Torrential rains and flash flooding follow deadly tornadoes as storms rage in Midwestern and Southern US states.
Rivers have risen and flooding has intensified across the saturated regions of the US South and Midwest, threatening communities already significantly damaged by days of heavy rainfall and wind, claiming the lives of at least 18 people.
Although the rain has begun to recede in some of the most severely impacted areas of Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky, water levels continue to rise in various communities, inundating homes and businesses and submerging roads.
In Frankfort, Kentucky, rescue teams have been navigating flooded streets in inflatable boats to check on residents in the state capital. Additionally, workers have constructed sandbag barriers to safeguard homes and businesses, while utilities have been shut off as the swollen Kentucky River continues to rise.
As of Sunday, the river’s depth had surpassed 14 metres and is anticipated to reach almost 15 metres by Monday morning, potentially reaching setting a record high, according to Frankfort Mayor Layne Wilkerson. The city’s flood wall system is designed to withstand water levels of up to 15.5 metres.
Meteorologists have indicated that flooding may persist as heavy rains continue to affect several states. Tornado watches were issued in parts of Alabama, Georgia, and Florida throughout much of Sunday.
Storms have resulted in a tragic loss of life
The 18 reported fatalities since the onset of the storms on Wednesday include 10 individuals from Tennessee. A 9-year-old boy in Kentucky was swept away by floodwaters while enroute to his school bus.
In Arkansas, a 5-year-old boy died when a tree fell on his family’s home, trapping him, according to police reports. Additionally, a 16-year-old volunteer firefighter from Missouri lost his life in a vehicle accident while attempting to rescue others caught in the storm.
The National Weather Service reported on Sunday that numerous locations across multiple states are expected to reach a “major flood stage,” with widespread flooding of structures, roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure likely.
In north-central Kentucky, emergency officials have mandated the evacuation of Falmouth and Butler, towns situated near the rising Licking River.
Three decades ago, the river reached a record height of 15.24 metres, resulting in five fatalities and the destruction of 1,000 homes.
The storms come after the Trump administration cut jobs at NWS forecast offices, leaving half of them with vacancy rates of about 20%, double the level of a decade ago.
Flooding forces evacuations
A small town in northwestern Tennessee, with a population of around 200, was nearly completely submerged on Sunday after the Obion River overflowed due to a levee failure in February.
As of early Sunday, Memphis had recorded 14 inches (35 centimetres) of rain since Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. West Memphis and Arkansas had received 10 inches (25 centimetres).
The rain and strong winds continued to move eastward on Sunday, causing trees to fall in Alabama and Georgia.
Forecasters have attributed the severe weather conditions to elevated temperatures, an unstable atmosphere, strong winds, and an abundance of moisture flowing in from the Gulf.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump
Trump Confirms Calling Netanyahu ‘Fucking Crazy’ in Explosive Phone Call
United States President Donald Trump has confirmed that he called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “fucking crazy” during a heated phone call on Monday, while insisting the two leaders continue to maintain a close working relationship. Speaking on the “Pod Force One” podcast with New York Post host Miranda Devine, Trump acknowledged his frustration over Israel’s escalating military campaign in Lebanon, which he said was complicating broader diplomatic efforts with Iran.
Trump told the podcast that he was “a little bit perturbed at his constantly fighting with Lebanon.” When asked directly whether he had used the explicit language against Netanyahu, Trump replied simply: “I did.” Despite confirming the heated exchange, Trump stressed that his personal rapport with Netanyahu remains intact. “We’ve worked very well together. I like Bibi a lot. And I work very well with him,” he said, adding that he believed a resolution to broader regional tensions would come “fairly quickly.”
Trump’s confirmation followed an explosive report from Axios on Monday, which cited two U.S. officials and another source briefed on the conversation. According to the report, Trump launched into a profane tirade against Netanyahu over Israel’s threatened strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut. The Axios report quoted Trump as telling Netanyahu: “You’re fucking crazy. You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me. I’m saving your ass. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this.” Another source briefed on the conversation said Trump was “furious” and at one point shouted: “What the fuck are you doing?” According to the report, Trump also referenced his support for Netanyahu during the Israeli leader’s ongoing corruption trial, claiming he had helped keep him out of prison.
The reported outburst was linked to Netanyahu’s plans for major strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut. U.S. officials told Axios that Trump recognized Israel’s right to defend itself against Hezbollah rocket and drone attacks but believed Netanyahu’s response had become disproportionate. Trump was particularly concerned about civilian casualties in Lebanon and objected to Israeli operations that reportedly involved destroying entire buildings to target individual Hezbollah commanders. The timing of the call proved critical. Earlier on Monday, Iran had threatened to walk away from negotiations with the United States over Israel’s actions in Lebanon. Tehran has made clear that it will not agree to a deal to end the war unless a ceasefire also covers Lebanon, where Israel invaded in March to pursue the Iran-aligned Hezbollah militia. One U.S. official described the exchange as among the “most difficult” conversations between the two leaders since Trump returned to office.
Despite the tense exchange, the phone call produced tangible results. Trump announced on Truth Social that Netanyahu had agreed to call off a “major raid of Beirut, Lebanon. He turned his Troops around. Thank you Bibi!” An Israeli official told Axios that Israel no longer plans to strike Hezbollah targets in Beirut. According to understandings reached between the two leaders, Israel would refrain from striking Beirut provided that Hezbollah does not attack Israeli territory. However, Israel’s expanded ground operation in southern Lebanon would continue. One U.S. official told Axios that Trump “steamrolled” Netanyahu on the call, and the prime minister responded by saying, “OK, OK, just make sure everything is taken care of.”
Adding complexity to the story, Israeli media and officials have disputed key aspects of the Axios report. An unnamed Netanyahu staffer denied that Trump cursed at or personally attacked the prime minister. While acknowledging the call was “tense,” the Israeli source claimed Trump did not say that Netanyahu would be in prison or that everyone “hates Israel.” A senior Israeli official briefed on the call later told The Times of Israel that the Israeli account disputing the more dramatic elements was “accurate.” However, Axios reporter Barak Ravid, who broke the story, stood by his reporting, telling Channel 12 that Trump twice used the f-word during the first of two calls between the leaders Monday night.
In the same podcast interview, Trump dismissed suggestions that Netanyahu had manipulated him into starting the war with Iran, a claim made by some Democratic critics. “He tricked me? I’m the one that started it,” Trump told the New York Post. “I don’t want to bore anybody, but I started [the war with Iran] because we can’t let them have a nuclear weapon. Now, that pertains to Israel because they probably would have been the first one to get hit.” Trump went further, asserting his critical role in Israel’s survival. “I’ll tell you what, if it wasn’t for me there would be no Israel right now,” he said. The president dismissed his critics as “Dumbocrats” and rejected accusations that he was doing Israel’s bidding in the Iran war.
The strained exchange underscores the increasingly shaky ties between two right-wing allies who both face significant political pressures at home. Trump wants a way out of a war that has badly hit the U.S. economy less than six months before midterm elections, which will determine whether his Republican party keeps control of Congress. Netanyahu, meanwhile, faces the possible collapse of his right-wing coalition and is under fire for bowing to Trump on matters of security after calling off the plan to attack Beirut. This is not the first time Trump has expressed frustration with Netanyahu. In September 2025, Trump reportedly told top aides that Netanyahu was “fucking me” regarding ceasefire violations in Gaza. Former ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro, now a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council, noted that tensions between Netanyahu and U.S. presidents are not unusual. “In fact, he has a perfect record of reaching that point of frustration with every U.S. president he’s worked with,” Shapiro told AFP.
Trump used the podcast interview to make several bold claims about ongoing negotiations with Iran. He said Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is directly involved in talks to end the war and that he would “like to meet him.” When asked about Khamenei’s condition—U.S. officials have previously claimed the Iranian leader was seriously injured in the same bombing that killed his father, Ali Khamenei, on the first day of the war—Trump said: “If you believe the stories, he’s, you know, missing a lot of different parts.” Trump also claimed that Iran has agreed it will not obtain a nuclear weapon, saying: “We’re not going to have a nuclear weapon and lots of other good things are going to happen.” According to Trump, a memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran could reopen the Strait of Hormuz as early as this week, easing pressure on global energy markets. Despite expressing optimism, Trump acknowledged that negotiations have faced multiple setbacks, but maintained that “this will resolve itself fairly quickly.”
Despite the diplomatic maneuvering, fighting resumed in southern Lebanon as clashes broke out again between Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters on Monday night. Drone strikes killed eight people, including a father and his two children. Trump’s office has not provided additional comment beyond the president’s Truth Social posts and podcast interview. Netanyahu’s office has not publicly responded to either the Axios report or Trump’s subsequent confirmation of the remarks. The White House referred AFP to Trump’s Truth Social posts from Monday when asked to confirm the Axios account, where the president thanked Netanyahu for agreeing to pull troops back from Beirut.
Trump Confirms Calling Netanyahu ‘Fucking Crazy’ in Explosive Phone Call
Nnamdi Kanu: US Congress Calls for Diplomatic Engagement with Nigeria
The United States Congress has stepped into the ongoing legal controversy surrounding Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), after the U.S. House of Representatives adopted a resolution calling for formal diplomatic engagement with the Nigerian government over his trial and detention.
The resolution, tagged H.Res. 1321, was adopted on May 22, 2026, following its introduction by Congressman John James. It urges the U.S. Department of State to open discussions with Nigerian authorities regarding concerns about Nnamdi Kanu’s detention, trial process, and access to fundamental human rights.
US lawmakers expressed concern about the handling of Kanu’s case, urging that all judicial proceedings in Nigeria comply with constitutional safeguards and internationally accepted standards of due process, fair hearing, and human rights protection. They also called for improved attention to Kanu’s detention conditions, including access to legal representation, medical care, and humane treatment in custody. Lawmakers further urged the U.S. Secretary of State to engage Nigerian officials in dialogue aimed at addressing concerns around judicial fairness and respect for civil liberties.
Kanu, who leads the proscribed IPOB movement, was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment on November 20, 2025, by the Federal High Court in Abuja. Justice James Omotosho delivered the judgment after finding him guilty on terrorism-related charges brought by the Federal Government. He is currently serving his sentence at a correctional facility in Sokoto State.
However, Kanu and his legal team have consistently rejected the ruling, arguing that parts of the prosecution’s case relied on laws they claim were no longer valid. His lawyers have since filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal, though proceedings are yet to commence.
The US Congress also referenced findings by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which in 2022 concluded that Kanu’s detention violated international human rights standards and recommended corrective measures, including his release and compensation. Lawmakers said these findings highlight broader concerns about arbitrary detention, political freedoms, and the treatment of dissenting voices under international law.
While the United States government has historically maintained respect for Nigeria’s sovereignty and judicial independence, Congress members emphasized Washington’s global commitment to promoting human rights, rule of law, and fair judicial processes. The resolution encourages continued engagement between the U.S. State Department and Nigerian authorities to ensure compliance with international legal standards while maintaining diplomatic relations.
Analysts say the move could increase international scrutiny of Nigeria’s handling of sensitive political and security-related cases, though any formal diplomatic action will depend on the U.S. executive branch. For now, the resolution adds a new layer of global attention to one of Nigeria’s most high-profile and politically sensitive legal cases.
Nnamdi Kanu: US Congress Calls for Diplomatic Engagement with Nigeria
ICE Arrests African Migrant Who Claimed to Be Gay for Asylum, Then Married Sheriff’s Daughter
Washington D.C. – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested a Mauritanian national, Selah Dine Habib (also known as Habib Selah), after federal investigators discovered he allegedly submitted a fraudulent asylum claim based on homosexuality before marrying an American woman and working as a taxpayer-funded corrections officer in Portland, Indiana .
Habib, 28, a native of Mauritania in northwest Africa, was taken into custody on May 21, 2026, and remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings . According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) , Habib entered the United States illegally in March 2023 near Lukeville, Arizona, and was released into the country by the Biden administration . “He entered the country illegally in March 2023 near Lukeville, Arizona, and was released into the country by the Biden administration, where he was reportedly hired as a corrections officer in Indiana,” DHS stated .
Upon entering the United States, Habib filed an asylum application in which he claimed to be homosexual . In Mauritania, same-sex conduct is criminalized, and individuals perceived as LGBTQ face severe persecution, including the risk of capital punishment under the country’s interpretation of Islamic law . Federal law allows migrants to make LGBTQ-specific asylum claims if they can demonstrate a well-founded fear of persecution in their home country based on sexual orientation or gender identity . However, DHS now alleges that Habib’s claim was fraudulent . “His pending asylum application is believed to be fraudulent, as he applied based on homosexuality in 2023 but married a woman in 2025,” officials said .
Investigators reportedly discovered that Habib married an American woman in September 2025 — approximately two years after filing his asylum claim based on homosexuality . According to local outlet WIBC, which first broke the story, the woman he married is Chelsea, the stepdaughter of Jay County Sheriff Larry Ray Newton . Wedding photos and videos from the ceremony were shared on social media, showing Sheriff Newton posing with his family and delivering a speech to wedding guests . These publicly available images ultimately drew the attention of federal authorities, who began scrutinizing Habib’s immigration status .
Before his arrest, Habib was employed as an unarmed correctional officer at the Jay County Jail in Portland, Indiana . Sheriff Larry Ray Newton confirmed that Habib was hired by the department before he married the sheriff’s stepdaughter, meaning his employment was not a direct result of the marriage . During the hiring process, Habib presented a Social Security card and a driver’s license, and the Jay County Auditor’s Office confirmed that he passed the federal E-Verify employment-authorization check .
“I am able to confirm that Mr. Habib submitted an I-9 with documentation, and an E-Verify Check was completed at the time of employment. The report came back as employment authorized,” the Jay County Auditor’s Office told WIBC . The Auditor’s Office also noted that departments are responsible for completing background checks and other screenings before submitting new employees, and any discrepancies flagged by the E-Verify system would have halted the onboarding process immediately .
Habib is currently being held at the Clay County Jail detention facility in Brazil, Indiana, pending removal proceedings . According to WIBC, he is contesting a final deportation order from the United States . ICE issued a statement following the arrest, emphasizing its commitment to enforcing immigration laws: “To be clear: Work authorization does NOT give someone legal status to be in our country” . The agency added that Habib “will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings and will receive full due process under federal law” .
The Department of Homeland Security also commented on the broader implications of the case: “Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, ICE is restoring law and order. Illegal aliens have NO PLACE in our communities, especially in positions of law enforcement” . The case comes amid heightened scrutiny of immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, which has prioritized the arrest and deportation of individuals who entered the country illegally or are accused of gaming the asylum system . The administration has also focused on ensuring that individuals with pending immigration cases do not hold positions within law enforcement .
While the case has drawn significant attention as an apparent example of asylum fraud, legal observers have noted that the situation may be more nuanced than it initially appears . Some legal experts have pointed out that marriage to a woman does not automatically prove that an asylum applicant lied about their sexual orientation, as individuals may identify as bisexual or may have married due to cultural, religious, or family pressure . The U.S. government would need to present additional evidence beyond the marriage itself to successfully prove immigration fraud in court . As of this report, DHS has not released further details about the specific contents of Habib’s asylum application or any additional evidence supporting the fraud allegation .
Mauritania, Habib’s country of origin, has been cited by human rights organizations as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for LGBTQ individuals. According to the Human Dignity Trust, the country imposes severe penalties for same-sex conduct, including the death penalty in certain cases . This context underscores the high stakes of legitimate LGBTQ asylum claims from the region while also highlighting why fraudulent claims are considered particularly damaging to the integrity of the asylum system .
ICE Arrests African Migrant Who Claimed to Be Gay for Asylum, Then Married Sheriff’s Daughter
