North Korea says its latest weapons tests included missiles with cluster-bomb warheads

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Thursday its testing spree this week involved various new weapons systems, including ballistic missiles armed with cluster-bomb warheads, as it pushes to expand nuclear-capable forces aimed at rival South Korea.

South Korea Koreas Tensions

The report by North Korean state media came a day after South Korea’s military said it detected North Koreafiring multiple missilesfrom an eastern coastal area in its second round of launches in two days.

North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said the tests lasted three days starting Monday and also included demonstrations of anti-aircraft weapons, purported electromagnetic weapons systems and carbon-fiber bombs.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles launched Wednesday flew 240 to 700 kilometers (150 to 434 miles) before falling into the sea, and that it also detected at least one projectile launched Tuesday from an area near the North Korean capital of Pyongyang.

Japan’s Defense Ministry said none of the weapons fired Wednesday entered waters within its exclusive economic zone, while the U.S. military said the North Korean launches on Tuesday and Wednesday posed no immediate threat to the United States or its allies.

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KCNA said the latest tests included demonstrations of cluster-munition warhead systems mounted on the nuclear-capable Hwasong-11 ballistic missiles, which resemble Russia’s Iskander missiles in their design for low-altitude, maneuverable flight to evade missile defense systems. The report said the launches confirmed that the short-range missile, when armed with such warheads, “can reduce to ashes any target covering an area of 6.5-7 hectares (16 to 17.2 acres) with the highest-density power.”

Jang Do-young, a spokesperson for South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a briefing that the military was analyzing the launches while sharing information with U.S. and Japanese counterparts, but declined to provide specific assessments about the North’s claims of progress in its military capabilities.

The launches underscored continuing tensions between the Koreas, blunting South Korean hopes for warmer relations.

In a statement Tuesday night, Jang Kum Chol, a first vice minister at Pyongyang’s Foreign Ministry, said South Korea would always remain the North’s “most hostile enemy state” and mocked Seoul’s liberal government for seeking to reviverestore long-stalled dialogue, calling its officials “world-startling fools.”

North Korean leaderKim Jong Unhas suspended virtually all diplomacy with Seoul and Washington since the collapse of his nuclear talks with President Donald Trump in 2019, and has since accelerated the development of nuclear-capable missiles that threaten U.S. allies in Asia as well as the U.S. mainland.

Kim has also pursued closer ties with Russia, China and other countries embroiled in confrontations with the United States as he looks to break out of isolation and strengthen his regional footing. North Korean state media says Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will arrive in the country on Thursday for a two-day trip in the latest round of diplomacy between the countries.

byCosmopolite

in

April 11, 2026

North Korea says its latest weapons tests included missiles with cluster-bomb warheads

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Thursday its testing spree this week involved various new weapons systems, including ballist...

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Mauricio lifts Mets over Diamondbacks 4-3 in 10 innings with pinch-hit single in return to majors

NEW YORK (AP) — Pinch-hitter Ronny Mauricio returned to the majors by lining a game-winning single in the 10th inning that gave the New York Mets a 4-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday.

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New York (7-4) won its fourth straight game and improved to 2-2 in extra innings this season.

Mauricio, recalled Monday from Triple-A Syracuse whenslugger Juan Soto was placed on the injured list,laced an 0-2 pitch from Paul Sewald (0-2) over the head of right fielder Corbin Carroll to drive in automatic runner Francisco Lindor from third base with one out.

Mauricio threw off his helmet and ran into center field before being caught by teammates, who swarmed him and doused him with water on a windy day at Citi Field.

It was the first big league plate appearance this year for Mauricio, sent to the minors late in spring training. Once a highly rated prospect, he made his major league debut in September 2023 and spent significant chunks of last season stuck on New York's bench after returning from a knee injury that sidelined him for all of 2024.

Luke Weaver (1-0) pitched a perfect 10th for the Mets, who played their third consecutive extra-inning game at home. New York beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-2 in 11 innings on March 28 and lost 4-3 in 10 innings the next day.

Pinch-hitter Jared Young tied it 3-all for the Mets with a sacrifice fly in the eighth. Brett Baty had a sac fly in the first, and Francisco Alvarez scored an inning later on Carroll’s throwing error following Lindor’s double.

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Adrian Del Castillo’s tying, two-run single one pitch after his ABS challenge overturned an inning-ending strikeout highlighted a three-run fifth for the Diamondbacks. Nolan Arenado followed with an RBI double.

Arenado went 2 for 5 in his first multihit game for Arizona, which acquired him from the St. Louis Cardinals in January.

Mets starter Freddy Peralta gave up three runs in 4 2/3 innings. Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen allowed two runs (one earned) in five innings.

The game began at 4:10 p.m., three hours earlier than originally scheduled due to a cold forecast. The temperature at first pitch was 50 degrees.

Up next

Diamondbacks RHP Ryne Nelson (0-1, 5.79 ERA) opposes LHP David Peterson (0-1, 4.66) in the middle game of the series Wednesday.

AP MLB:https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

byCosmopolite

in

April 11, 2026

Mauricio lifts Mets over Diamondbacks 4-3 in 10 innings with pinch-hit single in return to majors

NEW YORK (AP) — Pinch-hitter Ronny Mauricio returned to the majors by lining a game-winning single in the 10th inning that gave the New...

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Girl, 15, Dies Allegedly from Allergic Reaction to Dairy Proteins After Dinner with Her Basketball Team: ‘I Can’t Breathe’

Sofia Di Vico, a 15-year-old girl, died allegedly due to an allergic reaction to dairy during a trip with her basketball team

NEED TO KNOW

• The teen went out to dinner with her teammates and reportedly experienced trouble breathing later that evening

• Despite medical intervention, Di Vico did not survive

A teenage girl died allegedly due to an allergic reaction to dairy during a trip with her basketball team.

Sofia Di Vico, 15, of Maddaloni, a town in southern Italy, was with her team for a tournament near Rome on April 2 when the tragedy occurred, according to local outletsLa SiciliaandIl Messaggero.

Sofia, who had an allergy to dairy proteins, had gone out to dinner with teammates, per the outlets. The teens then returned to a campsite where they were staying for the night.

Help was called at about 10:40 p.m. local when Sofia appeared in medical distress, saying, “I can’t breathe”, perLa Sicilia.

Sofia hadbrought medicationwith her, which did not help the situation, according toLa SiciliaandIl Messaggero.She was taken by ambulance to Grassi Hospital in Rome, where she died.

An autopsy will be performed at Policlinico Tor Vergata, a hospital in Rome, and an investigation is underway to determine the circumstances surrounding the tragedy, specifically regarding whether the restaurant in which the teens ate dinner had been made aware of Sofia's allergy and if there was contamination in the food preparation process, perLa Sicilia.

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Grassi Hospital, Policlinico Tor Vergata and the local prosecutor’s office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.

FIP Campania, the regional governing body for basketball in southern Italy, announced that it had suspended the weekend’s games due to the tragedy in a message shared toFacebookon April 3.

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“FIP Campania expresses its deepest condolences for the tragic passing of Sofia Di Vico, a young player for Uniobasket Maddaloni, who was preparing to compete with her team in the ‘Mare di Roma Trophy’ tournament,” they wrote in their translated statement.

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“A devastating tragedy — a pain too great and difficult to accept — that affects the entire basketball community in Campania,” they continued. “The pain of her family, her teammates and her club is a pain shared by all of us.”

Andrea De Filippo, the mayor of Maddaloni, also addressed the “terrible news” in a translated message shared onFacebookon April 3, noting that the loss felt especially close to home as he has a personal connection to Sofia’s family.

“I learned with deep emotion and disbelief of thetragic passingof young Sofia — an event as sudden as it is inexplicable, which leaves immense sorrow and affects the entire city,” he said.

“It is a loss I feel particularly deeply as well, given the feelings of esteem and affection that have long tied me to her family. It is a day of profound sadness for all of us,” De Filippo added.

“To her parents, Fabio and Antonella, and to all her loved ones, I extend my heartfelt condolences and my sincerest sympathy, on behalf of myself and the entire community,” he continued.

“Our sweetest thoughts and prayers go to little Sofia,” De Filippo concluded in his message.

Read the original article onPeople

byCosmopolite

in

April 11, 2026

Girl, 15, Dies Allegedly from Allergic Reaction to Dairy Proteins After Dinner with Her Basketball Team: ‘I Can’t Breathe’

Sofia Di Vico, a 15-year-old girl, died allegedly due to an allergic reaction to dairy during a trip with her basketball team NEE...

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Jim Whittaker, first American to climb Everest, dies at 97

SEATTLE (AP) — Jim Whittaker, who in 1963 became the first American to reach the top of Mount Everest, has died. He was 97.

Obit Jim Whittaker

Whittaker's 1963 ascent to the summit of Mount Everest came 10 years after Sir Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay first scaled the peak.

Whittaker died Tuesday at his home in Port Townsend, Washington. according to a statement from his family.

His Mount Everest feat made the once-shy, rangy climber an instant celebrity, in demand for public appearances and expected to lend his support to good causes.

And it gained him entree into the world of celebrities, including the inner circles of the Kennedy clan. He became a close friend of Robert Kennedy, with whom he climbed a 14,000-foot (4,267 meters) Canadian peak named Mount Kennedy after the 1968 presidential contender's assassination.

Whittaker, who had been state chairman for Kennedy's campaign, was devastated by his death.

Bobby Kennedy was "one of the grittiest little guys you've ever seen," the 6-foot-5 Whittaker once remarked. "It's not how big you are but how tight you are wound that counts."

Whittaker's career on the mountain slopes began when he took on the Washington’s Olympic Mountains as a Boy Scout, and he once reflected that the beauty and danger of his sport sharpened the senses.

"You're in nature, participating in God's creation ... it's such a high, such a spiritual thing," Whittaker said in a 1981 interview.

"I think it's good to participate in that and to face life,” he added. “When you live on the edge, you can see a little farther."

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The risks are part of the game.

"The mountains are fair, but they really don't care," Whitaker noted in 1987.

His achievements on the remote, snowy slopes of Mount Everest and nearby K2, the world's second-tallest peak, assured him a niche in the record books. He shared world-class climber status with his identical twin, Lou, who led the first American expedition to scale Mount Everest's north face.

Lou Whittaker diedin 2024 at age 95.

But Jim Whittaker himself said one of his proudest moments came in 1981, when he led 10 handicapped climbers up 14,410-foot Mount Rainier. For them, he said later, "that was Mount Everest."

Whittaker scaled Mount Rainier more than 100 times but did not take its familiar flanks for granted. The caprices of the weather, even on a comparatively modest mountain, "can turn a good climber into a beginner" in a matter of hours, he once noted.

And after years of risk on the world's most dizzying pinnacles, Whittaker said in a 1980 interview that he hoped to "die in my sleep with the television on."

In recent years, Whittaker was one of many climbers who resisted the idea of requiring climbers to wear electronic locators in some circumstances. Such a proposal was made for climbers on Oregon's Mount Hood, where more than 35 climbers had died since the early 1980s.

Whittaker told The Associated Press in 2007 that it was fine for individual climbers to wear the devices, but imposing the requirement would take a lot away from the mystique of climbing.

"If you take all of the risk out of life, you lose a lot. You're removing a personal liberty from somebody who wants to go and explore without having a safety net," Whittaker said by cellphone from Idaho, where he was on a climbing trip. "You want to go into the wild and enjoy nature and not be followed."

byCosmopolite

in

April 11, 2026

Jim Whittaker, first American to climb Everest, dies at 97

SEATTLE (AP) — Jim Whittaker, who in 1963 became the first American to reach the top of Mount Everest, has died. He was 97. Obit...

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UK puts Chagos Islands handover deal on hold after Trump withdraws support

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s agreement to hand Mauritius theChagos Islandsthat are home to a strategic U.K.-American military base is on indefinite hold because U.S. President Donald Trump's administration haswithdrawn its supportfor the deal.

The British government acknowledged Saturday that legislation to ratify the agreement for the islands in the Indian Ocean has run out of time in Parliament.

It’s the latest fallout fromsouring relationsbetween Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government and the Trump administration.

Trump initially backed the deal, but changed his mind in January, calling a deal to transfer sovereignty of the islands, home to the joint military base on Diego Garcia, “an act of GREAT STUPIDITY” in a social media post.

The U.K. put the bill’s progress on hold, and the government now concedes it will run out of time to become law before the current session of Parliament ends in the next few weeks. It is not expected to be included in the list of bills announced by King Charles III for the next session of Parliament, which begins May 13.

Despite British frustration with the U.S. change of stance, officials still hope the deal can be revived.

“Diego Garcia is a key strategic military asset for both the U.K. and the U.S.,” the British government said in a statement. “Ensuring its long-term operational security is and will continue to be our priority — it is the entire reason for the deal.

“We continue to believe the agreement is the best way to protect the long-term future of the base, but we have always said we would only proceed with the deal if it has U.S. support. We are continuing to engage with the U.S. and Mauritius.”

Simon McDonald, who was head of Britain's Foreign Office until 2020, said the government “had no other choice" except to put the deal on ice.

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“When the president of the United States is openly hostile, the government has to rethink. So this agreement, this treaty will go into the deep freeze for the time being," he told the BBC.

The strategic military base in focus

The remote chain of more than 60 islands off the tip of India, south of the Maldives, has been under British control since 1814.

A military base on Diego Garcia, one of the islands, has supported U.S. military operations from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan and as a base for American bombers in the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.

Starmer initially blocked American planes from using British air bases for attacks on Iran. He later agreed to let the United States use bases in England and on Diego Garcia to strike Iran's missile sites, but not other targets.

Trump has disparaged the United States' NATO allies for their reluctance to join the war.He derided Starmerlast month as “not Winston Churchill” and mocked the Royal Navy.

Under the agreement struck between the U.K. and Mauritius after years of negotiation, Britain would lease back the Diego Garcia base for at least 99 years.

Starmer's government says the deal protects the base from international legal challenge. In recent years, the United Nations and its top court have urged Britain toreturn the islands to Mauritius.

Britain's opposition Conservative Party and Reform U.K. opposed the agreement, saying giving up the islands puts them at risk of interference by China and Russia. They have pushed the Trump administration to rescind its support.

Islanders who were displaced from Diego Garcia in the 1960s and 1970s to make way for the base say they weren’t consulted and worry the deal will make it harder for them to go home.

An estimated 10,000 displaced Chagossians and their descendants now live primarily in Britain, Mauritius and the Seychelles. Some have fought unsuccessfully in U.K. courts for many years for the right to go home.

byCosmopolite

in

April 11, 2026

UK puts Chagos Islands handover deal on hold after Trump withdraws support

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s agreement to hand Mauritius theChagos Islandsthat are home to a strategic U.K.-American military base is on ind...

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Eligible men will soon be automatically registered for military draft

Eligible men will be automatically registered into the U.S.military draft poolby December in an effort to streamline the existing self-registration process, according to the agency that oversees the system.

On March 30, theSelective Service System– the federal agency which oversees the database of men eligible for service in the event of amilitary draft– submitted aproposed rulefor automatic registration to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, according to itswebsite.

The new automatic registration process was approved by Congress under theNational Defense Authorization Actfor fiscal year 2026, whichPresident Donald Trumpsigned intolawin December 2025.

According to SSSwebsite, the agency will implement the switch to automatic registration by December, creating a "streamlined registration process and corresponding workforce realignment."

Here's what to know about the new military draft registration process.

Iran updates:Trump warns Iran of 'bigger' attacks if no deal is reached

Smoke rises following an explosion, after Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, February 28, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Smoke rises following an explosion after the U.S. and Israel reportedly launched an attack against Iran, in Tehran, Iran, February 28, 2026, in this screen grab taken from video.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> A plume of smoke rises following a reported explosion in Tehran on February 28, 2026. Two loud blasts were heard in Tehran on February 28 morning by AFP journalists, and two plumes of thick smoke were seen over the centre and east of the Iranian capital.

Israel's defence ministry announced it had launched a "preemptive strike" on Iran as sirens sounded in Jerusalem and people across the country received phone alerts about an "extremely serious" threat.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> U.S. President Donald Trump pumps his fist after disembarking Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., February 27, 2026. Hours later, Trump made live comments about the military strikes he launched against Iran.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Buildings inin Tehran stand after Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran, February 28, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Latest photos capture US and Israeli strikes against Iran

Smoke rises following an explosion,after Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, February 28, 2026.

What to know about selective service's switch to automatic registration

Most male U.S. citizens ages 18-25 are required to register with SSS, though there has not been an active military draft since 1973, according to the agency'swebsite.

Now, the agency is moving to an automatic registration process, rather than requiring eligible men to sign up manually.

The amendment to the Military Selective Service Act implementing automatic registration is set to take effect one year after the NDAA was enacted into law, according to thebill text.

On March 30, SSS formally submitted automatic registration as proposed rule to OIRA, which will now review and finalize the regulatory action.

According to the SSSwebsite, the change "transfers responsibility for registration from individual men to SSS through integration with federal data sources."

How does the draft registration currently work?

Currently, eligible male U.S. citizens ages 18-25 are required to registerthrough the Selective Service System online.

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To fill out the form, men are required to provide their full name, home address, date of birth and Social Security number.

Men who are serving in the military on full-time active duty continuously from ages 18 through 26 do not have to register for the draft. Also, those who are hospitalized or incarcerated for the entire period from ages 18-25 are exempt.

The Military Selective Service Act only requires draft registration for men. Women can enlist in active duty combat in order to serve.

Will there be a military draft?

Thewar and current ceasefire in Iranhas sparked renewed questions about whether the U.S. willenact a military draft.

In a March 8interviewon Fox News, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said bringing back the draft is "not part of the current plan right now," but she added that Trump "keeps his options on the table."

Returning to an active draft would require Congress to amend theMilitary Selective Service Act, according to SSS.

In the event of a military draft, not all men registered with SSS would be called to report for duty. The agency would randomly draw from a lottery of birthdays and numbers to establish the order that individuals would be inducted.

When was the last time the draft was used?

There has not been an active military draft since 1973, according to SSS.

Between 1948 and 1973, the military draft system was actively used to enlist men to fill vacancies during both peacetime and periods of conflict.

In July 1980, then-President Jimmy Carter reinstated registration for the military draft underPresidential Proclamation 4771.

Contributing: George Petras and Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached atmelina.khan@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Automatic registration for US military draft coming by end of 2026

byCosmopolite

in

April 10, 2026

Eligible men will soon be automatically registered for military draft

Eligible men will be automatically registered into the U.S.military draft poolby December in an effort to streamline the existing self-...

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Bestselling Author Shocks Fans By Revealing True Identity After 13 Years Of Double Life

Freida McFadden, best known for penning psychological thrillersThe Housemaid,The Intruder, and more, on Wednesday, April 8, revealed hertrue identityto the world.

While it was known that she is not only a best-selling author but also a practicing doctor, her real name had remainedconcealed, and that is exactly what she made public in herlatest interview.

“I’m at a point in my career where I’m tired of it being a secret,” McFadden said.

Reactions to the author’s reveal varied from shock to excitement, with one netizen commenting, “I had no idea Freida was not Freida,” while another said, “Now this is a d**n plot twist.”

Freida McFadden has shared her real name while explaining why she hid it for so long

Image credits:Getty/Dia Dipasupil

McFadden, who made her writing debut in 2013, introduced herself as Sara Cohen, a doctor who treats brain disorders, when speaking toUSA Todayyesterday.

“My whole goal was to keep it a secret until I was [ready to] step back from mydoctorjob, so it wouldn’t be like everyone I work with suddenly knew and it compromised my ability to do my job,” the author said.

Image credits:TODAY

Despite her best efforts to not to let her two lives intersect, McFadden’s colleagues figured out who she was before she went public.

“They were really nice about it, though,” she said, revealing that many of them were fans of her books.

Image credits:fmcfaddenauthor

McFadden, per her account, stopped practicing medicine full-time in 2023 and now only takes one or two shifts per month.

“I realized I was completelyoverwhelmedfrom trying to do both,” she noted.

As the author concealed her true identity, she appeared publicly in a wig and glasses.

Image credits:TODAY

She clarified in her interview that she needs glasses in her real life, but thewigwas merely because she had “no idea how to style” her hair.

“It’s so much more boring than anything that happens in my books,” McFadden said about her revelations.

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Image credits:Lionsgate Movies

By revealing her real identity, McFadden also sought to put to rest several theories about her, the most prominent being that she was not real and that “three men” collectively wrote her books.

“I’m a real person, and I have identity, and I don’t have to hide anything,” McFadden said.

The author shared that writing was never meant to replace her career as a doctor, while revealing that she will continue publishing under her pen name

Image credits:TODAY

“Some people go into writing hoping to quit theirday job, but I didn’t. I was just having fun,” McFadden explained.

“I kept clinging to being a doctor because, first, I worked very hard to get there, and I find it really rewarding. I love seeing patients and helping other people.”

Image credits:tfmakena

Image credits:fmcfaddenauthor

Further in her interview, McFadden confirmed she won’t be giving up her pen name.

“Even though I did not reveal my real name, I feel like I’ve shared the real me all along, and everything I’ve told them has been the truth.

“Even though the name will be a surprise, nothing else will. I’ve always been genuine with my readers.” McFadden reasoned.

McFadden’s big revelation came months after one of her books made it to the screen

McFadden’sThe Housemaidwas turned into a movie last year, with Paul Feig directing.

It starredSydney Sweeneyas Millie Calloway, a young woman with a troubled past who becomes the live-in maid for a wealthy couple, Nina and Andrew Winchester, played byAmanda SeyfriedandBrandon Sklenar.

Released worldwide on December 19, the offering grossed $399 million on a $35 million budget, becoming a massive blockbuster.

Image credits:Instagram/mycosybookishhome

The film’s success ensured the book’s sequel,The Housemaid’s Secret, would also be adapted into a film.

Confirmed cast for the effort includes Sweeney, Michele Morrone, and Kristen Dunst.

Feig is set to return to the director’s chair.

“Legend”: McFadden’s fans praised her for her honesty and hard work

byCosmopolite

in

April 10, 2026

Bestselling Author Shocks Fans By Revealing True Identity After 13 Years Of Double Life

Freida McFadden, best known for penning psychological thrillersThe Housemaid,The Intruder, and more, on Wednesday, April 8, revealed he...

Read More