In a surprising turn of events, nearly 100 monkeys managed to escape from a government-operated enclosure in central Thailand, causing a stir in local neighborhoods. As a result, authorities initiated an extensive operation to recapture the primates.

Authorities reported that the monkeys breached a section of the enclosure at the Lopburi Municipality Animal Nursery.

These monkeys had been under the care of local officials after being relocated from Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. Fortunately, staff managed to prevent over 1,000 other monkeys housed at the facility from escaping.

In response to the breakout, provincial leaders, wildlife officials, and municipal team members scoured local residential areas on Tuesday.

Authorities used food-baited cages to lure some of the escaped monkeys back into custody. Other monkeys, including some of the larger and more dominant macaques, had to be subdued with tranquilizer darts before they could be captured.

Crews repaired the damaged enclosure while officials continued efforts to recapture the escaped monkeys.

Lopburi Gov. Weeraphong Ritrod said the damaged enclosure had been repaired and reinforced to help prevent additional escapes.

He said officials also plan to build a more secure, double-layer enclosure designed to keep dominant monkeys from breaking out in the future.

The governor said the province is also preparing to establish a foundation to help support food costs and improve the monkeys’ welfare.

Mayor Chamroen Salacheep said the monkeys may have escaped because of hunger, extreme heat, overcrowding or their natural instinct to roam.

He also apologized to residents affected by the incident and encouraged anyone whose property was damaged to report it so authorities could assess the damage and determine what assistance may be available.

Lopburi has long been known for its large population of free-roaming macaques.

The monkeys have also caused problems for residents and businesses because of property damage and aggressive behavior. Authorities have worked in recent years to reduce the monkey population through sterilization programs and by relocating some animals to dedicated enclosures.

News Media reached out to the Lopburi Municipality and Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Trader Joe’s has built its reputation on offering trendy, exclusive items that range from mini pastel tote bags to the ever-popular everything bagel seasoning blend.

Recently, one of their popular items, the ‘Uncured Ham & Swiss Pockets’—delicious croissant pastries filled with uncured ham and cheese—earned praise for their flaky texture and convenient on-the-go packaging.

However, this product hasn’t won over all of its consumers.

In a recent discussion on Reddit, a shopper expressed disappointment, questioning if they received a particularly skimpy version of the pastry.

“Did anyone else notice the ham is just one slice with a tiny bit of cheese?” the customer asked. “The croissant was tasty, but with so little ham, it’s hard to justify.”

The disappointed customer joked that Trader Joe’s should have called it a ‘Croissant, Cheese and Ham Pocket’ instead because of the disappointing pastry-to-filling ratio. 

Trader Joe’s description of their ‘handy pockets’ claims the frozen item makes ‘a wonderfully hearty breakfast, at home or on the go, and they also work quite well as a brunch option, alongside a spread of your favorite eggs and fruit.’

Each box comes with two individually wrapped pockets for $4.99 and must be kept in the freezer.

More social media users chimed in, dubbing the new breakfast option at Trader Joe’s ‘underwhelming,’ especially compared to other options.  

‘I love ham and cheese and was so underwhelmed,’ one Reddit user confirmed. ‘It’s just so bland somehow.’

‘I think this has been my biggest letdown item so far this year,’ another agreed. ‘It could have changed people’s lives.’

Others said their biggest complaint wasn’t the amount of filling at all, but getting the cooking instructions just right. 

‘I find that when I air fry them if do it long enough for the ham and cheese to be warm, the croissant is so overcooked and dry,’ another Reddit user added. ‘But when the outside is perfect the inside is cold. I can’t find a good balance.’

Some were quick to defend the Trader Joe’s item, with one sharing that it’s a ‘pretty standard amount’ of meat and cheese in each pastry. 

‘I wanted to get more for my money so I tried the ones at Costco – now that’s a let down,’ one Reddit user added. ‘Literally had to throw them away. Once you get cooking the Trader Joe’s ones the right away they are amazing.’

It’s unclear how long the ham and cheese pockets will stick around the grocery store, as the grocery chain is known for switching out products based on the season. 

Trader Joe’s, known for its quirky branding and private-label grocery items, first opened in Pasadena, California, in 1967. 

In recent years, the brand developed a cult following, with some social media users claiming it’s their go-to spot for snacks, ready-made frozen meals –  and branded mini tote bags.

According to the company, it plans to continue opening new stores across the United States as demand continues to grow. 

Trader Joe’s added 34 locations in 2024 and a further 43 in 2025, taking its nationwide footprint to more than 600 stores across 43 states. 

North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, recently oversaw the testing of a cruise missile with nuclear potential and additional weaponry aboard the revamped 5,000-ton destroyer named Kang Kon. This ship had previously been damaged during an unsuccessful launch event last year. State media reported on Sunday that this demonstration reflects Kim’s ongoing efforts to build a nuclear-equipped naval force.

According to the Korean Central News Agency, the event held on Friday featured several key trials, including the firing of a strategic cruise missile, tests of the Kang Kon’s main artillery and automatic cannons, and evaluations of electronic warfare systems. Additionally, the ship’s target detection and data processing capabilities were assessed.

Kim, after monitoring the tests from the coast, instructed his team to finalize the destroyer’s trials and ensure it becomes operational within a two-month timeframe, as relayed by the state media.

These recent exercises follow North Korea’s commissioning of the Choe Hyon, its first 5,000-ton destroyer back in late June. During an elaborate ceremony marking this occasion, Kim affirmed that the progress toward equipping his navy with nuclear capabilities is on track.

While Kim initially concentrated efforts on developing ballistic missiles, there has been a marked shift towards enhancing naval power, including embarking on projects such as building a nuclear-powered submarine.

While outlining his five-year military goals at February’s Workers’ Party congress, Kim also called for intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of underwater launches.

North Korea first unveiled the Choe Hyon in April 2025, which Kim portrayed as a major step toward expanding his military’s operational reach and preemptive strike capabilities.

KCNA has said the warship is equipped with a range of systems, including anti-aircraft and anti-ship weapons as well as nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles.

South Korean officials and experts say the vessel was likely built with Russian assistance amid deepening military ties between the countries, but some analysts have questioned how effective the vessel would be in active service.

The Kang Kon was unveiled a month after the Choe Hyon in May 2025, but it was damaged during a botched launch at the northern port of Chongjin, prompting a furious response from Kim. The country later said the ship was relaunched in June after repairs, but outside experts have questioned whether it’s genuinely ready for active duty.

Kim has also called for building two new 5,000-ton warships annually over the next five years, as well as developing a larger 10,000-ton destroyer.

Iran’s west, dominated by Kurdish communities, is currently witnessing a surge in violence, casting a spotlight on the enduring Kurdish insurgency that seems to be escalating, amid tentative diplomatic talks between Iran and the United States, according to experts.

The implications of this unrest stretch beyond Iran’s immediate borders. Kurdish opposition factions have recently been perceived as a possible strategic leverage against Iran, linked to the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Tehran. However, some Kurdish leaders now express concern that they might be left vulnerable if Washington and Tehran’s fragile negotiations resume.

Recent incidents underscore the growing unrest, with Iranian security forces suffering casualties across the western and northwestern regions of the country. The Jerusalem Post, referencing Iraq’s Shafaq News, reported that in two separate events on a Tuesday, four members of the Iranian security personnel were killed and several others injured.

In a notable incident, two members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps lost their lives, and two were injured during what Tasnim News described as an “armed terrorist attack” in the border city of Paveh, located in Kermanshah Province.

In Baneh, Iran, gunmen attacked a police checkpoint, killing two police officers and injuring three other people, including a 3-year-old girl, The Jerusalem Post reported. Clashes had spread to Iran’s Paveh, Marivan and Mahabad, the outlet reported, citing Rojhelat.Info, a Kurdish-focused media account. 

The Paveh, Iran, attack was claimed by a little-known armed group called Xore Heva, or “Sun of Hope,” which said it carried out the attack in retaliation for Iran’s crackdown on protests sparked by the 2022 death of Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini. The 22-year-old died after being detained by Iran’s morality police for allegedly violating the country’s mandatory hijab rules, The National reported.

The Kurds are one of the largest stateless ethnic groups in the Middle East, with communities spread across Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey. 

In Iran, many Kurds live in the country’s mountainous west and northwest, where Kurdish opposition groups have long accused Iran of political repression, executions, forced assimilation and military crackdowns. 

Iranian authorities, in turn, view armed Kurdish factions as separatist or terrorist threats, especially groups such as PJAK, which has clashed for years with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps along Iran’s western border. The fight is not simply ethnic: It is also political, rooted in Kurdish demands for rights and autonomy, Iran’s fear of separatism and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’s role in suppressing dissent in border regions.

Jino Victoria Doabi, head of international relations at Hiwa, a Kurdish-led human rights organization, told News Media the latest clashes could appear to mark more than isolated exchanges.

“It looks like this could be an escalation,” Doabi said, referring to the spread of reported clashes. 

She said the initial attack appeared to be framed by Kurdish forces as retaliation, but argued the geographic spread suggested the confrontation may continue.

Doabi said Kurdish anger is being driven not only by the latest casualties, but by a broader sense that Iran has been able to target Kurdish areas and opposition groups systemically without consequence.

“The Kurdish people in Iran are very dissatisfied that the IRGC can attack Kurdish parties and Kurdish fighters and no one reacts,” Doabi said.

The violence comes as Iran is moving forward with a memorandum of understanding with Washington that has drawn criticism from Iranian opposition circles. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had approved the U.S.–Iran memorandum after receiving assurances that Iran’s rights would be protected, IranWire reported Tuesday. 

Iranian officials have described the deal as having the support of top officials, even as critics inside Iran have attacked negotiators over the arrangement, IranWire also reported. 

Doabi said Kurdish parties are deeply skeptical of any memorandum of understanding or negotiated arrangement with Iran, arguing that many Kurds believe such a deal would only strengthen the regime.

“Kurdish parties do not believe that making a deal with this regime can help the people in Iran,” Doabi said. “Their position is that a deal would only strengthen the regime.”

She added that many Kurds in Iran are “very angry” over the idea of any agreement with Iran, citing decades of repression, arrests and killings in Kurdish areas.

“It is going to be very dangerous for people in Iran, and especially in Kurdistan, Azerbaijan and Baluchistan,” Doabi said, “because that is where much of the resistance and activism is.”

The Kurdish groups now under scrutiny include the Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan, known as PJAK, and its armed wing, the East Kurdistan Defense Units, or YRK. 

IranWire reported earlier in June that YRK accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of launching artillery and mortar attacks against its positions near Marivan, Iran, beginning June 8, prompting what YRK described as a defensive response. Iranian official outlets had not responded to YRK’s casualty claims at the time, according to IranWire.

That regional sensitivity was on display earlier in 2026, when reports emerged that Kurdish opposition groups could open a front against Iran during the U.S.–Israeli war with Iran. 

Israel had been backing plans by Iranian Kurdish militias to seize border areas inside Iran, Reuters reported in March, though the outlet said the fighters would likely need U.S. and Israeli backing to make a significant move. Five long-standing Iranian dissident groups, including PJAK, the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan and the Kurdistan Freedom Party, had formed an alliance, Reuters also reported. 

During the war, Trump told Reuters that he would be “all for it” if the Kurds wanted to move against Iran and said their objective should be “to win.” But Reuters reported that Kurdish commanders were frustrated by a lack of clear U.S. or Israeli strategy and that Iran’s threats helped keep Kurdish forces from launching an incursion.

Regional reports later claimed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan persuaded Trump to abandon a plan to arm Iranian opposition groups and Iraqi Kurdish groups against Tehran. Israeli media reported June 6 that Erdogan pressed Trump to scrap the proposal after details were allegedly leaked to Turkey by White House officials.

The latest violence does not prove that a coordinated insurgency is underway. But the reported spread of clashes across multiple Kurdish areas, the involvement claimed by Kurdish militant factions and Kurdish opposition to ongoing U.S.–Iran talks suggest that Iran’s western borderlands could become a new pressure point for Tehran at a moment when the regime is trying to preserve both internal control and fragile diplomatic momentum.

News Media has reached out to Iranian officials and Kurdish representatives for comment.

PHILADELPHIA — Michigan health authorities have issued a warning regarding a “large and growing” outbreak of a parasitic infection that is currently spreading across the state.

On Thursday, it was revealed by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) that over 300 cases of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal infection, have been confirmed. This marks a significant increase from the roughly 50 cases the state usually records annually, according to MDHHS data shared with ABC News.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) point out that the spread of the parasite typically occurs through the consumption of food or water contaminated with fecal matter.

“We are working closely with our state and local partners to identify the source of this outbreak that is making so many people ill as quickly as possible,” stated Lynn Sutfin, the public information officer for MDHHS, during an interview with ABC News.

Meanwhile, outside Michigan, the CDC has reported 145 cases across 17 states as of June 15, with at least 20 individuals having been hospitalized.

Residents in Pennsylvania and New Jersey are among those