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Lawsuit: Bride Forced to Lie Beside Dead Husband After Crash

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Lawsuit: Bride Forced to Lie Beside Dead Husband After Crash

A Georgia bride was trapped beside her dead husband for nearly six hours after a helicopter carrying the newlyweds crashed on their wedding night, according to a lawsuit.

Jesni Sam married Dave Fiji on May 29 at The Revere, a wedding venue in Dawsonville, roughly an hour from Atlanta. But moments after the ceremony, the couple’s celebrations turned into what the lawsuit described as “an unimaginable nightmare.”

Following the wedding festivities, the newlyweds boarded a Robinson R-66 helicopter for a planned “helicopter send-off,” a promotional experience offered by the venue, the filing said.

According to the lawsuit, The Revere had hired Atlanta-based Prestige Helicopters to operate the flight for the couple.

Within minutes of takeoff, however, the helicopter crashed into trees in the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area. Dave, a 25-year-old Delta Airlines pilot, was killed in the Georgia helicopter crash, the lawsuit said.

The crash also claimed the life of Nikhil Nargundkar, who was piloting the aircraft.

Jesni survived the initial impact but suffered severe injuries and remained trapped inside the mangled wreckage, according to the filing.

The bride was forced to remain next to her deceased husband for almost six hours before first responders were able to work through the wreckage and rescue her, the lawsuit alleged.

Dave Fiji, 25, was tragically killed on his wedding day after the Robinson R-66 chopper carrying the groom and his wife, Jesni, crashed in the woods of Georgia

Dave Fiji, 25, died on his wedding day when the Robinson R-66 helicopter carrying him and his bride, Jesni, crashed in a Georgia woodland area

First Officer Fiji had joined Endeavour Air, a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, in March 2025 and expressed concerns about the weather before boarding the helicopter

First Officer Fiji joined Endeavour Air, a Delta Air Lines subsidiary, in March 2025 and reportedly voiced concerns about the weather before boarding the helicopter

Nikhil Nargundkar was the pilot of the helicopter that tragically crashed. He did not survive the crash either

Nikhil Nargundkar was piloting the helicopter and also died in the crash

The lawsuit accuses The Revere and Prestige Helicopters of failing to properly assess the weather and negligently proceeding with the flight despite hazardous conditions.

Fiji’s mother, Phebah, told Fox that the flight was initially expected to be canceled because of concerns about the weather.

“However, when the chopper came in, the pilot was very confident that it wouldn’t be an issue, even though it had started raining,” she said.

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Phebah said her son also expressed concerns about poor visibility before the helicopter took off.

The filing references National Transportation Safety Board weather data indicating that the area could have experienced rain, fog and low clouds. Advisories were also in place for thunderstorms, limited visibility and mountain obscuration.

Andrew Robb, a partner at Robb & Robb LLC, the firm representing Jesni, told Fox 5 that his client is seeking answers and accountability for what she and her husband endured. He said she “will fight to ensure that no newlywed couple ever suffers anything like this again.”

“In a matter of minutes, Jesni went from celebrating the happiest day of her life to experiencing something almost impossible to comprehend,” Robb said.

A friend described Fiji on Facebook as a 'bright, kind and remarkable young man' who was 'gone far too soon'

A friend remembered Fiji on Facebook as a “bright, kind and remarkable young man” who was “gone far too soon”

Fiji's parents, George and Pheba Fiji, said that the wedding had been 'perfect' and their son had a 'glow' to him as he stood at the altar in Dawsonville, Georgia

Fiji’s parents, George and Pheba Fiji, said that the wedding had been ‘perfect’ and their son had a ‘glow’ to him as he stood at the altar in Dawsonville, Georgia

The bride suffered injuries to her hip, leg, neck, arm, fingers and stomach.

It additionally lists dizziness, headaches, loss of balance and extensive scarring while she allegedly continues to experience post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, grief, anxiety and fear of flying. 

The suit mainly seeks to compensate medical expenses, rehabilitation, pain, emotional suffering and permanent scarring.

She and Fiji’s estate are also seeking damages related to his death, like lost income, funeral expenses and loss of companionship. 

The claims are allegations that have not been proven in court. The companies’ responses were not included in the records provided. 

A specific compensation amount is not listed in the filing as it asks a jury to determine damages. 

The Daily Mail contacted Robb & Robb LLC for comment. The law firm previously represented Vanessa Bryant in litigation related to the helicopter crash that killed her husband and NBA star, Kobe. 

Arkansas Democrat Hallie Shoffner Draws Fire Over Migrant Remarks

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Arkansas Democrat Hallie Shoffner Draws Fire Over Migrant Remarks

Hallie Shoffner, the Democratic nominee challenging Republican Sen. Tom Cotton in Arkansas, is facing criticism over podcast remarks that appeared to suggest undocumented workers are more valuable than American workers.

During an hour-long appearance on the “Free Arkansas Podcast,” Shoffner argued that the nation’s immigration system is slow, overly bureaucratic and failing both immigrants and American businesses seeking workers who can legally enter the country.

Shoffner, a farmer, is running against Cotton in the heavily Republican state.

She said she had recently discussed the agricultural labor shortage with another farmer whom she identified as a Republican.

“Labor is a huge issue, especially when you don’t have a large workforce,” Shoffner said.

She added that many farmers acknowledge having employed undocumented immigrants, describing those workers as hardworking and among “the best people we know.” Shoffner also criticized efforts to detain and deport them.

“And honestly, we’d trade five Americans just for one of them because of how hard they work,” she said.

Shoffner called for a legal pathway allowing undocumented immigrants to work in the United States, arguing that many are productive employees who earn wages, spend money in local communities and have families in the country.

Cotton’s campaign interpreted the comments as suggesting that Shoffner herself had employed undocumented workers.

“Hallie Shoffner’s campaign isn’t denying that she employed illegal aliens,” campaign spokesman James Arnold told Fox News Digital.

“They’re also standing by Hallie Shoffner’s claim that just one illegal immigrant is more valuable than five American citizens.”

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Arnold said Democrats seeking congressional office should state whether they agree with Shoffner’s comparison.

Shoffner’s campaign manager, Anna-Lee Pittman, told Fox News Digital that the candidate’s remarks had been taken out of context. She also accused Cotton of refusing to engage in a serious discussion about changes to the immigration system.

Pittman said Cotton “spends his days combing through video clips of Hallie Shoffner to find any possible inelegant phrase or line that he can chop up to misrepresent an hour-long conversation and present it with no context.” She said Shoffner was recounting a discussion with another farmer about the labor challenges facing agriculture.

Shoffner has also previously supported calls from the political left to defund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

“I would vote to defund ICE as it exists right now,” Shoffner said at an event in June.

She argued that ICE was established relatively recently and no longer fulfills the purpose for which it was created.

“I would not spend one more dime on ICE, because — not just because of the human dignity issue — but also the fact that it is now the largest law enforcement agency in the country,” she said.

Shoffner also claimed that ICE has 10 times the budget of the organization dedicated to combating child sex trafficking.

Earlier this month, however, the Arkansas Democrat appeared to soften or revise her position in a post on Facebook.

“I don’t want to defund ICE, I want to reform it,” she said.

Immigration is a hotbed issue heading into the midterm elections, as it was two years ago during President Trump’s campaign to occupy the White House for a second term.

The Trump administration has carried out immigration operations nationwide to arrest and deport illegal aliens, drawing blowback from Democrat politicians and activists.

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AI Doomsday Scenarios: Researchers Warn of Risks to Humanity

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AI Doomsday Scenarios: Researchers Warn of Risks to Humanity

For years, artificial intelligence researchers have outlined ways advanced AI could potentially destroy humanity. In some scenarios, AI systems might engineer an unstoppable disease, trigger a nuclear conflict or convert the entire planet into paper-clip factories, echoing a famous thought experiment.

Arguments over how realistic these apocalyptic risks are have intensified since several AI executives backed calls to slow the technology’s development in the name of safety.

Although AI companies have repeatedly warned that humans could lose control of increasingly powerful systems, some critics believe the most extreme scenarios serve another purpose: reinforcing the importance of the industry’s work and the need for its continued expansion.

“These arguments just don’t really hold water. I think they’re sci-fi and they’re enticing to a certain childish style of thinking and it’s very tempting for the frontier labs because it helps them recruit certain types of folks,” said Juan Andrés Guerrero-Saade, a researcher at cybersecurity firm SentinelOne and a member of OpenAI’s Frontier Risk Council.

Even so, concern about AI’s dangers is spreading as the technology continues to astonish the public with its rapidly expanding capabilities.

Jacob Coxon, an Anthropic researcher who resigned over concerns that the company and its competitors were not developing AI responsibly, recently wrote on X that he needed to improve how he explains the specific ways AI could end humanity. “Unfortunately it is very difficult to convey specific scenarios,” he wrote earlier this month.

Below are some of the most frequently discussed AI doomsday scenarios.

Nuclear winter

Researchers have long considered whether AI could help trigger a nuclear war by persuading countries to launch missiles armed with nuclear warheads. The resulting explosions and prolonged radioactive fallout could produce a “nuclear winter,” devastating ecosystems and threatening life around the globe.

A report published last year by RAND Corp. concluded that, “at present,” AI could not cause nuclear weapons to be used because command-and-control systems contain strict safeguards. The researchers warned, however, that the situation could change if AI models were incorporated into the nuclear weapons “decision chain” or obtained unauthorized access to those systems.

For many AI researchers, the greatest threat is not an autonomous system suddenly deciding to destroy humanity. Instead, it is the possibility that people, governments or organized groups could use AI to attack and eliminate their enemies.

Bioweapons

AI’s potential to help scientists develop new treatments and cures is among the technology’s most widely promoted benefits.

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But the same capabilities could potentially be used to create or enhance diseases. Earlier this month, Anthropic said it had stopped bad actors from using its AI for a range of harmful activities, including cyberattacks, surveillance and research that could have contributed to the development of biological weapons.

In one case, Anthropic said its systems rejected a request involving a research proposal to increase mutations in the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus, potentially making it progressively more harmful. Although the work could support the development of improved vaccines and treatments, the company said, “it could also be used to make the pathogen more dangerous.”

The RAND report similarly said recent advances in AI “have the potential to transform the design of synthetic pathogens.”

In its bioweapon doomsday scenario, RAND described novel pathogens being created in laboratories, transported to selected locations and released to infect large populations across several areas. The scenario still relies on humans to supervise and carry out the attack rather than autonomous AI systems.

Runaway AI

Some researchers fear AI could cause human extinction through “misalignment,” a situation in which systems act without human approval, cooperate with other models or circumvent oversight. The danger would not necessarily come from malicious intent. AI is neither human nor inherently good or evil; instead, people could become obstacles to a model pursuing its assigned objective.

The decades-old “paper clip maximizer” thought experiment, proposed by Oxford philosopher Nick Bostrom, illustrates the concern. If an advanced AI were instructed to produce as many paper clips as possible, it might ultimately convert the entire Earth — and eventually expanding parts of space — into factories devoted to making paper clips.

This is to illustrate how superintelligent AI — often referred to as artificial general intelligence, or AGI — could advance a goal humans may see as desirable but “which in fact turns out to be a false utopia, in which things essential to human flourishing have been irreversibly lost,” Bostrom wrote in 2003.

“We need to be careful about what we wish for from a superintelligence, because we might get it,” he wrote.

AI internet takeover

Given the rate of AI’s development, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warned this month that within months a swarm of AI agents could be capable of “taking over” the internet with a botnet (a network of bots linked together with malware), potentially causing billions of dollars in damage. This could mean hacks into electrical grids, water or transportation systems and financial institutions — attacks that might not spell the end of humanity but could cause chaos and lives lost.

Disruptions from software glitches in the past have highlighted the fragility of a digitized world dependent on just a few providers for key computing services, and more powerful AI models have raised concerns about vulnerabilities to cyber attacks. But some experts say the notion of bots overtaking the entire extremely bifurcated internet is far-fetched.

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Man on Pretrial Release Charged With Fleeing After Rollover Crash

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ARCHER, Fla. – Neal Andrew Troiano, 38, was arrested after an alleged high-speed escape from law enforcement ended when a Precision Immobilization Technique, or PIT maneuver, sent his pickup truck rolling near Archer.

The incident unfolded around 11:08 a.m. September 21, when a Florida Highway Patrol trooper responded to a request for assistance from Levy County sheriff’s deputies pursuing Troiano eastbound along State Road 24, also known as SW Archer Road.

According to the Levy County Sheriff’s Office, the pursuit began in Cedar Key. A Cedar Key Police Department officer had attempted to stop Troiano as part of a trespassing investigation, but authorities say he drove away. Cedar Key police then requested help from the sheriff’s office, which deployed spike strips in an effort to stop the vehicle.

Investigators said Troiano drove toward an FHP trooper in the wrong direction and later forced other motorists off the roadway while continuing to flee.

A second trooper joined the pursuit near SW 158th Street. Authorities said Troiano ignored the patrol vehicle’s emergency lights and siren, swerved toward the trooper and repeatedly slammed on his brakes in an apparent attempt to cause a collision.

After confirming that no vehicles were approaching, the trooper performed a PIT maneuver. The move pushed Troiano’s pickup off the right side of the road, but authorities said he regained control and continued east on SW Archer Road.

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The trooper then positioned his patrol vehicle along the left side of the pickup and, after again checking for oncoming traffic, attempted another PIT maneuver. This time, the truck left the roadway on the north side, overturned and struck a utility pole.

The trooper parked across the westbound lane to secure the scene as officers initiated a felony stop. Troiano was ordered to exit with his hands visible, but authorities said he refused. At one point, the trooper reported seeing both hands: one appeared empty, while the other held an unidentified object.

Deputies and troopers moved toward the overturned pickup, and one trooper broke a window. Troiano eventually exited the vehicle, was taken into custody and transported to an emergency room for medical clearance.

In Alachua County, Troiano faces charges of fleeing with emergency lights and sirens activated, resisting an officer without violence, driving without a valid license and reckless driving. Officials have not yet posted charges from other counties. Troiano has seven nonviolent felony convictions and one nonviolent misdemeanor conviction, served one state prison sentence and was released in 2014. He was also on pretrial release from a March 2026 arrest involving allegations that he stalked a former girlfriend. Judge Adam Lee set bail at $100,000.

How Could AI Kill Humanity? 5 Plausible Scenarios Explained

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How Could AI Kill Humanity? 5 Plausible Scenarios Explained

Earlier this month, AI researcher Jacob Coxon left Anthropic after only four months at the company. In a post on X, he wrote: “The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade.”

Evan Hubinger, a senior Anthropic employee, said he shared Coxon’s concern. He put his own estimate of the risk within the next 10 years at above 10 per cent.

The remarks quickly drew attention, intensifying calls to slow AI development and strengthen “human control” over increasingly powerful systems.

But what, precisely, could an AI apocalypse look like? Many proposed scenarios are highly speculative, typically involving “superintelligent” AI — systems capable of outperforming humans across a wide range of tasks.

I have narrowed the possibilities to five broad scenarios, arranged roughly from the vaguest to the most specific. In my view, that order also runs from the least plausible to the most plausible.

1. We’ll never know 

AI pessimists often support their arguments with an awkward paradox: how can humans predict the actions of a superintelligence that would, by definition, be smarter than we are?

To foresee what such a system might do, the argument goes, we would need to be superintelligent ourselves. It is rather like asking a family dog to picture a thermonuclear war.

There is, however, some reason for reassurance. True superintelligence may still be a long way off. Today’s AI models can perform exceptionally well on specific problems, but that is very different from surpassing human intelligence in every field.

Even so, an AI system has recently solved one of the seven hardest known mathematical problems. Reports suggest it is making progress on others too — a development that may offer less comfort to those already worried about the technology.

What if AI got into the nuclear command and control chain and started a nuclear war?

Could AI gain access to the nuclear command-and-control system and trigger a nuclear conflict?

2. Paperclips

A superintelligent AI could be extraordinarily effective at pursuing whatever objective it was given. The danger is that it might have no regard for whether humans survive.

Oxford philosopher Nick Bostrom’s famous thought experiment illustrates the problem. Imagine an AI instructed to maximise the production of paperclips. It might eventually transform all available matter — including people, planets and stars — into the office supplies it has been told to create.

The machine would not need to hate humanity. It would simply be pursuing a badly defined goal with relentless efficiency, viewing human bodies as collections of atoms that could be put to better use in paperclip production.

The reassuring counterpoint is that intelligence and real-world power are not the same thing. A superintelligent system would not automatically possess the means to carry out every ambition. Converting Earth into paperclip plants, for example, would first require planning approval.

Even with official permission, a vast expansion of factories would provoke opposition. Campaign groups could challenge the plans in court, while environmental activists might physically obstruct construction.

The world is full of obstacles that prevent even highly capable people from imposing their wishes on everyone else. Data centres offer a present-day echo of the paperclip scenario: as AI infrastructure expands, communities and environmental groups are increasingly resisting the idea of handing more of the planet to server farms.

AI data centres have become a contentious issue over their impact on the environment and high levels of water consumption

AI data centres face growing criticism over their environmental footprint and heavy water use

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3. Bioweapons

Another feared outcome is that a superintelligent AI could create and release a devastating biological weapon, potentially spreading it through the atmosphere. That is one possible endpoint in the AI 2027 scenario developed by the AI Futures Project, a non-profit organisation focused on forecasting the effects of advanced AI.

The concern became more tangible last month when Stanford University researchers said they had used a genetic-language AI model to design 16 new viruses.

More troubling still, the team reportedly sent the genetic sequences to a mail-order laboratory, which returned the viruses in test tubes. The entire experiment is estimated to have cost no more than a few hundred thousand dollars.

The good news here is that it’s remarkably hard to kill everyone with a new virus. To do that, you need a virus that’s very transmissible, so it spreads far and wide. But it’s a rule of biology – viruses that spread easily are typically less fatal. By contrast, if a virus is very fatal, transmissibility tends to go down, as most people infected die before there’s time to spread the infection.

COVID killed less than 1 per cent of humanity. The deadliest pandemic in recorded history was the Black Death, when the plague killed more than one-third of Europe’s population in the 13th century. However, even the plague would likely be much less deadly today due to our increased medical knowledge and better sanitation.

4. Nuclear war

What if AI got into the nuclear command and control chain and started a nuclear war? We’ve come close to nuclear war by mistake several times in the past 50 years.

We’re told that nuclear command and control is completely disconnected from the internet. But, as we saw in 2010, Iran’s nuclear centrifuges got taken out by a computer worm called Stuxnet, thought to have been brought in on a USB stick. AI can also give the military false intelligence, which could lead to irreparable actions.

The good news here is that nuclear stockpiles are down. But they are still enough perhaps to take out half of us. And it wouldn’t be by the nuclear blast itself, but the famine in the nuclear winter that would follow.

Imagine if AI causes massive job losses, pollutes the information space with misinformation, fractures our politics, and destroys human relationships with fake synthetic companionship

Imagine if AI causes massive job losses, pollutes the information space with misinformation, fractures our politics, and destroys human relationships with fake synthetic companionship

5. Other humans 

Perhaps the most likely risk is that we take ourselves out. And AI might precipitate this.

Imagine – and it doesn’t take a lot of imagination – that AI causes massive job losses, pollutes the information space with misinformation, fractures our politics, and destroys human relationships with fake synthetic companionship.

Society might easily break. Slowly but surely, we’d stop being able to support human life at any scale.

What then to take away from all these scenarios? There are some things to be worried about for sure. But not to be too worried, I hope.

Toby Walsh is the author of God AI: boom or doom? What to expect when the machines outsmart us, published by La Trobe University Press. 

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Ed Sheeran Loses Nearly 500,000 Followers

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Ed Sheeran Loses Nearly 500,000 Followers

Ed Sheeran has lost nearly 500,000 Instagram followers during what he described as “one of the worst weeks of my life.”

The 35-year-old British singer has been accused of “bowing to the mob” after apologising to fans on Saturday over his response to an Israel-Palestine controversy that has overshadowed his tour.

Sheeran has come under intense criticism since Macklemore was removed as the opening act for his Loop tour. The rapper had made pro-Palestinian remarks during Sheeran’s New Jersey shows earlier this month.

Macklemore announced on September 14 that he had been dropped from the tour following a week of “difficult conversations” with Sheeran. Before that announcement, Sheeran had 47.6 million Instagram followers. Within 24 hours, the figure had fallen to 47.3 million.

Data from Social Blade showed that Sheeran lost almost 150,000 followers on September 15, the day he addressed the controversy in an Instagram statement. A further drop of more than 98,000 followers was recorded the following day.

The decline continued over the weekend, after Sheeran made his first appearance on stage since the controversy and delivered an emotional address to fans in Philadelphia. As of September 23, his follower count stood at 47.2 million—around 500,000 fewer than a week earlier.

Ed Sheeran has lost almost 500,000 Instagram followers during what he has called 'one of the worst weeks of my life'. Pictured on stage in Philadelphia on September 19

Ed Sheeran has lost almost 500,000 Instagram followers during what he has called “one of the worst weeks of my life”. He is pictured performing in Philadelphia on September 19

Following Macklemore’s removal from the upcoming tour dates, all of Sheeran’s other opening acts—Finneas, Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe—as well as his backing band Beoga, announced that they would also leave in solidarity with the rapper and Palestine.

While Sheeran’s social media following has dropped sharply, the musicians who were removed from or withdrew from the tour have collectively gained 1.6 million followers, according to a report by Newsweek last week.

During Saturday’s Philadelphia concert, Sheeran addressed a crowd of 50,000, telling fans: “The last week of my life has been one of the worst weeks of my life.”

He said the support from fans had lifted him, adding: “Today has been one of the weirdest days of my life. Tonight has been honestly the best show of my life, the best show.”

“I really didn’t know whether this tour would be carrying on. I really didn’t know whether I’d even be getting on stage again, whether I even wanted to be an artist at all. In these situations, you really find out who your friends are, and it’s been a weird week.”

Sheeran has also faced accusations of “bowing to the mob” after apologising to fans at the beginning of the concert while reading a statement from an autocue.

The singer appeared to retreat from his earlier promise to keep politics out of his performances, describing the situation in Gaza as “catastrophic and unjustifiable” while calling Hamas’s October 7 attacks “horrific”.

Piers Morgan reposted footage of Sheeran’s speech on X and wrote: “I agree with Ed Sheeran’s overview of the Israel/Hamas war (Oct 7 terrible, Israel response disproportionate) but I wish he hadn’t bowed to the mob and felt forced to say it publicly, especially reading it off an autocue like some bullied puppet. He needs better advisors.”

Sheeran has faced fierce backlash after his Loop tour's opening act, Macklemore, was axed over pro-Palestine comments the rapper made at Sheeran's New Jersey shows earlier this month

Sheeran has faced fierce backlash since Macklemore was removed as the Loop tour’s opening act over pro-Palestinian comments made during the rapper’s New Jersey shows earlier this month

Many social media users echoed Morgan’s criticism. One supporter wrote: “His PR people need to be fired. No reason for him to have to speak to that outside of a very small mob of loudmouths.”

Another post said: “This dude simply wants to play and perform and has done so for years. He’s a bigger idiot than he was last week. What a disgrace to bow to the mob.”

However, another X user argued that Sheeran’s reliance on a teleprompter “is not proof he doesn’t care”.

“Ed is a singer. Not a politician. Not a news anchor. He does not spend his life rehearsing talking points on the most loaded conflict on the planet,” the post continued.

‘Asking him to speak off-the-cuff about Israel and Gaza in front of 50,000 people after a week that blew up his tour is not the same as asking him to sing “Castle on the Hill”. Using a teleprompter here is not proof he doesn’t care. It’s proof he was scared of getting the words wrong on something this radioactive. There is a difference.’

‘He just needs to be strong and say “No I’m not getting bullied and dragged in by any side”. He can walk away from this all and still have his music,’ agreed another.

‘To be fair, he was never going to “win” this regardless. What is shameful is that his “guest” on tour and band threw him under the bus,’ said one more.

On stage, Sheeran said he had been convinced to continue with his tour after he saw an uptick in ticket sales, telling the crowd: ‘Everyone’s telling me to cancel and I’m feeling all of my friends and family and people I know abandon me – and I look at the end of the week, and I see 50,000 people who haven’t abandoned me.’ 

But while politics threatens to overtake Sheeran’s tour, concertgoers outside the Philadelphia concert said the general feeling was a determination to enjoy the music.

According to Social Blade data, on September 15 alone, Sheeran's Insta account shed nearly 150,000 followers, while another decline of more than 98,000 followed the next day. Pictured on stage on September 19

According to Social Blade data, on September 15 alone, Sheeran’s Insta account shed nearly 150,000 followers, while another decline of more than 98,000 followed the next day. Pictured on stage on September 19

A concertgoer speaking to the BBC outside the Philadelphia concert said: ‘There was a sentiment of determination to enjoy an evening of music while at the same time supporting freedom of speech.’

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Reacting to Sheeran’s remarks as they later left the venue, another fan said he had ‘covered both sides nicely, and I think everyone leaves happy’, while another called his speech ‘very sincere, and I think that’s what the people wanted to hear was sincerity’. 

In a solemn speech at the start of Saturday’s concert, Sheeran read off the autocue as he said: ‘I have tried in my career not to be a political commentator of any kind because I want my music and shows to be about unity and not division, about humanity and not politics. 

‘But this is a humanitarian issue and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore. What happened in Israel at Nova music festival on October 7 was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain.

‘What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate. 

‘My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilians’ lives, of children’s lives, and the systemic injustice we’re seeing unfold in the West Bank cannot be overlooked.’

Sheeran told the audience that he plans to ‘continue my current tour’ despite each of his openers dropping out in solidarity with Macklemore.

Macklemore made the comments at two performances at MetLife Stadium on September 4 and 5, as he introduced his 2024 protest song Hind’s Hall which condemns Israel’s military action in Gaza. 

Macklemore was removed from Sheeran’s tour after US stadium owner Robert Kraft accused him of hate speech and said he was ‘only sharing selective information and ignoring the actions of Hamas’.

Kraft banned him from performing at the Gillette Stadium near Boston, which is owned by his holding company.

Sheeran struggled to hold back tears as he returned to the stage on Saturday, without his backing band and support acts.

The singer said he had ‘found out who his friends are’, adding: ‘I cannot hide how I feel… any more.’

In his first stage appearance since the Loop tour was plunged into turmoil, the father of two said he ‘never wanted to be an activist musician’ but the fierce criticism meant he has had to ‘take and make difficult decisions’.

He apologised and became visibly emotional again at the end of the show for bringing politics to his concert – something he had vowed not to do.

Sheeran said at the end of the night: ‘The one thing that I would like to apologise for is the first bit of the show where it wasn’t about music and I had to talk.

‘I understand that people have children here and I understand that families didn’t buy a ticket to hear that first bit of the show, but that was something I felt like I needed to say.’

By the end of the show, Sheeran broke down into tears, telling fans: ‘I’m so grateful. The world is a scary place right now. America is a scary place right now. This gives hope. This gives hope.’

The crowd broke out in applause as Sheeran appeared deeply moved.

‘My shows are about this,’ he said. ‘They are about people coming together that don’t know each other, that have different beliefs. They’re about unity. They’re about love. They’re about family.’

As fans cheered, Sheeran vowed that the controversy would not stop him from performing.

‘You’re jumping around like maniacs with each other and having fun,’ he said. ‘And I will never stop doing this. I will never stop doing this. I love doing this so much.’

At one point during the concert Sheeran explained he had scrapped his usual separate ‘B stage’ setup, telling fans he was concerned about ‘what might happen if [he] stood in the middle’ of the crowd. 

‘I didn’t know if they were going to throw things at me. I didn’t know if people would be angry with me,’ he said.

The crowd also gave a standing ovation after Sheeran brought out a group of musicians, led by the fiddler Alicia Enstrom, to back him on songs including his hit Galway Girl.

He explained how he reached out to the musicians after Irish folk band Beoga, who had played with him on the previous tour dates, dropped out of the tour.

‘There are certain songs that just don’t work as well with the loop pedal and when my friends pulled out of this show, I thought: “How am I going to keep the show the same? How am I going to get musicians to come on stage with me in a week when no one wants to come on stage with me?”‘ Sheeran said. 

‘I called a friend of mine who is an amazing person and I toured with her all last year and I said: “would you come on stage with me?” And she said “yes,”‘ he added. 

‘I asked her if she had musician friends and she said yes. And they’ve had three days to learn these songs. And they agreed to come on stage knowing that the world might hate them too for coming on stage with me.’ 

South Africa House Party Shooting Kills 11 as Police Investigate Possible Gang Link

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South Africa House Party Shooting Kills 11 as Police Investigate Possible Gang Link

At least 11 people were killed when three gunmen opened fire at a house party in South Africa, police said Wednesday.

Among the dead was a woman believed to have been pregnant, according to a police statement. Three additional people suffered gunshot wounds.

The attack took place late Tuesday in KwaMakhutha township, about 19 miles south of Durban on South Africa’s east coast.

A manhunt is underway for suspects who opened fire at a South Africa house party, killing 11. South African Police Service

Police said partygoers were inside the home when the assailants entered and began shooting.

The suspects remained at large, and no arrests had been reported as police continued their search.

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Authorities said the motive was still unclear. However, police noted that some people at the gathering were known to them through investigations into criminal activity.

Police declined to provide further details about those investigations.

“Although the motive of the shooting cannot be confirmed yet, feud between rival groupings cannot be ruled out,” police said.

The KwaMakhutha killings are the latest in a string of mass shootings in South Africa in recent years. In June, multiple suspects killed 12 people in a poor Johannesburg neighborhood.

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Dancing With the Stars Week 2 Recap: Three Couples Tie for the Lead as Another Star Is Eliminated

NewsFinale Journal
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Dancing With the Stars Week 2 Recap: Three Couples Tie for the Lead as Another Star Is Eliminated

FAIRFAX DISTRICT, LOS ANGELES — After a nerve-racking premiere, the 14 remaining couples returned to the ballroom for week two of “Dancing with the Stars,” raising the stakes as they continued their pursuit of the mirrorball trophy.

This week’s theme celebrated viral hits, with performances set to songs by Rihanna, Flo Rida, Gracie Abrams, Karol G, Billie Eilish and Earth, Wind

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