At exactly 5.34am on March 20, 2003, US-led coalition forces began their unexpected invasion of Iraq, launching the conflict without a formal declaration or advance warning.

Within hours, the first wave of hundreds of thousands of troops entered the country, including around 45,000 British personnel. Iraq was then ruled by the authoritarian president Saddam Hussein.

The war continued for almost nine years and claimed the lives of nearly 5,000 coalition service members, among them 179 British troops. The full toll among Iraqi civilians and military personnel remains uncertain, although estimates commonly place the number of dead in the hundreds of thousands.

Then-US President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair told the international community that Saddam possessed weapons of mass destruction and had links to al-Qaeda ahead of the September 11 attacks—claims that were later shown to be false.

Washington and London persuaded their allies that the alleged threat justified removing Saddam from power and offered the prospect of freedom for the Iraqi people.

After Saddam was overthrown and later executed, the United States occupied Iraq, helped establish a Shi’ite-led government and became embroiled in a prolonged counterinsurgency. American forces officially left the country at the end of 2011.

The US military returned fewer than three years later, supporting Iraqi forces in the campaign against Islamic State, a conflict that ran from 2014 to 2017.

More than 20 years after the invasion began, the last American troops are now departing their remaining bases in Iraq.

The withdrawal has raised concerns that neighbouring Iran and its allied groups could gain even greater influence in a country where they have already built a powerful political and security presence.

Iraqi security specialists warn that the pullout—agreed in 2024 under President Joe Biden and implemented by Donald Trump’s administration while it wages war against Iran—could leave Tehran and its partners with greater freedom to operate. They also fear the changing landscape could create opportunities for other US adversaries, including Islamic State, to rebuild.

From Saddam Hussein’s execution and the fall of Baghdad to the emergence and defeat of ISIS, powerful images chronicle America’s two-decade military involvement in Iraq as the final US troops leave.

The University of Maine System Board of Trustees has voted to remove former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell’s name from a university building and scholarship program, citing his documented connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The 9-5 vote, with one abstention, was held Monday. It applies to the Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions at the University of Maine’s Orono campus and the George J. Mitchell Peace Scholarship, which supports a year of postgraduate study at institutions in Ireland or Northern Ireland.

Mitchell, 93, appears more than 300 times in the extensive Epstein-related records released by the U.S. Department of Justice earlier this year. The documents show that Mitchell was still expected to meet with Epstein in 2013—five years after the financier received a controversial plea agreement in Florida after pleading guilty to two prostitution-related charges, one involving a minor.

In a December 2018 text exchange with former Trump White House strategist Steve Bannon, Epstein referred to Mitchell as “a very close friend when senate majority leader.”

Mitchell has consistently denied any personal misconduct and said he was unaware of Epstein’s sexual abuse of underage girls.

EXPLORE MORE: World’s first GOLD PLATED hotel where everything is covered in 24-carat bling from walls to toilets and even STEAKS – NewsFinale

The university formed a task force in February to consider whether Mitchell’s name should remain on university property after the Epstein files became public. Although the panel found no evidence that Mitchell himself had committed wrongdoing, it said continued use of his name could damage public confidence in the university and its reputation, while failing to adequately recognize the experiences of Epstein’s victims and survivors.

Mitchell entered the U.S. Senate in 1980 and went on to win two full terms before leaving elected office in 1995. He later served as President Bill Clinton’s special envoy to Northern Ireland, where he played a leading role in negotiations that produced the 1998 Good Friday Agreement and largely brought an end to decades of sectarian violence.

In 2006, baseball commissioner Bud Selig selected Mitchell to examine steroid and performance-enhancing drug use in Major League Baseball. The Mitchell Report, issued in December 2007, named 89 current and former players as confirmed or suspected users. New York Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens was the most prominent player implicated.

Following the report, MLB expanded its drug-testing program and adopted stricter penalties. Players faced an 80-game suspension for a first positive test, a 162-game ban for a second and a lifetime suspension after a third.

Mitchell also stepped down in February as honorary chairman of the Mitchell Institute, which provides college scholarships to Maine students attending public high schools. That month, officials removed his portrait from the Maine State House in Augusta, where it had been displayed with those of other notable state political figures.

TAIPEI — Taiwan was closely monitoring the Trump-Xi summit for any indication that Washington might adjust its approach to the island as President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping for a state visit last week.

The meeting drew particular attention in Taiwan, which regularly faces military and political pressure from Beijing. At a Saturday forum hosted by the Institute for National Policy Research (INPR) in Taipei, academics, a retired U.S. military officer and Taiwan’s deputy foreign minister examined the implications of the third Trump-Xi meeting of Trump’s current term. The prevailing view was that U.S. policy toward Taiwan is unlikely to change.

“Both of them got what they want and what they need,” Kuo Yu-jen, INPR’s vice president and a professor at National Sun Yat-sen University’s Institute of China and Asia-Pacific Studies, told News Media. Trump could highlight economic gains from his negotiations with Xi, while Xi could return to Beijing with the prestige of a high-profile welcome in Washington, Kuo said. He dismissed speculation that Trump had “sold out” Taiwan as an overstatement.

As anticipated, Xi reportedly urged Trump to declare that the United States opposes Taiwan independence. Washington has traditionally used more carefully worded language, saying it does not support Taiwan independence. To the relief of Taiwanese officials, Trump retained that distinction.

In an exclusive interview with News Media after the forum, Taiwan Deputy Foreign Minister François Wu said Beijing is seeking more than a shift in diplomatic phrasing. China wants the international community to treat Taiwan as an internal Chinese matter, Wu said. If that position gains acceptance, Beijing could argue that other nations have no legitimate role in responding to Chinese actions against the island.

“The so-called independence of Taiwan is just an issue made specifically by the Chinese government,” Wu said. Taiwan already has an elected president and government, a defined territory and its own currency, he noted. “We just don’t need to declare any independence. We are a sovereign country.”

Before Trump’s May visit to China, Wu had warned against Taiwan becoming a bargaining chip. He told Bloomberg that Taiwan’s greatest fear was being “put on the menu” during discussions between Xi and Trump.

China’s Foreign Ministry said Xi had pressed Trump to maintain the “correct position” of opposing Taiwan independence. Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry responded on a public holiday, rejecting Beijing’s claims and reiterating the island’s position on its sovereignty.

KEEP READING: Emily Smith Biography, Age and Career: Profile of Caleb Flynn’s Lawyer

The White House account of Xi’s visit outlined no alteration to U.S. Taiwan policy. Instead, it highlighted improved tariff treatment covering US$30 billion in goods moving in each direction, the creation of an AI incident communication channel and American concerns over China’s supplies of rare earths and other critical minerals.

Even so, the summit left Taiwan wondering what Xi and Trump may have discussed privately. Analysts said any behind-the-scenes understanding involving Taiwan would likely emerge only through decisions made in the months ahead. Taipei is awaiting Trump’s approval of additional arms sales, visits by senior U.S. officials and a possible transit stop in the United States by Taiwan’s president. Beijing opposes each of those steps, leaving Trump to weigh ties with China against support for Taiwan and his broader political priorities.

Dong Li-wen, executive director of the government-funded Foundation on Asia-Pacific Peace Studies, said the two leaders appear to share an approach of postponing the most difficult decisions in the hope that conditions will eventually shift. Dong described this as a long-range strategy for Xi but a short-term maneuver for Trump. Continued talks may allow both governments to set aside disputes they cannot resolve, he said, but their fundamental rivalry remains intact.

The dispute over Taiwan’s status dates back nearly eight decades. Beijing claims the island as part of China, although the People’s Republic of China has never governed Taiwan. The Republic of China government moved to the island in 1949 after Chinese Nationalist forces lost the civil war to Mao Zedong’s Communist forces.

The ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s 1999 Resolution on Taiwan’s Future identifies Taiwan as a sovereign, independent state known under its current constitution as the Republic of China. Taiwan’s democratically elected presidents have expressed a similar view in interviews with international outlets, including Lee Teng-hui to The Washington Post in 1997, Chen Shui-bian to the BBC in 2010, Ma Ying-jeou to CNN in 2010 and Tsai Ing-wen to the BBC in 2020. President William Lai Ching-te made the same argument in a 2024 interview with Time, adding that the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to one another.

That arrangement, which effectively leaves Taiwan operating as an independent state, is the status quo Taipei intends to preserve, Wu said. Xi departed Washington after restating Beijing’s demands, while analysts at the forum said the real test of any impact on U.S. policy would come through future decisions on arms sales and related matters. Some predicted that weapons packages could be reduced in size or divided into separate agreements.

Ross Darrell Feingold, a political analyst and assistant professor in Tamkang University’s Department of Diplomacy and International Relations, told News Media that Taiwan’s domestic political calendar could also shape U.S. choices. Local elections are scheduled for November, followed by presidential and legislative elections in January 2028. “Although the U.S. is likely to back President Lai’s re-election,” Feingold said, approving arms sales, visits by Trump administration officials or Lai’s proposed U.S. transit stop would have to be balanced against the appearance of direct election interference and the “inevitable anger from China.”

A TikTok influencer and the daughter of an infamous drug lord has been arrested as authorities investigate an alleged $25.8 million money-laundering operation connected to her father.

Michelle Jamileth Macías Penarrieta, 23, was detained with her mother, Inda Mariela Penarrieta Tuarez, on Sunday in Sabana de Torres, a small town in northeastern Colombia.

The pair are the daughter and wife of Ecuadorian narcotrafficker Adolfo ‘Fito’ Macias, leader of the Los Choneros gang. The United States designated the group as a terrorist organization last year.

In January 2024, Fito escaped from an Ecuadorian prison, where he was serving a 34-year sentence for drug trafficking and murder.

His escape triggered a state of emergency in Ecuador as violence spread through Guayaquil, the country’s largest city. During the unrest, gang members held television news anchors at gunpoint during a live broadcast.

Fito was recaptured and extradited to the United States last year. He now faces seven charges, including drug and weapons trafficking, in a New York court, where he could receive a sentence ranging from 20 years to life in prison. He has pleaded not guilty.

As her father built his criminal empire, Michelle developed a huge online following under the name Queen Michelle.

The influencer regularly displayed an extravagant lifestyle and posed with large piles of cash for her 65 million TikTok followers, according to The Sun and Colombian outlet El Colombiano. Her account was removed following her arrest.

Michelle has also pursued a career as a pop singer, releasing several songs on YouTube. One music video showed her at a ranch surrounded by horses and luxury vehicles, but that video has since been removed.

Ecuadorian authorities allege that the lavish lifestyle Michelle presented online was financed with illicit funds linked to her father’s criminal activities.

In March, Ecuadorian investigators indicted 17 people in a money-laundering case connected to Fito’s finances. Authorities accused at least four companies of moving his money through transactions designed to make it appear legitimate, The Sun reported.

CONTINUE READING: Reported Flydubai Fight Sparks Hijacking Fears, Israeli Jet Responds

Officials also allege that Michelle and Inda sought alliances with Colombian criminal organizations to help facilitate drug and arms trafficking, as well as money laundering.

The mother and daughter had reportedly lived in the town where they were arrested for four months, after previously staying in the Colombian cities of Bucaramanga and Medellin, The Sun reported.

Authorities found them during a surveillance operation before Colombian officers moved in and arrested both women at the residence.

Colombia’s president, Abelardo De La Espriella, praised the arrests in a statement on X and posted images and video showing the mother and daughter being taken into custody.

‘They are the wife and daughter of alias “Fito,” who led Los Choneros, one of Ecuador’s most violent criminal organizations, dedicated to international drug trafficking,’ De La Espriella wrote in Spanish.

‘Ecuadorian authorities are investigating them for using shell companies to launder the organization’s money,’ his statement continued. ‘I’ll gladly send them to my good friend, President Daniel Noboa, so they can face Ecuadorian justice.’

The Colombian president said that his country’s army, national police and attorney general’s office worked with Ecuadorian authorities and the FBI to carry out the investigation and arrest of Michelle and Inda. 

‘Colombia will not be a refuge for the finances of transnational crime,’ his statement said. ‘In the era of the Tiger, the family members of bandits who commit crimes with them will not go unpunished.’ 

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa replied to the statement and said: ‘This is how it’s done, Abelardo: together and with results. We captured them in Colombia, and they will face justice in Ecuador. 

‘They are called to trial for money laundering for the Choneros. The money that buys weapons, pays hitmen, and sustains extortion. It is the structure with which they terrorize Ecuadorian families.’

A Kansas State University junior survived a 70-foot fall from an overpass after leaping backward to avoid being struck by a truck.

Kyra Kinnison, 21, an animal science student, was in danger of being hit when she jumped backward and accidentally fell from a bridge on Kansas Highway 18 Friday night, according to her friend in a GoFundMe campaign.

Kinnison and her boyfriend, Dalten Grabast, were traveling in separate vehicles toward Salina when their journey was interrupted near Ogden. A large pallet of insulation had fallen from a truck, The Kansas State Collegian reported.

“[Kinnison’s boyfriend] swerved around it and stopped,” Sara Celeen, a fellow Kansas State student who organized the fundraiser, told WIBW.

“[Kyra] pulled over to the side of the road, and then a vehicle crashed into his vehicle.”

The collision happened directly in front of the couple, leaving Kinnison in the path of a truck traveling rapidly along the highway.

As she moved backward to escape, Kinnison plunged approximately 70 feet and landed in a tree. She suffered fractures to her back, pelvis and tailbone.

NEXT UP: Kidnapped New Zealand pilot Philip Mehrtens sends heartbreaking message to his wife and children in chilling new hostage video a year after he was seized by bow and arrow-wielding rebels in remote Papua – NewsFinale

Celeen, a senior studying dairy science, said Tuesday that her friend was “doing very well for someone who fell 70 feet.” She launched the fundraiser to help support Kinnison’s recovery.

Kinnison underwent surgery to realign her hips, and Celeen later shared a photo of the two friends smiling together.

Celeen said she remains deeply relieved that Kinnison’s injuries were not even more severe.

“I’m just glad she’s not paralyzed for life,” she told WIBW.

“There was really a guardian angel out there, looking out for her.”

Kinnison is not the only college student to survive a terrifying fall in recent weeks.

Kristin Sargent, a senior at the University of Georgia, survived after falling from the eighth floor of an apartment building in Athens while dancing on a couch.

The 21-year-old finance and marketing student fell after the Georgia Bulldogs defeated the Oklahoma Sooners 41-13 on Saturday.