Texas (BN24) – A 22-year-old woman survived a harrowing ordeal after she was carried 20 miles downriver by catastrophic flash floods that have killed at least 27 people and left dozens of young campers unaccounted for in Texas.
The woman was swept away from her campsite in Kerr County around 4 a.m. Friday as torrents of water surged through the Guadalupe River basin, according to KENS 5. For four hours, she was carried across four dams, forced to dodge cars, refrigerators, and other debris tumbling through the floodwaters.
After daybreak, a Center Point resident named Carl heard desperate screams when he stepped outside around 8 a.m. He looked out toward Lion’s Park Dam and saw the woman clinging to a massive cypress tree as the river roared beneath her.
Emergency calls were not going through due to damaged infrastructure, so Carl frantically flagged down a passing police cruiser for help.
Two rescue boats were quickly dispatched and fought the dangerous currents to reach her. By the time they arrived, floodwaters had dropped significantly, leaving her perched 12 feet above the receding river.
Rescuers coached her to let go of the tree and drop into the boat, finally bringing her to safety after hours of peril.
Authorities described the floods as an “extraordinary disaster” after a third of a year’s worth of rain fell in only a few hours, triggering a massive search-and-rescue operation still underway across the region.
CLEVELAND, Ohio (BN24) — A Nigerian pastor based in the United States has been sentenced to more than two years in federal prison for his role in a multimillion-dollar COVID-19 relief fraud scheme, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.
Edward Oluwasanmi, 61, of Willoughby, Ohio, was sentenced to 27 months behind bars on three counts related to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. He was also ordered to forfeit $1.3 million to the U.S. government following a conviction in a case involving fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications.
Oluwasanmi and a co-defendant, Joseph Oloyede of Medina, Ohio, were indicted on 13 counts in total. Federal prosecutors said the pair conspired to submit falsified documents from April 2020 to February 2021 to obtain pandemic relief funds intended to support struggling businesses.
According to court records, Oluwasanmi used several shell companies—Dayspring Transportation Limited, Dayspring Holding Incorporated, and Dayspring Property Incorporated—to receive approximately $4.2 million in pandemic aid. The funds, which were guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), were meant to assist with payroll and operational costs during the height of the COVID-19 crisis. Instead, authorities said the money was diverted for personal use in violation of federal law.
The indictment also detailed how the two men submitted fraudulent tax filings and wage documents to support their loan applications.
Both defendants entered guilty pleas in February 2025 as part of negotiated plea deals. On July 2, U.S. District Judge Christopher Boyko sentenced Oluwasanmi to 27 months in federal prison, with all three counts to be served concurrently. The court has not yet issued a ruling in the case against Oloyede.
“The defendant willfully exploited a global crisis for personal enrichment,” said a federal prosecutor involved in the case. “Today’s sentencing sends a clear message: pandemic fraud will be investigated, prosecuted, and punished.”
BOGOTÁ, Colombia (BN24) — Police have arrested the alleged mastermind behind the brazen assassination attempt on Colombian senator and presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe, who remains in critical condition after being shot during a campaign rally last month.
Authorities identified the suspect as Élder José Arteaga Hernandez, a career criminal accused of orchestrating the attack on June 7 in Bogotá. Investigators say Arteaga persuaded a 15-year-old boy to carry out the shooting, which left Uribe with two gunshot wounds to the head as he campaigned for his party’s nomination ahead of the 2026 presidential election.
Four other individuals, including the teenage gunman, had already been taken into custody. The youth was apprehended while fleeing the scene and has pleaded not guilty, according to the prosecutor’s office.
“The subject has a long criminal record,” Colombian police chief Carlos Fernando Triana said Friday. Arteaga, who also uses the aliases Chipi and Costeño, was wanted on charges of aggravated attempted homicide and exploiting minors to commit crimes.
Assassinated Colombian Senator
Police allege Arteaga coordinated the operation, recruited the teenager, and supplied the firearm used in the attack. He was reportedly seen near the Bogotá park where Uribe was shot.
Uribe, 39, is a prominent conservative politician and outspoken critic of leftist President Gustavo Petro. He declared his presidential candidacy last October. He comes from a well-known political family connected to Colombia’s Liberal Party; his father was a union leader and businessman, and his mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was killed during a rescue attempt after being kidnapped by the Medellín cartel in 1991.
The shooting sparked nationwide outrage and silent demonstrations attended by tens of thousands of Colombians demanding an end to political violence.
WASHINGTON (BN24) — A day after polling his millions of followers about forming a new political party, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk announced Saturday that the “America Party” has been established, promising it will “give you back your freedom.”
“By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it!” Musk posted on X, the social media platform he owns. “Today, the America Party is formed.”
The declaration comes just 24 hours after President Donald Trump signed a sweeping tax cut and spending bill that Musk vigorously opposed. The Tesla CEO has clashed with Trump in recent weeks over the legislation, which Musk argues will fuel government waste and saddle taxpayers with unsustainable debt.
Although Musk spent hundreds of millions of dollars supporting Trump’s re-election and led the Department of Government Efficiency under Trump’s administration, their relationship has deteriorated sharply. Earlier this week, Trump threatened to eliminate billions of dollars in federal subsidies that Musk’s companies rely on, escalating the feud.
Musk has said repeatedly that he is prepared to bankroll primary challengers against lawmakers who backed the bill and to build a political infrastructure capable of fielding candidates in 2026 and beyond.
Republican strategists have expressed concern that Musk’s decision to launch a third party could fracture the conservative base just as the GOP works to defend its congressional majority in next year’s midterm elections.
KYIV, Ukraine (BN24) — Ukraine’s military said Saturday it struck a Russian air base deep inside Russian territory as Moscow launched one of its largest drone offensives to date, deploying more than 300 drones in a wave of overnight attacks. The escalating exchange underscores the deepening intensity of the nearly four-year war and the fading hopes for any near-term diplomatic resolution.
Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed a strike on the Borisoglebsk airfield in Russia’s Voronezh region, calling it a strategic base for Russian Su-34, Su-35S, and Su-30SM fighter aircraft. The statement, posted on Facebook, said the attack hit a depot containing glide bombs, a training aircraft, and possibly other combat aircraft. Russian officials have yet to issue a statement in response.
The cross-border strike is part of a growing Ukrainian strategy to degrade Russia’s ability to conduct air raids by targeting high-value infrastructure deep within its territory. Last month, Ukraine claimed to have destroyed more than 40 Russian military aircraft at various airfields in a surprise long-range drone operation.
Meanwhile, Russia intensified its own aerial bombardment, firing 322 drones and decoys into Ukrainian territory overnight into Saturday, according to Ukraine’s air force. Of those, 157 were intercepted, while 135 are believed to have been lost due to electronic jamming.
Ukraine’s western Khmelnytskyi region was the primary target of the assault, though no injuries or damage were reported, regional Governor Serhii Tyurin said.
The onslaught followed a record-breaking aerial assault Friday on the capital Kyiv, described as the largest since the full-scale invasion began. On Saturday, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the death toll had risen to two, with 31 people wounded.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday he held a “very important and productive” call with U.S. President Donald Trump. The discussion included bolstering Ukraine’s air defense systems, potential joint weapons production, and broader diplomatic efforts to end the war, according to a statement from Zelenskyy’s office.
“We had a very good call, I think,” Trump told reporters late Friday. Asked whether peace was within reach, he added, “I don’t know. I can’t tell you whether or not that’s going to happen.”
While the U.S. has paused some shipments of key military aid, including air defense missiles, Zelenskyy emphasized Ukraine’s intent to ramp up its domestic weapons production—a plan that will take time to implement. European allies are reportedly exploring ways to fill the gap in support.
Russia’s Defense Ministry reported it downed 94 Ukrainian drones overnight and an additional 45 during the morning and early afternoon Saturday. In the Saratov region, officials said 25 apartments were damaged in the city of Engels, although no casualties were reported.
In Moscow, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said four Ukrainian drones were intercepted as they approached the capital. Russia’s aviation authority, Rosaviatsiya, briefly suspended air traffic at Sheremetyevo Airport as a precaution.
The continued drone duels, tit-for-tat airstrikes, and the intensification of long-range warfare signal that both Kyiv and Moscow are digging in for a protracted fight—despite intermittent signals of interest in ceasefire frameworks.
Washington, DC (BN24) – The United States has completed the deportation of eight men to South Sudan after protracted legal wrangling that included a Supreme Court showdown and weeks of detention at a U.S. military base in Djibouti, officials announced Saturday.
The immigrants—originally from Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, Vietnam, and South Sudan—arrived in South Sudan on Friday, fulfilling the Trump administration’s plan to send them to a country the State Department warns Americans to avoid because of widespread crime, kidnapping, and armed conflict.
Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin called the outcome “a win for the rule of law, safety and security of the American people.” Officials said all eight men had been convicted of violent crimes in the United States and were subject to final removal orders.
The transfer followed a series of extraordinary legal twists. In May, the men were placed on a flight bound for South Sudan, but the plane was diverted to Djibouti after a federal judge ruled the administration had violated an order requiring that the men be given an opportunity to challenge their deportation.
For weeks, the men were held under guard in Djibouti, reportedly confined in a converted shipping container at a U.S. base while courts considered their fate.
The Supreme Court’s conservative majority ruled in June that immigration authorities could proceed with expedited deportations to third countries. That decision reversed lower court orders that had temporarily allowed immigrants to contest removals to nations other than their countries of origin.
Even after the high court’s decision, the case continued to wind through the legal system. On Independence Day, a federal judge briefly paused the deportations to weigh an emergency appeal. But by Friday evening, he concluded he was powerless to intervene further, citing the Supreme Court’s ruling.
“The Supreme Court has tied my hands,” the judge wrote in a short decision that effectively cleared the final obstacle to the transfer.
The administration’s decision to deport people to South Sudan drew alarm from human rights advocates, who warned that sending individuals to a country experiencing widespread instability could expose them to serious harm. The State Department currently advises Americans not to travel there due to threats of armed conflict and kidnapping.
Officials said the men were deported under final removal orders issued by immigration judges. In recent years, U.S. authorities have negotiated agreements with other governments to accept deportees if immediate repatriation to their country of citizenship is not feasible.
KERR COUNTY, Texas (BN24) — The deadly flash floods that swept through the Texas Hill Country early Friday have killed at least 24 people, authorities said, as search teams continued through the night looking for more than 20 children and staff still missing from a summer camp.
The disaster struck around 4 a.m. when torrential rains caused the Guadalupe River to surge as much as 22 feet in 30 minutes, inundating communities and campgrounds. Bodies were found in cars washed away upstream and in debris along the riverbanks, officials said.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called the flooding an “extraordinary catastrophe” and pledged that rescue operations would continue “non-stop,” even overnight.
“They will continue in the darkness of night. They will be taking place when the sun rises in the morning,” Abbott said during a Friday evening press conference.
Children Missing from Summer Camp
The disaster hit especially hard at Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, where more than 750 girls ages 7 to 17 were attending summer sessions. Helicopters hoisted dozens of children to safety, while ground crews used trucks to reach others.
Between 23 and 25 people from the camp remained unaccounted for Friday night, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha Jr. said.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick emphasized that the missing had not been confirmed dead. “They could be in a tree. They could be out of communication,” he said. “We’re praying for all of those missing to be found alive.”
Earlier in the day, camp officials assured parents that anyone not accounted for had been reported directly to them.
Rescues and Widespread Damage
Texas Game Wardens said on Facebook that vehicles were finally able to access the camp late Friday and begin evacuations.
Helicopters, including those equipped with hoists, rescued survivors clinging to trees and rooftops. By Friday night, 237 people had been rescued across the flood zone, 167 by airlift, according to Maj. Gen. Thomas Suelzer of the Texas National Guard.
More than 400 personnel were deployed to respond to the flooding, and state and federal agencies including FEMA and the Coast Guard had been activated.
NBC affiliate WOAI broadcast video showing children airlifted to safety and cars swept away by churning brown water.
Residents described the devastation in wrenching detail.
“We lost everything. A lot of people lost everything,” one man in Kerrville told WOAI, holding up a pair of shoes a local Walmart had given him.
Another survivor said his brother’s entire house vanished, along with his brother, sister-in-law, and their two children.
Rising River and Broken Records
The Guadalupe River surged to nearly 30 feet in Comfort, breaking a decades-old record. Other areas downstream were forecast to crest early Saturday, with additional flooding possible through the weekend.
The National Weather Service said parts of Kerr County received more than 10 inches of rain in 24 hours.
“This rain event just sat here overnight into Friday morning,” NBC meteorologist Bill Karins said, explaining that hilly terrain funneled water rapidly into the river system.
State and Federal Response
President Donald Trump, speaking from Air Force One, called the flooding “terrible” and said the federal government would assist. “We’re working with the governor. It’s a terrible thing,” he told reporters.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, posted on social media, “Please pray right now for everyone in the Hill Country, especially Camp Mystic. President Trump committed ANYTHING Texas needs.”
Lina Hidalgo, Harris County judge, confirmed that five of the victims were from the Houston area.
“All of Texas is impacted by this tragic event,” she wrote on X.
Flood warnings remain in effect across much of the state, with forecasters warning that flash flooding remains a threat from San Antonio to Waco for at least the next two days.
NAIROBI, Kenya (BN24) — Kenyans disillusioned with President William Ruto have launched a mounting campaign to hold him accountable for what they call a trail of broken promises, economic hardship, and deepening repression just three years into his presidency.
Ruto, who won the 2022 election by narrowly defeating opposition leader Raila Odinga, once billed himself as the champion of the so-called “hustler nation,” pledging to lift up struggling workers. But his aggressive tax policies, controversial spending decisions, and a widening crackdown on dissent have fueled anger that now threatens to define the rest of his term.
Protests have gained momentum under the slogan “WANTAM”—a rallying cry declaring Ruto a “one-term” president. Demonstrators, many of them young Kenyans grappling with joblessness and high living costs, raise their index fingers in the air to signal their demand he step down when his term ends in 2027—or sooner.
Ruto’s approval has plummeted since he introduced sweeping tax hikes last year, claiming they were necessary to stabilize Kenya’s public finances and keep government operations afloat. The measures triggered nationwide demonstrations, culminating in the storming and attempted burning of Parliament in Nairobi, where security forces killed at least 22 people.
Though the protests eventually ebbed, public resentment never disappeared. A new wave of outrage erupted after the death of a prominent blogger in police custody—a case that many Kenyans saw as emblematic of what they describe as Ruto’s heavy-handed rule.
“He has control of the institutions, but he doesn’t have control of the people,” said Karuti Kanyinga, a development studies professor at the University of Nairobi. “The level of public confidence is so low that he is probably the most hated man in Kenya.”
Opposition politicians and civil society groups accuse the president of entrenching a culture of corruption and impunity. Many refer to him derisively as “Zakayo,” a nod to the biblical tax collector Zacchaeus, or simply as “mwizi,” Kiswahili for “thief.”
The public also recoiled at revelations that Ruto’s administration pursued a multibillion-dollar deal to hand control of Nairobi’s main airport to India’s Adani Group—a plan terminated only after it became a flashpoint for protests.
Despite public outrage, Ruto has shown no sign he plans to back down. “If we go this route, we will not have a country,” he said in a recent speech responding to the anniversary of last year’s anti-tax demonstrations. “The country does not belong to William Ruto. The country belongs to all of us. And if there’s no country for William Ruto, there’s no country for you.”
His warnings underscored a climate of fear that critics say has chilled free expression. “You can disappear the moment you say something about the government,” said Eileen Muga, who is unemployed in Nairobi.
Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen has also vowed to take a hard line against demonstrators, pledging a forceful response to future unrest.
Analysts warn that violence could escalate further as protesters, opposition groups, and frustrated citizens attempt to press for change. “Until we ourselves become the change we want, nothing will happen,” said Peter Kairu, a 21-year-old student.
Ruto’s critics point to his history of ruthless political maneuvering to consolidate power. As deputy president, he publicly clashed with then-President Uhuru Kenyatta, reportedly growing so angry that he once threatened to slap his boss. Their relationship soured in their second term, as Kenyatta tried to curb Ruto’s influence over government institutions.
After defeating Odinga, Ruto swiftly moved to co-opt him as a political ally, sidelining a potential rival ahead of the next election. Within two years, he also fell out with his own deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, who was impeached by ruling-party lawmakers in a process Gachagua insisted was engineered by the president.
“He did to Gachagua what Kenyatta chose not to do to him,” said political analyst Macharia Munene. “It just shows that Ruto is intolerant and cannot be trusted.”
While Ruto’s economic policies were initially pitched as a strategy to rescue Kenya from crushing debt, many believe they have instead punished ordinary Kenyans while enriching political elites. His removal of fuel subsidies and aggressive tax increases have left many struggling to afford basic necessities.
“I think it’s a question of overpromising and underdelivering,” said Eric Nakhurenya, an attorney and government policy analyst. “That’s why Kenyans are angry.”
With protests gathering steam and discontent deepening, Ruto now faces the prospect of spending the rest of his presidency fighting to salvage his legitimacy—and to keep a lid on a movement determined to make him a one-term leader.
WASHINGTON (BN24) — A Nigerian national has been sentenced to more than two years in federal prison in the United States for his role in an online fraud conspiracy that targeted victims with bogus schemes.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced Thursday that Owolabi Adeyinka was sentenced to 26 months behind bars for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He was arrested by federal agents in New Orleans.
“Meet Nigerian national Owolabi Adeyinka,” ICE said in a statement posted on its official social media channels. “He was sentenced to 26 months in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.”
The agency used the conviction to send a broader warning that immigrants involved in criminal activity would be removed from the country once they complete their sentences.
“Before you start cracking jokes about email scams and princes, let this ICE New Orleans arrest serve as a reminder,” the agency said. “When a criminal alien is released from prison, our enforcement officers provide free rides home.”
ICE confirmed that Adeyinka will be deported to Nigeria after serving his prison term in the U.S.
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, England (BN24) — A 41-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting children after he was seen giving them food and inappropriately touching them at a community centre in Buckinghamshire, police said Friday.
The incident unfolded on Thursday evening at Buckingham Park Community Centre, where witnesses reported that the man approached several children, offered them food and then allegedly touched them over their clothing.
Officers from Thames Valley Police detained the suspect, who is from Watermead, shortly after the reports were made. He remains in custody as the investigation continues.
Lead Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Graham Horton described the reports as “concerning” and called for anyone who witnessed the incident or has information to come forward.
“We are carrying out a thorough investigation following this concerning incident,” Horton said. “An arrest has been made and we are looking for anyone else who saw what happened to please talk to us.”
