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US Secret Service and local police shot and killed a man armed with a shotgun early yesterday after he breached a secure perimeter at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, law enforcement officials said. Trump, who is currently in Washington, was not at the site at the time. The man in yesterday’s incident was identified as Austin Tucker Martin, 21, from North Carolina, according to a source familiar with the investigation.Martin was reported missing within the last few days, according to the source. The incident occurred at a time when the US is facing a spike in political violence. In 2024, a gunman’s bullet grazed Trump’s ear during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, and a man later convicted of attempted assassination was spotted hiding in the bushes of a Florida golf course with a semi-automatic rifle while Trump was on the course. The man was carrying a shotgun and a fuel can, the US Secret Service said in a statement, adding that he was observed at the resort’s north gate around 1:30am EST (0630 GMT). Two US Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputy confronted the man and ordered him to drop the two items, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said at a press conference yesterday morning. The man put down the gas can and raised the shotgun “to a shooting position,” prompting law enforcement to open fire, Bradshaw said. The man was declared dead at the scene. No law enforcement officers were injured.White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said the Secret Service “acted quickly and decisively to neutralise a crazy person, armed with a gun and a gas canister, who intruded President Trump’s home.” Law enforcement officials did not reveal any information about the motive for the incident. The FBI has taken over the investigation and is collecting evidence from the scene, officials said. FBI Director Kash Patel said in a social media post that the agency is “dedicating all necessary resources” to the investigation. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he spoke with Trump after the incident. Bessent thanked the Secret Service for protecting the president and his family. “We don’t know whether this person was a mastermind, unhinged or what,” Bessent said on the Fox News programme Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo. In 2024, Trump faced two assassination attempts, including one at his golf course in West Palm Beach. The perpetrator of that incident was sentenced to life in prison this month. Melissa Hortman, a Democratic state lawmaker in Minnesota, was shot and killed in June 2025 along with her husband. Months later, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was also assassinated. Source link
The Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (OIC) will hold an emergency meeting of the Open-ended Executive Committee at the level of foreign ministers, at the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah, on Thursday. The emergency meeting will discuss the illegal Israeli occupation decisions aimed at promoting settlement, annexation and attempting to impose alleged Israeli sovereignty on the occupied West Bank. In a statement issued yesterday, the OIC said that this meeting aims to coordinate positions and discuss ways of action to confront these invalid decisions and measures taken by the Israeli occupation authorities, the latest of which was the decision to start procedures to settle lands in the occupied West Bank under the name of “state property”, as part of its illegal schemes aimed at changing the legal, political and demographic status of the occupied Palestinian territory and undermining the two-state solution. Source link
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva addresses a press conference in New Delhi yesterday.(AFP) Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (pictured) urged Donald Trump yesterday to treat all countries equally after the US leader imposed a 15% tariff on imports following an adverse Supreme Court ruling. “I want to tell the US President Donald Trump that we don’t want a new Cold War. We don’t want interference in any other country, we want all countries to be treated equally,” Lula told reporters in New Delhi. The conservative-majority Supreme Court ruled six to three on Friday that a 1977 law Trump has relied on to slap sudden levies on individual countries, upending global trade, “does not authorise the President to impose tariffs”. Lula said he would not like to react to the Supreme Court decisions of another country, but hoped that Brazil’s relations with the US “will go back to normalcy” soon. The veteran leftist leader is expected to travel to Washington next month for a meeting with Trump.“I am convinced that Brazil-US relation will go back to normalcy after our conversation,” Lula, 80, said, adding that Brazil only wanted to “live in peace, generate jobs, and improve the lives of our people”. Lula and Trump, 79, stand on polar opposite sides when it comes to issues such as multilateralism, international trade and the fight against climate change. However, ties between Brazil and the US appear to be on the mend after months of animosity between Washington and Brasilia. As a result, Trump’s administration has exempted key Brazilian exports from 40% tariffs that had been imposed on the South American country last year. “The world doesn’t need more turbulence, it needs peace,” said Lula, who arrived in India on Wednesday for a summit on artificial intelligence and a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ties between Washington and Brasilia soured in recent months, with Trump angered over the trial and conviction of his ally, the far-right former Brazil president Jair Bolsonaro.Trump imposed sanctions against several top officials, including a Supreme Court judge, to punish Brazil for what he termed a “witch hunt” against Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years in prison for his role in a botched coup bid after his 2022 election loss to Lula. Lula said that, as the two largest democracies in the Americas, he looked forward to a positive relationship with the US.“We are two men of 80 years of age, so we cannot play around with democracy,” he said. “We have to take this very seriously. We have to shake hands eye-to-eye, person-to-person, and to discuss what is best for the USand Brazil.” Source link
The General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques announced that the Third Expansion of the Grand Mosque covers approximately 1,214,000 square meters, with a cooling capacity of 90,000 tons to maintain a comfortable atmosphere throughout the year. In a statement published by the Saudi Press Agency, the authority said that the Third Expansion continues to play a key role in serving worshipers, as one of the largest expansion projects in the mosque’s history, it represents a major enhancement in integrated services. The expansion provides a spiritually enriching environment built to high engineering and operational standards, it added. The authority emphasized that the expansion is central to its operational plans, adding that field teams operate around the clock to ensure the full readiness of facilities and services and that these efforts enhance efficiency and maintain high levels of comfort and safety for visitors. The expansion’s facilities include more than 25,000 carpets, 17,000 Zamzam water dispensers, 11,436 restrooms and ablution areas, and 1,300 speakers to ensure clear sound across all levels, not to mention 458 drinking fountains, 428 escalators, 28 elevators, 80 doors, and 120 prayer areas. These features facilitate smooth entry, exit, and movement across the ground, first, second, mezzanine, and rooftop levels. The design allows accommodation of large numbers of worshipers during peak periods. Source link
People walk through Times Square as snow falls during a winter storm in New York City, yesterday. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani yesterday ordered the shutdown of the city’s entire traffic network for all but emergency travel ahead of a massive snowstorm expected to hit the northeast US. Tens of millions of Americans from the US capital Washington to the northern state of Maine braced for the storm, with up to two feet (60 centimetres) of snow forecast in some areas. The National Weather Service said blizzard conditions would “quickly materialise” from Maryland up to southeastern New England, making travel “extremely treacherous.” Snow could fall at a rate of two to three inches per hour at the peak of the storm, with nearly 54mn people in its path, it said.Power outages are likely due to heavy snow and strong wind gusts, forecasters said. In New York, which has more than eight mn people, Mamdani said streets, highways and bridges would be shut down from 9:00pm yesterday (0200 GMT) until noon today.“New York City has not faced a storm of this scale in the last decade,” he said, explaining the state of emergency. “We are asking New Yorkers to avoid all non-essential travel.”The ban will not affect essential workers or New Yorkers needing to travel due to emergencies, according to Mamdani. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill declared a state of emergency beginning midday yesterday, freeing up funds and allowing the swift deployment of resources to address the weather crisis.In Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu closed all public schools and municipal buildings today. “We ask everyone to plan ahead, stay safe and warm, and stay off the roads to help our public works and public safety efforts,” Wu said.The National Weather Service said “moderate to major” coastal flooding affecting waterfront roads and properties was possible from Delaware up to Cape Cod in Massachusetts. The storm comes just weeks after the region recovered from another devastating weather system that was linked to more than 100 deaths.“The worst is yet to come,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul told a press briefing yesterday. “Whatever you need — any groceries, any medicines you need to be refilled at the pharmacy, any pet food you need to have — do it right now.”Then, she advised, “just settle in.”“Watch some more Olympics, read a book, catch up on the news, call your family members, call your moms — especiallyyour moms.” Source link
US forces have begun withdrawing from the strategic Qasrak base in the Hasakah countryside of northeastern Syria. Military convoys have departed the site towards the Al-Walid border crossing with Iraqi Kurdistan.Two days ago, dozens of vehicles and logistical equipment were seen leaving the base, which is one of the largest US military bases in Syria and holds strategic importance due to its location and direct control over the international highway, a vital artery for transporting supplies and trade between eastern and western Syria.This development comes as part of a reduction in the US military presence in Syria, following the evacuation of other sites in recent weeks, including the Al-Tanf and Al-Shaddadi bases, as well as other bases in Deir ez-Zor. Source link
Eighteen people were killed Monday when a passenger bus traveling from Pokhara to Kathmandu plunged into the Trishuli River in the Dhading District of central Nepal. Local authorities reported that the bus, carrying approximately 45 passengers, fell from the highway into the river, resulting in the fatal accident.A spokesperson for the local administration office said that most of the 27 injured passengers were transferred to hospitals in Kathmandu for treatment.Bus accidents in Nepal are typically blamed on poor road conditions and weather factors, with most accidents occurring during the monsoon season each year. Source link
The death toll from the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023 has risen to 72,073 martyrs, in addition to 171,749 injured.The Ministry of Health in Gaza stated today that hospitals across the Strip received, over the past 24 hours, one martyr and 8 injured individuals, while a number of victims remain under the rubble and on the roads, as ambulance and civil defense crews are still unable to reach them up to this moment.The ministry further reported that the total number of casualties since the ceasefire last October has risen to 615 martyrs and 1,651 injured, while 726 bodies have been recovered Source link
A FIFA seminar for elite referees shortlisted to officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off on Monday and will run through February 27.The seminar brings together 21 referees from three continents, including 10 from Asia, among them Qatari referees Abdulrahman Al Jassim and Salman Falahi, as well as 10 referees from Africa and one from Oceania.Deputy Chair of FIFA’s Referees Committee, Hani Taleb Ballan, said the seminar is the second in a series of preparatory workshops for officials nominated for the 2026 World Cup. The first was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for South American referees. While, the final seminar, for 16 European referees, will take place in Dubai in March, completing the gathering of all shortlisted officials.He noted that the seminar represents a key stage in the evaluation process, featuring fitness tests, medical examinations and discussion sessions aimed at reinforcing modern football concepts. Ballan emphasized that officiating at a World Cup is a major incentive for referees and requires sustained effort and continuous development. He added that selection is based on precise criteria and comprehensive assessment, with ongoing monitoring of referees’ performances in various competitions.For his part, Director of Refereeing at FIFA, Massimo Busacca, reaffirmed the governing body’s commitment to supporting referees and preparing them to meet the demands of the 2026 tournament.The seminar program includes a series of technical, physical and medical tests to assess readiness, alongside an intensive training schedule featuring video review and analysis of real match situations. Practical sessions are recorded and evaluated by international instructors to provide detailed technical feedback, ensuring referees reach peak preparedness ahead of the upcoming World Cup. Source link
A winter storm that struck the US East Coast disrupted air travel and forced school closures, with the National Weather Service warning of heavy snowfall and strong winds.New York City Mayor Zahran Mamdani announced at a press conference yesterday, “We expect between 33 and 43 centimeters of snow,” warning that the snow could reach “50 centimeters or more,” and urging all city residents to stay home.US authorities stated that parts of the Northeast could see up to two feet of snow and winds reaching 70 miles per hour, increasing the risk of downed trees and power outages.Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey declared a state of emergency and ordered state employees to stay home. (QNA)A violent winter storm hit the region in late January, killing more than 100 people. Source link