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Senators accuse US President Donald Trump of engaging in ‘corruption of US foreign policy’ with defence deals.

A group of United States senators is trying to halt $3.5bn in weapons sales to the United Arab Emirates and Qatar over concerns that the deals will personally benefit the family of US President Donald Trump.

Two “resolutions of disapproval” were submitted on Thursday in the US by Democratic Senators Chris Murphy, Chris Van Hollen, Brian Schatz and Tim Kaine, along with Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent who often votes with Democrats.

The legislators also issued statements accusing President Trump, who is concluding a trip to the Middle East, of actively engaging in the “corruption of US foreign policy” over the timing of the sales and recent investment deals.

The Department of State this week approved the $1.6bn sale to the UAE of Chinook helicopters and equipment, F-16 aircraft components, and spare and repair parts to support Apache, Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters. Initial reporting cited the figure as close to $1.3bn, but the $1.6bn figure was used in a statement from the legislators. The lawmakers are also seeking to block $1.9bn in sales to Qatar of MQ-9B Predator drones and associated equipment, which was approved by the State Department in March.

The legislators accuse Trump of accepting favours in exchange for the deals, citing news from April that the Emirati investment firm MGX would use a stablecoin – a cryptocurrency whose value is pegged to another asset – issued by the Trump family-backed World Liberty Financial to finance a $2bn investment in the cryptocurrency exchange Binance.

The Trump family is reported to have made millions off niche cryptocurrencies like the $TRUMP “meme coin” since the president returned to the White House in January.

I know Trump’s crypto scams can seem hard to understand. So I went the Senate floor to break down the most outrageous one.

A foreign government is investing $2 billion in Trump’s coin to get favorable treatment from the Administration. A wild corruption.

Here’s how it works. pic.twitter.com/pxLSlZH2QN

— Chris Murphy 🟧 (@ChrisMurphyCT) May 13, 2025

In addition to business dealings, the senators also expressed fears that US weapons sent to the UAE could end up in the hands of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which is allegedly backed by the UAE and has played a critical role in Sudan’s civil war.

“The US should not be delivering weapons to the UAE as it aids and abets this humanitarian disaster and gross human rights violations,” Van Hollen said, citing Sudan’s civil war.

The senators also cited Qatar’s offer of a Boeing 747 jumbo for the president’s temporary use as Air Force One. The offer has drawn criticism from both Democrats and some Republicans because it would be the most expensive foreign gift ever exchanged between a foreign government and an elected US official.

“There’s nothing Donald Trump loves more than being treated like a king, and that’s exactly why foreign governments are trying to buy his favour with a luxury jumbo jet and investments in Trump’s crypto scams,” Murphy said in a statement.

When asked about the offer of the aircraft, Trump blamed Boeing’s lack of progress in building a new Air Force One and said he would be “stupid” to refuse a free plane.

“It’s not a gift to me, it’s a gift to the Department of Defense,” he said.

It is unclear when a vote will happen on the joint “resolutions of disapproval”, but the US political news outlet The Hill said that due to the nature of the bills, Democrats will likely force them to the floor of the Senate.

May 16 (UPI) — A 27-year-old Georgia woman missing nearly three weeks in the California mountains has been found alive, according to authorities.

Tiffany Slaton of Jeffersonville was reported missing by her family on April 29 after they had not heard from her for nine days. She had gone on a solo camping trip in the Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake area on April 20.

The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that the woman was found Wednesday near Lake Edison in a cabin belonging to Vermilion Valley Resort.

According to authorities, the owner of the wilderness resort found her while inspecting the property in preparation for opening it to the public for the summer season.

Snowplows had only cleared nearby roads that day, which permitted the owner to access the property, the sheriff’s office said.

“The owner said he had left a cabin unlocked as a precaution for this exact situation, where someone who is lost could seek shelter and increase their chances of surviving the outdoor elements and harsh weather,” the sheriff’s office said.

After finding Slaton, the unnamed owner contact the sheriff’s office, and deputies drove to meet them.

Slaton was reportedly in good condition, though she was dehydrated. She was transported to a hospital for further treatment, and her family in Georgia has been notified.

“Detectives are now arranging to meet with Tiffany to learn more about her timeline of events and overall experience,” the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said.

Vermilion Valley Resort celebrated Slaton’s discovery on social media.

“We are so happy Tiffany is safe! It is amazing what she went through. It is incredible what she has accomplished,” the resort said in a statement. “We went in to open the resort, found her using our cabin and brought her down the mountain to safety.”

The sheriff’s office had launched a search for the woman, during which it was discovered that she had last been seen April 24 at a general store.

From May 6 to Saturday, the sheriff’s search-and-rescue team conducted a full-scale search of the mountains for Slaton that spanned nearly 600 square miles, it said, adding that efforts were hampered by snow.

US President Donald Trump, who promised to end America’s foreign military campaigns, has paid a visit to US troops stationed in Qatar. Trump praised the US’s deadly arsenal, hit out at his predecessor and made fun of France.

May 15 (UPI) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Thursday banning fluoride in public water, making it the second state to do so.

DeSantis signed SB 700, known as the Farm Bill, during a press conference. The law, which is to go into effect July 1, prohibits local governments from adding fluoride and other “water quality” additives from the water supply.

DeSantis equated the use of fluoride in water — which is heralded as a trusted and tested public health preventative medicine strategy — as “basically forced medication on people.”

“People want to use it on their teeth, great. But it’s readily available now,” he said.

“We have the ability to deliver fluoride through toothpaste and … all these others things. You don’t got to force it and take way people’s choices.”

DeSantis framed the issue as one of “informed consent,” stating “forcing this in the water supply is trying to take that away from people who may want a different decision rather than to have this in water.”

The bill reached DeSantis after having been overwhelming approved by the state’s House in a 88 to 27 vote late last month and the state’s Senate on April 16 in a 27 to 9 vote.

Florida’s ban comes after Utah in late March became the first state to prohibit fluoride in its public water and as the Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Health and Human Services review potential health risks associated with the long-held medical practices.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has claimed that fluoride is associated with an assortment of diseases, including cancer, and he called it “an industrial waste associated with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer IQ loss, neurodevelopment disorders and thyroid disease.”

On Tuesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced its intention to remove fluoride supplements from the market staring October.

U.S. cities have fluoridated their drinking water for decades in a effort to fight tooth decay, with Grand Rapids, Mich., becoming the first to do so in 1945.

The American Dental Association has been a vocal supported of fluoridated tap water amid the controversy and on Thursday published slides to its Facebook account showing that the practice reduces cavities by 25% in both adults and children, and is safe.

Its president, Brett Kessler, said in a statement issued following Utah’s ban that children will be the ones to suffer.

“Community water fluoridation programs save states money, save the federal government money and save people money,” he said. “I urge every dentist and community member to make their voices heard if there are proposals in your area that threaten the oral health of our communities.”

May 15 (UPI) — A wide swath of the Midwest and Plains states is under a tornado watch and severe weather conditions are forecast to persist into next week, the National Weather service said Thursday.

The storms could prompt large hail, damaging winds and heavy rain. Tornadoes have already touched down in Wisconsin and Minnesota, where a twister damaged parts of a home and a grain bin in Swift County.

A dark and dominant cloud wall, which often presages a tornado, prompted officials to issue a tornado warning in downtown Minneapolis Thursday. The storms were moving West to East, and severe weather was threatening Chicago and Tennessee. Severe storms were expected in Nashville.

The Chicago metro area and northwest Indiana were under a tornado watch until 10 p.m. CDT., and the NWS issued a severe thunderstorm warning for a wider portion of the region.

Dangerous storms are likely to drop gold ball-sized hail and whip Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Louisville, Nashville and St. Louis with 75 mph winds which could down trees and power lines Thursday into Friday. The severe weather threat extends to the common border between Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Barcelona win back the La Liga title from rivals Real Madrid with a 2-0 win at neighbours Espanyol.

Barcelona clinched its 28th Spanish league title after Lamine Yamal starred in its 2-0 win at crosstown rival Espanyol.

Yamal scored in the 53rd minute of a tight match on Thursday, when the teenage phenom slid past two defenders along the edge of the area before he whipped one of his now-trademark left-footed curlers into the corner of the net.

Fermin Lopez scored in stoppage time to seal the win, but it was Yamal’s strike that stole the headlines and was a fitting culmination to the youngster’s season.

The 17-year-old excelled throughout for Barcelona with his goals, dribbling and playmaking as he confirmed his status as the next big star of global football.

The strike was his eighth league goal of the season, while he also has 12 assists to his name.

“Lamine’s goal is a move he practises a lot, he had scored twice today in the warmup, the same way. We have to look after him and let him enjoy it, he is fantastic,” his teammate Pedri told Movistar Plus after the game.

Barcelona edge nervy Catalan derby

The first half had been a much tighter affair with only one shot registered by each side, indeed, it was the home team that had the best of the early chances, offering Real Madrid some hope that their title defence may continue beyond this game. It was not to be for the Madrid club and, shortly after Yamal’s latest wonder goal, Espanyol were reduced to 10 men when Leandro Cabrera swung his left arm into the chest of Barca’s starlet.

Barcelona won the title with two rounds remaining. It completed a domestic double with the Copa del Rey title and reached the Champions League semifinals in a fantastic first season for coach Hansi Flick.

Flick’s team virtually ended Madrid’s title defence when they beat their top rival 4-3 on Sunday, making it four of four Clasico victories across all competitions this season.

Madrid’s victory over Mallorca on Wednesday prevented Barcelona from winning the title without playing. But the Catalan club needed just two points from its final three games of the season.

2️⃣8️⃣ for @FCBarcelona 🏆

💙 CONGRATULATIONS, CHAMPIONS! ❤️#LALIGAEASPORTS #DesenlaceLALIGA pic.twitter.com/EGgxpCb98v

— LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) May 15, 2025

Fans injured in incident outside stadium

Several Espanyol supporters were injured after being hit by a car near the stadium minutes before the start of the Catalan derby.

At least 14 individuals sustained injuries of varying severity when a female driver, encircled by Espanyol fans in front of their home ground, lost control of her car, causing panic and chaos.

The woman was subsequently arrested and subjected to a breathalyser test by the Mossos d’Esquadra, Catalonia’s police force, which is also known as also known as the Policia de la Generalitat de Catalunya.

The Emergency Medical Service responded promptly, deploying 10 ambulances to the scene.

Of the 14 injured fans, four are reported to be in a less serious condition, while the others suffered minor injuries. The most severe injury reported was a broken leg.

According to authorities, the incident occurred as Espanyol fans gathered to welcome the team’s coach. The driver’s car was wedged between two containers, prompting several supporters to throw objects at the vehicle, which resulted in damage.

In response, the driver accelerated and struck approximately 20 fans.

“It was an accident, some people were injured, but not seriously. There are no major incidents to report,” Salvador Illa, the president of the Generalitat, who was present at the match, told Spanish TV channel Movistar Plus.

May 15 (UPI) — Criminals could be using AI to send malicious texts and voicemails impersonating United States officials, the FBI warned Thursday.

“Since April 2025, malicious actors have impersonated senior US officials to target individuals, many of whom are current or former senior US federal or state government officials and their contacts,” a release from the FBI said.

The bureau warned recipients not to assume that these calls and texts are authentic. The techniques are known as smishing and vishing and attempt to establish a rapport with the recipient before trying to get them to divulge sensitive personal information.

Once the scammers have established trust, they attempt to get victims to switch to a different messaging platform via a hyperlink and try to access personal financial and other sensitive information, the bureau said. And also attempt access to other information related to current or government officials.

The FBI did not disclose which officials have been target or whether any were convinced to divulge personal or government information.

May 15 (UPI) — Former longtime girlfriend Cassie Ventura faced cross-examination from Sean “Diddy” Combs’ attorneys during court proceedings on Thursday.

Defense attorneys asked Ventura if she heard “after the fact” about an alleged incident in which Combs, 55, is accused of throwing one of Ventura’s friends into patio furniture while on a balcony.

Ventura said she witnessed it and did not hear about it later.

Combs’ attorneys also asked how taking too much ketamine affected her.

She said it caused her to “disassociate” and made her feel like “you’re not there.”

‘Get-high’ partners

Ventura confirmed she and Combs referred to each other as “get-high partners” and that she was addicted to opiates that a friend supplied to her while she was Combs’ girlfriend.

She said Combs was unhappy about her opiate addiction and called it hypocritical of him.

Ventura also confirmed she tried cocaine and many other drugs with a friend.

Combs told her to stop doing drugs with her friends, but her drug use only was a problem when she wasn’t doing them with Combs.

She said he only wanted her to do drugs with him and would get “explosive” if she did drugs when he did not know about it.

Combs’ attorneys also asked if Combs in 2016 told Los Angeles drug dealers to stop selling drugs to Ventura while he was trying to get her to stop using drugs.

She said he made the request at some time but did not know during which year.

Injured friend’s payout

An attorney also asked if Ventura witnessed Combs allegedly throwing a wooden clothes hanger at one of her friends.

She said she was in the bathroom at the time, heard the commotion and saw her friend was injured when she emerged from the bathroom.

The incident occurred while she was dating the man with whom she now is married, but Combs was unaware of the relationship at the time, Ventura testified.

The friend who was injured later demanded payment for the incident, which Ventura said she paid because she felt responsible.

Documented expressions of love

Combs’ attorneys also showed text messages and emails in which Combs and Ventura expressed their love for one another and she wanted him to give her more attention.

The defense attorneys have accused Ventura of trying to get revenge on Combs and said she wants money.

They say the sex acts were consensual acts among adults.

Ventura was Combs’ girlfriend for about 11 years and during the first two days of his trial testified about ongoing physical abuse and medical problems she experienced due to what she called forced participation in sex “freak offs” that she says Combs organized.

She said Combs, 55, recorded the sex acts on video, used the tapes to blackmail her and others, and provided drugs during orgies and atother times.

Combs is charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy; two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution; and two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion.

He has pleaded not guilty to the five felony charges that could put him in prison for life if he is found guilty on all of them.

The trial is being held in the U.S. District Court for Southern New York in the Manhattan federal courthouse in New York City.

May 15 (UPI) — Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson said the agency will do more to promote economic activity and protect consumers than it did under the Biden administration.

The challenges before the FTC “are as formidable as ever,” Ferguson told the House Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee’s FTC budget hearing on Thursday morning.

“Our resources have been spread thin by the previous administration’s mismanagement,” Ferguson said, but he “resolutely believes” in the FTC’s mission.

The FTC chairman said the agency must undertake measures to address its resource constraints to ensure it operates as efficiently and effectively as possible while fulfilling its mission.

“No economic system in history has better promoted the common good than the American free-enterprise system,” he said. “No economic system has contributed more to human flourishing.”

The nation’s free-enterprise system “promotes the common good of all Americans only if we protect it from anti-competitive business practices, anti-competitive consolidation and fraud,” Ferguson told the subcommittee.

Focus on ‘vigorous law enforcement’

He said the Trump administration has taken the FTC back to its “roots,” and “vigorous law enforcement” is the agency’s focus.

The FTC is the only federal agency that protects consumers and promotes competition in most economic sectors, Ferguson explained.

“Congress established the FTC to be a cop on the beat for our markets, not to make the rules,” Ferguson told the subcommittee.

“We don’t get to pick and choose what laws we like and what laws we don’t,” he said. “We enforce the laws that the people, through their representatives in Congress, have decided best promote competition and fairness.”

The FTC’s current budget is $425.7 million, and costs for its 1,221 personnel account for about two-thirds of its budgetary expenses, Ferguson said.

The agency recently eliminated 94 full-time employees to reach its current number of full-time employees.

Ferguson said more reductions will be made until the agency has its fewest full-time employees in a decade.

Eliminating an ‘ideological bent’ against mergers

The FTC under the Biden administration “took an aggressive and unprecedented approach” to rule-making” and “stretched its statutory authority” and at times “took a hostile view of mergers and acquisitions,” subcommittee Chairman Rep. David Joyce, R-Ohio, said.

He asked Ferguson how the FTC would take a different approach under his leadership.

Ferguson said the FTC had an “ideological bent against mergers and acquisitions” under the Biden administration.

“Mergers and acquisitions are a very critical part of how the economy grows and how we get innovation,” he said. “At the same time, protecting Americans from monopolies and anti-competitive conduct is very important.”

If the FTC thinks a deal is anti-competitive and it can win in court, “we’re going to go to court,” Ferguson said.

If the FTC decides it can’t win in court, he said, “we’re going to get out of the way quickly.”

The FTC under the Biden administration prohibited remedies or negotiations to address complications arising from proposed mergers and acquisitions, Ferguson said, but it will under his watch.

“The remedies have to be real. They have to be enforceable,” he explained, “and we have a strong preference for structural remedies over behavioral remedies.”

He said it’s possible to address anti-competitive aspects of a proposed merger instead of blocking it.

Such an approach is the primary difference in how the FTC will work now compared to how it handled such matters under the Biden administration, Ferguson said.

Addressing problems for workers, small businesses

Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., raised several issues that he said “hamstring” workers, small businesses and consumers.

Such issues include right-to-repair equipment by small businesses, click-to-cancel provisions among online businesses, and non-compete clauses that could stop workers from moving on to other employment.

Ivey said he hopes the FTC will address such matters and then pivoted to the recent and unexpected firings of two Democratic commissioners in the FTC by the Trump administration.

The two filed legal challenges to their removals and say there was no reason for their firings.

Ivey said it’s important to ensure independent commissions remain independent and have a partisan balance.

Thorough review of prescription drug prices, pharmacy closures

Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, addressed pharmacy closures and said a solution is needed to ensure people have access to prescription drugs and pay fair prices.

She asked if the FTC intends to complete a study on pharmaceutical costs and the effect on consumers that was started under the Biden administration.

Ferguson said the FTC needs to produce a “very, very thorough accounting” of the matter and is “promoting a ton of resources” to the issue so federal and state governments have a full understanding of what is being done.

“I want it done as quickly as possible,” he said, “but I do not want speed to be the enemy of thoroughness.”

During additional testimony, Ferguson said the FTC is working to prevent illegal telemarketing calls, fraud that targets older Americans and service members, deceptive billing and cancellation policies, and unlawful ticket practices.

The FTC also is working to prevent unlawful data security and privacy practices while protecting American consumers.

The Trump administration is requesting another $425.7 million FTC budget for fiscal year 2026.

Ferguson said the FTC returned $333 million in value to consumers during the 2024 fiscal year.

The nearly two-hour hearing concluded just before noon EDT.

PM’s plans compared to Conservatives’ controversial Rwanda deportation policy, which he had dismissed as a ‘gimmick’.

The United Kingdom is talking to third countries about setting up “return hubs” to host asylum seekers refused the right to stay in the country as part of a renewed crackdown on immigration, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.

The UK leader is under increasing pressure to cut the number of migrants arriving on UK shores amid the rising popularity of the far-right Reform UK Party.

He said on Thursday that he was talking to “a number of countries” about hosting the “return hubs”, which would receive failed asylum seekers who have exhausted all avenues of appeal for processing prior to deportation.

Speaking during a visit to Albania, Starmer did not specify which countries he was speaking to about the scheme, which has drawn comparisons with a plan developed by the previous Conservative government to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, which Starmer had dismissed as a gimmick and scrapped immediately after entering office in July.

The subject was apparently not on the agenda for Starmer’s meetings in Tirana, with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama specifying in a joint news conference that a similar returns model, which his country had agreed to with Italy last year, was a “one off” that “takes its time to be tested”.

That scheme, which could see Italian-run facilities in Albania holding up to 36,000 asylum seekers annually while their applications are fast-tracked, is currently bogged down in the courts.

Starmer admitted that establishing the facilities would not be a “silver bullet” for halting the perilous crossings of the English Channel in small boats, which have seen 12,000 people arriving so far this year, putting 2025 on course to potentially see a record high number of arrivals.

However, combined with other measures to tackle smuggling gangs, he said the plan would “allow us to bear down on this vile trade”.

Starmer claimed his new Labour government had been left a “mess” by the previous Conservative leadership, which he said had failed to process asylum claims.

The prime minister’s official spokesperson said, “This will basically apply to people who have exhausted all legal routes to remain in the UK but are attempting to stall, using various tactics – whether it’s losing their paperwork or using other tactics to frustrate their removal.”

The announcement was the latest in a host of tough new immigration policies, including plans to double the length of time before migrants can qualify for settlement in the country, which are widely seen as an attempt to fend off rising support for far-right firebrand Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Party.

The United States and China have surprisingly agreed to a dramatic de-escalation in their trade war.

Under the agreement, the world’s two largest economies have paused their respective tariffs for 90 days.

That breaks an impasse which has brought much of the commerce between the two nations to a halt.

Critics say the talks in Geneva did not appear to yield any meaningful concessions. The two sides aim to reach a broader deal, but this takes too long to negotiate.

Also in this episode, we examine whether the US-UK trade pact will deliver real benefits, or is it symbolism over substance?

Also, Senegal is capitalising on its energy wealth to change its fortunes.

May 15 (UPI) — The U.S. Treasury Department Thursday sanctioned two senior Hezbollah officials and two financial facilitators for what it said were roles in coordinating financial transfers to the group.

“Today’s action underscores Hezbollah’s extensive global reach through its network of terrorist donors and supporters, particularly in Tehran,” said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Michael Faulkender in a statement. “As part of our ongoing efforts to address Iran’s support for terrorism, Treasury will continue to intensify economic pressure on the key individuals in the Iranian regime and its proxies who enable these deadly activities.”

Treasury sanctioned Mu’in Daqiq Al-‘Amili as a senior Hezbollah official involved in coordinating the delivery of cash from Iran to senior Hezbollah officials in Lebanon.

Jihad Alami was sanctioned for allegedly receiving and distributing the funding.

Treasury said following the Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Amili “coordinated the delivery of at least $50,000 to Alami in Lebanon, which was collected from Iran likely for onward transfer to Gaza.”

Fadi Nehme, described by Treasury as an accountant and business partner of Hezbollah’s Chief of its Central Finance Unit, was also sanctioned as an alleged Hezbollah financial facilitator.

Treasury said Senior Hezbollah official Hasan Abdallah Ni’mah was sanctioned for his alleged role in funding and networking for Hezbollah across Africa. That included managing millions of dollars in transactions, according to the Treasury.

“As of August 2022, Ni’mah coordinated the delivery of hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars to the Hezbollah-aligned Islamic Movement of Nigeria,” the Treasury said in a statement. “Ni’mah has had longstanding connections with senior Hizballah leaders, including the now-deceased Hezbollah Secretary General Nasrallah.”

The Treasury Department said it will continue to intensify economic pressure on the key individuals in the Iranian regime and its proxies who enable these deadly activities.”

Treasury’s Faulkender said in a statement, “As part of our ongoing efforts to address Iran’s support for terrorism, Treasury will continue to intensify economic pressure on the key individuals in the Iranian regime and its proxies who enable these deadly activities.”

Israeli forces destroyed homes in the occupied West Bank and killed dozens in Gaza as Palestinians marked 77 years since the Nakba. Israel’s ‘brutality’ has displaced 85-year-old Nakba survivor Mohammed once again, but he says this time it’s worse.

May 15 (UPI) — U.S. April wholesale inflation experienced its biggest drop since 2020, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report Thursday.

The Producer Price Index fell 0.5% in April and 2.4% annually.

in April and 2.4% for the 12 months ended April 2025.a 0.2% riseEconomists expected

“The April decline in the index for final demand is attributable to prices for final demand services, which decreased 0.7%. The index for final demand goods was unchanged,” BLS said.”

“Prices for final demand less foods, energy, and trade services edged down 0.1% in April, the first decline since falling 0.8% in April 2020. For the 12 months ended April 2025, the index for final demand less foods, energy, and trade services advanced 2.9%.”

More than 40% of the April decline in PPI services was due to machinery and vehicle wholesaling, which dropped 6.1%.

“Prices for final demand services moved down 0.7% in April, the largest decline since the index began in December 2009,” the BLS statement said. “Over two-thirds of the broad-based decrease can be traced to margins for final demand trade services, which dropped 1.6%.”

Consumer inflation for April as measured by the Consumer Price Index rose 0.2% in April, an annual rate of 2.3%. That was slightly less than expected.

Core CPI, excluding volatile energy and food prices, rose 0.2% for April and 2.8% on the year.

Anwar Ibrahim came to power in Malaysia soon after ex-PM Najib Razak was jailed for his role in the $4.5bn 1MDB financial scandal.

He has faced criticism after a royal pardon slashed Najib’s sentence while alleged 1MDB mastermind, Jho Low, remains at large.

Anwar leads ASEAN this year as it confronts Donald Trump’s tariffs and rising transnational crime, including a cyber-scam industry in Cambodia worth billions of dollars.

In a 101 East exclusive, Anwar Ibrahim speaks about politics and corruption in Malaysia and his conversations with Cambodia’s PM Hun Manet before the controversial deportation of domestic worker, Nuon Thoeun.

May 15 (UPI) — More than 1,200 Starbucks employees launched a strike this week as the company has enforced a new dress code.

The Starbucks Workers United union said that the new dress code, which went into effect on Monday, has exacerbated issues with understaffing at stores leading to walkouts at about 100 stores to express opposition to the policy.

Starbucks barista and union bargaining delegate Jasmine Leli has publicly stated that the company did not consult with the union over the dress code.

“The distraction is Starbucks rolling out all of these new changes when all the customer is concerned about is getting their drinks and going about their merry way. They don’t care what color shirt we have on,” Leli said. “Starbucks hasn’t bargained with us over this dress code change, and we just need them to get back to the table so that we can ratify this contract.”

Starbucks Workers United added that the walkouts are also meant to highlight other issues with the company.

“We’re not just walking out over a shirt color. Starbucks is a massive company that refuses to focus on what’s important. Customers and baristas alike want fully staffed stores, lower prices and wait times, and workers to be taken care of,” the union said in a post on Facebook.

“They refuse to staff our stores properly, give guaranteed hours to workers, pay us a living wage, or provide stipends to pay for this arbitrary dress code,” a separate post from the union to X Wednesday claimed.

The dress code as detailed in a press release last month, baristas may wear “any solid black short and long-sleeved crewneck, collared, or button-up shirts and any shade of khaki, black, or blue denim bottoms.

“We’re also making a new line of company branded t-shirts available to partners, who will receive two at no cost,” the company said.

As per the release, the reasoning behind this change is to “allow our iconic green apron to shine and create a sense of familiarity for our customers, no matter which store they visit across North America.”

“Workers shouldn’t need to spend [money] out-of-pocket to replace perfectly good shirts, pants [and] shoes when we’re already struggling to get by,” the union wrote in a social media post Tuesday.

Starbucks claimed that less than 1% of employees are responsible for the action in regard to dissatisfaction with the code.

The 21-day army operation was part of India’s offensive against the last remaining groups of the Naxalite rebellion.

Indian security forces have killed 31 Maoist rebels in what the country’s home minister called the “biggest operation against Naxalism”.

Amit Shah said on social media on Wednesday that the operation took place on Karreguttalu Hill on the border of Chhattisgarh and Telangana.

“The hill on which the red terror once reigned, today the tricolour is flying proudly … Our security forces completed this biggest anti-Naxal operation in just 21 days and I am extremely happy that there was not a single casualty in the security forces in this operation,” he wrote on X.

India has been waging an offensive against the last remaining groups of the Naxalite rebellion, a far-left Maoist-inspired fighter movement that began in 1967.

The Karreguttalu Hills used to be the unified headquarters of several Naxalite organisations, where rebels were provided weapons and strategic training.

But the Naxalites have been fighting for what they say is the defence of the rights of the tribal people in the region.

At the group’s peak in the mid-2000s, they controlled nearly a third of the country with an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 fighters.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the news of the success of the operation.

“This success of the security forces shows that our campaign towards rooting out Naxalism is moving in the right direction,” Modi wrote on X.

“We are fully committed to establishing peace in the Naxal-affected areas and connecting them with the mainstream of development.”

Director General Central Reserve Police Force GP Singh also said on Wednesday that the government is “committed to eliminate” Naxalism by March 31, 2026 “through relentless and ruthless operations”.

According to government data, since last year, Indian soldiers have killed at least 400 rebels.

More recently, 11 rebels were killed by Indian troops in the states of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.

In February, security forces killed 11 fighters and killed a further 30 in March.

Moreover, according to a news release by the Foreign Office, 718 Naxalites have so far surrendered in the first four months of 2025.