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Play video content Dwayne Johnson's day out supporting his pal Emily Blunt at the Hollywood Walk of Fame turned into a full-on walk of shame after he got pulled over right afterward. Law enforcement sources
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Michael Jackson You Got to Be Startin' Bidding ... Sparkling Items Up for Auction!!! Published April 30, 2026 2:54 PM PDT Michael Jackson's personal items up for sale ... but fans are going to have
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Taylor Frankie Paul In Court For Custody Battle ... Watch The Live Stream Published April 30, 2026 2:20 PM PDT Play video content Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen are duking it out in court
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Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum gestures as she speaks during her daily press conference at the Palacio Nacional in Mexico City Thursday. (AFP) Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday that unless the US government presents “clear evidence” linking Sinaloa Governor Ruben Rocha to drug cartels, the charges announced against him on Wednesday are politically motivated. “We are not going to protect anyone who has committed a crime,” Sheinbaum said at her regular morning press conference, referring to the US Justice Department’s indictment against Rocha and other Mexican current and former officials for conspiring with the Sinaloa Cartel. “However, if there isn’t clear evidence, it is obvious that the objective of these indictments by the Department of Justice is political,” Sheinbaum added, saying that Mexico would not permit interference by a foreign government in its sovereign affairs. The charges against Rocha mark a new front in the US fight against cartels. While the US has repeatedly gone after drug kingpins, US indictments against sitting senior Mexican politicians are rare. Rocha’s indictment poses a problem for Sheinbaum, particularly because they are both from the same ruling Morena Party. Rocha is also an ally of Sheinbaum’s predecessor and mentor, former president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Rocha has denied the charges and said they were an attack against Mexico’s governing political movement. “They lack any truth or foundation whatsoever,” he said in a post on X, vowing they would be proven false. According to the US indictment, Rocha was elected as governor of Sinaloa in 2021 with the help of a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel run by the sons of founder Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, known as “Los Chapitos.” The Chapitos allegedly kidnapped and intimidated Rocha’s political rivals, the Justice Department said, in exchange for Rocha’s promise to allow the group to operate with impunity and distribute drugs to the US. The others charged by the US Justice Department include current and former state-level officials as well as the mayor and an ex-police commander for Culiacan, the Sinaloa state capital. “These politicians and law enforcement officials have abused their authority in support of the cartel, exposed and subjected victims to threats and violence, and sold out their offices in exchange for massive bribes,” according to the indictment. Sheinbaum stressed that due process would have to be followed in Mexico. “There has to be overwhelming evidence for an arrest warrant to be issued,” she said, referring to carrying out the US extradition requests that accompanied the indictment. The Mexican president said she had spoken to Rocha on Wednesday, telling him: “If there is nothing, there is nothing to fear.” Related Story
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UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s Tadej Pogacar (left) sprints to win ahead of INEOS Grenadiers’ Dorion Godon (R), in Vucherens, Switzerland, (AFP) Tadej Pogacar continued to dominate the Tour de Romandie, winning a sprint finish to take the second full stage the day after winning the mountainous opener. Pogacar cracked a smile and held two fingers in the air to signal a second victory as he finished almost a bike length ahead of Frenchman Dorian Godon. After the last survivor of a four-man breakaway was caught, Florian Lipowitz launched the sprint but was chased down by Godon, but the Ineos rider had UAE team leader Pogacar on his wheel. The Slovenian world champion surged up the inside in the final 100 metres of a rolling 173.1 kilometre stage through Switzerland from Rue to Vucherens. New Zealander Finn Fisher-Black was third. “Some guys went too early and it was an advantage for me,” said Pogacar at the finish. “For me it was all under control and a super sprint for me.” Pogacar, who is competing in the Romandie for the first time, picked up 10 bonus seconds to increase his overall lead to 17 seconds over Lipowitz, a German who rides for Red Bull, with Frenchman Lenny Martinez of Bahrain Victorious third at 26 seconds. Today’s third stage, a 176.6km circuit starting and ending in Orbe, includes one second-category climb. Related Story
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Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe poses next to a picture of him while crossing the finish line to win the London Marathon after breaking a historic world record, during a congratulatory ceremony in Nairobi (AFP) There was a hero’s welcome for marathon world record-breaker Sabastian Sawe as he returned to Kenya and was lauded by President William Ruto. Sawe made history in London on Sunday by becoming the first athlete to run a sub-two hour marathon in race conditions. Receiving Sawe at State House in Nairobi, Ruto said it was “a defining moment in the story of human endurance”. He compared it to milestones in human history including the first four-minute mile by Roger Bannister in 1954 and even the moon landing. “Future generations will look back on 26 April, 2026, as the day a man broke through a physical and psychological barrier long thought insurmountable; and the name forever attached to that moment will be Sabastian Sawe,” Ruto said in a speech. Sawe clocked 1hr 59min 30sec in a tight battle with Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha, who also came in under two hours. Sawe was mobbed at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport when he landed late Wednesday. “It is such a beautiful day. I’m glad you have joined me in celebrating, and that you have shown a spirit I never expected could be like this. I’m very grateful,” he told the crowd. “I didn’t do it just for myself, I did it for all of us. And I would like us all to enjoy it and for it to stand as a record for all of us,” he added. Kenya has dominated long-distance running, and its runners are superstars in the country. The pressure to break into the elite means doping is a major problem in Kenya. Two former Kenyan winners of the men’s race at the London Marathon – Wilson Kipsang, the victor in 2012 and 2014, and 2017 winner Daniel Wanjiru 2 are among those to have been subsequently banned. In a bid to allay such suspicions about his own performances, Sawe has voluntarily subjected himself to extra drug testing, even paying $50,000 to be tested 25 times in the year by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) before last year’s Berlin race.
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US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks to reporters after passage of a Department of Homeland Security funding bill, Thursday at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. (AFP) The US Congress Thursday approved funding for most of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ending a record-breaking partial government shutdown that has disrupted critical agencies for more than two months. The House approved the measure, already passed by the Senate, sending it to President Donald Trump for signature. It will fund key DHS agencies through the end of the fiscal year on September 30. It does not include new money for immigration and border enforcement, leaving unresolved the political dispute that triggered the shutdown. The House cleared the bill by voice vote just hours before a critical deadline, after Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin warned that emergency funds used to cover salaries would soon run dry. The department has been partially shuttered since February 14, making it the longest funding lapse of its kind, at 75 days. The legislation restores normal funding to agencies including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Coast Guard, the Transportation Security Administration and the Secret Service. But Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol — at the centre of a bitter partisan fight — are excluded from the deal. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson “extended the DHS shutdown for over a month for no reason at all. This is the same bill the Senate unanimously passed five weeks ago,” said Patty Murray, the top Democrat on government funding in the upper chamber. “After Republicans spent months blocking disaster relief and funding for the TSA, Coast Guard, and our cyber defence agency, it is a very good thing that this bill is finally on track to be signed into law to fund these agencies.” The standoff began when Democrats refused to support funding for immigration enforcement without new restrictions on tactics such as raids in sensitive locations and the use of masks by officers. Republicans rejected those demands, instead pushing for full funding of the agencies without new conditions. The result is a two-track approach to financing DHS. Lawmakers have reopened most of the department for now, while Republicans move separately to secure tens of billions of dollars for ICE and Border Patrol through the “budget reconciliation” process, which would allow them to bypass Democrats. Johnson had resisted bringing the Senate compromise to a vote for weeks, calling it inadequate and insisting that immigration enforcement must be fully funded. But mounting pressure from the White House, moderate Republicans and officials warning of looming payroll shortfalls forced leadership to act. The prolonged impasse exposed deep divisions within the Republican Party, with hardliners opposing the partial funding bill and centrists warning of political fallout from continuing the shutdown. Republican Congressman Nick Langworthy wrote to Johnson on Monday urging him to put the Senate-passed bill on the floor. “Thank you to (Trump) for agreeing and demanding action,” he posted on social media. “Not another day should go by with our safety and security at risk.” The shutdown has taken a toll on federal workers and operations. Thousands of DHS employees worked without pay for weeks, while more than 1,000 Transportation Security Administration staff reportedly quit. Preparations for major events, including World Cup matches scheduled in US cities this summer, were also under threat. Despite the resolution, the underlying political conflict remains unresolved. Republicans are pushing to approve up to $70bn in funding for immigration enforcement agencies for the remainder of Trump’s term, while Democrats continue to demand tighter oversight and limits on enforcement practices. The episode underscores the sharp partisan divide over immigration policy just months ahead of midterm elections that will determine control of Congress, and highlights the challenges facing House Republicans as they navigate internal divisions while advancing the president’s agenda. With lawmakers now leaving Washington for a recess, attention is set to shift to the next phase of the funding fight — and whether Congress can resolve the dispute over immigration enforcement without another shutdown looming later this year.
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Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli, the youngest championship leader in F1 history, will seek to complete a hat-trick of early season victories this weekend as Formula One returns after a month’s enforced absence due to the Middle East war. The 19-year-old Mercedes driver, triumphant in China and Japan, leads team-mate George Russell, who won the season-opening Australian race, by nine points ahead of what is effectively the start of another season, complete with revised rules and widespread car upgrades, at the Miami Grand Prix. “After a month without any racing, we are ready to get back on track,” said Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff. “We’ve used this break to analyse the opening races, address our weaknesses and rase our level. We’ve started the season well, but that counts for very little if you stand still. We know our competitors will have used this time to improve and build a deeper understanding of their cars so we expect the field to be closer in Miami. That’s the reality of F1 - it’s a challenge we must rise to.” Antonelli’s early triumphs made him the first Italian driver since Alberto Ascari in 1953 to win two consecutive races. Ascari completed his treble that season. Wolff also addressed the tweaks to the regulations to be introduced in Miami, aimed at making the cars and the spectacle more natural with reduced battery re-charging in qualifying and increased super-clipping power to reduce dangerous speed differentials. He said the revised rules would “respect the DNA of our sport” and deliver an improved spectacle without any significant reduction to Mercedes’ early-season performance advantage.For Mercedes, this Sunday’s race is an opportunity for a first win in Florida since the event was launched five years ago. It has been won twice by four-time champion Max Verstappen for Red Bull and twice by McLaren with a win apiece for world champion Lando Norris and team-mate Oscar Piastri. They will harbour hopes of claiming points too with success in Saturday’s sprint race, won last year by Norris, but Ferrari are widely expected to be strong contenders too as they arrive in Miami, like McLaren, who are bringing an almost “completely new car”, with a heavily revised package. “It was one of our best tracks for pure pace, compared to others, last year,” said Norris. “It’s a different track and it may still suit us a little more than others.” After winning in 2022 and 2023, Verstappen will be aiming to stop Mercedes’ winning run and revive Red Bull’s challenge this year after a discouraging start. He is ninth, on 12 points, 60 adrift of Antonelli, with team-mate Isack Hadjar 12th on four. Ferrari’s duo of Charles Leclerc and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton are third and fourth respectively on 49 and 41 points with many paddock observers suggesting they are poised to fight for a first win since Carlos Sainz’s success in Mexico in October 2024. Leclerc’s eighth and last win came at Austin, Texas, shortly before Sainz’s triumph while Hamilton is chasing his 106th win and first since the 2024 Belgian race before he joined Ferrari. After a desultory first year, the Briton said he is relishing the challenge of a new formula that has seen him rediscover his racing mojo. “We’re all re-charged after the break,” said Russell, expressing the feelings of most drivers. “I’m hoping we can continue where we left off.” It will mark newcomers Cadillac’s first racing appearance on home soil in the United States when Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas venture out at the Hard Rock Stadium in a new American livery.
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Alqaqaa bin Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani claimed top honours in the Amateur class as the 12th round of the Longines Hathab Qatar Equestrian Tour began at the main arena of the Qatar Equestrian Federation Thursday. Riding Bon Suela, Alqaqaa delivered a flawless performance to win the Table A, special two-phase 100cm class in a time of 29.78 seconds. Poland’s Milena Werla aboard Nevada de Beauty finished second in 30.11, while Nasser Hamad al-Thani secured third with Equinoxe de l’Aulne in 30.17. Mohammed Saleh al-Marri, Head of the Facilities and Logistics Committee, presented the awards to the top three riders. In the Silver Tour accumulator with joker (130cm), Kuwait’s Madhy Alkhamees took victory in 52.18 seconds riding Caheelah de Beaufour. Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Alasaker on Cassiano II finished second in 53.56 secs, while Qatar’s Abdulaziz Khalid al-Bukhari placed third aboard Ganges Loca with 65/58.34. The winners were crowned by Saeed Hamad al-Rashdi, Deputy Director of the tournament. The Hathab series, organised by the Qatar Equestrian Federation in partnership with Al Shaqab, comprises 14 rounds.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver Thursday. (Reuters) FIFA President Gianni Infantino reiterated that Iran will play their World Cup games in the United States as scheduled Thursday as he kicked off the global football body’s summit in Vancouver. Iran’s participation at this year’s tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States has been shrouded in uncertainty since the eruption of war in the Middle East in February following strikes by the United States and Israel. Infantino, who has repeatedly stated that Iran will be at the World Cup, underscored that stance at the start of his address to delegates in Vancouver. “Let me start by the outset, confirming straightaway that of course Iran will be participating at the FIFA World Cup 2026,” Infantino said. “And of course, Iran will play (in) the United States of America.” Iranian officials had floated the idea of shifting their group games from the United States to Mexico, but that proposal had already been nixed by Infantino. In a further twist last week, Italy-born US special envoy Paolo Zampolli was reported to have floated the idea of Italy taking Iran’s World Cup place. The US government later distanced themselves from that proposal, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying Iran’s footballers would be welcome. But the tension surrounding Iran’s World Cup participation rumbled into the build-up to Thursday’s FIFA Congress. Iran was the only absentee from the 211-member congress as Thursday’s meeting got under way after a clash with Canadian border officials earlier this week. Related Story
