INTERNACIONAL
Ships seized by Iranians ‘armed to the teeth’ along Strait of Hormuz have been taken toward port: report
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The two container ships seized by Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz have been taken toward the port of Bandar Abbas along the key waterway, a report said Thursday.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed on Wednesday that the vessels, identified as the MSC Francesca and the Epaminondas, were operating without proper authorization and had tampered with navigation systems, accusations that could not be independently verified.
«Some 20 Iranians armed to the teeth stormed the ship. Sailors are under Iranians’ control, their movements on the ship are limited, but the Iranians are treating them well,» a relative of a captive onboard one of the ships told Reuters on Thursday in relation to one of the seizures.
The news outlet cited sources as saying that both ships — which are managed by Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) — were taken toward Bandar Abbas, with a combined 40 crew onboard.
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The Panama-flagged MSC Francesca vessel is docked in Long Beach, Calif., on April 16, 2025. (Efrain Morales/Reuters)
«The ship is anchored nine nautical miles from the Iranian coast. Negotiations between MSC and Iran are ongoing, our sailors are fine,» Filip Radulovic, Montenegro’s minister of maritime affairs, was quoted by Reuters as telling state television there.
Before their seizure on Wednesday, the ships reported coming under fire near the strait, underscoring the increasingly volatile conditions in one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes.
The situation is unfolding after U.S. forces recently seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman as it was approaching Iranian waters Sunday.
PENTAGON WARNS OF 6-MONTH TIMELINE TO CLEAR IRANIAN MINES FROM STRAIT OF HORMUZ: REPORT
Soldiers take part in the operation seizing container ships MSC Francesca and Epaminondas in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian state TV on April 22, 2026. (IRIB/Handout/Reuters)
That vessel, the Touska, remains in U.S. custody as American forces continue inspecting what maritime security sources told Reuters is likely «dual-use» cargo — materials that can serve both civilian and military purposes — following a voyage from Asia.
The U.S. military is also continuing to enforce a blockade of Iranian ports on Thursday.
The Epaminondas container ship is seen in Naples, Italy, on March 12, 2025. (Giovanni Costigliola/Reuters)
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So far, U.S. forces have redirected 33 vessels since the start of the blockade against Iran, U.S. Central Command said Thursday.
Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
iran, navy, us navy, middle east, armed forces
INTERNACIONAL
Bessent sets record straight on Trump team dinner clash that nearly turned into a throwdown: ‘Kick his a–’
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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent downplayed his past clash with Bill Pulte, President Donald Trump’s newly tapped acting intelligence chief, after senators pressed him Wednesday over reports that he once threatened to punch him at a dinner party.
«Did you actually tell Pulte you were going to punch them in the face,» asked North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis on Wednesday, referencing reports from 2025 that Bessent threatened Pulte during a dinner.
«No sir, I actually said I was going to kick his ass,» the secretary quipped.
The exchange during the Treasury’s budget hearing renewed scrutiny of earlier reports detailing a clash between the two men, coming just days after Trump announced that the Federal Housing Finance Agency director would take on one of the government’s most sensitive national security responsibilities.
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Treasury Secretary Bessent downplayed his reported feud with Bill Pulte, saying he called to congratulate him on his new role leading intelligence. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)
Reports at the time found that Bessent allegedly accused Pulte of undermining him with the president and threatened to punch him in the face while at a dinner in September. But as senators pressed him about Pulte’s elevation to acting director, Bessent downplayed the flared tempers and revealed that he called Tuesday to congratulate him.
«Many teams squabble in the locker room and go out in the field,» responded Bessent when asked if he was comfortable with Pulte’s appointment.
When asked at the time about the alleged dinner quarrel, Bessent commented in September that it is not unprecedented to have Cabinet members to have physical altercations.
«Treasury secretaries dating back to Alexander Hamilton have a history of dueling,» Bessent said in a CNBC interview.
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«Many teams squabble in the locker room and go out in the field,» responded Bessent. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images; Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Trump tapped Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte after former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced she would step down last month to support her husband following his diagnosis with a rare form of bone cancer.
TRUMP NAMES BILL PULTE ACTING DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Bill Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, speaks to reporters outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 9, 2026. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)
Pulte will remain FHFA director and chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac while serving in the new post.
Bessent also made headlines in April 2025 for an alleged face-to-face with SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk.
The two men reportedly entered into a shouting match while in the West Wing over who would lead the IRS, Axios reported at the time.
Democratic lawmakers have expressed their disagreement with the Pulte pick, calling his qualifications into question.
«Trump’s appointments of Bill Pulte to serve as acting director of national intelligence appears to have been a hastily considered backroom deal based on loyalty to Trump, not the security of our nation,» Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
«What exactly are Bill Pulte qualifications? Does he have a national security background? The answer would be no. Does he have a military background? The answer would be no. Does he have a law enforcement background? The answer would be no,» said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
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He added, «What qualifies Bill Pulte to hold one of the most important national security positions for the United States of America? One thing, apparently, that Bill Pulte is willing to say anything or do anything that Donald Trump demands, no matter how reckless, vengeful or unlawful Donald Trump’s demand may be.»
Fox News Digital reached out to the Treasury Department and DNI for comment.
white house, national security, scott bessent, senate elections
INTERNACIONAL
El embajador israelí en Estados Unidos advirtió que el alto el fuego en Líbano no brinda inmunidad a Hezbollah
El embajador de Israel en Estados Unidos, Yechiel Leiter, quien lideró la delegación israelí en las negociaciones con Líbano en Washington, advirtió que el alto el fuego acordado este miércoles no concede inmunidad al grupo terrorista Hezbollah.
“Las conversaciones de hoy representan otro paso importante en el proceso para facilitar la paz entre Israel y el Líbano. Pero que quede claro: si Hezbollah cree que este resultado le otorga inmunidad, se equivoca”, manifestó Leiter vía X.
El diplomático remarcó que este alto el fuego “depende totalmente del cese total de los ataques contra Israel y del desmantelamiento completo de Hezbollah y su infraestructura terrorista”, haciendo referencia la postura israelí durante las conversaciones en Washington.
Las delegaciones de Israel y Líbano acordaron con la mediación de Estados Unidos implementar un alto al fuego condicionado al cese de los ataques del grupo terrorista contra territorio israelí y la interrupción de sus operaciones en el sur libanés
Según la declaración conjunta, las partes diseñaron un plan para crear “zonas piloto” en el Líbano controladas por el Ejército libanés y sin presencia del grupo islamista. Ambas delegaciones fijaron una nueva reunión en Washington para el 22 de junio.
Las negociaciones, encabezadas por Leiter y Nada Hamadeh, embajadora de Líbano en Estados Unidos, se realizaron en la sede del Departamento de Estado estadounidense y constituyeron la cuarta ronda de negociaciones de paz en lo que va del año. Hasta el momento, los contactos permitieron aprobar y renovar la medida pacificadora, aunque se registraron violaciones a la tregua y una intensificación de la ofensiva israelí en el Líbano, tras los lanzamientos de proyectiles atribuidos a Hezbollah.
La delegación libanesa enfatizó durante las negociaciones la importancia del “respeto mutuo de las fronteras reconocidas internacionalmente” y subrayó la “urgencia” de aplicar plenamente el cese de hostilidades, en línea con los principios de integridad territorial y plena soberanía estatal. Beirut se comprometió a “reforzar” la capacidad de las Fuerzas Armadas libanesas, con el respaldo de Estados Unidos, para lograr un control efectivo sobre todo el territorio nacional.
Washington, mediador clave en el proceso, reiteró su “apoyo constante a ambos gobiernos” para que ejerzan su soberanía y señaló que cualquier acuerdo para el cese de hostilidades debe surgir directamente de los dos gobiernos involucrados, siempre con mediación estadounidense y sin canales alternativos.
El embajador estadounidense en Israel, Mike Huckabee, calificó como “muy intensas” las dos jornadas de negociaciones tripartitas, destacando dos puntos centrales: “Hezbollah debe dejar de matar israelíes y retirarse del sur de Líbano, e Irán no tiene nada que ver en la decisión del futuro de nadie”, expresó Huckabee en redes sociales.
Horas antes del anuncio del alto el fuego, el presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, expresó su deseo de separar las conversaciones sobre el conflicto en Líbano de las negociaciones relativas a la guerra con Irán. A pesar de esta postura, Teherán sostiene que ambos conflictos están interrelacionados. El ministro de Asuntos Exteriores iraní, Abbas Araghchi, amenazó con que “cualquier ataque contra Beirut desencadenaría una reanudación a gran escala de la guerra”.
En ese contexto, Hezbollah declaró que “en respuesta a la violación del alto el fuego por parte del ejército enemigo israelí”, sus combatientes atacaron a soldados israelíes en el norte del país con una andanada de cohetes. Durante la madrugada del jueves, el grupo respaldado por Irán afirmó haber lanzado una “salva de cohetes” contra soldados y vehículos israelíes en la ciudad de Al-Qantara, en el sur del Líbano, y haber realizado un ataque con dos drones sobre una posición de mando israelí próxima al castillo de Chqif.
Las hostilidades más recientes de gran magnitud entre Hezbollah e Israel comenzaron el 2 de marzo, cuando el grupo terrorista disparó proyectiles contra territorio israelí en represalia por el asesinato del entonces líder supremo de Irán, el ayatollah Ali Khamenei. El ataque se produjo tras la ofensiva conjunta de Israel y Estados Unidos contra la república islámica, lanzada el 28 de febrero.
(Con información de Europa Press y EFE)
International Relations,War,Diplomacy / Foreign Policy,North America,Military Conflicts
INTERNACIONAL
Albino buffalo nicknamed ‘Donald Trump’ becomes sensation at Bangladesh’s national zoo for its blond hair
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A buffalo with a distinctive hairstyle is going viral for its resemblance to President Donald Trump.
The rare albino buffalo, nicknamed «Donald Trump,» has become a sensation at Bangladesh’s national zoo thanks to its blond tuft of hair, which many say resembles the president’s signature look.
The animal first gained attention after a local farmer noticed the resemblance.
A video of the pale, horned buffalo quickly spread across social media, drawing crowds to a farm outside Dhaka where it was being kept.
‘SUPER RARE’ ALBINO SQUIRREL SPOTTED ON GOLF COURSE: ‘KEEP AN EYE OUT’
A rare albino buffalo fondly named after Donald Trump for its distinctive blond tuft is seen in an enclosure at the national zoological park, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Friday, May 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Rajib Dhar)
The buffalo was originally sold and slated for slaughter during Eid al-Adha, the Muslim «Feast of Sacrifice,» but government officials intervened and ordered the animal transferred to the national zoo in the capital.
Since arriving at the zoo, the buffalo has attracted large crowds and sparked debate over its unusual nickname.
Some visitors embraced the comparison.
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A rare albino buffalo nicknamed «Donald Trump» has become a viral attraction at Bangladesh’s national zoo because of its distinctive blond hairstyle. (AP Photo/Al-emrun Garjon)
«There is a resemblance to Donald Trump in its eyes, hairstyle, and skin color,» Mohammed Nasim, a student in Dhaka, told The Associated Press.
«And just as Donald Trump has a distinctive personality and lifestyle, this buffalo, after going viral, is now living a similar kind of life, enjoying a lot of attention and special treatment,» he added.
According to local media reports, the exhibit initially featured a sign identifying the animal as «Donald Trump,» though the sign has since been removed.
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A rare albino buffalo nicknamed «Donald Trump» has become a viral attraction in Bangladesh because visitors say its blond hairstyle resembles President Donald Trump. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)
The zoo’s curator was later fired, although officials have not publicly disclosed the reason for the dismissal.
As visitors crowded around the enclosure this week, many stopped to take photos and videos of the increasingly famous buffalo.
Others, however, said naming the animal after the president was inappropriate.
«Giving a farm animal the name of one of the world’s most influential leaders was certainly the wrong thing to do,» local resident Mohammad Joynal Adedin told the AP.
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Still, Adedin made the trip to the zoo to see the buffalo for himself.
«It seems disrespectful,» he added. «I think the farmer who did this made a poor decision.»
donald trump, wild nature, endangered species environment world, odd news, viral
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