s fourth-largest military spender, raised its 2025 expenditure by 24 percent to $114 billion, while Spain recorded a dramatic 50 percent increase to $40.2 billion, pushing its defense spending above 2 percent of GDP for the first time since 1994.

    Both Russia and Ukraine have ramped up military spending amid the active conflict, with both nations allocating a larger share of government expenditure to defense than any other countries tracked by SIPRI. Russia’s spending rose 5.9 percent to $190 billion in 2025, equal to 7.5 percent of the country’s total GDP. Ukraine, by contrast, boosted its defense outlay by 20 percent to $84.1 billion – a staggering 40 percent of its entire annual GDP.

    In the Middle East, where long-running geopolitical tensions remain high, regional spending rose only marginally by 0.1 percent to $218 billion. While most nations in the region increased their defense budgets, both Israel and Iran recorded nominal decreases. Iran’s spending fell 5.6 percent to $7.4 billion, a drop driven almost entirely by the country’s 42 percent annual inflation rate; spending actually rose in nominal terms. For Israel, the 4.9 percent drop to $48.3 billion followed a January 2025 ceasefire in the Gaza war that reduced immediate military operational needs. Even with the decline, Israel’s 2025 defense spending remains 97 percent higher than it was in 2022.

    Across Asia and Oceania, total military spending reached $681 billion in 2025, an 8.5 percent year-on-year increase that marks the region’s largest annual jump since 2009. Scarazzato identified China as the region’s major player, noting that the country has now expanded its military spending every year for 30 consecutive years, hitting an estimated $336 billion in 2025. Beyond China’s ongoing military modernization, Scarazzato highlighted growing threat perceptions among other regional actors as a key growth driver. Japan raised its defense expenditure by 9.7 percent to $62.2 billion in 2025, equal to 1.4 percent of GDP – its highest GDP share for defense spending since 1958. Taiwan also increased its spending by 14 percent to $18.2 billion amid shifting regional security dynamics.

  • Gunman sought to kill Trump, cabinet at gala dinner

    Gunman sought to kill Trump, cabinet at gala dinner

    On a chaotic Saturday evening at the Washington Hilton, a would-be assassin’s plot to kill former President and current U.S. President Donald Trump and multiple senior administration officials was disrupted by a quick exchange of gunfire with Secret Service agents, leaving security protocols for high-profile Washington events under intense national scrutiny.

    Within hours of the incident, investigators confirmed that the suspect, identified as 31-year-old Cole Allen, had traveled cross-country by rail from Los Angeles via Chicago to reach the capital, where he had checked into the same hotel hosting the annual White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) black-tie gala. Armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives purchased within the last two years, Allen attempted to sprint past a security checkpoint to reach the packed ballroom where Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, cabinet members, top congressional leaders, and hundreds of political and media figures had gathered. The attempt triggered a brief gunfight with agents, and Allen was taken into custody at the scene immediately.

    Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche told CBS’s *Face the Nation* on Sunday that preliminary investigations confirm Allen planned to target top-ranking administration officials in order of their rank. “He’s not actively cooperating. I expect that he will be formally charged tomorrow morning in federal court in Washington,” Blanche stated, adding that no clear motive for the attack has yet been established. Trump later confirmed to Fox News that Allen had penned what he described as an “anti-Christian” manifesto, noting that the suspect’s own family had previously raised concerns about his behavior to law enforcement. The New York Post reported that Allen sent a note to his family shortly before the attack outlining his plan to prioritize targets from the highest-ranking to lowest.

    The moment shots were rang out triggered chaos inside the gala ballroom. Secret Service agents immediately swarmed the venue to clear and secure the space, prompting hundreds of attendees to dive under tables for cover. Trump was quickly rushed out of the ballroom by his security detail, and he later recounted that he initially mistook the gunfire for the sound of a dropped serving tray. The only injury reported was to a Secret Service officer, who was shot at close range in his safety vest and is expected to make a full recovery.

    In a late-night emergency press briefing at the White House, Trump confirmed that investigators currently believe Allen acted as a lone attacker, a assessment he shares. This incident marks at least the third plot on Trump’s life in less than a year: in 2024, an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally left one attendee dead and Trump lightly wounded in the ear, just months before a second man was arrested for pointing a rifle from the bushes at a Florida golf course where Trump was playing. Notably, the Washington Hilton is also the site of the 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, a history that has amplified calls for stricter security reviews.

    The incident has reignited debate over presidential security protocols, with Trump noting that the Washington Hilton venue “is not a particularly secure” facility. He argued that the foiled attack justifies his controversial plan to construct a large new events ballroom adjacent to the White House, a project that has already faced multiple legal challenges. For Washington observers, the repeated attempts on Trump’s life have sparked growing alarm: “This keeps happening,” attorney Brian Raftery told AFP Sunday. “One of these times, unfortunately, something very bad is going to happen if we continue to have these types of attacks on political leaders.”

    This year’s WHCA gala marked a historic break with tradition: Trump, who has repeatedly attacked the mainstream media, had never attended the annual dinner during his previous time in office, breaking a 100-year pattern of sitting presidents participating in the event, which raises funds for journalism scholarships and awards. The foiled attack also comes less than 48 hours before King Charles III and Queen Camilla are set to arrive in Washington for a four-day official state visit, which will see heightened security across the U.S. capital already in place. After the incident, Trump expressed hope that the gala can be rescheduled within the next 30 days.

  • War in the Middle East: latest developments

    War in the Middle East: latest developments

    Fresh waves of instability have swept across the Middle East over the weekend, as escalating cross-border tensions between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement threaten to collapse an existing ceasefire, while regional diplomatic efforts to de-escalate broader conflict with Iran navigate unexpected disruptions from Washington.

    In a public address on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a sharp rebuke of Hezbollah, accusing the Lebanese militant group of systematically undermining the fragile ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon through repeated violations. Netanyahu confirmed that Israeli forces would continue targeting Hezbollah with full force, warning that the group’s ongoing breaches are effectively dismantling the truce that has held partial calm along the border for months.

    Moments after Netanyahu’s remarks, Lebanese state media reported that the Israeli Air Force launched multiple airstrikes on populated areas in southern Lebanon, just hours after the Israeli military issued urgent evacuation orders for seven local communities in the region. The National News Agency, Lebanon’s official state-run media outlet, confirmed that one of the strikes hit the southern town of Kfar Tibnit – a location explicitly named in the evacuation warning – and that early reports indicate multiple casualties have been recorded from the attack. The strikes mark a major escalation of hostilities despite the ongoing ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

    Parallel to the rising tensions along the Israeli-Lebanese border, regional diplomatic efforts to broker a lasting end to the Iran conflict are working to get back on track, after former U.S. President Donald Trump’s sudden decision to cancel a planned trip by U.S. peace envoys threw talks into disarray. Iran’s top diplomat Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is set to return to Islamabad on Sunday, just one day after his initial visit to the Pakistani capital that concluded with a side trip to Oman for additional consultations. According to Iran’s semi-official ISNA news agency, Araghchi will hold a new round of talks with Pakistani leadership to lay out Tehran’s official stance on the framework for any potential agreement that would bring a full end to active hostilities.

    Pakistan, which has taken on the role of lead neutral mediator for the talks, has reaffirmed its commitment to keeping the diplomatic process moving forward. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed he held a telephone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in the wake of Washington’s decision to pull its envoys from the planned talks. In a post on the social platform X, Sharif emphasized that Pakistan remains fully committed to acting as an honest, sincere facilitator, and will continue working tirelessly to build a path toward durable peace and long-term stability across the Middle East region.

    Meanwhile in Washington, Trump stated that a late Saturday shooting incident at a media dinner in the nation’s capital would not alter his administration’s approach to the conflict with Iran. Speaking to reporters at the White House just hours after the attack, Trump insisted the incident would not distract him from securing what he calls a victory in the Iran war. He added that there is currently no clear evidence linking the shooting to the Iran conflict, and he does not believe the attack is connected to ongoing hostilities based on initial information.

    In another development related to Iran’s internal crackdown on opposition and alleged espionage, the Iranian judiciary announced on Sunday that authorities executed a man convicted of two charges: membership in the Sunni militant group Jaish al-Adl, and involvement in coordinated attacks on Iranian security forces in the country’s volatile southeastern region. The execution comes just one day after Iranian authorities announced the execution of a second man, who was accused of passing classified intelligence to Israel.

  • Sawe makes history with first sub-two-hour marathon in London

    Sawe makes history with first sub-two-hour marathon in London

    The 2025 London Marathon delivered two pieces of history on Sunday, as Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe became the first athlete to run a ratified sub-two-hour marathon in an official competition, while Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa smashed her own women’s-only world record to defend her title.

    Sawe, the defending 2024 men’s champion, entered the race openly predicting a landmark performance, and he delivered beyond expectations, crossing the finish line in an official time of 1 hour 59 minutes 30 seconds. The 31-year-old Kenyan’s achievement rewrites marathon history: while Eliud Kipchoge ran a 1:59:40 in an experimental 2019 event, that performance was never ratified as an official world record because it broke standard competition rules for pacing, fluids and event format, with specialized non-regulation equipment. Sawe’s run, by contrast, complies with all official rules and stands as the first recognized sub-two-hour marathon in open competition.

    What made Sawe’s performance even more remarkable is the depth of the field’s results: the top three men all finished inside the previous official world record of 2:00:35, set by the late Kelvin Kiptum at the 2023 Chicago Marathon. Through the first half of the 26.2-mile course, Sawe led a tight leading pack of six elite runners that included Olympic champion Tamirat Tola and Uganda’s half-marathon world record holder Jacob Kiplimo, with the group passing the halfway mark in 1:00:29, on pace to break the two-hour barrier. As the race progressed, the pack strung out, leaving Sawe and Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha, running his first ever marathon, to battle neck-and-neck through the closing miles. With just one mile remaining, Sawe made his decisive surge, pulling clear of Kejelcha to finish alone, taking a full 65 seconds off Kiptum’s previous world record. Kejelcha held on to finish second in 1:59:41, the fastest debut marathon in history, while Kiplimo took third place in 2:00:28.

    After crossing the line, a visibly elated Sawe shared his confidence going into the race, held on a mild warm spring day in London. “I am feeling good. I am so happy. It is a day to remember for me,” Sawe told reporters, noting his target time had even been scribbled on his running shoe before the start. “Coming to London for the second time was so important to me and that’s why I prepared well. Finally, what I had done for four months it has come today to be a good result.” Sawe ran in Adidas’s new Pro Evo 3 supershoe, which weighs less than 100 grams, and had openly teased a record attempt in pre-race media comments.

    In the women’s-only race, Assefa matched Sawe’s historic performance by breaking her own world record to defend her 2024 London Marathon title. The 29-year-old Ethiopian, a reigning Olympic and world silver medalist, was locked in a tight three-way battle for the lead with Kenyan stars Hellen Obiri and Joyciline Jepkosgei through most of the race, before breaking away in the closing kilometers to cross the line in 2:15:41. Her time shaved nine seconds off the women’s-only world record she set on the same London course in 2024.

    “It’s one of my plans really coming into this competition to break my own world record from last year’s race,” Assefa said after the race. “So to do that has brought me a lot of satisfaction. To repeat my victory from last year means even more. The happiness I feel is just swelling up inside me.” Obiri, a two-time 5000m world champion and 2024 Paris Olympic marathon bronze medalist, finished just 12 seconds behind Assefa to take second place in a new personal best of 2:15:53, edging out compatriot Jepkosgei by just 0.02 seconds. It is worth noting that the fastest marathon ever run by a woman in a mixed-gender race, where female runners benefit from male pacemakers, is 2:09:56, set by Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich at the 2024 Chicago Marathon.

    Beyond the elite race history, the 46th edition of the London Marathon also set new records for participation and charitable giving. More than 59,000 runners were expected to complete the 42.2-kilometer course, beating 2024’s record of 56,640 finishers, which already stood as the most for any marathon in history. Organizers announced last month they are considering expanding the 2026 event to two days, which would allow up to 100,000 runners to participate. The 2025 race also raised a record £87.3 million ($118 million) for charitable causes, retaining its title as the world’s largest annual one-day fundraising event.

  • Penny Wong to travel to China, Japan, Korea as Iran ceasefire holds

    Penny Wong to travel to China, Japan, Korea as Iran ceasefire holds

    As a fragile ceasefire in Iran holds and global energy markets brace for further volatility, Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong is set to embark on a high-stakes regional tour encompassing China, Japan and the Republic of Korea. The journey comes as the Albanese government prioritizes strengthening diplomatic and economic ties across the Indo-Pacific, with a sharp focus on shoring up global and domestic energy security.

    This diplomatic push follows closely on the heels of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s recent visit to Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei, where he moved to lock in existing fuel supply arrangements critical to Australia’s energy infrastructure. Wong’s tour will build on that foundation, with coordinated engagement designed to address ongoing disruptions flowing from Middle East tensions.

    In an official statement ahead of the trip, Senator Wong emphasized that direct, face-to-face dialogue with regional partners is essential to maintaining effective coordination amid unfolding global disruptions. “The Middle East conflict and closure of the Strait of Hormuz continue to disrupt global energy markets, with Asian refineries and the Indo-Pacific region disproportionately affected,” she explained. “Australia will continue working with international partners to help secure the supplies we need – including diesel, petrol and fertiliser – and ensure Australia is prioritised as a reliable energy partner.”

    A core milestone of the China leg of the tour will be the eighth iteration of the Australia-China Foreign and Strategic Dialogue, where Wong will meet with her Chinese counterpart Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Senator Wong reaffirmed the Australian government’s commitment to fostering a stable, constructive bilateral relationship with Beijing, noting that this outcome serves the core national interests of both nations. “Australia and China have a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and benefit from deep economic ties, with our trade relationship underpinning supply chains, investment and livelihoods in both economies,” she said. “Dialogue between our countries enables us to progress the full range of our interests and manage our differences.”

    Despite a recent gradual thaw in bilateral relations, tensions remain under the surface. China has implemented new trade protective measures in response to escalating geopolitical risk surrounding the Iran conflict, a move partially driven by the renewed trade war and tariff agenda pushed by former U.S. President Donald Trump. Chinese diplomatic officials have also publicly criticized the Albanese government’s policy of backing U.S. actions related to the Iran conflict.

    In Japan, Wong is scheduled to hold talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu, senior cabinet ministers and leading industry representatives. Agenda items include joint collaboration on energy and fuel security, developments in the Middle East, and other regional issues of mutual concern. Wong described Japan as a close ally and shared partner in advancing a free, open, inclusive and resilient Indo-Pacific.

    The final stop on the tour will see Wong travel to the Republic of Korea, a critical trade partner that ranks among Australia’s most important suppliers of refined fuels, including diesel, gasoline and aviation fuel. Discussions in Seoul will focus on reinforcing supply chain stability and expanding energy cooperation amid ongoing global market uncertainty.