WILDWOOD, N.J. — A 40-foot yacht exploded and caught fire while refueling at Schooner Island Marina in Wildwood, New Jersey, on Thursday, forcing one person to jump to safety, local authorities reported.
The incident occurred around 12:40 p.m., with Wildwood firefighters responding to the scene. The fire was brought under control by 1:20 p.m., according to local Fox affiliate WTXF-TV. No serious injuries were reported, but the yacht sank to the bottom of the marina.
Witnesses described hearing a loud explosion as the yacht was being refueled. Paul Daiber, who has stored his boat at the marina for 25 years, told NJ.com he was fishing nearby when he heard a powerful thud and saw debris from the yacht flying through the air.
“It just progressively got worse and worse until it erupted in flames,” Daiber said. He added that this was the first time he had witnessed a boat explosion at the marina in his quarter-century there.
Another witness, speaking to WTXF-TV, likened the explosion to “something out of a movie,” describing how she saw parts of the boat’s deck flying from one dock to another.
Bystanders attempted to slow the spread of flames using fire extinguishers before firefighters arrived. The fire created large plumes of smoke visible to beachgoers blocks away, with the scent of gasoline permeating the air around the marina.
The New Jersey State Police are leading the investigation into the cause of the explosion and subsequent fire. As of Thursday afternoon, no official cause had been determined.
RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil coach Dorival Jr has included 17-year-old striker Estevao Willian in his squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, marking the teenager’s first call-up to the national team.
Estevao, nicknamed ‘Messinho’ and set to join Chelsea next year, was named alongside former Palmeiras teammate Endrick and Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr in the forward line for matches against Ecuador and Paraguay.
“I have always invested heavily in young players throughout my career,” Dorival said at a press conference Friday. “He is a player who has been emerging and showing great things. It is up to us to believe. I ask that we have a little patience with these kids. As was the case with Endrick.”
Neymar was not included in the squad as he continues to recover from a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscus in his left knee. The striker, who underwent surgery, also missed the recent Copa America.
“No need to comment. Everyone knows how important he is (Neymar). But everything has to happen at the right time and in the right place. I have no doubt that, as soon as he recovers, he will be included again,” Dorival added.
The 62-year-old manager, who took over in January, has omitted Barcelona winger Raphinha and Manchester United midfielder Casemiro from the squad.
Brazil, currently sixth in South American qualifiers with seven points, will host Ecuador in Curitiba on September 6 before facing Paraguay in Asuncion four days later.
The squad includes:
Goalkeepers: Alisson, Bento, Ederson
Defenders: Danilo, Yan Couto, Guilherme Arana, Wendell, Beraldo, Eder Militao, Gabriel Magalhaes, Marquinhos
Midfielders: Andre, Bruno Guimaraes, Gerson, Joao Gomes, Lucas Paqueta
Forwards: Rodrygo, Endrick, Estevao, Luiz Henrique, Pedro, Savinho, Vinicius Jr
This squad selection reflects Brazil’s focus on integrating young talent as they aim to improve their position in the World Cup qualifiers.
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) overwhelmed Montpellier with a six-nil victory in their first home game of the Ligue 1 season on Friday at the Parc des Princes.
Bradley Barcola led the scoring with two goals, opening the account in the fourth minute with a solo run down the left flank. Marco Asensio doubled the lead in the twenty-fourth minute, capitalizing on a team move that exposed Montpellier’s weak defense.
Barcola secured his brace with a tap-in from Ousmane Dembele’s pass eight minutes into the second half. Achraf Hakimi added to the tally five minutes later, converting a cross from Nuno Mendes.
Warren Zaire-Emery scored the fifth goal on the hour mark, assisted by Dembele. Substitute Lee Kang-in completed the rout with a strike from the edge of the box in the eighty-second minute.
PSG manager Luis Enrique expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance. “We scored six goals but we could have scored ten. Today was our night… the players were incredible,” Enrique told DAZN.
Barcola reflected on his performance, saying, “I’ve realized that I can make a difference. Pushing the ball like that on the first goal is something I’ve been doing since I was very young.”
The victory marks PSG’s second consecutive win of the season, following their four-one triumph over Le Havre in the league opener.
PSG will face Lille in their next match on September first, while Montpellier hosts Nantes on August thirty-first.
Enrique added, “There have only been two games but I’m really pleased with what I’ve seen.”
The match showcased PSG’s offensive prowess and set a high bar for their performance in the ongoing Ligue 1 season.
A knife attack at a festival in the western German city of Solingen on Friday left three people dead and four seriously wounded, local police reported.
The attack occurred at the “Festival of Diversity,” an event marking the city’s six hundred fiftieth anniversary. The incident took place on a central square known as the Fronhof.
Police stated that the perpetrator fled the scene and remains at large. The German news agency dpa, citing unidentified police sources, reported that the weapon was believed to be a knife.
Philipp Müller, one of the festival organizers, addressed attendees from the stage, urging them to “go calmly” and to remain vigilant as the attacker had not been apprehended. Müller confirmed that many people had been wounded by “a knifeman.”
Solingen Mayor Tim Kurzbach expressed shock in a Facebook post, stating, “We all wanted to celebrate our city’s anniversary together and now have dead and wounded to lament.” He added, “It breaks my heart that an attack on our city happened.”
The local newspaper, Solinger Tageblatt, quoted its reporter Celine Derikartz as describing the atmosphere as “spooky.” Derikartz observed that the festive mood had quickly turned to shock, with some attendees seen weeping.
The “Festival of Diversity” began on Friday and was scheduled to run through Sunday. The event featured several stages in central streets offering attractions such as live music, cabaret, and acrobatics.
Solingen, with a population of approximately one hundred sixty thousand residents, is located near the larger cities of Cologne and Duesseldorf.
Authorities have not released information about potential motives for the attack or details about the suspect. The investigation is ongoing, and police are urging the public to remain cautious and report any relevant information.
The incident has raised concerns about security at public events and may prompt a review of safety measures for future festivals in the region.
Russian security forces on Friday shot and killed four inmates who had taken hostages at a penal colony in the Volgograd region, according to official statements. The inmates, who had posted videos online describing themselves as Islamic State militants, had fatally stabbed four prison staff members.
“Snipers of the special forces of the Russian National Guard in the Volgograd region, with four precise shots, neutralised four prisoners who had taken prison employees hostage. The hostages have been released,” the state news agency RIA quoted the National Guard as saying.
The federal prisons service confirmed that all four attackers had been “liquidated.” It reported that four of its staff had died from stab wounds, while others were hospitalized. A total of eight prison employees and four convicts had been held hostage.
Videos posted by the attackers showed victims lying in pools of blood, with one having his throat slashed. In one video, a prisoner shouted that they were “mujahideen” of Islamic State. Other footage depicted the attackers in a prison yard with a hostage slumped in a sitting position, his face bloodied.
The operation to free the captives occurred after President Vladimir Putin, during a weekly Security Council meeting, requested updates from the interior minister, FSB security chief, and head of the National Guard about the incident.
This attack follows a recent uptick in Islamist militant activities in Russia. In June, a prison uprising linked to Islamic State took place in the southern Rostov region, resulting in special forces killing six inmates who had taken hostages. Later that month, at least twenty people were killed in attacks on a church, a synagogue, and a police checkpoint in Dagestan, a predominantly Muslim region in southern Russia. In March, Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack on the Crocus City concert hall near Moscow, which resulted in over one hundred forty deaths.
The latest incident has raised security concerns, particularly regarding how the inmates acquired weapons and mobile phones to film and post videos online. In the footage, one attacker appeared to have an improvised explosive vest, while others wielded knives and hammers.
The attackers’ specific demands were unclear, though they made statements about Russia oppressing Muslims and claimed to be acting in response to alleged mistreatment of Muslim prisoners.
Russian media reported that the four attackers were citizens of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Three were reportedly imprisoned for drug offenses, while the fourth was serving a sentence for murder.
As investigations continue, Russian authorities are expected to review security protocols in prisons to prevent similar incidents in the future.
MENLO PARK, Calif. — Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, reported on Friday that it had identified potential hacking attempts targeting WhatsApp accounts of U.S. officials from both President Joe Biden’s and former President Donald Trump’s administrations.
In a blog post, Meta attributed the activity to APT42, an Iranian hacker group recently implicated in compromising the Trump campaign. The company described the attempt as a “small cluster of likely social engineering activity on WhatsApp” involving accounts posing as technical support for AOL, Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft.
Meta stated it blocked the suspicious accounts after users reported the activity. The company said it had not seen evidence suggesting the targeted WhatsApp accounts were compromised.
APT42 is widely believed to be associated with an intelligence division within Iran’s military. Researchers following the group report that it is known for placing surveillance software on victims’ mobile phones, enabling call recording, text message theft, and covert activation of cameras and microphones.
Meta linked this activity to efforts to breach U.S. presidential campaigns reported by Microsoft and Google earlier this month, ahead of the November U.S. presidential election.
A logo of US company’s Meta is displayed during the Vivatech technology startups and innovation fair, at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, on May 22, 2024. (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP) (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA/AFP via Getty Images)
The company’s blog post did not identify specific individuals targeted, stating only that the hackers “appeared to have focused on political and diplomatic officials, business and other public figures, including some associated with administrations of President Biden and former President Trump.”
The targeted figures were reportedly based in Israel, the Palestinian territories, Iran, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
This incident highlights the ongoing cybersecurity challenges faced by high-profile individuals and organizations, particularly in the lead-up to major political events. It also underscores the importance of user vigilance and prompt reporting of suspicious activities on social media and messaging platforms.
As the investigation continues, cybersecurity experts are urging users to maintain strong security practices, including using two-factor authentication and being cautious of unsolicited messages, even those appearing to come from legitimate technical support services.
Meta has not provided further details on the extent of the hacking attempts or any potential data compromises. The company continues to work with law enforcement and cybersecurity partners to monitor and mitigate such threats.
Recent polls indicate that Republicans were more likely than Democrats to view Robert F. Kennedy Jr. favorably before he suspended his presidential campaign on Friday and endorsed Republican nominee Donald Trump.
Kennedy, seventy, cited concerns that continuing his campaign would benefit Democratic nominee Kamala Harris as a reason for his withdrawal. His support had declined in recent polls as he struggled to position himself in a race reshaped by Democratic President Joe Biden’s departure and Harris’ nomination.
While some early polls showed Kennedy’s support in double digits, recent surveys placed him in the mid-single digits. Historically, third-party candidates often fail to match their early poll numbers in actual voting.
An Associated Press-NORC poll conducted in July, before Biden’s withdrawal, found Americans evenly split in their views of Kennedy. This marked a decline from February when more respondents held positive than negative views. In the July poll, about two in ten U.S. adults lacked sufficient knowledge to form an opinion on Kennedy.
The poll revealed that Republicans were significantly more likely than Democrats and independents to view Kennedy favorably. Those with a positive impression of Kennedy were more likely to also view Trump favorably (fifty-two percent) compared to Harris (thirty-seven percent).
Kennedy’s appeal to political independents was limited. Despite running as an independent candidate, about four in ten independents lacked enough information to form an opinion. Those who did were equally divided between favorable and unfavorable views.
A Pew Research Center poll from July found that about half of Kennedy’s supporters backed him primarily because he was neither Biden nor Trump, rather than for his characteristics or policies.
Harris’ elevation to the top of the Democratic ticket may have further impacted Kennedy’s prospects. An August Pew poll suggested Harris gained support at Kennedy’s expense, particularly among women and non-white voters.
Kennedy initially emphasized his family name and connections to other prominent Kennedys, including his father and uncle, former President John F. Kennedy. CNN polling last summer found many Democrats considered supporting him due to the Kennedy name or family connections. However, many Kennedy family members endorsed Biden before his withdrawal.
Gallup’s retrospective approval ratings show John F. Kennedy remains the most highly rated former president, with nine in ten Americans approving of his job performance across party lines.
Kennedy’s campaign faced legal challenges, including a recent ruling by a New York judge barring him from the state’s ballot due to a “sham” address on nominating petitions. Kennedy appealed the ruling but encountered similar challenges in other states.
As the race continues without Kennedy, analysts will be closely watching how his departure might influence support for the remaining candidates and the overall dynamics of the presidential election.
PALERMO, Italy — Italian Coast Guard officials recovered the seventh and final body from a British-flagged superyacht that sank off the coast of Sicily earlier this week, authorities reported on Friday. The body is believed to be that of Hannah Lynch, eighteen, daughter of British tech magnate Mike Lynch.
The Bayesian, a fifty-six-meter (one hundred eighty-four-foot) yacht, went down in a storm early Monday. Mike Lynch’s body was recovered on Thursday. He had been celebrating his recent acquittal on fraud charges with family and his legal team from the United States. His wife, Angela Bacares, was among the fifteen survivors.
A spokesperson for the Lynch family issued a statement on Friday: “The Lynch family is devastated, in shock and is being comforted and supported by family and friends. Their thoughts are with everyone affected by the tragedy.”
Rescue efforts to locate all missing bodies spanned four days, with divers facing challenges navigating the wreck’s interior, which lies fifty meters (one hundred sixty-four feet) below the surface.
Civil protection officials believe the ship was struck by a waterspout, a tornado-like phenomenon that occurs over water, causing it to sink rapidly.
The other five victims have been identified as Christopher Morvillo, one of Lynch’s U.S. lawyers, and his wife, Neda; Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley’s London-based investment banking subsidiary, and his wife, Judy; and Recaldo Thomas, the yacht’s chef.
The Termini Imerese Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened a criminal investigation into the incident. Investigators plan to hold a news conference on Saturday to present their initial findings. No formal suspects have been publicly identified.
A key focus of the investigation is how a vessel described as “unsinkable” by its manufacturer, Italian shipyard Perini Navi, sank while a nearby sailboat remained largely unaffected by the storm.
The sinking of The Bayesian marks one of the most significant maritime disasters in the region in recent years, raising questions about yacht safety standards and emergency protocols in severe weather conditions.
As the recovery operation concludes, attention now turns to the ongoing investigation and the process of formal identification of the recovered bodies. The incident has sparked discussions about maritime safety regulations for private vessels in the Mediterranean.
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia’s parliament postponed the ratification of controversial changes to the country’s election laws on Thursday as thousands of protesters occupied roads in front of the legislative building and some attempted to breach its perimeter.
The proposed changes, criticized for potentially deepening the political influence of outgoing President Joko Widodo and weakening Indonesia’s democracy, prompted an emergency parliamentary session. The legislature aimed to overturn one decision made by Indonesia’s Constitutional Court on election procedures while amending another.
Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad announced the cancellation of the ratification, stating, “It was stated that the revision of the regional election law cannot be implemented. This means that today the revision of the regional election law will not be implemented.”
The decision came after the parliament failed to achieve a quorum amid the escalating protests outside.
Indonesian police deployed tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters who had torn down a section of fence and thrown rocks at law enforcement. Demonstrators occupied roads in front of the parliament building, with some holding banners and signs while others set fires and burned tires.
The Constitutional Court on Tuesday dismissed a challenge to an age limit preventing individuals under thirty from running for regional governorships. This ruling would bar President Widodo’s youngest son, Kaesang Pangarep, twenty-nine, from contesting a regional election in Central Java.
The court also eased nomination requirements for political parties, reducing the threshold of local legislature seats needed to nominate candidates.
In response, parliament on Wednesday passed an emergency motion to change the minimum age for governors to thirty at the time of inauguration and further ease nomination requirements. The legislature had planned to ratify these changes in Thursday’s plenary session before the protests intervened.
The proposed changes triggered widespread condemnation on social media and raised concerns about a potential constitutional crisis.
President Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, is serving his second and final five-year term, which ends in October. His eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, is the incoming vice president following a separate Constitutional Court decision that created an age exception for former regional leaders. That ruling was made while Widodo’s brother-in-law, Anwar Usman, was serving as chief justice. Usman was later dismissed for participating in a case involving a close relative.
Protests were reported in several major Indonesian cities, including Bandung, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, and Makassar. In Yogyakarta, at least one thousand protesters rallied, demanding the rejection of the regional election bill, respect for the Constitutional Court’s ruling, and opposition to political dynasties.
Yoes Kenawas, a political analyst at Atma Jaya Catholic University, noted that the simultaneous protests in major cities demonstrated anger at parliament’s efforts to overrule the Constitutional Court decision. “They also opposed the dynastic politics carried out by President Jokowi,” Kenawas added.
The protests have brought together activists, students, workers, and public figures, all voicing concerns about the state of democracy in Indonesia.
As the situation develops, observers are closely watching for any further legislative attempts to modify election laws and the potential impact on Indonesia’s democratic processes.
BUCHAREST, Romania — A court in Bucharest placed internet influencer Andrew Tate under house arrest for thirty days on Thursday, as prosecutors investigate new allegations of human trafficking involving minors and sex with a minor.
The decision came a day after prosecutors detained six people, including Andrew Tate, thirty-seven, and his brother Tristan Tate, thirty-six, following raids on four properties in Bucharest and nearby Ilfov county. Prosecutors had requested thirty-day custody for the brothers. Tristan Tate was placed under judicial control, which typically involves travel restrictions and regular police check-ins.
Mateea Petrescu, the brothers’ spokesperson, stated that the judge denied prosecutors’ custody request due to the Tates’ “exemplary behavior” during previous preventative measures in a separate case. She added that the brothers deny all allegations and remain committed to proving their innocence.
The Tate brothers, dual British-U.S. citizens and former kickboxers, are already awaiting trial in Romania on separate human trafficking charges, along with two Romanian women. All four were formally indicted last year.
In the new case, Romania’s anti-organized crime agency DIICOT is investigating allegations of human trafficking, including trafficking of minors, sexual intercourse with a minor, forming an organized criminal group, money laundering, and influencing statements. The alleged crimes span from two thousand fourteen to two thousand twenty-four.
DIICOT alleges that the defendants used the coercive “loverboy” method to exploit thirty-four vulnerable victims, forcing them to produce online pornographic content. The agency claims the defendants retained over two point eight million dollars generated from this activity.
Additionally, DIICOT alleges that an unnamed foreign man sexually exploited a seventeen-year-old foreigner, retaining approximately one point five million dollars from criminal activities. The same individual is accused of repeatedly engaging in sexual relations with a fifteen-year-old.
Andrew Tate, who has nine point nine million followers on the social media platform X, has consistently claimed that prosecutors lack evidence against him and that he is the target of a political conspiracy. He was previously banned from various social media platforms for expressing misogynistic views and hate speech.
During Wednesday’s raids, authorities seized sixteen luxury vehicles, a motorcycle, laptops, thousands of dollars in cash, luxury watches, and data storage devices.
The Tate brothers’ legal troubles have been ongoing since their arrest in December two thousand twenty-two. They were initially held in police detention for three months before being moved to house arrest. Their movements were subsequently restricted to Bucharest municipality and nearby Ilfov county, and then to Romania.
In April, the Bucharest Tribunal ruled that prosecutors’ case file in the original case met legal criteria for a trial, though no date has been set.
Last month, a court overturned an earlier decision that would have allowed the Tate brothers to leave Romania while awaiting trial.
In a separate case, the Bucharest Court of Appeal granted a British request to extradite the Tates to the U.K. over allegations of sexual aggression dating from two thousand twelve to two thousand fifteen. However, this extradition can only occur after legal proceedings in Romania have concluded.
DIICOT emphasized that throughout the criminal process, the investigated individuals benefit from procedural rights, guarantees provided by the Code of Criminal Procedure, and the presumption of innocence.
