Inside the attempted cover-up of Israel’s Sde Teiman scandal
US claims it hit two boats ‘carrying narcotics’ in Pacific, killing six
The United States has carried out another set of military strikes against what it says are drug boats in international waters headed to the country.
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said on Monday that the US military targeted two vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Sunday, killing six people.
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“These vessels were known by our intelligence to be associated with illicit narcotics smuggling, were carrying narcotics, and were transiting along a known narco-trafficking transit route in the Eastern Pacific,” he wrote in a social media post.
“Both strikes were conducted in international waters, and three male narco-terrorists were aboard each vessel. All six were killed. No US forces were harmed.”
The administration of President Donald Trump has faced mounting criticism over such attacks, including accusations of violating domestic and international law.
But Washington appears to be stepping up the campaign. Sunday’s deadly double attack was the fourth this month. Previous strikes in the Pacific and Caribbean Sea killed at least eight people, according to US authorities.
The Trump administration started targeting boats in the Caribbean in September and later expanded its military push to the Pacific Ocean.
The US has carried out 18 strikes on vessels so far, killing dozens of people.
Last month, United Nations rights chief Volker Turk said the US attacks have no justification under international law.
“These attacks – and their mounting human cost – are unacceptable,” Turk said. “The US must halt such attacks and take all measures necessary to prevent the extrajudicial killing of people aboard these boats, whatever the criminal conduct alleged against them.”
The US has described the attacks as “counterterrorism” operations after having designated drug cartels as “terrorists”.
“Under President Trump, we are protecting the homeland and killing these cartel terrorists who wish to harm our country and its people,” Hegseth said on Monday.
Other than grainy footage showing the strikes, the Trump administration has not provided concrete proof that the vessels targeted were carrying drugs.
Trump himself has previously joked that fishermen are now afraid to operate in the Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela.
Critics have questioned why US authorities would not monitor the boats and intercept them when they enter the country’s territorial waters instead of extrajudicially executing the suspects.
The strikes have sparked regional tensions, particularly with Venezuela, with Trump accusing its president, Nicolas Maduro, of links to “narcoterrorists”.
The ramped-up US military campaign near Venezuela has raised speculation that Washington may be preparing for conflict in the oil-rich South American country.
World Cup winner Mitchell to help Gloucester staff
World Cup-winning England head coach John Mitchell is to spend time with Gloucester through November supporting the Prem club’s “defensive development”.
Mitchell guided the Red Roses to World Cup glory in September and his packed CV also includes two years as head coach of the All Blacks, and forwards and defence coach with the England men’s team across two stints.
The Cherry and Whites said the 61-year-old is not working in a consultancy role and will be unpaid, but he will support the backroom staff with their development.
- 27 September
Gloucester are currently without a win in the Prem this season having lost their first five matches of the campaign.
They have conceded 190 points – only bottom-of-the-table Newcastle Red Bulls have conceded more.
Gloucester said Mitchell will focus on “improving tackle and collision effectiveness” within the team’s “overall defensive development”.
He was named World Rugby’s coach of the year following England’s win at Twickenham, having also guided the Red Roses to a fourth consecutive Six Nations Grand Slam and seventh straight title in April.
He also worked as head coach of Sale Sharks in the 1990s and has held roles in the United States, Australia, South Africa and Japan.
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Millions endure power cuts in Ukraine as Russia strikes more energy sites
Most regions of Ukraine are undergoing scheduled power outages amid a new wave of attacks on energy sites by Russian drones and missiles.
Ukrenergo, the state-run electricity transmission systems operator in Ukraine, said the blackouts will last at least until the end of Monday as repairs are conducted on infrastructure damaged over the weekend and demand remains high as the onset of winter approaches.
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The Poltava and Kharkiv regions are suffering from a deficit of high-voltage capacity after damage to their power transmission lines while the areas of Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia, Kyiv and other central and northern regions have been affected as well.
According to Ukraine’s military, Russian forces used two air-launched ballistic missiles, five surface-to-air guided missiles and 67 drones, including those of Iranian design, during their attacks overnight into Monday.
The Ukrainian army did not report shooting down any of the missiles, but it said 52 of the drones were intercepted and the remaining 15 conducted strikes on nine locations.
Russia has maintained its attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure as United States-led diplomatic efforts to end the war make little progress. Ukraine has also been hitting Russian oil and fuel infrastructure in a stated effort to disrupt resources going to the front lines.
An explosion rocked Russia’s port town of Tuapse on the Black Sea overnight after Ukrainian forces launched sea drones towards the major oil terminal and refinery in the town. No casualties were reported.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence announced on Monday that four naval drones were destroyed near the port in the northeastern Black Sea.
It added that its air defences shot down six US-made HIMARS rockets and 124 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.
Ukraine wants Patriots from Europe
While calling for tougher sanctions and asset freezes to punish Russia, Ukraine is also looking to buy more arms.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that Ukraine would like to order 25 Patriot air defence systems from US weapons makers as it tries to fend off Russian attacks at the brink of winter.
Zelenskyy acknowledged that the missile systems are expensive and such a large order could take years to manufacture. But he suggested that European countries could give their Patriots to Ukraine and await replacements, stressing that “we would not like to wait.”
Ukraine is also advancing with an internal drive with a stated aim of weeding out corruption in the energy sector.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau announced on Monday that it was conducting searches in cooperation with a specialised anticorruption judicial office in premises connected to Tymur Mindich, a former business partner of the president.
Taylor Swift’s official 2026 calendar shots as star enters ‘deeply personal’ era
Taylor Swift’s 2026 calendar is a striking juxtaposition to her latest album and embraces a quieter, more introspective tone, which could be a clue to the tone of her wedding
Taylor Swift has released her official 2026 calendar, which perfectly reflects her mature, romantic, and deeply personal era. The cover shows Taylor in muted sepia tones, her hair gently tousled and her gaze calm yet captivating.
The calmness of the calendar creates a striking juxtaposition to her latest album, The Life of a Showgirl, released on October 3, 2025. While the album dazzled with bold, bright colours and glittering pop anthems, the 2026 calendar embraces a quieter, more introspective tone.
A glimpse inside reveals a continuation of the muted tones, intimate close-ups of Taylor’s serene expression, and a shot of her turning back toward the sea. The calendar’s athletic could be a clue to her next year of life, which is shaping up to be one of the biggest years yet.
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Following the massive success of her latest album, which dominated charts, Taylor, 35, is gearing up for an even more momentous year, one that may not only bring new music but also a wedding.
Speaking about her wedding on The Graham Norton Show, she said: “I am doing the album thing now, which is a big thing, and then I think the wedding is what happens after that in the scheme of the planning.”
The Love Story singer added: “I’m so excited about it. I know it’s going to be fun to plan because I think the only stressful weddings are the ones where you have a small amount of people. You have to evaluate or assess your relationship with them to see if they should be there. I’m not going to do that. I shouldn’t have said any of that.”
Excitement is mounting over what could be the most talked-about showbiz wedding ever, with fans predicting Saturday, June 13, 2026, as the date, as Taylor’s favourite number is 13, and it’s the only Saturday that falls on the 13th that year.
Travis, 35, and Taylor’s relationship began after Travis first attended a Taylor Swift concert on July 8, 2023, in Kansas City, at Arrowhead Stadium. Shortly after he took to his podcast, New Heights, where he revealed that he had tried to give Taylor a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it, but was unsuccessful in actually meeting her.
In the months that followed, the couple’s relationship continued to grow as Swift attended multiple Chiefs games, including the Super Bowl, while Kelce was seen supporting her at international stops on her Eras Tour.
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In August, Taylor and Travis nearly broke the internet with news of their engagement. Following their post, an estimated 28 million people liked it.
A number of pictures made up the huge announcement. In one picture, Travis is seen getting down on one knee to pop the question as they gazed into each other’s eyes.
Caroline Flack’s lifelong bond with twin sister as devastating doc airs
Caroline Flack and her twin sister Jody had a heart-warming bond until the ex-Love Island presenter’s untimely death.
Caroline Flack’s lesser-known twin sister, Jody, was left heartbroken after discovering her sister unresponsive five years ago.
Jody, aged 46, had planned to visit Caroline on 15 February 2020, following a challenging Valentine’s Day for the TV star.
However, upon arriving at Caroline’s London flat, Jody found the door locked and could hear the dog barking inside.
Once she gained entry, she tragically discovered that Caroline had taken her own life.
The close relationship between the sisters is touched upon in the new Disney + documentary, Caroline Flack : Search for the Truth, which includes interviews with those closest to the late star, reports OK!.
Early in the series, their mum Christine reveals just how tight-knit Caroline and Jody were during their younger years.
Christine shared: “Carrie and her twin sister, Jo, they’d never grown apart. It was always them two against the world.
“My eldest daughter, Lizzie, was ten when the twins were born. When they’d get up in the night, they’d get in her bed, which was lovely,” she added.
Home videos scattered throughout the two-part series show the pair performing for their family.
However, as adults, they chose different paths. While Caroline embraced the spotlight, Jody opted for a quieter life.
In 2013, Caroline told the Express: “We’re very close – we shared a bed until we were four and we were in the same class at school – but we’re quite different.
“She’s a mum with three beautiful children, so we have completely different lives, but we each enjoy the other’s life vicariously.”
Despite leading separate paths, the sisters regularly showcased their bond across social media platforms.
Caroline made it something of a ritual to post touching birthday tributes to her twin sister.
Her last Instagram message to Jody was shared in 2018, where she promised: “We will always look after each other and not let ANYONE or anything come between us.”
Just a year prior, the former Strictly Come Dancing champion had uploaded another childhood photograph of the pair.
Caroline captioned it: “Happy birthday the good twin! Together since the womb …. such different shaped lives …such different shaped heads … but life wouldn’t be the same without you … I’m really glad you’re my sister … from me and my gums x.”
Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth is streaming now on Disney+
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