United States: In a shocking incident that has rocked Palm Springs, California, the FBI has declared a recent car explosion an act of terrorism. 

Deadly Blast Rocks Palm Springs Clinic 

The blast occurred outside the American Reproductive Centers, a local fertility clinic, claiming one life and leaving four others injured. 

The explosion, which originated from a vehicle parked near the facility, tore through the area with devastating force. 

Emergency services quickly responded to the scene. Fortunately, no patients or clinic staff inside the building were harmed, although structural damage was reported. 

🚨 NEW: Preliminary OSINT Brief – Palm Springs Fertility Clinic Bombing (May 17, 2025)
This morning’s explosion at American Reproductive Centers marks the first major anti-IVF terror attack in U.S. history
Here’s what we know—and what we’re watching. 🧵
🔗 https://t.co/GZeSw0S4Gr

— Prime Rogue Inc (@PrimeRogueInc) May 17, 2025

FBI Labels It Terrorism 

According to federal investigators, the FBI is leading the probe alongside local authorities and has already identified a person of interest connected to the case. Officials are now working to determine whether this act of violence was domestic or internationally inspired, though no official group or motive has yet been confirmed. 

This incident raises immediate concerns about the security of medical facilities and public areas across the US, especially amid rising tensions both at home and abroad. 

The FBI has assured the public that it is deploying all necessary resources to fully investigate the matter and ensure there are no further threats. 

Local law enforcement has increased patrols around critical infrastructure and public health facilities while urging citizens to report any suspicious activity. 

As the investigation continues, authorities emphasize the importance of community vigilance and staying informed through official updates. 

We will continue to follow this developing story closely and provide updates as more information becomes available. 

United States: Hadi Matar, who attacked novelist Salman Rushdie last year, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison — the maximum for attempted murder. 

Matar received a conviction for second-degree attempted murder for the attack on Rushdie in 2022 while they were both at the Chautauqua Institution in New York. 

A man armed with a knife attacked Salman Rushdie as he was about to deliver a speech, inflicting injuries on the writer all over his body. 

Rushdie suffered severe damage to the eyes and nerves and is now partially blind because of the attack, npr.org reported. 

Rushdie wasn’t in the courtroom for Friday’s sentencing but wrote that he’s spent over 800 days in hospitals since the assault. 

Judge David Foley additionally ordered Matar to serve 7 years in prison on the charge of causing serious bodily injury to the event moderator. 

Rushdie’s novel The Satanic Verses created widespread outrage among many Muslims for its depiction of the Prophet Muhammad. 

Just before his passing in 1989, the Ayatollah Khomeini, the Supreme Leader of Iran, declared a legal judgment condemning Rushdie to death. 

Prosecutors from the Western District of New York argued that Matar was attempting to carry out the threat contained in the fatwa. 

Matar has affirmed that the fatwa didn’t inspire the attack but has explained to the New York Post that Rushdie had personally offended him by insulting Islam, npr.org reported. 

Matar told reporters that he had skimmed over just a few pages of The Satanic Verses. 

United States: After completing his trip to the Middle East, Trump admitted that the negotiation pace was insufficient to finalize agreements with all countries interested in a trade deal. 

Trump stated that countries have a limited amount of time to reach agreements with American authorities, after which Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary Howard Lutnick will inform other nations of the new tariffs they must impose. 

According to Trump, while speaking at a business roundtable in Abu Dhabi on Friday, “We have, at the same time, 150 countries that want to make a deal, but you’re not able to see that many countries,” CNN reported. 

“So at a certain point, over the next two to three weeks, I think Scott and Howard will be sending letters out, essentially telling people – we’ll be very fair – but we’ll be telling people what they’ll be paying to do business in the United States,” he added. 

Trump had announced on April 2 “Liberation Day,” and on April 9, he temporarily halted the imposition of reciprocal tariffs on many countries. 

The pause was to last for 90 days while countries work with the American government to craft new agreements. 

The administration now faces enormous pressure to speed up the negotiations to finalize new deals since some 100 countries have reportedly expressed interest in this. 

The president could slap reciprocal tariffs that could be as much as 50% without those accords in place. 

Since the proposed tariffs don’t apply in equal measures to all countries, and many nations import far more from the United States than they import from it, many governments would be adversely affected. 

President Trump had previously announced something similar, but the deadline set since then has already passed. 

During the previous month, Trump indicated that countries refusing to make new deals within a few weeks’ time frame would face tariff increases. 

“I guess you could say they could appeal it, but for the most part, I think we’re going to be very fair, but it’s not possible to meet the number of people that want to see us,” Trump added. 

On April 23, in the Oval Office, Trump stated that his administration would “set the tariff” for countries that fail to negotiate new terms in the following few weeks. 

“In the end, I think what’s going to happen is we’re going to have great deals, and by the way, if we don’t have a deal with a company or a country, we’re going to set the tariff,” as Trump stated last month. 

“I’d say over the next couple of weeks, wouldn’t you say? I think so, over the next two or three weeks. We’ll be setting the number,” Trump mentioned. 

Thus far, the US government has unveiled two new arrangements for international trade talks, leading to less tariff protection or reduced trade restrictions with other economies. 

The first of these outcomes included the United Kingdom agreeing to lower tariffs on items imported into the United States last month, while the second was the recent agreement with China on a Beijing-led global initiative to increase openness to foreign companies.