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Zach Randolph Trump Won't Distract Knicks ... Minds On The 'Chip!!! 🏆 Published June 8, 2026 3:59 PM PDT Play video content The NY Knicks are two games from their first NBA title in 53
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Karmelo Anthony Murder Trial Detective Says Knife Was Legal Under Texas Law Published June 8, 2026 3:10 PM PDT The knife Karmelo Anthony allegedly used to fatally stab Austin Metcalf at a high school track
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A bear that roamed the streets of a Japanese city for four days, forcing mass school closures, was caught Tuesday, capping a search involving dozens of hunters and police.Terrified families in the city of Utsunomiya, north of Tokyo, peered through windows as a search mission that included helicopters tried to track down the animal following multiple sightings, including in a shopping arcade, at a university and at a wholesale market.Tuesday dozens of police officers, hunters and city officials surrounded a private home where the bear was spotted, an AFP photographer witnessed.After a successful tranquilliser shot, they captured the animal.AFP images showed the sedated bear loaded onto a truck. Hunters stand next to a cage carrying a tranquillised bear as they prepare to leave a residential area, in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, Tuesday. (Reuters) Issei Okabe, a 37-year-old house painter who lives in an apartment next to the house where the bear was caught, told AFP he was "so relieved"."My kid goes to the primary school nearby... and news reports said a bear appeared around there," he said."Then I watched the news, and our house was shown (in the footage)... I was so surprised."This is the first time I heard of a wild bear in Utsunomiya."The bear sightings had forced the closure of all 94 public primary and middle schools in the city on Monday and Tuesday.Public broadcaster NHK and other major media reported the bear's capture as breaking news.The Shimotsuke Shimbun daily, based in Utsunomiya, said the first and second tranquilliser shots missed the target but a third successfully hit the animal.A city official told AFP Monday it was not clear whether there was one bear or more roaming the city.Separately, an "extremely intelligent" bear that injured four people in Fukushima in northern Japan has remained at large after apparently unlatching a window while evading capture, NHK reported.A record 13 people were killed by bears in Japan last year, and there has been a jump in sightings as the animals emerge hungry from hibernation.Bears are thriving thanks in part to an abundance of food – including acorns, deer and boars – under the influence of a warming climate, experts say.
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Rescuers searched the rubble Tuesday of a collapsed building in the southern Philippine city of General Santos, the worst hit by a powerful earthquake that has killed at least 37 people and injured hundreds, to reach two people still believed to be trapped inside. Regional fire officer Edgar Tanawan, who is leading the operation, told Reuters two people had been pulled out alive from the commercial building, housing a grocery store and other businesses, but a third was found dead. Scanners have so far detected no signs of life from the remaining two, he added.'It’s difficult to accept, as a mother, that my son is still trapped there,” said Dioslinda Deluvio, distraught as she waited outside the building for news of her son. 'I don’t know... it’s very hard to accept.'My only call is to have him retrieved today so we can be at peace,' said the 65-year-old mother. The 7.8-magnitude quake, which triggered tsunami warnings across several countries, struck early on Monday morning about 20km (12.4 miles) off the coast of Sarangani province, with tremors felt strongly across Mindanao and as far as the city of Manado, 420km (261 miles) away on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.Officials said they hoped the death toll would not rise further as search and rescue operations continued, with more than 400 people injured and four still missing. Scenes of devastation were visible in parts of General Santos, which is home to more than 700,000 people and now under a state of calamity, with several buildings collapsed and debris strewn across streets beneath a tangle of toppled power lines and utility posts. Philippine disaster officials scoured damaged buildings to assess damage and worked to restore power and water for the thousands of residents affected by the disaster. The quake came eight months after the country suffered its deadliest tremor in 12 years, when a shallow 6.9 magnitude quake hit off the central island of Cebu, killing 79 people.DAMAGE TO SCHOOLS, HOSPITALSThe Philippines experiences hundreds of quakes each year and sits on tectonically complex parts of the Pacific 'Ring of Fire', a seismically active belt stretching from South America to the Russian Far East. Schools, which had just reopened on Monday after a long break, remained closed as authorities checked the condition of school buildings, thousands of which sustained minor to severe damage, Rafaelito Alejandro, head of the office of civil defence, told DZBB radio. A video shared by one school of the moment the quake struck showed a large group of children sitting on a floor swaying violently from side to side, some hugging teachers, before they fled en masse as a makeshift shelter collapsed behind them.The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recorded 23 strong aftershocks, with the strongest measuring magnitude 6.7, forcing some residents to spend the night in evacuation centres and tents. In General Santos and Sarangani, patients were treated in makeshift tents as officials worked to ensure hospitals were safe, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa told DZBB, adding the restoration of power was critical as outages limited access to sensitive and sophisticated treatments needed by patients.
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England's Ben Stokes is seen after leading his team to victory on the fourth day of the first Test against New Zealand at Lord's Cricket Ground, London, Britain, on June 7, 2026. (Reuters) Former England captain David Gower said on Tuesday he fears Ben Stokes' reign as Test skipper may already be in "the past tense" following the all-rounder's involvement in a nightclub incident with a Saracens rugby player.Stokes and bowler Gus Atkinson are facing a probe by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for breaking team curfew rules on Monday morning following England's win in the first Test against New Zealand at Lord's.The pair were also reported to have become involved in what became a physical confrontation with the rugby player.A security guard who was with the England duo was reportedly injured in the incident.It is the latest controversy concerning the England team following a tour of Australia where the side faced allegations of a drinking culture during a 4-1 Ashes series loss concluded in January.The squad announcement for next week's second Test at the Oval has been delayed and there are now growing concerns over whether Stokes can continue as England captain. David
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Chinese President Xi Jinping sits next to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as he attends a performance at the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium, during his state visit, in Pyongyang. (Reuters) Chinese President Xi Jinping wrapped up Tuesday his first visit to North Korea in seven years, saying it had established a deeper, more comprehensive understanding yielding a clearer path for development of ties, the official Xinhua news agency said.North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Xi agreed to expand co-operation in the areas of politics, economy and culture at a summit in Pyongyang that opened a new chapter in ties, the North's official KCNA news agency said."The mutual understanding between China and North Korea has become deeper and more comprehensive, and the direction of future development has become clearer and more defined," Xi told his hosts at a luncheon before his departure, Xinhua added.Kim waved both hands as Xi's plane taxied down the tarmac, in footage from China's state broadcaster CCTV, after an enthusiastic send-off by Pyongyang residents, who lined the road to the airport, waving flags and shouting friendship slogans.Earlier, the leaders jointly planted a fir tree in the grounds of a key political training school for party cadres, which Xinhua said symbolised "ever-renewing friendship".On the second day of his visit to China's only formal treaty ally, Xi had also visited Pyongyang's Sino-Korean Friendship Tower that commemorates Chinese soldiers who died in the Korean War, the agency added.Both agreed to strive for closer strategic communication through visits by high-level officials, KCNA said.Kim told Xi he would fully support the "One China principle," which Beijing views as meaning that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one country, regardless of changes in the international situation, it added.China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under Beijing's control, although Taipei rejects the sovereignty claims.ANALYSTS SEE CONTRASTING PRIORITIESDespite the expressions of goodwill, however, analysts saw contrasting priorities in the official summaries of the visit.While Xinhua detailed proposals ranging from high-level exchanges to trade and agriculture, along with restoration of transport links, KCNA cast the summit more broadly as a pact of equal partners, the analysts said.Pyongyang stressed regime dignity and the neighbours' "special relationship," added Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Republic of Korea's Kyungnam University, while Beijing emphasised practical state-to-state ties and its initiatives for international order."North Korea removed elements that could make it look like a subordinate, dependent or beneficiary party, and rewrote the relationship as one between equals," said Hong Min, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification."It amplified signals of solidarity, such as anti-US and Taiwan-related messages, while erasing signals of dependence or subordination."China is North Korea's biggest trade partner and analysts have said Xi's trip could focus on trade and tourism."I feel that sometimes the two countries may appear quite friendly on the surface, but in reality there are still many issues," said Zhu, a 43-year-old doctor in Beijing who declined to give her full name.PATRIOTIC SONGSXi and first lady Peng Liyuan attended a performance of Chinese and North Korean songs, accompanied by Kim and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, that highlighted "the value and closeness of DPRK-China friendship," KCNA said.It was referring to the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.Chinese-North Korean relations had reached a "new historical starting point," Xi said at a banquet hosted by Kim for the 65th anniversary of the neighbours' friendship treaty, KCNA added.Xi vowed that Beijing would not swerve from its commitment to safeguard common interests, Xinhua said on Monday.But North Korean media did not say if Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme or relations with the US figured in the talks.Such an absence suggests Beijing would like the visit cast in terms of neighbourly ties, said Ja Ian Chong, a political science professor at the National University of Singapore.During his first term, US President Donald Trump met Kim three times, before the unprecedented diplomatic effort broke down over US demands for North Korea to give up nuclear weapons. Trump has said he would be willing to restart talks."It is doubtful that Xi will serve as a catalyst for US-North Korea talks," however, said Leif-Eric Easley, professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul. Related Story
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Tornado fighter jets are parked at the Hamburg Airport during a joint exercise between the German Air Force (Bundeswehr Luftwaffe) and the civilian airport operations in Hamburg, Germany, June 8, 2026. REUTERS/Jonas Walzberg France and Germany have agreed to abandon a joint fighter jet programme due to disagreements between the companies involved, Berlin said Monday in a blow to European efforts to boost defence co-operation.The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme was launched in 2017 to replace France’s Rafale jets and the Eurofighter planes used by Germany and Spain. The project was seen as a key test of European efforts to work more closely on defence as they seek to present a united front in the face of a hostile Russia at a time of souring ties with the US.But the multi-billion-dollar programme was beset by disagreements between the firms involved — France’s Dassault Aviation and Airbus, which represents Germany and Spain. A German government official told AFP that Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron had “reached the shared assessment that the companies will not be able to come together on building a joint combat aircraft. “They acknowledge this reality.”The official however said other parts of the wide-ranging project will continue. “The actual core of FCAS is to be continued as a European system,” the official said, describing it as a “nervous system that networks aircraft, drones and other components into an integrated whole”.The French and German defence ministries are set to draw up a plan for defence co-operation “focused on a few realistic and relevant projects” at a forthcoming meeting, the official added. The news comes despite calls for Europe to integrate its fragmented militaries more closely as geopolitical turmoil worsens.Russia’s war against Ukraine is in its fifth year, while European countries are increasingly worried about US security commitments to the continent under President Donald Trump. There had been last-ditch efforts to salvage FCAS. In March two mediators — one from France and one from Germany — were tasked with coming up with proposals to rescue the initiative.But they were unable to do so, while the head of Dassault Aviation continued to insist that the firm could go it alone on the project and was not in favour of it being “co-managed”. The project’s demise comes despite both Merz and Macron insisting publicly they were determined for it to succeed. The German leader had said earlier this year that he would “do everything in my power, and fight until the very last moment, to get joint European projects off the ground here, and above all German-French projects”.Macron — speaking in April after talks with Merz — had denied then the project was dead.
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A bear roaming the streets of a Japanese city for three days forced the closure of nearly 100 schools yesterday, as dozens of hunters and officials searched for the animal.The city government of Utsunomiya, north of Tokyo, closed all 94 public primary and junior high schools in the area after receiving more than 10 reports of bear sightings since Saturday — including in a shopping arcade. “We have vehicles out to areas where a bear was seen to make people aware and to urge people to stay indoors or in vehicles,” a city official told AFP, adding that dozens of hunters, police and local officials have been looking for the animal. It was not clear whether there is one bear or more, he said, speaking on the customary condition of anonymity. In recent years, Japan has seen an increasing number of bear sightings and attacks, especially in urban areas. A record 13 people were killed by bears in Japan last year, and there has been a jump in encounters as the animals emerge hungry from hibernation. In the last year to March, bear sightings nationwide topped 50,000 — more than double the previous record set two years earlier, according to official data. In Utsunomiya, a regional capital and home to 510,000 residents, there were just two unconfirmed bear sightings in the previous year. The bear now being hunted was first spotted Saturday morning, north of the city centre, and was described as being around one metre (three feet) long. A series of sightings followed, including in a residential neighbourhood that day, at a shopping arcade on Sunday, and at a park, a high school and a junior school.
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India has deported nearly 5,000 Bangladeshi citizens since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu-nationalist party swept to power in West Bengal last month, according to official statistics.Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won a sweeping victory in elections in the eastern border state of more than 100 million people, promising to “detect, delete and deport” illegal migrants. India shares a long and porous border with Muslim-majority Bangladesh, where migration has historically been driven by economic hardship and longstanding family links. On taking power, the new West Bengal government ordered the establishment of detention centres for undocumented Bangladeshis and Rohingya refugees, a mainly Muslim people who fled persecution in Myanmar.State Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, speaking in the capital Kolkata on Sunday, said nearly 5,000 Bangladeshi citizens had been deported across the border. “We have started the work of deporting Bangladeshi infiltrators who do not fall under the purview of the Citizenship Amendment Act,” Adhikari said, saying the government had “established holding centres in all districts of the state” in May. “From these centres, 4,800 Bangladeshi infiltrators have already been deported so far,” he added.“Another 836 people are currently in the holding centres... we are making arrangements to deport the 836 soon,” Adhikari said. The deportation campaign comes against a backdrop of longstanding political tensions over immigration in the border state.Top Indian officials have referred to migrants as “termites” and “infiltrators”. Critics say the BJP’s rhetoric and policies have added to the unease and marginalisation of India’s more than 200 million Muslims, accusing the party of conflating religious identity with illegal migration.Rights groups have previously accused India of also pushing hundreds of Bengali-speaking Muslims into Bangladesh without due process.
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Iran and Israel said yesterday they had halted attacks on each other after an appeal from US President Donald Trump that they immediately “stop ‘shooting’”, though Tehran said it would resume strikes if Israel continued to hit Hezbollah in Lebanon. The wave of attacks over 24 hours were the most direct confrontation between Iran and Israel since an April ceasefire, threatening to wreck Washington’s efforts to reach an agreement with Tehran to end their more than three-month-old war. A source briefed on the matter said Israel had also decided to halt its attacks on Iran. Tehran fired missiles towards Israeli territory late on Sunday, calling them retaliation for Israeli attacks on strongholds of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia on the outskirts of Beirut. Israel then hit a petrochemical plant in southwest Iran that it said was used to produce ballistic missiles. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had retaliated with a strike aimed at a similar Israeli plant in the city of Haifa. Iran’s military said it had “delivered a painful response” against Israel for its attacks on Lebanon. “Accordingly, the operations of the armed forces are hereby declared halted; however, it is emphasised that if the aggressions and acts of mischief continue — including in southern Lebanon — much more severe and crushing actions than before will follow.” Hours after Iran’s announcement, sirens sounded in the Zar’it area of northern Israel when a projectile was identified as falling in an area of southern Lebanon where Israeli forces are operating.
