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Adult Son Convicted, Sentenced to Life for Shooting and Beheading Father in Pennsylvania

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Adult Son Convicted, Sentenced to Life for Shooting and Beheading Father in Pennsylvania

LEVITTOWN, Pa. (BN24) — A Pennsylvania man who posted a graphic video of his father’s decapitated head on YouTube was convicted of murder Friday and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Bucks County Judge Stephen A. Corr found 33-year-old Justin D. Mohn guilty of first-degree murder in the January 2024 killing of his father, 68-year-old Michael F. Mohn, inside their suburban Philadelphia home.

Following the verdict, Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn described the crime as “unimaginable, unfathomable,” and said Mohn showed “a complete and utter lack of remorse.”

“We are satisfied this was the right outcome to guarantee that the community at large is safe from Justin Mohn,” Schorn told reporters after the hearing.

Prosecutors said Mohn shot his father with a recently purchased pistol and then used a kitchen knife and machete to sever his head. Authorities said he recorded a 14-minute video showing the decapitation and uploaded it to YouTube, where it remained publicly viewable for several hours before being removed.

During the trial, Mohn testified that he believed he was carrying out a citizen’s arrest over what he called “treason” and “false statements.” He said he decapitated his father to send a message to federal workers demanding their resignation.

Mohn was also convicted of multiple other offenses, including possession of an instrument of crime, firearms violations, criminal use of a communication facility, terroristic threats, abuse of a corpse, and defiant trespass.

In victim impact statements read aloud in court, family members remembered Michael Mohn as a devoted husband and father who enjoyed reading, exercising, and playing guitar.

“It’s unimaginable what the defendant did to his father and to his family,” Schorn said. “I know this verdict does provide some level of justice, but it will never heal their wounds.”

After the killing, Mohn drove to Fort Indiantown Gap, the headquarters of the Pennsylvania National Guard, where he scaled a fence and called on others to help overthrow the U.S. government. Authorities said he was carrying a USB device containing photographs of federal buildings and instructions for making explosives.

Prosecutors described Mohn’s actions as part of a “cold, calculated, organized plan,” saying he intended to intimidate federal employees.

The YouTube video featured rants on a range of topics, including immigration, government fiscal policy, urban crime, and the war in Ukraine. In it, Mohn called his father—who worked for two decades as an engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers—a “traitor.”

During a competency hearing last year, a defense expert testified that Mohn had written a letter to Russia’s ambassador in Washington, D.C., offering to share information in exchange for refuge and apologizing to President Vladimir Putin for claiming to be the czar of Russia. The judge ultimately ruled that Mohn was competent to stand trial.

Evidence presented in court included graphic photos and the YouTube recording. Judge Corr, who presided over the bench trial without a jury, warned those in the courtroom about the nature of the images and gave them the option to leave before they were shown.

Mohn’s attorney, Steven M. Jones, called the case “undoubtedly difficult,” noting that prosecutors had initially sought the death penalty before reaching the plea arrangement that spared Mohn’s life.

“Cases involving the loss of life are always the most difficult, and that difficulty is compounded when the prosecution seeks the death penalty,” Jones said in an email. He declined to comment on whether his client plans to appeal.

Associated Press

Son of ‘El Chapo’ Pleads Guilty in U.S. Drug Trafficking Case, Agrees to Cooperate for Lighter Sentence

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Son of ‘El Chapo’ Pleads Guilty in U.S. Drug Trafficking Case, Agrees to Cooperate for Lighter Sentence

CHICAGO (BN24) — A son of notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán pleaded guilty Friday to sweeping drug trafficking charges in the United States, marking the first time one of the former kingpin’s sons has entered a plea deal with American prosecutors.

Ovidio Guzmán López admitted in federal court to helping run a faction of the Sinaloa cartel responsible for producing and smuggling massive quantities of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana and fentanyl into the U.S., fueling an epidemic that has killed tens of thousands of Americans annually.

Federal prosecutors have described the group led by Guzmán López and his brother, Joaquín Guzmán López, as a powerful network known as the “Chapitos,” or “little Chapos,” who oversaw what authorities called a “staggering” flow of fentanyl across the border.

Ovidio Guzmán López pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, money laundering and firearms charges connected to his leadership role in the cartel. Terms of the agreement, including sentencing recommendations or the full scope of his cooperation, were not immediately disclosed in court.

Speculation about a plea deal had been building for months, as behind-the-scenes negotiations progressed.

His sentencing has been postponed while he cooperates with U.S. authorities. Whether he avoids a life sentence will ultimately depend on whether prosecutors conclude that he has fully honored the agreement.

Jeffrey Lichtman, an attorney for Guzmán López and his brother, said Friday he would reserve judgment on whether the plea was a good deal until sentencing takes place.

“He’s agreed to cooperate,” Lichtman said. “We’ll see what that means going forward.”

Asked about the possibility of a plea deal for Joaquín Guzmán López, Lichtman noted that the cases are distinct.

“Remember, Joaquín was arrested in America well after Ovidio was, so it takes time,” he said.

Legal experts said the plea could deliver a significant blow to the cartel.

Laurie Levenson, a law professor at Loyola Law School and a former federal prosecutor, said Guzmán López’s cooperation could provide a rare insider’s perspective.

“This is big,” Levenson said. “The best way for them to take out the cartel is to find out about its operations from an insider, and that’s what they get from his cooperation.”

She added that by admitting guilt, Guzmán López may also have sought to shield relatives from prosecution.

“In this way, he has some control over who he’s cooperating against and what the world will know about that cooperation,” she said.

In Mexico City, President Claudia Sheinbaum criticized what she called a “lack of coherence” in U.S. policy toward Mexican cartels, pointing to the contradiction between labeling cartels as foreign terrorist organizations while also reaching plea deals with their leaders.

Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, who built the Sinaloa cartel into a multibillion-dollar trafficking empire, was convicted in New York in 2019 and is serving a life sentence.

After El Chapo’s conviction, his sons allegedly stepped into more prominent leadership roles.

Ovidio Guzmán López was arrested by Mexican forces in 2023 and extradited to the United States. He initially pleaded not guilty but in recent months signaled his intent to change his plea.

His brother Joaquín Guzmán López and longtime cartel figure Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada were captured last year after landing a private plane in Texas. Both men have pleaded not guilty to multiple charges. Their arrest set off a wave of violence in Sinaloa as rival factions of the cartel battled for control.

Ovidio Guzmán López will remain in custody as he awaits sentencing.

Children Killed While Queuing for Aid in Israeli Strike on Gaza, Hospital Reports

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Children Killed While Queuing for Aid in Israeli Strike on Gaza, Hospital Reports

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (BN24) — At least 15 Palestinians, including eight children and two women, were killed Thursday in what hospital officials said was an Israeli airstrike that hit a crowd waiting for nutritional supplements outside a clinic in central Gaza.

Video footage from al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah showed the bodies of children and other civilians laid out on the floor as medics tended to the wounded.

The U.S.-based aid group Project Hope, which operates the clinic, condemned the attack as a clear breach of international law. Israel’s military said it had targeted a “Hamas terrorist” and expressed regret for any civilian casualties.

Thursday’s strike was among multiple attacks reported in Gaza as ceasefire negotiations continued without a breakthrough. According to local health authorities, 66 people were killed in Israeli operations that day.

Project Hope said the strike occurred outside its Altayara health clinic as families waited for treatment for malnutrition, infections, and chronic illness.

“Suddenly, we heard the sound of a drone approaching, and then the explosion happened,” witness Yousef al-Aydi told AFP. “The ground shook beneath our feet, and everything around us turned into blood and deafening screams.”

Verified video posted on social media showed the aftermath, with adults and children lying in the street—some motionless, others crying out in pain.

At al-Aqsa’s mortuary, grieving relatives wrapped children’s bodies in white shrouds before performing funeral prayers.

One woman, Intisar, said her pregnant niece Manal and Manal’s daughter Fatima were among the dead. Manal’s son was hospitalized in intensive care.

“She was queuing to get the children supplements when the incident happened,” Intisar said.

“For what sin were they killed?” another woman asked. “We are dying before the eyes and ears of the whole world. If people aren’t killed by the Israeli army, they die trying to get aid.”

Project Hope President and CEO Rabih Torbay said the organization’s clinics had been “a place of refuge” and described the attack as “a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.”

“Horrified and heartbroken cannot properly communicate how we feel anymore,” Torbay said. “This cannot continue.”

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell called the incident “unconscionable.”

The Israel Defense Forces said it struck a member of Hamas’s Nukhba forces involved in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel.

“The IDF is aware of reports regarding a number of injured individuals in the area. The incident is under review,” a statement said. “The IDF regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals.”

Elsewhere, Hamas-run Civil Defense officials said an Israeli drone strike in al-Mawasi, southern Gaza, killed five people, including three children recovered from beneath sand and debris.

The escalation came as mediators in Doha sought progress on a ceasefire deal. A senior Israeli official visiting Washington said negotiations could still take one or two weeks.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said any ceasefire would require Hamas to disarm.

“If this can be achieved in negotiations—so much the better,” Netanyahu said. “If not, we will achieve it in other ways; by applying the might of our heroic army.”

Hamas accused Israel of “intransigence,” saying it had agreed to release 10 hostages but continued to demand a comprehensive agreement to end the war.

Meanwhile, the European Union announced an arrangement with Israel to open more aid crossings and protect relief workers.

The United Nations said it delivered its first fuel shipment to Gaza in four months, warning that the 75,000 liters provided would not cover even a single day’s needs.

Since Israel’s military campaign began in response to the Oct. 7 attack—which killed about 1,200 people and led to 251 hostages being taken—Gaza’s health ministry says at least 57,762 people have been killed.

More than 90% of homes have been damaged or destroyed, and severe shortages of food, fuel, medicine, and shelter persist.

bbc.com

US Shuts Southern Border Again Over Flesh-Eating Parasite Advancing in Mexico

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US Shuts Southern Border Again Over Flesh-Eating Parasite Advancing in Mexico

WASHINGTON (BN24) — The United States has again closed its southern border to imports of live livestock, citing the advance of a flesh-eating parasite further north in Mexico than previously reported, American officials said Thursday.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the renewed closure after confirming that the New World screwworm fly, whose larvae feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals, had been detected about 185 miles northeast of Mexico City. That location is roughly 160 miles further north than prior infestations and approximately 370 miles from the Texas border.

“Thanks to the aggressive monitoring by USDA staff in the U.S. and in Mexico, we have been able to take quick and decisive action to respond to the spread of this deadly pest,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a statement Wednesday.

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum criticized the move, describing it as an overreaction. “From our point of view, they took a totally exaggerated decision to closing the border again,” Sheinbaum said. “Everything that scientifically should be done is being done.”

The New World screwworm fly lays eggs in wounds on livestock and other animals, producing larvae that consume living flesh and bodily fluids—a behavior unusual among fly species. The U.S. had eradicated the parasite domestically in the 1970s by breeding and releasing sterile male flies, and it had been largely confined to Panama until spreading north into southern Mexico late last year.

The U.S. first closed its border in May to imports of live cattle, horses and bison. On June 30, authorities announced that three ports of entry would reopen this month and two more by mid-September. But after the discovery of the new infestation, the USDA ordered the renewed suspension of imports.

Mexico’s agricultural authorities reported that 392 animals were infected nationwide, down nearly 19% since late June.

Three weeks ago, the USDA unveiled a $30 million plan to expand facilities to breed and distribute sterile male flies in hopes of driving down the pest population. Rollins said the U.S. aims to open a new fly-production facility in southern Mexico by July 2026 and is also preparing a Texas site for staging sterile flies imported from Panama in case cross-border releases are needed.

Meanwhile, U.S. Reps. Tony Gonzalez of Texas and Kat McCammack of Florida urged the Trump administration Thursday to fast-track the approval of existing anti-parasite treatments for screwworm infestations in livestock, citing regulatory barriers that limit their use.

Associated Press

Trump Slams Canada with 35% Tariffs on Imports Starting Aug. 1

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Trump Slams Canada with 35% Tariffs on Imports Starting Aug. 1

WASHINGTON (BN24) — President Donald Trump announced Thursday that his administration will impose a 35% tariff on all Canadian imports beginning August 1, escalating tensions between Washington and Ottawa over trade and drug policy.

In a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney posted on Trump’s Truth Social account, the president accused Canada of retaliating with its own tariffs rather than cooperating with the United States.

“Instead of working with the United States, Canada retaliated with its own Tariffs,” Trump wrote.

Trump also linked the new measures to Canada’s role in efforts to stop the flow of fentanyl into the United States, though U.S. law enforcement has long identified the southern border as the primary entry point for the drug.

“If Canada works with me to stop the flow of Fentanyl, we will, perhaps, consider an adjustment to this letter,” Trump wrote. “These Tariffs may be modified, upward or downward, depending on our relationship with your Country.”

This week, Trump has issued similar letters to more than a dozen countries, threatening steep import taxes starting next month.

The U.S. previously imposed a 25% tariff on Canadian goods but exempted certain products under the 2020 U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. It remained unclear Thursday whether those exemptions will continue after August 1.

Trump has frequently criticized Canada, claiming the U.S. does not need Canadian products and at times suggesting that Canada should become the 51st American state. Canadian officials, including Carney, have rejected those comments and emphasized the importance of maintaining a cooperative bilateral relationship.

Carney and other Canadian leaders have yet to formally respond to the latest announcement.

Trump Weighed Pardoning Epstein Associate Ghislaine Maxwell but Feared Revelations, Biographer Claims; White House Calls Allegation False

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Trump Weighed Pardoning Epstein Associate Ghislaine Maxwell but Feared Revelations, Biographer Claims; White House Calls Allegation False

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump considered granting a pardon to Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted accomplice of Jeffrey Epstein, over concerns about what she might disclose regarding their long association, according to claims by author Michael Wolff. But Trump’s team sharply denied the assertion, calling it a fabrication.

Donald Trump and Ghislaine Maxwell attend a fashion show in 2000 in New York City.

Speaking on the Daily Beast podcast, Wolff said Trump grew increasingly anxious after Maxwell was arrested by the FBI in July 2020 on charges she helped Epstein operate a sex-trafficking network that targeted underage girls.

“What could she say—what would she say?” Wolff recalled Trump asking advisers at the time.

Trump and Epstein had maintained a close friendship dating to the 1980s, which Wolff described as “two guys joined at the hip for a good 15 years.” According to Wolff, the pair frequently socialized, traveled together, and even shared at least one girlfriend for an extended period, until a falling-out over a Palm Beach real estate deal in 2004.

As Maxwell’s trial approached, Wolff claimed Trump seriously contemplated using his presidential powers to shield her from prosecution.

“Everybody around him was kind of like, ‘God, we hope she won’t say anything, but we really hope he doesn’t pardon her,’” Wolff said, adding that aides warned such a move would generate massive public backlash.

Trump ultimately did not issue a pardon. Asked in July 2020 about Maxwell’s arrest, he offered what many observers described as an unusual note of goodwill.

“I just wish her well, frankly,” Trump said at the White House. “I’ve met her numerous times over the years, especially since I lived in Palm Beach, and I guess they lived in Palm Beach.”

From left, Donald Trump and Melania Trump, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell pose together at the Mar-a-Lago club, Palm Beach, Florida, February 12, 2000.

Reached for comment, Trump’s communications director, Steven Cheung, forcefully rejected Wolff’s account.

“Michael Wolff is a lying sack of s— and has been proven to be a fraud,” Cheung said in a statement. “He routinely fabricates stories originating from his sick and warped imagination, only possible because he has a severe and debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome that has rotted his peanut-sized brain.”

A senior White House official also denied any discussions about pardoning Maxwell, telling the Daily Beast that no such conversations occurred and none would take place.

Maxwell, now 63, was convicted in 2021 on five federal counts, including sex trafficking of a minor, and sentenced to 20 years in prison. She did not testify at her trial in New York.

A recently disclosed Justice Department memo cited by the Daily Beast concluded the government had closed its investigation into Epstein, who died in federal custody in 2019. The document stated authorities found no evidence he was murdered or maintained a “client list” of influential associates.

Source: thedailybeast

Son of ‘El Chapo’ Expected to Plead Guilty to Drug Trafficking Charges in Chicago

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Son of ‘El Chapo’ Expected to Plead Guilty to Drug Trafficking Charges in Chicago

CHICAGO (BN24) — A son of notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán is scheduled to appear in federal court Friday morning, where he is expected to plead guilty to drug trafficking charges, according to court filings and officials familiar with the case.

Ovidio Guzmán López, 34, was initially set to enter his plea Wednesday, but the hearing was postponed until later this week. The Associated Press first reported that he is preparing to change his plea to guilty.

Guzmán López is among the group known as “Los Chapitos,” or “the little Chapos,” the four sons accused of taking over parts of the Sinaloa Cartel after their father was extradited to the United States and sentenced to life in prison in 2019.

Prosecutors say Guzmán López and his brothers — Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, and Joaquín Guzmán López — oversaw a sprawling operation that trafficked fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana from Mexico into the United States.

According to a 2023 Justice Department news release, the indictment alleges the brothers became “principal leaders and drug traffickers” of the cartel, working to smuggle enormous quantities of fentanyl across the border and launder hundreds of millions of dollars in proceeds.

Ovidio Guzmán López faces a range of federal charges, including operating a continuing criminal enterprise, conspiracy to import fentanyl, conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, conspiracy to possess such weapons, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

In addition to the charges in Chicago, he has also been indicted in New York. Court records show the sweeping prosecution is the result of decades of investigative work by the Justice Department’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section in Washington, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Northern District of Illinois and Southern District of California, and multiple law enforcement agencies.

Guzmán López was extradited to the United States from Mexico last year after a high-profile arrest in Culiacán, Sinaloa, that triggered deadly clashes between cartel gunmen and Mexican security forces.

He previously pleaded not guilty to the charges and waived his right to a detention hearing, remaining in custody without bond.

His father, Joaquín Guzmán Loera, was convicted in federal court in Brooklyn on drug trafficking and organized crime charges after a landmark trial that offered an unprecedented look inside the Sinaloa Cartel’s operations.

If Friday’s plea proceeds as planned, it would mark a significant development in U.S. efforts to dismantle the cartel’s leadership and disrupt the fentanyl trade fueling a record wave of overdoses across the country.

abcnews

Brazil Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs if Trump Imposes 50% Import Taxes

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Brazil Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs if Trump Imposes 50% Import Taxes

BRASILIA, Brazil (BN24) — Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said Thursday that his government will retaliate with steep tariffs on U.S. imports if President Donald Trump follows through on a plan to impose 50% taxes on Brazilian goods over the criminal trial of former president Jair Bolsonaro.

Lula warned he would invoke a reciprocity law passed by Brazil’s Congress earlier this year if negotiations fail to defuse the escalating trade dispute.

“If there’s no negotiation, the reciprocity law will be put to work,” Lula told TV Record in an interview excerpt aired Thursday. “If he charges 50% from us, we will charge 50% from them. Respect is good. I like to offer mine and I like to receive it.”

The prospect of tit-for-tat tariffs has raised fears of a trade war reminiscent of Trump’s standoff with China during his first term. Trump has vowed to respond forcefully if countries retaliate against his tariffs.

Brazilian Senate President Davi Alcolumbre and Chamber of Deputies Speaker Hugo Motta issued a joint statement backing Lula, saying the reciprocity law gives Brazil “the means… to protect our sovereignty.”

“We will be ready to act with balance and firmness in defense of our economy, our productive sector, and Brazilian jobs,” the statement said.

Trump’s threat came in a letter addressed to Lula and posted on social media Wednesday, blasting what he called a “witch hunt” prosecution of Bolsonaro. The move opened a fresh front in Trump’s trade offensive, using tariffs to pressure another country over domestic legal proceedings.

Trump has previously used tariffs as leverage to confront fentanyl trafficking and to challenge other nations’ digital tax policies.

In Brazil’s case, the former U.S. president is seeking to influence the criminal case against Bolsonaro, a longtime ally charged with conspiring to overturn his 2022 election loss to Lula. Bolsonaro denies wrongdoing and claims he is being persecuted by Brazil’s Supreme Court.

“There’s nothing Lula or Brazil can do about Bolsonaro’s trial,” said Carlos Melo, a political science professor at Insper University in São Paulo. “Any change in that would be Brazil’s capitulation. Bolsonaro’s situation here won’t change. How do you negotiate over that?”

Lula ordered Brazilian diplomats to return Trump’s letter if it arrives at the presidential palace, condemning the document as interference in Brazil’s judicial system. The letter also cited rulings on social media companies as justification for the tariffs, which Trump said would take effect Aug. 1.

Trump’s action relies on the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act. He has argued that America’s trade deficits constitute a national crisis, though the U.S. actually runs a trade surplus with Brazil — undercutting part of his rationale.

A Brazilian foreign ministry official said trade talks that had been underway since Trump imposed a first round of tariffs in April are now “up in the air.”

Some Brazilian officials believe Trump’s move is partly aimed at punishing Brazil’s leadership role in the BRICS group of emerging economies, which recently met in Rio de Janeiro. At the summit, Lula again floated the idea of creating an alternative currency to the dollar — a concept that has repeatedly drawn Trump’s ire.

“Trump was never worried about democracy anywhere, much less about Bolsonaro’s destiny,” said Institutional Relations Minister Gleisi Hoffmann.

Trump’s intervention has united Brazil’s often-divided political class. Even some Bolsonaro supporters urged caution, while others blamed Lula for provoking Trump.

Daily newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo, usually critical of Lula, called Trump’s letter “a mafia thing” in an editorial and said Lula’s response was appropriate.

Analysts say Trump’s actions could ultimately backfire on Bolsonaro by bolstering Lula politically ahead of elections.

“The reaction of a lot of people is that this is a political gift to Lula,” said Andre Pagliarini, a professor at Louisiana State University and fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.

Thomas Traumann, a political consultant and former minister, called Trump’s gambit “a game changer.”

“Trump put Lula back in the game,” Traumann said. “This gives Lula a narrative, puts Bolsonaro as the guilty part for any economic problems.”

The U.S. Court of International Trade ruled in May that Trump exceeded his authority by using emergency powers to impose tariffs without congressional approval. The administration is appealing, and critics plan to use Trump’s Brazil letter to strengthen their case.

“This is a brazenly illegal effort by Donald Trump to sacrifice the economy to settle his own personal scores,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.

While the Trump administration insists the tariffs have not significantly harmed the U.S. economy, many companies imported goods in bulk to avoid the levies. Economists warn that prices could rise when inventories run down, potentially slowing growth.

In Brazil, speculation has mounted that Bolsonaro could try to flee to the U.S. if convicted. His son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, moved to America in March and publicly thanked Trump on social media Wednesday night.

In the interview Thursday, Lula said the former president should take responsibility for the tariffs.

“His son went there to make up Trump’s mind,” Lula said. “Then he [Trump] writes a letter to speak about a case that is in the hands of the Supreme Court. What is under investigation is the evidence of the case.”

Anisimova Shocks Sabalenka to Reach First Grand Slam Final, Will Face Swiatek at Wimbledon

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Anisimova Shocks Sabalenka to Reach First Grand Slam Final, Will Face Swiatek at Wimbledon

WIMBLEDON, England (BN24) — Amanda Anisimova produced the performance of her career on Thursday, stunning world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a gripping Wimbledon semifinal to advance to her first Grand Slam final. She will meet Poland’s Iga Swiatek, who cruised past Belinda Bencic in the other semifinal.

The 13th-seeded American held her nerve in a bruising contest, edging Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in just over two and a half hours on Centre Court. The victory halted Sabalenka’s quest for a maiden Wimbledon crown and marked another milestone in Anisimova’s remarkable resurgence.

“This doesn’t feel real right now, honestly,” Anisimova said moments after sealing the win. “Aryna is such a tough competitor, and I was absolutely dying out there. I don’t know how I pulled it out. We’ve had so many battles, and to come out on top and be in the Wimbledon final is incredible.”

Anisimova, 23, was hailed as a teenage prodigy when she reached the French Open semifinals in 2019 at age 17. But she stepped away from the sport in 2023 to address mental health challenges, falling outside the top 400. Just a year ago, she failed to qualify for Wimbledon. Since then, she has climbed rapidly back into contention and will debut in the top 10 when the rankings are updated Monday.

For Sabalenka, the defeat was another bitter blow. The 27-year-old Belarusian, a three-time major champion who won the U.S. Open last year, has now fallen in the semifinals at Wimbledon for the third time. She also endured painful losses in the finals of this year’s Australian Open and French Open.

“Losing sucks,” Sabalenka said candidly. “You feel like you’re getting close to your dream and then this is the end. You always feel like you want to die and not exist anymore. But then you sit there and think about what you could have done differently.”

Swiatek Dominates Bencic

Earlier Thursday, five-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek delivered a masterclass on grass, sweeping aside Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-0 in just 71 minutes. The eighth seed has largely flown under the radar during this tournament but has now dropped only one set en route to Saturday’s final.

“Honestly, I never even dreamed that it would be possible for me to play in the final here,” Swiatek said. “I thought I had experienced everything on the court, but I hadn’t experienced playing well on grass. That’s the first time, and I’m super excited.”

Swiatek set the tone from the opening games, breaking Bencic twice to establish a 3-0 lead. From there, the 24-year-old never relinquished control, reeling off the last nine games in a row.

Bencic, the 2021 Olympic champion, managed to hold serve only once in the opening set and was overwhelmed in the second as Swiatek raised her level even further.

While four of Swiatek’s major titles have come at the French Open, her previous best Wimbledon showing was a quarterfinal appearance last year. She has won all five Grand Slam finals she has contested and now has a chance to claim her first major title on grass.

The final between Swiatek and Anisimova will be their first meeting as professionals, setting up an intriguing clash between the tour’s most dominant clay-court player and a resurgent contender with nothing to lose.

Starmer and Macron Urge New Sanctions on Russia, Expand UK-France Military Force

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Starmer and Macron Urge New Sanctions on Russia, Expand UK-France Military Force

LONDON (BN24) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday called for tougher sanctions against Russia to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine, as they unveiled plans to expand a joint expeditionary military force fivefold.

Speaking at a British military command center in Northwood, northwest London, the two leaders said the Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF), created over a decade ago, would grow from 10,000 to 50,000 troops. The announcement came as Macron concluded a three-day state visit to the United Kingdom marked by a series of defense and security agreements.

“This force is being increased from a brigade size to an army corps size, up to 50,000 soldiers,” Macron said, standing alongside Starmer. He described the buildup as a message of “determination and solidarity” with Ukraine.

The leaders also co-chaired a videoconference with European and American officials, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal. Zelensky, joining from Kyiv, accused Russia of deliberately blocking all peace initiatives.

“It is obvious to all partners that Russia is obstructing every effort for peace,” Zelensky said, urging further sanctions aimed at isolating Moscow economically.

Starmer echoed those calls. “We should shift our work toward preparing for peace, making it happen by forcing Putin to the table,” he said. “This coordinated pressure will make a difference.”

Macron agreed that “something new” was needed to “modify the pressure on the Russian economy,” and said European allies had to step up efforts to hold the Kremlin accountable.

The leaders also confirmed that plans for a post-ceasefire international peacekeeping mission in Ukraine had been finalized. “We have a plan that is ready to go and initiate in the hours after a ceasefire,” Macron said.

Starmer added that the blueprint for peacekeeping was “mature and we are putting it on a long-term footing.”

The Northwood base, where the joint statement was delivered, also functions as a key NATO maritime operations hub. The location underscored Britain and France’s shared commitment to NATO’s collective defense framework and their support for Kyiv.

The expanded CJEF is expected to include contributions from both countries’ armies, navies, and air forces, making it one of Europe’s largest rapid-reaction forces.

LEMONDE

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