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At least one person died and 10 were wounded Monday after blasts at a US Steel plant in the state of Pennsylvania, officials said.”Multiple explosions occurred today at U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works,” the state’s Governor Josh Shapiro said in a post on X, naming a plant some 15 miles (25 kilometers) outside the city of Pittsburgh.”Injured employees have now been transported to local hospitals to receive care, and search-and-rescue efforts remain active at the plant,” he added.One person was still believed to be missing Monday night, according to Allegheny County Police, which confirmed in a statement there had been one fatality.One victim who had previously been reported missing was rescued and taken to a hospital for treatment, authorities said, adding that “nine [other] people were transported to area hospitals to be treated for a variety of injuries.”US Steel said the incident happened at around 11:00 am (1500 GMT) on Monday and that emergency teams were immediately dispatched to the scene. “During times like this, U.S. Steel employees come together to extend their love, prayers, and support to everyone affected,” David Burritt, CEO of the company, said in a statement. Some US media outlets reported that people were still trapped under the rubble of the explosion. Videos on social media, not verified by AFP, appeared to show firefighters battling the blaze in front of a gutted industrial building, under a thick plume of white smoke. The Clairton Coke Works is the largest coking factory in the United States — a facility where coal is processed to produce coke, a key fuel in steelmaking. 

A Chinese man faces up to five years in prison for trying to smuggle protected turtles worth more than $1 million from the United States to Hong Kong.Wei Qiang Lin, of Brooklyn, pleaded guilty on Monday in a federal district court in New York to exporting more than 220 parcels containing around 850 eastern box turtles and three-toed box turtles.The Justice Department said the live turtles had been wrapped in socks for the weeks-long journey and the boxes with the reptiles had been labeled as containing “plastic animal toys.”The turtles, which had a market value of $1.4 million, were intercepted by law enforcement at a border inspection, it said.Eastern box turtles and three-toed box turtles feature colorful markings and are a “prized feature in the domestic and foreign pet market, particularly in China and Hong Kong,” the Justice Department said in a statement.It said they are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).Sentencing was set for December 23. Lin faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

Donald Trump on Monday deployed military and federal law enforcement to curb violent crime in Washington, seeking to cement his claim to be a “law and order” president with a crackdown that he said could be expanded to other major US cities. The Republican leader said he would place the capital’s Metropolitan Police under federal government control while also sending the National Guard onto the streets of the US capital.The overwhelmingly Democratic city faces allegations from Republican politicians that it is overrun by crime, plagued by homelessness and financially mismanaged — although violent offenses are down.”This is Liberation Day in DC, and we’re going to take our capital back,” the president told reporters at the White House.Trump — a convicted felon who granted blanket clemency to nearly 1,600 people involved in the 2021 US Capitol riot in Washington — has complained that local police and prosecutors aren’t tough enough. The administration says 800 DC National Guardsmen — potentially backed up by other “specialized” Guard units — will be deployed to the city of 700,000.The move was slammed by Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who said the aim was to “further the personal and political agenda of a wannabe king.” Richard Stengel, a former undersecretary of state in Barack Obama’s administration, pointed out that Washington is not among the most dangerous US cities.”Throughout history, autocrats use a false pretext to impose government control over local law enforcement as a prelude to a more national takeover,” he posted on X.”That’s far more dangerous than the situation he says he is fixing.”As Trump was speaking at the White House, several dozen demonstrators gathered outside.”There is absolutely no need for the National Guard here,” said 62-year-old retiree Elizabeth Critchley, who brandished a sign with the slogan “DC says freedom not fascism.”The new approach echoes Trump’s aggressive policies that have effectively sealed the southern border amid mass deportations while deploying active-duty troops against protesters in Los Angeles.- New York, Chicago next? -The president told reporters he planned to roll out the policy to other cities, spotlighting New York and Chicago.Unlike the 50 states, Washington operates under a unique relationship with the federal government that limits its autonomy and grants Congress extraordinary control over local matters.Since the mid-1970s, the Home Rule Act has allowed residents to elect a mayor and a city council, although Congress still controls the city’s budget.Data from Washington police show significant drops in violent crime between 2023 and 2024, although that was coming off the back of a post-pandemic surge.Trump posted on social media ahead of the news conference that he also wants to tackle homeless encampments, after signing an order last month making it easier to arrest rough sleepers.  Federal law enforcement have already increased their presence after a former Department of Government Efficiency staffer was beaten during an attempted carjacking. “Last week my administration surged 500 federal agents into the district including from the FBI, ATF, DEA, Park Police, the US Marshals Service, the Secret Service, and the Department of Homeland Security,” Trump said.”You know a lot of nations, they don’t have anything like that… They made dozens of arrests.”A Gallup poll in October found that 64 percent of Americans believed crime had risen in 2024, although FBI data shows the lowest levels of violent crime nationwide in more than half a century.Federal law allows Trump to control Washington’s police for 30 days, while a longer period would require authorization from Congress, which Democrats would likely block.The city’s Democratic mayor Muriel Bowser has not explicitly criticized Trump over the federal takeover, but she pushed back on White House claims of spiraling crime, noting the recent decrease.”While this action today is unsettling and unprecedented, I can’t say, given some of the rhetoric of the past, that we’re totally surprised,” she told a news conference.

At least one person died and dozens were wounded Monday after blasts at a US Steel plant in the state of Pennsylvania, officials said.”Multiple explosions occurred today at U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works,” the state’s Governor Josh Shapiro said in a post on X, naming a plant some 15 miles (25 kilometers) outside the city of Pittsburgh.”Injured employees have now been transported to local hospitals to receive care, and search-and-rescue efforts remain active at the plant,” he added.At least two people were believed to be missing, said Allegheny County Police, which confirmed on Facebook there had been one fatality.It added that “multiple individuals have been treated for additional injuries. The status of those individuals is not known at this time.”Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania posted on X that “dozens” had been wounded.US Steel said the incident happened at around 11:00 am (1500 GMT) on Monday and that emergency teams were immediately dispatched to the scene. “During times like this, U.S. Steel employees come together to extend their love, prayers, and support to everyone affected,” David Burritt, CEO of the company, said in a statement. Some US media outlets reported that people were still trapped under the rubble of the explosion. Videos on social media, not verified by AFP, appeared to show firefighters battling the blaze in front of a gutted industrial building, under a thick plume of white smoke. The Clairton Coke Works is the largest coking factory in the United States — a facility where coal is processed to produce coke, a key fuel in steelmaking. 

US President Donald Trump reportedly signed an order delaying the reimposition of higher tariffs on Chinese goods on Monday, hours before a trade truce between Washington and Beijing was due to expire.The halt on steeper tariffs will be in place for another 90 days, the Wall Street Journal and CNBC reported, citing Trump administration officials. The White House did not respond to queries on the matter.While the United States and China slapped escalating tariffs on each other’s products this year, reaching prohibitive triple-digit levels and snarling trade, both countries in May agreed to temporarily lower them.But their 90-day halt of steeper levies was due to expire Tuesday.Asked about the deadline earlier Monday, Trump said: “We’ll see what happens. They’ve been dealing quite nicely. The relationship is very good with President Xi (Jinping) and myself.”Trump also touted the tariff revenue his country has collected since his return to the White House, saying “we’ve been dealing very nicely with China.””We hope that the US will work with China to follow the important consensus reached during the phone call between the two heads of state,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said in a statement.He added that Beijing also hopes Washington will “strive for positive outcomes on the basis of equality, respect and mutual benefit.”The full text of Trump’s latest order has yet to be released. The 90-day extension means the truce is set to expire in early November, according to the Wall Street Journal.- Shaky truce -Even as both countries reached a pact to cool tensions after high level talks in Geneva in May, the de-escalation has been shaky.In June, key economic officials convened in London as disagreements emerged and US officials accused their counterparts of violating the pact. Policymakers met again in Stockholm last month.US trade envoy Jamieson Greer said last month that Trump will have the “final call” on any such extension.Trump said in a social media post late Sunday that he hoped China will “quickly quadruple its soybean orders,” adding that this would be a way to balance trade with the United States.For now, the extension of a truce means that US tariffs on Chinese goods this year stand at 30 percent.Under their de-escalation, Beijing’s corresponding levy on US products stood at 10 percent.Since returning to the presidency in January, Trump has slapped a 10-percent “reciprocal” tariff on almost all trading partners, aimed at addressing trade practices Washington deemed unfair. This surged to varying steeper levels last Thursday for dozens of economies.Major partners like the European Union, Japan and South Korea now see a 15-percent US duty on many products, while the level went as high as 41 percent for Syria.The “reciprocal” tariffs exclude sectors that have been separately targeted, such as steel and aluminum, and those that are being investigated like pharmaceuticals and semiconductors.They are also expected to exclude gold, although a clarification by US customs authorities made public last week caused concern that certain gold bars might still be targeted.Trump on Monday said that gold imports will not face additional tariffs, without providing further details.The US president has taken separate aim at individual countries such as Brazil over the trial of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is accused of planning a coup, and India over its purchase of Russian oil.Canada and Mexico come under a different tariff regime.

Donald Trump has ordered the mobilization of hundreds of National Guard troops for deployment in Washington, DC as part of what the US president bills as a crackdown on crime.Trump’s move to deploy National Guard troops in the nation’s capital comes after he took a similar step in Los Angeles in June, and the president has indicated that other cities should take note.Most National Guard forces answer to state governors and have to be “federalized” to be brought under presidential control, but in Washington, DC these troops already report only to the US president.- Military reserve force -The National Guard is a military reserve force within the United States Armed Forces, meaning that most of its members serve part-time while holding civilian jobs or conducting other activities.As a response force, the National Guard can be mobilized rapidly to address emergency situations on US soil, typically natural disasters. When needed, National Guard units can also be activated for deployments into combat zones, especially if the United States is at war.Unlike parts of the US military, the National Guard performs both state- and federal-level functions, and is organized into groupings based in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the US territories of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands.As a state-based force, generally it is the governor of a state or territory who activates and commands the National Guard when needed.However, in some situations the National Guard can be “federalized” by the president, bringing it under the president’s control until the specific federal mission has ended — as was the case in Los Angeles.The latest budget from the Department of Defense authorizes 433,000 National Guard personnel in total, split across the Air National Guard and Army National Guard.This means that compared to other components of the US military, the National Guard is second only to the US Army in terms of size.- Emergency response -National Guard members are typically deployed during emergencies such as natural disasters at the request of governors and based on specific provisions in each state’s laws.In the aftermath of events like hurricanes, wildfires, and floods, state National Guards are often called on to help evacuate dangerous areas, deliver supplies to places that would otherwise be cut off, or provide specialist equipment needed to clear hazardous debris.The largest National Guard deployment in recent years was during the Covid-19 pandemic, where troops helped construct and staff emergency care facilities, transport health supplies around the country, and coordinate other logistics.Outside of a natural disaster, deployment of the guard can be ordered in emergencies created by the breakdown of public order.- History with protest -The use of the National Guard to manage public unrest is not unique to Trump.During the widespread Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, more than half of US states activated National Guard troops to maintain order and help enforce curfews.Before that, they were also deployed to Los Angeles in 1992 to respond to riots that occurred after police officers who had beaten motorist Rodney King were acquitted at trial.At that time, riots, looting and arson attacks had spread across the city, with dozens of people killed and thousands injured.The National Guard was deployed during the 1950s and 60s Civil Rights era to help enforce school desegregation, following the Supreme Court’s landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling.In one of the force’s darkest moments, in May 1970, members of the Ohio National Guard clashed with anti-war protesters at Kent State University. As unrest swelled, the troops opened fire, killing four unarmed students.The shootings sparked outrage, but also led to reform of the guard’s use-of-force guidelines.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will continue to develop film and TV projects for Netflix but on more limited terms, the streaming giant announced Monday.The estranged British royal and his wife have worked with Netflix since 2020, producing documentary “Harry & Meghan” and lifestyle series “With Love, Meghan.” The latter showcased the Duchess of Sussex as a thriving domestic maven, hosting guests, harvesting honey and mixing bath salts against an idyllic California backdrop. It has been extended for a second season, and a holiday special due in December, Netflix said.But while the pair’s previous Netflix deal bought the streamer exclusive rights to their output, the new multi-year agreement is a “first look deal”In Hollywood parlance, this means Netflix has the right to say yes or no to a project before Harry and Meghan’s media company Archewell Productions can shop it around other studios.Typically, first-look deals are less lucrative than exclusive deals, though they also provide producers with more flexibility.”We’re proud to extend our partnership with Netflix and expand our work together to include the ‘As ever’ brand,” said Meghan, referring to her recently re-branded line of lifestyle products including rose wine and apricot spreads.Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s chief content officer, described Harry and Meghan as “influential voices whose stories resonate with audiences everywhere,” in the statement.Harry and Meghan wed in a fairytale ceremony in 2018, before splitting from the British royal family and moving to California two years later. Cut off from the royal purse, the pair signed their first Netflix deal in 2020 for a reported $100 million.That figure was never confirmed, and no financial terms have been revealed for the extension.The New York Times reported Monday that the new deal is worth less for Harry and Meghan than the previous agreement, citing a person familiar with the terms.”Harry & Meghan,” a six-episode tell-all about their relationship and exit from the House of Windsor, drew 23 million views in its first four days — a record for a Netflix documentary.Despite withering reviews from critics, “With Love, Meghan” had over five million views in the first half of 2025, making it Netflix’s most-watched cooking show.The upcoming holiday special will feature Meghan hosting “friends and family” as they “deck the halls, create holiday feasts, craft heartfelt gifts, and share lots of laughs,” the statement promised.Later this year, Netflix will release a short documentary from Archewell Productions about a small orphanage in Uganda.The couple are also producing a “romance feature adaptation” of Carley Fortune’s novel “Meet Me At The Lake,” though no Netflix release has been confirmed. 

US President Donald Trump said Monday he expects to have “constructive conversations” with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and expressed displeasure with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky for ruling out territorial concessions.The US president has spent the first months of his second term in office trying to broker peace in Ukraine — after boasting he could end the conflict in 24 hours — but multiple rounds of talks, phone calls and diplomatic visits have failed to yield a breakthrough.Trump and Putin will hold a summit in Alaska on Friday in a bid halt the conflict, which was triggered by Moscow’s February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.It will be the first between sitting US and Russian presidents since Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in June 2021.”I’m going to speak to Vladimir Putin and I’m going to be telling him ‘you’ve got to end this war,'” Trump told a White House press conference, saying that he would “like to see a ceasefire very, very quickly.””I think we’ll have constructive conversations,” said the president, noting that he would seek out Putin’s “parameters” for peace, then call Zelensky and other European leaders right after the meeting.Trump said last week that “there’ll be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both” Ukraine and Russia — a suggestion Zelensky rejected.- ‘There’ll be some swapping’ -The Ukrainian president warned Saturday that “decisions without Ukraine” would not bring peace and said his country’s people “will not give their land to the occupier.”Trump said he was a “little bothered” by Zelensky’s stance on territorial concessions, and insisted that land swaps would take place.”There’ll be some swapping, there’ll be some changes in land,” he said.But Trump also stated that he would not make a unilateral agreement: “I’m not going to make a deal, it’s not up to me to make a deal,” he said, while emphasizing that he thinks “a deal should be made.”Three rounds of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine have failed to bear fruit, and it remains unclear whether the Trump-Putin summit would bring peace any closer.Russian bombardments have forced millions of people to flee their homes and have destroyed swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine, and Putin has resisted multiple calls from the United States, Europe and Kyiv for a ceasefire.Trump said he will know fairly quickly into the talks with Putin whether or not a deal would be coming, and that he may still walk away from trying to broker peace in Ukraine.”I may leave and say good luck and that’ll be the end. I may say this is not going to be settled,” Trump said.The US president said his aim is to bring Putin and Zelensky together, with or without being present himself.”Ultimately I’m going to put the two of them in a room, I’ll be there or I won’t be there, and I think it’ll get solved,” Trump said.

A federal judge on Monday rejected the Trump administration’s request to unseal grand jury transcripts from the criminal case against Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted accomplice of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.District Judge Paul Engelmayer said there is little in the transcripts that is not already in the public record, and they do not identify anyone other than Maxwell and Epstein as having had sexual contact with underage girls.The Justice Department had sought to release the transcripts to help defuse spiraling anger among President Donald Trump’s own supporters over what they have long seen as a cover-up of Epstein’s crimes and high-level connections.Engelmayer dismissed government arguments that the grand jury transcripts should be released because of “abundant public interest” in the case.”Its entire premise — that the Maxwell grand jury materials would bring to light meaningful new information about Epstein’s and Maxwell’s crimes, or the Government’s investigation into them — is demonstrably false,” he wrote.”Insofar as the motion to unseal implies that the grand jury materials are an untapped mine lode of undisclosed information about Epstein or Maxwell or confederates, they definitively are not that,” the judge said.”There is no ‘there’ there.”The Manhattan-based judge also cast doubt on the Trump administration’s motivation for seeking the public release of the Maxwell transcripts and suggested it was “disingenuous.””A member of the public, appreciating that the Maxwell grand jury materials do not contribute anything to public knowledge, might conclude that the Government’s motion for their unsealing was aimed not at ‘transparency’ but at diversion — aimed not at full disclosure but at the illusion of such,” he said.- Maxwell opposed release of transcripts-Maxwell, 63, is serving a 20-year sentence after being convicted in 2021 of recruiting underage girls for Epstein, who died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking.Her lawyers had opposed releasing the transcripts, saying it could potentially impact her ongoing legal appeals of her conviction.The Justice Department is also seeking the release of the secret grand jury transcripts in Epstein’s case. That request is being handled by a different judge.Trump’s supporters have been obsessed with the Epstein case for years and have been up in arms since the FBI and Justice Department said last month that the wealthy financier had committed suicide while in jail, did not blackmail any prominent figures, and did not keep a “client list.”In a bid to calm the furor, the Justice Department asked for the release of the grand jury transcripts from the cases against Epstein and Maxwell.US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche — who is also Trump’s former personal lawyer — met recently with Maxwell but has not revealed what was discussed.She was later moved to a minimum security prison.Trump, 79, was once a friend of Epstein, and The Wall Street Journal reported last month that the president’s name was among hundreds found during a Justice Department review of the so-called “Epstein files,” though there has not been evidence of wrongdoing.Maxwell is the only former Epstein associate convicted in connection with his activities, which right-wing conspiracy theorists allege included trafficking young girls for VIPs and other elites.