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More trouble may be coming down the pike for Taylor Frankie Paul ... we're told Utah prosecutors are looking into whether the recent allegations of assaulting ex Dakota Mortensen constitute a violation of her ongoing
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'The Bachelorette' Cancellation Creating Millions in Losses ... Fight Over Who's To Blame Published March 19, 2026 2:30 PM PDT ABC and Warner Bros. Discovery are in meltdown, as a tidal wave of ripple effects
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US President Donald Trump’s call for allies to send warships to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz has revived questions about how far pacifist Japan can go to support its closest ally in a conflict. Here are the narrow legal options available to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and the past precedents that could shape her decision. After its defeat in World War Two, Japan adopted a US-drafted constitution that renounced the use of force to settle international disputes. Within those limits, however, Takaichi can deploy Maritime Self-Defence Force vessels on law-enforcement operations overseas. The clearest example is an anti-piracy mission off Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden, which Japan joined in 2009 after revising legislation to allow Japanese warships to protect vessels of all nationalities. Following Trump’s request, Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told parliament on Monday that a similar policing action could be considered “if further measures by the SDF are deemed necessary.” But that framework is designed for policing, not combat. Applying it to operations where Japanese forces could confront a state actor such as Iran would be legally problematic. In a significant step back from its post-war pacifism, Japan passed security laws in 2015 allowing it to use force overseas in limited circumstances. That is permitted only if an attack, including on a close security partner, threatens Japan’s survival and no other means are available to address it. The laws permit a broader use of force than possible in anti-piracy operations, but the legal threshold for invoking them is far higher. Takaichi would need to argue that the disruption to energy supplies caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz constituted an existential threat, a case likely to face stiff political and public opposition. The legislation has never been used and Takaichi this week said Japan would prioritize diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East. Past Japanese operations in and around the Middle East offer Takaichi a guide, and underscore how Tokyo has kept within its legal limits. During the 1991 Gulf War, Japan contributed money rather than personnel, a decision criticised by the US and other nations as ‘chequebook diplomacy’. After hostilities ended, it dispatched minesweepers to the Arabian Gulf, marking the SDF’s first ever overseas deployment. “Japan’s poor response during the Gulf War remains a scar in the national consciousness. So I suspect her (Takaichi’s) government is looking hard for some way to show the flag,” said Michael Green, a professor and chief executive of The United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. After the September 11 attacks in 2001, Japan sent MSDF vessels to the Indian Ocean to refuel and support US-led operations in Afghanistan. That mission ran for eight years but did not involve combat or escort missions. In 2004, Japan sent about 600 ground troops to Iraq for reconstruction work, along with aircraft to help transport supplies and personnel. The soldiers were only allowed to use force as a last resort, and were guarded by Dutch and Australian troops during their two-year stint. In 2019, after attacks on tankers that Washington blamed on Iran, Japan diverted a destroyer and patrol plane from anti-piracy operations near Somalia to gather intelligence in the Gulf of Oman, the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden. However, they stayed outside the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Gulf. Japan also faces a separate legal question: whether the US military action is in line with international law. Under the United Nations Charter, the use of force is generally prohibited unless authorised by the UN Security Council or justified as self-defence against an armed attack. For a country that has long been a staunch supporter of international law, that uncertainty could further limit how far Tokyo is willing to go. Legal experts are divided over whether the US strikes on Iran meet that threshold and Takaichi has so far declined to say what Japan’s position is.
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US President Donald Trump has branded Nato allies 'cowards' for not heeding his demand for military assistance against Iran to control the Strait of Hormuz shipping route.Trump has recently veered between saying that Washington needs no help to secure the vital waterway for oil tankers, and then lashing out at other countries for failing to help.'Without the U.S.A., NATO IS A PAPER TIGER!' Trump posted on his Truth Social network.'They didn't want to join the fight to stop a Nuclear Powered Iran. Now that fight is Militarily WON, with very little danger for them, they complain about the high oil prices they are forced to pay, but don't want to help open the Strait of Hormuz, a simple military maneuver that is the single reason for the high oil prices.'So easy for them to do, with so little risk. COWARDS, and we will REMEMBER!'The 79-year-old Republican, a long-term sceptic of the Western military alliance, has launched a series of diatribes against the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) in recent days.On Thursday, six major international powers, including Britain, France, Germany and Japan said that they were ready to 'contribute to appropriate efforts' to secure the Strait of Hormuz.German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made clear that this presupposed an end to combat.French President Emmanuel Macron said after a European Union summit in Brussels that defending international law and promoting de-escalation was 'the best we can do,' adding: 'I have not heard anyone here express a willingness to enter this conflict – quite the opposite.'However, they have not formally committed to any mission to work in the crucial waterway – while other allies such as Germany and Italy have ruled out doing anything before a truce in the Middle East war.None of the countries Trump has called on to help was consulted before the US-Israeli mission started.An effective Iranian blockade has paralyzed commercial shipping through the crucial maritime chokepoint, which in peacetime sees a fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas pass through it.Global oil prices have spiked as a result of the war, which erupted on February 28 when the United States and Israel began bombing Iran, leading Tehran to retaliate with strikes across the Gulf region.
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Former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams speaks at a press conference in Belfast as a High Court lawsuit against Adams over IRA bombings has been withdrawn by claimants, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Friday. (Reuters) Three victims of IRA bombings in England Friday dropped their civil claim for damages against former Irish republican leader Gerry Adams, whom they had sought to hold personally responsible for orchestrating the blasts.The trio — who were injured in IRA bomb blasts in the 1970s and 1990s — had also sought to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Adams was a senior member of the Irish Republican Army.But on the last day of the two-week trial, their lawyer Anne Studd told the High Court in London that the parties had reached an agreement.The three bomb victims had sued Adams for a symbolic one pound in damages."The parties have agreed... that the claim is discontinued," said a statement read by judge Jonathan Swift.He made no order as to costs.Adams, the former president of Sinn Fein, the IRA's former political wing, was not in court Friday, having attended earlier in the week.Three people died in the three bombings — in London in 1973, and in London and Manchester in 1996 — and scores more were injured.The three claimants alleged that Adams was a senior IRA figure for more than 25 years who "acted with others in furtherance of a common design to bomb the British mainland"."These allegations are untrue. I was never a member of the IRA or its Army Council," Adams said in his witness statement."I do not defend all the IRA actions," added Adams, who has always denied being a member of the IRA.He also "categorically" denied involvement in the attacks."To be clear, I had no involvement in or advance knowledge" of the bombings," he said.It was the first time the 77-year-old — who has been embroiled in several legal spats over his role in the Troubles — testified in an English court.More than 3,500 people were killed during the Troubles, the three-decades-long violent sectarian conflict over British rule in Northern Ireland that ignited in the late 1960s.The unrest came to an end following the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.After the court announcement, Adams said in a message posted on social media that he "welcomed" the decision to drop the claim."I attended the civil case out of respect for them... This decision brings to an emphatic end a case that should never have been brought," he said.Adams became president of Sinn Fein in 1983 and was elected as an MP from 1983 to 1992 and again from 1997 to 2011, though in line with the party's policy of abstentionism he never took his seat in the British parliament.He then sat in the Irish parliament between 2011 and 2020.He stepped down as leader of Sinn Fein in 2018. Although interned twice in the 1970s, Adams has never been found guilty of IRA membership.In 2020, he had convictions for attempting to escape jail quashed by the UK Supreme Court.Last year, he won a libel case in Dublin against the BBC over a report containing allegations he was involved in killing a British spy.
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A fire broke out around lunchtime at a car parts factory in the South Korean city of Daejeon Friday, injuring 55 people, including 24 seriously, while 14 others were unaccounted for, fire authorities said.The South Korean government activated a centralised disaster management system for the large-scale accident after President Lee Jae Myung ordered the mobilisation of all available resources to deal with the fire and save lives.More casualties are feared, with 14 people missing. Phone data showed their locations near where the fire broke out, but officials said search efforts were hampered after the building partially collapsed in the blaze.Many employees were believed to have been in a second-floor break room when the fire started, fire authorities said. Some people were injured after jumping from the building to escape, officials added.As of about 6pm local time, roughly 80% of the fire had been contained, authorities said.Fire officials said the car parts supplier that owned the factory was Anjun Industrial, which said on its website it makes engine valves and is a supplier for Hyundai Motor and Kia Corp, among others.Officials at Anjun were not immediately available for comment.
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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter Kim Ju-ae aboard a tank at the Pyongyang Training Base No 60 under the Capital City Defence Corps of the North Korean's Army on Thursday. (AFP) North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and daughter Ju-ae tried out the country's new battle tank in large-scale military drills, state media reported Friday, in the latest sign that she was being groomed as his heir.Photos released by state media showed a chuffed-looking Kim sitting on top of the moving tank in his trademark leather jacket as the teenage Ju-ee's head popped out of a hatch during the exercises on Thursday.The drills at the Pyongyang Training Base No 60 involved armoured units firing anti-tank missiles while rear sub-units targeted simulated enemy drones and helicopters, clearing the way for infantry and tanks, the Korean Central News Agency said.According to KCNA, the tank possesses advanced mobility, firepower, and defensive systems, including protection against missiles and drones."Watching with great pleasure the tanks violently make a charge, shaking the earth, he (Kim) expressed satisfaction that the majestic scene of tanks imposingly advancing forward represents the inherent bravery and pluck of our army," the agency reported.The drill comes amid heightened regional tensions, following recent North Korean missile tests and just-concluded springtime military exercises by South Korea and the United States.The Kim family has ruled North Korea with an iron grip for decades, and a cult of personality surrounding their "Paektu bloodline" dominates daily life in the isolated country.In February, South Korea's national intelligence service said that Ju-ae, thought to be in her early teens, has been clearly "designated as a successor" to her father.This perception has been stoked by a string of recent high-profile outings including watching a test of nuclear-capable rocket launchers last weekend and firing a pistol last week.Pyongyang's state media released an image of Jua-ae firing what looked like a pistol with one eye closed, flames shooting from the muzzle of the gun.Ju-ae was publicly introduced to the world only in 2022 when she accompanied her father to an intercontinental ballistic missile launch.Before then, the only confirmation of her existence was from former NBA star Dennis Rodman, who visited the North in 2013.Ju-ae has drawn attention for her taste in luxury fashion, appearing in Gucci sunglasses and wearing a Cartier watch.At other times, she has mirrored her father's distinctive style, wearing matching leather jackets and dark glasses.
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The European Union has condemned Iranian attacks on energy facilities in Qatar, warning that such actions risk plunging the region into further chaos.Speaking on the sidelines of a European Council meeting in Brussels, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said the attacks exacerbate ongoing military conflicts in the region. "We need to exit this war, not escalate it further," she stated.Kallas noted that she has been in contact with Iranian officials regarding the situation and stressed that the EU is working closely with the United Nations to secure safe maritime corridors, as oil, gas, and fertiliser exports through the Strait of Hormuz have been disrupted due to insecurity.She also emphasised that Europe is coordinating with partners to seek a resolution between the conflicting parties and bring an end to the ongoing hostilities in the region. Related Story
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'TMZ After Dark' Bus Lit Enough to Go Up in Flames ... Thanks to 'Temptation Island' Star Ashley G!!! Published March 19, 2026 1:22 PM PDT Play video content TMZ.com Saturday night wasn’t just another
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Taylor Frankie Paul Ex Dakota Pleads For Restraining Order, Sole Custody Published March 19, 2026 12:12 PM PDT Taylor Frankie Paul is now dealing with her ex, Dakota Mortensen, asking the court for a restraining
