The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine

Category: World News

  • Elon Musk Worth $839bn in New Forbes Ranking

    Elon Musk Worth $839bn in New Forbes Ranking

    Elon Musk is the wealthiest individual ever recorded, worth an estimated $839 billion, Forbes said Tuesday, as a record 3,428 billionaires worldwide saw their combined fortunes surge to an all-time high of $20.1 trillion.

    Musk topped the Forbes World’s Billionaires list for the second consecutive year after his fortune swelled by roughly $500 billion over the past twelve months, driven by rising valuations at Tesla and SpaceX, which is targeting a public offering in 2026. He is the first person ever to surpass the $800 billion mark and is on course to become the world’s first trillionaire.Forbes releases its 40th-annual World’s Billionaires list, the definitive ranking of the planet’s richest people. Wealth surged to unprecedented levels over the past year, with fortunes climbing at a record pace. This year’s list features 3,428 billionaires, the most since the list’s inception in 1987. The world’s wealthiest people are worth a record $20.1 trillion combined, up from $16.1 trillion in 2025.

    Elon Musk tops the Billionaires list for the second year in a row and is the richest person ever recorded, worth an estimated $839 billion. His net worth skyrocketed by half of a trillion dollars from last year, thanks to a rise in the value of Tesla, and SpaceX which is aiming to go public in 2026. Musk is the first person ever recorded to reach the $800 billion mark, as he moves toward becoming the world’s first trillionaire.

    “It’s the year of the billionaire,” said Chase Peterson-Withorn, Forbes Senior Editor, Wealth. “The planet added more than one billionaire per day over the past twelve months as the AI-powered stock market boom boosted fortunes to previously unimaginable heights.”

    Larry Page, cofounder of Google, follows far behind Musk, in the No. 2 spot with an estimated net worth of $257 billion, followed by his cofounder Sergey Brin at No. 3 ($237 billion). Jeff Bezos holds the No. 4 spot ($224 billion) and Mark Zuckerberg ($222 billion) rounds out the top 5.

    President Donald Trump’s fortune increased by 27%, to an estimated $6.5 billion, thanks largely to crypto dealings and his New York fraud penalty being thrown out. He ranks No. 645 worldwide.

    The 2026 ranking features 390 newcomers, including Dr. Dre; Beyonce Knowles-Carter; and tennis legend Roger Federer.

    The United States has more billionaires than any other country, now boasting a record 989. AFP 

  • Israel threaten to target Khamenei’s successor

    Israel threaten to target Khamenei’s successor

    Israel has declared its intention to target both the newly elected leader and those responsible for their appointment.

    Overnight, Israel launched a significant wave of attacks on Tehran, targeting infrastructure and oil facilities, which the Israel Defence Forces confirmed.

    Residents in Tehran reported waking to loud explosions and massive flames from oil refineries, indicating the severity of the Israeli onslaught. Thick, choking black smoke hung over Tehran on Sunday, residents said, after strikes on oil storage facilities.

    Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the large-scale attack marked a “dangerous new phase” of the conflict and amounted to a war crime.

    “By targeting fuel depots, the aggressors are releasing hazardous materials and toxic substances into the air, poisoning civilians, devastating the environment, and endangering lives on a massive scale,” he wrote on X.

    Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani told reporters the depots were used to fuel Iran’s war effort, including producing or storing ⁠propellant for ballistic missiles. “They are a legal military target,” he said.

    Shortly after the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government would press on with the assault and strike Iran’s rulers “without mercy”.

    “We have an organised plan with many surprises to destabilise the regime and enable change,” he said in a video statement. “We have many more targets.”

    Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he was not interested in negotiating an end to the conflict that has sent energy prices skyward, hurt business and snarled global travel.

    “At some point, I don’t think there will be anybody left maybe to say, ‘We surrender’,” Trump said.

  • Iran launches new barrage of missiles, drones after new leader named

    Iran launches new barrage of missiles, drones after new leader named

    Iran’s Revolutionary Guard announced the launch of a new barrage of liquid- and solid-fuel missiles, including Khorramshahr, Fattah and Kheibar, along with drones, following the announcement of Mojtaba Khamenei’s leadership in an operation codenamed “Aliyyan waliyy Allah”.

    The phrase references the Shia belief that Prophet Muhammad appointed his son-in-law Ali as his rightful successor at the event of Ghadir.

    Iranian state media published an image of a missile bearing the phrase “Labbayk, Seyyed Mojtaba” (At your service Seyyed Mojtaba), in what appeared to be a display of the military’s pledge of allegiance to the new supreme leader.

    Iran’s Assembly of Experts in a statement introduced Mojtaba Khamenei as the new leader of the Islamic Republic, five days after Iran International first reported that the body had selected him under pressure from the Revolutionary Guards.

    For decades Mojtaba operated largely out of public view while building deep ties across the Islamic Republic’s political and security apparatus. His rise marks the formal emergence of a figure who had already been widely regarded as one of the most influential actors behind the scenes of Iran’s ruling establishment.

    Mojtaba, the second son of Ali Khamenei, has long been considered the only member of his family with clear political ambitions. His younger brother, Masoud, worked only in administrative roles within their father’s office, while his other two brothers and two sisters are not known to have held political or bureaucratic positions.

    Born in 1969 in Mashhad, Mojtaba continued his education in Tehran at the prestigious Alavi High School, which produced many of the Islamic Republic’s elite, including former foreign minister Javad Zarif. The school’s dean, Kamal Kharrazi, later became one of Ali Khamenei’s senior political advisers.

    After graduating, Mojtaba began religious studies in Tehran before moving to Qom to pursue seminary education. In recent years, he has taught dars-e kharij — the highest level of jurisprudential instruction and a prerequisite for attaining the rank of mujtahid — at the Qom Seminary.

    Mojtaba married Zahra Haddad-Adel, daughter of former parliamentary speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel. Zahra and one of their children were killed in the February 28 attack on Ali Khamenei’s residence. The couple had three children.

    Because Mojtaba operated almost entirely behind the scenes under strict security, official information about him remained scarce, and unofficial reporting has often been fragmentary.

    He held no formal executive or elected position for much of his career, yet he was widely believed to wield significant influence within the Office of the Supreme Leader and to oversee parts of his father’s administrative network.

    Political orientation and policy views

    A devoted pupil of Mohammad-Taqi Mesbah-Yazdi, the ideological architect of the ultraconservative Paydari Party, Mojtaba has long been aligned with Iran’s hardline faction. Analysts describe him as an advocate of a “unified state” in which appointed institutions overshadow elected bodies.

    This model was implemented most clearly during the presidency of Ebrahim Raisi, when moderate conservatives such as Ali Larijani were marginalized and gradually pushed out of the political arena. Mojtaba has also been widely regarded as a key supporter of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s rise in 2005 and his continuation in power after the disputed 2009 election.

    Mesbah-Yazdi, a fierce opponent of republicanism who died in 2021, argued that the Supreme Leader should be appointed without regard for public consent. Mojtaba has embraced this worldview, supporting strong clerical authority and the exclusion of moderates from power.

    He has also been widely viewed as the principal political and financial patron of the Paydari Front, whose members see him as the guarantor of the Islamic Republic’s revolutionary identity after his father.

    His foreign-policy outlook is deeply distrustful of the West, particularly the United States, and rooted in the doctrine of “resistance.” He strongly supports expanding Iran’s regional influence and strengthening the so-called “Axis of Resistance,” opposing compromise with Western governments.

    Position on protests

    Although Mojtaba has rarely spoken publicly, political reporting has consistently portrayed him as favoring a forceful, security-driven response to domestic unrest.

    During the 2009 Green Movement protests, he was widely identified as one of the key figures overseeing the crackdown. Demonstrators chanted directly against him for the first time, shouting: “Mojtaba, may you die before you see leadership.”

    During the protests of 2022, media outlets close to the regime again depicted him as central to maintaining internal stability.

    His supporters—including segments of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the paramilitary Basij, hardline clerics in Qom, institutions linked to the Supreme Leader’s Office, and state-aligned media—describe him as devout, discreet, and deeply knowledgeable about security affairs.

    Opponents, including much of the public and the political opposition, view him as a symbol of hereditary succession and criticize both his role in crackdowns and his opaque political influence.

    IRGC networks

    Mojtaba has maintained extensive ties to Iran’s intelligence and military structures. His network dates back to his youth, when he served in the IRGC’s Habib Battalion during the Iran–Iraq War—a unit that later produced many senior commanders, including Esmail Kowsari.

    He has had a particularly close relationship with Hossein Taeb, former head of the IRGC Intelligence Organization, and has widely been believed to exert influence over its operations. Mohammad Sarafraz, the former head of state television, wrote that Mojtaba and Taeb pressured him to allocate a large share of the broadcaster’s advertising revenue to their networks.

    Many Iranian analysts believe Mojtaba has played a decisive role in shaping senior IRGC appointments and key security positions.

    Implications of his leadership

    With Mojtaba Khamenei now formally assuming the role of Supreme Leader, observers say his leadership could reinforce the dominance of Iran’s hardline institutions and deepen the role of the security establishment within the political system.

    His extensive ties to the IRGC and his long-standing influence within the Supreme Leader’s office have given him a unique power base even before holding the title. For years he operated as one of the most consequential figures in Iran’s political hierarchy without occupying a formal public position.

    Now, as Supreme Leader, the “shadow prince” of the Islamic Republic has stepped fully into the center of power. Iran Intl.

  • Iran names Khamenei’s son as new supreme leader after father’s killing

    Iran names Khamenei’s son as new supreme leader after father’s killing

    Iran has named Mojtaba Khamenei as its new supreme leader, just over a week after the assassination of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in joint United States-Israeli strikes that have plunged the entire region into a sprawling war.

    The 56-year-old, who will now be charged with leading the Islamic Republic through the biggest crisis in its 47-year history, was named by clerics as his father’s successor on Sunday.

    Key leaders, Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the armed forces were quick to pledge their backing to the new leader.

    Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, who has been tasked with steering Iran’s security strategy since the US and Israel launched their all-out offensive, called for unity around the new supreme leader.

    Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf welcomed the choice, saying that following the new supreme leader was a “religious and national duty”.

    Mojtaba Khamenei has never run for office or been subjected to a public vote, but has for decades been a highly influential figure in the inner circle of the supreme leader, cultivating deep ties to the IRGC.

    In recent years, Khamenei has increasingly been touted as a top potential replacement for his father. His selection could be a sign that more hardline factions in Iran’s establishment retain power, and could indicate that the government has little desire to agree to a deal or negotiations in the short term as the war enters its second week.

    Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem described Khamenei as his “father’s gatekeeper”.

    “He adopts the positions of his father with respect to the United States, with respect to Israel. So we are expecting a confrontational leader. We’re not expecting any moderation,” he said.

    “However, if this war comes to an end and he is still alive, and he is able to continue running the country, there is going to be big potential… to find new routes for Iran,” Hashem said.

    Rami Khouri, a distinguished public policy fellow at the American University of Beirut, said Khamenei’s appointment signals “continuity” and that it remains to be seen whether the new supreme leader will push for negotiations to end the war.

    Either way, he said, the appointment was “an act of defiance”. Iran is “telling the Americans and Israelis, ‘You wanted to get rid of our system? Well … this is a more radical person than his father who was assassinated,’” he said.

    Heidari Alekasir, a member of the Assembly of Experts that was tasked with choosing the supreme leader, said the candidate had been picked based on the late Khamenei’s advice that Iran’s top leader should “be hated by the enemy” instead of praised by it.

    “Even the Great Satan [US] has mentioned his name,” the senior cleric said in reference to US President Donald Trump’s earlier statement that Mojtaba Khamenei would be an “unacceptable” choice for him to lead Iran.

    Israel’s military had previously warned any successor that “we will not hesitate to target you”.

    On Sunday, Trump again promised to exert influence over who is selected as Iran’s next supreme leader, saying that, without Washington’s approval, whoever is picked for the role is “not going to last long”.

    The selection of Khamenei’s son is certain to enrage Trump.

    Supreme leader not decided by ‘Epstein’s gang’

    The 88-member Assembly of Experts said on Sunday that it “did not hesitate for a minute” in choosing a new supreme leader, despite “the brutal aggression of the criminal America and the evil Zionist regime”.

    Earlier, the clerical body had indicated it had reached a majority consensus on its choice, without naming who it was, with one member saying, “The path of ⁠Imam Khomeini and ⁠the path of the martyr Imam Khamenei has been ⁠chosen. The name of ⁠Khamenei will continue.”

    Mojtaba Khamenei studied under conservative clerics in the seminaries of Qom, the heart of Shia theological learning, and holds the clerical rank of hojjatoleslam, a mid-level clerical ranking.

    Ali Khamenei, who led Iran for 37 years, succeeding Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who had led the 1979 revolution, was killed in a US-Israeli strike on Tehran on February 28, at the outset of the war, which has now unleashed chaos throughout the Middle East.

    The ⁠Israeli ⁠military has already threatened to kill any replacement for Khamenei, while Trump said the war may only end once Iran’s military and leaders have been wiped out.

    “He’s going to have to get approval from us,” Trump told ABC News. “If he doesn’t get approval from us, he’s not going to last long,” Trump said on Sunday of any new supreme leader.

    Iranian officials have rejected Trump’s push to be involved in the selection of the next leader, insisting that only Iranians can decide the future of their country.

    On Friday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf appeared to ridicule the US president’s demands.

    “The fate of dear Iran, which is more precious than life, will be determined solely by the proud Iranian nation, not by [Jeffrey] Epstein’s gang,” Ghalibaf wrote on X, referring to the late sex offender who had ties to rich and powerful figures in the US.

    Dark skies

    As clerics selected the new supreme leader, a dark haze hung over Tehran after Israel struck five oil facilities in and around the capital city overnight, setting them ablaze and filling the skies with acrid smoke.

    As the war extended into its ninth day, the IRGC said they had enough supplies to continue their drone and missile attacks across the Middle East for up to six months.

    IRGC spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini said Iran had so far used only first- and second-generation missiles, but would use “advanced and less-used long-range missiles” in the coming days.

    Trump again refused to rule out sending American ground troops into Iran, but continued to insist that the war was all but won, despite the ongoing Iranian missile and drone strikes.

    Analysts warn there is no clear path to ending the conflict, which US and Israeli officials say could last a month or longer. Al Jazeera

  • Meet America’s Biggest Landowner Stanley Kroenke with 2.7 Million Acres

     

    Billionaire Stanley Kroenke is the largest landowner in America, owning 2.7 million acres, according to the 2026 Land Report 100, which tracks individual landowners across the US.

    Kroenke’s holdings beat the record previously held by California’s Emmerson family, which owns 2.44 million acres of timberland across California, Oregon, and Washington.

    Kroenke, 78, has an estimated net worth of $22.2 billion as of March 2, Forbes reported.

    His fortune is largely tied to his investments in sports franchises and commercial and ranching real estate.

    In 2016, Kroenke acquired the historic Waggoner Ranch in Texas, a 535,000-acre landmark founded in 1849 by Dan Waggoner.

    At the time, it was Kroenke’s largest holding, and the Waggoner was widely described as one of the largest ranches in the United States under a single fence, as reported by American Cowboy magazine.

    Then, in December 2025, the land magnate bought over 937,000 deeded acres in New Mexico, the single-largest land purchase in the US in over a decade.

    This ranchland purchase put Kroenke at the top of the landowner list after years in the top five.

    He also owns extensive land outside the US. In 2003, he bought Douglas Lake Ranch, Canada’s largest working cattle ranch, which spans more than 500,000 acres in British Columbia.

    Aside from owning millions of acres in Western ranchlands, Kroenke also owns about 60 million square feet of commercial real estate, The New York Times reported.

    Much of that portfolio consists of shopping centers anchored by Walmart stores, a strategy Kroenke began building decades ago that helped fund his expansion into sports and large-scale land acquisitions.

    Some of the billionaire’s real estate holdings include sports venues in Denver and outside Los Angeles, both cities where Kroenke-owned sports teams play.

    Kroenke’s sports holdings, which are responsible for a large portion of his fortune, include the Los Angeles Rams, the Colorado Avalanche, the Denver Nuggets, the Colorado Mammoth, the Colorado Rapids, and Britain’s Arsenal soccer club.

    Terry Bradshaw presents Stanley Kroenke, owner of the Los Angeles Rams and General Manager Les Snead the NFC Championship trophy after defeating the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 20, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana.Chris Graythen/Getty Images

    The soaring valuations of his NFL and global soccer franchises have significantly boosted the value of Kroenke’s portfolio, as media rights deals and international fan bases push teams’ worth into the billions.

    Kroenke’s connection to Walmart isn’t just a business one.

    He’s married to Walmart heiress Ann Walton, the daughter of its cofounder James “Bud” Walton.

    Ann Walton herself is worth an estimated $14.6 billion, per Forbes.

    They married in 1974 and have two children together, Josh and Whitney Ann.

    Kroenke also owns Douglas Lake Ranch, Canada's largest working cattle ranch.Jon Spalding/Shutterstock

    Despite marrying a Walmart heiress, Kroenke’s fortune has been largely self-made in the real-estate sector.

    From nearly a million acres of Western ranchland to NFL stadiums packed with fans, Kroenke’s empire now spans more territory than some US states and more than any other person in the country.

    FULL CREDIT: BUSINESS INSIDER AFRICA

  • US Names Four Soldiers Killed In Iran War

    US Names Four Soldiers Killed In Iran War

    The Pentagon has identified four of the first American soldiers killed in the war against Iran, as the Trump administration warns that the intensifying conflict is likely to claim more US lives.

    Among six US military deaths confirmed so far, the four soldiers were members of an Iowa-based unit of the US Army Reserve. They were killed on Sunday when a drone struck a US military facility in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, according to military officials.

    The Pentagon said the soldiers, aged between 20 and 42, served in the 103rd Sustainment Command out of Des Moines, Iowa a key component of the Army’s global logistics and supply operations.

    The military identified the fallen US Army Reserve soldiers as Captain Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Sergeant 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; and Sergeant 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota. Specialist Coady, who was posthumously promoted, had enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2023.

    Major General Todd Erskine, commander of the 79th Theater Sustainment Command, extended “my deepest sympathy and my respect” to the families and fellow service members of the four soldiers in a statement.

    Several of the soldiers had previously deployed overseas. Khork served in Saudi Arabia in 2018, at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in 2021 and in Poland in 2024. Amor deployed to Kuwait and Iraq in 2019, while Tietjens completed earlier deployments to Kuwait in 2009 and 2019.

    President Donald Trump and other senior officials have cautioned that the expanding conflict with Iran is likely to result in additional American casualties as Tehran continues retaliatory strikes against US and Israeli targets.

    The US military’s Central Command said Iran has launched more than 500 ballistic missiles and over 2,000 drones across the Middle East since hostilities intensified.

    The growing risks to US personnel were addressed during a closed door briefing to lawmakers on Tuesday by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

    “They told us in that room that there are going to be more Americans that are gonna die  that they are not going to be able to stop these drones,” Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat, said after the briefing.

    Officials said the facility in Kuwait was protected by concrete blast walls but lacked a fortified roof.

    It remains unclear whether air defense systems were active at the time of the strike, and one official said no alarm sounded as the drone approached.

    Investigations into the attack are ongoing as US forces brace for further escalation in the region.

  • JUST-IN: Israel Attacks Iran, US Involved in Attack

    JUST-IN: Israel Attacks Iran, US Involved in Attack

    An apparent strike in Iran’s capital Saturday happened near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

    State television acknowledged an explosion in the area of the offices.

    It wasn’t immediately clear whether the 86-year-old Khamenei had been in his offices at the time. He hasn’t been seen publicly in days as tensions with the United States have grown.

    Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described the attack as being done “to remove threats.” He did not immediately elaborate.

    In Tehran, witnesses heard the blast. Iranian state television later reported on the explosion, without offering a cause.

    Sirens sounded across Israel at the same time. The Israeli military said that it had issued a “proactive alert to prepare the public for the possibility of missiles being launched toward the state of Israel.”

    US confirms involvement in strikes

    US President Donald Trump confirms US has launched “major combat operations” in Iran.

    Trump says ‘we tried to make a deal’

    More now from Trump: “we sought repeatedly to make a deal. We tried.”

    He adds that “we are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally … obliterated.”

    He said Tehran’s “menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas, and our allies throughout the world”.

    “For 47 years,” Trump adds, “the Iranian regime has chanted ‘Death to America’ and waged an unending campaign of bloodshed.”

    He references the US embassy crisis from 1979 and 1981, where 66 hostages were held for 444 days.

    “It’s been mass terror, and we’re not going to take it any longer”, he adds, before claiming that Iran attempted to rebuild its nuclear programme and was developing long-range missiles.

    Trump then says “we are going to destroy their missiles” and “annihilate their navy”, and adds that while steps have been taken to avoid casualties, “Americans may be lost”.

    He tells the Islamic Revolutionary Guard to “lay down their arms” or “face certain death”.

    Addressing the people of Iran, Trump says “the hour of your freedom is at hand” and warns them “bombs will dropping everywhere”.

    “When we are finished, take over your government, it will be yours to take”, he adds.

    “This will be, probably, your only chance for generations. For many years, you have asked for America’s help, but you never got it.

    “No president was willing to do what I am willing to do tonight.”

    Katz has also announced a state of emergency in Israel in anticipation of retaliatory strikes

    Tehran preparing to retaliate – Reports 

    Iran is preparing to retaliate after this morning’s strikes, a Tehran official has told the Reuters news agency.

    The official told the agency the response is set ‌to be “crushing”.

    It is unclear what that means or where Iran will target.

  • India: Four Arrested for Burning Mother, Baby to Death Over Witchcraft Claims

    India: Four Arrested for Burning Mother, Baby to Death Over Witchcraft Claims

    Indian police have arrested four men in connection with the killing of a woman and her 10-month-old son in Jharkhand state, following accusations of witchcraft in their remote tribal village, BBC News has reported.

    The victims, Jyoti Sinku and her infant, were set on fire in Kudsai hamlet, approximately 250 kilometres from the state capital, Ranchi. Jyoti’s husband, Kolhan Sinku, sustained severe burns in the attack and is currently receiving treatment in hospital.

    Authorities confirmed that the suspects are in custody and have remained silent publicly. Police said efforts are ongoing to apprehend other members of the mob believed to have participated in the killing.

    Alarming Statistics on Witchcraft-Related Killings

    According to India’s National Crime Records Bureau, over 2,500 people — the majority of them women — were killed between 2000 and 2016 across the country over suspicions of witchcraft.

    The latest tragedy follows a similar incident months ago in neighbouring Bihar state, where five members of a family were murdered over witchcraft allegations.

    How Village Rumours Sparked Violence

    Investigators revealed that the violence in Kudsai was triggered by rumours linking sudden cattle deaths and the illness of a local man, Pustun Birua, to Jyoti Sinku.

    Jano Birua, Pustun’s wife, said she resorted to seeking help from an informal healthcare provider when her husband began experiencing anxiety and fainting spells. She explained that access to proper medical care was limited due to their remote location.

    Asked why she did not take him to a hospital, she said: “We are poor people, so it wasn’t possible to take him that far.”

    As accusations against Jyoti Sinku spread through the community, tensions mounted. Pustun Birua died on Tuesday evening.

    Survivor’s Harrowing Account

    That same night, Kolhan Sinku recounted that a mob of about a dozen people, including five women, broke into their home and set his wife and child on fire.

    Recalling the incident, he said: “I pleaded with folded hands to have the matter resolved in the village council but the attackers didn’t listen to me.”

    Police Launch Manhunt, Plan Awareness Campaigns

    Based on statements from Kolhan Sinku and another relative, district police have opened a case of murder and criminal conspiracy.

    Police confirmed that a special team has been deployed to track down other suspects linked to the attack. Authorities also said they plan to organise awareness programmes in rural communities to combat superstition and prevent similar incidents.

  • NASA Astronaut Suni Williams, Who Stayed in Space for 9 Months After Spacecraft Problem, Retires

    Williams retired effective Dec. 27, NASA said in a statement. Williams, a former Navy pilot, joined NASA in 1998.

    “Suni Williams has been a trailblazer in human spaceflight, shaping the future of exploration through her leadership aboard the space station and paving the way for commercial missions to low Earth orbit,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in the statement.

    Williams went on three missions to the International Space Station, the first of which was in 2006 and in which she was carried aboard the space shuttle Discovery, NASA said.

    NASA Astronaut Suni Williams.
    NASA Astronaut Suni Williams.

    But it was the most recent, in 2024, in which the planned one-week stay stretched from June until March 2025 because of concerns over Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which was on a test mission.

    Starliner launched June 5, 2024, taking Williams and Butch Wilmore to the space station on its first crewed flight. But there were problems with the capsule’s thrusters during the docking process, and eventually, in September, NASA decided to return the capsule with no one on board.Williams and Wilmore spent 286 days aboard the International Space Station. A SpaceX Dragon capsule was then sent up to bring the pair, as well as two other astronauts who were wrapping up a six-month mission, back to Earth. The Dragon capsule left the space station on March 18 and splashed down in the ocean off Florida.

    Over her career, Williams logged 608 days in space, which is the second-longest cumulative time in space in NASA history, the space agency said.She also logged the most spacewalk time of any female astronaut, at 62 hours and 6 minutes, which is the fourth-most time of any NASA astronaut, it said.Williams and Wilmore have said they enjoyed their extended time living and working at the orbiting outpost, even though it was longer than expected.

    “The plan went way off for what we had planned, but because we’re in human spaceflight, we prepare for any number of contingencies,” Wilmore said in late March, after they returned to Earth.

    “This is a curvy road. You never know where it’s going to go.”

    Williams said her recovery on Earth after the longer-than-intended space stay was helped by her previous space flights.

    “Though it was longer than any flight either one of us have flown before, I think my body remembered,” she told NBC News in an interview alongside Wilmore in June.

    Williams called her career and the opportunities to serve at NASA an “incredible honor.”

    “Anyone who knows me knows that space is my absolute favorite place to be,” she said in NASA’s statement. NBC News

  • Trump reveals ‘numerous’ deadly strikes on IS in Nigeria by US forces

    Trump reveals ‘numerous’ deadly strikes on IS in Nigeria by US forces

    President Donald Trump said Thursday that US forces conducted deadly strikes against Islamic State “Scum” in northwestern Nigeria, and vowed more attacks if the militants keep killing Christians.

    Without providing details, the commander in chief said “The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes,” on Christmas Day, against IS targets.

    “I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

    “May God Bless our Military,” he said, adding provocatively, “MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues.”

    US Africa Command said in an X post that it conducted a strike “at the request of Nigerian authorities…killing multiple ISIS terrorists.”

    Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth took to X to praise his department’s readiness to take action in Nigeria, and said he was “grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation.”

    The attacks mark the first by US forces in Nigeria under Trump, and come after the Republican unexpectedly berated the west African nation in October and November, saying Christians there faced an “existential threat” that amounted to “genocide” amid Nigeria’s myriad armed conflicts.

    The diplomatic offensive was welcomed by some but interpreted by others as inflaming religious tensions in Africa’s most populous country, which has seen bouts of sectarian violence in the past.

    Nigeria’s government and independent analysts reject framing the country’s violence in terms of religious persecution — a narrative long used by the Christian right in the United States and Europe.

  • PM Netanyahu Condemns ‘Christian Genocide’ in Nigeria, Says ‘It Must End Now’

    Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin NetanyahuIsraeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has condemned the alleged Christian genocide in Nigeria, describing it as unacceptable.

    In his Christmas message on Wednesday, Netanyahu emphasised that attacks against Christians or members of any religion cannot be tolerated, urging an end to the alleged militant displacement and violence against Christians in Nigeria.

    He also highlighted Israel as the only country in the Middle East where Christians can freely practise their faith and celebrate their traditions without fear.

    Netanyahu contrasted Israel’s approach with incidents in the region where Christian communities face intimidation and persecution.

    According to him, while Israel’s Christian population continues to grow, the number of Christians in countries such as Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, and areas under the Palestinian Authority has steadily declined due to systematic discrimination.

    He cited Bethlehem as an example, noting the Christian population there has dropped from 80% to 20% since the city came under Palestinian Authority control.

    The Israeli leader also drew attention to acts targeting Christian symbols, mentioning that Jerusalem officially distributes Christmas trees annually, while a recent tree in Jenin’s Holy Redeemer Church was reportedly burnt.

    He said, “From Jerusalem, I send warm greetings to our Christian friends around the world. I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. From here, the Holy Land, Israel, the only country in the Middle East where the Christian community is thriving.

    “Israel is the only country in the Middle East where Christians can practise their faith with full rights and in total freedom, where Christian pilgrims are embraced with open arms and are so deeply appreciated, where Christians can celebrate proudly their traditions and openly do so without any fear.

    “In Jerusalem, the city municipality every year officially distributes Christmas trees. It’s been doing so for two decades. By contrast, a few days ago, in the Palestinian town of Jenin, Palestinians burnt a Christmas tree in the Holy Redeemer Church.

    “That’s the difference. Israel stands up for Christians across the region, wherever they face widespread intimidation and persecution.

    “While Israel’s Christian population is growing, the Christian population in countless areas across the region has been dwindling due to systematic discrimination and oppression. This has happened in Iraq. It’s happened in Syria.

    “It’s happened in Lebanon. It’s happened in Turkey. And it’s happening in the Palestinian Authority.

    “The birthplace of Jesus, Bethlehem, used to have 80% Christian population. That’s when we were there. When we left and gave it to the Palestinian Authority, it has since dwindled from 80% to 20%.

    “The persecution of Christians or members of any religion cannot and must not be tolerated. And Muslim militant displacement and attacks against Christians in Nigeria, that too must end. And it must end now.

    “I’m sending Israel’s Christmas blessings to our Christian friends around the world. And I ask you, know that Israel will always stand with you.”

    This comes after United States President, Donald Trump, who is a close ally of Netanyahu in a post on his Truth Social account a few weeks ago, instructed the U.S. Department of War to prepare for possible actions in Nigeria.

    He accused the Nigerian government of turning a blind eye to what he described as the killings of Christians across the country.

    Trump warned that the United States would immediately halt all aid and assistance to Nigeria if the attacks on Christians continue.

  • Starmer suspends Labour MPs for ‘repeated breaches of party discipline’

    Starmer suspends Labour MPs for ‘repeated breaches of party discipline’

    Keir Starmer has suspended three MPs actively opposed to the government’s welfare reforms.

    One of them, Chris Hinchliff, had said he didn’t mind losing the whip over his opposition to the cuts, while another, Neil Duncan-Jordan, said they were not a “very Labour thing to do”.

    All three were only elected a year ago, Tamara says.

    And there could be more to come.

    “Rachel Maskell, a York MP very active against the welfare changes and winter fuel allowance, is having meetings at the moment,” Tamara reveals.

    Now, there were over 100 Labour MPs who opposed the welfare changes in different ways – and in the final vote, on much watered down cuts, 47 voted against the government.

    The suspensions appear to impact “just a handful of the most disloyal”, but the timing – as MPs go away for the summer break – is telling.

    “Keir Starmer wants to send a message to Labour MPs that there is a line they cannot cross.”

    The three suspended MPs are understood to be Brian Leishman, Chris Hinchliff and Neil Duncan-Jordan.

    All three voted against the government’s planned welfare reforms as part of a wider rebellion earlier this month, and all were first elected at last year’s election.

    A report into the Prevent programme has called for a series of reforms, as well as the creation of a taskforce.

    The home secretary ordered the independent review by Lord David Anderson KC following the Southport attack in July 2024.