Four elite team U.S. Army soldiers lost their lives when the MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed earlier this week near a military base in Washington state, Army officials reported on Friday.

The helicopter was conducting a routine training mission west of Joint Base Lewis-McChord when it went down at approximately 9 p.m. on Wednesday, according to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.…Click link for full details

As Donald Trump’s contentious administration progresses in the United States, numerous allegations of intimidation have emerged, prompting many high-ranking officials to leave their positions within the government.

Critics argue that this environment of fear and pressure has created a turbulent atmosphere in Washington, leading to significant turnover among key personnel….Click link to continue reading.

U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert informed employees at his office in Alexandria, Virginia, Friday that he intends to resign, according to sources, after President Donald Trump said he wants him out.

ABC News has reported that Trump was expected to fire Siebert after investigators were unable to find incriminating evidence of mortgage fraud against New York Attorney General Letitia James, according to sources.

Trump officials had pushed Siebert to bring charges against James, despite investigators failing to find clear evidence that she committed a crime, sources said.

“It looks to me like she is very guilty of something, but I really don’t know,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday.

When asked about Siebert, Trump said he wanted him “out” of the position because Virginia’s two Democratic Senators supported his nomination. Trump nominated Siebert for the position in May, and he has served as the interim U.S. attorney since Trump’s inauguration.

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“When I saw that he got approved by those two men, I said, pull it, because he can’t be any good,” Trump said. “When I learned that they voted for him, I said, I don’t really want him.”

Siebert’s departure leaves one of the nation’s most important U.S. attorney’s offices without a leader, according to sources, as Siebert’s deputy has already left her position and intends to continue work in the office as a line prosecutor. With her position vacant, there is currently no answer to who specifically will take over the office and whether any of its attorneys have any authority to continue regular prosecutorial activity.

The investigation into James began in April when Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, sent the Department of Justice a criminal referral alleging that James falsified records related to her 2023 purchase of a home in Virginia.

After investigating the allegations for five months and interviewing 15 witnesses, investigators were unable to find clear evidence that James knowingly falsified records to obtain better loan terms, ABC News first reported earlier this week.

James has denied wrongdoing, and her lawyer, in a statement on Friday, called the reported firing of Siebert a “brazen attack on the rule of law.”

“Firing people until he finds someone who will bend the law to carry out his revenge has been the President’s pattern — and it’s illegal,” Abbe Lowell said Friday morning in a statement to ABC News. “Punishing this prosecutor, a Trump appointee, for doing his job sends a clear and chilling message that anyone who dares uphold the law over politics will face the same fate.”

The forcing out of Siebert because he refused to charge one of Trump’s political rivals marks an escalation in what the president’s critics have called a retribution campaign, with ongoing investigations also targeting Sen. Adam Schiff and Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook.

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Trump has repeatedly accused James — who successfully brought a civil fraud case against him last year and leads multiple lawsuits challenging his administration’s policies — of targeting him for political reasons, calling her “biased and corrupt.”

Four U.S. Army soldiers who were part of an elite team that does nighttime missions died when the MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter they were aboard crashed earlier this week near a military base in Washington state, Army officials said Friday.

The helicopter was on a routine training mission west of Joint Base Lewis-McChord when it crashed at about 9 p.m. Wednesday, the U.S. Army Special Operations Command said. Click to continue reading.

The soldiers were part of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Airborne, officials said.

Recovery efforts are underway, and the cause of the crash remains under investigation, Army officials said.

The skies in the area were mostly clear with light winds from the south around the time of the crash, according to the National Weather Service.

Army officials said they would release the soldiers’ names “when appropriate,” out of respect for the families.

“Our hearts are with the families, friends, and teammates of these Night Stalkers,” said Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, USASOC Commander. “They were elite warriors who embodied the highest values of the Army and the Army Special Operations, and their sacrifice will never be forgotten.”

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Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said on X, “my heart is heavy,” after hearing about the crash. “While we await further updates, my prayers are with those involved, their families, and the entire Night Stalkers, Special Operations, and JBLM community,” he said.

The regiment’s mission is to organize, equip and employ Army special operations aviation forces around the world, according to the Army’s website.

“Known as Night Stalkers, these soldiers are recognized for their proficiency in nighttime operations,” the website said. “They are highly trained and ready to accomplish the very toughest missions in all environments, anywhere in the world, day or night, with unparalleled precision.”

Law enforcement, firefighters and specialty personnel from the joint base are conducting recovery efforts at the site of the crash, Braga said.

“We thank the skilled professionals who are working tirelessly, around the clock to bring our soldiers home,” Braga said.

The crash sparked a small wildfire that had grown to 1.25 acres (0.5 hectares) by Friday morning, the Washington Department of Natural Resources said. The agency said there was “pretty minimal fire activity” so they had one engine on the scene.

The base is about 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of Tacoma under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army Joint Base Headquarters.

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The government of North Korea has reportedly commenced executing citizens for watching foreign movies and TV shows.

According to a report from the United Nations (UN), North Korea has publicly executed individuals for watching or distributing foreign media, including films and popular TV shows, such as South Korean dramas.

A recent report from UN report reveals that North Korea’s executions for watching or distributing foreign media stem from the desire to instill fear in the population and serve as a deterrent.

The human rights report was based on interviews with over 300 witnesses and victims who reported increased restrictions on freedom after fleeing North Korea.

The report covers developments since the landmark 2014 report, which found that North Korea had committed crimes against humanity.

Reports claim that the new laws criminalize access to unauthorized foreign information and prohibit the consumption or dissemination of information.

Recent Policy Carried Out by North Korea
it’s worth noting that North Korea has implemented laws to restrict citizens freedoms, including the Reactionary Ideology and Culture Rejection Law, which punishes those who access or distribute foreign media, including South Korean content.

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The Youth Education Guarantee Act aims to indoctrinate youth with the regime’s ideology and prevent them from being influenced by foreign ideas.

The Pyongyang Cultural Language Protection Law protects the North Korean language and culture from foreign influences, punishing those who use South Korean vocabulary or language style.

Despite the report unconfirmed by the North Korean government, it has dominated buzz online.

A court in Equatorial Guinea has delivered a significant ruling, convicting Ruslan Obiang Nsue, one of the sons of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, for the unauthorized sale of an aircraft that belonged to the country’s national airline.

This decision, confirmed by a court official, marks a notable event in the nation’s ongoing struggles with corruption and governance.

The ruling, announced on a Tuesday, mandates that Obiang Nsue serve a six-year prison sentence unless he repays the state for the missing plane, as stated by Hilario Mitogo, the press director of the Supreme Court, in a WhatsApp message to the media.

The 50-year-old, who previously held the position of director for Ceiba Intercontinental, the national carrier, was found guilty of selling an ATR 72-500 aircraft to a Spanish company while illicitly pocketing the proceeds from the transaction.

Since 2023, Obiang Nsue has been under house arrest, a situation instituted by his half-brother, Vice-President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, highlighting the complex family dynamics involved in the country’s political landscape.

According to Mitogo’s announcement, the court’s decision allows Obiang Nsue to evade incarceration if he compensates the airline approximately $255,000, in addition to covering damages and a state-imposed fine.

Notably, he was acquitted of separate allegations that included embezzlement and abuse of office.

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Obiang Nsue has had a varied political career, previously serving as the secretary of state for sports and youth. He is the son of the world’s longest-serving president, who has maintained a grip on power in the oil-rich central African nation for an astonishing 46 years.

More than 20 people have died on Wednesday in a torrential spell of monsoon rain in Pakistan, where downpours have swept away entire villages over the last week, killing more than 400.

Eleven people died in the touristic northern region of Gilgit-Baltistan and 10 others in Karachi, the financial capital in the south, due to urban flooding that caused house collapses and electrocution, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said.

Schools remained closed in the city of more than 20 million, as the meteorological department predicted more rain till Saturday.

Amir Hyder Laghari, chief meteorologist of the Sindh province, blamed “weak infrastructure” for the flooding in big cities.

As Karachi’s crumbling pipes and sewer system struggled to cope with the downpours, rush-hour drivers were caught in rising waters late Tuesday, and multiple neighbourhoods experienced power cuts.

By Wednesday morning, the water had receded, an AFP photographer reported.

Between 40 and 50 houses had been damaged in two districts, provincial disaster official Muhammad Younis said.

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“Another (rain) spell is to start by the end of the month,” NDMA chairman Inam Haider Malik.

More than 350 people have died in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a mountainous northern province bordering Afghanistan, since last Thursday.

Authorities and the army are searching for dozens missing in villages that were hit by landslides and heavy rain.

– ‘Children are scared’ –

The floods interrupted communication networks and phone lines in flooded areas, while excavators worked to remove debris clogging drainage channels.

“We have established relief camps where we are providing medical assistance. We are also giving dry rations and tents to all the people,” army Colonel Irfan Afridi told AFP in Buner district, where more than 220 people were killed.

Authorities have warned that the rains will continue until mid-September.

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“The children are scared. They say we cannot sleep at night due to fear,” said Anjum Anwar, a medical camp official in Buner. “The flood… has destroyed our entire settlements.”

Landslides and flash floods are common during the monsoon season, which typically begins in June and lasts until the end of September.

This year, nearly 750 people have died since the season started, according to authorities.

Pakistan is among the world’s most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change and is increasingly facing extreme weather events.

Monsoon floods submerged one-third of Pakistan in 2022, resulting in approximately 1,700 deaths.

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