Entertainment
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani slams US action in Venezuela as ‘act of war’
- Mamdani says operation violated federal and international law.
- Warns move may have direct consequences for Venezuelans in US.
- Mayor says he’s monitoring situation and may issue guidance if needed.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he personally called President Donald Trump to object to what he described as a “pursuit of regime change” in Venezuela, following the overnight capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
President Trump announced on Saturday that he was putting Venezuela under temporary American control after the United States captured President Nicolas Maduro in an audacious raid and whisked him to New York to face drug-trafficking charges.
“We will run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. “We can’t take a chance that someone else takes over Venezuela who doesn’t have the interests of Venezuelans in mind.”
Trump also said as part of the takeover, major US oil companies would move into Venezuela, which has the world’s largest oil reserves, and refurbish badly degraded oil infrastructure, a process experts said could take years.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Mamdani said he had contacted Trump “directly” to make his position clear.
“I called the president and spoke with him directly to register my opposition to this act,” he said.
Mamdani said his objection was based on opposition to a “pursuit of regime change” and actions he believes go against federal and international law, which he said should be applied consistently.
Earlier, the mayor described the US military operation that led to Maduro’s capture as “an act of war” and a “blatant pursuit of regime change.”
In a post on X, Mamdani said he had been briefed on the operation and on plans to detain Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in federal custody in New York City.
“Unilaterally attacking a sovereign nation is an act of war and a violation of federal and international law,” he said, warning that the move marked a dangerous escalation in US foreign policy.
Mamdani said the fallout from the operation would not be limited to Venezuela and could directly affect tens of thousands of Venezuelans living in New York.
“My focus is their safety and the safety of every New Yorker,” he said, adding that his administration would keep monitoring the situation and issue guidance if needed.
His comments came after President Trump announced that US forces had carried out a “large-scale strike” in Venezuela, resulting in the capture of Maduro and his wife. Trump later said the pair were being flown to New York to face federal charges.
Dramatic overnight action
As part of the dramatic overnight operation that knocked out electricity in parts of Caracas and included strikes on military installations, US Special Forces captured Maduro in or near one of his safe houses, Trump said.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were transported to a US Navy ship offshore before being flown to the US on Saturday evening.
Video showed a plane arriving at Stewart International Airport about 60 miles (97 km) northwest of New York City, with several US personnel boarding the aircraft after it landed. A Justice Department official confirmed Maduro had landed in New York, and video later showed a large convoy arriving at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn under a heavy police presence.
Maduro, who was indicted on various US charges, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, is expected to make an initial appearance in Manhattan federal court on Monday, according to a Justice Department official. His wife also faces charges, including cocaine importation conspiracy.
It is unclear how Trump plans to oversee Venezuela. US forces have no control over the country itself, and Maduro’s government appears not only to still be in charge but to have no appetite for cooperating with Washington. Trump did not say who would lead Venezuela when the US cedes control.
Maduro’s apparent successor, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, appeared on Venezuelan television Saturday afternoon with other top officials to decry what she called a kidnapping.
“We demand the immediate release of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores,” Rodriguez said, calling Maduro “the only president of Venezuela.” A Venezuelan court later ordered Rodriguez to assume the position of interim president.
In the US some legal experts questioned the legality of an operation to seize the head of state of a foreign power, and Democrats who said they were misled during recent briefings demanded a plan on what would now follow.
Entertainment
United Airlines 767 slams into NJ Turnpike light pole in viral crash—but what really happened?
A passenger airplane with 221 passengers onboard hits a bakery truck in New Jersey on Sunday, May 3, 2026.
According to Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), all 221 passengers on board along with 10 crew members didn’t sustain any injuries.
United flight 169, traveling from Venice, Italy to New Jersey, slammed into a light pole during its descent at around 2 p.m.
The plane landed safely and taxied to the gate.
United Airlines Boeing 767 was approaching Newark Liberty International Airport when it hit a light pole on the New Jersey Turnpike on Sunday, May 3, 2026, as confirmed by FAA.
The airline has initiated an investigation into the incident.
The preliminary investigation reveals the plane’s landing gear and underside struck a pole and a tractor-trailer, pushing the pole into a moving jeep on the roadway, per Fox Business.
On the other hand, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has also launched a probe.
The NTSB issued a statement stating, “The agency has directed United Airlines to secure and provide both the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder to support the investigation, with the preliminary report expected within 30 days.”
The incident surfaced just days after a United pilot reported a possible drone encounter while making a landing approach at San Diego International Airport, per the air traffic audio.
Kim Kardashian was always the queen of Met Gala pregnancy looks.
Hours ahead of the fashion’s biggest night on May 4, 2026, the reality TV star surprised fans with a pregnancy photo as she looked back on all her iconic Met Gala looks while preparing for her 13th appearance in a row this year.
“Year 13 loading…” she captioned the post, confirming that she will be gracing the Met Gala red carpet this year after skipping last year.
The first photo was from Kardashian’s first ever Met Gala look in 2013, when she was pregnant with her and then-husband Kanye West’s first child, North West. For her Met Gala debut, Kim wore a custom Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci dress created out of floral printed jersey.
The second picture showed the mom-of-four trying on her 2014 Met Gala dress — a blue strapless Lanvin gown with a black waistband and thigh-high slit.
The SKIMS founder stepped up her game the next year in a sheer crystal-embroidered Roberto Cavalli gown with feather detailing and a long train, with the whole look inspired by Cher.
At the time, she was pregnant with her second child, Saint West, who was born on December 5, 2015.
Kardashian kept outshining herself in the years that followed.
In 2016, she stunned in a futuristic Balmain look, which she described as a “bling sexy robot.”
Following her Paris robbery in October 2016, Kardashian was hesitant to wear much jewellery for the 2017 Met Gala, keeping things simple in an off-the-shoulder Vivienne Westwood Couture corset dress.
However, she turned up the heat again in 2018 — months after welcoming her third child, Chicago West — in a custom gold chainmail Versace dress featuring embroidered crosses.
2019 was one of Kardashian’s most memorable looks yet, featuring a custom Thierry Mugler dress with the vision of her as “this California girl stepping out of the ocean, wet, dripping.” Just days later, she welcomed her fourth child, Psalm West, via surrogate.
In the first Met Gala since the pandemic in 2021, Kardashian turned heads in an all-black Balenciaga dress, including a full face mask and gloves to cover her entire body. That was also the year she filed for divorce from Ye.
The next year, Kardashian attended the Met Gala with her then-boyfriend Pete Davidson, wearing an iconic Marilyn Monroe dress which earned her a lot of backlash.
In 2023, she stunned in a custom Schiaparelli haute couture design by Daniel Roseberry featuring a draped skirt and top adorned with more than 50,000 freshwater pearls and 16,0000 crystal pearls.
2024’s Met Gala saw Kardashian bringing back her cinched waist look with a silver corset and lace train featuring leaves and floral accents. The dress was a custom Margiela by John Galliano.
After skipping the 2025 Met Gala, Kardashian — who has entered a new chapter of her life after sparking a relationship with Lewis Hamilton — now has fans at the edge of their seats with what she has planned this year.
- Committee to review cases, submit report.
- PM approval awaited for compensation plan.
- Authorities have been told to halt action.
ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided in principle to compensate apartment owners of One Constitution Avenue by paying them their original purchase prices, with a formal announcement expected after approval from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
A high-level committee, constituted by the prime minister, has begun work to examine the legal and administrative aspects of the high-profile controversy, according to an official notification issued by the Cabinet Division. The committee is headed by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and includes Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, along with the secretaries of the Cabinet Division and Commerce Division.
The committee has been tasked with reviewing all related cases, listening to affected apartment owners and proposing a balanced course of action to address grievances while ensuring compliance with the court orders. It is scheduled to submit its report to the prime minister by May 8.
Until a final decision is taken, authorities including the Capital Development Authority (CDA), police and district administration have been directed not to take any action against residents.
The issue stems from a long-standing dispute over the project. In 2005, the CDA allotted 13.5 acres of land to a private developer for construction of a five-star hotel. The company secured the lease for Rs4.8 billion and was granted possession after making an initial 15 per cent payment. However, it subsequently defaulted on payments, leading to prolonged rescheduling and litigation.
In 2019, the Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered the developer to pay Rs17.5 billion to restore the lease. The company has so far paid only Rs2.9 billion and remains in default of approximately Rs14.5 billion, resulting in cancellation of the lease in 2023.
Authorities also noted that in violation of the original agreement, the developer constructed 263 residential apartments on the site. Despite public notices warning buyers of the project’s disputed status, transactions continued.
Currently, only 69 of the 263 apartments are occupied, while the majority remain in the hands of investors. Of the occupied units, officials say only a small proportion are used for permanent residence, with many being rented out on a short-term basis.
Following directions from the Islamabad High Court, the CDA officials, accompanied by police, recently issued seven-day eviction notices to occupants in line with the court orders.
Despite earlier warnings, the government has now moved towards compensating affected buyers, signalling a conciliatory approach aimed at resolving the prolonged dispute.
Originally published in The News
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