AFP USA

The high-profile trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs is approaching its final stretch, with both teams poised to rest their cases as soon as Tuesday.Closing arguments are tentatively expected to begin on Thursday, after which jurors will be tasked with deciding the fate of the music mogul who faces life in prison if convicted.The prosecution’s 34th and last witness is currently on the stand, and defense lawyers indicated Monday they do not plan on calling their own witnesses to testify in Manhattan federal court.It’s not abnormal for defense teams to opt not to present a case; the obligation to prove guilt lies on prosecutors, and unless jurors decide they have, the defendant is presumed innocent.Over seven weeks of testimony prosecutors drew connections across a web of witnesses, phone records and travel bookings, a bid to show that Combs was the kingpin of an enterprise comprised of high-ranking employees that carried out crimes including bribery, arson and kidnapping to enforce his power and satisfy his every desire.The prosecution said the artist and entrepreneur trafficked women and men for drug-fueled sexual marathons, sometimes days-long encounters dubbed “freak-offs” or “hotel nights.”Some of the events were filmed, and jurors have watched a number of sexually explicit clips.Government attorneys are closing their questioning by offering reams of text messages and other records for jurors to review, documentation of dozens of freak-offs that they say also shows arrangements for prostitution and trafficking.The 55-year-old denies the charges.- No defense witnesses? -The defense’s decision not to call witnesses could indicate they believe their questioning of government witnesses could have cast enough doubt on the case against Combs.It could also mean they haven’t identified any witnesses who could help them.They did indicate they plan to submit some exhibits into evidence before resting.Lawyers for Combs have insisted that what prosecutors have called sex trafficking was consensual.Three women have testified in graphic detail of harrowing abuse that ranged sexual, physical and emotional.The singer Casandra Ventura, Combs’s girlfriend for more than a decade, filed suit against Combs in 2023, a civil case that was settled out of court in less than 24 hours — but which opened the floodgates for a deluge of accusations against the one-time music industry powerhouse.She was among the key witnesses to testify at the trial, and jurors were repeatedly shown now-infamous surveillance footage of Combs violently kicking and dragging Ventura in a hotel.A hotel security guard testified that he received $100,000 in a brown paper bag from Combs in exchange for the disturbing tape, which CNN published last year.Jurors are not sequestered but are instructed every day not to consume any media about the case — a mighty task, as news of the trial has permeated both traditional and social media.

US President Donald Trump said a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was in force on Tuesday, urging both sides to “not violate it” on the 12th day of the war between the two arch-foes.”THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT!” he wrote on his Truth Social platform. The US leader had earlier said the truce would be a phased 24-hour process beginning at around 0400 GMT Tuesday, with Iran unilaterally halting all operations first. He said Israel would follow suit 12 hours later.Israeli rescuers said four people were killed in an Iranian strike, after state media in the Islamic republic reported waves of missiles were headed toward Israel.Neither Iran nor Israel have confirmed the agreement touted by Trump on ending the conflict that has killed hundreds in Iran and two dozen in Israel.Only hours before Trump’s latest announcement, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had said that “as of now, there is NO ‘agreement’ on ceasefire or cessation of military operations”.”However, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4 am Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards,” he said on social media.But Israel’s army said sirens were activated in northern Israel — where moments before Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported a wave of missiles were headed.At least four people were killed in the multi-wave Iranian missile attack shortly before the staggered ceasefire announced by Trump was meant to enter into force, emergency services and the military said.The Magen David Adom rescue service said three people were pronounced dead at the scene of a strike in the southern city of Beersheba while a fourth was added in an update to its figures.Explosions also continued to rock Tehran overnight, with blasts in the north and centre of the Iranian capital described by AFP journalists as some of the strongest since the conflict broke out.Any cessation in hostilities would come as a huge relief to world leaders frantic about an escalation in violence igniting a wider conflagration.The adversaries had been swapping missile fire since Israel carried out surprise “preemptive” strikes against Iran on June 13, targeting nuclear and military sites, and prompting Trump to warn of a possible “massive” regional conflict.- Strikes on US base -The US leader’s truce announcement came hours after Iran launched missiles at the largest US military facility in the Middle East — Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar — in a move Trump shrugged off as “very weak.”Calling for a de-escalation, Trump said Tehran had given advance notice of the barrage. Iran’s National Security Council confirmed having targeted the base “in response to the US aggressive and insolent action against Iran’s nuclear sites and facilities”. But it added that the number of missiles launched “was the same as the number of bombs that the US had used” — a signal that it had calibrated its response to be directly proportional rather than escalatory.”This was calibrated and telegraphed in a way that would not result in any American casualties, so that there is an off ramp for both sides,” Ali Vaez, a senior advisor at the International Crisis Group, told AFP.The offensive came after the United States joined its ally Israel’s military campaign against Iran, attacking an underground uranium enrichment centre with massive bunker-busting bombs and hitting two other nuclear facilities overnight Saturday into Sunday.As international concern mounted that Israel’s campaign and the US strikes could ignite a wider conflict, French President Emmanuel Macron insisted that “the spiral of chaos must end” while China warned of the potential economic fallout.- ‘Blatant aggression’ -Iran said its assault in Qatar wasn’t targeting the Middle Eastern neighbour, but the government in Doha accused Tehran of “blatant aggression” and claimed its right to a “proportional” response.Iran’s state media quoted the Revolutionary Guard Corps announcing that six missiles had hit Al Udeid, which had been evacuated beforehand, according to the Qataris. The broadside was made up of “short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles,” a US defence official said.AFP reporters heard blasts in central Doha and in Lusail, north of the capital, on Monday evening, and saw projectiles moving across the night sky.Iranians gathered in central Tehran to celebrate, images on state TV showed, with some waving the flag of the Islamic republic and chanting “Death to America”.Qatar earlier announced the temporary closure of its airspace in light of “developments in the region”, while the US embassy and other foreign missions warned their citizens to shelter in place.Israeli strikes on Iran have killed more than 400 people, Iran’s health ministry has said. Twenty-four people have died in Iran’s attacks on Israel, according to official figures.burs-ft/hmn/dv/tc

Celebrities in superyachts sail into Venice this week for the three-day wedding party of Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, despite irate locals who say the UNESCO city is no billionaire’s playground.The tech magnate and journalist have reportedly invited about 200 guests to their multi-million dollar nuptials in the Italian city, which are expected to kick off Thursday and end Saturday with a ceremony at a secret location.The security details are under tight wraps amid rumours the rite may take place at the historic Church of the Abbey of Misericordia, or at the Arsenale, a vast shipyard complex dating back to when the city was a naval powerhouse.Bezos, 61, and former news anchor and entertainment reporter Sanchez, 55, are said to have booked out the city’s finest hotels for a star-studded guest list rumoured to include Leonardo DiCaprio, Mick Jagger, Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, Orlando Bloom and Ivanka Trump.At least 95 private planes have requested permission to land at Venice’s Marco Polo airport, the Corriere della Sera said.And Bezos’ mega-yacht, Koru, is likely to moor off the iconic San Giorgio Maggiore island, which sits just opposite St Mark’s Square and has reportedly been booked in its entirety for the period.- Star-studded -The lavish celebration has sparked much soul-searching in Venice, where some fear so many A-list guests and their entourages will make life worse in a city already drowning under the weight of holidaymakers.Around 100,000 tourists overnight in peak periods, while tens of thousands descend just for the day, many hopping off cruise ships for a quick Bellini cocktail, while the city steadily depopulates.Venice happily hosted the star-studded nuptials of Hollywood actor George Clooney 11 years ago but protesters say Bezos — one of the world’s richest men and founder of a company regularly scrutinised for how it treats its workers — is different.As environmentalists questioned the guests’ carbon footprint, Greenpeace slammed billions spent on hedonistic partying while the fragile city is “sinking under the weight of the climate crisis”.Sanchez has also been criticised for saying more must be done to tackle climate change while also taking part in a space flight in April on a rocket developed by Bezos’s space company Blue Origin.Activists unfurled a giant banner in St Mark’s on Monday, with a picture of Bezos laughing and a sign reading: “If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax”.- ‘Private ballroom’ -Built on islands in a lagoon, the city has imposed a controversial ticket policy for day-trippers but locals say more must be done to protect local businesses and tackle the housing crisis.Tommaso Cacciari, 47, who heads the No Space for Bezos movement, said the protesters object to “the use of Venice as if it were a very private ballroom, rather than a real city with inhabitants, with frailties, with problems”.He told AFP such events were “condemning Venice to a definitive death” by driving out remaining residents, but protesters were ready to kill the romance by throwing “our bodies, our boats and inflatable animals” into canals as guests pass.The couple’s Sicilian wedding planner Lanza & Baucina said they have been instructed to minimise any disruption to the city.And Simone Venturini, Venice’s tourism city councillor, denied it would disrupt daily life, telling AFP it was just “one of many events that the city hosts on a daily basis. It is also relatively small in terms of the number of people involved”.The couple, both divorced, have made charity donations to support the city and are employing historic Venetian artisans.Venice’s oldest pastry maker Rosa Salva is baking 19th-century “fishermen’s biscuits” for party bags also expected to contain something by Laguna B, renowned for its handblown Murano glass.While disgruntled citizens hoping to make a splash ready their swimming costumes, others flattered by Bezos’s decision to celebrate here have set up a counter-group called “Yes Venice Can”.”It’s a fragile city, that’s clear, it’s not like you can do everything all the time, no matter what — but events like this don’t create any problems at all”, said 50-year-old local Michele Serafini.The wedding “brings money to the city of Venice”, and that can only be a good thing, he said.

Israeli rescuers said Tuesday three people were killed in an Iranian strike, as Tehran’s state media reported new waves of missiles heading for Israel after US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between the two Middle East foes.Neither Iran nor Israel have confirmed the agreement touted by Trump on ending the conflict that has killed hundreds in Iran and two dozen in Israel.The US leader had said the ceasefire would be a phased 24-hour process beginning at around 0400 GMT Tuesday, with Iran unilaterally halting all operations. Israel would follow suit 12 hours later.”It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.”Upon the 24th hour, an official end to the 12-day war will be saluted by the world,” he said, adding that both sides had agreed to remain “peaceful and respectful” during each phase of the process.Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that “as of now, there is NO ‘agreement’ on ceasefire or cessation of military operations.””However, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4 am Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards,” he said on social media.But Israel’s army said sirens were activated in northern Israel — where moments before Iran’s state media Irib reported a wave of missiles were headed.Israeli emergency services also reported casualties in an Iranian missile strike in southern Israel. “Following the missile impact site in southern Israel: So far, MDA teams have pronounced the deaths of three people,” Magen David Adom said in a statement on X.Explosions also continued to rock Tehran overnight, with blasts in the north and centre of the Iranian capital described by AFP journalists as some of the strongest since the conflict broke out.Any cessation in hostilities would come as a huge relief to world leaders frantic about an escalation in violence igniting a wider conflagration.The adversaries had been swapping missile fire since Israel carried out surprise “preemptive” strikes against Iran on June 13, targeting nuclear and military sites, and prompting Trump to warn of a possible “massive” regional conflict.- Strikes on US base -The US leader’s truce announcement came hours after Iran launched missiles at the largest US military facility in the Middle East — Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar — in a move Trump shrugged off as “very weak.”Calling for a de-escalation, Trump said Tehran had given advance notice of the barrage. Iran’s National Security Council confirmed having targeted the base “in response to the US aggressive and insolent action against Iran’s nuclear sites and facilities”. But it added that the number of missiles launched “was the same as the number of bombs that the US had used” — a signal that it had calibrated its response to be directly proportional rather than escalatory.”This was calibrated and telegraphed in a way that would not result in any American casualties, so that there is an off ramp for both sides,” Ali Vaez, a senior advisor at the International Crisis Group, told AFP.The offensive came after the United States joined its ally Israel’s military campaign against Iran, attacking an underground uranium enrichment centre with massive bunker-busting bombs and hitting two other nuclear facilities overnight Saturday into Sunday.As international concern mounted that Israel’s campaign and the US strikes could ignite a wider conflict, French President Emmanuel Macron insisted that “the spiral of chaos must end” while China warned of the potential economic fallout.- ‘Blatant aggression’ -Iran said its assault in Qatar wasn’t targeting the Middle Eastern neighbour, but the government in Doha accused Tehran of “blatant aggression” and claimed its right to a “proportional” response.Iran’s state media quoted the Revolutionary Guard Corps announcing that six missiles had hit Al Udeid, which had been evacuated beforehand, according to the Qataris. The broadside was made up of “short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles,” a US defence official said.AFP reporters heard blasts in central Doha and in Lusail, north of the capital, on Monday evening, and saw projectiles moving across the night sky.Iranians gathered in central Tehran to celebrate, images on state TV showed, with some waving the flag of the Islamic republic and chanting “Death to America”.Qatar earlier announced the temporary closure of its airspace in light of “developments in the region”, while the US embassy and other foreign missions warned their citizens to shelter in place.Israeli strikes on Iran have killed more than 400 people, Iran’s health ministry has said. Twenty-four people have died in Iran’s attacks on Israel, according to official figures.burs-ft/hmn/tc/ecl

A potentially life-threatening heat wave enveloped the eastern third of the United States on Monday impacting nearly 160 million people, with temperatures this week expected to reach 102 degrees Fahrenheit (39 degrees Celsius) in the New York metropolitan area.The country’s first significant scorching heat of the year triggered health warnings as it arrived over the weekend. Dangerously high temperatures are forecast through Wednesday in Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City and Boston.”This extreme heat will not just be uncomfortable and oppressive for New Yorkers,” warned Mayor Eric Adams, adding that each year heat claims the lives of 500 people in this city of eight million.”It’s going to be brutal and dangerous if you do not treat it with the understanding that we want you to,” he added.As sweltering heat baked the city, authorities urged seniors, people with health problems and those without air conditioning to stay hydrated and seek help at designated cooling centers such as libraries and recreation facilities. Heat records tumbled across parts of the US Northeast. In Central Park, known as the lungs of Manhattan, Monday’s temperature of 96F (36C) tied a record that has stood since 1888, according to the National Weather Service.”Extreme Heat Warnings and Heat Advisories across much of the eastern third of the country (are) affecting nearly 160 million people” across at least 29 states, the NWS reported. “This level of HeatRisk is known for being rare and/or long duration with little to no overnight relief, and affects anyone without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration,” the agency warned.Meteorologists are describing the intensifying weather pattern as a heat dome, a high-pressure system that traps air and leads to steadily rising thermal readings.Extreme heat is the deadliest weather-related hazard in the United States, leading to more fatalities than natural disasters like hurricanes or tornadoes.For many in the Big Apple, avoiding work in the searing heat was not an option.”We have to endure it, because otherwise what are we going to survive on?” Manuel, a manual worker repairing a building facade in New York’s Harlem neighborhood, told AFP.”Sometimes we stop because it’s a danger. We don’t all have the same energy, but you have to endure,” he added.In the Washington Heights neighborhood, authorities opened several fire hydrants so residents could seek relief with the gushing water.One of the local heroes was Ronald Marcelin, a 44-year-old air conditioning technician sweating profusely as he repaired a pizzeria’s AC unit.”I’m taking the heat so that everyone else can cool down,” Marcelin said with a grin.- Triple digits -The soaring temperatures come just as New Yorkers head to the polls Tuesday — with a forecast high of 102F (39C)  — for the Democratic primary that will decide the party’s mayoral candidate.It promises to be a tight race between Andrew Cuomo, who is seeking political resurrection after resigning in disgrace as state governor in 2021, and rising left-wing star Zohran Mamdani.Over the weekend, Cuomo urged residents to cast their votes even if the temperatures hit triple digits.In Washington, the heat index — what the temperature feels like with humidity factored in — was forecast to soar as high as 110F (43C) on Monday, and the mayor’s office urged residents to take advantage of cooling centers and public swimming pools.Scientists say extreme heat waves are a clear sign of global warming, and they are expected to become more frequent, longer, and more intense.Fueled by human-caused climate change, 2024 was the warmest year on record globally — and 2025 is projected to rank among the top three.

US President Donald Trump announced Monday that Iran and Israel had agreed to a staggered ceasefire that would bring about an “official end” to their conflict, as strikes continued to hammer Tehran overnight.”It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.There was however no immediate confirmation from either of the Middle Eastern adversaries, whose unprecedented exchange of attacks has seen hundreds killed in Iran and two dozen in Israel.Trump said the ceasefire would be a phased 24-hour process beginning at around 0400 GMT Tuesday, with Iran unilaterally halting all operations. Israel would follow suit 12 hours later, the president said.”Upon the 24th hour, an official end to the 12-day war will be saluted by the world,” he said, adding that both sides had agreed to remain “peaceful and respectful” during each phase of the process.Explosions nonetheless continued to rock Tehran overnight, with explosions in the north and center of the Iranian capital described by AFP journalists as some of the strongest since the conflict broke out.Any cessation in hostilities would come as a huge relief to world leaders frantic about an escalation in violence igniting into a wider conflagration.The adversaries had been swapping missile fire since Israel carried out surprise “preemptive” strikes against Iran on June 13, targeting nuclear and military sites, and prompting Trump to warn of a possible “massive” regional conflict.- Strikes on US base -The US leader’s ceasefire announcement came hours after Iran launched missiles at the largest US military facility in the Middle East — Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar — in a move Trump shrugged off as “very weak.”Calling for a de-escalation, Trump said Tehran had given advance notice of the barrage. No one had been hurt in the attack, Trump said.Iran’s National Security Council confirmed having targeted the base “in response to the US aggressive and insolent action against Iran’s nuclear sites and facilities.” But it added that the number of missiles launched “was the same as the number of bombs that the US had used” — a signal that it had calibrated its response to be directly proportional rather than escalatory.”This was calibrated and telegraphed in a way that would not result in any American casualties, so that there is an off ramp for both sides,” Ali Vaez, a senior advisor at the International Crisis Group, told AFP.The offensive came after the United States joined its ally Israel’s military campaign against Iran, attacking an underground uranium enrichment center with massive bunker-busting bombs and hitting two other nuclear facilities overnight Saturday into Sunday.As international concern mounted that Israel’s campaign and the US strikes could ignite into a wider conflict, French President Emmanuel Macron insisted that “the spiral of chaos must end” while China warned of the potential economic fallout.- ‘Blatant aggression’ -Iran said its assault in Qatar wasn’t targeting the Middle Eastern neighbor, but the government in Doha accused Tehran of “blatant aggression” and claimed its right to a “proportional” response.Iran’s state media quoted the Revolutionary Guard Corps announcing that six missiles had hit Al Udeid, which had been evacuated beforehand, according to the Qataris. The broadside was made up of “short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles,” a US defense official said.AFP reporters heard blasts in central Doha and in Lusail, north of the capital, on Monday evening, and saw projectiles moving across the night sky.Iranians gathered in central Tehran to celebrate, images on state TV showed, with some waving the flag of the Islamic republic and chanting “Death to America.”Qatar earlier announced the temporary closure of its airspace in light of “developments in the region,” while the US embassy and other foreign missions warned their citizens to shelter in place.Israeli strikes on Iran have killed more than 400 people, Iran’s health ministry has said. Twenty-four people have died in Iran’s attacks on Israel, according to official figures.After a day of tit-for-tat missile launches between Israel and Iran, the Israeli army called around midnight for residents in part of central Tehran to evacuate, saying it was “targeting the Iranian regime’s military infrastructure.”burs-ft/des/

Mahmoud Khalil, one of the most prominent leaders of pro-Palestinian protests on US campuses, recounted his experience surviving 104 days in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention after being targeted for deportation by the Trump administration.”I shared a dorm with over 70 men, absolutely no privacy, lights on all the time,” the 30-year-old said Sunday on the steps of Columbia University, where he was a graduate student.Khalil, a legal permanent resident in the United States who is married to an American citizen and has a US-born son, had been in custody since March facing potential removal proceedings.He was freed from a federal immigration detention center in Jena, Louisiana on Friday, hours after a judge ordered his release on bail. The activist was a figurehead of student protests at Columbia University against US ally Israel’s war in Gaza, and the administration of Donald Trump labeled him a national security threat.”It’s so normal in detention to see men cry,” Khalil recalled, deeming the situation “horrendous” and “a stain on the US Constitution.””I spent my days listening to one tragic story after another: listening to a father of four whose wife is battling cancer, and he’s in detention,” Khalil detailed in his first protest appearance since regaining his freedom.”I listened to a story of an individual who has been in the United States for over 20 years, all his children are American, yet he’s deported.”The circumstances of the detention were tough, Khalil described, and he took solace where he could find it to gain the strength to carry on.- ‘We will win’ -“It is often hard to find patience in ICE detention,” Khalil said. “The center is crowded with hundreds of people who are told that their existence is illegal, and not one of us knows when we can go free.”At those moments, it was remembering a specific chant that gave me strength : ‘I believe that we will win,'” he continued, to cheers from the audience.Khalil said he even scratched the phrase into his detention center bunk bed as a reminder, being the last thing he saw when he went to sleep and the first thing he read waking up in the morning.He repeats it even now, “knowing that I have won in a small way by being free today.”Khalil took specific aim at the site of his speech, Columbia University, chastising the institution for saying “that they want to protect their international students, while over 100 (days) later, I haven’t received a single call from this university.”Khalil’s wife Noor Abdalla, who gave birth to their son while her husband was held by ICE, said his “voice is stronger now than it has ever been.””One day our son will know that his father did not bow to fear. He will know that his father stood up when it was hardest, and that the world stood with him,” Abdalla said.

A divided US Supreme Court paved the way on Monday for the Trump administration to resume deportations of undocumented migrants to countries that are not their own.The unsigned order from the conservative-dominated top court came in response to an emergency appeal by the Justice Department to lift a stay imposed by a lower court on so-called third country deportations.The Supreme Court did not provide an explanation for the decision and the three liberal justices dissented.The original case challenging the third country deportations will now be heard by an appeals court but the Supreme Court’s move allows the removals to proceed for now.District Judge Brian Murphy had ordered a halt to third country deportations in April, saying migrants were not being given a “meaningful opportunity” to contest their expulsions.Murphy said they should get at least 15 days to challenge their deportation and provide evidence of whether they may be at risk of torture or death if expelled.The original case involves the deportation of eight men — two from Myanmar, two from Cuba, a Vietnamese man, a Laotian, a Mexican and one from South Sudan — who the US authorities said were convicted violent criminals.They were being flown to impoverished war-torn South Sudan when Murphy’s order came down and have been held since at a US military base in Djibouti.The Trump administration has defended the third country deportations as necessary since the home nations of some of those who are targeted for removal often refuse to accept them.Justice Sonia Sotomayor, author of the dissent, accused the administration of “flagrantly unlawful conduct” that is “exposing thousands to the risk of torture or death.””The government has made clear in word and deed that it feels itself unconstrained by law, free to deport anyone anywhere without notice or an opportunity to be heard,” Sotomayor said.- ‘Fire up the deportation planes’ -The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) welcomed the Supreme Court move as a “victory for the safety and security of the American people.””If these activists judges had their way, aliens who are so uniquely barbaric that their own countries won’t take them back, including convicted murderers, child rapists and drug traffickers, would walk free on American streets,” DHS said in a post on X.”DHS can now execute its lawful authority and remove illegal aliens to a country willing to accept them,” it said. “Fire up the deportation planes.”Donald Trump campaigned for president promising to expel millions of undocumented migrants from the US, and he has taken a number of actions aimed at speeding up deportations since returning to the White House in January.But his mass deportation efforts have been thwarted or stalled by numerous courts, including the Supreme Court, over concerns that migrant rights to due process are being ignored.Murphy, an appointee of Trump’s Democratic predecessor Joe Biden, also temporarily blocked the government from expelling Asian migrants to Libya.

A potentially life-threatening heat wave enveloped the eastern third of the United States on Monday impacting nearly 160 million people, with temperatures expected to climb to 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) in the New York metropolitan area.The country’s first significant scorching heat of the year arrived over the weekend and peaks Monday and Tuesday in Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York City.”This extreme heat will not just be uncomfortable and oppressive for New Yorkers,” warned Mayor Eric Adams, adding that each year heat claims the lives of 500 people in this city of eight million.”It’s going to be brutal and dangerous if you do not treat it with the understanding that we want you to,” he added.As sweltering heat enveloped the city, authorities urged seniors, people with health problems and those without air conditioning to stay hydrated and seek help at designated cooling centers such as libraries and recreation facilities. Heat records tumbled across parts of the US Northeast, including in Central Park, known as the lungs of Manhattan, where Monday’s temperature of 96 degrees broke a record that had stood since 1888, according to the National Weather Service.”Extreme Heat Warnings and Heat Advisories across much of the eastern third of the country (are) affecting nearly 160 million people” across at least 29 states, the NWS reported. “This level of HeatRisk is known for being rare and/or long duration with little to no overnight relief, and affects anyone without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration,” the agency warned.Meteorologists are describing the intensifying weather pattern as a heat dome, a high-pressure system that traps air and leads to steadily rising thermal readings.For many in the Big Apple, avoiding work in the searing heat was not an option.”We have to endure it, because otherwise what are we going to survive on?” Manuel, a manual worker repairing a building facade in New York’s Harlem neighborhood, told AFP.”Sometimes we stop because it’s a danger. We don’t all have the same energy, but you have to endure,” he added.In the Washington Heights neighborhood, authorities opened several fire hydrants so residents could seek relief with the gushing water.One of the local heroes was Ronald Marcelin, a 44-year-old air conditioning technician sweating profusely as he repaired a pizzeria’s AC unit.”I’m taking the heat so that everyone else can cool down,” Marcelin said with a grin.- Triple digits -The soaring temperatures come just as New Yorkers head to the polls Tuesday for the Democratic primary that will decide the party’s mayoral candidate. This promises to be a tight race between Andrew Cuomo, who is seeking political resurrection after resigning in disgrace as state governor in 2021, and rising left-wing star Zohran Mamdami.Over the weekend, Cuomo urged residents to cast their votes even if the temperatures hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit.In Washington, the heat index — what the temperature feels like with humidity factored in — was forecast to soar to as high as 110 F on Monday, and the mayor’s office urged residents to take advantage of cooling centers.Scientists say extreme heat waves are a clear sign of global warming, and they are expected to become more frequent, longer, and more intense.Fueled by human-caused climate change, 2024 was the warmest year on record globally — and 2025 is projected to rank among the top three.

Breathtaking stellar nurseries, a sprawling stretch of cosmos teeming with millions of galaxies, and thousands of newly discovered asteroids were revealed Monday in the first deep space images captured by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile.More than two decades in the making, the $800 million US-funded telescope sits atop Cerro Pachon in central Chile, where dark skies and dry air provide ideal conditions for observing the cosmos.One debut image is a composite of 678 exposures taken over seven hours, capturing the Trifid and Lagoon Nebulae — both several thousand light-years from Earth — glowing in vivid pinks against orange-red backdrops.It reveals these birth places of stars in unprecedented detail, with previously faint or invisible features now clearly visible. Another, dubbed “The Cosmic Treasure Chest,” shows the universe “teeming with stars and galaxies — the seemingly empty black pockets of space between stars in the night sky when you look at it with unaided eyes, are transformed here into these glittering tapestries,” said Zeljko Ivezic, director of Rubin construction. Spiral, elliptical, and clustered galaxies appear in vivid reds, blues, and oranges. These colors reveal key details such as distance and size with unmatched precision, helping scientists better understand the universe’s expansion history.The colors don’t directly match what the naked eye would see, explained scientist Federica Bianco, since the telescope captures a far broader range of wavelengths. Instead, they are representational: infrared is mapped to red to represent cooler objects, while ultraviolet is mapped to blue and indicates warmer ones.- 10-year flagship project -An interactive version of the image is now available on the Rubin Observatory’s website.”One of the things that is very fun is that if you zoom in and you look at one of the fuzzy galaxies there, you might be the first person to be paying attention to that fuzzy blob,” said Clare Higgs, education and public outreach science lead.The observatory features an advanced 8.4-meter telescope and the largest digital camera ever built, supported by a powerful data system transferring 20 terabytes each night.Roughly the size of a car, the camera captures 3,200-megapixel images. It would take 400 ultra-high-definition televisions stacked together to view a single Rubin image at full resolution.Later this year, the observatory will launch its flagship project, the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). Over the next decade, it will scan the night sky nightly, detecting even the subtlest changes with unmatched precision.Named after pioneering American astronomer Vera C. Rubin — whose research provided the first conclusive evidence for dark matter — the observatory continues her legacy by making dark matter a central focus of its mission.Dark energy, an equally mysterious and immensely powerful force, is believed to drive the accelerating expansion of the universe. Together, dark matter and dark energy are thought to make up 95 percent of the cosmos, yet their true nature remains unknown.”By observing up to 20 billion galaxies, we’ll study how light from those distant galaxies has reached us — and nearly every galaxy’s light has been bent by the gravitational interaction of dark matter that pervades the universe,” said scientist Aaron Roodman. This, he added, will help illuminate these cosmic mysteries. A joint initiative of the US National Science Foundation and Department of Energy, the observatory is also considered one of the most powerful tools ever built for planetary defense.In just 10 hours of observation, Rubin discovered 2,104 previously unknown asteroids in our solar system, including seven near-Earth objects — none of which pose a threat. All other ground- and space-based observatories combined discover about 20,000 new asteroids per year.- Chilean pride – Chile hosts telescopes from more than 30 countries, including some of the most advanced astronomical instruments in the world — among them the ALMA Observatory, the most powerful radio telescope on Earth.Cerro Tololo Observatory helped achieve the landmark discovery of the universe’s accelerating expansion — a breakthrough that earned the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics.Another major project, the Extremely Large Telescope, is slated to begin operations in 2027 and promises to probe previously unreachable cosmic distances.