Han Duck-soo declares candidacy in June 3 election to replace impeached ex-president Yoon Suk-yeol.

South Korea has sworn in its third acting president in less than six months, as his predecessor declared his candidacy in a snap election to replace impeached ex-leader Yoon Suk-yeol.

Education Minister Lee Ju-ho pledged to ensure “stability” as he was appointed acting leader on Friday, a day after Prime Minister Han Duck-soo stepped down to run in the June 3 election.

“I will try my best to ensure government functions are managed stably,” Lee told reporters.

The appointment of a new acting president came as Han’s candidacy injected more uncertainty into an election race that has been upended by doubts over the eligibility of the left-leaning frontrunner, Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party.

“I’ve determined to find what I can do for the future of the Republic of Korea that I love and for all of us,” Han told a news conference at the National Assembly on Friday.

“I’ll try my utmost to be chosen by the people at this presidential election.”

On Thursday, the Supreme Court overturned Lee Jae-myung’s acquittal on election law violations, sending the case back to a lower court.

If his conviction is upheld before the election, Lee, who has dominated polls for months, would be disqualified from the race.

Next month’s election was called after Yoon, a former prosecutor-turned-conservative politician, was removed from office over his shock declaration of martial law in December.

While Yoon’s declaration lasted less than six hours before being voted down by South Korea’s legislature, the political uncertainty and chaos it unleashed continues to reverberate nearly six months later.

Han, 75, took over as acting president following Yoon’s impeachment on December 14, before he was himself impeached and replaced by Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok.

In March, the Constitutional Court overturned Han’s impeachment, restoring him to the role of acting leader.

A veteran politician and bureaucrat, Han has served as prime minister in both liberal and conservative administrations, as well as doing stints as trade minister, finance minister, and ambassador to the United States.

While not affiliated with a political party, Han is expected to ally with Yoon’s conservative People Power Party.

He said his campaign platform would focus on limiting the power of the executive and amending the constitution to add more checks and balances.

Following Han’s announcement, the Democratic Party accused him of abandoning his duties as a caretaker leader.

“We warn former Prime Minister Han. Don’t hide your greed with a lie that you are running for the people,” Democratic Party spokesperson Noh Jong-myun said.

A GRANDFATHER has tragically died after downing shots of 97 per cent moonshine in a horror booze challenge with a friend.

Karl Edgeller, 57, passed away in March last year after sharing the highly flammable ethanol at a friend’s home in the village of Weeting, Norfolk.

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The liquid, which was close to pure alcohol and intended to be used in hand sanitiser, had been purchased by his friend, Paul Johnson, with whom he was drinking.

An inquest into the 57-year-old’s death heard that Mr Johnson had bought the alcohol, which they called “moonshine”, from a work colleague who had smuggled it into the country from Estonia labelled as anti-freeze.

In a statement, Mr Johnson told the court the pair had drunk four or five shots of the liquid neat – despite having been instructed by the colleague to dilute it before drinking.

Mr Johnson said: “I told him it was very strong and he consumed around four or five shots.

“He challenged me and I told him I was not going to back down from a challenge.”

Mr Edgeller’s partner, Sharon Willoughby, filmed the pair drinking the shots before attempting to encourage him to come home.

She declined the shots, telling the court she wanted “nothing to do with it”.

She said: “Karl always had to prove a point when he was with Jonno and they used to egg each other on.

“They were a bit of a nightmare when they were together and always had to one up each other.”

Ms Willoughby returned around two hours later and found both men “out for the count and snoring”, before spending the next four hours in another room of the bungalow.

But at around 9.30pm that evening, she checked on the pair and discovered Mr Edgeller unresponsive and cold in the same position she left him – on his knees and slumped over a coffee table.

She raised the alarm with her son and emergency services and CPR was performed, but he died at the scene.

Mr Johnson, who was also found unresponsive, was taken to hospital where he was treated for two days.

He was later questioned by police along with a second man, but no further action was taken.

The court also heard Mr Edgeller suffered with obstructive sleep apnoea, a condition which results on people stopping to breathe in their sleep, and used a CPAP machine to assist with this when asleep.

Pathologist Benjamin Swift told the court this condition contributed to his death, alongside positional asphyxia caused by how he was slumped and the sedative effects of the alcohol.

Giving evidence in court, Mr Edgeller’s father, William Edgeller, said he had seen his son four days before his death.

He had sworn to him he had not drunk any alcohol since Christmas.

‘A BRILLIANT, INTELLIGENT MAN’

Jacqueline Lake, senior coroner for Norfolk, concluded his death was misadventure.

She said: “Even if Karl did not know the exact proof of the drink, he knew it was very strong.

“It was lit on fire in his presence and he was heaving as he drank it, but he continued to drink more.

“Karl was an adult, he drank the alcohol knowing it was strong and that he had not drank for some time. I’m satisfied he drank it of his own accord.”

Meanwhile, in a statement read to the court, Mr Edgeller’s daughter Karlynn West paid tribute to her father.

She said: “My father was a brilliant, intelligent man who was a fantastic father and grandfather.

“I would not consider him to be a heavy drinker and I can’t remember seeing him paralytic.”

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Four years ago, Los Angeles City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez stood on the steps of City Hall and celebrated the creation of the Youth Development Department.

She had pushed since 2018 for the department, which oversees programs for young people, including a Youth Council to educate them about city government.

On Tuesday, with the city deep in a budget crisis, Rodriguez pleaded for Mayor Karen Bass not to get rid of the department.

In her proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year, Bass suggested that the city fold the Youth Development Department — along with the Department of Aging and the Economic and Workforce Development Department — into the larger Community Investment for Families Department.

The Youth Development Department would no longer exist, though some of its functions would be preserved. Under Bass’ proposal, the budget dedicated to those functions would decrease from $2.3 million to less than $1.6 million. Eight employees would be laid off, with 10 remaining.

“Don’t undermine and wipe away all those years of work,” Rodriguez said at a news conference at City Hall on Wednesday.

She called the mayor’s proposed budget “a hatchet to so many programs that Angelenos rely on” and said there was no “rhyme or reason” to some of the suggested cuts.

Matt Hale, the city’s deputy mayor of finance, innovation and operations, said the three departments being absorbed by the Community Investment for Families Department have responsibilities that sometimes overlap.

“Like most things in the city, we have divided them into silos, and people who come through our doors saying ‘I need help’ are then given a scavenger hunt to perform,” Hale said.

At a City Council budget committee meeting Tuesday, Hale said the consolidation would save $5 million and “result in better outcomes and more effective services.”

Bass spokesperson Zach Seidl said the mayor’s office is not considering reversing course on the consolidation.

Bass’ proposed budget, which is being considered by the budget committee in several weeks of hearings, attempts to close a $1-billion shortfall caused in large part by rising personnel costs, soaring legal payouts and a slowdown in the local economy. The mayor’s budget eliminates more than 2,700 city positions — about 1,650 of them through layoffs.

In addition to running the 30-member Youth Council, the Youth Development Department organizes the Youth Summit and the Youth Expo, annual events that help young people get jobs and internships. The department also is reviewing city programs to determine whether they are reaching youths and meeting youths’ needs.

If the cuts suggested by the mayor are made, the Youth Development Department would reach about 6,900 constituents, down from about 10,000 last year.

“To take [the department] away now would not just be a step backwards, it would be a betrayal of the youth … who deserve to be invested in, not ignored,” said Monica Rodriguez — no relation to the councilmember — who was a member of the inaugural Youth Council.

Councilmember Rodriguez said that instead of being consolidated, the department should grow, suggesting that the Gang Reduction and Youth Development program should come under its purview. The program, which provides gang intervention and prevention services and community engagement programs, is under the mayor’s office and has a proposed budget of nearly $40 million.

“The department doesn’t have to go away. The department can sustain itself,” the council member said. “This budget document needs to be a reflection of the values of this city and what’s being communicated at this time is young people’s voices are subordinate to other priorities — and that’s not OK.”

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS

DIVISION 1

First Round

Loyola, bye

Corona del Mar 12, Servite 11

Santa Ana Foothill 12, St. Margaret’s 6

JSerra, bye

Mater Dei, bye

Westlake 19, Los Alamitos 8

St. Francis 17, Mira Costa 16 (OT)

Santa Margarita, bye

GIRLS

DIVISION 2

Second Round

El Segundo 19, West Ranch 16

Village Christian 13, Chaparral 12

Huntington Beach 8, Royal 7

Palos Verdes 12, Riverside King 8

Roosevelt at San Juan Hills, Friday at 6:30 p.m.

Corona del Mar 17, El Dorado 7

St. Margaret’s 14, San Marcos 9

Anaheim Canyon 13, Chaminade 12

DIVISION 3

Second Round

Trabuco Hills 17, Mission Viejo 3

Cate 16, Beckman 10

Aliso Niguel 18, Downey 13

University 15, Sage Hill 8

Oaks Christian 10, La Canada 6

Westridge 19, Long Beach Wilson 1

Dos Pueblos 9, Paloma Valley 7

Glendale 11, Heritage 5

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE

(All games at 5 p.m. unless noted)

BOYS

DIVISION 2

Second Round

El Segundo at Dos Pueblos

Vista Murrieta at Huntington Beach

Oaks Christian at Crean Lutheran

Trabuco Hills at Village Christian

Crespi at St.John Bosco

El Dorado ar Aliso Niguel

Palos Verdes at Valencia

Oak Park at San Clemente

DIVISION 3

Second Round

Millikan at West Ranch

Viewpoint at Linfield Christian

Chaparral at San Juan Hills

Santa Barbara at Riverside King

Beckman at Grace Brethren

Simi Valley at Brentwood

Long Beach Poly at University

Dana Hills at Agoura

Israeli air attacks on the Gaza Strip have killed at least 29 people, Gaza’s civil defence agency said, as the United Nations demanded that Israel lift its blockade of the Palestinian territory and allow humanitarian aid to enter.

At least eight people were killed in an Israeli attack that hit the Abu Sahlul family home in Khan Younis refugee camp in southern Gaza, according to civil defence official Mohammed el-Mougher.

Four others were killed in an air strike in the Tuffah neighbourhood of Gaza City, east of Shaaf, and at least 17 more were killed in other assaults across the enclave on Thursday, including a strike on a tent housing displaced civilians near Deir el-Balah.

Witnesses told the AFP news agency about a trail of devastation in Khan Younis. “We came here and found all these houses destroyed, and children, women and young people all bombed to pieces,” said Ahmed Abu Zarqa. “Enough, we’re tired. We don’t know what to do with our lives any more. We’d rather die than live this kind of life.”

‘Aid should never be a bargaining chip’

The bombardment comes amid dire warnings about the humanitarian situation in the besieged territory, which has been under a total Israeli blockade for two months.

Volker Turk, the UN human rights chief, said the conditions being imposed by Israel on Palestinians in Gaza are “increasingly incompatible with their continued existence as a group”. He warned that starvation as a method of warfare could amount to a war crime.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached a catastrophic level, with Palestinians teetering on the edge of mass starvation, according to Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum reporting from the ground.

“Parents have literally started to skip meals and children are now eating spoiled food. Canned food has become a luxury,” he said. Aid-supported bakeries have shut down due to severe shortages, while the World Food Programme has reportedly run out of stock, leaving soup kitchens overwhelmed and barely operational.

“Locals are calling for safe, sustained humanitarian corridors, but say meaningful aid can only enter when Israel permits it,” he added. With the blockade now in its second month, many in Gaza feel they are not just enduring a humanitarian emergency but “an engineered misery” that has unleashed famine on a devastating scale.

Tom Fletcher, the UN’s humanitarian chief, echoed those concerns on Thursday. “Aid, and the civilian lives it saves, should never be a bargaining chip,” he said.

“Blocking aid kills. It inflicts cruel collective punishment.” He criticised an Israeli proposal for private distribution of aid in Gaza, calling it insufficient and not aligned with basic humanitarian principles.

“To the Israeli authorities, and those who can still reason with them, we say again: lift this brutal blockade. Let humanitarians save lives,” he said.

UN agencies, including UNRWA, said more than 3,000 aid trucks are stuck at the Gaza border, unable to deliver essential supplies. Some one million children are said to be at risk. “The siege must be lifted,” UNRWA said in a post on X.

Qatar slams Israel at ICJ

Israel’s obligations to provide humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank are also the subject of a weeklong hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), following a request for an advisory opinion from the UN General Assembly last year.

In the fourth day of hearings on Thursday, Qatar’s ambassador to the Netherlands, Mutlaq al-Qahtani, told the court Israel has continued its “genocidal war against the Palestinian people” and increased settlement efforts in the occupied West Bank.

Palestinians in Gaza continue to face “famine-like conditions” as Israel continues to block “any delivery of life-saving aid”, said Mutlaq al-Qahtani

Israel has jeopardised the existence of the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, which is the “backbone” of humanitarian and development assistance in the occupied territory, added the Qatari diplomat.

Israel has ramped up attacks on Syria following a week of sectarian violence against the Druze community.

Israel’s military has launched air strikes near Syria’s presidential palace in Damascus after accusing the Syrian authorities of failing to protect the country’s Druze minority from sectarian violence.

The attack early on Friday was the second of its kind by Israel this week and is seen as sending a strong message to Syria’s transitional government led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

“This is a clear message to the Syrian regime: We will not allow [Syrian] forces to deploy south of Damascus or any threat to the Druze community,” Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said in a joint statement with Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz shortly after the attack.

More than 100 people were killed this week during fighting between pro-government forces and Druze fighters in Syria.

The violence has been condemned as a “genocidal campaign” by Syria’s Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, who called for an immediate intervention by “international forces to maintain peace and prevent the continuation of these crimes”.

On Thursday, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar urged the international community to “fulfil its role in protecting the minorities in Syria – especially the Druze – from the regime and its gangs of terror”.

Israel has previously called Syria’s transitional government a “terror group from Idlib that took Damascus by force” and has ramped up its support for the Druze minority this week.

The Druze minority are a 10th-century offshoot of a branch of Shia Islam, and live primarily in Syria, Lebanon and Israel, and have been allies of Israel with many Druze serving in the Israeli military.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani on Thursday called for “national unity” as “the solid foundation for any process of stability or revival”.

“Any call for external intervention, under any pretext or slogan, only leads to further deterioration and division,” he wrote on X.

The sectarian violence poses one of the most serious challenges yet to the government of al-Sharaa, who led a coalition of rebel groups to overthrow Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad in December.

Syria has been faced with sectarian violence since then.

The fighting this week follows a massacre in March of more than 1,700 civilians from the Alawite community by security forces and allied groups, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Alawites, who are traditionally based near the Mediterranean coast in western Syria, are the same ethnic group as the toppled al-Assad.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has rejected a plea deal in his upcoming trial on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.

At a Thursday hearing, Judge Arun Subramanian asked Combs whether he rejected the plea deal from federal prosecutors that could have shortened his possible prison sentence if convicted.

“Yes, I do, your honor,” Combs said.

Convictions on all counts would likely be the equivalent of a life sentence for the 55-year-old Combs. The charge of racketeering conspiracy carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, while the sex trafficking charge has a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to a life sentence.

Details on the terms of the plea bargain were not disclosed.

Combs was arrested and indicted last year after a bombshell lawsuit from his former partner, the singer Casandra Ventura, alleging a vast web of drug-fueled parties described as “freak-offs” and years of physical and sexual abuse.

Combs quickly settled that suit, but many other accusers and witnesses came forward afterward to accuse Combs of overseeing a culture of violent abuse and sex trafficking, leading up to a massive federal raid on Combs’ properties in L.A. and Miami.

Combs has denied all the charges against him, including those in a superseding March indictment, and has pleaded not guilty.

Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday, with opening statements on May 12.

SUMMER is just around the corner and if you are looking for the perfect dress you may wish to head to M&S. 

The high street shop is selling a linen midi dress which people have hailed as the ideal “lightweight” dress for the warmer months.

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Their Striped Mini Shift Dress has racked up numerous five-star reviews from people who have said they wish they could snap it up in more colours.

Marks and Spencer’s £29.50 dress comes in a black-and-white striped design and it has a wide range of sizes to suit different body types.

It is stocked in sizes six to 20 in a regular fit and is available online and in stores.

The description reads: “This linen-rich mini dress is a versatile addition to your warm weather wardrobe. 

“It’s designed in a regular fit, with a breezy shift silhouette and a timeless striped pattern. 

“The square neckline and shoulder straps create a sleek finish.”

Many shoppers have raved about the dress in the reviews.

One person commented: ”Beautiful item, great fabric and fantastic value for money.

“A very flattering fit. If I could I would buy it in more colours.”

Another added: “Perfect lightweight summer dress, been looking for ages for a simple summer dress!”

And a third commented: “Simple and flattering, the perfect length. 

“I hope m&s are going to do it in lots of colours as it’s so lovely!”

It seems M&S is on a roll with its fashion ahead of summer.

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Fashion fans have been raving about the ‘best bra ever’ from M&S which not only is comfortable and supportive, but it’s not crazy expensive either.

It is their £22 Flexifit Non Wired Full Cup Bra, which ranges from an A to an E cup but they also have a version to suit fuller busts.

Fabulous even put the bra to the test to see if it would fit an expert with 32G boobs.

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Why Everyone Is Loving M&S

Deputy Fashion Editor Abby McHale revealed to Fabulous why M&S is the shop of the moment. She explained:

“M&S has really pulled it out of the bag this season, there is so much good product to be excited about.

“A brand once known for its ‘frumpy fashion’ that notion is long gone with it now being one of the leading high street stores for womenswear.

“Its handbag range in particular is super strong with them selling 170% vs plan, with lots more designer dupes for just a fraction of the price.

“The brand is now also the #1 for style perceptions, compared to the #3 spot it had last year, this comes from a really strong design team focused on modernising the brand, not only taking into consideration how the pieces look, but how easy they are to wear also.

“Price is also a big factor with you being able to get many good quality pieces all for under £30.

“After having a sneak peak of the upcoming collection there are so many more amazing pieces that are dropping over the next few months to keep your eyes on.

“Think leopard print dresses, colourful co-ords, embroidered boho jackets, plus lots of swimwear and amazing accessories, as well as great wardrobe staples that will last year on year.”

Since her Altadena rental home burned down in January’s Eaton fire, Tamara Johnson has crisscrossed Southern California looking for a place to live. She started in San Bernardino, where she stayed with a friend, and continued to Oceanside, where an Airbnb voucher let her remain a week.

She’s driven from Long Beach to Azusa searching for apartments, spending her days scanning listings for those that would accept her Federal Emergency Management Agency housing assistance and calling 211 for help. Most nights, she’s slept in her van. The worst came when a truck smashed into the back of her vehicle one morning as she was pulling into a fast food parking lot. Johnson got a rental car and then slept in that.

“I’m going through all this,” said Johnson, 62. “And I just came through a disaster.”

Brenda Sharpe walks back to her room at Hotel Le Reve, the sixth place she and her three younger children have lived since January’s fires.

With her struggles, Johnson was surprised to learn that there could have been another path to long-term housing. After major wildfires, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes and other cataclysmic events, FEMA often directly rents apartments for disaster survivors who cannot find somewhere on their own. Yet the agency has not implemented the program in Los Angeles.

Johnson said relying on FEMA for a home would have put her on a path to recovery rather than living in an “emergency mode” where she’s just trying to make it through each day.

“It would stabilize you a lot faster,” she said.

Federal and state emergency officials said that they have not started the program, known as Direct Lease, because it’s not needed. Their analysis of available apartments in L.A. County shows more than 5,600 listed at prices within the limits of FEMA reimbursements.

“The data does not support a rental shortage,” said Monica Vargas, spokesperson for the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.

This stance baffles national and local disaster relief advocates who contend that the public agencies are overlooking precedents across the country and realities on the ground.

Brenda Sharpe drives past fire damage in Altadena. Before the Eaton fire, she was renting a three-bedroom house for $1,200 a month, an amount far below the market rate.

Heavenly Hughes, co-founder of Altadena nonprofit My Tribe Rise, said she believes there are potentially thousands of Eaton fire survivors with insecure housing like Johnson, including those doubling up with relatives, sleeping on couches or packing into hotel rooms. Organizations like hers, she said, are straining to keep up with the demand.

“If these agencies are set up to show compassion and care, to have these people have some type of normalcy, the first part would be helping people find housing,” Hughes said. “It’s sad there has to be this much talking when they should know we need it.”

After disasters, FEMA’s primary housing assistance comes through subsidies that survivors can use to find their own apartments. To supplement that, the agency frequently looks to lease properties not typically available for long-term stays, such as corporate and vacation rentals, where it can house people otherwise unable to find housing directly with rent covered for up to 18 months. In Maui, more than 1,100 households moved into apartments and condominiums through the FEMA program after that community’s devastating 2023 wildfires.

Direct Lease provides a necessary backstop for people suddenly in need, said Noah Patton, manager of disaster recovery at D.C.-based nonprofit National Low Income Housing Coalition

“If they can’t find a landlord that’s willing to take the money that FEMA is paying, they’re out of luck,” Patton said. “The idea is to have a list of eligible properties you could give to a disaster survivor and say, ‘Just go here.’”

Brenda Sharpe tries to call the American Red Cross to help coordinate her next move outside Hotel Le Reve. FEMA denied her application for rental assistance.

L.A.’s fires typically would qualify for such relief, Patton said. Between the Palisades and Eaton fires, nearly 13,000 homes were destroyed, an amount equivalent to more than half of L.A. County’s annual housing production.

Before January, Los Angeles had a notoriously punishing rental market. The county’s homeless population stood at 75,000, and nearly 600,000 families paid more than half their income on housing costs. Immediately after the fires, widespread reports of rental price gouging spread across the region with the prices of some listings doubling overnight.

The public agencies’ response “paints a pretty rosy picture of the rental market absorbing a significant amount of fire survivors,” Patton said.

“Based on the things that I know, this doesn’t really make any sense,” he said.

In late January, FEMA formally solicited interest from L.A. landlords to make buildings available for the Direct Lease program. Soon after, the effort stalled.

FEMA spokesperson Brandi Richard Thompson said that while the agency understands that individual survivors are facing hardships, state and federal data show rental housing is accessible. Evidence from disaster-affected households supports that view, she said.

“The number of applicants eligible for and requesting continued FEMA rental assistance remained comparatively low, suggesting that, on a broad scale, many eligible survivors were able to find housing solutions within the available rental market,” Richard Thompson said.

Brenda Sharpe loads her car with items that she needs to store.

FEMA subsidy amounts vary by neighborhood and household size. Under current rules, a family of four could rent a two-bedroom in central Pasadena for up to $3,410 a month.

The agency already has rejected a state proposal to increase these rates, and would be unlikely to approve the Direct Lease program if asked, Richard Thompson said.

She encouraged those facing difficulties to reconnect with FEMA for help.

“We remain committed to helping each survivor find the best path to recovery, even in a very challenging housing environment like Los Angeles County,” Richard Thompson said.

Advocates said the state and federal position minimizes the problems fire survivors, especially those in Altadena, are dealing with. Hughes noted that the agencies’ estimate of available rentals spans the entire county. Altadena residents, she said, shouldn’t be forced to move 50 miles away to the Antelope Valley, for instance, when FEMA could potentially offer closer options.

Hughes said the decision also ignores the local context in Altadena, a longtime haven for Black residents where many elderly homeowners don’t meet private landlords’ income or rental history requirements. That leaves them at further disadvantage in a tough market, she said.

“CalOES and FEMA, they know that price gouging is happening everywhere,” Hughes said.

Johnson, the Altadena renter who has been living in her van, said even with her FEMA subsidy, landlords pressed her to show she earned twice the rent, a standard she couldn’t meet. Some places she looked at were charging upwards of $2,000 a month for a few hundred square feet or a room in a boarding house with shared kitchen and bathroom.

Finally, she found a one-bedroom apartment in Azusa in a building that typically caters to low-income residents. Her FEMA assistance will cover the rent. Johnson moved in on Tuesday.

A nonprofit covered the hotel’s $1,900 cost in April. This month, Brenda Sharpe has to come up with the money herself, although she lost most of her neighborhood housecleaning work after the fires.

For survivors still struggling to receive federal help, housing issues can run even deeper.

Before the fires, five generations of Brenda Sharpe’s family lived in multiple homes in Altadena, from Sharpe’s 102-year-old grandmother to her 2-year-old grandson.

Sharpe, 46, and her three younger children were renting a three-bedroom house owned by a friend for $1,200 a month, far below the market rate. The home did not burn down, but suffered ash and smoke damage. FEMA denied her application for rental assistance, a decision she’s appealed. To make matters worse, the fire caused Sharpe to lose nearly all of her housecleaning work in the community.

Over the last three months, Sharpe and her children have bounced between six hotels and Airbnbs. In the Pasadena hotel where they’re now staying, Sharpe has lined up air mattresses between the room’s two double beds so everyone has their own place to sleep.

A nonprofit covered the hotel’s $1,900 cost in April. For May, she has to come up with the money herself. The thought of finding something she can afford on the open market seems impossibly daunting — even harder while having to process the loss her family has experienced. Sharpe’s parents’ house burned down, and her grandmother, whom police officers carried out of her home with flames bearing down, died over the weekend.

“We need somewhere to live,” Sharpe said. “Trying to find affordable housing has been the problem. Pasadena rent is astronomically high.”

Brenda Sharpe’s family lost their Altadena home in the Eaton fire.

(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park), who represents Altadena, said locating long-term housing has been the most consistent concern she’s heard from her constituents. Many have told her that, like Johnson and Sharpe, they’ve had to move multiple times and still are unable to settle.

Chu said she planned to press CalOES and FEMA for more details on why the agencies believed that the Direct Lease program wasn’t needed.

“I’m just stunned at the determination that there’s enough housing at the parameters given costwise,” Chu said.

The decision not to push for the Direct Lease program cuts against the position that Gov. Gavin Newsom has taken in the aftermath of the fires. The governor has asked President Trump and Congress to approve $40 billion in disaster relief, including housing assistance, for the L.A. region and has held repeated press events to highlight the need for federal support.

Brian Ferguson, a Newsom spokesperson, said that in response to The Times’ inquiries the administration is reevaluating its stance on Direct Lease.

“As Los Angeles continues its rapid recovery, providing resources and support to individuals that have been displaced is our top priority,” Ferguson said. “The state remains open to all viable solutions to provide housing and aid to fire survivors.”

Justin Kluivert says he feels at home at Bournemouth after a career that has taken him through the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, France, Spain and now England.

But while the Dutch forward is enjoying laying down some roots after jet-setting around the continent – he would jump at the chance of exploring Europe with the Cherries next season.

As many as 10 Premier League clubs could qualify for European competitions, external in 2025-26.

And with Andoni Iraola’s side sitting 10th – one point behind eighth-placed Brighton – Bournemouth remain in the hunt with four games to go.

Kluivert, who turns 26 on Monday, has played – and scored – in the top-flight of each of the six countries he has played in. A feat he believes is unique.

“I need to be in the book of Guinness World Records,” the son of Dutch legend Patrick Kluivert tells Football Focus in an interview to be shown on BBC One on Saturday from 12:00 BST.

“I think I am the fjrst player to score in the top six competitions – if Holland is the sixth.”

Romanian striker Florin Raducioiu (1986-2004) and Montenegro’s Stevan Jovetic (2004-) are the only other players to score in the top five leagues of Italy, Germany, France, Spain and England.

Since making his debut for Ajax aged 17, Kluivert has scored goals for Roma, RB Leipzig (loan), Nice (loan) and Valencia (loan).

The forward joined Bournemouth from Roma in a £9.6m deal in June 2023.

Since then the Cherries have set a club record Premier League points tally in back-to-back seasons, are challenging for a place in Europe, and have just opened a state-of-the-art £32m training facility, where this interview is taking place.

“We speak every day about it,” Kluivert says about Bournemouth’s target of playing in Europe for the first time.

“We believe in it and we will go for it 100%.”

US President Donald Trump overseeing ‘troubling deterioration’ in press freedom in US, Reporters Without Borders says.

Palestine has become the world’s most dangerous state for journalists amid Israel’s war on Gaza, with dozens of reporters likely killed specifically due to their work, a media freedom watchdog has said.

Israeli forces killed nearly 200 journalists in the first 18 months of the war, at least 42 of whom were slain while doing their job, Reporters Without Borders said on Friday as it released its World Press Freedom Index 2025.

“Trapped in the enclave, journalists in Gaza have no shelter and lack everything, including food and water,” said the Paris-based group, which is also known by its French acronym RSF.

“In the West Bank, journalists are routinely harassed and attacked by both settlers and Israeli forces, but repression reached new heights with a wave of arrests after 7 October, when impunity for crimes committed against journalists became a new rule.”

Journalists suspected of collaborating with Israel are also hampered in their work by Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, while a cybercrime law adopted by the Palestinian Authority limits freedom of expression and freedom of the press, RSF said in its report.

Palestine ranked 163rd for press freedom in the latest index, a drop of six places from 2024.

Of 180 jurisdictions, 112 saw declines in press freedom, with the average score globally falling to a record low of 55 points, according to the report.

The United States dropped two places to a record low of 57, with the watchdog accusing US President Donald Trump of overseeing a “troubling deterioration in press freedom”.

“President Donald Trump was elected to a second term after a campaign in which he denigrated the press on a daily basis and made explicit threats to weaponize the federal government against the media,” RSF said.

“His early moves in his second mandate to politicise the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), ban The Associated Press from the White House, or dismantle the US Agency for Global Media, for example, have jeopardised the country’s news outlets and indicate that he intends to follow through on his threats, setting up a potential crisis for American journalism.”

Israel dropped 11 places to 112th, with Reporters Without Borders pointing to growing restrictions on press freedom, media plurality and editorial independence since the start of the war in Gaza.

“Since 2021, only journalists working for Channel 14, a media outlet that covers Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a favourable light, have been granted interviews with the country’s leader, who accuses the Israeli press of conspiring against him,” the group said.

“In 2024, the Minister of Communication called on the government to boycott Haaretz, one of the few newspapers to criticise Netanyahu’s policies, including the massacre of civilians in Gaza – a topic that is largely suppressed.”

Eritrea was the lowest-ranked jurisdiction, just behind North Korea and China.

Norway was ranked first for press freedom, followed by Estonia, the Netherlands and Sweden.

Everton supporters will be keen to know if the striker is going to be a part of their squad for next season.

Calvert-Lewin is one of a few players at Everton whose future is under discussion and BBC Sport has reported an offer is on the table. When asked about his situation, he says in his mind things are simple.

“I’m an Everton player and my focus will always be on doing my best for Everton and I have a lot of respect for Everton football club,” he says.

“It’s given me everything I have today.

“My main focus is making sure I am in the best condition, it is like going through a mini pre-season to get fit for these last four games.

“With the new manager coming in the club is moving in the right direction, there’s a new stadium and there’s a lot to be positive about.

“Who wouldn’t want to be part of that?

“There was a lot of uncertainty for a long time a little bit higher up and arguably the last three seasons have been the most difficult in Everton’s Premier League history and I have been there leading the line through that.

“For me it’s built a lot of experience, and I have a lot of fond memories. Everton will always be a place that is special to me, so we will see what happens.”

Passionate for fresh seafood, Nice

Far away from the tourist traps of the old town, tiny seafood restaurant Coquillages Bouchet on Rue Rusca is a relative newcomer in Nice. Tucked away on a sidestreet near the port, the menu is short and the atmosphere relaxed. The young owners, Nicolas and Hugo, are best friends and their passion for fresh seafood, especially sea urchins and oysters, simply radiates. If you’re after fancy, go to one of the exclusive beach clubs dotted along the coastline. If you want fresh, vibrant and delicious platters of seafood served with charm and glasses of ice-cold white wine, come here.
Melanie Clarkson

The perfect country bistro in Beaujolais

Joséphine à Table, in the pretty village of Saint-Amour-Bellevue in Beaujolais, is the little country bistro you were always hoping to find in rural France. Hearty portions of rustic cuisine paysanne are the order of the day, or you could push the boat out and splurge on a sophisticated chicken in vin jaune sauce with morels. And don’t forget to wash your meal down with a bottle of the local wine – there are plenty of cuvées to choose from on the extensive list, all priced unbelievably reasonably. A set main course and dessert is €24. Santé.
Natasha Hughes

Ripaille (on Instagram) – a bistro on Rue de Lorette just north of the Old Port – was the unexpected gem of our time in Marseille. Tucked down a street awash with the city’s characteristic street art, diners sit at snug Formica tables drinking delicious natural wines. There’s a soft glow and the hum of a local crowd having a good time. We had everything off the chalkboard menu between four. Highlights were radicchio with stilton, pear and hazelnuts; scallops in smoked lemon; grilled dorade with almond sauce; and desserts generous on the cream. The staff were brilliant: cool yet attentive.
Charlotte

Pork sausage and pike parfait, Paris

A visit to Les Mauvais Garçons off the Rue de Rivoli in the Marais would be worth it for the name, which it shares with the street it’s on, but more so for its Lyonnais fare. After regaling ourselves with pork sausage in a sublime brioche, we moved on to the more serious work of enjoying the pike dumpling in an exotic lobster bisque. You can complete your trip down south by indulging in a fondant au chocolat that would make Baudelaire himself feel decadent. The excellent service belies the restaurant’s name.
Patricia

Amazing value in Brittany

Port-Haliguen is a quaint fishing village close to the beautiful town of Quiberon in Brittany. Here we found La Base, a bistro overlooking the harbour. The chef lets ingredients shine with minimal fuss, such as the freshest sardines to start, then a perfectly cooked medium rare côte de boeuf for two, while the chocolate mousse is velvety smooth and comforting. The impressive house red is served at only €4 a glass and bottles at about €20. The idyllic setting, precise cooking and amazing value made this a real highlight of the holiday.
James Allison

Lobster ravioli in the Dordogne

La Récréation in the beautiful Lot department village of Les Arques just south of the Dordogne is a fabulous restaurant. It is housed in what was once the village school and has plenty of outdoor seating for the summer months. The food is sublime and simply never disappoints. Lobster ravioli in a coral sauce and croustillants de Saint-Jacques are delicious signature dishes, but the experienced chefs are innovative and the menu changes frequently. The village itself is associated with the renowned 20th-century sculptor and painter Ossip Zadkine and attracts artists. La Récréation is a very popular restaurant, which must be booked in advance and is wholly deserving of its reputation locally.
Lesley

Galette it be, Florac, Cévennes national park

Au Pêcher Mignon (on Facebook) in Florac, near the Ardèche, is a real gem. The owner was so welcoming and a great host. They were very accommodating when our group of eight arrived for lunch and were happy to shuffle tables so we could all sit together. Our children enjoyed the cheese and beef galettes with a lovely salad. The adults enjoyed a split galette, which included wild mushroom, spices and cheese on one half and garlic, aubergine and cheese on the other – it tasted fantastic. All were homemade and used local ingredients. A very tasty cider accompanied the food. The homemade cheesecake was just delicious. All at a reasonable price.
Stefanie Ashall

Pick your poissonnerie, Dinard, Brittany

Le Pic à Bulot (The Whelk Pick) in Dinard is the perfect place for a seafood platter. In the Saint-Énogat neighbourhood, the restaurant serves fresh fish and seafood from its own poissonnerie next door. We visited in early April, sat on the terrace, well wrapped up, and shared an iced platter of prawns, langoustines, whelks, oysters and, in a blast from the past for me, winkles. All helped on by a bottle of head-turning Pouilly-Fuissé (it was our wedding anniversary). It’s definitely worth a detour if you’re visiting Mont Saint-Michel or arrived at Saint-Malo, and is reasonable with set menus starting at €15.
Mick George

Market cooking with a heart, Bordeaux

In the gritty Capucins market quarter, Au Bistrot delivers straightforward French comfort food for hungry market shoppers. Chef Jacques In’On cooks whatever looks best on the stalls that morning in a small open kitchen, while the host, François Pervillé, pours affordable bottles from an all‑Bordeaux list. My lunch: slow beef bourguignon, deep and savoury, plus a creamy garlic‑laced potato dauphinoise. The room is tiled and the staff are relaxed and quietly efficient. Menus change daily but rarely break €25. Decent wine by the glass costs €4. Book ahead or queue. Outdoor tables spill on to pavement when the sun shines.
Pamela

Winning tip: A humble gem in Boulogne, Pas-de-Calais

Nestled in the industrial fishing port in Boulogne-sur-Mer is Le Chatillon. Business hours of 5.30am-4.30pm make it a staple breakfast location for fishers. Nevertheless, the average family on an average budget can eat well at this humble gem of a place, served by friendly, efficient and professional staff, and that feels like the definition of hospitality. The boulonnaise plate – smoked salmon, fillet of herring, smoked mackerel and toast – is a great place to start, and fillet of boneless turbot with triple cooked fries, while simple, was like nothing I’ve tasted before or since.
Ruth King

Beyond Paradise have given a first look at the final of the hit BBC detective drama series, which ends tomorrow night

Beyond Paradise have shared a first look at the upcoming series finale. DI Humphrey Goodman is back to tackle another case, which involves a mysterious disappearance of a regular character.

In the upcoming episode of the hit show, nurse Lucy has vanished on her way to work, leading to the police team stepping in. Kelby’s rival Josh Woods receives a worrying voicemail from Lucy – but what has happened to her?

In the recording, Lucy shouts ‘devil’ and then there is a huge growl but could the legend of the Devil’s Hump hold a clue into solving what happened to her? Elsewhere, Humphrey is struggling with his personal and professional life as Rosie’s birthday is fast approaching – their focus turns to making sure she has the best day.

Nothing has yet to be confirmed about a new series but Kris Marshall – who plays Humphrey – teased that there would be more stories “beyond” the third series in a chat before the latest set of episodes aired.

“This series offers the same great mix of intriguing crimes and compelling drama that viewers expect. What makes Beyond Paradise unique is its ability to be dramatic without being melodramatic. It’s a light-hearted crime drama that tackles serious, relatable issues without getting overly heavy,” he said of what’s to come.

“Each episode is packed with content – there’s a real sense of magic in how much is crammed into just one hour. It’s thought-provoking and heart-warming without feeling overly sentimental. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, and I think that’s one of the show’s greatest strengths. There’s plenty to look forward to in this series and beyond.”

Martha star Sally Bretton added: “Audiences can expect more intriguing puzzles to solve, of course! But it’s also about watching Martha and Humphrey continue to navigate their new life together, adjusting to the addition of a new family member.

“It’s not always graceful but there’s always love at the core of everything they do. The beautiful settings remain a highlight and the stories will take viewers on a journey – one that is both captivating and emotionally fulfilling.”

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan and India continue to engage in war rhetoric and have exchanged fire across the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border in Kashmir, days after the Pahalgam attack, in which 26 civilians were killed in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22.

Since then, senior members of Pakistan’s government and military officials have held multiple news conferences in which they have claimed to have “credible information” that an Indian military response is imminent.

This is not the first time South Asia’s two largest countries – which have a combined population of more than 1.6 billion people, about one-fifth of the world’s population – have found themselves under the shadow of potential war.

At the heart of their longstanding animosity lies the status of the picturesque valley of Kashmir, over which India and Pakistan have fought three of their four previous wars. Since gaining independence from British rule in 1947, both countries have controlled parts of Kashmir – with China controlling another part of it – but continue to claim it in full.

So what is the Kashmir conflict all about, and why do India and Pakistan continue to fight over it nearly eight decades after independence?

What are the latest tensions about?

India has implied it believes Pakistan may have indirectly supported the Pahalgam attack – a claim Pakistan strongly denies. Both countries have engaged in tit-for-tat diplomatic swipes at each other, including cancelling visas for each other’s citizens and recalling diplomatic staff.

India has suspended its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty, a water use and distribution agreement with Pakistan. Pakistan has in turn threatened to walk away from the Simla Agreement, which was signed in July 1972, seven months after Pakistan decisively lost the 1971 war that led to the creation of Bangladesh. The Simla Agreement has since formed the bedrock of India-Pakistan relations. It governs the LoC and outlines a commitment to resolve disputes through peaceful means.

On Wednesday, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar to urge both countries to work together to “de-escalate tensions and maintain peace and security in South Asia”.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also called Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday to condemn the attack. “I offered my strong support. We stand with India and its great people,” Hegseth wrote on X.

What lies at the heart of the Kashmir conflict?

Situated in the northwest of the Indian subcontinent, the region spans 222,200 square kilometres (85,800sq miles) with about four million people living in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and 13 million in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.

The population is overwhelmingly Muslim. Pakistan controls the northern and western portions, namely Azad Kashmir, Gilgit and Baltistan, while India controls the southern and southeastern parts, including the Kashmir Valley and its biggest city, Srinagar, as well as Jammu and Ladakh.

The end of British colonial rule and the partition of British India in August 1947 led to the creation of Muslim-majority Pakistan and Hindu-majority India.

At the time, princely states like Jammu and Kashmir were given the option to accede to either country. With a nearly 75 percent Muslim population, many in Pakistan believed the region would naturally join that country. After all, Pakistan under Muhammad Ali Jinnah was created as a homeland for Muslims, even though a majority of Muslims in what remained as India after partition stayed back in that country, where Mahatma Gandhi and independent India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, built the foundations of a secular state.

The maharaja of Kashmir initially sought independence from both countries but later chose to join India after Pakistan invaded, triggering the first war from 1947 to 1948. The ceasefire line established after that was formalised as the LoC in the Simla Agreement.

Despite this, both countries continue to assert claims to the entire region, including, in the case of India, to China-administered Aksai Chin on the eastern side.

What triggered the first Indo-Pakistan war in 1947?

The ruling Hindu maharaja of Kashmir was Hari Singh, whose forefathers took control of the region as part of an agreement with the British in 1846.

At the time of partition, Singh initially sought to retain Kashmir’s independence from both India and Pakistan.

But by then, a rebellion against his rule by pro-Pakistani residents in a part of Kashmir had broken out. Armed groups from Pakistan, backed by the government of the newly formed country, invaded and tried to take over the region.

Sheikh Abdullah, the most prominent Kashmiri leader at the time, opposed the Pakistani-backed attack. Hari Singh appealed to India for military assistance.

Nehru’s government intervened against Pakistan – but on the condition that the maharaja sign an Instrument of Accession merging Jammu and Kashmir with India. In October 1947, Jammu and Kashmir officially became part of India, giving New Delhi control over the Kashmir Valley, Jammu and Ladakh.

India accused Pakistan of being the aggressor in the conflict – a charge Pakistan denied – and took the matter to the United Nations in January 1948. A key resolution was passed stating: “The question of the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India or Pakistan should be decided through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite.” Nearly 80 years later, no plebiscite has been held – a source of grievance for Kashmiris.

The first war over Kashmir finally ended with a UN-mediated ceasefire, and in 1949, the two countries formalised a ceasefire line under an agreement signed in Karachi, Pakistan’s then-capital. The new line divided Kashmir between Indian- and Pakistani-controlled parts.

How did the situation change after the 1949 agreement?

By 1953, Sheikh Abdullah had founded the Jammu Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) and won state elections in Indian-administered Kashmir.

However, his increasing interest in seeking independence from India led to his arrest by Indian authorities. In 1956, Jammu and Kashmir was declared an “integral” part of India.

In September 1965, less than two decades after independence, India and Pakistan went to war over the region again.

Pakistan hoped to aid the Kashmiri cause and incite a local uprising, but the war ended in a stalemate, with both sides agreeing to a UN-supervised ceasefire.

How did China get a part of Kashmir?

The Aksai Chin region in the northeast of the region sits at an elevation of 5,000 metres (16,400 feet), and through history, was a hard-to-reach, barely inhabited territory that in the 19th and early 20th centuries sat at the border of British India and China.

It was a part of the kingdom that Kashmir’s Hari Singh inherited as a result of the 1846 deal with the British. Until the 1930s, at least, Chinese maps too recognised Kashmir as being south of the Ardagh-Johnson Line that marked the northeastern boundary of Kashmir.

After 1947 and Singh’s accession to India, New Delhi viewed Aksai Chin as part of its territory. But by the early 1950s, China – now under communist rule – built a massive 1,200km (745-mile) long highway connecting Tibet and Xinjiang, and running through Aksai Chin.

India was caught unaware – the desolate region had not been a security priority until then. In 1954, Nehru called for the border to be formalised according to the Ardagh-Johnson Line – in effect, recognising Aksai Chin as a part of India.

But China insisted that the British had never discussed the Ardagh-Johnson Line, and that Aksai Chin belonged to it under an alternate map. Most importantly, though, China already had boots on the ground in Aksai Chin because of the highway.

Meanwhile, Pakistan and China also had differences over who controlled what in parts of Kashmir. But by the early 1960s, they reached an agreement: China gave up grazing grounds that Pakistan had sought, and in return, Pakistan ceded a thin slice of northern Kashmir to China.

India claims this deal was illegal since, according to the Instrument of Accession of 1947, all of Kashmir belonged to it.

Back to India and Pakistan: What happened next?

Another war followed in December 1971 – this time over what was then known as East Pakistan, following a popular revolt by India-backed Bengali nationalists against Pakistan’s rule. The war led to the creation of Bangladesh. More than 90,000 Pakistani soldiers were captured by India as prisoners of war.

The Simla Agreement converted the ceasefire line into the LoC, a de facto but not internationally recognised border, yet again leaving Kashmir’s status in question.

But after India’s decisive 1971 victory and amid the growing political influence of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi – Nehru’s daughter – the 1970s saw Abdullah abandon his demand for a plebiscite and the Kashmiri people’s right of self-determination.

In 1975, he signed an accord with Gandhi, recognising India-administered Kashmir’s accession to India while retaining semi-autonomous status under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. He later served as the region’s chief minister.

What led to a renewed drive for Kashmiri independence in the 1980s?

As ties grew between Abdullah’s National Conference Party and India’s ruling Indian National Congress, so did frustration among Kashmiris in India-controlled Kashmir, who felt that socioeconomic conditions had not improved in the region.

Separatist groups like the Jammu-Kashmir Liberation Front, founded by Maqbool Bhat, rose.

India’s claims of democracy in Kashmir faltered in the face of growing support for the armed groups. A tipping point was the 1987 election to the state legislature, which saw Abdullah’s son, Farooq Abdullah, come to power, but which was widely viewed as heavily rigged to keep out popular, anti-India politicians.

Indian authorities launched a severe crackdown on separatist groups, which New Delhi alleged were supported and trained by Pakistan’s military intelligence. Pakistan, for its part, has consistently maintained it provides only moral and diplomatic support, backing the Kashmiris’ “right to self-determination”.

In 1999, conflict erupted in Kargil, where Indian and Pakistani forces fought for control over strategic heights along the LoC. India eventually regained the lost territory, and the pre-conflict status quo was restored. This was the third war over Kashmir – Kargil is a part of Ladakh.

How have tensions over Kashmir escalated since then?

The following years saw a gradual reduction in direct conflict, with multiple ceasefires signed. However, India significantly ramped up its military presence in the valley.

Tensions were reignited in 2016 after the killing of Burhan Wani, a popular separatist figure. His death led to a rise in violence in the valley and more frequent exchanges of fire along the LoC.

Major attacks in Indian-administered Kashmir, including those in Pathankot and Uri in 2016, targeted Indian forces, who blamed Pakistan-backed armed groups.

The most serious escalation came in February 2019 when a convoy of Indian paramilitary personnel was attacked in Pulwama, killing 40 soldiers and bringing the two nations to the brink of war.

Six months later, the Indian government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi unilaterally abrogated Article 370, stripping Jammu and Kashmir of its semi-autonomous status. Pakistan condemned the move as a violation of the Simla Agreement.

The decision led to widespread protests in the valley. India deployed 500,000 to 800,000 soldiers, placed the region under lockdown, shut down internet services and detained thousands of people.

India insists that Pakistan is to blame for the ongoing crisis in Kashmir. It accuses Pakistan of hosting, financing and training the Pakistan-based armed groups that have claimed responsibility for multiple attacks in Indian-administered Kashmir over the decades. Some of these groups are also accused by India, the US, and others of attacking other parts of India – such as during the 2008 attack on Mumbai, India’s financial capital, when at least 166 people were killed over three days.

Pakistan continues to deny that it fuels violence in India-controlled Kashmir and instead points to widespread resentment among locals, accusing India of imposing harsh and undemocratic rule in the region. Islamabad says it only supports Kashmiri separatism diplomatically and morally.

It should have been a normal day at school, or as normal as a classroom setting is in juvenile detention.

But lessons at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall were interrupted on a Friday in early April when three teenagers suffered what county officials later confirmed were drug overdoses. One collapsed in front of his classmates and two others passed out in their rooms, according to multiple sources who requested anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation.

The L.A. County Probation Department, which oversees Los Padrinos, said three youths were hospitalized on April 10 because of overdoses from an unspecified drug. The day before, the sources familiar with the investigation said, probation officers found a large quantity of Xanax inside the Downey facility, where most of the approximately 270 detainees are 18 or younger.

The emergency was the latest in a years-long series of fiascoes within L.A. County’s juvenile halls — all of which have unfolded under the watchful eye of the California attorney general’s office.

Four years after the state’s Department of Justice entered into a settlement to improve conditions in L.A. County’s juvenile halls, frustrations are hitting a boiling point. The Probation Department has shown no signs of progress, prompting calls for Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta to intervene.

Bonta declined an interview request, but said in a written statement to The Times that the Probation Department is headed toward the “end of the line.”

Bonta said he is preparing “to take steps” to ask a court to place the Probation Department in receivership, essentially wresting control of the agency from the leaders who have failed to implement reforms.

“The current situation at Los Angeles County juvenile halls — and particularly at Los Padrinos — is unacceptable,” Bonta said. “Los Angeles County continues to fail to implement the court-ordered reforms necessary to protect the health, safety, and well-being of the kids under their care.”

An aerial view of Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Already shut down once, Los Padrinos was reopened in July 2023 after the state forced the closure of two other dysfunctional facilities, leaving the county with few alternatives to house young people with pending criminal cases. Barry J. Nidorf Hall in Sylmar is home to the county’s Secure Youth Treatment Facility but otherwise remains under a state shutdown order, and the county also operates a number of lower-security juvenile camps.

Recent years have seen a riot at Los Padrinos, a fatal fentanyl overdose at Nidorf, and continued reports of abuse and excessive force across the system. Probation officers now refuse to come to work, citing chaotic and dangerous conditions. Last month, 30 officers were indicted for arranging what Bonta termed “gladiator fights” between youths at Los Padrinos.

Bonta’s critics say he has ample cause to take further action. The L.A. County inspector general’s office has published six reports showing the Probation Department is failing to meet the terms of the state oversight agreement, including instances in which officers and officials were caught lying about violent incidents in the halls.

“When we issued our first report that said zero percent compliance, I hoped that the next report would show an effort to change. It didn’t. I don’t expect this entity to change outside meaningful outside force,” said Inspector General Max Huntsman. “If Bonta doesn’t, then who can? Who will?”

The California Board of State and Community Corrections ordered Los Padrinos shut down in December, but Probation Department Chief Guillermo Viera Rosa refused to comply, a move supported by the county Board of Supervisors.

Despite pressure on Bonta to step in and take legal action to close the hall, Los Padrinos continued operating in violation of state rules until April 18, when a judge ordered the Probation Department to begin depopulating Los Padrinos based on a legal challenge from the L.A. County public defender’s office.

If or when Los Padrinos will once again sit vacant — and what will happen to the kids held there — remains uncertain.

A Probation Department spokeswoman, Vicky Waters, said a 25-person team is focused on achieving compliance with the state settlement.

Asked about Bonta’s suggestion of a potential state takeover, Waters said the agency welcomes “continued dialogue with the attorney general and his office, the monitor, our stakeholders and the public to ensure that this process leads to meaningful transformation.”

Those who spend time in L.A.’s juvenile halls welcomed the possibility of Bonta stepping up — but also questioned why it took so long.

“There’s certainly been no evidence in the history of the entire L.A. County Probation Department that they are going to fix themselves,” said veteran defense attorney Jerod Gunsberg.

The California attorney general’s office began investigating L.A. County’s juvenile halls in 2018 and found probation officers were using pepper spray excessively, failing to provide proper programming, and detaining youths in solitary confinement in their rooms for far too long.

In 2019, Los Padrinos was shut down for the first time, because of a dwindling population of juveniles jailed in L.A. County and a scandal that ended with six officers charged with child abuse for the way they used chemical spray. All were later acquitted.

In 2021, the state and county reached an agreement aimed at drastically improving conditions.

But force incidents in the halls were still up about 6% as of June 2024, according to a Times analysis of data contained in inspector general’s office reports. The number of grievances filed by youths about conditions in the halls doubled from 2021 to 2024, according to Probation Department records.

The department was supposed to capture 90% of all force incidents in the halls on camera, but the inspector general found that mark was repeatedly missed. Some watchdog reports said officers delayed paperwork for months — and in some instances were caught lying about their justification for using violence.

One probation officer claimed they had to use pepper spray — which both the state and Board of Supervisors have tried to ban — to subdue a youth who was attacking them. Video, however, showed the boy turning away from an officer, fists unclenched, when he was sprayed in the face.

The county’s inspector general cited the Los Padrinos “gladiator fights” that were caught on security footage as another example of brazen misconduct in the face of state oversight.

“The things that they will do in full view of cameras is particularly disturbing,” Huntsman said.

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Footage obtained by the L.A. Times shows a December 2023 incident in which staffers can be seen allowing at least six youths to hit and kick a 17-year-old.

Michael Dempsey, the court-appointed monitor enforcing the settlement, said he could not comment, citing a confidentiality agreement.

In his first public report released earlier last month, Dempsey raised concerns that the department’s improvements have been “slow and inconsistent,” and said conditions are worsening.

He wrote that staffing issues continue to be a core problem, with the department “backfilling” juvenile hall jobs with adult probation officers who usually interact with violent adult felons on the streets and do not want to work with kids. The department also continues to fail to give youths access to proper programming, education or services, which Dempsey wrote leaves kids idle, bored and frustrated.

“The facilities have become much more dangerous for staff and the youth,” Dempsey wrote in his April report. “The Monitor’s review of the data provides evidence that both facilities are experiencing high rates of incidents of violence, use of force, major disturbances, and the use of illicit drugs.”

Sean Garcia-Leys, a former member of the county’s probation oversight commission, said on one visit last year he found kids pacing around listless with nothing to do. He recalled one group with a football, not playing catch but hurling it as hard as possible at each other. On another visit, he said he found air conditioners broken in the summer heat and shower drains backed up with foul odors emitting from the floor.

A teen browses books inside the library at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in 2016. The Downey facility houses around 270 youths facing criminal charges, most under age 18.

(Patrick T. Fallon/For The Times)

Garcia-Leys believes the conditions are affecting youths’ mental health and making them more likely to engage in violence.

“You see these same kids in different environments, and they don’t attack staff. Like, literally the same kids,” he said.

Huntsman, the inspector general, said there are plenty of additional steps Bonta could take after four years of noncompliance, including trying to have county officials held in contempt of court.

“Like every other political person, he’s counting the votes, and takes action based on votes,” Huntsman said of Bonta, who is up for reelection next year.

Bonta says he has not stood entirely on the sidelines. In addition to filing criminal charges in the gladiator fights case, the attorney general’s office noted it has filed several motions with the judge overseeing the settlement trying to cajole reform.

But none of those filings have levied penalties on the county or probation leaders, records show. And without a top-down overhaul, Probation Department critics fear nothing will change.

One probation official — who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal — said they repeatedly raised alarms that youths were not receiving the proper amount of schooling in the halls.

“I made sure to report everything up the chain and every time I did, nothing happened within the department. Nothing happened externally either,” the official said. “The attorney general? Never did anything.”

An undated photo of Guillermo Viera Rosa, head of the Los Angeles County Probation Department, which oversees Los Padrinos and other juvenile hall facilities.

(California Board of Stat and Community Corrections)

Viera Rosa, the probation chief, declined an interview request.

Records obtained by The Times show he has taken steps to limit contacts between his staff and state officials. When he took office in 2023, a departmentwide email ordered staff to stop contacting the attorney general’s office directly over the settlement.

While some in the office took the message as an attempt to stifle negative reports to oversight officials, Waters, the department spokeswoman, said the email was simply meant to “centralize communications” with the California Department of Justice.

In the five months since the state found Los Padrinos “unsuitable” to house youth, the facility has continued to be the sight of disturbing incidents.

In addition to the recent spate of overdoses, a teen was stabbed during class at Los Padrinos in March. Multiple sources told The Times the youth was stabbed in the eye; Waters said only that the teen suffered “non-life-threatening injuries.”

According to a March court filing, a 19-year-old held at Los Padrinos claimed he was sexually abused by a Department of Mental Health employee during multiple counseling sessions over the past year. Both the Probation Department and DMH declined to comment.

The teen’s lawyer described the encounters in a notice of claim, which is a precursor to a lawsuit, as “consensual,” but incarcerated people cannot legally consent to sex with government employees or guards.

The Probation Department says three-quarters of teens housed at Los Padrinos were arrested for violent crimes. Advocates have called on the department to move youths to camps or place them in community-based “step down” programs, akin to halfway houses.

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Despite constantly criticizing the Probation Department’s handling of the halls, all five members of the L.A. County Board of Supervisors supported Viera Rosa’s refusal to close Los Padrinos last year. In statements to The Times, each of the board’s members defended that decision, saying it was the best of bad options.

“It is clear to me that just moving these young people to another facility in L.A. County would not solve the long-standing issues and will only create more problems,” Supervisor Janice Hahn said in a statement. “The possibility that these kids might be transferred outside of the county would be hugely disruptive and would force their families to travel across the state or across the country to visit them.”

Another hearing on the judge’s order to empty out Los Padrinos is set for mid-May.

That order was the result of a legal challenge filed by L.A. County Public Defender Ricardo Garcia, who said Bonta’s oversight of the settlement has been “insufficient” and described the continued housing of youth at Los Padrinos as “grossly negligent.”

“If you or I or anybody treated their child in that way, that child would be taken away and placed somewhere safe,” he said.

EDMONTON, Canada — For the fourth time in as many years, the Kings’ season came to an end with a first-round playoff loss to the Edmonton Oilers. The coup de grace came Thursday in a 6-4 Oilers’ win at a raucous Rogers Place, which has become a house of horrors for the Kings.

Edmonton got goals from (take a deep breath) Adam Henrique, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Zach Hyman, Darnell Nurse, Trent Frederic and Connor Brown. For the Kings, Quinton Byfield, Brandt Clarke, Jordan Spence and Anze Kopitar scored.

The Kings haven’t beaten the Oilers in the postseason since 1989, but this year’s loss may be the most painful of the nine playoff series they’ve dropped to Edmonton. The Kings tied franchise bests for wins (48) and points (105) this season and won a team-record 31 times at home during the regular season, finishing ahead of the Oilers in the Pacific Division standings for the first time in seven years.

They seemed primed for a long run in the postseason but once again, they couldn’t get by Edmonton. They Kings went out like warriors though, carried out on their shields after a wild end-to-end final game that saw the teams combine for at least 10 goals for the third time in the series. There were 51 scores overall, an average of 8.5 a game.

So much for conservative playoff hockey.

With their backs against the wall the Kings set the frenetic pace early, with Byfield scoring 79 seconds into the game, one of four goals in a manic and exhausting first 5 minutes and 55 seconds. Only one potential Stanley Cup elimination game in the last 60 years has seen the first four goals score more quickly.

Byfield’s goal, his third of the series, came on a breakaway that saw him beat Leon Draisaitl up the slot, deke Edmonton goalie Calvin Pickard to his left, then slip the puck behind him and into the net. It was the second-fastest goal to begin an elimination game in franchise history, trailing only Wayne Gretzky’s score in the first minute of Game 7 versus Edmonton in 1989.

That should have been a good omen since that was the last time the Kings beat the Oilers in the deciding game of a playoff series. It wouldn’t happen again Thursday.

Edmonton evened things on Henrique’s deflection in traffic less than two minutes later but Clarke needed just 33 seconds to put the Kings back in front on a snap shot from inside the right circle. That lead was short-lived, too, with Nugent-Hopkins equaling things for the Oilers on a wrister from the edge of the left circle less than six minutes into the period.

Hyman then put the Oilers in front for the first time on a play that began innocently enough, with Nugent-Hopkins sending the puck off the boards on a faceoff deep in the Kings end. The carom found Darnell Nurse at the point and he sent a one-timer on goal that Kings’ goalie Darcy Kuemper had a bead on before Hyman got his stick up, redirecting the puck into the back into the back of the net. That gave Edmonton a 3-2 lead with more than seven minutes still left in the first period.

Nurse, given plenty of space in the high slot, doubled the advantage on a wrist shot that got just under the crossbar late in the second period; Frederic made it 5-2 just 96 seconds later on a tip-in from the crease at the end of an Oilers’ breakaway.

But still the Kings would not quit, with Spence scoring two minutes before the second intermission to keep the score close. The Kings pulled Kuemper for an extra attacker with 4:18 left and were rewarded when Kopitar scored with 53.3 seconds to play, but the Kings would get no closer thanks to Brown’s empty-net goal, Edmonton’s fourth of the series, in the final two seconds. That left the Kings to begin focusing on next season while the Oilers move on to play Las Vegas in the second round of the playoffs.

Neither the Kings nor the Oilers made things easy for Kuemper, a finalist for the Vezina Trophy. He faced 121 shots in the final three games and 207 in the series.

May 2 (UPI) — Five people have been sentenced to federal prison for fraud and identity theft targeting retired, elderly Florida school district employees, the Justice Department announced Thursday.

Three pleaded guilty and two were found guilty by a federal jury.

“Americans are fed up with the constant barrage of scams that maliciously target the elderly,” Acting U.S. United States Attorney Michelle Spaven said in a statement.

“With the assistance of our dedicated law enforcement partners, we are committed to investigating and aggressively prosecuting those who seek to stela the hard-earned savings of our senior citizens,” she continued.

Lambert Aguebor, 33, of Miramar, was sentenced to 71 months; Floyd Bostic, 42, of Tallahassee, was sentenced to 87 months; Grace Aguebor, 36, also of Miramar, was sentenced to 70 months; Ronald Vargas, 38, of Osteen, was sentenced to 24 months; and Sarina Levy, 34, of Pembroke, was sentenced to six months and a day.

All were sentenced on charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering, among other offenses.

Court documents show that Vargas worked as a retirement specialist at a Tallahassee company that administered saving and investment programs, and conspired with siblings Grace and Lambert to redirect and steal the retirement funds from the retired school district employees.

“In total, the conspirators withdrew and attempted to withdraw retirement funds from 25 different 401 (k) accounts, resulting in a net total of $1.1 million actually being stolen,” the release continued

In addition to their prison sentences, the defendants were also ordered to pay restitution.

Social media campaign depicts fictional scenes of officials becoming disillusioned with ruling Chinese Communist Party.

The CIA has launched a Chinese-language social media campaign calling on government officials in China to switch sides and leak secrets to the United States.

The two videos released on Thursday depict fictional scenes involving Chinese officials who approach the top intelligence agency after becoming disillusioned with the ruling Communist Party of China (CCP).

In one of the videos, an actor depicting a senior CCP member describes the fear he feels for his family as he witnesses officials around him being purged like “worn-out shoes”.

“This man, who has diligently worked his way to the top throughout his life, now profoundly realises that no matter how high his status is, it is insufficient to protect his family in these turbulent and unsettling times,” reads a Chinese-language description of the video on YouTube.

“He yearns to take control of his destiny and find a path to safeguard his family and the achievements he has built through years of hard work. Aware that everything he possesses could vanish in an instant, he is driven to make a difficult but crucial decision to safely reach out to the CIA.”

The videos, which were released on platforms including Facebook, Telegram, Instagram and X, contain instructions on “safely” and “securely” contacting the CIA, including by using the dark web browser Tor.

“One of the primary roles of the CIA is to collect intelligence for the president and for our policymakers,” CIA director John Ratcliffe said in an interview with Fox News.

“One of the ways we do that is by recruiting assets that can help us steal secrets.”

China’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Desmond Shum, a Chinese property tycoon-turned-dissident who lives in the United Kingdom, described the CIA campaign as the most “aggressive public move” by the agency against China in living memory.

“This kind of public outreach is exactly the sort of provocation that enrages the CCP – and Xi Jinping personally,” Shum said on X, referring to Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“His obsession with lifelong rule stems from a singular goal: to secure the Party’s unshakable control over China.”

HERMAN Ese’ese hopes to be a hit that needs no translation in Newcastle – after first learning about the place through subtitles.

For that is how the boys and girls of Geordie Shore were presented in Australia.

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The MTV show was a surprisingly big hit Down Under, even though the accents left viewers confused.

One of them was now Hull FC prop Ese’ese. Now he is heading to the north east for Magic Weekend, he is looking to have the Tyne of his life as John Cartwright’s side rides high after 2024’s horror show.

And after teaching his young team-mates as they endured a woeful season, he hopes his side can further show lessons were learned.

Ese’ese said: “That was the first I’d heard of Newcastle and back when I was in Australia, it was big.

“And it had to have subtitles on it – it’s a really thick accent. I don’t think anyone could understand it without them!

“But I’m a big football fan and I started watching their team play – and our black and white kit goes well. It’s a black and white city and I think it fits the occasion really well.

“When we first drove into Newcastle this week, all I saw was Newcastle United – all the jerseys and people wearing jerseys walking around the streets.

“But it wasn’t until I got to the stadium that I realised how big it actually is. I’d only seen it on TV before and it’s good for the sport to be played there. It’s good for the expansion of the game.

“Newcastle isn’t really big in rugby league, but hopefully after the weekend we get a few more on board supporting the game.”

Ese’ese has been arguably the form prop of Super League so far as Hull FC sit fourth going into Magic Weekend.

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The 30-year-old, who has faced England for both New Zealand and Australia, has made a habit of skittling opponents on the pitch.

Away from it, though, the self-proclaimed ‘gentle giant’ is a long way from the persona we may see at St James’ Park as his side faces winless Huddersfield on Sunday.

And the feedback he is now receiving from people who stop him when he is out walking his dog, River, is much more welcome than previously.

Ese’ese added: “When you win more games and you’re more successful throughout the season, the fans all jump on board.

“Even last year, we had a good turnout and it was a big learning curve for the younger lads. I can see the growth in them and how they handle themselves on and off the field.

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“I felt a bit like a teacher last year but I try to lead with my actions.

“When it comes to games, I’m locked in. Off the field, I’m just a little gentler guy. I’m quiet.

“I love my dog as well. We brought River over – we couldn’t leave him. He was our baby boy and we had him since he was eight weeks.

“When I’m out there in public, I get stopped a lot. It comes with the reputation. It comes with the game.

“But I’m happy with that. I can’t hide away from it – now they want to speak to me for different reasons.”