South Korea Sentences Former President to Life in Historic Insurrection Case

Three Vietnam War veterans and an architectural historian filed a federal lawsuit Thursday seeking to halt construction of President Trump's planned 250-foot Independence Arch, arguing it would obstruct historic sight lines between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial. The plaintiffs contend the massive structure would dishonor military service and degrade the experience of visiting the cemetery.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by advocacy group Public Citizen, challenges the project on procedural and historical grounds. Plaintiffs Michael Lemmon, Shaun Byrnes, and Jon Gunderson—all Vietnam veterans and former U.S. diplomats who hope to be interred at Arlington—argue that the arch would interfere with the symbolic connection between the cemetery and memorial. Architectural historian Calder Loth stated the structure would undermine carefully planned sight lines along Memorial Avenue.

The White House defended the project Thursday, with a spokesperson stating the arch will enhance the visitor experience at Arlington National Cemetery for veterans, families of the fallen, and all Americans. The suit argues that Congress has not authorized construction on Memorial Circle, a required first step under federal statute. Trump announced plans for the arch last October as part of the nation's 250th anniversary celebration, describing it as an American version of Paris's Arc de Triomphe.

President Trump announced Thursday that the United States will contribute $10 billion to his newly established Board of Peace, as nine member nations pledged an additional $7 billion toward Gaza reconstruction efforts. The announcement came during the organization's inaugural meeting in Washington, attended by representatives from at least 20 countries including foreign ministers and top envoys.

Five countries—Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, and Albania—agreed to deploy troops for an international stabilization force in Gaza, with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto committing up to 8,000 troops. Board officials announced plans to train and deploy a 5,000-member transitional Palestinian police force within 60 days, while Jordan and Egypt committed to training programs.

Human rights experts and critics have questioned the Board of Peace structure, noting the lack of Palestinian representation on its Gaza executive board and estimating that the pledged funds represent a fraction of the approximately $70 billion needed to rebuild the territory. The Board of Peace was formally established during the World Economic Forum in January 2026, tasked with overseeing Trump's Gaza ceasefire plan. Countries pledging reconstruction funds include Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Kuwait.

British police arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, on Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to newly revealed documents from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. The arrest marks the first time a senior British royal has been arrested in nearly 400 years, coming on Andrew's 66th birthday.

The specific allegations center on accusations that Andrew shared confidential government trade reports with convicted sex offender Epstein in 2010, when Andrew served as Britain's special envoy for international trade. According to reports, a recent tranche of Epstein files allegedly shows Andrew sending classified information to the late financier during this period.

Andrew was subsequently released under investigation, with authorities continuing their inquiry into the matter. King Charles released a statement endorsing a full, fair, and proper investigation process by appropriate authorities. The arrest triggered reactions from Epstein survivors and the family of Virginia Giuffre, who have long sought accountability in cases connected to the Epstein scandal. Andrew lost his royal title and patronages in previous years following controversies related to his association with Epstein.