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French football match descends into chaos as furious Nantes fans breach security, storm pitch
It took just 22 minutes for shocking chaos to erupt at the Stade de la Beaujoire on Sunday.
A French football match descended into a terrifying riot, forcing players to flee for their lives. The Ligue 1 clash between FC Nantes and Toulouse FC was abruptly abandoned.
WATCH:
A massive mob of hooded ultras breached stadium security, stormed the pitch and turned the arena into a war zone. The score was tied at 0-0 when the stadium erupted in violence.
Dozens of furious Nantes supporters were angry over their team’s abysmal season. They overwhelmed stewards and smashed through security barriers.
Clad in black and concealing their faces, the rioters hurled dangerous flares and pyrotechnics directly onto the playing surface. Terrified players from both teams broke into a sprint. They rushed down the tunnel to the safety of the locker rooms as the pitch was overrun.
Riot police equipped with tactical gear were forced to march onto the field to quell the escalating unrest.
After a tense standoff, police successfully pushed the invading supporters back into the stands. Refereeing officials and local authorities quickly determined that player safety could no longer be guaranteed, and the match was permanently called off.
The shocking security failure immediately drew condemnation from the highest levels of the French government.
France’s Minister of Sports, Marina Ferrari, blasted the rioters on social media, labeling the dangerous pitch invasion "unacceptable."
French football officials are now facing intense pressure to clamp down on the country's rampant hooliganism problem. Nantes is expected to face severe punishments. For a club already facing relegation on the pitch, their own fans may have just dealt them the final, crushing blow.
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Attorney for man accused of throwing rock at endangered Hawaiian monk seal says client was protecting turtles
The attorney for a businessman accused of harassing an endangered Hawaiian monk seal is publicly defending his client after a viral video captured the incident and sparked outrage online.
Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, of Covington, Washington, is accused of throwing a rock at the head of an endangered Hawaiian monk seal — one of the rarest marine mammals in the world — earlier this month in an incident caught on camera by beachgoers.
Lytvynchuk was arrested near Seattle last week and charged with harassing and attempting to harass an endangered animal in violation of the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, according to the Department of Justice.
If convicted, he could face up to one year in prison on each charge, along with a fine of up to $50,000 under the Endangered Species Act and up to $20,000 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
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Lytvynchuk’s attorney, Myles Breiner, recently defended his client, saying he never intended to injure the animal.
"I want to be resoundingly clear to the public — he never intended to injure the monk seal," Breiner told KHON-TV News.
According to Breiner, Lytvynchuk believed he was protecting sea turtles, or honu, resting on shoreline rocks.
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"He wanted to scare the seal away from the honu he saw there," he said. "Apparently, there were two large turtles and one had already been knocked off the rock by the seal."
Breiner also said his client did not know Hawaiian monk seals are an endangered species and was influenced by prior experiences with aggressive sea lions while fishing in Washington state.
"Sea lions are very aggressive," Breiner said. "They’ll take your bait, they’ll take your fish — that’s been his experience."
Prosecutors say a viral video and witness accounts helped lead to the charge. According to the complaint, Lytvynchuk told witnesses he was "rich enough to pay the fines," a characterization his attorney disputes.
"What are you doing? Why would you throw a rock at it? Hello?" a woman can be heard shouting in the video as a man wearing a white shirt and swim trunks throws a rock toward the seal on a Maui shoreline.
After witnesses confronted him, Lytvynchuk allegedly responded he was "rich enough to pay the fines" if he got into trouble.
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Business records show Lytvynchuk owns a logistics and trucking company based in Kent, Washington.
Breiner said his client plans to take responsibility for violating the law but disputes claims that he intentionally tried to hurt the seal.
"He recognizes he made a bad decision, but the decision wasn’t based on trying to hurt the animal," Breiner said.
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The attorney also pushed back on reports claiming Lytvynchuk said he was wealthy enough to pay any fines.
"That was a misinterpretation," Breiner said. "The statement was, ‘I can afford it.’"
Fox News Digital has reached out to Breiner for comment.
Fox News Digital's Peter D'Abrosca contributed to this report.
Chicago pastor gathers hundreds of men to declare violence-free zone on South Side
A Chicago pastor brought hundreds of men together on the city’s South Side Sunday in an effort to reduce violence and reclaim a neighborhood once labeled among the most dangerous in the city.
Pastor Corey B. Brooks and Project H.O.O.D. hosted the "1000 Men Unity Gathering" at the nearly completed Robert R. McCormick Leadership & Economic Opportunity Center at 6620 S. King Drive, where organizers declared the surrounding area a "100% violence-free zone."
"This is bigger than a building," Brooks said. "This is about creating a culture where men stand together to protect families, mentor young people, reduce violence, and build something that will outlive us."
"We are declaring that this community deserves peace, opportunity, and hope," he added.
The event brought together pastors, fathers, mentors, activists, business leaders, former gang members and residents from across Chicago in what organizers described as a unified effort to promote safety, accountability and opportunity on the South Side.
Brooks told Fox News Digital that approximately 750 men attended the gathering, where community members committed to maintaining the neighborhood as a peaceful environment for families and children.
"We declared that this is going to be a peace zone, a nonviolent zone, a violence-free zone," Brooks said. "So the young kids can come to the center and have peace of mind knowing they don't have to worry about their safety."
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The Robert R. McCormick Leadership & Economic Opportunity Center is designed to address violence and poverty through workforce development, mentorship, education, entrepreneurship, job training and community engagement, according to Project H.O.O.D.
Attendees received an early look inside the facility Sunday as organizers outlined plans for the center to serve future generations on Chicago’s South Side.
Brooks said the neighborhood surrounding the center was once considered one of the most dangerous areas in Chicago.
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"In 2014, the Chicago Sun-Times wrote an article saying this was the most dangerous neighborhood in all Chicago, and it happened to be this block," Brooks told Fox News Digital. "So, we decided to transform it, and that's what's been happening."
The area is no longer ranked among Chicago’s 35 most dangerous blocks, which Brooks attributed to ongoing community investment and outreach efforts.
He founded Project H.O.O.D. — Helping Others Obtain Destiny — to reduce violence and poverty on Chicago’s South Side through mentorship, faith, workforce training and economic development initiatives.
Brooks said he hopes the project can serve as a national model for urban communities seeking long-term change.
"I think this center is going to be an example of what we can do across America in urban areas," Brooks said. "If we don't wait on government and take responsibility for ourselves, we can change the trajectory of these neighborhoods and urban centers."
Aaron Rai emerges from the pack to win PGA Championship with the final round of his life at Aronimink
Heading into Sunday's final round of the 2026 PGA Championship, it felt as if it was anyone's game, because it practically was. An unprecedented 21 players were within four shots of 54-hole leader Alex Smalley, but it was Englishman Aaron Rai who managed to separate from the pack at Aronimink and not look back en route to becoming a major champion.
Rai, who entered the week ranked 44th in the world, came out of the gates on Sunday firing, but after making a four-foot birdie putt on the opening hole, he quickly fell into the inevitable stretch every player faced during the final round in having to stay patient and take what the golf course was giving him.
After a poor tee shot on the difficult par-3 8th hole, and then airmailing the green with his bunker shot, disaster quickly came into the equation, but the 31-year-old managed to convert a four-foot putt for bogey. It was one of those bogeys that was a momentum saver, and the momentum was used on the very next hole.
Rai reached the gettable par-5 9th hole in two and sank a 40-footer for eagle. It was a nice bonus heading into the back nine, which played as the hardest side throughout the week, but Rai didn't subscribe to that narrative on Sunday.
As the entire field and golf tournament as a whole fell into neutral for what felt like multiple hours with the final groups making the turn, Rai stepped on the gas.
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After picking up another birdie on the par-4 11th, it was his birdie on the 299-yard par-4 13th that he may look back on as the moment.
Left with a very dicey bunker shot from 40 yards, Rai had the option of playing it relatively safe and leaving himself 20 or so feet up the hill for birdie. Or, he could fly the golf ball to the hole and bring in a slope falling away from the hole just beyond the flag. He didn't hesitate and walked off the green with yet another birdie and a two-shot advantage.
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Despite the 13th hole being drivable for every player in the field, Rai's birdie actually picked up a shot on plenty of the contenders on Sunday. Nick Taylor, Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele each made bogey on the hole, while Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed, and Smalley weren't able to take advantage of the short hole either.
Rai officially put a hand on the door to slam shut by reaching the par-5 16th hole in two and making one of the more comfortable birdies you'll ever see, and officially slammed it shut with a 68-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th.
Rai played his final 10 holes in six-under par and without a blemish on the scorecard before signing for a 65 and a three-shot victory at nine-under overall.
The five-under round marked his lowest score in a major championship by two. A major championship Sunday for the round of your life is special stuff.
Rai being the last man standing among the likes of Ludvig Aberg, McIlroy, Rahm, Reed, and Schauffele — who all began the day within three shots of the lead — has a feeling of randomness about it, which was the theme for the week at Aronimink.
Entering the week, the most common prediction was that players were going to be able to pick apart the Donald Ross-designed golf course. A lack of trees and water hazards made way for a bomb-and-gouge approach. Or so we thought.
Rai began the week ranked 160th on the PGA Tour in average driving distance, and finished the week ranked 66th in driving distance among the 82 players who made the cut.
While Rai is known for being among the shortest hitters on the PGA Tour, he's also made a habit of being an incredibly streaky putter. The flatstick is often a villain for Rai, but it was his best mate throughout the week as he finished fourth in the field in strokes gained on the greens.
With his victory, Rai became the first non-American to hoist the Wanamaker Trophy since Australian Jason Day did so in 2015, and the first European to find the winner's circle at the PGA since Rory McIlroy in 2014.
Lindsey Graham warns Republicans, Democrats trying to 'destroy' Trump is a losing game after Cassidy defeat
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Sunday that the primary defeat of Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy showed there is "no room" in the Republican Party for lawmakers who try to undermine President Donald Trump or block his agenda.
Appearing on "Meet the Press," Graham argued Cassidy's loss in Louisiana was a direct result of the senator's 2021 vote to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial, saying Republicans who "try to destroy" Trump politically will face consequences from GOP voters.
"There’s no room in this party to destroy his agenda or to destroy him and his family as a Republican," Graham said. "If you align with Democrats to stop his agenda like Massie does, you’re going to lose. If you align with Democrats to drive him out of office like Cassidy did, you’re going to lose."
Graham also warned that Rep. Thomas Massie could face similar political fallout because of his repeated opposition to Trump-backed legislation and policy priorities.
TRUMP SCORES MAJOR REPUBLICAN PRIMARY VICTORY AS CASSIDY OUSTED IN LOUISIANA
"Those who try to destroy Trump politically, stand in the way of his agenda, are going to lose," Graham said. "This is the party of Donald Trump."
The South Carolina Republican made the comments after NBC host Kristen Welker asked whether Cassidy’s defeat sent a message that there was little room left in the GOP for members willing to publicly break with Trump.
"You can disagree with President Trump, but if you try to destroy him, you’re going to lose because this is the party of Donald Trump," Graham said.
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Cassidy, who has represented Louisiana in the Senate since 2015, was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump after the Jan. 6 Capitol protests. Trump was ultimately acquitted because the Senate vote failed to reach the required two-thirds threshold.
At the time, Cassidy defended his vote by arguing Trump’s actions surrounding Jan. 6 were unconstitutional and dangerous. The impeachment vote immediately sparked backlash from Louisiana Republicans, including a censure from the state Republican Party.
Graham acknowledged he personally liked Cassidy and praised his work in the Senate, but said the impeachment vote carried political consequences that were difficult to overcome in a Republican primary.
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"I like Bill. I thought he was a great senator, but he made a political decision," Graham said. "He voted to impeach President Trump, which would have ruined his political life. He could never run for office again."
Graham also framed Trump's influence over the Republican Party as politically beneficial, including for his own re-election efforts.
"I think President Trump’s doing a hell of a good job," Graham said. "If you try to destroy him, you’re going to get destroyed. That’s the takeaway."
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"Thank you, President Trump, for endorsing me. It’s helped me in my primary. It’s just a reality, and it’s a good reality."
Fox News Digital reached out to Sen. Bill Cassidy for comment, but did not immediately hear back.
Cruise ship outbreaks fail to scare off travelers ahead of busy summer season
Recent outbreaks of hantavirus and norovirus aboard cruise ships have been drawing a great deal of attention, but many travelers do not appear to be changing their vacation plans as a result.
Cruise industry experts say demand remains strong heading into the busy summer travel season, despite recent illness cases reported on several ships.
The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) recently projected that more than 38 million people worldwide will take ocean cruises this year, up from a record 37.2 million passengers last year, according to The Associated Press.
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Some travelers say the health concerns are not enough to deter them from booking future trips.
"I have eight cruises booked, and I’ll absolutely be booking another," cruise blogger Jenni Fielding told the AP.
Fielding said cruise vacations remain as safe as other types of travel when passengers follow health guidance and stay aware of official updates.
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The continued demand comes even after three passengers aboard the MV Hondius died following a hantavirus outbreak connected to a stop in Argentina.
Fox News Digital also recently reported on a norovirus outbreak aboard the Caribbean Princess that sickened more than 100 passengers and crew members.
CruiseCompete CEO Bob Levinstein told the AP that bookings through the company increased by more than 30% during the first half of May, compared to the same period last year.
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"I can categorically say that we have not seen any drop in demand," Levinstein said.
Experts say norovirus cases often receive heightened attention because cruise ships are required to publicly report illnesses affecting a certain percentage of passengers.
Many cruises are also booked months in advance — making recent health concerns less likely to immediately affect travel plans.
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On Reddit, many cruise passengers said they were not changing their plans because of the recent outbreaks.
"I’m leaving … next week. It hasn’t even occurred to me to be worried about the hantavirus," one user wrote.
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"Going to Alaska next month, not the least bit concerned," another commenter added. "[Norovirus] is more likely, and that risk is understood."
"Never crosses my mind at all. Cruise on!" one person wrote.
Fox News Digital previously reported that some cruise passengers have raised questions about what protections they have during health emergencies and outbreaks at sea.
Industry experts said that while cruise lines have voluntary passenger protections in place, policies can vary depending on the situation and the cruise operator involved.
Brittany Miller and Jessica Mekles of Fox News Digital, along with The Associated Press, contributed reporting.
Netanyahu 'blunder' threatens US-backed Israel-UAE alliance at critical moment with Iran: analyst
The U.S.-brokered alliance designed to counter Iran in the Middle East is showing signs of strain amid tensions between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, an analyst says, as the possibility of a broader conflict with Tehran intensified Sunday.
The friction first surfaced May 13 after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he held a "historic breakthrough" meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during a "secret visit" to Al Ain near the Oman border.
The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a swift denial following the announcement.
The ministry said, "Its relations with Israel are public and were established within the framework of the well-known and publicly declared Abraham Accords. These relations are not based on secrecy or clandestine arrangements."
It added, "Therefore, any claims regarding undisclosed visits or arrangements are baseless unless issued by the relevant official authorities in the UAE."
"The stakes are high," Middle East Institute analyst Natan Sachs told Fox News Digital.
"I imagine the Israelis are working overtime to mend relations with the UAE, but it is too early to tell," he said.
President Donald Trump spoke with Netanyahu on Sunday as tensions over Iran escalated and with the Israeli leader saying he was "prepared for every scenario."
The leaders discussed the possibility of renewing the war with Iran as well as Trump’s recent trip to China, according to the Times of Israel.
Sachs, a senior fellow at the institute, said Netanyahu’s UAE meeting claim "seems like a diplomatic blunder because it embarrasses the UAE."
"This was an odd move to make since the UAE has been a close partner of Israel, even during this war," Sachs said.
"Either Netanyahu didn't think, or he was thinking about something else — domestic politics. It would not be the first time he did that."
"To the degree that the Emirati anger is genuine, it would have meant working to preserve trust with their Gulf Arab ally," Sachs added.
"I would also not rule out Emirati anger at the leak itself, which could be seen as a break of trust — something very important to the Emirati leadership."
The Abraham Accords, brokered by the United States in 2020, fundamentally altered the regional balance by normalizing relations between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.
Security cooperation has since expanded significantly due to shared concerns over Iran’s military ambitions.
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That alliance was tested when Iran launched strikes against UAE military and energy infrastructure during Operation Epic Fury.
Israel is said to have deployed Iron Dome air-defense systems and personnel to the UAE, according to U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. The UAE confirmed Sunday that it had intercepted three drones coming from the west.
"The UAE received much of the fire from Iran. It is the most vulnerable to Iranian short-range missiles, which are more plentiful and cheaper than the medium-range missiles fired at Israel," Sachs said.
"While short-range missiles can be intercepted, Iran has many more of them. The UAE took the most hits, yet it stood out by sticking most clearly to its strategy of open partnership with Israel."
"But the public disclosure that Netanyahu himself visited may have just been seen as a step too far," Sachs added.
Spencer Pratt vows to leave LA and find 'last American Dream' in another city if mayoral bid fails
Spencer Pratt's love for Los Angeles may only extend through the primaries.
Pratt, 42, admitted that his time in the City of Angels may come to a close if the exit polls don't align with his mayoral bid.
During a chat with fellow Los Angeleno Adam Carolla from his burned-out lot in the Pacific Palisades, the reality star said that he's only interested in rebuilding his home if he wins the race.
"I’m going to win the lawsuit against Gavin Newsom’s state park, and with that money, if I’m the mayor of Los Angeles, I will rebuild," Pratt confessed.
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"If Karen Bass gets re-elected or Nithya [Raman] gets elected, I will be done with trying to live in LA."
Pratt doubled down on his threat, and said when he wins the lawsuit, he's packing up to find a new American Dream.
"I’ll take that money from the Newsom state park and the LADWP, and I’ll go somewhere that my kids will not have to see naked zombies, and I can have the last American dream somewhere," Pratt said.
"But I will not rebuild if these people are in charge, because what would I be putting money into?"
Pratt's representatives did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Pratt, wife Heidi Montag and more than a dozen additional property owners, blamed the city of Los Angeles and the Department of Water and Power for causing damages to their homes in a lawsuit filed earlier this year.
Plaintiffs accused LADWP of making "the conscious decision to operate the water supply system with the reservoir drained and unusable as a ‘cost-saving’ measure," in the lawsuit obtained by Fox News Digital.
The "Hills" star has been a vocal champion for LA residents since losing his home during the deadly Palisades wildfire, and launched his mayoral campaign in January with a focus on ousting incumbent Karen Bass due to mishandling of the wildfires.
While Pratt is a registered Republican, the Los Angeles mayoral election is officially nonpartisan. If no candidate tops 50% in the June 2 primary, the top two finishers will face off in November.
Fresh from a star-studded fundraiser hosted by David Foster and Katharine McPhee, Pratt admitted a "mind-blowing" list of influential names back his campaign to save his city.
"The list of mind-blowing movie stars, directors, studio presidents, these are my supporters," Pratt told the "Ruthless Podcast" earlier this month. "I understand why they aren’t public-facing yet. Once I’m mayor, the support I’ll have for the industry to bring it back. It’s all there."
In the wake of the devastating 2025 fires, Pratt became a leading advocate for the victims.
"My goal was just for these people to go to jail," Pratt said. "And then when they didn’t go to jail, and I saw that it was just business as usual, that's when I decided the only way to stop these people is to take their power from them."
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Pratt grew up around Democrats, but did not consider himself a political figure before the devastating fires.
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"I haven’t posted a single political thing in my entire life," the former star of The Hills said. "The only thing I’ve ever done, politics-wise, is back in the day I did a paparazzi set-up photo with a Sarah Palin shirt on, and then the next day I did a paparazzi photo with an Obama shirt on just to get multiple tabloid photos."
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On April 21, Pratt joined Carolla on his "The Adam Carolla Show" podcast for an episode titled "Spencer Pratt Gets Adam Carolla’s Endorsement for LA Mayor!"
During the episode, Pratt and Carolla discussed homelessness, crime and what they described as failed leadership in Los Angeles, while Pratt outlined his plans to "bring back common sense" to City Hall.
"We have a bunch of Marxist, socialist f---ing r----ds who are tearing this city down," Carolla said.
Carolla later shared a photo of himself with Pratt on Instagram writing, "This man is going to save LA. @spencerprat. has my full endorsement for mayor!"
Fox News Digital's Janelle Ash and the Ruthless Podcast Staff contributed to this report.
ISIS terror leader at large after US strike kills top commander amid rising Africa threat: analyst
Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, ISIS’s shadow commander in West Africa, was killed May 16 using what an extremism analyst describes as one of the hardest forms of intelligence to detect, after decades being shielded by "deep local networks" across the region.
While the killing dealt one of the biggest blows to ISIS’s global network in years, disrupting operations in northeastern Nigeria, the terror group's top leader, Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, remains at large as Africa becomes the movement's global epicenter.
"There is no single ISIS ‘headquarters’ in Nigeria; ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province) operates dozens of small, shifting camps scattered across the Lake Chad islands and the Borno bush," Dr. Omar Mohammed, Senior Research Fellow at the GW Program on Extremism, told Fox News Digital.
"Al-Minuki would have had no smartphones, relying instead on courier-based communications and constant movement between these small camps," he said.
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President Donald Trump’s explicit reference to "sources who kept us informed" points directly to human intelligence, or HUMINT — the hardest form of intelligence for a target to detect or counter, Mohammed explained.
The precision strike successfully penetrated defenses that had been held for years.
"He would have utilized deep local networks the Nigerian military has struggled to penetrate for over a decade," Mohammed added.
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"His operational security would have been severe," Mohammed said. "But two things eventually undo even careful targets: time generates patterns, and human sources are extremely difficult to defeat."
"Despite severe operational security, al-Minuki was ultimately compromised through persistent human intelligence," he noted. "Al-Minuki knew he was marked."
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The Nigerian army described the strike as "a meticulously planned and highly complex precision air-land operation" carried out Saturday between midnight and 4 a.m. in Metele, located in Borno State in northeast Nigeria.
U.S. Africa Command, or AFRICOM, placed the strike in northeastern Nigeria, with Nigerian army communications pointing specifically to the Metele region.
Despite the tactical success, the current ISIS "caliph," or overall leader, remains on the run, according to reports.
Al-Qurashi was "named following his predecessor’s death in Syria," Mohammed claimed.
"He is deliberately faceless, with analysts describing this line of leaders as the ‘caliphs of the shadows,’" Mohammed said, noting al-Qurashi assumed leadership after Turkish authorities killed his predecessor in 2023.
While al-Qurashi’s exact location is unknown, reports indicate he traveled from Syria or Iraq through Yemen to Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region.
"This is where the financial hub also sits, meaning the entire center of gravity of the organization — leadership, finance, operational direction — has been quietly relocating to Africa for years," Mohammed said.
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Data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project confirms this regional shift, showing more than two-thirds of all Islamic State global activity now takes place in Africa.
"Africa has transitioned from a peripheral theater to the operational and financial center of global ISIS activity," Mohammed explained. "Africa is no longer a peripheral theater. It is the main one. Funding is overwhelmingly local and extractive — taxation, ransom, smuggling — which is precisely why these networks are so resilient."
"Al-Minuki, for example, rose through ISWAP and operated across the Lake Chad Basin and into the wider Sahel," he noted.
"Still, staking out al-Minuki is the most significant blow to ISIS’ global leadership architecture since the al-Baghdadi raid in 2019, executed in the theater that has quietly become the group’s beating heart," Mohammed said before adding the strike was "not a one-off kinetic moment."
Caitlin Clark makes WNBA history after league corrects stat sheet ahead of Fever vs Storm matchup
Following Friday night’s Indiana Fever vs Washington Mystics thriller, I wrote an article telling the WNBA, "do the right thing here. Acknowledge and award Clark her well-earned assists."
STATISTICIANS STRANGELY DON'T COUNT MULTIPLE CLEAR-CUT CAITLIN CLARK ASSISTS VS MYSTICS
The WNBA seemed to have listened to me and many other voices calling for the league to award Caitlin Clark two clear-cut assists that were omitted from the stat sheet. One wrap-around pass on the baseline to Monique Billings for 3 in the corner, and a shovel pass to Kelsey Mitchell for another 3, which was crucial in the Fever’s ferocious comeback to force overtime.
The news was released by the Indiana Fever’s X account, highlighting that those two assists put Caitlin Clark into a league of her own with a historic accomplishment. "Caitlin Clark is officially the first player in WNBA history to record multiple games of 30+ points and 10+ assists," the team stated in its posts acknowledging that the WNBA did indeed do the right thing and give Clark her assists.
Now that the stats have been corrected, Clark also set another WNBA record "for most career games (11) with 20+ points & 10+ assists," the Fever posted on X prior to tonight’s game vs Seattle.
I mentioned Friday that this stat omission was not just robbing Clark of history, but also affected sports bettors. I have yet to see a sports book post anything publicly about affected betting slips since the stats were corrected, but here’s to hoping they do the right thing as well.
This was also not the first time the WNBA has been in a scandal miscounting Caitlin Clark assists. In 2024, the WNBA posted about Clark breaking the single-season assist record, but the the problem was, it was 16 assists shy of the actual number.
But if you thought this was bad, the WNBA posted a graphic promoting the Fever vs. Storm game who play Sunday night, which included a bench warmer, Raven Johnson to represent the team in the graphic. No face of the league Caitlin Clark. No Kelsey Mitchell, who is third in the league in scoring. No former No. 1 pick, Aliyah Boston. No Sophie Cunningham. They went with Raven Johnson, while promoting the Las Vegas Aces vs. Atlanta Dream game featuring A'ja Wilson and Angel Reese. Make it make sense.
Another poor marketing decision by the W. Or maybe they’re just trolling us and I’m falling for the bait. I’m betting on the former, though.
Finally, I hope the statistician is properly reprimanded, because these weren’t even remotely questionable assists. They were direct passes to intended targets that led to buckets, without any dribbles. There’s absolutely no justification for not counting those assists.
Caitlin Clark, who is fourth in the league in scoring and second in assists, will lead the Indiana Fever against the Seattle Storm Sunday night at 6 p.m. ET.