The city of Omaha, Nebraska, was hit the hardest with local authorities rushing to help possible victims Multiple powerful tornadoes have ripped through the central US, leaving hundreds of houses badly damaged or completely destroyed in their path, with authorities warning that severe storms are expected to continue until Sunday. The National Weather Service received over 90 reports of tornadoes in the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa as of 9pm Central Time.  Dramatic photos and videos of the inclement weather circulated online, showing the path of devastation, so ..read more

American air defense capabilities are stretched around the globe, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has claimed Washington is not willing to risk undermining its own security, but the US government is working around the clock to pressure the EU, NATO and other partners to share their air defense capabilities with Kiev instead, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has said. Addressing the virtual meeting of the so-called Ukraine Defense Contact Group on Friday, President Vladimir Zelensky demanded “at least seven” Patriot batteries from his sponsors, but Kiev’s main backer allegedly ha ..read more

The plan had divided the African-American community, the Democrats’ traditional base The White House has postponed indefinitely the plans to ban menthol cigarettes, after polls showed a drastic drop in African-American support for President Joe Biden ahead of the November election, according to the Wall Street Journal. About 81% of black smokers used menthols as of 2020, the year when Biden got 91% of the black vote. Recent polls showed only 68% of African Americans planning to support the Democrat this time around, however. “It’s clear that there are still more conversations to have, and that ..read more

Charges in London warehouse fire are the first under the new National Security Act British authorities have pressed charges for the first time under the National Security Act introduced last year, accusing a Leicestershire man of organizing two arson attacks on behalf of Russian intelligence, UK media revealed on Friday. Judge Daniel Sternberg of the Westminster Magistrates Court has also lifted reporting restrictions imposed on April 20, allowing news outlets to identify the suspects and the charges against them. The government claims 20-year-old Dylan Earl of Elmesthorpe acted as a “conduit ..read more

The online influencer’s trial date has not yet been set A Bucharest court has moved to proceed with the trial of Andrew Tate, the Anglo-American social media influencer who has been charged with rape, human trafficking, and running a criminal gang to sexually exploit women. Tate, 37, and his brother Tristan were arrested in December 2022. Both men were indicted last June, along with two Romanian women alleged to have been their accomplices. They have denied all allegations. The Tates have challenged the indictment in the preliminary chamber stage. On Friday, the Bucharest Tribunal ruled it wou ..read more

Interceptor missiles will reportedly be sent, as there are no launchers to spare Madrid will send Kiev missiles for the Patriot air defense system, due to intense pressure from the EU and NATO, the daily El Pais has reported, citing government sources. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has demanded six US-made launchers from NATO, one of them being a Spanish system currently deployed to the Turkish-Syrian border, according to the outlet. Madrid has refused, but will instead transfer “a small number” of missiles to Kiev instead. Spain operates only three Patriot batteries, purchased in used ..read more

London’s espionage chief claims foreign states, particularly China, have been targeting UK universities Academics and researchers at British universities will be vetted by the nation’s security services amid government plans to crackdown on alleged Chinese espionage, according to The Times. The measures were reportedly announced following a meeting on Thursday between MI5 Director General Ken McCallum and the vice-chancellors of two dozen leading universities, including those from Oxford and Cambridge. McCallum reportedly warned the vice-chancellors that hostile states are actively targeting u ..read more

The French president has given a speech to highlight the EU’s achievements – but there’s little to celebrate “We must be clear about the fact that our Europe today is mortal,” French President Emmanuel Macron said in a speech this week. “She can die, and it depends only on our choices. But these choices are to be made now.” What Macron portrays as an urgent need to resuscitate the EU comes after he himself has spent nearly seven years in power, having even been president of the Council of the European Union in 2022. He’s been credited for the nomination and confirmation of Europ ..read more

A network of nonprofits has reportedly paid student groups organizing pro-Palestinian tent cities Several student groups that have organized protest “camps” at major US universities have received money from activist billionaire George Soros, the New York Post said on Friday. Protests that began earlier this month at Columbia University in New York City have since spread to Harvard, Yale, UC Berkeley and a total of 40 universities and colleges in the US and Canada. The Columbia protest was organized by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and Within Our Lifetime ..read more

Paris is reportedly seeking to use the Greek Crotale air defense system during the summer Olympics The French government has made an official request to borrow an air defense system from Greece for the duration of the Paris Olympics, Greek daily Kathimerini has reported, citing well-informed sources. France has been calling on its international allies to help enhance security for the summer games, which will run from July 26 to August 11. Around 45,000 French police and gendarmes, 18,000 troops, and up to 22,000 private security guards are expected to work at the event. A request for the trans ..read more