Salmonella Warning Issued for Jalapeños

On the heels of a nationwide surge in cyclosporiasis, US health officials are investigating a multistate outbreak of salmonella linked to jalapeños (medium-sized chili peppers of the species Capsicum annuum), which has sickened 345 people so far. 

Their illnesses began on dates ranging from June 19 to July 20, 2026 and reported in 27 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At least 36 people have been hospitalized with the food-borne illness. 

In an August 05 food safety alert, the CDC identified the source of the outbreak: fresh jalapeño peppers distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors to wholesalers and restaurants nationwide. 

After Coast Citrus Distributors initiated a recall of their jalapeño peppers, Taylor Farms followed suit, recalling their prepared foods made with the recalled jalapeños, including salsa and guacamole, per the Food and Drug Administration. The affected products were distributed to Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Target, among other retailers. Some tainted jalapeños were served at Chipotle and Qdoba and have since been removed from stores. 

Salmonella is a type of bacteria found in the intestines of humans and animals that can cause food poisoning known as salmonellosis. People become infected by ingesting contaminating food or water. 

Infection with salmonella causes severe and sometimes bloody diarrhea, vomiting, fever and stomach cramps, per the CDC. In rare cases, salmonella can enter the bloodstream and cause life-threatening complications. 

Most people recover on their own, but some groups are at higher risk of severe illness. These include adults over 65, young children and people with weak immune systems. 

Salmonella is a leading cause of food poisoning in the US, and infections are more common in the summer because the bacteria thrive in warm conditions, per the CDC. 

However, the recent outbreak has stoked fears about the safety of US produce, especially after a summer of dodging the “diarrhea parasite” cyclospora linked to iceberg lettuce.

Following consecutive league wins against Dundee and Kilmarnock, an in-form Celtic launched their Scottish League Cup defense with a dominant 4-0 victory against Dundee United yesterday. 

The opening goal came when Auston Trusty headed the ball directly into the net from a corner kick in the 22nd minute. 

Two minutes afterward, Camilo Durán Marquez doubled the lead with a clinical strike, marking his debut goal for the club. 

Sebastian Tounekti scored Celtic's third goal in the 54th minute by collecting a through-pass from Benjamin Nygren and slotting a low finish into the bottom corner of the net. 

Nine minutes later, Mika Baur produced a lovely wee flick to Tounekti, who quickly fed the ball into Nygren; the Swede then arrowed a sweet shot high into the net from 18 yards.

The Brink of Dawn: Rewriting US Nuclear Strategy

The US military is drawing up a new nuclear weapons strategy that breaks with decades of established guidelines. ☢️☢️☢️

The strategy is being overseen by War Department policy chief Elbridge Colby (left) and breaks with guidelines followed for decades. Five people familiar with the plans say the update emphasises using shorter-range tactical weapons in regional conflicts. 

The new plan is designed to provide the US President with updated crisis-response options by seeking to deter adversaries from exploiting regional conflicts while preventing conventional warfare from escalating into a nuclear exchange.  

Colby made a scheduled visit and keynote speech at the US Strategic Command (STRATCOM) in Omaha, Nebraska, on August 05, 2026, where he addressed military leadership and attendees during the closed-door 2026 Deterrence Symposium. It came after the Pentagon previously warned that America faces two major nuclear rivals at the same time in China and Russia. 

On July 23, 2026, the Department of War designated three Chinese civilian research universities – Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Shandong University (alongside the Aerospace Information Research Institute under the Chinese Academy of Sciences) – as national security threats. These institutions join a growing blacklist that now comprises 130 foreign entities.

Celtic faced Kilmarnock yesterday, seeking back-to-back wins, and they didn't disappoint as they steamrolled past the latter 5-1. 

The Scottish champions were quick to launch an attack down the left side. Kieran Tierney passed to Arne Engels, who delivered a high cross to the far post for Kasper Høgh to head into the net in the second minute, scoring his first goal for Celtic. 

In the 33rd minute, Camilo Durán intercepted a defensive pass, linked up with Benjamin Nygren, and fed Høgh on the left side of the box for a sharp finish. 

During another fluid Celtic attack two minutes later, Nygren slipped the ball to the right for Durán, who sent in a cross that bypassed the goalkeeper, allowing Høgh to tap into an open net and complete his hat-trick. 

Nygren added to the tally in the 47th minute after intercepting a poor goal kick and firing a high shot straight into the top corner. 

While the Killies pulled one back in the 56th minute, Luke McCowan sealed the win with a 75th-minute volley after Kilmarnock failed to clear a looping corner kick.

Marco Rubio’s Hot Take

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (right) helpfully pointed out "... that China wants to become the most powerful country in the world, and they want to do so at our expense. Obviously, we are Americans; we're not going to allow that to happen". 

This was said in an interview aired on the Fox News Channel program "My View with Lara Trump" on July 28, 2026.

Cue the dramatic gasp. A classic case of stating the obvious.  

While China is undoubtedly a rising global superpower, it is not yet the most powerful country on the planet. However, it is closing in rapidly; it's simply a matter of time.

Get used to it, Rubio!

😂😂😂

A historic opening round of six top-flight Scottish Premiership matches wrapped up at Celtic Park yesterday with the Celtic-Dundee fixture. 

Of course, the Scottish champions won, albeit a narrow 1-0 victory over the Dees. After a drab first half, Sweden midfielder Benjamin Nygren met a magnificent cross from Kieran Tierney on 52 minutes for the game's only goal. 

As Celtic head honcho Martin O'Neill said: "The most important thing is to win the game".

Ukraine War Outlasts World War One

The ongoing war in Ukraine has often been compared to the first World War for its brutal infantry assaults and heavy casualties. 

Yet the idea that it could, by any measure, surpass a conflict so long and bloody that French soldiers hoped it would be “the last of the last” once seemed unthinkable. 

That is just what happened on Thursday. The war in Ukraine – which reached 1,569 days, or more than four years and three months – has now outlasted the first World War. 

The war is still very much raging on, and, with peace talks stalled, it shows no sign of ending soon. 

Finally, yesterday, Celtic Football Club, officially announced the appointment of Martin O’Neill (left) as Football Manager on a one-year contract with a one-year option. 

In his connection with Celtic, Martin has already brought nine major honours to the club, including Celtic’s fifth consecutive league title as part of the most memorable league and Scottish Cup double just last month. 

Among his many achievements, Martin was the first manager to deliver a domestic Treble for Celtic in 32 years, when he did so in his first season in charge back in 2001, while he also took Celtic to a European final in Seville in 2003. 

Last season, he drove the club to their 56th Premiership title, by winning the last seven league matches and rounding off one of the most amazing climaxes in Scottish football history by securing his fourth and Celtic’s 43rd Scottish Cup victory.

Andoni Iraola for Liverpool and Martin O'Neill for Celtic

Andoni Iraola is the new Liverpool head coach. 

The appointment of the Basque as the Reds’ boss ahead of 2026-27 was sealed on Thursday. 

North of the border, Martin O'Neill is the Celtic manager, it was asserted on Friday. It's a no-brainer really that O'Neill is set to continue at Parkhead on a one-year contract after two successful interim spells culminated in a league and cup double last season. 

Russia’s battlefield performance in Ukraine since December shows it can contest territory but cannot hold it, it has been claimed. 

Moreover, Ukraine's ability to impede the flow of Russian supplies and personnel to the front lines has grown in recent days, from the southern regions of Zaporizhia and Kherson to the eastern front, and has forced the Russian army to a standstill, according to Western analysis. 

Meanwhile, Ukraine has continued to strike refineries and munitions factories deep inside Russia, weakening its war effort. 

This war in Ukraine as described above was reported by Ukrainian fanboy John T Psaropoulos for Al Jazeera on June 05. This correspondent has been gleefully writing fiction about the Ukraine war right from the beginning. 

If you will believe, according to his May 29 report, the scale of Russian combat losses in Ukraine has increased nearly threefold compared to last year. 

To be honest, everything he wrote is pure fantasy! His texts serve as a highly delusory, if not deceitful narrative. And preposterous doesn't even begin to cover it!

Russia has actually gained the edge! Dominance confirmed.

Let me spell it out again: Russia is winning!

Florida Sues OpenAI and Sam Altman

Florida has officially become the first US state to sue OpenAI and their CEO, Sam Altman, accusing the company of misrepresenting the safety of ChatGPT and prioritizing profits over public safety. 

The 83-page lawsuit was filed on Monday by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier (right), who accuses OpenAI of deceptive and unfair trade practices, negligence and violating product liability laws. It also seeks to hold Altman “personally liable for the harm he has caused Floridians”, including his alleged “utter disregard for the risk to human life caused by his firms’ conduct”. 

The lawsuit lists a litany of accusations against ChatGPT, including helping mass shooters, encouraging suicide, causing “public humiliation,” getting minors addicted to a tool with “no parental oversight” and causing users to lose “critical thinking skills”.

The question for the court is whether OpenAI can be held liable when users lean on ChatGPT for dangerous, delusional, or violent plans. The company will argue that their models are general-purpose tools with safeguards. Florida is arguing that the tool was built and sold in a way that made predictable harms inevitable. 

According to reports by Politico and Ars Technica, Florida is pushing the courts to mandate: 

• Strict parental control mechanisms
• Robust age-verification protocols for free accounts
• Data-collection restrictions on minor users
• Automated shutdowns for conversations exploring violence or self-harm  

All eyes are on Celtic once again, this time to celebrate the women's team lifting the Scottish Cup trophy. 

They had defeated their arch-rivals Rangers 1-0 in the final on Sunday.

Celtic rock!!!

The GD01 Transformable Mecha

Hey! Do you have $650,000 to spend? 

If you do, you can find yourself riding around in your own giant, transformable mecha! 

That's because Hangzhou, China-based Unitree have officially unveiled the GD01 on May 12, 2026. It was introduced as the world’s first mass-produced, human-piloted mecha, a futuristic rideable machine capable of switching between two-legged and four-legged movement modes.

Yesterday, Celtic won 3-1 against Dunfermline Athletic in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park. And which means, they earned another winners' medal and completed a double. Celtic's 43rd Scottish Cup!

And btw, this was their ninth consecutive victory in both league and cup. 

Celtic scored twice in the first half. Daizen Maeda lobbed the Pars goalkeeper after 19 minutes, and Arne Engels unleashed a low shot from 25 yards in the 36th minute. 

They added another in the second half when Kelechi Iheanacho dribbled through the Dunfermline defence and beat the goalie in the 73rd minute. The Fifers pulled one back six minutes later.

It's mindboggling that the Scottish champions can have such an omnishambles of a season and still come out on top. 

A Celtic team that was down and out only to end up winning two trophies because we thankfully brought back the man from 26 years ago to steady the ship. Thank you, Martin O'Neill! 💖💖💖

Celtic Crowned Champions 2025-26

Celtic are crowned Scottish Premiership champions after defeating Heart of Midlothian 3-1 in a dramatic final-day title decider yesterday.

Amid a season of chaos, fan protests and managerial departures, the Parkhead club showed why they have been Scotland's dominant force over the past decade – with this being their 14th top-flight crown in 15 seasons. 

Hearts had led the league for 250 days and their opponents needed a victory to retain the trophy. And Celtic (again!) did not disappoint! 

Despite falling behind to a header at the back post in the 43rd minute, Arne Engels drew Celtic level, six minutes later, after they were awarded a penalty for handball. 

The green-and-whites then put intense pressure on Hearts and it eventually paid off in the 87th minute when they found their breakthrough. Daizen Maeda forced in Callum Osmand's low cross, only for the offside flag to go up. However VAR intervened to overturn the decision with replays clearly showing the Jerseyian was onside before receiving the ball to tee up Maeda. 

Then, in the 98th minute, Osmand broke clear to tap a third into an empty net and Celtic were champions again!

TBH, luck won Celtic the title. They’ve been awful most of the season, but somehow, always seem to get that luck. 

That aside, we should not forget Martin O'Neill who, methinks, made a massive difference and he deserves a big thank-you because when it mattered, a magnificent seven wins on the trot to take Celtic over the line. 

The 74-year-old had been summoned to return and guide the club through very choppy waters, having taken over with Celtic six points off the summit – but ending the campaign two points clear of the Jambos. That's a fourth Celtic title for the Northern Irishman. The third one was 21 years ago!

Martin O'Neill, you rock!!!!!! CELTIC, YOU ROCK!!!!!! 

Elsewhere, Rangers trounced Falkirk 5-2 and Motherwell edged Hibernian 1-0. Meaning, Gers confirmed a third-place finish and the Steelmen stayed put in fourth place. 

Venezuela is 51st State of the US

US President Donald Trump posted a Truth Social image on May 12 depicting Venezuela with an inset US flag and the label “51st State".

The provocative post – comes a day after Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, said her country had “never” considered becoming the 51st state, even after US forces captured deposed leader Nicolas Maduro in January.

Yesterday, Celtic won 3-2 against Motherwell. 

The Steelmen took the lead in the seventeenth minute but Celtic replied with Daizen Maeda scoring from a difficult angle to find the back of the net via the inside of the post in the 41st minute. 

With a little over 10 minutes of the second half played, Benjamin Nygren fired the Glasgow side in to the lead with a truly sublime finish from the edge of the box. But with just over five minutes on the clock, Motherwell levelled.

And then, Kelechi Iheanacho scored a dramatic winner in the 99th minute and sent the jubilant away fans onto the pitch after being awarded a spot-kick by VAR for a handball.

Elsewhere, Hearts thumped Falkirk 3-0 whilst another Edinburgh team, Hibernian beat Rangers 2-1. 

It's down to the last game of the season. Celtic must win to retain the Scottish Premiership crown.

A Traitor in Chinese History

For 900 years, the Chinese have been spitting on this man. 

Qin Hui was the Grand Chancellor of the Song Dynasty in the 12th century. While General Yue Fei (岳飛 or simplified Chinese, 岳飞 ) – a war hero with "serve the country with the utmost loyalty" tattooed across his back – was winning battle after battle against the invading Jurchen Jin and pushing toward reunification, Qin Hui saw him as a threat. He had Yue Fei framed for treason, arrested, tortured for months, and when the general refused to confess, poisoned in his cell. 

When asked what crime Yue Fei had committed, Qin Hui replied: "Maybe there is something". That non-answer became a Chinese phrase, 莫须有 (pronounced mò xū yǒu) for fabricated charges. 

He then signed a humiliating peace treaty, surrendering all the land Yue's armies had bled for, and paying tribute to the enemy. The treaty even required that Qin Hui could not be removed from power without enemy approval. 

After his death, iron statues of Qin Hui and his accomplice wife were placed kneeling before Yue Fei's tomb – hands bound, heads bowed. For centuries, visitors cursed, spat, and urinated on them. The statues had to be recast at least ten times from the abuse. They are fenced off today, but people still tap the bars. 

The most famous iron statues of Qin Hui and his wife, Lady Wang, are located at the Yue Fei Temple (Yuewang Temple) near West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. These statues are shown kneeling in front of Yue Fei's tomb, symbolizing eternal shame.

Besides the Hangzhou site, multiple sets of these iron statues – said to be seven – are located across China, including sites in Henan province and at Yue Fei's mother's tomb in Jiangxi.

Even China's beloved breakfast snack – youtiao, two strips of dough fried together – is said in folklore to represent Qin Hui and his wife being punished in hot oil every single morning. 

Nine centuries of contempt, and counting!

Parkhead hosted a season-defining battle as Celtic and Rangers collided in yesterday's titanic Old Firm derby. The Glasgow giants were vying to keep pace with Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts, who sit four points clear of champions Celtic.

And Celtic rose to the occasion and defeated their arch-rivals 3-1.

But the former got off to the worst possible start ⁠by going behind to a Gers goal in the ninth minute. Despite their recent poor home record against the Ibrox side, Celtic kept their cool and equalised in the ⁠23rd minute when Yang Hyun-Jun swept a pass from Arne Engels into the net to send his side level at the break.

Daizen Maeda superbly stamped his mark in a blistering short spell, bundling home Kieran Tierney's pass to put his team in the lead in the 53rd minute before teeing himself up to score with a brilliant bicycle kick four minutes later. 

And the Parkhead side cut the gap to Hearts to a single point with two games remaining. The title race is going down the wire.

Hearts play Falkirk on Wednesday ⁠when Celtic visit Motherwell, with ⁠the top two sides set to face off in a potential title ⁠decider ‌at Celtic Park on the final day of the season next Saturday.

Of course, both Celtic and Hearts will be in the Champions League qualifiers next season.

A Real-life Statue on the Met Gala 2026 Red Carpet

Celebrities arrived at the 2026 Met Gala with their take on this year's theme – costume art – where organisers asked attendees to experiment with the lavish and whimsical dress code. 

Heidi Klum, as expected, came well-prepared, looking like she walked out of a museum's sculpture gallery and onto the carpet. 

In fact, she was virtually unrecognizable on the May 04 event, dressed as a marble statue complete with draped robes that hugged her figure and facial prosthetics that mimicked a veil rendered in stone. And the 52-year-old supermodel wore a floral wreath and flat sandals, showing off head-to-toe chalky gray body paint.

 

It was her first appearance on this particular red carpet in 12 years, having last attended in 2013. 

Reds failed to beat Blues who had lost their previous six Premier League games, managing an uninspiring 1-1 draw at Anfield on Saturday. 

Rio Ngumoha’s work on the left wing opened the space for Ryan Gravenberch on the edge of the penalty box, with just one touch needed before a beautifully curled shot inside of six minutes.

Chelsea levelled in the 35th minute. Easy-peasy.

And that was it. When the final whistle was blown, the Liverpool faithful let loose a raucous outburst of boos at Arne Slot and his players. It was another poor game from them.

And yesterday too, Heart of Midlothian and Motherwell produced a similar score. They drew 1-1.

Leaders Hearts nudged four points clear of Celtic in the Scottish Premiership title race but really, they missed an opportunity to put maximum pressure on the defending champions before today's Old Firm derby.

Oscars Say AI Actors and Writing Cannot Win Awards

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have clarified that only acting and writing for films done by humans will be considered eligible to win an Oscar. 

The academy, which control the US film industry's most prestigious award, on Friday issued updated eligibility requirements that only acting "demonstrably performed by humans" and that writing "must be human-authored" in order to be nominated for an award. 

In recent months, there have been notable examples of expansive use of AI tools and technology to replace or recreate human work. The actor Val Kilmer, who died in 2025, is set to be recreated with AI technology in order to be a lead role in an upcoming movie. 

Last year, London, UK-based actor and comedian Eline van der Velden said she had created an entirely fake AI actor to "become a global superstar". 

When the union representing Hollywood writers went on strike two years ago, a key issue in the fight was film and TV studios using AI to write scripts. And Hollywood studios, actors and authors have pursued lawsuits claiming copyright infringement against a number of AI companies.

However, the academy did not issue a ban on AI use in films more broadly. Outside of acting and writing, if a filmmaker used AI tools in their work, such "tools neither help nor harm the chances of achieving a nomination", the academy wrote. 

"The Academy and each branch will judge the achievement, taking into account the degree to which a human was at the heart of the creative authorship when choosing which movie to award", the group added.

Hearts achieved a 2-1 comeback victory over Rangers yesterday, extending their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership to three points with three games remaining.

In fact, they could win the league as soon as next Wednesday. If they beat Motherwell and Falkirk, and Celtic fail to beat Rangers on Saturday, the title will be going to Gorgie for the first time since 1960. 

As for the Gers, their title hopes look dead in the water.

India Bans Phones for Tiger Safaris

Many travel to parts of India in the hope of spotting the Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) in the wild. For many, it's a rare and unforgettable experience – the perfect moment for a photo. 

But perhaps not anymore. A number of India's national parks and tiger reserves have introduced new rules about the use of mobile phones. It comes after a ruling by the country's Supreme Court in November 2025 that banned mobile phones from certain areas to "minimize disturbance to wildlife". 

Wildlife disturbance has become a big problem in India. When tigers are spotted in parks and reserves, it often results in vehicles rushing to see the animal, with visitors focused on filming or taking photos of the moment. 

In February, a viral video showed a wild tiger in Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur district surrounded by vehicles, with little space to move as tourists shouted and took photos. 

To mitigate the situation, several large national parks have banned the use of phones altogether. In some parks, visitors will be able to carry their phones with them but will not be allowed to use them. In others, they will be asked to leave their phones at the entrance to the park and collect them again after their tour. The use of cameras is still allowed, although many parks charge a fee for this. 

Anyone caught breaking the new rules may be fined or asked to leave the park. 

Drivers and tour guides will still be allowed to carry their phones with them in case of an emergency. 

With over 3,600 wild Bengal tigers, India is home to 75% of the world's wild tiger population, according to the BBC. The species has been listed as endangered for many years, but thanks to conservation efforts, numbers doubled between 2010 and 2022.

In the Scottish Premiership match yesterday between Celtic and Hibernian, the former had only one objective: Get the three points. 

And Martin O'Neill's side got the job done as the Scottish champions won 2-1. 

On 41 minutes, Daizen Maeda made his side's dominance count by slotting in a low Alistair Johnston delivery, but seven minutes later, their rivals poked in the leveller. 

After consistent second-half pressure, Celtic got their breakthrough through Kelechi Iheanacho, 151 seconds after coming off the bench. The Nigerian was in the right place when Kieran Tierney’s corner came all the way through to him inside the box, and he calmly side-footed the ball beyond the Hibs goalie to stab home in the 72nd minute. 

Celtic are now level on points with Hearts,  ahead of the latter's titanic showdown with Rangers today. And a day earlier, Falkirk beat Motherwell 1-0