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'Celebrity Crime Scene' Powerful Figures Behind Marilyn's Death ... Investigator Claims Published June 19, 2026 2:25 PM PDT Play video content Marilyn Monroe's death wasn't a suicide ... at least according to investigator Paul Holes,
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The United States advanced to the World Cup knockout rounds with a game to spare following an impressive 2-0 win over Australia Friday, stoking the hopes of an already hyped host nation.The US join fellow tournament co-hosts Mexico as the first teams to progress, and could be assured top spot in Group D if Turkey fail to beat Paraguay later Friday.Excitement had been running high from last week's US thrashing of Paraguay.And a glorious day in the Pacific Northwest did not disappoint the red-and-white-clad fans who packed Seattle's Lumen Field and its surrounding streets and bars.Even before kickoff, chants of "USA" rocked a stadium best known as the raucous home of the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, but also a US soccer hotbed that hosts the local Sounders.Without injured talisman attacker Christian Pulisic, who failed to recover from a calf issue in time, coach Mauricio Pochettino switched to a 4-4-2 formation, bringing in second striker Ricardo Pepi.For the second game running, the US were gifted an early lead, thanks to an own goal in the 11th minute.Playing slightly wider than usual, star striker Folarin Balogun raced down the left and cut the ball back from the byline.Under pressure from a lurking Pepi, Aussie defender Cameron Burgess steered the ball into his own net.TOOTHLESS AUSTRALIAHaving surprisingly dropped both goalscorers from their impressive opening win over Turkey, Australia looked toothless.The US controlled possession and were lively and dynamic on the attack, Weston McKennie and Sergino Dest combining well down the right flank.Alex Freeman doubled the US lead in the 44th minute from what was surprisingly his team's first shot on target.Taking a free kick from the right byline, Antonee Robinson ignored the scrum in the box and played the ball to Sergino Dest, wide open in the D, whose blocked shot looped up into the air.Freeman -- son of Super Bowl-winning NFL wide receiver Antonio Freeman -- was first to the ball, heading it past Patrick Beach. The offside flag went up. But it was overturned by VAR, and the stadium rocked for a second a time.Australia made three changes at the break -- sending on Connor Metcalfe and Nestory Irankunda, the goalscorers against Turkey -- and pushed higher up the field.They were nearly caught out immediately. Balogun raced onto a through ball for a one-on-one chance, but his shot was blocked after a heavy touch.Australia's best chance so far came in the 62nd minute. The dangerous Cristian Volpato -- who switched allegiance from Italy to Australia on the eve of the tournament -- skied his shot from Irankunda's cut-back pass.With the US sitting back, Metcalfe had a shot saved, a rampaging Irankunda was brought down by Richards, and Jason Geria's close-range effort was blocked in a nervy final phase for the hosts.But despite late-flaring tensions between the teams, the Americans held on for the clean sheet and will have the luxury of playing Turkey next Thursday, knowing their spot in the round of 32 is secured.With home advantage and sparkling form so far, US fans will be dreaming of a run to the quarter-finals, which they last reached in 2002, and even beyond. Related Story
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The Taiwan Pavilion, featuring aerospace and technology companies highlighting non-Chinese drone supply chains, organized by Taiwan Excellence Drone International Business Opportunities Alliance (TEDIBOA) and Taiwan Drone Association with support from the Taiwan Economic Ministry, at
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Global forecasters say a strong El Nino weather pattern is increasingly likely to develop in the second half of the year, boosting temperatures, disrupting rainfall and posing risks to crops the world over. What is El Niño and why are commodities grown in tropical regions, known as soft commodities, especially exposed? El Nino is a periodic warming of sea surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific caused by weakening trade winds. It occurs naturally every two to seven years and tends to last between nine and 12 months. The weather pattern typically results in warmer temperatures across the globe, drought in regions including South and Southeast Asia, Australia and Southern Africa, and heavy rainfall in others including the southern parts of South America and the United States. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared the arrival of El Nino last week. Moreover, it said the weather pattern is likely to intensify, with a 63% probability of a very strong or “super El Nino” heading into 2027. El Nino-driven dryness, heat or excess rains are a blow for farmers already grappling this year with the fertiliser and diesel price shocks spurred by the US-Israeli war on Iran. Soft commodities have consistently seen strong price gains during past El Nino episodes. Every strong El Nino in the past 55 years has reduced cocoa output, according to investment firm WisdomTree. During the last El Niño, which ran from mid-2023 to mid-2024 and was considered moderate-to-strong, top grower West Africa was initially hit by double its normal rainfall, which left cocoa trees exposed to a fungal disease. In 2024, the weather pattern flipped and West Africa was hit by intense heat and by Harmattan winds that were unseasonably dry and strong, causing the disease-weakened trees to drop their flowers. “Everyone thinks El Nino is only associated with droughts in West Africa. This is not necessarily true. Due to climate change ... the result, at times, (is) too much (initial) rain. Right now, this is my biggest concern,” said Jim Roemer of consultancy Best Weather. About half the world’s cocoa is grown in Ivory Coast and Ghana, the world’s first- and second-largest bean growers. Ecuador is the world’s third-largest, and typically sees excess rains during El Nino episodes. Cocoa prices nearly tripled in 2024 after the West African harvest failed. They rose to record levels above $12,000 a metric tonne by late 2024, making the chocolate ingredient more expensive than many industrial metals. El Nino is especially problematic for robusta coffee as it typically brings higher temperatures and reduced rainfall to top grower Vietnam and No. 3 grower Indonesia from the middle of the year onwards. The adverse weather hits the two countries, which jointly account for some 50% of the world’s robusta output, during the crop development phase. Its impacts are then felt from the fourth quarter, during the harvest. “Dryness in Vietnam and Indonesia could significantly trim yields for robusta coffee,” said analysts at Citi. For arabica coffee, nearly half of which is grown in Brazil, the El Nino impact is more nuanced. Carlos Santana, commercial director at trader ECOM’s subsidiary EISA, said El Nino could initially be positive for the crop Brazil is currently harvesting, as higher temperatures could prevent harmful winter frosts. Longer term, however, El Nino typically brings dryness and heat to Brazil’s coffee regions in the fourth quarter when the next crop is developing, putting it on course to hurt output in 2027. SUGARFor sugar, one of the most widely traded soft commodities, El Nino typically brings excess rain in the second half of the year, which can disrupt and reduce the quality of the harvest in top grower Brazil. In No 2 sugar grower India and No 2 exporter Thailand, by contrast, the weather pattern typically reduces rainfall during the summer monsoon. India expects the 2026 monsoon will bring the lowest rainfall in 11 years, with showers during the June to September crop development period seen at 90% of average. Broker Hedgepoint’s head of sugar, Carlos de Mello, estimates that even a moderate El Nino could cut India’s output by about 1mn metric tonnes. Longer term, the above-average rains that El Nino typically brings to Brazil’s sugar regions could help next year’s crop. Hedgepoint’s de Mello said overall, it is “hard to have a bull market scenario on El Niño” because of its potential benefits for Brazil’s 2027 sugar crop. Brazil accounts for about half of the world’s sugar exports.
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A worker from the Medical Officer of Health (MOH) department fumigates a residential area during a mosquito control programme in Colombo, Friday. (Reuters) Sri Lanka is battling the worst outbreak of mosquito-borne dengue fever in years, with more than 44,000 cases and 28 deaths recorded since January, an official said Friday, putting public hospitals under strain. Dengue is common during Sri Lanka’s monsoon season, but unplanned urbanisation coupled with damage caused by Cyclone Ditwah, which hit the island nation in late November, has worsened the outbreak this year, authorities said. The number of dengue cases nearly doubled from 5,651 in April to 10,638 in the first two weeks of June, data from the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) showed. “We noticed this increase after the cyclone,” Dr Prashila Samaraweera, consultant community physician and NDCU spokesperson, told Reuters. “A lot of debris was in our environment, so we noticed a lot of mosquito breeding places, and our entomological indices were high from that time.” With 51,000 cases recorded in the whole of last year, the rate of infections has risen sharply, Dr Samaraweera said. Infections are likely to increase for at least two more weeks before tapering off, she added. A further uptick in patient numbers could put public hospitals under severe strain, Sri Lanka’s health minister Nalinda Jayatissa warned on Thursday. More than half the cases are from the western region of the country, including 9,429 cases from commercial capital Colombo. Eight other districts have reported more than 2,000 patients since the start of the year.The 28 deaths include five children. Patient numbers for this year could end up matching the last major outbreak in 2019, authorities have warned, when Sri Lanka recorded over 105,000 dengue patients. Schools, homes, construction sites, and public buildings are being cleaned up during a special programme launched by Sri Lanka’s health authorities and other public officials till next Monday. Related Story
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Members of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) shout slogans and hold posters during a protest against alleged mismanagement and scams linked to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test and Central Board of Secondary Education examinations, at
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Mutaz Barshim showed encouraging signs of returning to his best, but the Qatari high jump icon had to settle for second place at the Doha Diamond League on Friday night.Competing in front of his home crowd at the Qatar Sports Club, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion registered a season-best clearance of 2.27m – his highest jump since winning bronze at the Paris Olympics two years ago.Barshim, who turns 35 on June 24, has struggled with injuries over the past two years and admitted on the eve of the competition that he had "no idea" about his form and simply wanted to "have a lot of fun."He certainly did, coming close to what would have been one of the most memorable victories of his illustrious career. Italy's world under-20 silver medallist Matteo Sioli claimed his second Diamond League victory after clearing 2.29m, following up his triumph on home soil in Rome. Italy’s Matteo Sioli who took his second Diamond League win of the season with a season’s best of 2.29m. Barshim, however, was pleased with his first Diamond League outing of the season as he builds towards the Asian Games in Japan later this year. "It is a very, very good start of the season for me. I've been away for a long time, and coming back to the world stage is not easy after so many injuries," Barshim said."You need a few competitions to get back into the rhythm because we know what to do, but your body needs to adapt and this is not easy. In general, I'm very, very happy. It is a season best for me and I will keep pushing. Next will be Monaco and I am going to be prepared for that. The crowd is always amazing. They give me all the energy I need. I love jumping at home," the former three-time world champion added.Barshim cleared 2.12m and 2.16m at the first attempt before needing a second try to get over 2.24m. He then cleared 2.27m on his first attempt but was unable to negotiate 2.29m or 2.31m.In the absence of Olympic and world champion Hamish Kerr, world indoor champion Oleh Doroshchuk and world bronze medallist Jan Stefela were expected to challenge strongly, but both struggled in the hot conditions, finishing third and seventh respectively.Sioli was delighted with back-to-back Diamond League victories and described competing against Barshim as an honour. "It's a crazy period for me and I'm happy for this win. It's a big pleasure and an honour to be competing with Mutaz Barshim. The conditions today were really, really good. The temperature was high, but that was not bad at all. I'm very thankful to each and every one who has helped me through this period," he said. India’s Neeraj Chopra returned to action from a lengthy injury layoff with a fourth-placed
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President Donald Trump attends a ceremony in the White House. Reuters President Donald Trump will make a rare trip to Camp David this weekend, returning to the presidential retreat for only the second time since retaking office last year. Trump will hold policy and political meetings during his visit, a White House official said. His family will travel with him for the weekend, which includes Father's Day on Sunday.The trip comes as Trump works to secure a final agreement to end the war with Iran and faces scrutiny over a provisional peace deal that critics say grants Tehran too many concessions. US-Iran talks in Switzerland planned for Friday were canceled as fighting flared in Lebanon, creating new uncertainty about the timing of negotiations vital to ensure the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to global shipping and restoring peace in the Middle East.Trump last visited Camp David in June 2025, meeting with top military leaders and foreign policy advisers to discuss immigration protests in California, Iran and the war in Gaza. The secluded retreat in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains has not been a regular destination for the Republican president. He has generally preferred spending weekends at his own properties, including Mar-a-Lago in Florida and his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.A Cabinet meeting planned for Camp David in May was moved to the White House because of forecasts for bad weather. Other presidents have used the government-owned retreat about 70 miles from Washington far more frequently, both as a weekend escape and as a setting for diplomacy and policy meetings. Related Story
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Former Greater Manchester Mayor and newly elected Makerfield MP Andy Burnham addresses members and supporters of the Labour Party after he won the Makerfield by-election, at the Bartons Group Stadium in Ashton-in-Makerfield, Friday. (Reuters) Veteran UK Labour politician Andy Burnham vowed to put Britain on a new path after winning a crunch by-election Friday as Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged to fight any bid to oust him from office. Burnham, a former government minister who has been Greater Manchester mayor since 2017, ensured his return to parliament by easily beating the far-right Reform UK party’s candidate in the Makerfield constituency in northwest England. The 56-year-old stalwart of Labour’s centre-left is seeking to replace Starmer as party leader and prime minister, and needed to win the high-stakes vote to be in a position to trigger such a contest. “I do say to my own party, this is a final chance to change,” Burnham said in his acceptance speech after securing nearly 55 % of the vote, beating Reform’s Robert Kenyon by more than 9,000 ballots. “We’ve been on path for 40 years that simply hasn’t worked for people and places in this part of the world,” Burnham told cheering crowds Friday. “This is the change moment, we have an opportunity to turn the tide,” he said, adding: “We’re going to lay out a new path for Britain.” Starmer congratulated Burnham, but pledged to fight any leadership challenge during a public appearance in London Friday morning. “If there is a contest then yes I will run, I will stand. I’ve said repeatedly, I’m not going to walk away from that,” he told reporters. The 63-year-old ex-lawyer has repeatedly refused to quit despite dozens of calls from his own MPs and several ministerial resignations. He insists his landslide election victory over the Conservatives in July 2024 gave him a five-year mandate to govern. The Times daily reported that ministers were meeting Starmer Friday afternoon to tell him his “time is up” and he should set out a timetable for “orderly transition”. They reportedly included interior minister Shabana Mahmood and energy minister Ed Miliband. If Starmer does leave office this year, then Britain will get its seventh prime minister in 10 years. Burnham is due to be sworn in as a member of parliament on Monday. Under Labour party rules, any leadership candidate must be an MP. From the so-called soft-left wing of the party, Burnham has been an outspoken critic of Starmer’s more centrist rule. He will easily muster the support of 81 of Labour’s 400-plus MPs — the minimum needed to kickstart a contest. The Daily Telegraph reported Friday that Burnham’s backers were calling Labour MPs, seeking support from 200 — almost half — to deter Starmer from fighting on. Former health minister Wes Streeting, from Labour’s right-wing, has vowed to join any race, but could end up striking a deal with Burnham to avoid a divisive fight. With Burnham back in parliament a replacement will need to be elected to fill his old job of mayor of Greater Manchester in northwest England, which city officials have confirmed will be on July 30. Labour will face another fight against Reform and the Greens, which have both performed well in other recent polls. In a speech Friday to his team and constituents, Burnham outlined policy goals to “make people feel hope again”, focusing on the cost of living crisis and unemployment. He pledged to “bring down water bills, energy bills, rail fares” and urged “a new drive of re-industrialisation” in the north of England and other regions, fuelled by public procurement. Young people need clear paths into industry such as guaranteed work placements or apprenticeships, he added. In a nod to migration concerns, Burnham slammed the practice of accommodating large numbers of asylum seekers in “houses of multiple occupation” (HMOs), which he said meant “areas like this can end up like HMO Britain”. Thursday’s vote for the Makerfield seat was seen as a test of whether Burnham could defeat Reform, led by anti-immigrant firebrand Nigel Farage, in a national ballot. Opinion polls suggest Reform could win the next general elections, not expected until 2029. Farage said in a video on X that he was “disappointed” by Reform’s result, but argued that people had voted primarily to get Starmer out. The fringe far-right Restore Britain party dented Reform’s vote by snagging nearly seven % of the ballot. Starmer has been clinging to power since Labour suffered a drubbing in local polls in England, Scotland and Wales last month.
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In a press conference on 15 June at the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), a partnership was announced with Gala de Danza, marking the Mexican dance company’s regional and Egyptian debut at one of Egypt’s most
