“We must not be subject to the whims of foreign events” – Starmer. Four hours ago. Kate Whannel, political reporter. Images from Getty. The UK must build greater resilience to navigate a “volatile and dangerous” world rife with frequent “shocks” such as the conflict in Iran, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has cautioned. In an article for The Guardian, he stated he is “thinking about the long-term, and remaking this country” to ensure people “are not at the mercy of events abroad.” In a separate appearance on ITV’s Talking Politics podcast, he expressed frustration that “families across the country see their bills go up and down… because of the actions of Putin or Trump.” The prime minister is on a three-day Gulf tour to engage with regional allies. On Wednesday, he met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, and on Thursday, he visited the UAE, Bahrain, and Qatar. His trip coincides with strains on a fragile ceasefire halting the Iranian conflict, amid disputes over whether it includes Lebanon. On Thursday evening, Sir Keir spoke by phone with US President Donald Trump. Downing Street states that the two men discussed the need “for a practical plan to get shipping moving” through the Strait of Hormuz, the shipping lane effectively closed due to the conflict. Israel to hold talks with Lebanon as death toll from Beirut attack rises to at least 303. The prime minister states that Israel’s strikes on Lebanon are unjust and must cease. Ships stay wary as they near the Strait of Hormuz during the shaky ceasefire. 

​A New York City man is facing murder charges after allegedly setting a fire in a Queens apartment building that killed four people, including a 3-year-old girl, and injured seven others, authorities said. Roman Amatitla, 38, of Maspeth, was arrested Wednesday and arraigned on multiple charges, including eight counts of second-degree murder and first-degree arson, in connection with the March 16 blaze at a three-story building on Avery Avenue in Flushing. He faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

Prosecutors described the incident as an act of mass murder. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said Amatitla had no known motive and did not appear to have any connection to the building or its occupants, noting that he selected the building at random. Prosecutors said Amatitla was seen entering and exiting the Avery Avenue building several times that morning, at one point urinating in front of the apartments. He then went to a nearby gas station, bought a beer, stole a second one, and took a pack of matches after refusing to pay for a lighter. After entering the building for a fourth and final time, authorities said, he lit a piece of paper on fire and tossed it onto trash near a stairwell. As smoke spread through the street, he remained in the area watching the building burn, according to court testimony.

During a Thursday court hearing, Queens Assistant District Attorney Gabriel Reale said Amatitla “watched as people jumped from various windows, some of them living, one of them dying,” while sipping a beer, according to a report from the New York Post. Three of the victims — Sihan Yang, 3; Chengri Cui, 49; and Shin Chie Ming, 61 — were found inside the building and pronounced dead at the scene from smoke inhalation. A fourth victim, Hong Zhao, 64, died later at a local hospital after suffering multiple broken bones and brain trauma when he leaped from a window to escape the flames. Several first responders were injured in the rescue, including an FDNY lieutenant and a firefighter who entered the basement after a staircase collapsed, suffering thermal burns and smoke inhalation. Four other occupants were injured by jumping to flee the fire, and a fifth was rescued from a second-story window by firefighters.

Prosecutors said Amatitla “had to get his rage out on someone or something,” though no official motive has been released. NYPD records indicate he is from Mexico, though his immigration status has not been confirmed.  

​A Washington state man was shot and killed by a neighbor after allegedly opening fire on two adult female relatives during a domestic dispute that spilled into a nearby driveway, police said. Officers with the Puyallup Police Department responded around 9:10 a.m. on April 2, and investigators allege 47-year-old Arnino Guanlao fired on his adult relatives after a family argument escalated outside the home. A neighbor who had been inside at the time stepped outside and fatally shot Guanlao to intervene, according to police.

One of the victims, 23-year-old Christiannel Lyle Macapagal Maningat, died at the scene. The second woman was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries, authorities said. The case remains under investigation, including a review of the neighbor’s use of force.

Washington law allows a person to use force to protect themselves or others if they reasonably believe it is necessary, but deadly force is justified only when facing an immediate threat of serious injury or death. Puyallup Police Department Captain Kevin Gill said during a press briefing that investigators are still determining exactly how the circumstances unfolded.

Witnesses described a chaotic scene as gunfire erupted in the neighborhood. A neighbor told reporters there was a girl who was found with a gunshot wound after responders arrived, and others said the community is in shock.

Investigators said the neighbor who shot Guanlao is cooperating as detectives work to determine the circumstances surrounding the use of force. Detectives are processing multiple scenes tied to the incident, and residents reported hearing multiple gunshots. Additional reporting by Law&Crime identified Guanlao as the victims’ stepfather and said he had been firing at his adult stepdaughters when the neighbor intervened. Authorities have not said what sparked the initial dispute.  

​A California sheriff’s detective was shot and killed Thursday while serving an eviction notice after an armed suspect opened fire on deputies in what authorities described as an apparent ambush that led to an hours-long standoff. The suspect, identified as David Eric Morales, was ultimately killed when a law enforcement BearCat armored vehicle ran over him after he continued firing and refused to surrender, authorities said. “The suspect was lying prone on the ground, in camouflage clothing, continuing to pose a threat,” Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux said during a news conference. “The situation was resolved, and the suspect is now dead. He was not shot. One of the BearCats ran over him and killed him.”

Boudreaux said the shooting happened around 10:40 a.m. in Porterville, where deputies encountered Morales, who allegedly fired at them with a high-powered rifle. Authorities said Morales remained barricaded in his home for hours after the shooting, firing repeatedly as deputies and assisting agencies worked to contain the scene. REPEAT OFFENDER KILLS 2 DEPUTIES DAYS AFTER $50K BOND DESPITE LONG VIOLENT RECORD: POLICE.

Boudreaux said Morales eventually exited the home through a window and was later found outside, lying in brush while wearing camouflage and continuing to pose a threat. The detective, identified by Boudreaux as Deputy Randy Hoppert, was struck by gunfire and transported to Sierra View District Hospital, where he died at 11:57 a.m. Hoppert was a Navy corpsman who served from 2010 to 2015 and joined the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office on Jan. 5, 2020, Boudreaux said. “This situation went from a civil order of removal to where our officer was shot and killed. This is senseless,” Boudreaux said.

TIM TEBOW AND WIFE DEMI-LEIGH PARTNER WITH COMPANY GIVING EX-CONVICTS SECOND CHANCE: ‘WHAT GRACE IS ALL ABOUT’. Authorities considered airlifting the Hoppert to Fresno, but his condition was too unstable for transport. Boudreaux said Morales had not paid rent for 35 days, and deputies were serving a final eviction notice when the shooting occurred. The sheriff said Morales appeared to have been waiting for deputies and “laid in wait” before opening fire, prompting a call for additional units. Boudreaux described the outcome in blunt terms: “Don’t shoot at cops. You shoot at cops. We’re going to run you over. He got run over. He got what he deserved,” the sheriff said.

SIX DEAD, INCLUDING TEEN MOM AND INFANT, IN BELIEVED GANG-RELATED SHOOTING. He added that the suspect had “chosen this ending.” The sheriff also told reporters he spent time with Hoppert’s wife and mother earlier this afternoon. “I sat down at the hospital and met with the wife and his mom, and I can tell you there is no consoling that family at this point,” Boudreaux said. “Attacks on law enforcement of this nature must stop.  

​Rex Heuermann, the Gilgo Beach serial killer, admitted this week to torturing and murdering eight women across Long Island, New York, and has agreed to be evaluated by the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit as part of a plea deal that carries three life sentences without the possibility of parole. Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney told reporters after Heuermann entered his guilty plea that the interviews with the defendant would be clinical in nature—designed to explore his motivations and background as an academic and scientific exercise rather than as investigative questioning. He noted the sessions would likely be limited to what Heuermann pled guilty to, with the goal of gaining insight to inform future cases.

Heuermann’s decision to cooperate places him alongside other infamous killers who have been profiled by the BAU, including Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and John Wayne Gacy. Dr. Ann Wolbert Burgess, a pioneer of the Behavioral Science Unit, suggested that such an evaluation could yield valuable understanding of a criminal who was highly organized, meticulous, and skilled at evading detection across many years.

The potential payoff, Burgess added, lies in examining the psychological makeup of someone who appears to be orderly and capable of murder on a large scale. She acknowledged that Heuermann could have had more victims, and that the full extent of his actions might become clearer through this process. Officials may have been drawn to studying Heuermann because of particular aspects of his killings.

The agreement requires Heuermann to be truthful, accurate, and complete with the BAU, according to defense attorney Michael Brown. While the interviews could provide crucial insights into the inner workings of a serial killer’s mind, Burgess cautioned that collaborating with the FBI can also influence how the case is interpreted or narrated, so researchers must be mindful of that dynamic.