A 19-year-old French student was fined 600 Singapore dollars, equivalent to $465, after pleading guilty to a public nuisance charge for filming himself licking a straw from an orange juice vending machine and returning it, according to court documents and prosecutors. Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien recorded the stunt at a shopping mall in March and … Read more
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivered a veiled rebuke of China during his state of the nation speech on Monday, vowing that his government will defend a 2016 arbitration ruling that invalidated Beijing’s expansive claims in the South China Sea. According to the president, Filipinos “do not yield” to conquerors as territorial confrontations in the … Read more
Vance Boelter was sentenced on Thursday, July 23, 2026, in Minneapolis to two life terms plus 40 years after pleading guilty to federal charges related to the killing of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, as well as the critical wounding of state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, according … Read more
The United States launched military strikes against Iranian coastal defenses, drone sites, and maritime infrastructure early Tuesday, following President Donald Trump’s announcement that the U.S. will reinstate a blockade of Iranian ports. According to the Associated Press, the escalation has effectively dismantled an interim deal intended to reopen the Strait of Hormuz—a vital global energy … Read more
David Hearn, a three-time Olympic canoe racer, pleaded not guilty Thursday in D.C. Superior Court to a felony charge of property destruction for allegedly damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Federal prosecutors accuse the 67-year-old Bethesda resident of causing more than $1,000 in damage, a claim his defense attorneys reject as a politically motivated effort … Read more
Actor Patrick Dempsey announced Wednesday he will not run for the Maine Senate seat, ending rumors that he would replace Democratic nominee Graham Platner. Platner withdrew from the high-stakes race following sexual assault allegations from a former girlfriend, which the oyster farmer and Marine veteran denies. Why did the Maine Senate race undergo a sudden … Read more
Federal prosecutors have charged Texas physician Jason Finkelstein with healthcare fraud and conspiracy, alleging he orchestrated an $89 million scheme that billed insurers for unnecessary cardiovascular screenings of college athletes. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Finkelstein routinely certified test results as “normal” without reviewing them, leading to undetected cardiac issues in patients and … Read more
Russia has released 24 Filipino citizens who were detained without charges in the Siberian city of Irkutsk for nearly nine months. The release followed a high-level intervention by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who raised the issue directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a bilateral meeting at the ASEAN summit in Kazan, according to … Read more
A Spanish judge has ordered Begoña Gómez, the wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, to stand trial on allegations of influence peddling and corruption. Investigative judge Juan Carlos Peinado mandated that Gómez surrender her passport and report to court every two weeks, citing a flight risk. The legal proceedings also implicate a businessman and a … Read more
Vance Boelter, the man charged in the political assassinations of a Minnesota House leader and her husband, is set to appear in federal court Thursday to change his not-guilty plea. The U.S. attorney’s office in Minneapolis confirmed Wednesday that the Justice Department will not seek the death penalty as part of a proposed plea agreement. … Read more