A health ministry worker showing vaccine doses for an immunisation campaign in Guatemala

FIFA on Tuesday boosted overall World Cup cash distributions to nearly $900 million following concerns over the spiraling costs for teams taking part in the tournament.

Football's global governing body said in a statement that money shared between the 48 teams taking part in the finals in Mexico, Canada and the United States would now total $871 million, up from an initial figure of $727 million announced in December.

The cash injection was announced following a meeting of FIFA's ruling council ahead of the body's Congress taking place in Vancouver on Thursday.

The hefty increase comes after several FIFA members reportedly argued that the high cost of travel, tax and overall operations could result in them losing money from taking part in the tournament.

FIFA has now moved to alleviate those concerns, hiking an award of $1.5 million for "preparation costs" to $2.5 million for each of the qualified teams.

A payment of $9 million for qualifying for the tournament has also been increased to $10 million.

Further contributions for team delegation costs and increased team ticketing allocations are also part of the overall increase.

"FIFA is proud to be in its most solid financial position ever, enabling us to help all our member associations in an unprecedented way," FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.

"This is one more example of how FIFA's resources are reinvested back into the game."

FIFA is projected to earn around $13 billion from the current four-year World Cup cycle, which concludes with this year's tournament, the largest World Cup in history.

FIFA's prize money for the 2026 tournament announced last year had already shattered the cash handed out at the 2022 World Cup, increasing by 50 percent.

The increase in cash payments comes with FIFA increasingly under fire for the high cost of tickets to the tournament, while some local authorities in the United States have dramatically raised transport costs during the event.

- Mouth-covering crackdown -

FIFA, meanwhile, also confirmed law changes which will be rolled out at the World Cup, which kicks off in Mexico City on June 11.

From now on, players who cover their mouths during confrontations with opponents will face a red card as part of a new initiative aimed at combating racism.

In a statement following a meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in Vancouver on Tuesday, FIFA confirmed that the rule was one of two law changes that would be introduced at the World Cup.

"At the discretion of the competition organiser, any player covering their mouth in a confrontational situation with an opponent may be sanctioned with a red card," FIFA said.

The new rule follows controversy earlier this year when Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni was accused of racially abusing Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior during a Champions League game in February.

Prestianni was accused of calling Vinicius a "monkey" repeatedly while covering his mouth. Prestianni denied racially abusing Vinicius but was later banned for six matches -- with three of those suspended -- for "homophobic conduct".

In a separate law change announced on Tuesday to be enforced at the World Cup, FIFA said that red cards would also be introduced for players leaving the field of play in protest at a referee's decision.

FIFA also said a team causing a game to be abandoned will forfeit the match.

The move follows the uproar at this year's final of the Africa Cup of Nations, when Senegal's players, head coach Pape Thiaw and his staff walked off the pitch in Rabat after Morocco were awarded a penalty in added time, which forward Brahim Diaz ultimately missed.

Senegal went on to win the final 1-0 in extra time, but were sensationally stripped of the title by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in a bombshell decision issued last month.

FIFA has also approved a change to the way sanctions are enforced during the World Cup.

From this year's tournament, single yellow cards issued to players in the group stage will be cancelled after the first round, and then again after the quarter-finals.

The move is aimed at ensuring that star players do not find themselves suspended for crucial games in the tournament after collecting two separate yellow cards.

rcw/js

FIFA on Tuesday announced a sharp increase in overall financial distributions for this year's World Cup, boosting cash payments to nearly $900 million following concerns over the spiraling costs for teams taking part in the tournament.

FIFA said in a statement that money shared from the tournament –- being staged in Mexico, Canada and the United States –- would now total $871 million, up from an initial figure of $727 million announced in December.

Tuesday's announcement followed a meeting of FIFA's ruling council ahead of the body's Congress in Vancouver taking place on Thursday.

The hefty increase comes after several FIFA members reportedly raised concerns that the high cost of travel, tax and overall operations could result in them losing money from taking part in the tournament.

FIFA has now moved to alleviate those concerns, increasing an award of $1.5 million for preparation costs to $2.5 million for each of the 48 qualified teams.

A payment of $9 million for qualifying for the tournament has also been increased to $10 million.

Further contributions for team delegation costs and increased team ticketing allocations are also part of the overall increase.

"FIFA is proud to be in its most solid financial position ever, enabling us to help all our member associations in an unprecedented way," FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.

"This is one more example of how FIFA's resources are reinvested back into the game."

FIFA is projected to earn around $13 billion from the current four-year World Cup cycle, which concludes with this year's tournament, the largest World Cup in history.

FIFA's prize money for the 2026 tournament announced last year had already shattered the cash handed out at the 2022 World Cup, increasing by 50 percent.

According to figures announced last year, the winning team of the World Cup will receive $50 million, with the runners-up $33 million.

The third-placed team will receive $29 million and fourth-placed side $27 million.

rcw/js

© Agence France-Presse

LIV Golf postponed its planned June tournament in New Orleans on Tuesday, with officials saying they hope to reschedule an event for later this year.

LIV Golf Louisiana had been scheduled for June 25-28 at Bayou Oaks in City Park, which had received $2 million in state-funded upgrades to host the event.

"In coordination with the Governor of Louisiana and Louisiana Economic Development, we have made the strategic decision to explore moving LIV Golf Louisiana to a new window later this fall," LIV Golf Louisiana said in a statement.

"This shift allows us to avoid the peak summer heat and the crowded global sports calendar while ensuring the course is in the championship condition our fans and players expect."

The United States will co-host the FIFA World Cup with Mexico and Canada in June and July.

"We're grateful for the continued partnership and flexibility of the state of Louisiana as we work together to deliver a world-class debut this fall," the statement said. "We look forward to sharing finalized dates in the near future."

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said the state had paid $1.2 million to LIV as part of its hosting contract, with the Saudi-backed series expected to return state incentive funding.

"We appreciate LIV's good-faith efforts and look forward to maintaining our partnership as we continue conversations around an event later this year," he said.

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) has announced plans to change its investments, with LIV's future funding uncertain and new investors being sought.

LIV's next tournament, and the only event in the United States until August, is set for May 7-10 at Trump National in suburban Washington.

js/rcw

(The Center Square) – Former FBI Director James Comey could face up to 20 years in prison following an indictment on two felony counts, with the Department of Justice accusing him of making threats against President Donald Trump.

The former leading law enforcement officer was indicted in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina Eastern Division, accused of “knowingly and willfully” making a “threat to take the life of, and to inflict bodily harm upon, the President of the United States.”

The case stems from a May 2025 photo Comey posted on social media depicting seashells spelling out “86 47.” The number “86” is often interpreted as slang for getting rid of something, while “47” refers to Trump, the 47th president of the United States.

Though the charging documents claim “a reasonable recipient who is familiar with the circumstances would interpret as a serious expression of an intent to do harm to the President of the United States.”

The second felony count claims Comey “knowingly and willfully did transmit in interstate and foreign commerce a communication that contained a threat to kill the President, Donald J. Trump,” by posting the image on the social media site, Instagram.

If convicted, the former FBI director could face a maximum sentence of 10 years for each charge.

During a news conference Tuesday afternoon at the U.S. Department of Justice, FBI Director Kash Patel reiterated the charges against the former director.

“James Comey allegedly threatened the life of the President of the United States. And as you all now know, shortly after posting that threat, he deleted that threat and then issued an apology. All of that information was presented to the grand jury, and Mr. Comey will have his day in court, and his ability to speak to a jury of his peers,” Patel told reporters.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche appeared to use Comey as an example of how the law enforcement community and the Justice Department are committed to prosecuting individuals accused of threatening the president.

“Threatening the life of the President of the United States will never be tolerated by the Department of Justice … While this case is unique, this indictment stands out because of the name of the defendant. His alleged conduct is the same kind of conduct that we will never tolerate and that we will always investigate and regularly prosecute,” Blanche told reporters.

In addition to the indictment, Blanche confirmed that a grand jury not only returned the indictment but also an arrest warrant against Comey.

The indictment comes one day after the suspected gunman in Saturday night’s shooting and assassination attempt against Trump during the annual White House Correspondence Dinner in Washington, D.C. was arraigned. The incident marks the third assassination attempt on the president since 2024.

Facebook has been overrun with low-effort AI fakes inventing biographical details and celebrity connections for the man charged with trying to assassinate Donald Trump at a Washington press gala Saturday.

Trump and senior administration officials were evacuated from the White House Correspondents' Association dinner as sounds of gunfire rang from a floor above the ballroom, where the suspect had attempted to sprint past security.

Within hours of authorities identifying the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of California, AI-generated images depicting him beside numerous celebrities pinballed across Facebook in posts saying he was their "former driver," "assistant" or "production crew member."

An AFP investigation found more than 50 public figures falsely associated with Allen, from actors Tom Hanks and Sydney Sweeney to musicians Chris Brown and Taylor Swift.

Politicians including former US president Barack Obama and Canada's Pierre Poilievre were also falsely implicated, as well as Pope Leo XIV and NBC News anchor Savannah Guthrie.

Meta did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment.

The fakes reflect an online ecosystem saturated with content known as "AI slop." Once largely focused on celebrities, generative content has quickly scaled to portray individuals like Allen, whose online presence was limited.

"Two years ago, you probably wouldn't have been able to make those images of him, because we could only really make compelling fakes of celebrities who had a large digital footprint from which the AI systems had been trained," said the University of California, Berkeley's Hany Farid, who is also chief science officer at GetReal Security. "Now, all I need is a single image of you."

Aaron Parnas, an independent journalist whose likeness appeared in AI-enabled posts claiming Allen worked for him, pleaded on Facebook for people to report the "completely fake" images.

"This is extremely dangerous," Parnas told his followers.

- 'Designed for virality' -

A separate rush of posts falsely claimed Allen had been on staff for over 40 different professional and collegiate sports teams, with AI-generated visuals dressing him in gear for teams across the NFL, NHL, NBA, WNBA and NASCAR.

Many of the renderings appear based on the picture from a tutoring company's post recognizing Allen as "teacher of the month" in December 2024.

The template-driven format resembles the output of content mills that mass-produce made-up clickbait stories, said digital literacy expert Mike Caulfield.

"This looks a lot like the same content farm behavior, just with AI," Caulfield told AFP.

Recent improvements in AI technologies have made visual fakes easier to create and more convincing, with once-telltale mishaps such as six-fingered hands increasingly less common.

"AI makes it trivially easy to take existing photos and change their clothes, environment, or to swap out someone else's face," said Jen Golbeck, a professor at the University of Maryland’s College of Information. "As soon as someone gets an idea, they can make it a visual reality."

"Five years ago, it would not have been unusual to see people manually photoshopping pictures like the ones we are seeing, but it would never have been at this volume."

Researchers expressed fears about the quantity wearing on social media users, who could tire of determining what is real.

AFP documented similar bursts of fakes after other major events, including the US capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in January and Charlie Kirk's assassination last year.

"These things are being designed for virality, and then of course the algorithms pick up on them," said Farid, from GetReal Security. "It's super profitable."

"Every time there's a world event, we are just flooded with this kind of nonsense. I don't think that's going away."

bmc/mgs/pnb

The US envoy in Ukraine named less than a year ago is stepping down, the State Department said Tuesday, as President Donald Trump pressures Kyiv to reach an elusive deal with Russia.

The Financial Times, quoting unnamed sources, said Julia Davis had grown frustrated with Trump over his lack of support for Ukraine, but the State Department denied clashes and said she was retiring.

"It is false to suggest Ambassador Davis is resigning 'over differences with Donald Trump,'" State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said.

"She will continue to proudly advance President Trump's policies until she officially departs Kyiv in June 2026 and retires from the Department," he said.

Davis, the top US embassy official as the charge d'affaires but not a Senate-confirmed ambassador, was named by the Trump administration last May after her predecessor, fellow career diplomat Bridget Brink, stepped down.

Brink, who had been appointed by president Joe Biden and is now running as a Democrat for Congress, said later that she had grown alarmed by Trump's "appeasement" of Russia and how he "put pressure on the victim, Ukraine."

Trump had vowed quickly to end the Ukraine war, which began with Russia's invasion in February 2022, but has failed to secure a deal.

The month after returning to the White House, Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a televised meeting, accusing him of ingratitude.

Trump more recently has again publicly pressured Zelensky, saying he should cede territory to Russia to secure an agreement.

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(The Center Square) – Nine years after suing, a flight attendant won her case against Southwest Airlines and the Transport Workers Union after she was fired for opposing union dues being used to support pro-abortion activities. She also won $1 million in damages in a lawsuit filed by the National Right to Work Foundation. 

The case involves a unanimous jury ruling, a federal judge chastising and sanctioning the airline after it wouldn’t comply with his order, and an appeal to the Fifth Circuit. 

Dallas resident Charlene Carter successfully won her case in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas in July 2022 after suing the airline and TWU Local 556 in 2017. But the case didn’t end there.

Carter sued Southwest Airlines alleging it discriminated against her religious beliefs, violating Title VII of the Civil Right Act of 1964 and TWU Local 556 violated the Railway Labor Act. The jury unanimously agreed, The Center Square reported. She also filed a complaint with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission alleging employment discrimination in 2017 after she was fired for opposing union dues being used to support pro-abortion activities. 

Carter, a pro-life Christian who’d been a member of TWU Local 556 since 1996, resigned her membership in 2013 but was still forced to pay union fees as a condition of employment. Although Texas is a right to work state, state right to work laws don’t protect airline and railroad employees from paying forced union fees because they’re governed by the Railway Labor Act. The law allows union officials to have workers fired for refusing to pay union dues or fees.

The case also brought to light how Carter was treated by union representatives in emails obtained by The Center Square. A TWU member referred to her as a “cancerous tumor” that needed to be “eradicated when ever [sic] possible or it spreads,” said she was “incredibly dangerous” and that he was “all about targeted assassinations.” 

TWU didn’t respond to a request for comment when asked if it supported what appears to be an incitement to violence against or targeted harassment of employees.

After Southwest lost in court, it issued a notice to flight attendants stating it “does not discriminate” against employees for their religious beliefs, even after a jury unanimously found that it did. It also sent another communication stating employees should not engage in workplace speech similar to Carter’s, prompting Carter to file a motion with the court requesting it to sanction Southwest. 

In response, U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr sanctioned the airline and issued a blistering rebuke of its officials and attorneys, The Center Square reported.

After the unanimous jury verdict, the district court ordered Southwest and TWU to give Carter the maximum amount of compensatory and punitive damages permitted under federal law and reinstate her as a flight attendant. She was rehired but did not receive compensatory damages until after a Fifth Circuit ruling. 

The airlines and TWU had appealed to the Fifth Circuit and lost. The appellate court affirmed the lower court’s finding that Southwest and TWU discriminated against Carter based on her religious beliefs.

Now, a Satisfaction of Judgment filed with the district court indicates that Carter was paid damages totaling $946,102.87, far less than the $5 million initially awarded to her by the jury. The NRWF told The Center Square that the jury awarding her more than $5 million illustrated “just how bad the jury found Southwest and TWU’s discrimination against her to be.”

“Being a flight attendant is my livelihood and my passion, and union officials tried to manipulate company policy to upend my career simply because I spoke out about my most sincerely held beliefs,” Carter said in a statement. “This case has been a long, hard fight, but I’ll never stop sticking up for what I know is right, and I hope that both my employer and TWU union bosses have learned that it doesn’t pay to stifle flight attendants’ freedom of religion and speech.”

The case is ongoing because the court asked for briefs on the contempt order it issued against Southwest in 2023.  

“Ms. Carter was courageous in standing up to protect her religious and personal beliefs from the schemes of radical union officials and a compliant employer. While she is finally receiving compensation for her struggle, no one should forget that federal law still forces workers to accept union ‘representation’ they oppose and, adding insult to injury, forces workers to pay unwanted unions,” NRWF President Mark Mix said. 

He also notes that Carter is still being forced to pay union dues 13 years after she withdrew her membership. The NRWF told The Center Square she is paying a reduced amount that excludes dues for politics since she opted out of union membership.

“It is outrageous that, even though the court confirmed that the TWU union and Southwest violated Carter’s legal rights, Carter to this day is still forced to subsidize TWU union bosses or else be fired by Southwest. We hope Carter’s case will prompt a long-overdue conversation about how coercive union boss power infringes on the rights of millions of hardworking Americans,” Mix said. 

Once again, Mizzou had a handful of former players hear their names called in the NFL Draft.

Last week, six former Tigers were selected, tying a program record in the seven-round era (since 1994). Mizzou also had six selections in 2009 and 2024.

Several more either signed as undrafted free agents or were invited to rookie minicamps, which are essentially multi-day tryouts where players try to eventually sign as undrafted free agents.

Defensive backs Dreyden Norwood, Stephen Hall and Daylan Carnell signed UDFA contracts with the Los Angeles Rams, Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers, respectively. Center Connor Tollison and defensive tackle Sterling Webb received minicamp invites from the San Francisco 49ers and Buffalo Bills, respectively, while linebacker Triston Newson was invited to minicamps with the Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons.

There are some lessons to be learned from the Tigers who are now in the pros, mostly in regard to how they got to Mizzou in the first place. Here's what this year's draft said about MU and the state of college football at large: 

Mizzou remains elite at producing NFL talent

Mizzou has experienced a ton of success on the gridiron in recent years. Since 2023, MU’s 29 wins are tied for the ninth-most among Power 4 schools and the fifth-most among SEC teams.

But the Tigers are also succeeding at developing NFL talent. This year, Mizzou tied with Michigan, Notre Dame and Texas for the sixth-most draft picks among FBS teams, and since 2024, MU is tied for the sixth-most draft picks among SEC teams while ranking No. 13 nationally in the category.

A new age of college sports impacts the draft

In the past few years, sweeping changes have reshaped college athletics. This year’s NFL Draft was hit the hardest by the ripple effects of these changes.

The elimination of transfer portal restrictions made switching schools much easier for athletes, and Mizzou has been one of many benefactors, as each of its six draft picks arrived at MU via the transfer portal. Edge rusher Zion Young started at Michigan State, and linebacker Josiah Trotter started at West Virginia. Defensive tackle Chris McClellan came from Florida, while offensive lineman Keagen Trost spent time at Morgan State, Indiana State and Wake Forest.

Receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. spent one season apiece at Jackson State, Louisville and Mississippi State, and cornerback Toriano Pride Jr. started at Clemson.

Plus, four of MU’s six players who either signed a UDFA contract or received a minicamp invite came to Mizzou from other schools. That would be Norwood (Texas A&M), Hall (Washington State), Newson (Northeast Mississippi CC) and Webb (New Mexico State).

This represents a wider, more national trend in college football. Per ESPN’s Max Olson, a record 48% of this year’s NFL Draft picks transferred at least once during their college career, a massive jump from last year’s mark of 31.9%.

Tangentially, the San Francisco 49ers made eight picks in this year’s draft. All but one transferred in college.

Along with the transfer portal, more power has gone to bigger programs because of Name, Image and Likeness as well as revenue sharing, both of which allow NCAA athletes to make money in college. Professional-level talent is being usurped by the sport’s top conferences, whose programs have the most money to spend.

Out of this year’s 257 draft picks, 239 were from Power 4 schools. That’s about 93% of picks coming from just 49% of FBS teams — that ratio is way higher compared to years past. Never have so many top prospects come from such a small percentage of schools.

Going forward, these trends will likely continue. Mizzou could have two more first-round picks next season in running back Ahmad Hardy, who finished second in total rushing yards among FBS running backs this past season, and left tackle Cayden Green, who projects as one of the top offensive tackles in college football this fall.

Both players began their college careers elsewhere, with Hardy playing one season at Louisiana Monroe and Green playing one season at Oklahoma.

The Tigers also have draft-eligible players for 2027 who are expected to lead a strong defense this fall. Some of those players include edge rusher Darris Smith, linebacker Robert Woodyard Jr. and a pair of defensive backs in Chris Graves Jr. and Santana Banner. They all transferred to Mizzou from another school, with Graves Jr. having played at two schools (Miami and Ole Miss) before arriving at Mizzou. 

On a national level, next year’s draft could feature plenty of transfers once again. Oregon quarterback Dante Moore transferred from UCLA after the 2023 season. Mizzou fans might recognize edge rusher Damon Wilson II, who transferred to Miami in January after stints with Georgia and MU. He could be a first or second-round pick as well. 

There’s also a solid chance that most prospects (especially at the top of the draft) are from a Power 4 school. Out of Pro Football Focus’ Top 100 prospects for the 2027 NFL Draft, only 10 aren’t from a Power 4 school. That list will likely look different come next April, but the chances of them featuring a wealth of Group of 5 and FCS talent are slim.

Finally, even more ripple effects could impact the NFL Draft going forward. On Monday, the NCAA moved forward with a concept that would give student-athletes up to five seasons of eligibility “beginning the regular academic year after they turn 19 or graduate from high school, whichever happens earlier”.

Should student-athletes receive an extra season of eligibility, future NFL Draft pools might feature more older prospects because they could make more money in college than they would early in their NFL career.

Several Tigers are set to be instant contributors

Almost every former Mizzou player was drafted by a team that could give them playing time early.

Young seems like a nearly ideal fit with the Ravens. Baltimore’s 30 sacks in 2025 were their fewest in a season since 2010, and while that was partially due to losing Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike to a neck injury early in the season, the Ravens need more production out of their defensive line.

The Ravens initially traded for former Las Vegas Raiders star edge rusher Maxx Crosby in March, but it was scuttled after Crosby failed a physical. Soon after, Baltimore signed former Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson to a four-year, $112 million deal with $60 million guaranteed. Despite missing the latter chunk of this past season with a hip/pelvis injury, Hendrickson has 39 sacks since 2023, third-most in the NFL.

Baltimore’s initial intention was to acquire both Crosby and Hendrickson. Young, who had a Top 30 visit with the Ravens, should play immediately.

In Tampa Bay, longtime starting linebacker Lavonte David announced his retirement in March after 14 seasons with the Buccaneers. The team signed former Detroit Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone in free agency, but they could use more depth at that position. Mike Biehl, Tampa Bay’s Vice President of Player Personnel, said in a press conference that he believes Trotter is capable of becoming a three-down linebacker.

In Green Bay, McClellan could help remedy what was a major problem area for the Packers last season along their interior defensive line. That position group was already thinned after the team sent Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark to the Dallas Cowboys as part of a trade for star linebacker Micah Parsons in August.

But Green Bay’s defensive-tackle depth was further depleted when starter Devonte Wyatt suffered a season-ending ankle injury on Nov. 27. The Packers allowed 388 yards per game in their final six contests following Wyatt’s injury. For context, the Washington Commanders allowed a league-worst 384 yards per game over the whole season.

Trost may not play right away in Los Angeles, but uncertainty is swirling around the Rams' offensive line, as numerous starters are set to enter free agency next offseason.

Whether Trost remains at right tackle remains to be seen. He said at the Combine that teams liked his positional versatility, even though he took almost all of his college snaps at right tackle, including this past season at Mizzou.

In Miami, Coleman Jr. went to an extremely favorable situation compared to most fifth-round picks.

“I ran out of room adding needs to my list,” ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said of the Dolphins in a post-draft article. “This roster needed everything. Everything.”

Wide receiver was an especially prevalent need after Miami released star wideout Tyreek Hill in February and traded fellow star wideout Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos in March. The Dolphins responded accordingly in the draft, as they were one of just two teams to use three picks on wide receivers, along with the New Orleans Saints.

Pride Jr. likely won’t play much immediately in Buffalo, but the Bills clearly wanted to beef up their defense in the draft. They used six draft picks on that side of the ball, their second-most in the seven-round era.

(The Center Square) - Federal prosecutors plan to dig into past comments made by the man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner on Saturday and possibly add additional charges. 

Cole Tomas Allen, a resident of Torrance, California, will face a detention hearing in the District of Columbia federal court on Thursday. Federal prosecutors are continuing to gather their evidence ahead of a formal hearing set for May 11. 

Allen was charged with attempted assassination of a sitting U.S. president, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, and interstate transmission of a firearm. Allen faces a maximum of life in prison if convicted. 

Prosecutors allege Allen fired at least one round from a 12-gauge shotgun on Saturday. One Secret Service officer was shot in his bulletproof vest but Allen was not charged with assaulting a peace officer. 

"This heroic officer who was hit fired five times at Allen, who was not shot but fell to the ground and was promptly arrested," acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Monday.

Blanche said the U.S. Department of Justice is still investigating ballistics at the scene of the incident. 

"We want to get that right so we're still looking at that," Blanche said. "As far as getting into exacting ballistics, I'm not going to do that today because it's still being looked at and finalized."

Jeanine Pirro, U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, said on Monday additional charges would come against Allen beyond the three charges initally levied against him. 

"There will be additional charges as this investigation continues to unfold," Pirro said.

Investigatiors are also digging into past statements made by multiple social media accounts associated with Allen. The posts contained anti-Trump rhetoric. 

"Put a traitor BACK in office, get treason like, I don’t understand why people are surprised by the US ripping itself apart,” an account believed to be associated with Allen wrote in a message last month. “I’m pretty sure that’s the expected outcome of having a traitor at the helm.”

According to the indictment filed against him, Allen referred to himself as "coldForce" in a manifesto emailed to family members before the attack. The various accounts prosecutors are digging into are labeled from a source who identifies as "coldForce." 

Cairo's famed nocturnal rhythm flickered back to life on Tuesday after Egypt eased energy-saving measures spurred by the Middle East war that had forced shops, cafes and restaurants to close early, dimming a city long defined by its late-night buzz.

Soaring energy prices, driven by the US-Israel conflict with Iran, had prompted month-long restrictions to curb electricity use, compressing social and commercial life in the Middle East's largest city into unfamiliar early hours.

Initial shutdowns at 9 pm, later extended to 11 pm, left streets unusually quiet and fuelled frustration among traders and customers alike.

On Sunday, the government announced the measures would be lifted, allowing cafes and restaurants to stay open until 1 am. Shops and malls can now operate until 11 pm, and until midnight on weekends.

By Tuesday night, the change was already visible in Heliopolis, a historic eastern Cairo neighbourhood known for its wide boulevards, early 20th-century architecture and cafe culture. 

At 10 pm, when chairs would normally have been stacked away, tables were instead full. Arcaded buildings glowed as friends gathered over shisha, families strolled with children and couples lingered over coffee.

Residents say the change has been about more than business hours. 

"People were depressed," said Ahmed Megahed, an 82-year-old retiree. 

"With rising prices and daily pressures, staying at home every night made things worse. Now people can go out, breathe fresh air and feel normal again," he told AFP.

For Osama El-Sayed, a 56-year-old government employee, the return of late nights has restored a sense of belonging. 

"I was feeling out of place. Now I finally feel like I fit again," he told AFP with a smile from a roadside cafe in downtown Cairo, a day before the easing took effect.

- Disaster 'for everyone' -

Shopowner Wafaa Ahmed, 58, said the whole city felt the pain of the early closures. 

"It was a disaster before, not just for us shopowners, but for everyone," she said.

A millennium old and home to over 20 million people, Cairo is known for nights that come alive with traffic, noise and light from its roaring main roads, heaving markets and party boats that glow along the Nile river.

During the curbs, which began in late March, shops shuttered early, restaurants cleared their tables and cafes ushered customers out.

With street lights off, residents walked home through shadowy neighbourhoods while cinemas that usually buzz with late screenings stayed dark.

Some stretched out their final cups of tea or took a last pull on their shisha pipes as police patrols enforced the closures, with fines of up to 50,000 Egyptian pounds ($946) and repeat violations risking prison.

Egypt, which relies heavily on imported fuel, has been hit hard by the Iran war. 

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said the monthly energy import bill more than doubled early this year to $2.5 billion.

The pound has shed about 15 percent of its value, while inflation rose above 13 percent in March. 

Madbouly has urged incentives to accelerate a shift to solar power, as the government aired TV campaigns calling on consumers to cut electricity use.

But for Ahmed, the relaxed measures came just in time for her and her business. 

"It is the right decision, especially with the summer season coming," she said, adding that the restrictions had slashed her revenues by 80 percent. 

"No one shops in the morning in summer. Now customers have time."

maf/jfx