PHILADELPHIA — A Memorial Day gathering at Fairmount Park turned into tragedy late Monday night when gunfire erupted, leaving two adults dead and nine others wounded, including three teenagers, according to Philadelphia police.
The shooting unfolded as families and friends congregated to mark the federal holiday, which honors fallen U.S. military service members. But what was intended to be a night of remembrance ended in violence as a large crowd gathered in one of the city’s busiest public spaces.
“This is significant. It’s Memorial Day,” a police officer said during a late-night press conference. “We understand the significance of this event and we will provide further updates.”
Authorities confirmed that a male and a female adult were fatally shot. The nine other victims — including three teens — were transported to nearby hospitals and were all reported to be in stable condition by Tuesday morning.
Police said a large number of adults were present in the park when the shooting occurred, but the circumstances leading to the violence remain unclear. No suspects have been publicly identified, and police have not recovered any weapons from the scene.
“We have not recovered any weapons at this time,” the officer added. “No arrests have been made.”
The shooting is the latest in a string of gun violence incidents in Philadelphia, where communities have increasingly found themselves caught in the crossfire of public shootings. As investigators work to piece together what led to the gunfire, the victims’ families face an all-too-familiar grief.
Fairmount Park, one of the largest urban park systems in the country, is a popular destination during the summer months. Monday’s shooting marks another grim Memorial Day marred by violence, drawing renewed attention to Philadelphia’s ongoing struggle with gun crime, especially at community gatherings and public events.
City officials have not yet released the names of the victims, pending family notifications.
As of Tuesday, no arrests have been made, and police are urging anyone with information or cellphone footage from the park that evening to come forward.
JERUSALEM — Thousands of ultranationalist Israeli Jews marched through Muslim neighborhoods of Jerusalem’s Old City on Monday, marking Jerusalem Day with chants of “Death to Arabs” and inflammatory songs like “May your village burn,” in a display that escalated an already volatile atmosphere amid the ongoing Gaza war.
The annual procession, officially called the “Dance of Flags,” commemorates Israel’s capture of East Jerusalem during the 1967 Mideast war — a moment of triumph for many Israelis but a source of deep resentment and tension for Palestinians. This year’s march unfolded as tensions remain high following nearly 600 days of war in Gaza and frequent flare-ups in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
As the temperatures soared to 98 degrees Fahrenheit (37 Celsius), Israeli police lined the narrow alleys of the Old City to contain potential clashes. Palestinian shopkeepers shuttered businesses early, bracing for violence, which has historically accompanied the march. Tour buses ferried hundreds of young religious nationalists, many from West Bank settlements, to Jerusalem’s historic quarters.
At various points, marchers danced, jumped, and sang nationalist songs under tight police surveillance. Videos captured disturbing moments: one police officer celebrating with marchers, and another group of Jewish youths following a Palestinian woman, hurling racial slurs such as “charmouta”—Arabic for “whore.”
“This is our home, this is our state,” one marcher yelled at a Palestinian woman. “Go away from here!” she shouted back in Hebrew.
After the march, Arab shopkeepers emerged to clean their vandalized storefronts, many now plastered with stickers declaring, “Gaza is ours.”
Earlier in the day, a group of Israeli protesters, including Israeli lawmaker Yulia Malinovsky, stormed the compound of UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, located in East Jerusalem. The group climbed the facility’s gate and held banners demanding the site be converted into an Israeli settlement. Israeli police reportedly stood by as the incident unfolded, though they have not commented publicly.
The UN compound has largely been unoccupied since January after the agency pulled back staff due to escalating threats. The U.N. maintains it has not vacated the site, which remains protected under international law. Israel has accused UNRWA of harboring Hamas operatives, claims that the U.N. denies.
On Monday, Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir made a high-profile appearance at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a flashpoint revered by Muslims and Jews. While Israeli law forbids Jewish prayer at the site — known to Jews as the Temple Mount — Ben-Gvir asserted that he is altering that status quo.
“Today, thank God, it is possible to pray on the Temple Mount,” Ben-Gvir said, adding that he was proud to see “many Jews flooding the Temple Mount.”
Activist group Beyadenu, which encourages Jewish visits to the compound, claimed dozens had entered while draped in Israeli flags and offered prayers, a move seen as provocative by Palestinians and international observers.
The Prime Minister’s Office denied any formal policy change regarding prayer at the site. Police clarified that the Jerusalem Day march would not enter the sacred area.
The presence of Israeli lawmakers such as Yitzhak Kroizer, seen praying on the compound, fueled Palestinian fears that Israel is actively eroding the historical agreement governing access and worship at the holy site. Such tensions previously sparked mass unrest, including Hamas’ October 7, 2023, assault on Israel, which cited “desecration” of Al-Aqsa as a motive.
Speaking at an archaeological park in East Jerusalem, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his commitment to keeping Jerusalem unified under Israeli sovereignty.
“We will preserve a united, whole Jerusalem, and the sovereignty of Israel,” he said. Netanyahu added that his government is investing “billions of shekels” in the city’s development and is pressuring foreign embassies to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Israel annexed East Jerusalem in 1967, a move not recognized internationally. Palestinians envision East Jerusalem as the future capital of a sovereign Palestinian state, making the city a flashpoint in the decades-old conflict.
For many Israelis, Jerusalem Day is a celebration of unification and religious access, particularly to the Western Wall. But for Palestinians, the day represents deepening occupation and systemic discrimination. The march’s trajectory through Palestinian neighborhoods, paired with racist chants and violent provocations, continues to stoke fears of future escalation.
Activists from the Standing Together organization and the Free Jerusalem collective positioned themselves along the route to shield Palestinian residents from aggression. Despite their presence, multiple instances of harassment were documented.
One shopkeeper was seen sweeping bay leaves after marchers kicked over his goods, while others tried to resume normalcy in the wake of the inflammatory display.
LITTLE RIVER, S.C. — A Memorial Day weekend boat party ended in gunfire late Sunday night when ten people were shot during a fight near a dock in Little River, a coastal town about 20 miles northeast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, according to authorities.
The violence erupted shortly after 9:30 p.m. as a private charter boat returned from a cruise and docked in the marina, Horry County Police said in a statement. Although no fatalities have been reported, officials confirmed that several of the victims were critically wounded. At least one additional person was hospitalized for injuries unrelated to gunfire.
The shooting unfolded around a dock frequently used by private cruise boats. Police said the vessel had just completed a party cruise advertised as a three-hour event featuring a DJ, which was scheduled to end at 9 p.m.
Detectives are still working to determine the exact location and sequence of events that led to the gunfire. The boat was docked at the time of the incident, but investigators have not said whether the confrontation began onboard or onshore.
A distraught woman who answered a phone number listed on the event flyer confirmed she witnessed friends being shot but refused further comment. A person answering the phone at the charter company declined to speak with reporters.
No arrests had been made as of Monday, and police have released few details about potential suspects or motives. The shooting appears to have stemmed from an argument that escalated once the boat docked, said Randy Evans, whose 25-year-old son was among those injured.
Evans told The Post and Courier that his son was shot in the ankle and toe but managed to use his bathing suit as a makeshift tourniquet to aid others with more serious injuries.
“The surgery was better than they expected,” Evans said. “He’s going to be OK.”
In a separate but related incident, a North Myrtle Beach police officer responding to the scene accidentally shot himself in the leg while at a nearby marina roughly three miles (5 kilometers) from the original shooting site. The officer is in stable condition at the hospital, according to city spokeswoman Lauren Jessie.
Little River, a small fishing village near the North Carolina border, is well-known for its docks, marinas, and recreational cruises, including fishing expeditions, dolphin tours, and casino boats. The incident has rattled a typically quiet coastal community on what should have been a festive holiday weekend.
Authorities continue to investigate the shooting and are urging anyone with information to contact the Horry County Police Department.
BEIJING — A massive explosion erupted at a chemical plant in eastern China’s Shandong province on Tuesday, sending thick columns of black smoke into the sky and shaking buildings miles away, according to state media and eyewitnesses.
The blast occurred around midday at the Gaomi Youdao Chemical Co. facility, located in an industrial park in Weifang, a major manufacturing hub in eastern China. The plant produces pesticides and chemicals for medical use and employs more than 500 workers, according to corporate filings.
State broadcaster CCTV reported that rescue operations were immediately launched, with over 230 emergency personnel deployed to the scene. Authorities have not yet disclosed whether there are any casualties or injuries.
The force of the explosion was so powerful it shattered windows at a storage facility more than three kilometers (two miles) away, a local resident told reporters. The man, who requested anonymity out of fear of government reprisal, said the blast shook his home, which lies over seven kilometers (4.3 miles) from the site.
“I went to the window after the shock, and there was a huge black column of smoke rising into the sky,” he said.
Video footage circulating on Chinese social media and verified by local sources showed a towering plume of dark smoke billowing from the industrial complex, visible for miles across the relatively flat terrain.
The incident at Gaomi Youdao Chemical Co. raises fresh concerns about industrial safety in China’s booming chemical sector. While the company has not had major reported violations in recent years, China’s chemical industry has seen repeated deadly accidents, often linked to lax safety enforcement and aging infrastructure.
In recent years, Shandong — one of China’s key industrial provinces — has been the site of several major chemical and manufacturing plant explosions, prompting periodic crackdowns by local authorities. However, systemic safety challenges persist, especially in densely packed industrial zones.
As of late Tuesday afternoon, officials had not released any updates on injuries or fatalities, despite the scale of the explosion. CCTV confirmed that firefighting and search-and-rescue operations were ongoing, but access to the blast zone appeared heavily restricted.
In line with standard government protocol, Chinese authorities are likely to launch a formal investigation, although results are often not made public.
The Gaomi city government and Weifang municipal emergency departments have not issued statements beyond confirming the incident and dispatching emergency responders.
KYIV, Ukraine — Russian troops have seized control of four villages in Ukraine’s Sumy region, a border area in the northeast that has come under intensifying pressure from Moscow’s forces, regional officials said Monday.
The villages — Novenke, Basivka, Veselivka, and Zhuravka — are now under Russian occupation, according to Sumy Regional Governor Oleh Hryhorov, who confirmed the developments in a statement posted to Facebook. The villages lie just inside the Ukrainian border and had previously been evacuated due to the threat of hostilities.
“The enemy is continuing attempts to advance with the aim of setting up a so-called ‘buffer zone’,” Hryhorov wrote.
Despite the Russian gains, Ukrainian forces are “keeping the situation under control” and inflicting precise fire damage on advancing units, the governor added. Combat is ongoing in surrounding areas, including Volodymyrivka and Bilovodiv, both of which Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed to have captured earlier Monday.
The development follows reports by Russian military bloggers and state media in recent days describing tactical progress inside Sumy, a region that has weathered frequent airstrikes since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. Russia appears to be intensifying operations along the northeastern border, echoing similar tactics used during earlier incursions into Ukraine’s Kharkiv region.
Amid the surge in fighting, Ukraine’s State Emergency Services reported that one person was killed Monday in a Russian artillery strike west of the newly occupied villages. Civilian areas in Sumy continue to endure sporadic shelling as the front line pushes further into Ukrainian territory.
The Sumy region, which borders Russia’s Kursk region, was the launch point for a major Ukrainian cross-border raid in August 2023. While Moscow claims it has expelled Ukrainian forces from Kursk, Kyiv asserts that its units remain active in the area.
DeepState, a well-known Ukrainian military analysis platform, noted over the weekend that Russian forces had taken up positions along several border settlements in Sumy — a first in the nearly 27-month conflict. On Monday, the blog also reported fresh Russian attacks further east near Vovchansk, in Kharkiv region, where Russia staged a large-scale offensive in May 2024.
The reported gains in Sumy raise renewed concerns about Russia’s strategy to secure a defensive cordon inside Ukraine, a goal President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly invoked as a condition for future ceasefire negotiations.
Just last month, a Russian missile strike on the city of Sumy — the regional capital — left 35 people dead during Palm Sunday services, underscoring the persistent threat to civilian life far from the front lines.
As the battle for Ukraine’s borderlands intensifies, military analysts warn that further incursions into lightly fortified northern territories could stretch Ukraine’s already burdened defenses, which are concentrated in the heavily contested Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions to the south.
BERLIN — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed Monday that Germany and its Western allies have removed all range restrictions on the weapons supplied to Ukraine, marking a significant shift in military policy as the war with Russia drags on.
Speaking at a forum hosted by Germany’s WDR public television, Merz said that the United States, United Kingdom, France and Germany have now authorized Ukraine to use Western-supplied weapons to strike targets deep inside Russian territory.
“There are no longer any range restrictions for weapons that have been delivered to Ukraine — neither by the British, nor by the French, nor by us, and not by the Americans either,” Merz said.
The move paves the way for Ukraine to launch long-range attacks on Russian military infrastructure previously out of reach under former constraints. “That means Ukraine can also defend itself by, for example, attacking military positions in Russia,” Merz added. “Until a while ago, it couldn’t … it can now.”
Merz, who assumed office nearly three weeks ago, has taken a more assertive stance on arming Ukraine than his predecessor, Olaf Scholz, who had resisted calls to deliver certain long-range munitions such as the Taurus cruise missiles. These missiles have a range of up to 500 kilometers (310 miles) and could significantly bolster Ukraine’s ability to strike far beyond the frontlines.
While the German government has not yet publicly confirmed whether Taurus missiles will be part of future shipments, Merz’s remarks reflect a broader policy realignment. He has previously advocated for supplying Taurus missiles during his tenure as opposition leader and has now embraced a more open-ended support strategy.
Unlike Scholz’s administration, which published detailed inventories of weapons sent to Ukraine, Merz’s government has adopted a policy of “strategic ambiguity” — refraining from disclosing specific military transfers in order to complicate Russian countermeasures.
“Long-range fire,” Merz explained, is the technical term for the updated approach. “It also means supplying Ukraine with weapons that attack military targets in the hinterland,” he said, emphasizing the necessity for Ukraine to disrupt Russian operations beyond the immediate battlefield.
Germany continues to be the second-largest military donor to Ukraine after the United States, delivering advanced systems such as Leopard tanks, IRIS-T air defense units, and heavy artillery. The shift to allowing long-range capabilities signifies an evolution in Berlin’s commitment to Ukraine’s defense and the broader NATO effort to deter Russian aggression.
Since taking office, Merz has sought to solidify Western resolve, engaging with European and transatlantic partners to keep military and humanitarian support for Ukraine robust amid signs of war fatigue in parts of the alliance.
As Russia’s invasion enters its third year, the removal of range restrictions reflects a growing consensus among NATO members that Ukraine should be empowered to take the fight to Russian soil, especially against logistical hubs and command centers supporting Moscow’s war machine.
LIVERPOOL, England — A joyous celebration of Liverpool FC’s Premier League triumph turned into a scene of panic and injury as a car ploughed into a dense crowd of supporters on Water Street, leaving 47 people hurt, including four children, authorities said.
Emergency services rushed to the scene shortly after 6:07 p.m. Monday, where they found multiple people injured and several trapped beneath a dark-grey Ford Galaxy that had driven “full-throttle” into the throng. Witnesses described the chaos as people screamed and attempted to flee from the vehicle, which allegedly accelerated before veering into the celebratory crowd.
A 53-year-old white British man from Liverpool, believed to be the driver, was arrested on site. Merseyside Police confirmed the incident is not being treated as terror-related, and no other suspects are being sought.
The North West Ambulance Service confirmed that 27 people were transported to hospitals, with two in serious condition. Another 20 were treated at the scene, and additional victims later sought medical care independently. An air ambulance landed near the iconic Liver Building, and fire crews worked swiftly to extricate four people, including a child, trapped beneath the vehicle.
Initial footage shared online shows the Ford Galaxy accelerating into the crowd, making a sharp turn before striking dozens of pedestrians. The vehicle came to a halt roughly 20 meters in, at which point enraged bystanders attempted to storm the car. Police intervened, forming a barrier to protect the suspect as the crowd smashed windows and demanded justice.
Witnesses said the atmosphere changed in an instant. Daniel Jones, 28, who had traveled from North Wales with his family, narrowly avoided the crash.
“My wife had just taken our son to the hotel. Thank God. I was horrified. There were paramedics treating people on the ground everywhere,” Jones told The Sun. “People tried to drag the driver out before police stepped in.”
Another local, Hayley, 42, described the panic: “There was screaming everywhere. I was with my autistic son and I was terrified. People were being thrown from the car, some went under the tyres. It should never have been allowed on Water Street.”
Chelsea Yuen, who dodged the vehicle with her friend and daughter, told Sky News, “It was like sardines, then suddenly people were screaming. The car was coming right at us.”
Merseyside Police are leading the investigation with early support from counter-terrorism units. Authorities emphasized the importance of not speculating on motives or sharing distressing content online. The public has been asked to submit any relevant footage directly to police.
“This is a live and active investigation,” the department said, urging witnesses to call 101 and quote log 784.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called the scenes “appalling,” and praised the “remarkable bravery” of first responders. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the incident as “truly shocking.”
Liverpool FC issued a statement saying it was in contact with police and offered support to victims. “Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected.”
The Premier League also expressed shock and said it had reached out to Liverpool FC to offer full support.
Local leaders reacted with grief and gratitude. Mayor Steve Rotheram said: “This is a difficult day for our city region, but we stand together.” Labour MP Justin Madders expressed hope for quick treatment for the injured and praised the emergency response.
The tragedy followed a day of euphoria in Liverpool, as tens of thousands took to the rain-soaked streets to honor Liverpool FC’s 20th English title, secured with a 5-1 victory over Tottenham. Earlier Monday, players greeted fans from atop the team’s open-top bus in a parade that drew people from across the UK and beyond.
As of late Monday night, Water Street was cleared, though an inflatable triage tent remained as investigations continued into the harrowing conclusion to what had been a day of celebration.
CALICO ROCK, Ark. — A former Arkansas police chief convicted of both murder and rape has escaped from prison while disguised as a law enforcement officer, prompting a multi-agency manhunt, corrections officials confirmed Sunday.
Grant Hardin, once the police chief of Gateway—a small town near the Arkansas-Missouri border—escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock, where he had been incarcerated since 2017. The Arkansas Department of Corrections provided no immediate details about how Hardin managed the escape but confirmed he wore a makeshift uniform designed to resemble official law enforcement attire.
Authorities are working with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to track Hardin down. As of Monday, he remains at large.
Hardin, 53, pleaded guilty in October 2017 to first-degree murder for the execution-style killing of 59-year-old James Appleton, an employee of the Gateway water department. Appleton was shot in the head while speaking to his brother-in-law, then-Gateway Mayor Andrew Tillman, on Feb. 23, 2017, near Garfield. Police later discovered Appleton’s body inside a vehicle.
Hardin, who served as Gateway’s police chief for just four months in 2016, received a 30-year sentence for the murder.
In addition, Hardin is also serving a 50-year sentence for a 1997 rape of an elementary school teacher in Rogers, Arkansas, located north of Fayetteville. That cold case was revived in 2003 when police used DNA samples from the scene to apply for a John Doe warrant ahead of the statute of limitations. Investigators were able to match the DNA to Hardin after his imprisonment in the Appleton murder case.
Officials say Hardin managed to impersonate a law enforcement officer during his escape, though they have not revealed how he acquired or fabricated the disguise. His law enforcement background may have contributed to his ability to construct a believable uniform.
The Arkansas Division of Correction and Division of Community Correction are coordinating the search effort, urging the public to report any sightings but not to approach Hardin, who is considered dangerous.
The escape has sparked intense scrutiny over prison security at the North Central Unit, a medium-security facility that houses male inmates.
Hardin’s disappearance raises critical questions about oversight, inmate monitoring, and vulnerabilities in correctional protocols, particularly for inmates with violent histories and tactical experience from former roles in law enforcement.
As of now, no timeline has been given for when more details about the escape will be released, though officials assure the public that every effort is being made to apprehend the fugitive swiftly.
WASHINGTON — The Ghanaian government has temporarily closed its embassy in Washington, D.C., following revelations of a major corruption scandal involving unauthorized visa charges and systematic abuse of the embassy’s online services.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa made the announcement Monday, calling the move essential to restoring public trust and accountability in Ghana’s overseas missions.
“This marks the beginning of a decisive overhaul of our embassy operations, in response to deeply troubling audit findings,” Ablakwa said. “With full support from President John Mahama, we are taking bold steps to confront corruption head-on and rebuild institutional integrity.”
The closure follows a special audit that exposed a visa fraud scheme orchestrated by Fred Kwarteng, a locally hired IT officer who has worked at the embassy since 2017. Investigators found that Kwarteng had created an unauthorized external link on the embassy’s official website, redirecting applicants for visas and passports to a private company he owned, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC).
Applicants using the fraudulent site were charged unofficial fees ranging from $29.75 to $60, which were deposited directly into Kwarteng’s personal account. Authorities estimate that the scheme operated undetected for at least five years, in violation of Ghana’s Fees and Charges Act.
The case has been referred to the Attorney-General’s Office for potential prosecution, and officials are working to recover misappropriated funds.
As part of the fallout, all Foreign Ministry personnel assigned to the Washington embassy have been recalled to Accra. The embassy’s IT department has been dissolved, and all locally hired staff suspended pending further investigation.
Ablakwa confirmed that the Auditor-General will conduct a full forensic audit to determine the extent of financial losses and identify any additional lapses in oversight or complicity.
“We are committed to a thorough and transparent process,” Ablakwa said, vowing to hold accountable anyone found to have breached the public trust.
The closure has disrupted consular services for both Ghanaian nationals and foreign applicants in the United States. While the Foreign Ministry acknowledged the inconvenience, officials stressed the importance of acting decisively to root out systemic corruption.
“The administration of President Mahama stands firmly on a zero-tolerance policy toward corruption, abuse of office, and conflicts of interest,” said Ablakwa. “Though this may be inconvenient, it is necessary for long-term accountability and reform.”
No specific date has been announced for when the Washington mission will reopen, though the ministry emphasized that consular operations will resume once restructuring is complete and security protocols are restored.
HANOI, Vietnam — French President Emmanuel Macron was caught in a moment of unexpected tension Sunday evening when his wife, Brigitte Macron, appeared to shove him in the face as they disembarked from their official aircraft at Hanoi’s international airport.
The viral clip, captured live by the Associated Press, shows Macron standing in the doorway of the plane, looking sternly at his wife, moments before Brigitte’s hands abruptly rise and make contact with his face in what appeared to be a light shove or slap. Seconds later, Macron quickly notices the plane doors have opened and turns to wave at awaiting cameras. The couple then descended the staircase together, though Brigitte appeared to bypass his outstretched arm, instead holding the handrail as they walked.
The video sparked a storm of speculation online, with some suggesting the couple had been “bickering” moments before stepping into public view. Although the Elysée Palace initially dismissed the footage as fake, French media outlets have since confirmed its authenticity.
A source close to the president told BFMTV that the interaction was “a moment of complicity” between the couple, adding it was “a bit of fun” before the official visit began and not an indication of serious conflict. Still, the odd public exchange added fuel to long-standing online conspiracy theories that have targeted the French president.
Macron, 46, who began a week-long diplomatic tour of Southeast Asia with this stop in Vietnam, will also visit Indonesia and Singapore. The trip is aimed at strengthening France’s political and economic ties in the region amid rising global tensions.
The French leader has been a repeated target of conspiracy theories and deepfakes, particularly by pro-Russian social media accounts. In recent months, Macron has faced false claims, including the debunked assertion that his wife Brigitte was born a man, as well as a fabricated video suggesting he was carrying cocaine during a train trip to Kyiv with UK Labour leader Keir Starmer and Germany’s Friedrich Merz.
Macron has publicly denounced these online attacks as “misogynistic” and politically motivated, with the French government increasingly concerned about disinformation campaigns targeting high-level officials.
Despite the dramatic arrival and viral clip, the French president is expected to proceed with his Southeast Asia engagements, focusing on defense cooperation, trade, and climate partnerships throughout the week.
