Category: News

US Navy aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln arrived in port in eastern Thailand on Wednesday after 286 days at sea, including a lengthy deployment in the Middle East, amid reports of mental health concerns and deteriorating conditions on board.

The nuclear-powered Lincoln, with roughly ​5,000 personnel, was involved in the US naval blockade and combat operations in the war with Iran and – according to ​Democratic lawmakers – set a modern-day record for consecutive days at sea.

Accompanied by other US naval vessels, the Lincoln arrived early Wednesday in Thailand, the United States’ only treaty partner in mainland Southeast Asia, for rest and recuperation during a visit that Thai officials said would last five days.

By afternoon, busloads of sailors and Marines wearing civilian clothes, many smiling and waving, started arriving at a hotel in the resort city of Pattaya, about 150 km  southeast of Bangkok.

"Our arrival in Laem Chabang provides a well-deserved opportunity for our Sailors and Marines to rest and recharge," the commander of Carrier Strike Group 3, Rear Admiral Robert E. Loughran, said in a statement.

"What this strike group has accomplished is truly historic. I could not be prouder of the exceptional professionalism and expertise demonstrated by every member of this team during our operations."

The Lincoln was deployed last November. Typically naval deployments are for between six and nine months, but those can be extended during times of conflict.

Eastern Thailand is long accustomed to port visits by the US Navy and has a relationship going back to the Vietnam War, when Pattaya was a sleepy beach town close to a naval base and an airfield used by US bombers, with thousands of US personnel based in the area.

Thailand became a US treaty ally in 1954 before being designated a major non-NATO ally in 2003. The two countries' militaries maintain strong ties and hold joint exercises every year.

The Lincoln, its broad flight deck packed with helicopters and warplanes, including the latest F-35 fighter jets, arrived in Laem Chabang early on Wednesday, and the guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. docked in nearby Sri Racha.

Both vessels were streaked with rust and showed mottled paint along the waterlines. A third ship, the guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls, arrived in the port of Map Tha Phut.

The port visit has raised hopes of an economic boost for Pattaya, which also has a long-standing reputation as a sex tourism destination.

The city’s mayor, Poramase Ngampiches, met the commander of the Lincoln on Wednesday and said US officials had placed restrictions on the crew’s activities during the stay, including on water sports and visiting certain entertainment zones after sunset, which he said could present a negative image.

Police will deploy additional patrols around Pattaya's main beachfront and nightlife district, following raids ​over the weekend and the arrest of 40 to 50 people for suspected prostitution.

Although illegal in Thailand, the sex industry operates openly in tourism ​hubs, including in Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya, despite occasional crackdowns.

On the eve of the Lincoln‘s arrival, Pattaya street vendors near the city’s infamous “Walking Street” nightlife zone were excited by the prospect of a boost in sales.

Dialogue between Russia and the US should continue to find common ground on economics, which should make it easier to discuss political issues, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said, according to an Interfax report on Wednesday.

Asked about a bilateral meeting with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday at the G20 finance leaders conference in North Carolina, Siluanov said both countries have agreed there are grounds to develop financial ties despite complications, Interfax reported.

Siluanov, who said he was meeting Bessent for the first time, said he believed people in the financial world sometimes find common ground faster than politicians.

"So we must always keep talking; we need to continue the dialogue. If we find strong points of common interest – and they do exist – we need to develop them. Then political issues will also be easier to resolve," he said, according to Interfax.

Reuters reported on Monday that a source familiar with the ministers’ meeting said Bessent made clear to Siluanov that no economic relief for Russia or agreements on other issues were possible until its war in Ukraine ends.

Bessent met bilaterally with Siluanov on the sidelines of a G20 finance leaders meeting in Asheville, North Carolina.

The Russian finance minister's first in-person G20 appearance since Russia invaded Ukraine has irritated European officials who are working on more sanctions against Russia.

Earlier, a US official told Reuters the focus of the Bessent-Siluanov meeting was President Donald Trump's peace plan for Ukraine. Russia's finance ministry said the two officials discussed financial cooperation within the G20 framework.

When Siluanov tried to discuss areas of mutual interest, the source said Bessent interrupted him and said: "Nothing is possible until the war is over."

The US imposed sanctions on Russia’s oil majors in October 2025, but after the US-Israeli war against Iran cut off energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, Bessent issued licenses allowing the sale of seaborne Russian oil stored in tankers to ease supplies, sending some funds to Moscow.

An unknown object exploded at a train station in the southern city of Augsburg on Wednesday, German police said, adding that two people sustained minor injuries.

The blast occurred in a building passageway, Bavaria state police said.

Augsburg is a regional transport hub around 55 kilometers northwest of Munich.

This is a developing story.

A judge ruled on Tuesday that Tyler Robinson, the man accused of fatally shooting prominent US conservative activist Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus last year, should face trial on murder charges in a case eligible for the death penalty.

Utah District Court Judge Tony Graf made the ruling at a hearing where prosecutors laid out what they called “overwhelming” evidence that a capital trial of Robinson, 23, was warranted for the murder of one of the US political right’s most prominent figures.

An arraignment will follow the probable cause ruling. Robinson has yet to enter a plea.

Utah County attorneys accused the former apprentice electrician of firing the single shot that killed Kirk, 31, as he held one of his trademark campus debates that helped propel him to national prominence.

Robinson faces seven charges, among them aggravated murder for endangering the lives of others at the event. That count carries the death penalty in Utah.

Utah County prosecutor Ryan McBride presented video of what he said was Robinson taking up a sniper position at Utah Valley University in Orem on September 10, 2025, before he shot Kirk.

He displayed pictures that he said showed Robinson created a "great risk of death" to others, with Kirk's security detail only feet away from Kirk when he was shot.

McBride said the four rounds in Robinson's rifle demonstrated that the shooter was prepared to fire more rounds if the first missed, further endangering others.

"He lay down in a prone position, and he would have seen this mass of people of 3,000 plus people there for the event, took aim, put his crosshairs on Charlie Kirk, and fired," McBride told the court.

Defense lawyer Staci Visser said the shooting endangered no one but Kirk, arguing the crime did not meet the standard of aggravated murder.

Visser said the assailant did not engage with anyone else or reload the weapon, but simply shot the gun and ran away.

“There is one act. There is one shot. There is one bullet. There is one victim,” Visser told the court. “There was no evidence that would suggest that anyone else was threatened.”

During the hearing, the prosecutor cited test results that showed Robinson's DNA was on the alleged murder weapon. Defense lawyer Michael Burt questioned the reliability of that testing.

McBride alleged Robinson, who was in a relationship with his roommate Lance Twiggs, targeted Kirk for his political views against gay marriage and transgender rights. That argument could bolster the prosecution as it pursues the death penalty.

He cited a text message from Robinson in which he allegedly told Twiggs he shot Kirk because "some hate can't be negotiated out."

Among those in the packed courtroom were Kirk's parents, Robert and Kathryn, and his wife, Erika, who has taken leadership of the late activist's conservative youth organization.

A co-founder of conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, Kirk was credited with energizing young voters behind President Donald Trump's 2024 reelection campaign.

His killing, captured in cellphone video that spread widely on social media, is among a series of attacks on US political figures in recent years that have fueled debate over political violence in a deeply polarized country.

At a memorial following Kirk's shooting, Erika Kirk said she forgave the alleged shooter. She has not commented on the death penalty charge.

Seven years after similar meetings took place in Central Asia, Russian and Chinese leaders are back again for a familiar meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Meeting in Bishek in Kyrgyzstan, the Russians and Chinese are seeking to push for a post-American world order.

These leaders have been doing this for a while. Back in 2019, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization held a summit in Bishkek. At the time, some of the officials flew to Tajikistan’s capital Dushanbe for a Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA). Taken together, the leaders were lifting the curtain on their push for a multi-polar world order.

Much has changed since 2019. Russia had already invaded part of Ukraine in 2014, but in 2022 it launched a major new invasion. The US left Afghanistan. A civil war broke out in Sudan. The Assad regime was overthrown in 2024. Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, creating a multi-front war. The US and Israel attacked Iran in February 2026. Russia and China are watching. The SCO is one vehicle they use to discuss with non-Western powers the new world order that Moscow and Beijing want to create.

Back in 2019 there were eight member countries attending the SCO, and numerous other countries were attending as observers and partners. Russia’s TASS said on September 1, 2026, that “Russian President Vladimir Putin said the potential of the United Nations (UN) remains untapped and called for improving its effectiveness at the SCO Plus meeting.” China’s President Xi Jinping, who is set to visit Egypt soon, said the world must reject the “law of the jungle.” Clearly this was a reference to the US war with Iran.

Putin said Russia is not fully satisfied with the UN, but that is nothing new: "We do not always like or are satisfied with everything the UN does. At the same time, I must note that, to be honest, this has always been the case, practically since its creation." Putin called for the SCO to work more closely at the UN and also have broader representation from countries of the Global South and East. Overall, the organization should adapt to the changing realities and fundamental shifts emerging in global politics and the economy."

He also spoke about “building a fair multipolar world order is irreversible,” TASS noted. "This process is objective and, frankly, irreversible, a fact that is already clear to everyone."Xi Jinping said the emergence of a multipolar world "is now an irreversible historical process,” TASS noted. Xi said the SCO "has become one of the key platforms for joint development and addressing challenges facing Eurasian countries.” Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko also spoke. Tajik President Emomali Rahmon said the UN and SCO can play a greater role in building a fair and inclusive world order, TASS noted.  Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov also stressed this multi-polar theme. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev made an interesting reference to the world order today. He said that it should not be a "cult of force,” essentially arguing that it shouldn’t be one of “might makes right.” He added, "our common strategic task is to build a world order in which a cult of force and confrontation give way to mutual responsibility, joint development and long-term cooperation."

Photos from the event appeared to show leaders from 25 countries attending. Xinhua noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping said: “the meeting today focuses on strengthening the role of the United Nations and building a multipolar world, and it demonstrates SCO's commitment to reforming and improving global governance as required by our times.”

He added that there are many changes that are “accelerating across the globe. Hegemonism, unilateralism, and protectionism are resurging against historical trends.” In essence, this was a critique of the US. He argued that the rise of the Global South is reshaping the world order.

"What kind of multipolarity does the world need? How are countries going to take part in and promote it? The international community should build consensus and make the right choice that can stand the test of practice and history," Xi said, according to China’s Xinhua state media. "Major countries in particular should take the lead in observing international norms and honoring the rule of law, and work together to tackle global challenges," he added.

The SCO meeting matters because it brings together so many countries that apparently agree on confronting the US-led world order that began at the end of the Cold War. Many of these countries are now moving forward with new ideas on how to shape the world order. The origins of the SCO date from 1996, when China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan met to discuss closer cooperation. A charter was signed in 2002. As such, the current SCO is very much a legacy of the long-term leadership of Putin, Xi, and several other leaders who have been around for decades.

Much has changed in the last decade. As things change, the SCO continues to expand. India, Pakistan, Iran and Belarus have joined. More dialogue partners and observer states have also come on board. These include Turkey, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, and others

What matters at the SCO today, as back in 2019, is that these countries are openly talking about how they will supplant the US and create a new world order. What does this mean for countries such as Pakistan, which work with the US but also formed a new alliance with Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Turkey and Saudi Arabia are both close friends of the US. Turkey is a member of NATO. However, increasingly many countries want to hedge and have a foot in several camps. SCO, BRICS, and other groupings provide that opportunity. India, for instance, is a master at this balancing act. It has been since the era of the non-aligned movement during the Cold War. In those days, some countries wanted to balance between the Soviets and the Americans. Now the game afoot is to balance between the US and the rest. This is because the US continues to be the most powerful and influential country in the world.

Beijing had pursued a policy of “hide your strength, bide your time.” As China expands globally and increases the size of its navy, it is no longer hiding. It is now taking a more aggressive stance. However, it doesn’t want direct confrontation yet. Russia has been willing to directly confront the West over Ukraine. This has led to a long and difficult war. It remains to be seen how Russia will behave as the war appears to sap its strength. However, for now Putin continues to put on an image of moving forward with his Ukraine war. What that means for the Middle East, Asia, and other areas is not yet clear. China’s outreach to Egypt this week, for instance, is a key example of how Beijing is exerting its influence in the Middle East.

Court-authorized seizures have allowed the FBI to confiscate $560,000 in cryptocurrency and take control of domains and servers used by Hamas to raise money and recruit supporters, the US Department of Justice announced.

Hamas – a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization – has been raising funds for terrorist operations and recruiting supporters, announced US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

“A message to Hamas: We will stop your fundraising for terror,” said Pirro. “Your networks are not secure, your crypto is vulnerable, and we will not stop until your ability to wage war is defeated.”

As well as seizing the cryptocurrency donations, the Department disrupted Hamas’ fundraising and recruitment communication platforms and websites. Hamas originally controlled the seized infrastructure and cryptocurrency addresses on behalf of its military wing, the Al Qassam Brigades. This work was carried out by the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, which collaborated with human sources to identify and seize domains and servers the Al Qassam Brigades that controlled its main website, AlQassam.ps.

“These seizures deprive Hamas of resources it relies on to recruit and radicalize individuals online and finance barbaric attacks like the one on October 7, 2023,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg.

“We will continue to tighten the vise on Hamas’s capacity for terror by infiltrating its online networks, confiscating its cryptocurrency, and shutting down its websites.”

Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division said Hamas relies on cryptocurrency and online platforms to solicit funds from donors around the world and move that money outside the formal financial system.

He promised that the FBI will continue to use its authorities to intercept illicit funds and prevent terrorist organizations from exploiting digital networks to finance their operations.

German police are investigating an incident involving an unexploded incendiary device on Tuesday at a power substation in the eastern state of Brandenburg, a spokesperson said.

Grid operator 50Hertz said, "as yet unidentified perpetrators are believed to have caused damage to several power lines in 50Hertz's transmission grid." It did not say how the damage was caused, given that the device had not detonated.

There was a brief power cut, but all power lines are now back in operation, and the general electricity supply was never affected, the operator added in an emailed statement.

Police received information about the incident at around 8 a.m., and officers were deployed to the substation in Turnow-Preilack, the spokesperson said. There was never any danger to the public, police said.

The Brandenburg state criminal police office has taken over the investigation of the incident.

This is a developing story.

A woman stabbed two people in Times Square on Monday, killing one, before being tasered by NYPD officers.

The alleged attacker, identified as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros, was also shot by police during the confrontation and later died at Bellevue Hospital, according to The New York Times.

The attack occurred shortly before 4:30 p.m. on Seventh Avenue in Times Square. Cisneros allegedly stabbed a 32-year-old woman and a 68-year-old man.

Both victims were taken to Bellevue Hospital, where the woman was pronounced dead. The man remained hospitalized in stable condition.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said officers confronted Cisneros near West 43rd Street, where she was holding two knives.

Officers attempted for several minutes to persuade Cisneros to drop the weapons, but she refused, according to the Times. Tisch said Cisneros told police, “I’m not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you.”

Two officers then deployed Tasers before Cisneros charged toward police, at which point officers opened fire, according to the report.

Video footage of the confrontation showed Cisneros holding a knife in each hand as officers surrounded her. Tasers were deployed before she appeared to charge toward officers and shots were fired.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani addressed the attack alongside NYPD officials on Monday, saying officers in the area “responded immediately, deploying a Taser and discharging their firearms.”

“I’m deeply saddened to report that one of the victims has passed away, as has the alleged perpetrator,” Mamdani said. “The second victim is currently in the hospital in stable condition.”

"I ask New Yorkers to join me in holding the victim in our thoughts and wishing them a full recovery," he added.

Mamdani thanked the NYPD officers who responded, saying they "stepped in and prevented a horrific attack from becoming even worse."

"This is what the men and women of this department do every single day to keep our city safe," he said.

The mayor said an internal investigation would be conducted and that body-worn camera footage would be released to the public.

Tisch said Cisneros lived in Queens and that authorities had reason to believe she had a history of mental illness, according to the Times.

An ex-street gang leader accused of orchestrating the drive-by shooting death of hip-hop star Tupac Shakur three decades ago in Las Vegas was convicted of murder on Monday for his role in a long-unsolved crime that silenced one of rap music’s most influential voices.

A jury in Clark County, Nevada, deliberated for nearly three hours before finding Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 63, guilty of a single count of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon, capping an 11-day trial in a downtown Las Vegas courtroom. Davis will face a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole at his sentencing on October 13.

Davis told the judge "he plans to appeal this matter." Several people in the gallery wiped away tears and hugged a prosecutor as the court adjourned.

Representatives of the Clark County District Attorney's Office and Davis' lawyer did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

Binu Palal of the Clark County District Attorney's Office told jurors that under the code of respect in street gangs, Davis could not let the beating of his nephew slide.

"So what did he do? He acquired a firearm, got his group together, and went hunting for Mr. Shakur," Palal said.

Police say they long suspected Davis but did not have enough evidence to charge him until he went public with his story in media appearances and a memoir, which, along with tapes of his secret meetings with investigators, make up most of the prosecution’s case.

Davis’ lawyer Michael Sanft told jurors during his closing argument that his client’s story could not be corroborated by evidence and should not be trusted. He also said the case was tainted by police corruption, mismanagement and missing files.

“You’re reading a book that is fiction and not fact, but the state wants you to believe that this is somehow a confession," Sanft said, referring to Davis' 2019 memoir "Compton Street Legend."

Over the past two weeks, prosecutors played hours of recordings for jurors in which Davis said he was enraged after Shakur and his entourage beat up Davis’ nephew.

Davis and three other men, including his nephew, went looking for Shakur and his record executive Marion “Suge” Knight in a white Cadillac on the night of the beating, he told police during an unrelated investigation. Davis said he passed a gun to the backseat, and when they found Knight and Shakur’s car, one of the two men in the back opened fire.

Prosecutors have not named the shooter, and the three other men in the car have since died. Under Nevada law, Davis can be charged with murder even if he did not pull the trigger.

Davis was a leader of the South Side Compton Crips, a Los Angeles-area street gang that feuded with rival gang Mob Piru, which was associated with Shakur and his record label Death Row Records.

Shakur's 1996 killing became a seminal moment in rap history and heightened hip-hop culture's violent image during “gangsta” rap’s heyday, an era defined by feuding between East and West Coast artists.

US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has submitted his resignation to the White House following months of tension with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

It was unclear if the White House had accepted his resignation.

Driscoll, who is considered close to US Vice President JD Vance, becomes the latest senior official who has either been fired or pushed out in Hegseth’s Pentagon.

In April, Hegseth fired US Army Chief of Staff Randy George, a major staffing change that came as the US military was fighting a major war in the Middle East.

The Army declined to comment on the news, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

“Secretary Driscoll has been highly effective in advancing President Trump’s agenda to Make America Strong Again at the Department of the Army by providing outstanding leadership during historic military operations, restoring an emphasis on readiness and lethality, assisting with negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, and more,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement.

Driscoll, who was confirmed for the top Army position in February 2025, pushed the Army to be more nimble in acquiring cheaper weapons and chastised large weapons makers.

“(The) defense industrial base broadly, and the primes in particular, conned the American people and the Pentagon and the Army,” Driscoll said last year in reference to large defense companies.

Driscoll's resignation marks the latest senior personnel change at the Pentagon under Hegseth.