International News
Ex Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi Dies At 86
Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, who transformed Italy’s political and cultural landscape despite avoiding numerous legal and sex scandals, has passed away on Monday at the age of 86.
The multibillionaire media mogul was checked into a hospital in Milan on Friday for leukemia-related testing, according to aides.
His admission happened just three weeks after he was released from Milan’s San Raffaele hospital after a six-week stay during which time physicians discovered he had a rare form of blood cancer.
Years of poor health had plagued Berlusconi, from a 2016 heart operation to a 2020 coronavirus hospitalization. He was rarely seen in public despite being re-elected to the Senate last year.
But he remained the official head of his right-wing Forza Italia party, a junior — and occasionally troublesome — partner in Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s coalition government.
Berlusconi led Italy three times between 1994 and 2011, for a total of nine years, wooing voters with a promise of economic success only to be forced out as a debt crisis gripped his country.
But his influence extended well beyond politics, thanks to his extensive TV, newspaper and sporting interests, while his playboy antics kept him in the headlines even in his final years.
“Silvio Berlusconi made history in this country,” ex-prime minister Matteo Renzi said on Facebook.
“Many loved him, many hated him: everyone today must recognize that his impact on political but also economic, sporting and television life was unprecedented,” he said.
The survivors of Berlusconi include his 33-year-old lover Marta Fascina, two ex-wives, and five children, some of whom assist in managing his recently reported seven billion dollar company.
Berlusconi constructed a marble mausoleum in the style of a Pharaoh at his property in Arcore, close to Milan, to house his loved ones after they pass away.
International News
DOJ Confirms Federal Criminal Investigation After Agents Raid Ilhan Omar’s Home
Federal agents raided the Washington, D.C., home of Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar early Monday morning as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has confirmed.
Homeland Security Investigations agents arrived at the Minnesota congresswoman’s residence at about 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time, according to a report by Fox News.
SEE MORE: Trump Sparks Outrage With Shock Proposal to Rename New Mexico
The report said both the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the DOJ are involved in the investigation.
A DOJ spokesperson confirmed the operation, stating: “Today in the Washington, D.C. area, Homeland Security Investigations executed a judicially authorized search warrant secured by the Department of Justice.”
The spokesperson added: “This enforcement action is part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation.”
Details later……….
International News
Bangkok Underwater: Nearly 4,900 Evacuated as Floods Hit Thailand Capital
Heavy rains have triggered severe flooding across parts of Bangkok, Thailand, forcing nearly 4,900 residents to evacuate to shelters as floodwaters swept through roads and residential areas.
The flooding has disrupted movement across parts of the Thai capital, with motorists and pedestrians forced to navigate submerged roads and seek alternative routes.
SEE ALSO: NAFDAC Warns Nigerians As Fake Cowbell Milk Floods Market
According to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, about 52,000 households have been affected by the flooding, prompting authorities to declare a flood disaster and intensify emergency response efforts.
Emergency teams have been deployed to assist affected communities and move residents from vulnerable areas to safer locations as water levels rise.
Bangkok is accustomed to seasonal heavy rainfall, but intense downpours can overwhelm drainage systems, particularly in low-lying areas, resulting in widespread flooding and disruption.
Authorities are continuing to monitor affected locations while coordinating evacuations and other emergency measures.
For thousands of residents, the immediate priority remains securing safe shelter and protecting homes and livelihoods as authorities work to manage the situation and restore normal activities once the floodwaters recede.
International News
‘They Are Dying’ — Trump Explains Why He Rejected Iran’s Hormuz Proposal
US President Donald Trump has explained his decision to reject Iran’s latest proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, saying Tehran was seeking an agreement because it was losing revenue.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said Iran wanted to immediately reopen the strategically important waterway but argued that the proposal was not acceptable to his administration.
“They want to make a deal, and I think that’s fine. I like making a deal, too, but that deal would not be acceptable,” Trump said.
SEE ALSO: How the Strait of Hormuz Attack Could Trigger a Fresh Global Oil Shock
According to the US president, Iran’s push to reopen the strait was driven by the economic pressure it was facing.
“What they want to do is immediately open the Hormuz Strait. Do you know why? Because they are dying,” Trump said.
“You know why they’re dying? Because they have no money coming in, because they get their money from the Hormuz Strait.”
Trump also claimed that the US had established an unprecedented naval blockade against Iran, describing it as “a wall of steel.”
“So they outsmarted themselves. We put up the greatest blockade ever in military history. It’s a wall of steel,” he said.
“And guess what? They don’t have any money now because they wanted to close the strait.”
The Strait of Hormuz is a major global energy shipping route, and disruption to traffic through the waterway has significant implications for international oil markets and countries that depend on energy imports.
Trump’s remarks came amid continued tensions between Washington and Tehran over the reopening of the strategic waterway and negotiations involving Iran.





