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Their whirlwind romance began under a cloud of scandal, but now Lauren Sanchez, a former morning TV anchor with a love of flying, is set to wed Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, the world’s fourth-richest person, in a Venice extravaganza. Both were married to other people when they began secretly dating sometime before 2019.In January of that year, Bezos and his first wife, the publicity-shy MacKenzie Scott, announced their divorce, stating their intention to continue “our shared lives as friends.”Bezos met Scott in 1992 while they were both working at a New York hedge fund. They quit their jobs to co-found Amazon in a rented garage in Bellevue, Washington.A month after the split, Bezos publicly accused the US tabloid the National Enquirer of blackmail in an offer to prevent the publication of salacious photos and text messages with Sanchez. He suggested the effort was orchestrated by Saudi Arabia, whose leaders were reportedly upset with how The Washington Post — which Bezos owns — covered the murder of its reporter Jamal Khashoggi. However, Sanchez later revealed that her brother sold the phone content to the Enquirer for a reported $200,000.- ‘Is it hot?’ -With his new romance flourishing, Bezos stepped down as CEO of Amazon in 2021. Bezos, 61, stated his primary reason for pulling back was to dedicate more time and energy to Blue Origin, his space exploration company, and charity work. He remains Amazon’s executive chairman, the retail giant’s biggest shareholder, and still holds considerable influence over the company’s direction.Bezos and Sanchez are fixtures at Oscar parties and other celebrity haunts. Sanchez often uses Instagram to communicate, sometimes expressing her love for Bezos or her children. In 2023, they announced their engagement.Bezos has notably changed his look during his relationship with the exuberantly dressed Sanchez, trading in the wardrobe of a scrawny tech executive for that of a style-conscious playboy with a more muscular physique. “Is it just me, or is it hot outside?” Sanchez wrote in the caption of a 2023 Instagram post showing a shirtless Bezos in swimming trunks climbing the ladder of his $500 million mega yacht.- ‘Changed my life’ -Before her relationship with Bezos, Sanchez, 55, was not a nationally known figure. A third-generation Mexican American originally from New Mexico, Sanchez has dyslexia and has made awareness of the learning disability one of her missions. She has shared that she assumed she was “stupid” until a community college professor informed her she had the condition and was perfectly smart.”It changed my life,” helping her win a scholarship to the University of Southern California, Sanchez told the Wall Street Journal.She dropped out of USC to begin her TV career at a local station in Phoenix, Arizona, before working on Fox Sports and Extra, a TV tabloid-style news show in Los Angeles, which would become her home for decades. In 1999, she narrowly missed national fame when she was turned down for a spot on “The View,” the talk show hosted by TV news legend Barbara Walters.Sanchez instead became a familiar face to Angelenos as a co-host of a local morning news show from 2011 to 2017. During most of those years, she was married to Hollywood super-agent Patrick Whitesell, with whom she has two children, Evan and Ella. She also has a first son, Nikko, from a relationship with former NFL star Tony Gonzalez. Bezos has four children with his ex-wife: a son, Preston, born in 2000, as well as two sons and one adopted daughter whose ages and names are not public.- Women can fly -Sanchez has a deep passion for flying. After leaving morning television, she founded a company specializing in aerial filming and served as a consultant on Christopher Nolan’s film Dunkirk.”This space is dominated by men,” she told The Hollywood Reporter in 2017. “But there’s nothing physical about flying a helicopter… There’s no reason more women aren’t in this.”Her passion for the skies also led her to space in April as part of an all-female flight on Blue Origin, though the 11-minute trip has been criticized as wasteful.  Among the crew were pop singer Katy Perry, who was also a guest at Sanchez’s bachelorette party in Paris last month. The A-list guest list for the party also included Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, and Eva Longoria.

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was holding, shortly after he lashed out at both countries and cursed as he accused them of violating the truce.In a fast-moving series of declarations, the 79-year-old Republican, who was on his way to attend a NATO summit in The Hague, posted on his Truth Social app that “the Ceasefire is in effect!””ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly ‘Plane Wave’ to Iran. Nobody will be hurt,” Trump wrote.Minutes earlier, he had castigated Iran and also close US ally Israel for violating a ceasefire he had originally announced late Monday.The two countries have been “fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing, do you understand that?” the president told reporters at the White House.Iran violated the ceasefire, “but Israel violated it too,” Trump told reporters on the White House’s South Lawn as he departed for the NATO summit.”So I’m not happy with them. I’m not happy with Iran either. But I’m really unhappy if Israel is going out this morning.””I’ve got to get Israel to calm down,” he said. “Israel, as soon as we made the deal, they came out and dropped a load of bombs the likes of which I’ve never seen before.”Trump’s unusually public display of anger at Israel saw the US leader apparently trying to cajole his ally to call off warplanes in real time.Earlier the same morning, he had posted on Truth Social: “ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS” — without it being clear which bombs he was referring to.”IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!”If it holds, the truce would be a big political win for Trump in the wake of his risky decision to send US bombers over the weekend to attack three nuclear facilities in Iran that Israel and the United States say were being used to build an atomic bomb in secret.The US leader had 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.Israel has been bombing Iran in an offensive that began June 13. The United States joined the attack with a mission starting overnight Friday to Saturday against the deeply buried Fordow complex and two other sites.Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump insisted that the US bombing mission was a success.”I think it’s been completely demolished,” he said, savaging US journalists for “fake news” and calling two networks “scum” for reporting that it remains unclear whether the Iranian nuclear infrastructure was truly dismantled.”IRAN WILL NEVER REBUILD THEIR NUCLEAR FACILITIES!” he posted separately on Truth Social.

US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will tell Congress Tuesday that the central bank can afford to wait for the impact of tariffs before deciding on further interest rate cuts — despite President Donald Trump’s calls to do so.The Fed has a duty to prevent a one-time spike in prices from becoming an “ongoing inflation problem,” Powell said in prepared remarks to the House Committee on Financial Services.”For the time being, we are well positioned to wait to learn more about the likely course of the economy before considering any adjustments to our policy stance,” he added.Powell’s reiteration that the Fed can wait to lower rates comes after two Fed officials recently expressed openness to cuts as early as in July.The Fed has held the benchmark lending rate steady this year after its last reduction in December, bringing the level to a range between 4.25 percent and 4.50 percent.After unveiling the Fed’s latest announcement to keep rates unchanged for a fourth straight policy meeting last week, Powell told reporters that the bank would make smarter decisions if it waited to understand how Trump’s tariffs impact the economy.But hours before Powell’s testimony Tuesday, Trump again urged the Fed chair to slash rates, saying these should be “at least two to three points lower” given that inflation remains benign.”I hope Congress really works this very dumb, hardheaded person, over,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.Powell is expected to maintain Tuesday that it remains unclear how concerns over US trade policies could affect future spending and investment.”Increases in tariffs this year are likely to push up prices and weigh on economic activity,” he said in the prepared remarks.For now, Powell added: “Despite elevated uncertainty, the economy is in a solid position.”Since returning to the presidency, Trump has imposed a 10 percent tariff on almost all trading partners and steeper rates on imports of steel, aluminum and autos.Economists warn the levies could fuel inflation and bog down economic growth, although widespread effects have so far been muted.This is partly because Trump has backed off or postponed his most punishing salvos. Businesses also stocked up on inventory in anticipation of the duties, avoiding immediate consumer price hikes.But Powell expects to learn more about the tariffs’ effects over the summer, given that these take time to filter through.Although the Fed has penciled in two rate cuts this year, there is growing divergence among policymakers about whether the central bank can lower rates at all this year.While inflation has eased significantly from highs in mid-2022, Powell said in remarks Tuesday that it remains “somewhat elevated” relative to the bank’s longer-run two percent goal.

Israel said Tuesday it has agreed to US President Donald Trump’s declaration of a ceasefire with Iran, adding that it has achieved all its objectives in the 12-day war with its arch-foe.Hours after Trump said his ceasefire had taken effect, Israel said it intercepted two Iranian missiles, with Defence Minister Israel Katz vowing that the military would “respond forcefully”.Iran denied launching missiles at Israel after the ceasefire announcement, and said it had “compelled” Israel to “unilaterally halt its aggression”, while stopping short of officially accepting the ceasefire plan.Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had earlier said that if Israel stopped “its illegal aggression,” Tehran would have “no intention” to continue fighting.The US leader had 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.”THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. The Israeli government said: “Last night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened the cabinet… to announce that Israel had achieved all the objectives of Operation ‘Rising Lion’ and much more.”It added that it had removed “an immediate dual existential threat: nuclear and ballistic”.”Israel will respond forcefully to any violation of the ceasefire,” the statement said, while the army added that the “danger persists” despite the truce announcement.Iran’s top security body said the Islamic republic’s forces had “compelled” Israel to “unilaterally” cease fire, adding that they remained “on high alert” to respond to “any act of aggression”.Referring to a “divine gift”, the Supreme National Security Council said Iran’s actions against Israel led to “victory and triumph that compelled the enemy to regret, accept defeat, and unilaterally halt its aggression”.- ‘Respond forcefully’ -After Trump said the truce had taken hold, Israel’s Katz said he had ordered the Israeli army “to respond forcefully to Iran’s violation of the ceasefire” after incoming Iranian missiles were reported by the military.A military official told AFP on condition of anonymity that “two missiles were launched from Iran and they were intercepted”.Iran however denied launching missiles at Israel after the announcement.Earlier, Israeli rescuers said four people were killed in an Iranian strike, with state media in the Islamic republic reporting waves of missiles were headed toward Israel.In Iran, state television said an overnight Israeli strike in northern Iran killed nuclear scientist Mohammad Reza Seddighi Saber, who was under US sanctions.- Strikes on US base -Any cessation in hostilities would come as a huge relief to world leaders frantic about an escalation in violence igniting an even wider war.Israel launched “preemptive” strikes against Iran on June 13, hitting nuclear and military sites as well as residential areas, and prompting waves of Iranian missile attacks on Israel. While Iran and Israel have been in a shadow war against each other for decades, this has been by far the most destructive confrontation between the arch-foes.The war has also seen US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, followed by an Iranian missile launch towards the largest US military facility in the Middle East — Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.Calling for 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”. It added that the number of missiles launched “was the same as the number of bombs that the US had used” against Iran.Ali Vaez, a senior advisor at the International Crisis Group, told AFP: “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.”According to a US defence official, the attack was conducted using “short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles”.Qatar summoned the Iranian ambassador on Tuesday after Iran’s assault, with the foreign ministry expressing its “strong condemnation” and repeating that the country “retains the right to respond to this egregious violation”.The assault came after the United States joined its ally Israel in the war with Iran, attacking an underground uranium enrichment centre with massive bunker-busting bombs and hitting two other nuclear facilities.- Hopes for truce -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.Some Israelis on Tuesday welcomed the prospect of a truce after 12 days of intense fighting.”I really hope so,” said Tel Aviv resident Tammy Shel of the prospect of a lasting ceasefire.”Really. I am so tired. Everyone is tired. We just want to have some peace of mind… For us, for the Iranian people, for the Palestinians, for everyone in the region. For all human beings.” Iranians meanwhile 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”.Israeli strikes on Iran have killed more than 400 people, Iran’s health ministry has said. Iran’s attacks on Israel have killed 28 people, according to official figures and rescuers.Saudi Arabia and the European Union welcomed Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire, while China urged Iran and Israel to seek a “political resolution” to their conflict.burs-ser/jsa

New York Democrats cast ballots Tuesday under smothering summer heat to choose the likely next leader of the largest US city, someone voters say must resist President Donald Trump and provide relief to high costs of living.With about a dozen candidates offering a range of personalities and proposals, the race is an increasingly tight contest between former governor Andrew Cuomo, 67, and state assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, 33, who has mounted a surprise challenge to the better-known but tainted frontrunner.The winner of Tuesday’s primary vote will represent the Democrats in the general election in November, in a city where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans three to one.Cuomo, whose father was also a New York governor, is eyeing a political comeback after being dogged by sex assault claims. In August 2021, New York Attorney General Letitia James accused Cuomo of sexually harassing 11 women. He resigned and then his brother Chris, a star anchor on CNN who advised his campaign, had to do the same.But just four years later, the candidate was welcomed by cheering supporters in various venues after throwing his hat in the ring for mayor in March.Cuomo has been the frontrunner for most of the race, but some recent polls have shown Mamdani closing the gap, even narrowly pulling ahead. Mamdani represents the diverse borough of Queens in the New York State Assembly, describes himself as progressive and Muslim, and is backed by popular leftist figures Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.He has fired up an army of young volunteers with a social media campaign promising to tackle the high cost of living with free buses, daycare centers and rent freezes in a city where a three-bedroom apartment can easily cost $6,000 per month.”Tomorrow is ours if we want it,” Mamdani said late Monday in a social media post including a video appealing to voters.”We are on the cusp of toppling a political dynasty, and delivering a New York everyone can afford,” he said.Sheryl Stein, who works in tourism marketing, sounded skeptical.”I like youth,” the voter in her fifties told AFP. But Mamdani having “no experience and no proven track record to run the largest city in this country and one of the largest in the world, is pretty scary.”Other voters spoke of the need for a mayor who understands the city’s complicated infrastructure, who is honest, or who can “stand up to Trump.”- Candidate handcuffed -With more than eight million residents, New York houses the world’s greatest concentration of millionaires, but a quarter of its population lives in poverty, according to a recent report by an anti-poverty organization Robin Hood and its partner Columbia University. According to a New York Times editorial, while Mamdani offers “a fresh political style” — videos that show him chatting with voters have gone viral — he lacks experience and “offers an agenda that remains alluring among elite progressives but has proved damaging to city life.”The campaign is unfolding as Democrats fume at Trump’s proposed budget cuts and aggressive campaigns against undocumented immigrants. Last week, in another startling display of America’s political discord, mayoral candidate Brad Lander, the city’s current comptroller and a Democrat, was hauled away in handcuffs after accompanying a migrant to a court hearing. Endorsed by the likes of former president Bill Clinton and ex-New York mayor and billionaire Mike Bloomberg, Cuomo is presenting himself as the candidate with the heft required to helm the country’s most populous city in the current political climate. “This is not a job for a novice,” Cuomo told supporters, apparently attacking Mamdani’s relative inexperience during an 11th hour rally Monday at a carpenters’s union. “We need someone who knows what they’re doing on day one, because your lives depend on it.”Meanwhile current New York Mayor Eric Adams — accused of cooperating with Trump’s administration in return for the dropping of federal corruption charges against him — has said he will run as an independent.Though a heat wave could stifle Tuesday’s turnout, some 380,000 voters have already cast ballots. A system that asks voters to list five candidates in order of preference makes opinion polling challenging. 

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.