Nation and world news in brief for October 15

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs accused of sexual abuse in six new lawsuits

(Reuters) — Sean “Diddy” Combs was confronted with six new sexual abuse lawsuits on Monday, including one accusing the rap mogul of assaulting a minor.

The civil lawsuits were filed a month after Combs was criminally charged for what prosecutors describe as a long-running scheme of sex trafficking and racketeering.

Combs’ lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday. The rapper has denied wrongdoing in other civil cases against him and pleaded not guilty in his criminal case.

The lawsuits were filed in New York federal court by anonymous plaintiffs, including one man who accuses Combs of assaulting him when he was a minor.

Man arrested outside Calif. rally a ‘committed Trump supporter,’ Clark County GOP chair says

LAS VEGAS (TNS) — Clark County Republican Party Chairman Jesse Law confirmed that Vem Miller — who was arrested last weekend after allegedly trying to pass a checkpoint with loaded firearms outside of a California rally for former President Donald Trump — is a longtime Trump supporter.

Law said Miller, a longtime volunteer, asked him for entry to the Trump event in California, and Law got him expedited entry. Law said he knows Miller personally, and he described him as a Trump supporter and grassroots activist. Miller is a Trump caucus captain, and he’s gone to all the conventions and attended the RNC in July, Law said.

The former 2022 Republican Assembly candidate was booked at the John J. Benoit Detention Center forpossession of a loaded firearm and possession of a high-capacity magazine, both misdemeanors, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.

Social media influencer falls to his death during publicity stunt

(TNS) — A social media influencer died Sunday after falling from Spain’s highest bridge during a publicity stunt.

A 26-year-old daredevil identified only as a British citizen was climbing the 630-foot Castilla-La Mancha bridge in Talavera de la Reina when he plunged to his death shortly after 7 a.m., according to The Times of London.

The man reportedly attempted his climb without any safety equipment roughly 90 miles southwest of Madrid. Law enforcement said the victim scaled “around a quarter of the total height of the bridge” before losing his footing. He was accompanied by a second climber who was uninjured. That 24-year-old adventurer, who was also attempting to scale Europe’s second-tallest bridge, wasn’t wearing a harness either, according to Metro.

The second climber was initially too traumatized to speak after witnessing his climbing partner’s fatal fall. The pair reportedly planned to document their ill-fated stunt on social media. It’s not clear if the dead climber’s fall was caught on film.

“The reason he fell is not clear and will be investigated by a local court,” a law enforcement official reportedly said.

UN Security Council backs Lebanon peacekeepers after Israeli attacks

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) — The United Nations Security Council on Monday expressed strong concern after several U.N. peacekeeping positions in southern Lebanon came under fire amid clashes between the Israeli military and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants.

In a statement adopted by consensus, the 15-member council also urged all parties — without naming them — to respect the safety and security of the personnel and premises of the U.N. peacekeeping mission, known as UNIFIL.

“U.N. peacekeepers and U.N. premises must never be the target of an attack,” said the council, reiterating its support for UNIFIL and the operation’s importance for regional stability.

The Security Council also called for the full implementation of its resolution 1701, which was adopted in 2006 with the aim of keeping peace on the border between Lebanon and Israel. The council “recognized the need for further practical measures to achieve that outcome,” but did not offer specifics.

Five days after Milton, fewer than 5,000 Central Florida customers still without power

ORLANDO, Fla. (TNS) — Most Central Floridians who lost power during Hurricane Milton got it back right after the storm or over the weekend, with fewer than 5,000 Central Florida utility customers still in the dark on Monday.

In Orange, Seminole, Osceola and Lake counties, just 4,790 out of the more than 1.3 million customers remain without power, with the lion’s share in Orange and Lake, according to poweroutage.us, which collects data from utilities nationwide.

Tens of thousands of customers got their lights back on over the weekend. As of Saturday afternoon, 77,355 customers were still without power in Orange, Lake, Osceola and Seminole counties. Last Friday, roughly 200,000 customers in the four-county area were waiting for their power to be restored.

The area’s largest utilities, Orlando Utilities Commission and Duke Energy, said last week they would restore power for most customers by the end of Sunday.